J. Scott Catering » home

Neon Du Jour

jenniw — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:37:34 +0000

After an entire day at the office thinking and talking about food, you would think that come dinner time the perfect evening dish would come to mind second nature. Well this isn’t always the case. At times the inspiration to satisfy the family’s cravings comes with a little extra exploration.

The other day I was taking a ride down the mainline when my attention was caught by the neon glow of a waving florescent red lobster. The small fish market was bustling with customers so I thought I would check out what the little corner shop had to offer. It is not often that one describes the aroma of a fishmonger’s place of business as pleasant and inviting, but the quality and freshness of the seafood was undeniable. That being said, I didn’t rush across the street to pick up a set of “Fresh Caught Talapia” scented candles for the living room and kitchen.

It wasn’t long before I found myself standing in front of my soon to be pièce de résistance for the evening supper. There rested a long, thick filet of salmon with a color more vibrant than the sign that initially brought me to the store.

Upon arriving back home I fired up the grill and got to seasoning. This simple recipe had all the components to really set off my fresh catch.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat grill for medium heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Inspiration for a great dish can come at any time. All it takes is an open mind and a little creativity.

Share/Bookmark

Locally Smoked Salmon This past weekend we were part of a bridal show...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Private Parties

JULSF — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:38:06 +0000

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.

Share/Bookmark

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Not Your Mother’s Green Bean Casserole

JULSF — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:42:37 +0000

When a client asks us to provide for them an old favorite, green bean casserole, we rise to the challenge and create something new and improved. This delicious casserole made by our chef has cashews, caramelized onions and a creamy wild mushroom sauce. Other holiday options include a smoked salmon platter with all the neccessary accoutrements, and a citrus and herb roasted salmon.

Share/Bookmark

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Reindeer & Recipes

JULSF — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:53:58 +0000

I couldn’t wait to share these pictures from a private event we catered this past weekend. Using pine roping, reindeer, candles and those glorious big red drums we turned this residence into a castle fit for Santa himself.

The client chose a pasta action station along with several other selections. Pasta was tossed with toppings including grilled chicken, grilled asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, cannellini beans, roasted peppers and many many more. For dessert they enjoyed a cheesecake bar. This included slices of creamy New York style cheesecake and a variety of toppings for the guests to choose from. The site of it all put me in such a holiday spirit that I had to share this delicious cookie recipe; one of my favorites during the holidays. Enjoy!!

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fruit preserves, any flavor

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use your finger or an instrument of similar size to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 teaspoon of preserves.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Share/Bookmark

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Salivating Over Science

JULSF — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:56:18 +0000

For all you foodies out there on the world wide web, you will be happy to know that J. Scott Catering took a step into the field of molecular gastronomy at one of our recent events. This event, held at a clients home, gave us an opportunity to stretch our spoons in a new direction. Something we truly enjoy doing.

Hors d’oeuvres were passed around by lab coat donned servers, carrying tasty treats in medical vials and shot glasses. Fun foods such as Super Wild Blue Antioxidants and Green GRAS Botanicals were among the favorites.

The dessert station was, as always, a hit. Delicious assorted miniature desserts included creme brulee, fruit tarts and napoleons. Using whites, blues, metal and candlelight, we acheived a laboratory-chic atmosphere.

Overall guests really enjoyed the scientific ambiance of the event. And of course we had a blast too!

Share/Bookmark

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Station Elation

JULSF — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:09:48 +0000

We love a happy wedding with great company, excellent music and delicious food. We were recently honored to see a bride and groom come together to exchange their vows in the backyard of their gorgeous country home. They chose to have a variety of food stations to keep the guests mingling throughout the reception. Their station selections included salad, carved tenderloin and kebobs.

The salad was a light summer salad of fresh mozzarella and candied pecans over fresh mixed field greens. The salad station also offered fresh assorted rolls with whipped butter.

Kebobs are a fun, summery way to display food that is still easy to pick up and enjoy while socializing. Kebobs can give you multiple options for ingredients while offering something for everyone.

A carving station offers the opportunity for guests to be served the amount they think is appropriate, when they are ready. This station also serves the sides to accompany the main course. The bride and groom chose asparagus tips and roasted red bliss potatoes.

Stations can bring a more relaxed feel and pace to an event while still providing a lavish display to impress your guests. These stations captured the exact feel that the bride and groom were aiming for.

Best of luck to the new husband and wife!

Photos: Will Reiner

Share/Bookmark

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Bringing the Restaurant to Your Home

Scott Walsh — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:17:12 +0000

A little peek into the behind-the-scenes of what we do at J. Scott…

As an off premise caterer, we figuratively and literally bring a fully operating restaurant to your home. One of the things that makes our company unique is our refrigerated trucks, which enables us to bring fresh foods to the event site. Basically, we transport the prepared food to your home for cooking at the event, which provides a fresher end result for you and your guests. Generally we commandeer the host’s garage and set up our “field kitchen,” where most of the behind-the-scenes operations occur, out of view of the guests. Our event set up usually begins about three hours before the start of the event. We conduct a walk through of the space with the staff, then we stage the garage and unload equipment. We set up the bars, food stations, guest seating and cocktail seating to transform the home into a magnificent event environment. With time to spare, we do a final walk through to ensure everything is perfect and open the first bottle of champagne for guests to celebrate.

Share/Bookmark

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.