Only Hors d' oeuvres Blog Bites

Do Small Bites mean Small Price?

2011-09-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

On occasion, it seems that a prospective client considers the option of having their event catered exclusively with finger foods. The perception may be that finger foods (appetizers, hors d' oeuvres, tapas, etc, ...) are less expensive than having a full meal. Is this correct?
Having a cocktail only event does allow a host/hostess to offer more variety while forgoing conventional catering's format which requires lots of dishes which can add considerable expense to your event.

Finger Foods - those delicious morsels that one can finish off with one or two bites are a great alternative to convential formal catering.

An event catered exclusively with finger foods allows the expense that would've been spent on dishes to go towards more food choices to be offered to your guests. Of primary concern to a host is that their guests are fed well and do not leave their event hungry. With a well thought out custom menu of hors d'oeuvres, one can have more than enough variety to replace a meal and have well fed satisfied guests.

For your next event consider having a full menu of small bites. They won't necessarily translate into a smaller price but will offer you the flexibility to have more choices.

Lemon Meringue Success!

2011-08-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

So here is my first Lemon Merinque Pie. Forget about the egg whites weeping, it would've been me weeping if it didn't come out correctly cause I promised a client that I'd bake five of them for their function.

I'm a stickler for perfection, and even though the client Oohed and Aahed over the end result, I was a bit hard on myself because the meringue lost some volume by the time this photo was taken - okay it was almost a day later after being baked but still.... .

For the filling, next time around I'm going to reduce the water by half and replace with milk for a richer taste and smoother mouth feel. For the merinque, I could've used powdered sugar but realized that using regular sugar is fine as long as the egg whites are sufficiently whipped - no grittiness at all.

Because of time not being on my side, I admit to giving in to using pre-made crust. :-( Be sure to blind bake (line crust with parchment paper, pour in dry beans or rice) at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice - if you use bottled lemon juice your membership is revoked
1/2 tbsp of lemon zest
1 1/2 cups of water
1 1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
5 egg yolks - save the whites for the meringue
5 egg whites - saved from separating the eggs
5 tablespoons of Corn Starch
4 tablespoons of butter
1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar (will help egg whites to hold)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

To make lemon filling (curd):

In a medium saucepan, stir or whisk together the water, cornstarch, 1 cup of sugar and salt. Cooking over medium heat, cook mixture until it reaches a gloopy consistency. At this point stir in butter, lemon juice and zest.

With egg yolks in a separate dish, take a bit of the hot mixture and stir into eggs for tempering-if you add the eggs directly without tempering you run the risk of having bits of cooked egg in your filling. Take egg mixture and now stir into the remaining hot mixture. Cover and onto the Meringue.

To make Meringue:

Using a handheld mixer, beginning whipping egg whites in a medium sized bowl that has enough room to hold the egg whites once they expand. Once egg whites begin to expand in volume intermittently add remaing 1/4 cup of sugar while still beating. Lastly add cream of tartar and whip until egg whites are stiff and are glistening.

Pour Hot Lemon Curd filling into prebaked pie shell and completely spread the meringue over the pie filling to the edges of the crust. This will ensure that egg whites don't weep as the hot filling will cook/seal the underside of the whites.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until meringue reaches a golden brown. Let cool at least 2-3 hours as the filling sets up nicely. Now you have Lemon Meringue Pie.

I'm going to use this recipe for bite sized tartletts and add to the menu.

No Utensils Needed

2011-08-09T20:27:00.001-07:00

Drop the Knife and Fork; Eat with your Hands!!

Fancy One-Biters otherwise known as Hors d'oeuvres, Appetizers, Finger Foods, Tapas, etc, .. are perfect for any event - no utensils needed.

Having been to quite a few events that were catered, I was quite amazed at the sheer amount of work that went into putting them together-especially when it came to plating the food. I think what soured me was there were so many dishes that had to be used for different courses only for them to then have to be washed. What a waste of time - keep it simple. I'm a foodie and my focused interest is definitely about the foods' flavor and presentation but I knew that once I started my catering business, I wanted to put more attention into the food and cut down on the process of plating. So I got to thinking: Why not take conventional catering and simplify it a bit while still maintaining classy and appealing presentation. Instead of tons of dishes, substitute with a tasteful cocktail napkin or perhaps using disposable mini dishes that offer classy presentation.

The concept of a function being catered exclusively with Delicious & Creative Finger Foods opens up so many opportunities to expand upon. The concern for renting tables and their place settings is gone; a seating area and maybe some bar tables for guests to socialize around and you're good to go. Plus who doesn't want the option of taking dough (cash) that would've been expended on the aforementioned and using it for more food variety at their event?

Small bites for your next event anyone?