Could a barbecue be elegant? Can lobster and London broil replace dogs and burgers?The answer is yes. It's just a matter of elevating the menu and adding a fancy spin on backyard dining.
First of all establish some sort of dress code for the guests. The best bet is looking to beach weddings for inspiration. A semi formal look would be fine. It's not overly formal, and comfortable enough to relax in. Think slacks and a button down shirts for men while any summer dress and sandals will do for women. As for the host's end, if you're doing the grilling , grill in old clothes, then change.If it's too much serve food that can be made in advance.What do you serve at this sort of gathering?Good food , but not the usual messy fare. The best way to decide on a menu is think of what you would have at an indoor party. One of the easiest paths to take is having a buffet.It's a no brainer to set up tables at your yard's parameters , leaving the space in between for tables and chairs. Have chilled bruschetta topping just warmed Italian and French bread slices.You can do a different spin on it , by putting swirls of basil or kale pesto on the slices.Polenta rounds topped with sauteed cremini and shiitake mushrooms are another lovely opener. Try cherry tomatoes stuffed with minced mozzarella - a perfect warm weather treat, especially when paired with champagne.
What about the main fare? Serve spiral ham and London broil along with roast turkey. All can be grilled, the turkey does need to be tented with aluminum foil when cooking outside. Another idea is barbecued shrimp which can be put on mini skewers for easy no mess handling . Want to add another level of elegance? Then think of serving barbecued lobster tails. Surprisingly , they're easy to cook on the grill. Start with a lemony marinade of lemon juice, zest and olive oil - or canola oil for a lighter touch. Best of all the tails are a fast cook - only taking ten to twelve minutes . They can be cut into nuggets for easier, no fuss eating. Scallops are another elegant choice. Soak them in a lime marinade for something different. As far as sides, think classic yet simple.An avocado mousse, made with cream and spiked with chili peppers is a good choice,perfect with chicken or seafood. A Spring greens salad is also an ideal foil for any red meat main dish. As for ending the meal, place plates of petit fours and fancy homemade shortbreads on the table.Confectioner's sugar dusted cupcakes are another lovely way to end. Serve coffee and tea in fancy plastic cups that you can buy from Amazon. These come in silver or gold and provide a classy touch.
Yes, a barbecue can be classy and elegant. It starts with smartly dressed guests dining on fancy food on fancy plates. What a great way to start the summer grilling season.
Showing posts with label plates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plates. Show all posts
Friday, May 3, 2019
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Hurricane Readiness
Like it or not September heralds in the hurricane season.It means power outages , frenzied trips to the grocery store and evacuating hearth and home.It also means feeding yourself and your family under the most dire of circumstances. Don't panic. Just be ready foodwise.
Blackouts are almost common as flooding and heavy winds during a storm outage. A closed fridge will stay cold for four hours while a freezer lasts up to two full days.Cook the perishables first. If you don't have the use of your oven or microwave, use the grill Surprisingly enough you can even grill meat loaf. Water can also be heated over coals but just be careful with this. Coffee can also be heated up on the grill along with milk (don't try this with baby formula. Try to find a microwave for this last). The hot water can also be used for washing too It does pay to have any kind of portable freezer just in case the electricity is knocked out. Put the meats , eggs ,egg based foods like mayo and dairy in it first. Fruit and vegetables are fine without the cold Even juice and sold can be drunk warm - as vile as that sounds. Cook the meats first.Make it fun. Spiralize hot dogs which is easy to do, thanks to a skewer and a knife, and wrap in bacon. Hamburgers can get spiced up with any dry spice. You can even use pizza sauce to create a pizza burger. The sauce can be cooked separately on another part of the grill .Use a small pan to do so. Get rid of any chicken. Again use spices to create a tasty dry rub.
