Hello all! I have been talked into catering a friends 40th birthday bash - it is a casual drinks and finger food for 30 odd people in the evening....

I have alot of ideas but want to keep it simple yet stunning - you know the drill, where people think you've taken days preparing when in fact the quality of the ingredients and the simplicity of the design carries it to another dimension - all to your credit of course.

I have had one meeting, and it's pretty much carte blanche....whatever I want - any fresh ideas?

Four legs good, two legs bad. George Orwell

If I make savoury tarts with caramelised onion and blue cheese would I put a spoon full of each of those mixtures in the case (you can buy uncooked frozen cases) then fill with egg & cream mixture, ditto chicken and cranberry relish?

Four legs good, two legs bad. George Orwell

sorry lynley I don't quite follow you. Did you want to top your onion/cheese and chicken/cranberry tartlets with egg and cream??

I would mention though, that I made some caramelized onion and blue cheese tarts for a 60th fingerfood do - I wrote myself a note that I would still do the caramelized onion, but only do half with blue cheese and half with another type of cheese. I made tiny bread cases that I filled with a sort of quiche mixture which turned out well. Also used the good 'ole Digby Savouries (I'd be lost without those) Mini savoury muffins with Brie & Cranberry, or Beef & Horseradish. What about stuffed mushrooms. Fish cakes with chilli sauce. Crayfish tails. Gazpacho in shot glasses.

Good luck with it
Liza

What I mean is - I want to do 2 different types of savoury tarts - blue cheese and onion - then chicken and cran/relish - what I need to know is what to fill with - I suppose it's a type of quiche egg mixture (egg & cream?)

...pray tell the good ole' Digby savouries?

Four legs good, two legs bad. George Orwell

You don't need to fill them with anything else. The caramelized onion will fill the little tart shell itself and you just top with a small piece of blue cheese, warm them through to soften the cheese if wanted. Same with the chicken. Maybe other people DO fill them with something else?? I'll watch replies with interest.
Digby Savouries are frozen pastry hors d'oeuvres with 4 different fillings: lamb and mint, peanut satay, pumpkin and cream cheese and lastly sundried tomato. You just bake them and serve with dipping sauce - really easy and very reasonably priced. I buy them from Crean in Hamilton. I use them for catering a lot (they are just about the only things I don't make myself) and everyone loves the pumpkin ones especially!!
Liza

Lynley

somewhere in my collection of superfood magazines there is a recipe that has caramelised onions, done with maple syrup that is served on a lightly toasted french stick with blue cheese. Holler if you'd like the recipe.
There is a recipe on foodlovers... cheese & cumin puffs, they are very nice except i cheated and used ready rolled pastry, put the filling in the middle and folded over.

curried egg on mini pappadums
thai chicken sausage rolls
mini crabcakes with capsicum sauce






Regards
Sharon


As a parent, it is not what you give your children that builds their character but what you allow them to give you
Author Unknown

Lynley
I catered a 40th birthday and here are some suggestions:
Smoked salmon w creme fraiche on miniature pikelets,sprinkled
with chives and black pepper
Asparagus and proscuitto rolls - blanched asparagus (snapped so they are about 5-6 cm long- refresh in iced water to keep green, then get thin pieces of proscuitto and wrap around middle of each asparagus) Very popular and they look great on a white platter!
Good luck with the catering!

Thanks guys, Sharon the crabcakes and thai chicken rolls sound interesting - do you have a recipe?

I was going to do smoked salmon and creme cheese (or is creme fraiche better?) sprig of dill on pumpernickel - does anyone know where to buy pumpernickel bread in Auckland? or would vogels/burgen be fine (thinking soggy factor)

Four legs good, two legs bad. George Orwell

Lynley I always put cream and egg mixtrure into tarts to give them some body and hold it all together. I do 1 egg to 100 ml cream and then s & p to taste.
Caramelised onion is great with either blue cheese or goats cheese and rosemary. I also do mushroom & thyme which are another tasty veg option.

I am really into using tiny cardboard boxes - like noodle boxes with treats inside, especially as the night moves on and people need some sustenance. After years of catering I think that there is a time when the pretty fiddly pieces stop and some real food starts. Otherwise people leave and go off to find food.
I do things like skewered chargrilled baby octopus, prawns, pad thai, chicken skewers with satay sauce, beautifully fresh snapper in beer batter with a few homemade chips and tartare sauce....
I find that the boxes are great for things with sauce as then you actually get to enjoy the sauce rather than double dipping or not getting any.

