Professional Catering Forum Professional caterers can share their experiences and ideas here.


Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-10-2001, 08:06 AM
shroomgirl's Avatar
shroomgirl Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
Culinary Experience: Professional Caterer
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: St. Louis Mo
Posts: 6,855
Post Holiday Party

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?
__________________
cooking with all your senses.....
http://www.chanterellecatering.net
Reply With Quote


  #2  
Old 08-10-2001, 10:59 PM
W.DeBord Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 1,755
Post

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.
__________________
"Bakers are born, not made. We are exacting people who delight in submitting ourselves to rules and formulas if it means achieving repeatable perfection", Rose Levy Beranbaum
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 08-10-2001, 11:04 PM
W.DeBord Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 1,755
Post

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.....
__________________
"Bakers are born, not made. We are exacting people who delight in submitting ourselves to rules and formulas if it means achieving repeatable perfection", Rose Levy Beranbaum
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 08-11-2001, 04:06 PM
shroomgirl's Avatar
shroomgirl Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
Culinary Experience: Professional Caterer
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: St. Louis Mo
Posts: 6,855
Post

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.
__________________
cooking with all your senses.....
http://www.chanterellecatering.net
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 08-22-2001, 04:13 PM
angrychef Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Seattle
Posts: 434
Post

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?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 08-23-2001, 04:09 AM
coolJ's Avatar
coolJ Offline
Registered User
Culinary Experience: Professional Chef
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
Posts: 795
Yawn

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.
__________________
ARAMARK ROCKS !!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 08-23-2001, 08:29 PM
shroomgirl's Avatar
shroomgirl Offline
ChefTalk Moderator
Culinary Experience: Professional Caterer
 
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: St. Louis Mo
Posts: 6,855
Post

CoolJ ~ Lard Sculpturing is really not a StL past time.....can't say as I see many ice carvings anymore.
__________________
cooking with all your senses.....
http://www.chanterellecatering.net
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 08-24-2001, 06:40 AM
momoreg Offline
ChefTalk Supporter
Culinary Experience: Professional Pastry Chef
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: norwalk, CT USA
Posts: 3,761
Post

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.
__________________
www.cakesuite.com
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 08-24-2001, 07:40 AM
Kimmie's Avatar
Kimmie Offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
Posts: 2,823
Post

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 ]
__________________
K

«Money talks. Chocolate sings. Beautifully.»
«Just Give Me Chocolate and Nobody Gets Hurt.»
«Coffee, Chocolate, Men ... Some things are just better rich.»
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Xmas ideas for holiday party? tasty mil Professional Catering Forum 2 12-11-2007 11:20 PM
We are going on holiday drive The Late Night Cafe (non-food/cooking discussion) 1 07-13-2007 08:27 AM
holiday party menus shroomgirl Professional Catering Forum 4 10-31-2004 07:04 AM
Holiday party antics SeattleDeb The Late Night Cafe (non-food/cooking discussion) 10 12-12-2000 07:05 PM
Oh no, another holiday!!! cape chef The Late Night Cafe (non-food/cooking discussion) 17 12-10-2000 02:55 AM