baroness

I'm looking forward to making the tapenade; it sounds great. Good question about crostini vs. bruschetta - I associate vegetable toppings with bruschetta for some reason.

Karen, I do not mind all the shrimp discussion at all. Passing the cold shrimp would control consumption IF I can: Spare someone from the kitchen Have sufficient floor space for the server to work the room (depends on final guest count; the 2 adjoining rooms are not huge) But--won't it look funny if the shrimp is the only served item? At least one of the older VIPs *needs* to eat seated; I don't want him/them to feel different, so there will be a few tables. And I would think that dressed-up people would prefer to have the option of forks rather than fingers only. The wine enthusiast is bringing the stemware; I did recommend she NOT bring her best. I'll pass on your size reco's to her. In this area, the 2 liter sodas are routinely less than 1 liters, so we'll probably go big -- who knows how much the boys will drink. And yes, we are jazzed by the start of the media coverage!

The first article hit the paper yesterday: Read Here! As far as trimming the menu: The antipasto platter will be donated, or it is out -- unless we max out on tickets. (FWIW, According to the New York Times, this county is the most heavily Italian-American in the entire country...so the Mediterranean food theme works well) On the issue of whether the shrimp are hot or cold: The hot shrimp with rice is fork-friendly, tasty, and easy I am uneasy about certain guests, known to me (but whom I can't control), who will "vacuum" them up if they are cold and unaccompanied. They would also require sauces added to the menu. If the weather is unusually hot, I may try them cold, with fingers crossed. Karen, you *may* be warming me up to the chicken skewer idea, if I can find short ones! The roasted vegetables are a personal favorite - but a lot of work and they could 'stink up' the place, so they are out. 8 pcs. per head sounds reasonable. What about beverage amounts? Thanks for the continuing input!

The count is 25 now. When the general public promos start hitting the local papers, the number may double or more -- I think there were 56 tickets printed, plus there are 8 comps and the volunteers working the reception (4-6). I'm an artist, so presentation is definitely my thing. The food WILL look gorgeous. Good point about the chicken; I'm open to other flavor ideas but I don't want to fuss with skewers - the more guests, the more people eating standing up. The pineapple, and to a lesser extent the grapes, are palate cleansing and a somewhat sweet note to end the meal.

I got a quick look at the venue Monday; will return with a tape measure this weekend to help plan the furniture layout. The kitchen is small but modern; unfortunately there is not much counter space for prep. The wine is being donated, so that is a considerable help in terms of budget. So far, there are about 25 guests, 2 of which are 'tween boys (There is fast food in the neighborhood, if they need it ). Revised menu thoughts below, with comments and questions. Items with question marks are iffy. Cheese platter, crackers (Antipasto platter?) Vegetable platter Dips for above: Ranch (popular with this crowd) Hummus Fig-olive tapenade (Thanks, prasantrin!) (Olives?) Bruschetta/Crostini with toppings: Tomato-Herbs with and w/o fresh mozzarella Pear-Walnut-Chevre Slow Roasted Beef (Thanks, Rhonda!) Hot items: Gougeres Shrimp and Rice Coconut-Crusted Chicken Bites Individual Swiss-Potato Gratins - (should I make some cheese-free? with bacon?) Spinach squares - (basically spanakopita sans phyllo) (Roasted vegs? cauliflower, parsnips, carrots....) Assorted Grapes Pineapple Wine - white, red - (To be donated by a wine enthusiast) Ginger Ale Cola Bottled Water Lemon wedges ICE ------ ((DESSERTS and caffeine will be served at the church after the show!))

Eggnog?

From the pyrexware.com website: "PYREX® glass products are made using a tempered soda lime glass composite, as is the vast majority of consumer glass bakeware in the North American marketplace. The Cookware Manufacturers Association considers soda lime an appropriate material for glass bakeware." Soda-Lime glass, whether 'tempered' or not, has no place in MY kitchen. It is heavier, weaker, and far more temperature sensitive than borosilicate. I'm grateful that I don't need any new pyrex-type items!

I was going to suggest dolmas! Tiropita would be good, too.

Glass is one of my passions and a favorite creative medium. I may know more about glass than food! Glass cannot expire or 'lose its temper'. There are things that can stress the glass, thus opening the door to problems: IN MAKING THE ITEM Incompatible glasses mixed in the making of the item Bad technique when joining parts Improper annealing during the making of the item ITEM IN USE Sudden, dramatic changes in temperature (freezer to oven or broiler; oven or stovetop to a cooler surface, particularly if it is wet as well) Surface scratching (if you have ever cut glass, this is obvious!) Borosilicate glass is more resistant to breakage than softer glass. I have heard that at least some Pyrex is now foreign-made. Some of the Asian boro that is used for ART GLASS is pretty bad quality (and cheaper, of course) than American boro. Some of my newer (foreign-made) Corningware prohibits stovetop use, a change from the American products. I do not fear baking in glass, but do treat it with reasonable care.

