Your Perfect Latke!

Date: December 3, 2015 » posted by admin » Comments: No Comments Tags: , ,

A family staple of any Hanukkah celebration is the perfect potato latke.  I always enjoyed making these with my grandmother during the holidays.  I wanted to share a recipe that is simple but delicious for the perfect latke!

Ingredients include:

2 whole eggs, beaten
1 medium onion, grated
3 potatoes
Matzo Meal
1.5 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
pinch of baking powder
oil for frying

Grate the potatoes and onions by hand or in a food processor.  Drain off as much liquid as possible.  Stir in beaten egg, salt, and pepper to taste into mixture.  Add enough matzo meal (about 3 TB.) to absorb the liquid.  Heat oil.  Drop a heaping serving spoon of mixture into oil.  Brown each side.  Serve warm with sour cream and apple sauce.

potato-latkes-applesauce

Enjoy and Happy Hanukkah!

What You Can Do This Weekend to Prep for Thanksgiving

Date: November 19, 2015 » posted by admin » Comments: No Comments Tags: , , ,

The Thanksgiving holiday is the perfect time to entertain with family and friends. The idea of gathering together at your home is a wonderful way to give thanks and appreciation to your family and friends. The idea of having guests over can be very stressful, however there are ways to simplify entertaining.

Thanksgiving can be overwhelming for anyone.  Here are a few tips to help you when preparing your dinner.

Tip #1 – If you are the hostess, don’t be shy. Ask your guests to bring a favorite dish or dessert. You want to be able to enjoy the dinner as well.

Tip #2 – Make a list of all the ingredients you will need to prepare your dinner. Do not wait until the last minute because the grocery stores will be packed with busy shoppers before the last minute rush. Don’t forget the drinks!

Tip #3 – Plan the appropriate décor and seating chart so your guests get the most out of this wonderful day.  If you have a separate dining room go ahead and set your table a few days in advance to get it out of the way.

fancy-thanksgiving-dinner-table-c5olpv72

Tip #4–If you are ordering your pies from a bakery, do not wait to the last minute. Order them for pick-up the day before.

Tip #5 – One of the best tips I can remind you of is to make sure you have plenty of Tupperware for your guests to be able to take home some leftovers from your delicious dinner.

Tip #6 – If this all seems overwhelming, next year plan on hiring a caterer (In Good Taste Catering and Events By Stacey)!  We can either drop off your meal or we can cater a full service Thanksgiving.  All you have to do is show up and eat. We do the rest!  However, remember holidays book fast. You will need to reserve your dinner 2-3 months ahead of time.

I hope these tips will be able to make your Thanksgiving go a bit smoother.    Remember that this day is about thinking about everything you are thankful for in your life.  Enjoy, relax, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Chocolate Truffle Recipe – perfect for the holiday!

Date: September 16, 2015 » posted by admin » Comments: No Comments Tags: ,

Hello In Good Taste Catering Blog Readers,

The Holidays are just around the corner and we are busy catering great events. The holiday season is one of our favorites because we get to eat classic recipes and create new and exciting ones. I want to share a really quick and easy Chocolate Truffle Recipe. I serve this for my family and friends around the holiday and they are always asking me for more. If it were up to them I would prepare this all year long.

 This is what you will need:

8 oz. bitter sweet chocolate

½ cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy Cream

1 tbsp Brandy  Orange, Cherry any flavor,

½ tsp vanilla

 Instructions:

Heat cream then add the chocolate chips.  Whisk until all the chips are melted and have a silky appearance

Add the vanilla and Brandy

Cool for 30-40 minutes

With an electric mixer beat until fluffy about 3-4 minutes

Using cold wet hands, Roll and make small balls

You can then coat them in coconut, nuts, or sprinkles!

 

Refrigerate for 1 hour

This recipe is perfect to serve after a hearty meal. However, we love pairing the truffle with a steamy hot chocolate or coffee. It is the perfect ending to an holiday event. We encourage you to try this out and please let us know how it comes out. We love hearing from all of you and hope you enjoy our recipes!

Non-Dairy Deep Fried Calamari

Date: August 25, 2015 » posted by admin » Comments: No Comments Tags: , ,

Hello In Good Taste Catering Blog Readers,

In the past, on this blog, I have written about my son’s food allergies. Some might think that having a family member with a food allergy is limiting to a chef. On the contrary, it has opened me to possibilities for preparing dishes that I would never have thought of . . . and the results are delicious!

Many people love fried calamari. It is a virtual staple on appetizer menus across all cuisines. What many people don’t realize is that fried calamari is usually soaked in milk or buttermilk during its preparation. This is a huge issue for those who have lactose intolerance or dairy allergies.

So today, I am sharing my Dairy Free Fried Calamari Recipe. I will guarantee you will never tell the difference!

The secret is to soak the calamari in soymilk!

Ingredients:

2 cups                  Soy milk

1 pound               Calamari tubes and tentacle

2 cups                  Flour

1 tbsp.                 Baking powder

½ tsp                   Salt

½ tsp                   Pepper

 

Method:

Take your pound of calamari and slice the tubes in to thin ringlets. About the size of a half inch should do it. Don’t make them too thick or thin because the cooking times will change.

Take your ringlets and tentacles and soak them in the soymilk for at least a couple of hours.

Mix the baking powder with the salt, pepper and flour.

Add the calamari and coat them in the flour mixture.

Then it’s time to fry the calamari. There are many ways to fry at home, but some can be very dangerous if you aren’t careful (stovetop frying). My recommendation is to get a Presto Fry Daddy. They come in two sizes. For a home cook, the smaller size is more than enough to fry everything you will ever need.

I have had my Presto Fry Daddy for 7 years and have never had an issue with it. There are no buttons or knobs you have to worry about. Put the oil you want in it, plug it in and in a few minutes you’re ready to fry!

Let us know what you think of this recipe!

Things we want to see this season!

Date: August 11, 2015 » posted by admin » Comments: No Comments Tags: There is no tags

We love watching trends like the next caterer, but in this blog we decided to share some of the things we would like to see at events in 2016.

#1) Bring it back to the food: We have seen so many great things happen to the event space over the years. With websites like Pinterest the average person throwing a party has so much to choose from to make their event stand out. With that, we urge you to remember that while décor with all the bells and whistles is important, the food is what is going to leave your guests with a feeling of joy or disappointment. With that, we want to see people pay just as much attention to the food as they do the décor. Skimping on one does not make for a good affair.

#2) Heartier Cocktail hours: Remember that your guests have just attended an hour to an hour and a half wedding ceremony and they are going to be hungry! The cocktail reception is not the time to fall short on food. We have seen brides say, “Well, I don’t want them to eat too much at the cocktail hour so they won’t be hungry for the main meal.” Trust us, your guests are going to want something to eat as soon as they get to the cocktail hour and it is your role to make sure they have plenty to choose from. Let’s make this a trend for 2016 together!

#3) Attention to food detail: We want clients to work with their caterers to truly come up with food that is spectacular. There is so much that can be done on a plate and it is a true shame to not sit with your caterer to prepare a meal that is both creative and tasty. For 2016, make sure you work with your catering professionals to make a meal that will stand out.

Now that we have shared our top three trends we want to see in 2016 we hope you will take them to heart. Your party and your guests will thank you for taking the time to bring culinary creations to the seat of honor.

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