Easy, Elegant Entertaining Group - Most Recent Comments | BigOven.com

Re: Just joined the group

Thanks guitarmom for the welcome...I am so excited about this group and it seems like so many cooking opportunties are coming my way...many have said I am missing my calling.....this has turned into the opportunity tio do some catering/personal cheffing and I am so very excited.....

- MaureenChapman

Re: Just joined the group

Welcome Maureen, i am a newbie too, this is the best thing on the net. Have fun with it, cant wait to see your recipes

- guitarmom

Re: Just joined the group

Welcome, Maureen! Glad you found BigOven.com. There are many personal chefs using the site today, and I'd like to find a way for them to gather and share ideas. (Perhaps a new group should also be created for those?)

Good luck on the new venture!

- stevemur

Just joined the group

Hi everyone, I just joined this group! I have been cooking since I was 4...yes, 4! I love to entertain and over the last 6 months have been entertaining and cooking at my friend's new house which has a gourmet kitchen, which is something to aspire to!!! Another friend and I, a chef/caterer, have been talking about becoming personal chefs in my area. I have been creating recipes and reading books and surfing the net for recipes and chaging them to make them appropriate for my use. Let's me say, I have created some delicious things, from Lava Cakes, Lemon Tarts, marinara sauce, crimini ragout, artichoke and olive flatbreads...and that was just yesterday...I even created a healthy banana nut muffin with whole wheat flour and nuts. I am excited for this venture, it is financing my return to Nursing School...it has even led to growing a garden, organically (tho' not Certified) and we are growing anything from leeks to Swiss chard, spaghetting squash and probably 10 types of greens, beets, carrots and peppers. There are even numerous types of tomatoes and multiple varieties of onions. Looking forward to seeing what this group has to offer and love this website!

- MaureenChapman

Re: Floribean dishes

The Jerk Chicken may be the answer. We had jerk chicken wings at the last jimmy buffet party. This time we will have the use of a huge grill and the grill master that goes with it. Thanks for the suggestion. - bonjax

Re: Floribean dishes

How about a chicken satay? If people are up and wandering around, it's easy to eat with a plate in-hand. Though the increase of peanut allergies in the general population might not make this the best idea.

Another option is jerk chicken, which of course is quite a Caribbean staple.

- stevemur

Floribean dishes

Our food bank is hosting a Jimmy Buffet style party. We had one in 2005 featuring mostly finger foods. One of the most successful dishes was mini cheeseburgers in paradise. We expect around 400 people and this time we want to make the food more of a meal. We know that we will have regualr grilled cheeseburgers but we would love some suggestions for - a chicken dish- a rice dish- a jazzy salad- and a couple of side dishes. We will have lots of margaritas, beer, wine,pop, and iced tea. For dessert we plan several chocolate fountains, key lime bars, and something else, any ideas/ thanks for your help - bonjax

"What can I bring?"

We entertain fairly often; I really enjoy having company over for brunch or dinner.

Invariably, guests will ask "What can I bring?" My wife says I need a better answer to this question. My typical answer is "nothing, just yourselves!" While possibly polite, this skips an opportunity to make it easier on the host, and perhaps more importantly, it robs the guests a chance to participate in an evening that's meant to be a shared, fun, usually very casual experience.

Often, the best thing to bring to a dinner party is either the dessert, some bread, a side salad, or wine. Tell them the general cuisine, main ingredient or theme if there is one (e.g., Italian, Seafood, etc.) and let them build around that. Suggesting a plate of appetizers is also a great idea, but I usually lean toward another dish, just in case they need to arrive late for some reason.

I really prefer one of two kinds of dishes either those that have a very significant make-ahead component (e.g., room-temperature salads, long-roasting main dishes etc.), or those that require only a quick-fire at the very last minute (e.g., scallops, seared tuna, grilled salmon, etc.)

What are your tips for easy entertaining?

[edited July-6-2008]

- stevemur