For reasons still unbeknownst to myself, I decided the best way to celebrate my 27th would be to cook dinner for 32 guests.

Having recently started an MBA program at the Wharton School, my birthday had to celebrated in spectacular fashion. In previous years, I’ve hosted birthday parties at karaoke bars and camping sites but this time I wanted to host an intimate gathering surrounded by newfound friends. I say intimate but as I drafted the potential guest list, I found myself unable to whittle it to fewer than 32 people. Never one to back down from a challenge, I rolled up my sleeves and sharpened my knives for what would be marathon undertaking. One thing was sure: this had no choice but to be the most extravagant party of the year.

First things first, design the menu.

Once I knew I’d be accommodating such a large population, it was a no-brainer that the centrepiece would be a roast that required minimal attention. Lamb was the safest choice here considering dietary restrictions and ease of preparation. I opted for Ottolenghi’s Slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder with Fig and Pistachio Salsa which was the showstopper dish at our family’s Christmas table a few years ago.

From there, it was about constructing side dishes that would complement the main event both gastronomically on the palate and visually on the table. Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen recommends serving the lamb with a Side of Greens with Crispy Garlic which uses rainbow chard to brighten up the table and golden raisins to add some sweetness to the salty lamb. Riding the Mediterranean wave, I selected additional sides of Roasted Pears and Halloumi, Maple Roasted Carrots and Sofrito Couscous sans ricotta for my lactose intolerant friends.

Having once been vegetarian myself, I couldn’t let the only main event be a large slab of meat. As such, I prepped what is hands-down one of my favourite recipes on this blog: Jerk Mushrooms with Spring Onion Pancakes. Packed with fire and spice, this recipe never fails to please meat eaters and vegans alike. Continuing the trend of sweet and spicy, plates of pickled melon and prosciutto also adorned the table (sprinkled with cayenne pepper of course).

No occasion is complete without birthday cake and if Cake Life Bake Shop is good enough for Beyonce, it’s good enough for me. Funfetti is the only acceptable birthday cake flavour and that is a hill that I will die on. I don’t believe that meals are complete without coffee and this event was polished off with Café Touba, a rich spice coffee that I brought back from Senegal.

Final Menu
Starters

• Pickled Melon with Prosciutto, Basil and Mint
• Marinated Olives
• Chips and crème fraiche

Mains

• Ottolenghi Test Kitchen’s Slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder with Fig and Pistachio Salsa
• Jerk mushrooms with spring onion pancakes

Sides

• Side of greens with crispy garlic
• Roasted Pears & Red Onions with Halloumi Cheese
• Sofrito Couscous

Desserts

• Birthday cake from Cake Life Bake Shop
• Selection of cheeses
• Café Touba from Senegal

Not to be overlooked, designing the tablescape and entertainment.

The menu set, the food not only had to be delicious but it also had to look appetising on the table. I’m a firm believer in curating experiences around the table – people won’t notice delays in serving or mismatched flavours if they’re entertained. Eclectic maximalism has been my style mantra since arriving at Wharton in May and I injected every ounce of colour and flair into designing this table. Butcher paper lined the table for easy cleanup (I’m a college student, I don’t own a tablecloth), rainbow plates and napkins for serving, and the highlights were my creative friends arranging lively bouquets and repurposing the rainbow Solo cups as candle holders.

I’ve been passionate about film photography since the world came to a standstill in 2020 and to preserve the memories of this occasion, I ordered disposable film cameras which were scattered around the room for anyone to use. WARNING: remind your guests to turn on the flash before they take photos. Pinterest provided ample inspiration for table arrangements but what was even more ingenious was pinning paper, crayons and sharpies on the wall for party guests to let their creative sides loose. To top off the night: I ordered packs of sparklers that everyone could light when it was time to cut the cake.

Proper preparation prevents poor performance.…

Now that the plan was set in motion, it was time to execute. Top of the FAQ list for this event was how I was able to organise all of this by myself. To give a concrete breakdown of the timeline: I finalised the menu about ten days before the event, spent three days working my way through the shopping list (I cleaned the halal butcher of all the lamb shoulder that was in stock) and started prepping for the dinner five days prior. Take that to mean that my hands reeked of onions and garlic for five consecutive days. All of this between the usual academic and social (mostly social) commitments that you would expect of an MBA program and you’ll come to appreciate this was no small feat. I trekked across town between 4 supermarkets, 3 butchers, 2 farmers’ markets and one exclusive bakery to gather provisions. Thankfully, Amazon was there to fill the gaps for the things I couldn’t carry myself.

