re: Dinner party menu help

My Mom makes every single dish she's going to serve for a dinner party a few times before the party, if she's not made it before or if she's not made it in large quanities before. She's sick of the food by the time she serves it.

When we did the shrimp and grits, she made it about 8 times and held it different ways to determine which way was best. Last method won out. She doesn't want to see another grit for a year, now.

The shrimp and grits recipe is in the recipe book at the top. It doesn't look like much and I refused to make it for a long time, until she made it for me to try. I was shocked. Do try it, but make the sauce the day before as the flavors will marry in the fridge. It's a great dish for a crowd and looks like in bowls on a plate, with an attractive green salad on the side. I like to do one with apples, pears or strawberries, blue cheese and walnuts or candied pecans with a light vinaigrette.

It's YOUR birthday, so you need to be able to enjoy as much of the dinner as you can with your friends.

Sounds like you have a great kitchen set up. Lots of counter space to set out the plates before serving?

About the crabmeat maison. You'd be surprised how many servings of that in martini glasses that you can get out of a pound of it. We put shredded lettuce in the very bottom.

Oh, also look in the recipe section for a Neiman Marcus appetizer called Crabmeat Louis Parfait. It looks great layered in a martini glass and is delicious. Everything is make ahead and it's quite elegant, looking. Because it has several layers, you don't use as much crabmeat, but it will impress the hell out of your guests and it's not difficult to assemble just before serving. I'll try to find a picture of it. If I can't, go to a bookstore and find the Neiman Marcus cookbook, about 4 or 5 years old. Color photos. Look for that photo.