“Indra Russell was superb. With her help everything exceeded our expectations. Servers went out of their way. Everyone loved the food.”
-Peggy
Wedding Reception at the Missouri History Museum, September 4, 2010

“Maggie, thank you for all your hard work in planning our reception! It has been a pleasure working with you & Butler’s Pantry. We cannot thank you enough for your help- it made everything less stressful. Thanks again!”
-Alex & Angie
Wedding Reception at Palladium Saint Louis, September 4, 2010 

“Barb Dieckmann was outstanding! We expected ‘the best’ from Butler’s Pantry. Every aspect of our event exceeded our expectations.”
-Sally
Wedding Reception at the Piper Palm House, September 5, 2010

“I just wanted to thank you for all of your help with our party. We think- without a doubt- this was our best year yet! We had so many rave reviews on the food & impeccable service. Thank you also for your flexibility with our head count. Who knew our party would get so big? It is always a pleasure to work with Butler’s Pantry- please thank everyone again for their excellent work! Get ready for next year!”
-Andrea
Corporate Event, September 11, 2010

“The staff went above & beyond for this event- very helpful & professional. Thank you!”
Cocktail Party, September 16, 2010

“We were well pleased with the dinner for our daughter’s wedding. Bridget was very easy to work with- professional, helpful & very nice. A great experience every step of the way!”
-Mary
Wedding Reception at the Piper Palm House, September 17, 2010

“Bridget was wonderful! She handled all emails within minutes- she “went with the flow” after a request to serve cupcakes a certain way, etc. Wonderful!”
-Madeline
Wedding Reception at the Piper Palm House, September 18, 2010

“Barb was great! [She] helped us work with in our budget & keep it classy.”
-Corporate Event, September 23, 2010

“Bianca was a true pleasure to work with. Many thanks for a job well done!”
-Terri
Cocktail Party, September 23, 2010

“Barb is a treasure for Butler’s Pantry! She has your best interest at heart, is patient, kind & very talented! I loved working with her & will recommend her always! Everything was beautiful! Thank you so much!”
-Sue
Wedding Reception at the Piper Palm House, September 24, 2010

“Bridget & Maddy were wonderful!  They helped make an already fabulous day even more special!!  I would highly recommend [Butler's Pantry] to anyone, especially for an event at the Piper Palm House.”
-Katherine
Wedding Reception at the Piper Palm House, September 25, 2010

“Barb was fabulous to work with. Because of her and Butler Pantry’s willingness to work within our parameters, we will definitely use you again.” 
Corporate Event, September 28, 2010

Ladue News
September 17, 2010

Read about this beautiful wedding we catered at The Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park.

Pomegranate Sparkler

One of this year’s Signature Holiday Cocktails

Serves 1

2-3 oz. of chilled sparkling wine

1 oz. pomegrante juice

dash club soda

lemon twist and / or pomegrante seeds to garnish

Combine ingredients.  Serve chilled in champagne flute.

Try this great Fall recipe from our Executive Chef Gregory Paul Zigenfuss.

He demonstrated it live for KSDK’s Show Me Saint Louis.

Forest Mushroom Fricassee
over a bed of hearty greens and sherry vinaigrette

“A perfect autumn salad served warm balancing the earthy mushrooms, the sweet sherry vinaigrette and the hearty, bitter greens.”

Serving Size: 8

1½ pounds assorted wild mushrooms (crimini, shiitake, chanterelle, oyster, portabella) — sliced ¼” thick

2 shallot — minced

1 tablespoon garlic — minced fine

½ cup sherry

1 tablespoon fresh thyme — minced

2 tablespoons fresh curly parsley — chopped

1/3 cup butter — clarified

1/3 cup sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 head of radicchio

1 head of frisee

1 pound Arugula (rocket)

salt and white pepper to taste

To prepare the sherry vinaigrette, whisk the sherry vinegar, honey and mustard in a mixing bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and white pepper to taste

Chop the radicchio and frissee, mix in enough Arugula to make 1.5 cups per person or 12 cups for 8 guests. Wash and spin dry in a salad spinner.

For the fricassee, melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add shallot, sauté one minute then add the mushrooms and sauté until beginning to brown. Add the garlic and sauté to aroma. Add the sherry and cook until nearly dry, about three minutes. Stir in parsley and thyme, season with salt and white pepper to taste, serve warm over the hearty greens and dress liberally with the sherry vinaigrette.

September 13, 2010
KPLR 11

Watch Chef de Cuisine, Todd Lough, talk about the flavors of Fall at Cafe Madeleine.  You can also learn how to make our delicious Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with the easy to follow recipe.

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

Serves 8

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup good dark rum
6 cups roasted, peeled and chopped Acorn Squash (approx. three  large)
1 tablespoon kosher salt or to taste
1 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup heavy cream

For the roasted Acorn squash, cut the squash in half and remove the seeds with a heavy metal spoon. Place the squash cut side down on a roasting pan and place in a 375 degree oven. Roast until the skin is soft and starts to peel away from the flesh of the squash (approximately 15 minutes). Remove from the oven and peel away all the skin. Dice the squash, then proceed with the recipe.

