SMALL PLATE STYLE

Heavy hors d’oeuvres receptions provide a lively, modern take on full dinner service

By Anna Sachse
CTW Features

From Venetian cichetti to Mediterranean meze, Japanese izakaya to Spanish, French and American “tapas,” serving small plates of delectable tid-bits has taken the nation by storm. Get in on this latest foodie trend by hosting a wedding reception that forgoes the traditional dinner in favor of a few hours of heavy hors d’oeuvres. Whether you opt to have all the trays paraded around the room or combined with stations, your guests will love the chance to DIY their own tasting menu.

But first you need to determine if serving a cascade of canapés is the right fit for your fête.

Heavy hors d’oeuvres receptions do tend to be less formal, says Michele Stump, managing partner of Boston-based East Meets West Catering. For example, instead of assigned seating at dining tables, there would likely be a variety of tall and short cocktail tables and low chairs, couches or benches scattered around the room. As a result, guests are free to eat on their own timeline and typically move around and mingle more.

Serving Options

As for the edibles themselves, be sure to provide both hot and cold items in a variety of colors and shapes that include a few protein choices as well as multiple options for vegetarians, says Bridget Pelster, a sales & catering manager for the St. Louis-based Butler’s Pantry. For couples on tight budgets, she recommends taking a lighter approach, such as offering different kinds of petite gourmet sandwiches and fresh fruit kebobs, in addition to a handful of hot appetizers. Just be sure you notify your guests on your wedding website or by word-of-mouth (not on the invitation) if the dinner won’t be substantial.

However, if you still wish to provide a hearty meal, Pelster suggests mixing a DIY salad, ceviche, antipasto, mashed potato, pizza, pasta and/or risotto station in with plates of elegant nibbles like tuna Niçoise on potato wafers, mini wild mushroom soufflés and seared Asian potstickers.

In Boston, Stump’s clients are big fans of fun American favorites, like stations for sliders and mini-hot dogs, or passed hors d’oeuvres that present fun twists on regional favorites, such as mini-lobster rolls or soup spoons of deconstructed clam chowder. Carry that style into dessert with a cappuccino station and trays of cupcakes and ice cream cones.

The options are as boundless as your imagination – and your budget. “In general, you should plan for five to 10 pieces per person for the first two hours, and five pieces per person for each additional hour,” says Stump. But pricing will vary widely depending on your venue and region, as well as what you serve and for how long.

Either way, in a world of foodies, vegans and gluten intolerants, serving a wide variety of small plates will up your chances that every guest will go home happy and well-fed.

Copyright © CTW Features

Looking for a new way to accent your table designs?

We took a simple chivari chair & an ordinary chair tie & created a fresh new look.  This elegant design is achieved by weaving the chair tie through the rungs of the chair back until you end up with two short ends that you tie in a knot.  Add an accent such as this single rose and your look is complete.

It only takes a few minutes to turn ordinary into dazzling!

January’s Issue of Catersource Magazine dabbles in the biggest trends to come in 2010. When asked, Butler’s gladly laid out expectations for trends in food, drink & decor…

Purple is king in 2010.
“Greg Ziegenfuss at Butler’s Pantry in St. Louis says many clients are going the less-is-more approach when it comes to decor but when they do decorate, they want either earth tones or jewel tones. ‘Browns and grays are immensely popular,’ he says. ‘And purple seems to be THE color.’ In an event universe where earthy, natural colors abound, try injecting a dash of purple. There’s a reason it was considered the royal color.”

Simplicity will be the rule in 2010.
“‘Both corporate clients and private clients are asking for less decor and spending the money where it counts: food  and beverage,’ says Bianca McCann, catering manager at Butler’s Pantry.”

Spicing up the menu.
“Caribbean flavors. Todd Lough, chef d’cuisine at Butler’s Pantry, says taro root, plantains, tamarind, Scotch Bonnet peppers, jerk spices, guava & mango can spice up any menu.”

Getting ’Back to Basics’ with booze.
“‘It’s all about back to basics,’ says John McGuire of Butler’s Pantry. ‘The days of Cosmopolitans with their high sugar content and unnaturally pink hue are over. These days the trendiest bars are serving up traditional favorites like Manhattans and champagne.’”

Your favorite chef, Greg Ziegenfuss, appeared on Channel 11’s noon show yesterday to show us all how to make our New Years Eve Brunch “Lucky”:

“New Years celebrations are normally festive, loud and usually involve a big glittery ball. However the celebrations would not be what they are without the varied culinary customs that myriad cultures bring to the party.

