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Catering Advice
We receive so many calls from clients who feel totally overwhelmed with planning their event. Regardless of the type of event, there are a few key things you should know before you call your caterer. If you take this advice, calling to get quotes will be less stressful and you will be able to focus on what really matters: the food!
Date and location of your event: The most important thing is the date of your event. You want to first establish if the caterer is available on that day. It is also important to note that different days may carry different pricing. For example, an affair on a Wednesday may be less expensive than hosting your party on a Saturday night. Location is also important because certain vendors may charge a travel fee if your event is outside of their designated area. You want to be aware of those costs ahead of time so there are no surprises down the road.
Service: Have an idea about the type of service you want. Do you want a plated meal, a buffet, stations or something in between like family style? Start by deciding what type of feeling you want to create for your guests and work with your caterer to determine the best service to match that feeling.
Kitchen Space: Know what the cooking space is like for a venue before contacting your caterer. They will need to know if they will have to prepare the food at their location or if they can prepare it on site. Provide them a floor plan of the where the kitchen is in relation to the event space so they can properly prepare their logistics.
Who is doing what? Be sure that you communicate what your caterer will be responsible for and what other vendors will be responsible for. Who will set up and break down the tables? Who is in control of rented items? These are all things to be mindful of before initial contact with the caterer.
Be clear: It is better to over communicate at the beginning stages than to make assumptions. The closer you get to your event the less time you will have to deal with the unknown or miscommunications. Get it clear in the beginning! It will save you time and stress down the road.
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Dear In Good Taste Catering by Stacey Blog Readers,
I know that in Florida, the transition from winter to spring isn’t as big a deal as it is in other states. After the horrible winter that I know the northern part of the United States just went through, we’re sure that they are very excited about the warmer weather that’s on the way.
As a chef, I also get excited about the changing of the seasons. Not only do different types of recipes and meals make more sense during the right season, but the ingredients that we use also change with the seasons!
Today, I’m going to talk about some spring-time vegetables that I really, really love and enjoy. Now, while some of these may not jump out at you as being a spring vegetable/fruit, they are!
Asparagus
Properly cooked Asparagus is an amazing vegetable. It has a crisp consistency and can marry into any dish with ease. I love to put Asparagus with fish or steak, but it also makes a great ingredient in salads.
Artichokes
Artichokes are like a super vegetable. First, they have a delicious, subtle taste that is pleasing to almost everyone and can be prepared by broiling, boiling, grilling, frying and mixed into dips. But what many people don’t realize is how healthy the Artichoke is. It is full of fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, and phosphorus. They are widely believed to be great for proper liver function and keeping the body functions running smoothly.
Fennel
Either you love Fennel or you hate it. It’s that brilliant vegetable that has a taste of licorice. It is full of anti-oxidants and is very healthy for the body. Fennel can be mixed into Italian Sausages (sweet), but it is also a welcome partner in salads and desserts!
Radishes
I know, I know . . . you see radishes in the super market all year round right? Well maybe you think you do. They are available most of the year, but when it gets really hot, these babies disappear. The radish has an earthy, peppery taste and at the same time is incredibly refreshing. Believe it or not, radishes have an amazing amount of Vitamin C.
Morals
Morals are very intimidating to look at. They are mushrooms that LOOK like meanness, but they are sooo delicious. They can be added to salads and any number of dishes, but I love to sauté them in some butter with a little salt. Delicious!
Spinach
Another vegetable that you can seem to get year round, but spinach season is officially the spring. It is just better in the spring. It keeps us strong (like Popeye!) and is great in salads or cooked as a great side for any dinner dish.
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Cooking Salmon, Crispy Salmon
Dear All In Good Taste Catering Blog Readers,
One of the questions I get all the time is how to cook Salmon so its skin is nice and crispy. This has happened to all of us I’m sure: You go to a nice restaurant and order salmon. It comes out and the skin is perfectly crispy. Some other night at home, you decide to cook the salmon the same way, but you can never get it crispy like in the restaurant.
Now, I love salmon with the skin on it, but if you don’t cook it right, it can get soggy and tough at the same time (which sounds crazy, but it happens!). Besides, the salmon skin is where a lot of the natural oils and fatty acids come from. It is quite healthy!
There are few things you need to do correctly to get that restaurant-quality crispiness on your salmon!
Here is how to do it right:
-First, buy some nice cuts of salmon WITH the skin on. Do not cut off the skin!
-Place the salmon on a cutting board with the skin-side up.
-Gently pinch or roll the salmon so that it is firm. With a sharp knife, cut about a quarter of an inch into the flesh from about a quarter of an inch from the edge of the salmon. Repeat this about a quarter of an inch all along the length of the salmon.
-Season the skin side of the salmon with salt or pepper. If you like other spices, you can add them but don’t go too crazy on this side.