To keep on track, I outlined a plan of action for Monday through Friday to ensure I didn’t miss a single step in the 10 dishes I was prepping. To give myself some buffer, I purposely gave myself Thursday off (my actual birthday) to evaluate progress and make another grocery run if needed. If there’s one tip I could give for anyone considering following in my mad footsteps: labelled Ziploc bags will save your life. I would’ve pulled my hair (and the plug) out if I had to sift through the fridge to find the bag with 3 diced red onions and 2 cloves of garlic and the bag with 2 sliced red onions and 1 thumb of grated ginger. My fingers and sanity are only still intact because I started so early. Can you tell I’m a Virgo?

….But always have a contingency plan in place

I’m not going to pretend that everything went swimmingly. A plan is only as good as its backup plan. I credit starting early to avoiding definitive failure but I’d be remiss not to thank the amazing support network that stepped in to avoid disaster. During the many shopping expeditions I conducted the week before, there seemed to be a Philadelphia wide shortage of two key ingredients on the menu: dried figs and halloumi. Fresh figs? In abundance, every farmer was hawking those. Dried figs? Not a chance, who would want those? To add insult to injury, Tiktok had recently discovered halloumi which meant every cheesemonger scoffed in my face when I asked why it was out of stock. I’m in my late twenties now, how could I be expected to keep up with the youth? I caught the cheesemonger on their delivery day thus beating the kids to the freshly restocked halloumi – one up on Gen Alpha who can’t be bothered to pick up the phone to call the store. One of my darling friends found dried figs in a grocery store only hours before the dinner and dispatched an Uber to my apartment building, along with a bottle of olive oil as I’d run out on the day.

Perhaps my biggest miscalculation was the lamb. On paper, 22lbs/10kg of meat feels like it should fit between two large Staub cast irons. Not even close. I didn’t have a roasting pan large enough to accommodate the excess and requisitioned a cast iron pot from a friend with three days to spare ensuring I could still marinate the lamb in good time. Crisis averted.

The final act of friendship came with setting up the party room. This involved the delicate process of transporting 10 dishes and an assortment of table decorations and ornaments from my apartment on the 7th floor of my building to the amenity space on the 4th floor which required navigating two separating elevator systems. Don’t ask me, I didn’t design this building. The stage set, it was time to rock and roll.

Alas, I had yet to get myself ready for the show. I’d had my outfit planned for the evening but with the tight schedule I was running, I hadn’t set aside time to get myself ready. As a result, the dining room and meal was ready and I still smelled like a smoky slaughterhouse. In any case, my guests were slowly trickling in which left me enough time to sneak upstairs for a shower and a change. Late to my own party? Never, everyone else was just early.

Showtime!

I will admit that it was hard for me to enjoy the event at first. I was flitting about the food, lighting a candle here and redressing a salad there. Was the couscous stodgy? Did people know there was a nut-free version of the fig salsa on the other end of the table? Had the meat-eaters beaten the vegetarians to the jerk mushrooms? More importantly, why was there still so much food on the table? Anxious thoughts bombarded my psyche as I spiralled into believing that nobody was enjoying the evening.

It was at this point that one of my friends poured me a stiff drink and forced me to step away from the kitchen aisle. Did I forget to mention I myself hadn’t eaten in the past 24 hours? If I were to ever do this again (not a chance), I would recommend designating a party manager whose sole job is to make sure you have fun by taking any last minute tasks off your hands. For example, I forgot to remove the cake from the fridge to let it come to room temperature before serving. Someone also had to wrestle me away from lighting my own birthday candles. What can I say, it’s hard for me to let go of control. Can you tell I’m a Virgo?

My darling friends cleaned up the amenity space, and hauled my crockery back to my apartment. Freed from obligation, I could party the rest of the night away.

All in all, it was nothing short of a fabulous night. Though, you will be hard pressed to find me attempting such tomfoolery a second time.