What happens in case of an evacuation? Take your food along with your animal companion's foods. The ideal situation is staying with family or friends. There , you'll know you receive hot meals in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Sometimes that's not always the case. If you have to stay at a motel or hotel, get one where the room has a mini fridge and see if you can bring in a hot plate . The alternative is eating out . Bring cereal, and rolls along with butter and margarine to store in your temporary digs. and the kids can have a cold breakfast and you can save money by eating in. Bring in cold cuts cheese. and fruit too, if the mini fridge can hold them. You can have lunch or dinner in too, Some motels have microwaves in their vending machine nook, You'll have to share but it's a small price to pay for a hot meal.It'll be great for heating up soups and sandwiches too . Don't be averse to taking care packages from relatives.It's comforting for the family to share a lasagna or casserole from grandma or a favorite aunt. Also have a cache of microwave plates and utensils from home. Bring a small bottle of dish soap too,because you can wash everything in the bathroom sink. Have water and food bowls too for your animal companions as well as their favorite snacks and treats.
Hurricane season doesn't have to be fear inducing to home chefs. Be practical and pragmatic.it'll make dealing with nature that much more easier.
Blackouts are almost common as flooding and heavy winds during a storm outage. A closed fridge will stay cold for four hours while a freezer lasts up to two full days.Cook the perishables first. If you don't have the use of your oven or microwave, use the grill Surprisingly enough you can even grill meat loaf. Water can also be heated over coals but just be careful with this. Coffee can also be heated up on the grill along with milk (don't try this with baby formula. Try to find a microwave for this last). The hot water can also be used for washing too It does pay to have any kind of portable freezer just in case the electricity is knocked out. Put the meats , eggs ,egg based foods like mayo and dairy in it first. Fruit and vegetables are fine without the cold Even juice and sold can be drunk warm - as vile as that sounds. Cook the meats first.Make it fun. Spiralize hot dogs which is easy to do, thanks to a skewer and a knife, and wrap in bacon. Hamburgers can get spiced up with any dry spice. You can even use pizza sauce to create a pizza burger. The sauce can be cooked separately on another part of the grill .Use a small pan to do so. Get rid of any chicken. Again use spices to create a tasty dry rub.
What happens in case of an evacuation? Take your food along with your animal companion's foods. The ideal situation is staying with family or friends. There , you'll know you receive hot meals in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Sometimes that's not always the case. If you have to stay at a motel or hotel, get one where the room has a mini fridge and see if you can bring in a hot plate . The alternative is eating out . Bring cereal, and rolls along with butter and margarine to store in your temporary digs. and the kids can have a cold breakfast and you can save money by eating in. Bring in cold cuts cheese. and fruit too, if the mini fridge can hold them. You can have lunch or dinner in too, Some motels have microwaves in their vending machine nook, You'll have to share but it's a small price to pay for a hot meal.It'll be great for heating up soups and sandwiches too . Don't be averse to taking care packages from relatives.It's comforting for the family to share a lasagna or casserole from grandma or a favorite aunt. Also have a cache of microwave plates and utensils from home. Bring a small bottle of dish soap too,because you can wash everything in the bathroom sink. Have water and food bowls too for your animal companions as well as their favorite snacks and treats.
Hurricane season doesn't have to be fear inducing to home chefs. Be practical and pragmatic.it'll make dealing with nature that much more easier.
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Don't Let Them Eat Cake
What do you do when you want to celebrate a birthday? Have a lovely cake made up and then enjoy it with friends and family. That works -except in some restaurants. A new trend is discouraging patrons from bringing in their own desserts, whether by banning cakes all together fees or charging for plating them.
Kim Severson wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The practice is called "cakeage" a play on the word corkage, the fee a restaurant gives to open a bottle of wine brought in by customers. It's surprisingly a common practice around the world. A restaurant in London charged the equivalent of $14.00 a person in cakeage fees.(well, leave it to the English to know how to ruin a joyous occasion).On some levels it is understandable,The staff has to cut and plate the dessert. Diners are using the eatery's plates and cutlery. All that has to be cleared away and washed afterwards which takes time and energy. Bringing in any kind of baked good is an insult to the restaurant's pastry chef as well. He or she spends hours , even days creating the perfect torte or tart . Favoring a store bought over a much thought out creation is a slap in the face.Also pastry chefs do not want other patrons to think that a garishly decorated birthday , anniversary or any other celebratory cake came out of their kitchen,Some chefs don't mind. They accept those supermarket cakes and cupcakes brought in. Their philosophy is people go to a restaurant for a good time and good food. Why spoil that mood by copping a diva attitude over what's served at the end of a meal.
