Food Stations to Savour

Think of food stations as small buffets. They encourage your guests to move around and mingle, and can be a lot of fun. They can be interactive, having chefs there actually making food to order, or unattended. Here are some examples of stations that are sure to get your Tastebuds going!

Mac and Cheese Station-
We’re not talking the blue box here. Think Lobster, Italian Style, and the Ultimate Gruyere, Swiss & Slab Bacon. Yummy!

Bayless Station-
Paying homage to the great Rick Bayless, we've created a south of the border station sure to have your guests coming back for more. Grilled Chipotle Marinated Pork Loin, Tequila & Lime Marinated Chicken Breast, and Chili Rubbed Flank Steak, served in 3” White Corn Tortillas. Just about every salsa & fixin' you can imagine is served along side.

Sushi-
Have a trained sushi chef creating fresh rolls for your guests. Guaranteed to be a hit!

The Salad Bar-
This isn't your mom's salad bar! Your guests will choose from "The Cosmo", "The Margarita", or "The Saki". Our staff will then shake your salad to order in a martini or margarita glass.

Soup Bar-
Perfect for fall and winter weddings. We offer a variety of homemade soups, like seafood chowder, minestrone, lobster bisque, butternut squash soup, chicken gumbo, asparagus soup or gazpacho. There are also DELICIOUS fruit soups!

Children’s Food Station-
Having more than a handful of kids at your wedding? Have a kid’s station with kids’ foods such as Mini Pizzas, French Fries, and Chicken Fingers. WARNING- Kids won't be the only ones hovering around this station!

Perogie Station-
A variety of Perogies stuffed with mashed potatoes, potato and cheddar, or feta. Toppings such as bacon, sour cream and chives.

Any of these sound good to you?!?! There are many more options available. Feel free to contact us at (256)348-2004 or email info@tastebudsboutiquecatering

How Soon Should I Book?

I read a blog by a fellow wedding vendor about this, so I thought I would give you my take.

Many vendors, such as photographers, venues, some baker/caterers, can only book one event per day. That means if you are planning your wedding on a really popular date, then you are competing with all of those other brides for the same wedding vendors. The organized bride, the decision-maker bride is the bride who will get her first choice of vendors. The remaining brides will have to go to their 2nd or even 3rd choice.

And please .... do not make the mistake of thinking just because you TALKED to the vendor, that your date is secured with them. In this industry, money talks and that other stuff walks. The bride who brings the vendor a deposit check first is the bride who gets that wedding vendor. We cannot and will not hold a date open just in case a bride might maybe sorta kinda might be thinking about maybe booking with us. If you want that vendor, you need to be a decision maker.

Some popular dates in the past have been 7-7-07 ...... 6-07-08 ....... 8-8-08 ........ 10-10-10. Traditional popular dates such as Valentine's Day weekend have always had a high demand.

Those planning a Christmas wedding not only are competing with other December brides, but are also competing with all of the corporations and organizations who are planning their company Christmas parties.

My personal observation (and I'm hearing the same thing from my fellow wedding vendors) is that June is no longer the most popular wedding month. October is quickly becoming the #1 month for weddings. Brides are usually surprised to hear that (so many think they are the ONLY ones who thought October would be a good month!).

Our unofficial survey tells us that brides are looking for cooler weather, fall colors are playing a major role in the decor, and it's right between the hectic holidays of Labor Day and Thanksgiving. So if you're an October bride, you need to be a decision maker if you want to secure your "A" list of wedding vendors.

When should you book ANY wedding vendor? Just as soon as you know they are the ones you want to hire!

Once you have your reception site booked, it is imperative that you hire your caterer as soon as possible, unless catering is included at your reception venue. Every caterer has a limited number of events they can do on any given date, and booking early ensures that you will be able to choose the one you want.

Shhh... It's a surprise!