In Asian cultures, noodles represent long life. Tangerines and oranges represent luck and wealth.

In Spain and Portugal, people eat 12 grapes, one for each month as the clock counts down to midnight.

In Brazil, lentils are a symbol of prosperity so lentil soup or lentils and rice are prepared for the first meal of the new year.

In Central Europe, the tradition was to hunt a wild boar on the first day of the year which has carried over to the preponderance of pork products and ham. Another thought is that a pig roots forward indicating progress in the new year.

Cabbage is another good luck food because it is believed cabbage is representative of paper money and thus is eaten with the hope of a prosperous New Year.

In Northern European countries, a New Years tradition is eating Pickled Herring for luck in the new year.

The following menu for a New Years brunch was created with these culinary traditions and foods in mind.

Orange salad with grapes, spinach and Asian Vinaigrette
Black Eyed Pea Salad (see recipe below)
Rice salad with lentils
Asian pasta salad
Sliced Pork Tenderloin with red cabbage and apples
Smoked Salmon with classical garnishes (since no one likes pickled herring)
Corn Bread Madeleine’s

RECIPE: Black Eyed Pea Salad

1.5 gallons salted water
2 cups dried black eye peas
1/2 red bell pepper medium diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper medium diced
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 minced jalapeno pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon cumin
Zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

In a heavy sauce pot bring water and peas to a boil. Lower to a simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain peas thoroughly then toss with the remaining ingredients. Season with kosher salt and white pepper to taste. Prepare up to 24 hours in advance and a minimum of 2 hours for all flavors to blend.”

The more the merrier
By: Linda Picone

Last year, a number of Greg Ziegenfuss’ clients reduced their holiday entertaining. “I’ve got a very good friend who’s president of a company,” says Ziegenfuss, vice president of operations for Butler’s Pantry in St. Louis. “Last year he told me he wasn’t going to do a holiday party; he would just take 20 of his people and go to a restaurant.”

This year, Ziegenfuss is giving clients a chance to entertain customers and/or staff even within a tight budget. Butler’s Pantry will offer existing clients the opportunity to buy tables of 10 for a splashy holiday party at a new venue the catering company is opening in November. “We’ll have a great party band, an elaborate cocktail hour and a buffet,” he says. There will be dancing, décor and the opportunity to meet new people. Although it’s not designed as a networking event, Ziegenfuss sees that as a nice plus: “It’s kind of like a big mixer, an opportunity to mingle and perhaps network, even though it’s a social event.”

Butler’s Pantry is trying to keep tickets in the $30-$40 per person range, which means a client can buy a table for $400 or less. Ziegenfuss has been doing email blasts to clients, alerting them to the party, and plans to work with the local business journal in a nice trade—a few tables of 10 in exchange for a series of ads.

 KSDK

Labor Day weekend in St. Louis is a local grown food lover’s dream come true. We have the end of the season corn, tomatoes, watermelon, summer squash, eggplant, peaches as well as some early autumn lettuces and greens.

St. Louis is “normally” hot Labor Day weekend so I personally like to plan a meal which incorporates items hot off the grill which can be eaten hot or warm with fresh, cold / room temperature items to compliment the grilled items. Ideally as much work as possible can be done a day or two in advance so the host and hostess can enjoy the company of their friends, family and neighbors. With advanced planning, list writing and  timelines,  a delicious creative menu can be planned and executed and you can still enjoy the party.

Depending on the size of the get together you can always go pot luck and encourage guests to bring a dish of their liking. This also involves some planning as you do not want to end up with three green bean salads or seven desserts and no salads. When guests RSVP you can ask what they are planning on bringing and if their item too closely resembles another you can politely ask them to change their dish and make a suggestion as to what is needed.

Be sure to have plenty of beverages, both alcoholic and non alcoholic. Put jugs of Iced tea, lemonade and water out for guests to help themselves to and enjoy. Put beer in ice troughs as a self service item. If offering a full bar perhaps hire a local college student to help with the bar service and clean up. Be sure to have plenty of ice on hand. Do not forget mixers and fruit for the bar.

When all else fails there is always the option of hiring a professional caterer to make your party a fantastic affair with hardly lifting a finger.

