European Comfort Foods and more

We last discussed traditional comfort foods in the US and UK, and how to make them more interesting. By making simple foods a bit more complex and preparing them to order, an everyday food like mac and cheese can become the hit of a party.

In Europe, cheeses are much more plentiful than here in the Midwest. Our Central Europe station features Raclette cheese, pate, soups, and even fondue. Raclette can really be a show stopper when served traditionally under a raclette broiler. A half-wheel of cheese is slowly melted under a heating element, and served with sliced baguette, cornichon pickles, assorted mustards, and pickled vegetables. To complete the station, we include a liver pate decoratively wrapped in puffed pastry, as well as grapes and strawberries. During the cooler, winter months, we'll also suggest a hot soup like a red onion soup made with beef stock and apple cider. Paired with a calvados shot, this station alone is sufficient for a cocktail party.

A little further south, there's Italy. This is where Stewart spend a semester, and he is always showing us tips and tricks he picked up while studying there. Risotto has always been an action station. It's a traditional dish with rice, stock, and butter that takes time to cook. It needs to be stirred constantly, and stock needs to be added in intervals so it is smooth and creamy when ready.
Well, we did our own little twist on this savory dish and are now making dessert risottos. Some of our flavors include apple and pear risotto with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and cognac - served with calvados shots, peach and amaretto risotto served with Amaretto shots, and cappuccino risotto served with chocolate shavings and cinnamon whipped cream. We also do a delicious strawberry risotto that can be prepared with a balsamic syrup and basil or with a chocolate sauce and Godiva Liqueur shots. To really add a surprise, we can top it with traditional or a flavored cotton candy. For a more traditional accompaniment, an almond cookie sugar cookie, or Biscotti pairs great with all these risottos.
As we head east, we encounter Russia. Of course, potatoes, vodka, and caviar come to mind. We created a frosted fingerling potato bar with assorted toppings. This is so much more elegant than a baked potato bar, but incorporates the same elements. However, these bite-size potatoes are perfect for a cocktail party and not as big and filling as a baked potato.
Fingerling potatoes are cooked and dipped in a concentrated salt water. As the water evaporates, it leaves a frosted coating on the potatoes (but not too salty). These are then served warm with options such as caviar, sour cream, chives, bacon, and cheese. Of course, iced vodka shots are always an option.

Another great region for a food station is the Middle East. We do a whole spread of different salads (with and without protein), bread stucks, Lavosh, and hummus. Some of the salads we incorporate are:

• White bean salad with tri-color peppers and oil-poached tuna
• Tossed Greek salad
• Cous Cous with tomato and currants
• Tri-color melon salad with date honey and mint

When served with bread sticks, traditional and homemade peppered lavosh, and assorted hummus choices such as red pepper, cilantro, and roasted garlic, it mades a beautiful and filling station.

Finally, many people are wanting an Asian-influenced station. Stir-fry stations, woks topped with steamers and dumplings, and little Chinese to-go boxes are popular, but they all have been around for a while. We are having much success with our Tom Kha Gai soup, a traditional Thai soup. It starts with a coconut milk broth and includes poached chicken, mushrooms, bean sprouts, cilanto, opal and thai basil, poached shrimp, and jalapeno peppers. This can be served for large groups of people, or presented very elegantly for smaller gatherings.

USA & UK Comfort Foods

As I mentioned in the last post, Stewart and I were fortunate enough to be presenters at the Catersource Conference in Las Vegas. We had an audience of several hundred people and we spoke about making Comfort Foods from Around the World. With many of our clients not wanting to or able to spend as much on their functions, we found that traditional comfort foods are always a guest favorite, but we wanted a way to make the Unique and Unforgettable.
We explored foods from the USA, the UK, Italy, Central Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and The Orient. Foods such as pot pies and potatoes can be turned into show-stopping action stations that will leave guests talking about it for days after the event.
Starting with America, Inspired Occasions has taken Mac and Cheese and Pot Pies and has given them an Inspired twist. Instead of a traditional chicken pot pie, we are doing beef and venison versions as well as gourmet seafood potpies including shrimp, crab, and even lobster. Of course, we can’t forget about our vegetarian guests… vegetable pot pies can be a great entrée for vegetarians, or a side dish for everyone.
We have had a lot of great feedback with these when made at action stations. We have a few varieties of the protein and then different “crusts.” Toppings such as sweet potato or herbed biscuits, or puff pastry circles fit perfectly atop a ramekin full of pot pie.

On our mac and cheese station, we are doing several varieties of the classic version. For example, we do a Leek Macaroni with Manchego Cheese and a Lobster Mac with Mascarpone cheese and Sherry. Even our tried and true dishes like our Carmelized Onion and Goat Cheese Macaroni work great with this set up. Bowls of macaroni are on display, and then the cheese sauce is kept warm in a chafing dish. Chefs continuously heat the sauce and cheese and add macaroni to order, so it is always hot and fresh.
Gourmet toppings like frizzled leeks, bacon bits, diced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, green onions, shaved fennel, and fried shallot rings not only make the action station look beautiful and plentiful, but also enhance the flavors of the dishes.

Across the pond, England is known for its cheddars and Bangers (sausages). For buffets or stations, Inspired Occasions does a beautiful cheese spread of white, yellow, sharp, mild, smoked, and goat cheddar cheese. These are paired with various fruit and vegetable chutneys. (For you long-time Inspired Occasions fans, you know how wonderful our Cheddar and Chutney Savory Cheesecake is… We incorporate all those flavors into this display)
In addition to the cheeses, grilled Bangers and flavored mustards are served, rounding out the comfort foods. The mustards can be flavored to match the rest of the menu. For example, we incorporate spicy mustard, Guinness mustard, honey mustard, raspberry mustard, etc. Also served with the meats and cheese are assorted breads, flat breads, and crackers. One additional way to enhance the station is by pairing the food with English beers and beers that pair well with the selected cheeses.

Making Comfort Foods Exciting

Each year, 1000's of caterers converge in Las Vegas for the annual Catersource Convention. Over 8,000 industry professionals attended this past year - event planners, designers, chefs, owners, and more. Attendees get to attend some of the most cutting edge parties and sample the newest trends in the catering and event industry.
With so many people, there are many break-out sessions to attend. These range from sales tactics to legal matters, and from hors d' oeuvres to desserts... and everything in between. Inspired Occasions was honored to present on several topics. Both sessions - "Comfort Foods From Around the World” and “The Strategy of Event and Menu Design” - were filled to the brim. People who attended our seminar Desserts at the 2009 Conference couldn't wait to see us again (more on last years' seminar later). Stewart also conducted some demonstrations during the Tradeshow about how to prepare some of Inspired Occasions' signature items.



Over the next couple of blog enteries, I will go over the details of our Comfort Food presentation as well as the Dessert Presentation from last year. Please feel free to post any questions or comments, and we will be sure to get back to you soon.