Has anyone seen these Digby Savouries selling in Christchurch...they sound lovely.

Thanks

Clare

Hi,
Try Jo Seagar books she has several recipes for finger food.

slice a French loaf into thin slices and lightly bake in oven. Spread with cream cheese put a small piece of smoked salmon a tiny bit of caviar and a small sprig of fennel. These are time consuming but delish.
don't forget asparagus rolls and with asparagus being in season use freshly cooked and cooled asparagus.Instead of using bread use ham for these.
Crab sticks done like asparagus rolls in bread and cut in half

Don;t forget dips, our favourite is a pot of cream cheesse and add 1 -2 or more (tp taste) cloves crushed garlic. the smoked garlic would be a change and have a vege platter with it.
With all the ideas I am sure you will be a great success.
Best of luck
Kay D

Lynley

Just to throw more food for thought.. I was flicking through an AWW cookbook and found a recipe for prawn & crab wontons, makes 80, although they would need cooking or at least reheating there and then.. so maybe not a hot idea.

avocado pistachio pate ( can be made in advance)
french sticks with a selection of toppings.... smoked trout, antipasto, spice lentil & hummus
thai chicken rounds (slices of cucumber topped with chicken mince & thai flavourings)






Regards
Sharon


As a parent, it is not what you give your children that builds their character but what you allow them to give you
Author Unknown

mini sandwiches of roast chicken (skin and stuffing included), avocado, chopped pistachios adn best mayonaise are delicious. I have made 1000s of them over the years.

Wontons are always popular but you do have to deep fry which can get smelly.
I normally just cook them in the morning and then refry til golden at the party.

Oops forgot to say -
*mini beef guiness and mushroom pies are great (made in mini muffin tins)

* leek and gruyere tarts are also beautiful. I saute leek in butter til tender and then cook in short pastry cases with gruyere and cream/egg mixture.

* pancakes stuffed with bbq duck, hoisin and spring onion and rolled up

Cut strips of venison or beef about 'stirfry size' and marinate, stirfry for a few minutes then serve on a platter with a sprinkling of fresh corriander and a container of cocktail 'toothpicks' - this was the most popular finger food at our wedding!

Vege frittata - grate all of the veges, add cheese, eggs and cream. Cook in a fry pan then under the grill. Cut into bite sized squares and top with a tiny dot of yummy relish and sourcream.

zenatta mondata frittata! sounds good - thank you everyone - great food for thought!

Four legs good, two legs bad. George Orwell

lizab Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You don't need to fill them with anything else.
> The caramelized onion will fill the little tart
> shell itself and you just top with a small piece
> of blue cheese, warm them through to soften the
> cheese if wanted. Same with the chicken. Maybe
> other people DO fill them with something else??
> I'll watch replies with interest.
> Digby Savouries are frozen pastry hors d'oeuvres
> with 4 different fillings: lamb and mint, peanut
> satay, pumpkin and cream cheese and lastly
> sundried tomato. You just bake them and serve with
> dipping sauce - really easy and very reasonably
> priced. I buy them from Crean in Hamilton. I use
> them for catering a lot (they are just about the
> only things I don't make myself) and everyone
> loves the pumpkin ones especially!!

Where is Cran in Hamilton it sounds worth a visit?
> Liza

H Liza,

Creans is a food outlet in Te Rapa. They supply mainly to restaurants, cafes etc, but I undertstand that the public can buy direct from them.

Helen Bell.

I recently tried fresh asparagus rolls (with bread and butter - as per what you normally would think of an aspagus roll, except the asp was fresh), but they also had smoked salmon alongside the asp. Lovely combination. Janet

hi - i have a very reliable book called "quick & tasty finger foods". it cost me about $5 -$8, and has great things in it - everything from tzatziki to smoked salmon carpaccio. everything very easy to make. if you want to look for the book, the ISBN no. is 1 740221 117. good luck. philippa

If you were to make chicken sandwiches of some description (or indeed use chicken in any of your other bits and pieces); I would thoroughly recommend using organic free-range chickens rather than ordinary supermarket chickens (even the cornfed ones.)

They really are profoundly tastier than other chickens with a much nicer texture.

re sourcing pumpernickel bread - Woollies sells it, both in the 3" or so squares and very handy little ready-cut rounds which are the ideal size for finger food. I haven't bought any in a while, but I think I found them amongst the international foods.

Lynne2