The head chef is clueless. do you have any suggestions?!
www.boracaywestcove.com <-- check it out!
the guests are foreigners of course.. (european couples as i've heard.. our resort is a honeymoon spot) and it should be gourmet.. he wants a menu soon so we could ship the ingredients before the 27th..
i can't say no because he's so excited and he keeps on telling me "your gonna have your soux chefs ready, and your uniform when you get there. wow. you haven't even graduated yet and you're already head chef in a fancy resort! i bet the other kids in school don't have that! (says it in a joking way)" oh no! too much pressure..
do you have any suggestions for a fancy seaside gourmet buffet
Answers: I'm currently studying culinary arts (as in i haven't even graduted yet and i only know a bit about professional cooking) and my dad wants me to cook dinner for new year... the thing is.. im not just going to cook for the family.. or for relatives.. im gonna cook for 30 people, buffet style for our resort in boracay...
www.boracaywestcove.com <-- check it out!
the guests are foreigners of course.. (european couples as i've heard.. our resort is a honeymoon spot) and it should be gourmet.. he wants a menu soon so we could ship the ingredients before the 27th..
i can't say no because he's so excited and he keeps on telling me "your gonna have your soux chefs ready, and your uniform when you get there. wow. you haven't even graduated yet and you're already head chef in a fancy resort! i bet the other kids in school don't have that! (says it in a joking way)" oh no! too much pressure..
do you have any suggestions for a fancy seaside gourmet buffet
WOW! What a wonderful experience. Here's some idea's:
I agree with Caesar Salad, making your own garlic croutons with french bread is a must. This is the recipe I use (of coarse my recipe is family size, you'd have to multiply it:
Caesar Salad
Leave 1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced in 1/2 cup olive oil (don't use any other oil) for 24 hours.
Saute 1 cup cubed French bread in 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil.
Break up into 2-inch lengths: 2 heads romaine
Wash and dry well. Place the romaine in a salad bowl. Sprinkle over it:
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
A generous grating of black pepper.
Optional: 5 fillets of anchovy, cut up small or mashed to a paste; a few drops of Worcestershire sauce)
Add 3 tablespoons wine vinegar and the remaining 6 tablespoons garlic oil.
Cook one egg gently in simmering water for 1-1/12 minutes. drop the egg from the shell onto the ingredients in the bowl.
Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the egg.
Add the croutons and 2-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Toss.
For soup,:
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (multiply and adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sliced leeks, white parts only
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups peeled and roughly diced butternut squash
3 cups peeled and roughly diced apples
2 teaspoons Toasted Spice Rub, recipe follows
6 1/2 cups chicken stock or 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth mixed with 3 cups water
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
1 cup chopped Spiced Candied Walnuts, recipe follows, optional
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, and cook until it turns nut brown. Add the leeks and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute briefly to release its fragrance.
Add the squash and apples, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Toasted Spice Rub and cook briefly to toast it, about 1 minute.
Add the stock or broth-water mixture, bring to a simmer, and partially cover. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the squash and apples are tender, about 40 minutes.
Transfer in batches to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pot, reheat to serving temperature, and season with salt. Divide the soup among warmed bowls and garnish each portion with some of the walnuts, if using. Serve immediately.
Toasted Spice Rub:
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup pure California chili powder (about 1-ounce)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
In a small heavy pan over medium heat, combine the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns. When the fennel turns light brown, work quickly. Turn on the exhaust fan, add the red pepper flakes, and toss, toss, toss, always under the fan. Immediately turn the spice mixture out onto a plate to cool. Put in a blender with the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon and blend until the spices are evenly ground. If you have a small spice mill or a coffee grinder dedicated to grinding spices, grind only the fennel, coriander, pepper, and chili flakes. Pour into a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients.
Yield: about 1 cup
Spiced Candied Walnuts:
Peanut or canola oil
4 cups walnut halves
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat about 1-inch of oil to 350 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add walnuts and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain and transfer nuts to a medium bowl. While nuts are still hot and slightly wet, add confectioners' sugar and toss to coat nuts. Stir and toss until all the sugar has melted into the nuts; if bits of unmelted sugar remain on the nuts, they will not fry properly.
