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GordonCooks

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    Help – amateur catering for friends' wedding

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I will make finger food for my friend's wedding end of August. While I am very comfortable in tke kitchen with both sweet and savoury side, I have questions on how to ensure that food will stay crispy and in optimal condition, and there you could maybe advise if changes of components are necessary. Also, I'd like to prepare anything I can upfront and store in the freezer, there will be questions there too.

    It will be post dinner elegant finger food and the bride has requested that no plates shoud be used, really pick it up with hand and eat. There will be ~80 guests. I will make about 40-50 pieces of each dish.

    This is the list with my preliminary ideas:

    1. Panko breaded deep fried fish segments with wasabi mayonnaise and sweet soy fluid gel
    2. Deep fried polenta triangles with tomato basil sauce and parmesan shavings
    3. Spinach cheese roll
    4. Chorizo madelaines
    5. Sun dried tomato madelaines
    6. Kroepoek/rice crackers with asian salad topping (carrot salad a la green papaya spiced, with and without peanuts)
    7. Lemon meringue tartlets
    8. Macarons (raspberry)
    9. Eclairs or choux buns with flavoured pastry cream (spices, asian maybe, passion fruit..)

    Questions:

    1. What is good sort of white fish to use, that will not fall apart while deep fired. I have easy access to Tilapia, pangasius but could search for more if those are not optimal. This will be served cold, with probably a skewer through the fish. Any issues here? Will it be ok served luke warm/cold?
    2. Chorizo and sun dried tomato madelaines, can I bake and freeze them, then just refresh on the wedding day? Alternatively, can I make and freeze the batter?
    3. Rice crackers and carrot salad (dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, chilli, peanuts, dried shrim floss and coriander). Will the rice crackers go soggy from the salad? Can I brush them with a thin layer of mayonnaise? Can you suggest some alternative vessels for this salad?
    4. Lemon meringue tartlets I will bake and freeze, then refresh in the oven. I will assemble them on location, including the blowtorching of the swiss meringue.
    5. Choux buns I am planning to freeze dough and bake on the day, fill on location. Will they stay crisp for a couple of hours? Any tips there?

    Also, if you have some additional ideas for me, I'd love to hear.

    Thanks!

    I've done a couple of weddings for friends and here's my critique.

    1.) You've got a ton of frying to do and will you have the equipment?

    2.) You've got a lot of baking an pastry going on....torching 80 tartets?

    3.) Frozen and reheated Madeleines? What's the point of making delicate Madeleines?

    4.) Rice Crackers with anything moist are going to go limp.

    You should probably write your prep list and figure the timing.

    I would...pick a theme, Asian, Italian, etc...one flavor profile.

    Then figure what can be held at temp, rent a hot box and lots of cutting boards.

    The rise and fall of Paula Deen

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted · Edited by GordonCooks (log)

    No one is perfect, the world isn't and Paula Deen certainly isn't.

    As an ethnic person, I've been on the receiving end of racist comments, hence I don't use them.

    But, I've said my share of stupid things in life and when I've recounted them, I've done so apologetically and with humilty. Not with justification and smugness (without a legal team I may add)

    Given those around her know this is the person she truly is, then good.

    Come uppence justified as for someone who "Is who she Is"

    ...I mean really, if she hadn't lost any sponsors we wouldn't even be hearing from her.

    Restaurant/Bar Annoyances

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    I'm in China and last night I went out alone for a late supper in my local restaurant.

    I arrived and was ignored by the staff, but chose an empty window table. Eating alone can be boring, so it's nice to watch the world go by.

    After a few minutes an impeccably dressed young man asked me "Would you like a menu?"

    ANSWER I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN

    "No. I much prefer to guess what you have and throw random suggestions at you until some modicum of recognition comes over your visage."

    ANSWER I GAVE

    "Yes. please".

    He went to a desk and returned with three menus which he delicately placed before me.

    "Are you ready to order?

    ANSWER I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN

    "Order what? I haven't even opened the frigging menus.You've gone back to the guess what we have tactic again!"

    ANSWER I GAVE

    "Give me five minutes to look at the menu."

    He said, "Certainly sir" then didn't move a muscle for the next five minutes, standing over me waiting for me to decide. (At least he didn't do what they often do in Chinese restaurants in China. Stand there intimidating you into ordering by randomly pointing at menu items which they have never eaten and suggesting them. I called one out once, closed the menu and said what did you just recommend? She hadn't a clue.)

    Finally, I order my modest repast and request a cold beer to wash it down.

    Off he goes. Very soon the beer arrives. I feel the bottle. It is warm. I don' t mean slightly warm. It is the sort of temperature new parents aim for in babies' milk bottles. I tell him to try again.

    He comes back with a fairly cold beer, sits it on the table and walks away. No glass, no opener. One of his colleagues notices my look of consternation and sends him back.