Menu:

Spiced Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Corn and Tomato relish over a bed of baby Arugula

Spiced rubbed chicken: (serves eight)

8 – 8oz. skin on chicken breasts cut in half
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Onion powder
1 Tablespoon Sweet Paprika
2 Teaspoon Garlic powder

Combine the spices and whisk to combine. Rub the skin on chicken breast generously with the spice rub and allow to stand at room temperature for an hour. Place chicken on the grill skin side up for 12 minutes. Turn the chicken over and grill skin side down until golden brown, crisp and cooked through (a thermometer should read 180 degrees when inserted in the thickest part of the breast). Serve over a bed of baby arugula (recipe follows) topped with roasted corn and tomato relish (recipe follows). Serve with a loaf of artisan baked bread, sliced watermelon wedges and peach cobbler for dessert.

Roasted Corn and tomato relish: (yields 1 qt.)

2 Cups roasted corn removed from the husk (Method follows)
2 Cups diced tomato
½ Cup fine diced red onion
2 Tablespoon cilantro chopped
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest of one lemon
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Zest of one lime
1 Tablespoon lime juice
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Combine all of the above ingredients up to four hours in advance. Bring to room temperature for an hour prior to serving. For the roasted corn I like to do this several days in advance, eat some of the corn hot off the grill the night I make it and reserve two to three ears for making this relish later in the week. I soak fresh in the husk corn in tap water for 30 minutes allowing the husks to become soaked. I grill directly over a hot charcoal fire turning the corn every five minute for approximately 30 minutes or until the husk is thoroughly charred. The flavor of the corn is outstanding! Be sure to make plenty as everyone will want more than one ear and there are many uses for the left over’s including the recipe for roasted corn relish above.

Arugula salad tossed with olive oil , orange juice and zest:

1 Gallon baby arugula
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
Zest of one orange
¼ Cup  fresh orange juice
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Toss the arugula in the olive oil, OJ , zest, season to taste with salt and pepper. Place Arugula salad on a decorative platter, as the chicken comes off the grill place on top of the arugula, serve the roasted corn and tomato relish over the chicken for an excellent dinner on the back deck Labor Day weekend.

KSDK
July 9, 2009

Mustard-Crusted Flank Steak
By Greg Ziegenfuss, Executive Chef

1 flank steak
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup whole-grain mustard
1/3 cup spicy mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon zested
1 orange zested

Prepare a charcoal fire. Stir together the mustards, brown sugar, pepper and zest.

Pat the beef dry, rub with vegetable oil and season with kosher salt. Quickly and carefully brown both sides of the flank steak over the hot coals. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Coat meat with the mustard mixture and place on the grill, off the direct heat. Roast for approximately 10 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 125 degrees for medium rare.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes and slice against the grain as thin as possible to ensure tenderness.

“Farmers Market, Dinners On The Plaza”

WHAT: Join Butler’s Pantry at the Piper Palm House every Thursday in July for a celebration of Missouri’s incredible bounty. As the sustainable movement grows and people strive to eat more local produce, Butler’s Pantry is creating five delicious dinners using the harvest from the Farmers Market in Tower Grove Park.

The menu will vary each week as Butler’s Pantry’s chefs use the freshest local ingredients to create a scrumptious seasonally inspired buffet. The chefs are planning some incredible dishes, including pecan-crusted Missouri trout; local long beans and Swiss chard; and spinach Papperdelle tossed with heirloom tomatoes, Baetje Farms pumpkin and walnut goat cheese. Locally produced wine will be available to complement the savory dishes.

The Farmers Market Dinners on the Plaza will be served buffet-style and include a served dessert and a choice of coffee or tea.Outdoor seating will be available weather permitting
WHEN: Every Thursday in July
All Dinners are 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park
4256 Magnolia Ave.
St. Louis, Mo. 63110
Call 314-575-5658
Seating is limited. Make your reservations today!

COST: Dinner is $28.00 for adults and $14.95 for children, plus tax and gratuity. Children under four are free. Wine not included

KSDK
May 18, 2009

“It’s graduation season and many people are hosting parties for graduates. Greg Ziegenfuss is the executive chef at Butler’s Pantry, and has some great ideas for you.”

The steps to follow are not unlike the steps a professional follows;

Select a date and make a guest list.

If planning on an out side party make sure you have a rain plan.

If the party will be for an extended period of time be sure to keep food on the buffets at safe temperatures, either hot or cold as necessary.