In a medium saucepan, sauté onions in olive oil until opaque. Add the garlic, cinnamon and ginger. Sauté to aroma, be careful not to burn the aromatics. Add the rum and reduce in half. Add the diced roasted squash, salt and white pepper vegetable broth and maple syrup. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until squash is tender (about 25 minutes). Puree with a submersible hand held mixer or in batches in a blender. Add the heavy cream, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream.

For a pretty presentation serve this soup from a hollowed out pumpkin or large winter squash into a half a roasted squash bowl.

Written by Matt Sorrell
Photography by Rob Grimm
FEAST, September 2010

Chefs usually have no problem weighing in on culinary subjects, and knives are no exception. We asked four local chefs about the blades they use to ply their trade, and what you should consider when choosing your own.

CHEF’S KNIFE

Fujiwara 8-inch Gyuto – FKH Series, 180mm

Brian Hardesty, executive chef at Terrene, likes his knives, and while he has some pretty pricey ones at his disposal, the one that gets used most is his 8-inch Fujiwara chef’s knife, or gyuto.

“It’s a really good utility knife and you don’t have to drop a whole lot of money on it,” Hardesty says. “The blade is very thin and flexible, goes right through vegetables, meat, whatever. You can do any job with that one knife. If you have to decide on one knife, then always go to the gyuto style.”

Hardesty generally prefers Japanese-made knives for their blade flexibility as well as their keen edge. However, he cautions that the Fujiwara he uses, as well as many other types of Japanese cutlery, has a carbon steel blade, which holds a great edge but does require frequent sharpening. It also is prone to corrosion and pitting, so diligent maintenance is a must.

$62; japanesechefsknife.com

PARING KNIFE

Wüsthof-Trident Classic 3½-inch paring knife

“You don’t need a whole lot of knives,” says Greg Ziegenfuss, executive chef at Butler’s Pantry, just a few must-haves: a chef’s knife, a good bread knife, maybe a boning or slicing knife. Although not as beefy as the others on his list, Ziegenfuss says having a quality paring knife on hand is also paramount.

His choice is a Wüsthof-Trident Classic paring knife with a 3½-inch composite steel blade, which can be sharpened to – and hold – a fine edge. It also has some flex, which is important when doing detail work like turning vegetables.

In addition to handling its main mission of coring and peeling, a paring knife is also a good choice for users who aren’t comfortable with a bigger blade or who cook on a smaller scale, says Ziegenfuss.

“A lot of things you can do with a chef’s knife you can do with a paring knife,” he says. “It’s versatile for a home cook who doesn’t need to dice up a handful of green onions, but maybe only four or five.”

$40; Kitchen Conservatory, 8021 Clayton Road, Clayton, kitchenconservatory.com

BONING KNIFE

Forschner 5½-inch boning knife

Marc Del Pietro, executive chef at Luciano’s Trattoria, knows a thing or two about butchering, and his choice for a boning knife is a Forschner with a 5½-inch blade. One of the primary things to avoid in a boning knife is a straight blade, Del Pietro says. A pronounced curve on the tip of the blade is key, since that’s the part that does about 60 percent of the cutting. Del Pietro says the Forschner has curve to spare.

He prefers boning blades of stainless steel, since they’re resistant to pitting and corrosion, which can happen in no time flat when carbon steel is exposed to blood and fluids, and stainless is also pretty flexible. Handle-wise, he says wood is a good choice because it doesn’t get as slippery when wet, and control is über-important during butchering.

“The biggest thing with any knife is balance,” says Del Pietro. “You really want a well-balanced knife for your hand.”

$20-$25; Bertarelli Cutlery, 1927 Marconi Ave., The Hill, bertarellicutlery.com

BREAD KNIFE

Bertarelli 10-inch serrated bread knife

When it comes to slicing bread, a traditional flat blade just won’t cut it, as they say.

“You really need to be able to saw through a loaf of bread, as opposed to using a flat chef’s knife to slice,” says Josh Allen, owner of Companion Bakery. Of course, sharpness is imperative, as is a serrated edge, but blade length is crucial as well. You’ll see a lot of bread knives out there with 8-inch blades, but Allen says the best bet is 10 to 12 inches of steel.

In the Companion kitchen, the choice is a 10-inch Bertarelli serrated bread knife. In addition to the length, Allen likes the stiffness of the blade. It has precious little flex, a quality of utmost importance when making your way through a particularly crusty loaf.

$15; Bertarelli Cutlery, 1927 Marconi Ave., The Hill, bertarellicutlery.com

“It was a wonderful event. Thanks for all!”
-Diane
Wedding Reception at the Piper Palm House, August 13, 2010

“Bridget was fantastic to work with! So helpful & sweet.”
-Casey
Wedding Reception at the Piper Palm House, August 14, 2010

“Bridget was wonderful to work with; she was accomodating to our ever changing needs & made sure everything was executed. Thank you Bridget!”
-Stephanie
Dinner Party, August 16, 2010

“We had a great experience using Butler’s Pantry for our party!  They did a great job preparing/presenting & with the clean-up!”
-Lynn
Dinner Party, August 22, 2010