What should you do if you want that cake after a birthday dinner? The old fashioned answer would be have the dessert at home after dinner. Everyone has to agree it's a more relaxed atmosphere. he group can linger for hours over second helpings without being pressured to "wrap it up" from testy waiters.You can also call the eatery a few days in advance and ask if they can make you a special cake (mind you, this will cost).Some chefs and pastry chefs may balk at this, some may see it as challenge to create something memorable and cater to the customer's tastes. Doing this is an excellent form of publicity because everyone usually posts their dining experiences on Yelp these days. Another idea is just ordering two or three desserts , stick a candle -those are allowed - into one of them and then celebrate..What diners should not do is antagonize the waitstaff,no matter how politely they ask for plates. Famed cookbook writer and baker, Rose Levy Beranbaum brought a box of her deep chocolate passion cake to the pricey Breslin Restaurant in the Manhattan's Ace Hotel. She wanted her friends,both food professionals, to taste it,it didn't go as she had thought it would. They were humiliated and rebuffed by haughty waiters who refused to serve her creation. A better move would have been skipping dessert and just handing the sweets over to friends after the expensive meal.
So, should you bring or not bring cake to a restaurant? If the restaurant says yes, then fine, if not have it at home. You'll save money along with keeping your favorite eatery's waitstaff and owner sweet
Kim Severson wrote about this in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The practice is called "cakeage" a play on the word corkage, the fee a restaurant gives to open a bottle of wine brought in by customers. It's surprisingly a common practice around the world. A restaurant in London charged the equivalent of $14.00 a person in cakeage fees.(well, leave it to the English to know how to ruin a joyous occasion).On some levels it is understandable,The staff has to cut and plate the dessert. Diners are using the eatery's plates and cutlery. All that has to be cleared away and washed afterwards which takes time and energy. Bringing in any kind of baked good is an insult to the restaurant's pastry chef as well. He or she spends hours , even days creating the perfect torte or tart . Favoring a store bought over a much thought out creation is a slap in the face.Also pastry chefs do not want other patrons to think that a garishly decorated birthday , anniversary or any other celebratory cake came out of their kitchen,Some chefs don't mind. They accept those supermarket cakes and cupcakes brought in. Their philosophy is people go to a restaurant for a good time and good food. Why spoil that mood by copping a diva attitude over what's served at the end of a meal.
What should you do if you want that cake after a birthday dinner? The old fashioned answer would be have the dessert at home after dinner. Everyone has to agree it's a more relaxed atmosphere. he group can linger for hours over second helpings without being pressured to "wrap it up" from testy waiters.You can also call the eatery a few days in advance and ask if they can make you a special cake (mind you, this will cost).Some chefs and pastry chefs may balk at this, some may see it as challenge to create something memorable and cater to the customer's tastes. Doing this is an excellent form of publicity because everyone usually posts their dining experiences on Yelp these days. Another idea is just ordering two or three desserts , stick a candle -those are allowed - into one of them and then celebrate..What diners should not do is antagonize the waitstaff,no matter how politely they ask for plates. Famed cookbook writer and baker, Rose Levy Beranbaum brought a box of her deep chocolate passion cake to the pricey Breslin Restaurant in the Manhattan's Ace Hotel. She wanted her friends,both food professionals, to taste it,it didn't go as she had thought it would. They were humiliated and rebuffed by haughty waiters who refused to serve her creation. A better move would have been skipping dessert and just handing the sweets over to friends after the expensive meal.
So, should you bring or not bring cake to a restaurant? If the restaurant says yes, then fine, if not have it at home. You'll save money along with keeping your favorite eatery's waitstaff and owner sweet
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