As promised in last weeks Hot From the Kitchen, I have the photos from Saturday’s event at the Phoenixville Foundry.  I look forward to doing events here because I just adore the space with it’s modern meets old world elegance decor.

Contagious played throughout the evening, treating guests to a wide array of music from every era.

  

Upon arrival guests were treated to a variety of passed hors d’oeuvres including miniature Maryland crab cakes, steamed vegetable dumplings, pistachio crusted chicken bites and braised short rib on brioche, just to name a few.  Upstairs there was an action sushi bar by Akio, a big hit among guests.  And in the Cupola Ballroom-Shellfish Shooters.

  

For the seated dinner guests enjoyed wild mushroom & brie bisque for their first course.  Dinner consisted of a dual entree of espresso rubbed petite filet and jumbo fluke puttanesca.  Proteins were accompanied by J. Scott’s famous potatoes au gratin, a sure hit at any affair, and sauteed green beans with shiitake mushrooms and candied ginger.

  

As if all that wasn’t enough, for dessert the sushi bar was flipped to a mini parfait and pie station.  Choices included pumpkin mousse with crushed ginger snaps, tapioca with cinnamon and angel food cake, and rice pudding with dried blueberries.  Pies included a mix of chocolate walnut, cherry cream cheese, sweet potato, and pecan tassie. 

  

Guest tables were covered in a beautiful moss green pintuck.  Flowers, by Valley Forge Flowers, were red roses with hints of green & white.  Some in tall white frosted vases with extra hanging pine and others in petite vases.  White trees & candlelight completed the winter forest look.

In the end it was another incredibly successful event!

  

Here in the northeast of the United States we are experiencing lots of snow, wind and freezing temperatures.  Which tells me that its time to break out the extra large pot and get some soup cooking.  I especially love when clients ask us to do a soup course for an event because it gives our chefs an opportunity to be creative with something that is typically so simple.  The above photos are  (from left to right) of a butternut squash soup, a traditional vegetable soup and a crab bisque.  Whether it’s a  cream or broth based soup one thing is for sure; just one spoonful and the chill in the air is whisked away, replaced by that wonderful feeling of warmth that spreads from your nose to your toes.  Try this delicious recipe for vegetable barley soup tonight!

Vegetable Barley Soup

 1 l/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 l/2 teaspoon fresh, chopped garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 bay leaf

1 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

l/4 cup barley, uncooked

2 stalks chopped celery

2 large sliced carrots

6 cups of chicken stock

1 can diced tomatoes

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions:

Place oil in a large soup pot

Add onions and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until wilted

Add the garlic, bay leaf and thyme

Add the mushrooms and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring

Add the barley, celery, carrots and broth

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 25-30 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender, skimming any foam that rises to the top

Remove bay leaf

Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more

Season to taste with salt, pepper

Stir in the parsley just before serving the soup

Executing a party in someone’s home adds an extra element of fun for us in the catering world.  Not only are we able to prepare food for a slightly smaller crowd but we have the ability to utilize an even more critical attention to detail. 

  

Typically passed hors d’oeuvres are only seen at larger parties and weddings.  Adding this movement to your party encourages guests to get up and move around.  Here we have miniature crab cakes with a horseradish creme, pear and goat cheese tart topped with caramelized onions and Indian chicken sate, with a traditional peanut sauce.

  

Having a seated meal then allows guests a chance to relax and enjoy wonderful food in courses.  This client chose a harvest salad with arugula, pumpkin seeds, gorgonzola cheese, cranberries and raspberry vinaigrette, for the first course.  The entree consisted of three choices, chicken florentine, chilean sea bass with a lemongrass and rosemary infused butter sauce and a vegetable gallete with a wide array of grilled vegetables, topped with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.  Each was accompanied by green beans with an almond brown butter and roasted rosemary red bliss potatoes; hard to say but delicious to eat.

 

And of course, what  would a meal be without a tempting dessert.  Here we have an unbelievably light and airy chocolate mousse in a tempered chocolate shell.  The client chose a simple blue and white color scape, perhaps to represent the recent snowfalls.  It was a simple dinner party in theory, but a truly elegant affair in practice.