Decide on a menu, be sure it appeals to all age groups invited

Write a shopping list, be sure to include all beverages, mixers ice etc.  Be sure there are sufficient non alcoholic choices to appeal to all age groups.  Break the shopping list down into what can be bought in advance and what is better closer to the party.

When planning on what to make ahead keep in mind the amount of refrigeration you have.  Don’t hesitate to ask the neighbors to store things in their refrigerator or freezer, just be sure they get an invitation.

Write a prep list, deciding what to do when, and keep to the schedule.  Leave as little to do on the day of the party as possible.  Be sure to enlist friends and family members who do offer to help.

Consider hiring a college student to help with the food and/or tend bar.

Do not be overly ambitious - keep in mind your limitations be they space, time or culinary ability.

When all else fails do not hesitate to call a professional caterer.

Most importantly enjoy the time with your friends and family!

RECIPES:

Grilled Chicken with Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Serves: 8

1 tablespoon kosher salt
¾ cup Hungarian sweet paprika
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon white pepper, ground
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 each 3½ pound fresh bone-in chickens, cut into quarters (save back bones and gizzards for stock)
45 charcoal briquettes
2 cups hickory wood chips, soaked in water one hour and drained
1 charcoal chimney
Bourbon BBQ sauce (see recipe below)

Arrange chicken in single layer on a large baking sheet. Combine first five ingredients in a bowl. Rub generously on chicken. Allow chicken to stand for one hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the BBQ fire using the charcoal chimney and newspaper to light. When coals are white, approximately 30 minutes, spill coals into half the BBQ pit and scatter with the hickory wood chips. Place the chicken skin side down, on the grill rack away from direct heat. Cover the BBQ pit and cook chicken until cooked through turning every ten minues and mopping with the Bourbon BBQ sauce, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot or warm with additional BBQ sauce on the side.

Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Serves: 8

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger root
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups bourbon
2 cups ketchup
Zest of 2 lemons
Zest of 2 oranges
Juice of 2 lemons
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup Low sodium soy sauce
4 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Liquid Barbeque Smoke
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce

In a heavy medium-sized saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high setting and sauté the ginger and garlic to aroma. Add the bourbon; allow to flame and reduce by half. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to boil stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1½ cups, about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper to taste.

Allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Yield: 3 cups

Serving Ideas: A perfect sauce for grilled chicken, ribs, pork steaks, etc.

*watch the video

By Joe Bonwich
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
04/08/2009

Whether your Easter brunch will be an intimate affair or a crowd scene, the recipes that make up this menu can be just the right size.

We asked Greg Ziegenfuss, chef and vice president at Butler’s Pantry catering, for recipes that can stretch or shrink. After all, caterers are frequently called upon at the last minute to manipulate the number of servings they prepare, and they often work with clients to select a menu that’s adaptable to various numbers of guests.

Ziegenfuss suggested a menu that can be easily adjusted to serve two, eight or 24 people. (He cheated a little on the bread pudding: It would be difficult to make only two servings, but Ziegenfuss says it’s so good that you won’t mind having leftovers.)

The focal point of his menu is an individual baked frittata, a cupcake-shaped egg dish loaded with vegetables. “Because different people eat Easter brunch at different times, I wanted something they’d be comfortable eating in the morning or afternoon,” Ziegenfuss said.

He offered three side dishes: a spring chopped vegetable salad, a jicama-and-grapefruit salad and wedge-shaped rosti potatoes. The beverage is a festive lemon-raspberry sparkler that can be alcoholic or not.

Ziegenfuss had several suggestions for the host or hostess.

— Make a shopping list; check it while you shop and again before you check out. Remember that most supermarkets are closed on Easter Sunday. “You don’t want to get caught short of an ingredient on Sunday morning,” he said.

— Do as much work as possible in advance. “You want to be able to enjoy the event along with your guests,” he said.

The bread pudding can be made well in advance and reheated. You can make the jicama-and-grapefruit salad up to a day in advance, and you can precut all the vegetables for the chopped salad except the mushrooms and cucumber. Ziegenfuss recommends waiting until Easter morning to blanch the asparagus and snow peas for the chopped salad.

The frittatas and potatoes can be made in advance and reheated, although they’re better freshly cooked.

— Finally, think about the presentation. “You don’t have to cut your vegetables as precisely as we do in our kitchen, but taking a few minutes extra and being careful to cut evenly can make it look really wonderful,” Ziegenfuss said. “If you have a mandoline or a similar tool, it makes it a lot easier, especially if you’re cooking for a crowd.”