WHAT SHOULD I SERVE?

GOOD QUESTION!!  We discussed hor d’oeuvres and appetizers in the previous blog, so now we will focus on planning the rest of the meal.  You can plan a menu that is simple yet elegant and enjoyable.  When choosing ingredients think about an array of colors, tastes and textures, which foods work together.  Keep the dishes you plan to serve simple, full of flavor and easy to prepare.  Your goal is to make it taste as good as it looks.  Have you ever purchased pastries or cookies in the bakery section of your grocery store – they look scrumptious – and taste like cardboard.  I recently attended a wedding where the bride spent $550 on the wedding cake – it looked pretty but it had no taste – real blah….

 So where to start?  Fresh ingredients of the best quality will go a long way in making your meal successful.  You may want to start with what produce is in season at the time of your event – it is usually the freshest, can generally be found in plenty supply and many times are on sale or offered as a “special”.   Again, you always want to be mindful of your budget – or did you forget that part already? (Easy to do once the planning and excitement get under way).

When buying real estate I’m sure you have heard that it is “location, location, location”.  In serving a meal it is “presentation, presentation, presentation”.  If you have ever watched “Iron Chef” challenges on HGTV you have seen where “presentation” is an important part the scoring process.  Whatever you serve, you want it to be pleasing to the eye and then of course to the palate.  You can be creative here as well, for example, let’s say you are serving a caesar salad – instead of the typical croutons, top it with spicy chopped nuts, or whatever you think will bring a little pizzazz to the salad;  top the baked potato with french fried onion rings with butter and sour cream on the side, or serve with flavored butter, you get the idea.

Your menu should sound appetizing when you write it down and read over it – if it makes you hungry just thinking about it, maybe you have a winner!  Menus should have an interesting balance of temperature, appearance and texture.  Regarding temperature, everything doesn’t have to be hot or cold, you can serve different dishes that complement each other.  An example, let’s say you are serving a hot spicy entrée – you might want to consider also serving a cool salad or sauce to offer a needed relief from the spicy dish.  You might also want to take into account any guests who are vegetarians or guests who may have special allergies, etc.  You do not have to plan the menu around their needs, but you might offer options in what you serve, for example, have 3 vegetable dishes or 2 different kinds of salads to give them a choice.

 Flavors of the different dishes should complement each other and flow from appetizers to dessert – establishing a theme for your event can help with the menu planning.  What about color?  What do I mean?  Let’s say you want to serve a steak, baked potato, sautéed mushrooms – looks kind of bland don’t you think?  How about serving the steak on top of  bright fresh asparagus, and top the steak with a diced roasted red bell pepper – you have added color, flavor and appeal. 

Vary the texture of your foods – try not to repeat food with similar textures, for example, you may not want to begin the meal with a bowl of creamy soup, then serve mashed potatoes as part of the entrée , and a chocolate mousse for dessert –  unless you are serving a room full of elderly people with no teeth (just kidding).   Avoid preparing and serving, for example, all fried foods on the plate, like fried chicken, french fries, hush puppies and fried okra –  to some of us “southerners” that sounds like a pretty good meal, but some people would definitely disagree.

Less is often more when it comes to food – especially strong and spicy flavors.  When serving fatty foods, serve something tart or acidic to go with it to help cut the richness.  Mint sauce with lamb and orange sauce with duck are classic examples of  this.   As a note also, do not feel that you must prepare the “whole meal” – nothing wrong with picking up roasted chicken from the deli or a dessert from the bakery – as long as it looks good and tastes good and is fresh, people won’t care and who is going to tell them????  You want to enjoy the event and spend time with the guests also.   Remember the K-I-S-S philosophy.

One LAST item to mention that may apply or not.  Let’s say you are planning a sit down dinner for 10-12 people, some will want to know “what’s for dinner” before they RSVP – you want a good turnout for your dinner, so sell the sizzle of your meal.     With your invitations you can include the menu – instead of saying “baked chicken and rice and vegetables” (which you must admit doesn’t sound real exciting),  how about a menu that says:  “ Brie-stuffed chicken breast with herbed breadcrumbs and wild mushroom risotto and garlic snow peas”.    Which sounds better to you?
Please feel free to comment or offer suggestions, they are welcome!

Our next blog will discuss serving wines – which kinds go with which meals, or does it matter?