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of catering a 40th birthday surprise party. The husband of the birthday girl worked for months to pull it off, and it was a huge success! Here is the yummy menu:

Garlic & Herb Marinated Flank Steak Skewers w/ Fresh Pineapple & Chimichurri Aioli
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Basil-Garlic Filling
Crab and Cream Cheese Wontons with a Pineapple Chili Dipping Sauce
Assorted Quesadillas- Fresh Spinach, Swiss & Caramelized Mushrooms / Grilled Chicken, Pesto, Mozzarella & Sundried Tomatoes / Grilled Cilantro Marinated Chicken, Monterey Jack, Bell Peppers & Onions
Cucumber Cups with Roasted Red Pepper Mousse
Grilled Vegetables with Balsamic Glaze
Tomato, Basil & Fresh Mozzarella Skewers
Tomato Bruschetta with Garlic Crostini
Three Cheese Spinach Artichoke Dip with Assorted Crackers
Delishious Fresh fruit

As usual, I was too busy to focus on taking pictures!!! But, I did manage to snap a couple. Anyone want to volunteer to be my photographer? You'll get plenty of food!!!

Trends in Catering

It can be difficult to come up with new, original ideas, and it requires a lot of thought, practice, and time to stay on top of the game. But, that is no reason to stick with the same old, tired, boring, tasteless 'catered' food we have all grown accustomed to. Here are a couple of trends going on across the country, according to bffbridal.com:

Go Mini

Tiny versions of standard American favorites are still going strong as cocktail-hour favorites. Add a gourmet twist, and you've got yourself a menu your guests will be talking about for years to come. Here are a few items on our menus to get you tastebuds going-

Creamy Bacon Stuffed Baby Red Potatoes
Three Cheese Mac & Cheese Lollipops
Roasted Tomato Soup Shooter with Sourdough Grilled Cheese Bites


Go Global

When it comes to your main course, think beyond chicken, salmon & a roast beef carving. Asian & Indian food are the most popular. Your guests will enjoy the surprise of an unexpected entree. Don't be afraid! Ethnic doesn't mean expensive! Here are a couple popular entrees from our menu-

Cinnamon Roasted Chicken with Harissa Sauce
Sugar in the Raw Seared Halibut with a Ginger Lemon Grass Broth

Southern Twist

I recently had a couple call me about catering a delicious southern wedding, without being too southern..... They were going to have plenty of guests from different area of the country, and wanted to give them a taste of the South. Here is what I came up with:

Southern Twist

Hand Passed Hors d'oeuvres

Southern Fried Chicken Skewers w/ Country Gravy
Mac & Cheese Lollypops
Bacon Wrapped Shrimp served over White Cheddar Grits
Corncakes w/ Pulled Pork, Slaw & Apricot Chiplote BBQ Sauce

Gourmet Buffet

Mixed Greens with Strawberries, Maytag Bleu Cheese & Toasted Pecans,
tossed in a Honey Raspberry Vinaigrette
Apricot & Pecan Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Pan Roasted Chicken with a Wild Mushroom Ragout
Bacon Balsamic Green Beans
Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Tomato & Basil Tart
Wild Rice Pilaf

Decadent Dessert Display

Southern Banana Dessert Shooters
Triple Chocolate Mini Parfait
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes topped w/ Lemon Cream Cheese Icing
& Fresh Raspberry
Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars w/ Streusel Topping
Peach, Strawberry & Banana Bruschetta
Lemon Meringue Tartlets

Let's Talk Fish

I love fish, and I'd like to help you love it too (or love it more!). To do that, we should first start by learning about what makes each fish different. Here is some information that I borrowed from Beyond Salmon- a great blog on all things seafood.

A personality of a fish is a combination of its thickness, texture, fat content, and flavor. Understanding these 4 elements will help you choose the right cooking methods, and find appropriate substitutes when a particular fish is not available. It will also make you more comfortable when faced with unfamiliar fish. If fish shopping feels like a cocktail party where you stick with the only two people you know (salmon and cod, anyone?), it's time for fish psychology 101.

Thickness

Fillets:
Commonly available fish fillets range from 1/3” thick (sole, flounder) to 1.5” thick (salmon, cod). Fish with huge fillets, like tuna and swordfish, are usually sold in steaks (a cross-section cut). Fish with tiny fillets, like sardines and smelts, are sold whole.

Steaks:
Thickness of the steaks does not depend on the type of fish since it’s a cross-section cut. It can be made as thick or thin as the person butchering the fish desires, but traditionally, steaks are around 1” thick.

