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Moving Tastes to Center Stage

Written by Fruma Efreom

A grass-roots revolution has begun in bridal catering as couples increasingly demand the same type of menus and foods they enjoy at small exclusive restaurants. Food and wine are moving center stage, providing the entertainment and even the décor.

          “People are getting more into wine and adapting each course to the wine they have,” explains Jack Milan, head chef of Different Tastes, a Boston, Massachusetts catering firm.

Six to eight different wines along with champagne may be served, beginning at the cocktail hour and continuing through dessert, with the best wines reserved for the entrée.
           Open bars are being limited to the cocktail hour and even then, may feature only a specialty cocktail like martinis or margaritas or simple wine and beer.

James Maxwell, head chef of Blackstone Caterers of Newport, Rhode Island, advise couples not to be too rigid about the wines they choose.

“If they like a particular wine, it’s okay,” he says.

    Maxwell advises following common sense and remembering that dry white wines complement lighter fare, while red wines enhance heartier fare. He recommends a natural progression from champagne (with strawberries) to white wine to red.

   “Once the palate has red wine, there is no sense going back to white,” Maxwell explains. “You will not be able to taste it”.

     If a particular wine is important to the couple, they should try it with the appropriate course at their food tasting. The caterer sommelier (wine expert) can recommend selection and advise on cost. To add elegance and drama to the reception, a sommelier may be asked to introduce each wine selection to each table individually.

Tapas-style dining is the newest twist in gourmet catering. While tapas literally means “small dishes”, it refers to meals in which one or more courses involve  “tastings” of small portions of complementary foods –if only as condiments or desserts. The cutting- edge in tapas dining is the seven or eight-course dinner composed of small individual tastings.
    
Such dinners may begin with unusual canapés like zucchini nestled with deviled quail egg and Ossetra caviar or a shucked oyster creation. An intermezzo such as a sorbet or a cold soup served in a martini glass is offered before the entrée to cleanse the palate. Dessert is followed by a cheese course topped with port or brandy.

In the informal family-style Italian Tuscan dinner, small dishes of condiments and related foods dominate the table’s décor. Bread sticks, bottles of olive oil and artfully arranged fruits and vegetables relegate flowers, linens and candles to a secondary role.

Kathleen Sacchi, owner of The Fine Art of Catering, based in Los Angeles, California, complements the selection with a colorful Caprese salad of sliced Holland yellow and red heirloom tomatoes and Burrata mozzarella, a white bean spread, herb-roasted focaccia bred, roasted marinated peppers and crackle bread. Sacchi has also developed the Spanish Tapas dinner, an alternative to Tuscan dining in which paella for 200 can be dramatically made in front of guests. The flavor of saffron and authentic Spanish sausages, olive oil, cheeses and olives complement the cuisine.

Ethnic foods do more than enrich tables by providing interest and variety. They may also personalize a reception by reflecting the couple’s own cultural traditions or special interests. When usual ethnic foods are selected, the caterer may request both a recipe and tastings to ensure everyone’s satisfaction with the dish’s preparation.

   In choosing a menu, Milan reminds brides that the meal is only successful if the people eat the food.

   For most guest lists, it’s advisable to keep the entrée “very recognizable” and save any adventure for the appetizer and hors d’oeuvres. Entrées, however, needn’t be boring. While salmon and lobster remain classics, Chilean sea bass offers an exotic alternative.

  While veal is sending up caution flags, grilled beef tenderloin is always welcome. Dual entrées of seafood and chicken or meat remain popular. Sushi retains its favored status as a hors d’oeuvre.

   A basic rule of menu selection is “no duplication”.

  A food used as a hors d’oeuvre or appetizer is never an entrée. Sauces alternate for acidity and creaminess. For example, a cream chowder first course would be followed by a light crispy vinaigrette salad to refresh the palate, never a Caesar salad.

    Seasonality is an important issue in menu selection. While most caterers insist on using only seasonal fruits and vegetables at their height of freshness and availability, this is not a completely inviolate rule. Maxwell, for example, sees seasonality as “not having a lot to do with an elegant wedding.” He notes that many quality vegetables are available overnight from around the world and that the classic sauce reductions don’t change with the seasons.

Brides choosing “unseasonable” items should, however, be prepared to pay premium prices and accept last-minute substitutions if the unseasonable item proves unsatisfactory on arrival.

   Seasonality is also reflected in lighter summer menus leaning towards salads and cold soups with heartier foods like root vegetables reserved for winter and fall. Pumpkin shells make charming soup dishes in fall, but would look weird in August.

   Taste and appearance must be balanced on the plate. “If all the foods in the world went together, if it didn’t look appetizing in color, people are not going to eat it,” Milan warns.

“Nothing is more boring than a monochromatic plate.”

While Maxwell agrees, he solves the problem of color by using edible flowers like nasturtiums, orchids and roses when sauces and vegetables are monochromatic. His one rule is that taste always comes first.

   Interactive desserts are new. Served during the dancing, they add informality, fun and an element of surprise. Sacchi  has seen a demand for gelato stations, cotton candy, popcorn and mini crème brullées.

   As the art of fine dining spreads from small group presentations to the banquet table, it can only be good news for brides and their guests, making greater diversity and gourmet quality choices widely available for the first time. If food is important to you, join in the revolution.WS

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