Stir the nuts again before frying. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer a few nuts to the hot oil, allowing the foam to subside before adding another spoonful. (Otherwise, the oil could foam over and burn you.) Fry in small batches until the nuts are medium brown, about 45 seconds per batch; be careful not to overcook. Scatter on an unlined baking sheet to cool slightly.
In a small bowl, stir together cayenne, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and the pepper. While the nuts are still warm, transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle evenly with about half of the spice mix. Toss well to distribute the spices and then taste a nut. Add more spice mix, to taste, and toss well after each addition. When cool, pack in an airtight jar. They will keep at room temperature for at least 2 weeks.
Yield: 4 cups
I have an incredibly delicious pork recipe, that's easy to multiply:
Wine Braised Roasted Pork Loin with Red Peppers
Ingredients
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of ground allspice
1 2-pound boned center-cut pork loin roast, rolled, tied
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 red bell peppers, cut lengthwise into strips, halved crosswise
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 cup canned beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried marjoram, crumbled
Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Pat pork dry; rub with salt mixture. Cover and chill 6 to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wipe pork dry. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy Dutch oven or casserole over high heat. Add pork; brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to Dutch oven. Add onions and sauté until very tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and peppers and sauté until peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add wine, tomatoes, broth, bay leaves and marjoram. Add pork, fat side up, and drippings on plate. Bring to boil. Cover; bake until tender, 45 minutes.
Transfer pork to platter and let stand 15 minutes. If necessary, boil sauce until reduced to 4 cups. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Place half of sauce in baking dish. Top with pork slices, then remaining sauce. Cover and chill. Rewarm in covered dish in 350°F. oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.) Serve pork with sauce.
Usually I serve mashed potatoes topped with the pork and peppers, the colors are wonderfully festive. That's all I'll give you, I'd be suprised if you read this far. Wish I could give more suggestions, I've got many but I'm sure you'll do fantastic.
get one of your instructors involved. It might be worth some credits to plan it and get some sch credit for it
I would ask your instructors for some help but I would also ask your dad what kind of food the people would like a seafood buffet or a three meat ( Ham, Beef Pork) or a salad thing ( Jello, Fruit, Pasta,Green Tossed (Cesar). It may do well with a soup thing buffet, of different soups with side horsd'oeuvre would cater to the Europen side of things and would go well with the Asian side of things. Also a curry would be nice, last I recall the Europen enjoyed curry beef or chicken with rice. All the Best and Happy Holidays, Good Luck in your future as a chef.
You will need a food for different types of taste:
Salads, Caesar would be good,
Soups (?) French onion would be good,
Vegetables,
Fruits,
Potatoes,
Pork/ham,
Beef,
Seafood,
Turkey/chicken
Desserts.
Go to a popular hotel or restaurant that serves a buffet and see what they serve. You will get lots of ideas.
Check out these two websites:
http://www.taylorrental.com/tip_detail.a...
http://www.gulfbreezenews.com/news/2006/...
Good old roast.Finger food, you can buy that frozen and heat up like dim Sim, spring rolls, frozen prawns(heat) with thousand island dressing, yabbies, etc. Make 6 different desserts Ice cream, cheese cake, Pavlova,chocolate mouse, banana's in custard and plum pudding most of these you can buy.
Since your family owns the resort, I suspect that you already have a real head chef that works there. And that your Dad has not thought this through by a long shot.
Installing you even temporarily as "head chef" over and above his regular staff before you have even completed your basic training is not going to win you any friends. Exactly the opposite and deservedly so. If you ever want to be able to walk into that resort and take command, a total fiasco now by jumping the gun into something you are not ready for definitely is not the way to go.
A buffet for 30 that includes three meat dishes is no easy feat, even for someone with years of experience in the kitchen. You make your experience sound very far from what is required.
Every once in a while a parent gets so enthusiastic that they set out to "help" their children and turn into the the proverbial stage mother. And sometimes those parents need to be told "NO" very loudly and clearly. I know that you don't want to hurt your father's feelings, but I am also sure that you don't want to destroy any potential that exists for you to someday walk into that kitchen and be respected.
I would get one of your professors involved too, but not to help you turn out New Year's dinner 10 days from now (is anyone even left on campus?) but to help your Dad see that you simply are not ready for this!