There are commerical vegetarian sausages; some are not bad. I think tempeh would be a good base ingredient.

Ube (purple yam) is a Filipino ingredient. Its flour is used in bread rolls (maybe you could make noodles?), and there are ube sweets such as ice cream.

My local NPR station is promoting a feature story on tea trading to air tomorrow (9-16-09) during the Morning Edition show. It will most likely be available on their website later.

I don't think they are Spritz. The bottom portion appears to have been rolled in granulated sugar, and the part over the cherry looks piped, not cookie-pressed. Tempting in any case!

How true! And, properly stored, tea is not as perishable as coffee!

I was a bit exuberant in my measuring of the Panitola this morning. Result was almost tea-spresso, but STILL smooth and enjoyable.

Chris, The shrimp dish has tomato notes and is rather like a hot shrimp cocktail, but richer due to the butter. If the weather forecast is unusually warm, I may split the shrimp and the rice. Budget will be discussed on Sunday; right now I'm thinking under $10 pp. The event is only 1 hour, though the performers may arrive early. ------------ PopsicleToze/Rhonda, I like the boursin-clone cheese idea. I don't think the vodka tomatoes would play with this crowd (though I'd already put it in my personal to-try folder!). Yes, please PM the crostini recipe. I don't 'do' beef, but I'll find someone to make it. That's a great upgrade from meatballs. ------------ HungryC/Celeste, I hope to get some hints - or better info - about what I may need to use at Sunday's meeting. Stay tuned....

In this context, VIP is the feeling we wish to give to patrons who are paying 3 times the general admission price in exchange for a few perks! The food will be served buffet-style. I'll know more about the number of seats available when I've seen the space, but am planning now for food that can be eaten standing up. The shrimp and rice is in this category. Plates, napkins, and cutlery will be provided. I don't like ranch dip, but it's popular among this crowd. The fig and olive tapenade sounds wonderful--do you have a recipe to share? Spanakopita sounds good as well. Juices are a staple, along with caffeinated beverages, at the dessert reception. I'd rather avoid lugging them about as well - if you chose ONE, what would it be, to go with these savories?

I am in charge of a pre-show meet & greet with the stars for a charity fundraiser on October 3rd. This event will provide hospitality/a light dinner for the performers and their spouses as well as rewarding patrons for their support. The venue is a normal-sized home one block from the church. I would like to do any real cooking/baking at home, leaving only arranging and re-heating to be done onsite. There are several BIG variables in the mix: 1 - Some food items, such as cheese and antipasto trays, may be donated by local businesses, so their contents will be a mystery until arrival. Wine may appear in a similar fashion. 2 - The actual number of guests is unknown (though the space limits the number to 35 on a comfort level). I hope to inspect the physical situation this weekend, and get updates from other fundraisers as to tickets sold and any edible donations. In the meantime, I need to start on a menu that is colorful, easy to eat/relatively un-messy, not too labor intensive, and of modest cost. Not asking much, am I? * Possible Donations, % Easy to Assign to Others: -------------------------------------- * % Cheese platter * % (Antipasto platter?) * % Vegetable platter * % Dips for above: Ranch, Hummus, (hot cheese +/or bacon or spinach dip?) % Grapes % Apple wedges % Pineapple % Olives % Crackers, Bread * % Wine - white, red % Ginger Ale % Cola % Bottled Water % Lemon wedges % ICE ------ And hot items I or someone else might make: Gougeres (Any favorite recipes?) Shrimp and Rice Chicken - tenders or boneless wings (teriyaki? BBQ sauce? NOT Buffalo) Meatballs ((DESSERTS and caffeine will be served at the church after the show!)) --------------------------------- This is a rough draft, but I welcome any and all ideas and tips as the event is less than a month away--Yikes!

The recipe directs 1/4 cup of batter for each brownie. That's a standard/'normal' muffin pan cup size, and would use the common cupcake/baking cup liners.

Knit placemats and table runners are fun. If you like lace patterns, they can be quite lovely. For a more casual look, try stripes or other colorwork.

Heather has been IN the kitchen/on air for at least some of this season's shows, as Sous Chef.

Unfortunately, ONLY Chinese restaurants offer unlimited tea.

Crayfish

2 to 3 cookies per person sounds reasonable. I like the fruit garnish idea - small bunchlets of grapes work well as they are easy to pick up and eat. How about classic peanut butter cookies? You could top some with chocolate stars or hershey kisses. The human touch of baking for the grieving is more appreciated than you may realize.

I don't know if this actually BOILS water, but it states a 16 oz. capacity: Hot Shot.