Holiday Party

[shroomgirl]

Ok guys time to play....I'm in charge of a holiday party for "trend setting food professionals"...the date is mid Nov.the theme is Food as Art....it will be held in a Art school that has opened a teaching/catering kitchen. $75 per person including service, rentals of plates, glasses, silver, napkins...rest covered. I specified local foods where possible...
shiitake, roots, squash, spinach adn bitter greens, all meats, local wines and they are good.....3 hdos passed in the gallery with either a sitdown or buffet (just good food please) Wanna compose a menu for the heck of it?

[W.DeBord]

Quick thought, how about using old frames as your serving trays to get your theme out. Your the best at coming up with menus! I can't compete with your ideas.

But as far as theme.....You could present your h.d.'s on trays that are framed, like art. Place doileys under the glass or just go with black paper (no art work in the frame the food on it is the art) then put a frame around it and you have your h.d.'s presented on the glass as art nicely framed. Hit a garage sale or a flea market for some cheap frames. I can't spell it but what about your wait staff wearing berets (hats) or having a paint brush sticking out of their pocket?

I've seen molds for frames at the craft store, their designed for other uses but since there identical to chocolate molds they'd be usable (totally food safe). If you pass petite fours for dessert you could use chocolate frames on the tray or as personal pieces (but I'd make them out of sugar like sugar easter eggs, it's cheaper and much quicker).

Theres the obvious plate of sorbets, etc... many "art" themed desserts in the Grand Finales book ideas you could carry into your hot food but I tend to think from your previous posts your more into the food then the look. That's why I'm suggesting carrying out the theme in what you food is served on.

I know it's kind of Martha ish but......it's late and I'm loosing it.

[W.DeBord]

Oh, if you do a buffet, use risers under your platters and place empty frames around dishes, prop some up, use some even on angles scattered across the buffet table. I think I saw a photo of something like this before...they used black linens and it was very dramatic with frames in many different sizes.

o.k. that's my 4 cents worth.....

[shroomgirl]

LOVE IT!!! Super ideas!!! Guess I didn't make it really clear...I'm not cooking just in charge of hiring a caterer...kinda a conflict of interest since I chair the programs and decide on the caterer.

[angrychef]

W does have some great ideas! Also for the tray passed hors d'oeuvres you could make a bed within the frames with cinnamon sticks or celery stalks(all lined up nice and tight together) as the base where the appetizers will sit. Maybe mini desserts can be served on a painter's palette with little pools of different "paints" for dipping?

[coolJ]

I like the artist pallet idea, how about also building a crudite platter that looks like a landscape scene. If you do a buffett, definetley, if you can, make a lard sculpture.

[shroomgirl]

CoolJ ~ Lard Sculpturing is really not a StL past time.....can't say as I see many ice carvings anymore.

[momoreg]

W.-Excellent ideas!~

You could Jackson Pollack a platter with different sauces (corn, white bean, carrot, red bell pepper)and in the center, place little individual vegetable lasagne.

Waterlilies by Monet: A fish broth with leaves of watercress.

A mobile of vegetables in the style of Miro (just for decoration, of course), instead of a centerpiece on the table.

Or a classic still-life of fruits on each table.

[Kimmie]

Whoa Momo!

Where do you get all this? I wish I was having a party...

Love the Waterlilies idea. Where are the frogs?

Ribbit

[ August 24, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]