This needs some careful thought...we have a lovely friend who is 28 and a most accomplished chef..

J

joanietoo

Well-known member
who is hoping to get onto a yacht but in the meantime he needs work so I plan on giving him some...

WHAT, what, what to do?

Well, I have thought of a tasting menu....a

Potato Bar.... etc but as I have mentioned this to friends they all want to be in on this so the numbers will be more than a tasting could possible handle.

I thought if we do the tasting menu I would have 10 friends over...but then, they are keen to bring along husbands as well....

Anyway we could be in for a group of 20.

Any ideas and suggestions?

My thoughts at present are:-

1) A tasting of verrines.....perhaps 4 or 5 different ones

Then a main, possibly a potato bar....then a tasting of desserts.

2) 1 soup choice.... a tasting menu.... one dessert.

NO sushi/sushimi, he has sushi'd us out (although my husband only wants that again and again)

Any thoughts on the matter? TIA

 
Satay, beef and pork, grilled shrimp, variety of dipping sauces, chunks of pressed sticky rice.

nice if you have a large standing group

 
Perhaps ask the chef for his suggestions for your group. He may have specialities

he'd like to prepare for you.

edited to correct my spelling: "specialties".

 
Good suggestion Pat. I often host parties with chefs and basically tell them the objective,

the budget, and make them aware of any allergies or areas for emphasis. From there, I let them take the reigns...and I've always been delighted. Not only do they handle the planning & budget, but when it's their choice, often they go over the top. Let the chef strut his stuff and see what he comes up with. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. smileys/smile.gif

 
I had the fellow, I'd ask him to do an 8-course meal for nor more than 10. Not

necessarily intertwining courses, but doing what he does well and enjoys preparing.

1. tiny appetizer/teaser
2. appetizer
3. fish course
4. entree, maybe lamb
5. some wonderful salad
6. dessert of decadence
7. cheeses
8. fruits

 
We cook together, in this case we are sort of thinking of trying a different angle of

approach. I will not be in the kitchen with him for this one.
He just did one for 10 for a friend, doing all his specials. (Some of these folk will come to this one.) I do not want to repeat a dish.
Two he did were:-
proscuitto around pear and grilled, blue cheese sauce
ceasar salad but the sauce was in a wee bowl and he cut the whole romaine into 4, each person getting a 1/4 lettuce to dip.

His battered, butterflied shrimp are to die for.....

Mmmmmm, perhaps he can do a repeat of some.....

If he is not on a boat by Thanksgiving he will do his fav. meal for us...we do not do Thanksgiving so a real American celebration meal is very appealing.

 
Traca, that is just what he did with this friend.....we kind of are thinking

of something a bit different. He is out on a 5 day charter at the moment, we are both thinking which way this evening should go. When he gets back we will pool our ideas and he gets the reins
It could be all Mexican or Thai for instance....buuut....
I just have been so busy I can't come up with anything....'cept the Duck Nem he made one evening here...I had just slaughtered this duck, cooked it in the slow cooker when he arrived and I said "have duck, you make, what ever you want". He scrabbled around my pantry and garden and produced these Nem.... OHHHH, were these just incredible.

Ahhhh, as I write I think we should do the meal around Duck breasts. He did not do those the other evening.

 
Maybe this list of past menus will be an inspiration. I used to book chefs for this underground

restaurant and they often had fun themes for the dinner. (If you've seen the No Reservation show with Tony Bourdain and caught the Seattle episode, I invited Tony to dinner. This is the place we went...and wouldn't you know, he brought a film crew! smileys/smile.gif )

Anyway, when I booked chefs, I'd tell them...this is the place for you to play. Stretch your limits. The budget was healthy and the wine flowed. We did everything from homemmade marshmallows roasted at the table over flaming rum to caraemlized foie gras...You name it, we did it. And the chefs had a blast.

It's amazing what they come up with. The chef I did PR for? He did a gut buster 20 course dinner that lasted 4 hours!!! It was incredible.

I can't wait to hear what you and your chef come up with!

http://gypsydinners.com/pastmenus.php

 
Joanie, how about a wine tasting menu? Arrange a progression of wines and ask him to come up with

foods that go with each. For a larger crowd it can be done in stations and served as finger food or small bites.

I did this once for about 20 people and it was not difficult beacause I could concentrate on one station at a time, and I piled the food on platters, rather than plating. There were small plates and forks at each station and the quests served themselves.

 
Joe, what a good idea....it is the size of the party that has me concerned...I would prefer 10 pax..

but cant seem to divide the party into 2 groups easily....

 
Also, if I recall Joannie, your parties tend to be over-attended by unexpected guests!

Imagine how many extras will drop by when they hear that you have the hottest new chef in town doing the cooking?

Better keep it casual.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top