    "Would you like me to open your beer?

    ANSWER I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN

    "No! I only ordered to to admire the classic design of the bottle."

    ANSWER I GAVE

    "Yes, please"

    Very quickly, suspiciously quickly, my food arrives. One dish is wrong. I query it.

    "Oh, we don't have what you ordered"

    ANSWER I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN

    "So, you just substituted some random dish?"

    ANSWER I GAVE

    "I don't want this."

    So he took it away. No suggestion of a sensible alternative and no apology. But it didn't show up on the final tally.

    I ate what they had managed to get right and it was OK. Not stupendous, but I wasn't expecting stupendous - just an OK supper after a long day.

    I sat for a while watching the world outside my window and eventually the young man came back and said,

    "Would you like the bill?

    ANSWER I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN

    Well, actually no. I would much prefer free food. It tastes so much better, don't you think?"

    ANSWER I GAVE

    "Er, yes please"

    I pay and leave.

    I would have pointed to each menu item and asked what was in it, how it was prepared, what the name translated to, who named it, why was it named that, etc.........that's what you SHOULD have done...

    Alan Richman's 10 best restaurants in NY 2012

    in New York: Dining

    Posted

    I think there a service gap if you're a tourist or a known entity. I realize this exists in any top spot but my initial dinners at Daniel were fine food wise but the service was standard and the wine service (esp Jean Luc) uninspired. My last visit was with a regular customer and it was a different restaurant altogether.

    I've not been to EMP yet but Le Bernardin was very warm, and Per Se maybe a little moreso.

    Nibbles 'n' Notes around Toronto

    in Ontario: Dining

    Posted

    Most likely hitting TOCA next trip if that's there I stay - will report back. Toronto seems to be going through the whole NYC devolution of BBQ, DOC Pizzas, Burgers, Porchetta Sandwiches, etc for reasons mainly economical I would fathom.

    Not personally interesting as this is what my friends and I cook ourselves when the craving strikes.

    Splendido

    in Ontario: Dining

    Posted

    Both excel at service but I guess the comparison is Scaramouche is a favorite pair of comfy jeans and Splendido is a pair of bespoke dress slacks. Scaramouche has always delivered the goods, personally speaking.

    Splendido

    in Ontario: Dining

    Posted

    Just a couple of tweaks maybe. They've got service down pat - the most difficult thing in my mind.

    I'll correct myself - they have everyone on the same page, contributing and adapting to the customer.

    Now that's the most difficult thing in my book.

    Splendido

    in Ontario: Dining

    Posted

    Ok so it's been a while since I put anything on paper...

    Splendido, the only place I've never had a full blown meal at, so choosing it was a no brainer.

    The place was quiet for our 5:30 seating and we were late (a a cab story for later) We were warmly greeted and seated in my favorite bar spot - at the end with a view of all that transpires.

    My girl Leslie is the Chardonnay Expert of the house and I byob'd an 09 Kongsgaard from home and we had a 07 Girardin Chassagne Montrachet Le Cailleret from the list.

    wine.jpg

    Amuse of Artichoke Puree and chick pea frite

    amuse.jpg

    British Columbia Hedgehog Mushroom Salad

    Sunchoke Purée, Truffle Vinaigrette, Triple Crunch Mustard

    mushroom.jpg

    Roasted Garlic & Parsley Agnolotti

    Rapini, Charred Shishito Peppers & Almonds

    pasta.jpg

    Cured Ontario Rainbow Trout

    Caramelized Cucumber, Caraway, Crème Fraiche & Dill Pickle

    trout.jpg

    Organic Salmon, Ireland

    Roasted Endive, Confit Kumquat, White Bean Purée & Juniper Berry

    salmon.jpg

    Albacore Tuna, Nova Scotia

    Arancini, Cucumber, Razor Clams & Black Sesame Vinaigrette

    tuna.jpg

    Cheese Plate

    cheese.jpg

    The food started off well but tapered off - maybe suffering more from conception than execution. The amuse and mushroom salad were delicious, the Agnolotti sublime but the trout was a little lacking in seasoning and the lightly pickled cuke was barely that, much too light.

    The Irish Salmon was very gamey and overpowered the sides (most times I've had Irish Salmon, it's usually had a light smoke) This dish just didn't work for me as the components tasted fine individually but a cohesive dish. The tuna was good but very delicate in flavor and needing more help from the supporting cast. We also had some frites on the side with a Malt Vinegar that was excellent but the brussel sprouts were mush. My GF is pescetarian so we do seafood mostly but the meat dishes may be a different story so I welcome opinions.

    She's also a little lactose and they steered her away from the Chocolate millefeuille and offered her something else (which basically a bowl of chocolate pieces) and something else that was good but forgettable.

    Anyways, Service is impeccable, maybe the best we've had in Toronto and so is the space. It would warrant a return visit for some different entrees.

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