-Gently pour Olive Oil onto the skin.
-Flip the salmon over and season the top to taste.
-In a pan, heat olive oil on med/med-high heat until it is just smoking.
-Place the salmon, skin-side down into the pan and let it sit. Do not touch the salmon again until you’re ready to flip it! You will know when it’s time as the color of the salmon changes from dark pink to light pink.
-When the salmon is cooked halfway up, flip it over and cook the other side until it is cooked all the way through.
-It is important not to touch the fish or flip it more than once! When it is done cooking on the final side, take it out and serve it with your favorite vegetables or sides!
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Cookie Recipes
Dear In Good Taste Catering By Stacey Blog Readers,
This recipe is extremely special to me. In fact, I very, very rarely give it out, but after some soul searching, I wanted to share it.
As many of you know, I have two beautiful children. My son is an amazing young man, but many years ago we discovered that he had severe food allergies. Without going into too much detail, many of the ingredients and foods that you and I take for granted, are capable of putting his life in danger.
Imagine a childhood without cookies.
I understand that my son is not the only child who has to worry about what he eats. More and more severe food allergies are increasingly common.
I developed this cookie recipe for my son and I’m finally ready to share it with you so you can bring a very special treat to those who you love without worry.
If you have any questions about this recipe, please contact me. It is dairy, nut and egg free.
Prep Time: 2.5 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
2 1/2 of cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp of baking soda
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of soy margarine
¾ cups of sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
1 tbsp. of vanilla
3 tablespoon of soy milk
3 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 bag of dairy free, nut free , egg free chocolate chips. I recommend Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. It’s a great brand!
Cooking Instructions:
In a bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set the bowl aside.
In a mixer, mix the brown and white sugar with the soy margarine until it becomes creamy. Once it’s creamy, add the vanilla and continue to stir. Then, add the water, milk and oil and stir until everything is evenly mixed.
Next add all the dry ingredients (baking soda, flour, baking powder, and salt). Mix it well!
Then, my favorite part, add the chocolate chips! Mix until they are evenly distributed as well.
You need to cover dough and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before baking. This is extremely important. It serves to firm the dough up.
Heat an oven to 350 degrees. If you’re using convection, you can make it 325.
Place a non-stick Silpat backing mat on a baking sheet. Place about 1 tbsp. of dough onto sheet one at a time. Fill the sheet, but leave about 1 inch between each spoonful of dough. As the cookies bake, they will flatten and expand. If you place them too closely together, they will spill into each other and you’ll end up with one very giant cookie or a very big mess. Neither is good!
Bake in oven 9 to 11 minutes while keeping an eye on them. For softer cookies, cook for the shorter time. For more firm cookies, cook a little bit longer. The cookies will continue to bake when you take them out of the oven, so don’t leave them in for too long.
When you take them out, let them cool before trying to remove them from the pan.
I hope you enjoy this very special recipe.
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Chicken Recipes
Dear In Good Taste Catering By Stacey Blog Readers,
Today, I want to give you a very tasty recipe that is a great recipe for beginners, but can also be wonderful for seasoned cooks. I love to cook with chicken because it is a very versatile protein. It can be prepared many, many different ways: with the skin, without the skin, with bones or without, breasts, thighs, legs, fried, sautéed, broiled, roasted or baked. Unlike any other ingredient, chicken can truly take on a thousand different forms and tastes.
Today’s recipe is a classic for a reason. My Lemon Herb Chicken takes the acidic, citrus taste of lemons and combines it with the earthy flavors of some of my favorite herbs.
Please note that this recipe is for a whole chicken with the skin still on it. This is very important as the skin plays an important role in capturing the flavors of the lemon and the herbs.
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken (cut into legs, breast and wings)
2 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Pepper
3 tbsp of Dried Oregano
3 tbsp of Dried Basil
1 tbsp of Garlic powder
1 tbsp of Onion Powder
½ cup Lemon Juice
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Cooking Instructions:
First, and this is most important, coat the entire chicken with the EVOO. Without this the chicken will dry out and the herbs and lemon juice won’t be absorbed into the chicken properly!
Next, pour the lemon juice all over the chicken. Make sure that you coat both sides!
Get a bowl and mix all of the herbs together. Stir them quickly to make sure you have an even distribution. Sprinkle the chicken with the dry herbs. Make sure to distribute the herbs evenly. If you like strong taste, you can add more herbs than the amounts above, but I wouldn’t go too crazy. This recipe has been with me for a long time and it’s perfect!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put the chicken on a non-stick cooking tray and bake for about 45 minutes. Please note that all ovens are different and the size of the chicken that you get will also affect cooking times. The meat of the chicken should be firm and white. Do not serve undercooked chicken!
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