Whole fish:
Whole fish come in all shapes and sizes. They can be as small as anchovies (1/4 inch thick) or as huge as swordfish (almost 2 feet thick). Fish that are over 4" thick or over 8 pounds are rarely cooked whole.

Texture
There is a whole spectrum of fish textures from fragile to dense. Here are some examples.

Fragile	Delicate	Slightly firm	Firm	Dense
Sole Flounder	Salmon Trout Bluefish	Halibut Red snapper Striped bass Grouper	Mahi-mahi Sturgeon	Swordfish Tuna Marlin

To determine the texture of a fish, bend its fillet or steak and get a feel for its flexibility. If it feels stiff when you bend it and as firm as meat, it is dense. Try that on a piece of swordfish or tuna to get a sense for what a dense fish feels like. If it’s flexible and drapes like fabric, it is fragile. Fillets of fragile fish, like sole or flounder, are so flexible that you can roll them up from head to tail. The other fish textures are somewhere between these two extremes.

Delicate and slightly firm fish lend themselves nicely to any cooking method, so don’t worry if you can’t tell the difference between their textures. The fish at the extremes of the texture spectrum are not as versatile. It's not a good idea to grill fragile fish, such as sole and flounder. They are likely to fall through the grill rack, and there goes your dinner. The dense and firm fish-- like tuna, swordfish, and mahi-mahi don't lend themselves well to poaching and steaming. Their texture resembles that of meat, and they are cooked as such. Can you imagine a poached lamb or pork chop? Neither can I. Firm and dense fish are best cooked with dry, intense heat methods: grilling, broiling, and searing.

Texture is also the deciding factor in whether or not to marinade a fish. Many dense fish tend to dry out during cooking, and can benefit from sitting in an oily marinade for 30 minutes to couple of hours. That’s the secret to juicy swordfish. The only dense fish that can be just as good without a marinade is tuna when cooked very rare. Fish that are not dense do not need a marinade.

Fat Content
Fish fat is the carrier of flavor and all those wonderful omega-3 fatty acids, so it’s nothing to shy away from. The easiest way to evaluate the fat content of a fish is to broil it. If there is a lot of fat left in your broiler dish, it’s a fatty fish. As a general rule of thumb, white fleshed fish are lean, orange and dark fleshed fish are fatty, and cream fleshed fish can be lean, medium, or fatty. The fattier fish have a more succulent moist texture than lean fish and they are easier to cook since they don't tend to dry out.

Flavor
The flavor of different fish varies from mild to very intense, and it often goes hand in hand with fat content. Most white fleshed fish are mild, cream fleshed fish are moderately flavorful, and dark fleshed fish are intensely flavorful. The fish with orange flesh all belong to the salmon family and they have a very particular, somewhat sweet flavor.

Substitutions
When following fish recipes, it is always possible to use the fish of similas texture, fat content, and flavor intensity. Thickness of the fish rarely makes a difference in substitution. Even the same species can have a huge variation in thickness. But remember that you have to adjust the cooking time, allowing around 8 minutes per inch of thickness. For example, a 1/2 inch thick arctic char fillet cooks twice as fast as a 1 inch thick salmon fillet.

Brining

According to Wikipedia, brining is- a process similar to marination in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (the brine) before cooking. You might have heard a lot about brining a turkey, and you might be wondering what the big deal is all about. Well, basically, brining will help to flavor your bird, as well as keep it moist.

The process is very simple. You need something big enough to hold a lot of water and your turkey. Some people use 5 gallon buckets, coolers, or very large Ziploc-type bags. The bird needs to be fully submerged in the brine. You can weigh it down if you have to. This year, I will be using a very large Ziploc bag (near all the other bags), and once that is full, I will close it and place it in a cooler and surround the bag with ice. After 24 hours, I'll remove the bird, rinse it well, and cook just as I normally would.

The brine consists of 1/2 cup salt (I always use Kosher) & 1/2 cup sugar for every gallon of water. Then add whatever type of herbs or flavoring aides you want (citrus always works well with poultry).

A quick search on Google will get you lots of recipes. Here are a few that can help get you started.

Brined, Herb Roasted Turkey

Honey-Brined Turkey

Turkey Brine

One thing to need to remember: If you are making gravy with the drippings, you probably won't need salt.