As we dictated earlier in the year, since they joined at the same time, are located next to each other, and have very similar food, we decided to celebrate them together. When we divvied who would do what I got assigned Slovakia.
While perusing through the various options for Slovakian... correction... Slovak dishes to make I started noticing a patter of rich, hearty and/or cheesy dishes that made me drool. It also made me crave vegetables, so my next search was "Slovak vegetable recipe". I was sold when my eyes landed on stuffed tomatoes.
With an anticipated attendance of a new record, 9 people, I made sure to buy enough for 10 tomatoes, expecting 1-2 leftover tomatoes that I could enjoy sometime during the following week. One of our guests would also be attending during his birthday, so I agreed to make something that we could stick a candle in. After a short period of searching I landed on a Slovak pound cake. Simple and easy, yet delicious!
The day before Amber (aka "would-be host" of the Czech Republic/Slovakia dinner party) reaches out and asks if I would be willing to host. Her house was still under construction from some roof issues and it wasn't in a state to accommodate the crowd we were expecting. Looking around my less than 600 square foot, single bedroom apartment, I was like... sure!
The following morning was spent tidying up, making sure I had enough beverages for 9, and pulling out my folding tables and chairs.
After texting Amber to bring the last few chairs I would need, she responds that a few people could no longer make it since my place was much further away than hers. We were down to 5.
Not a problem! Actually, much more manageable in my tiny apartment. So I put away my card table and left the long one up. I was also able to put away a chair. I decided I still would make all of the tomatoes and the cake, since more leftovers for me, and the birthday boy was still coming.
Or so I thought.
I finish cooking...
...when Jenny shows up to cook her meal, and she tells me a few more people dropped out. One is sick, the other is double booked. It was going to be 3-4 people, depending on if Bryan shows.
He didn't. But his Czech/Slovak beer did!
It got weird.
Maybe it was because it was raining, but there was something in the air. I tried taking a photo of my lovely co-musketeers twice, but SOMEbody was unable to pull herself together.
Let's take another look...
There was some slurring of words, odd conversations, trying on of Halloween masks, ending in doing the P.P.A.P. with full participation.
If you don't know what that is, don't feel bad. I didn't either. And I still don't.
All in all it was a fantastic dinner party. The food was deeeee-licious, the company was... "superb" would be an understatement, and at the end of the day we were all quite proud of ourselves since we made the perfect amount of food.
For 9 people.
(Celebrated October 1st, 2016)
