If only there were Smell-o-vision..

The house smells really good today. But more about that later.

I’m usually a pretty calm hostess. Cooking is something I’m comfortable doing. Cooking for a crowd does not phase me.

For tonight’s dinner though three of our guest units were unsure of how many of them would be showing up. Normally that would be fine…but there were two more wrinkles to add to the mix. The first was that I had one package of chicken in my freezer. If everyone showed up I would be two pieces of chicken short. I sort of planned for it by making a big pot of soup and planned to also make a platter of mezze.However, there is something sort of stingy about serving a main dish  where eaters may only take one ( the host and hostess would skip the chicken in that case)  and have no option for seconds.

The other issue is the size of my table. I can seat twelve comfortably at the table. Thirteen at the table makes things uncomfortable for everyone.  My nightmare scenario was not enough food  for a group shoved uncomfortably around the table.   So, this morning while the numbers were still fluid I took two packages of flanken bones out of the freezer  and set about defrosting them.

 

I cooked the chicken in limes and smoked paprika.

The way the limes and the paprika combine with the smell of chicken fat is pretty intoxicating. That is part one of Smell-o-vision.

 

Then I made the ribs.

I stole a rib after I pulled the pan from the oven. I have two words to say- crazy and good.

At that point I had enough food cooked and found out that the number of eaters was under the hard to seat threshold.

I’m not making the mezze platter because then the food quantities would get silly. I’m still debating making matza balls and tossing them into the soup.

 

My son just pulled the tray of challah out of the oven so add  that aroma to the mix.

 

Our guests are bringing vegetable matter and dessert.

 

Shabbat Shalom to all