Kathryn and Steve Powers Birthday Dinner Party

Well, the minute I go belly-aching that I don't get to do as many dinner parties as I'd like, I get THREE in a month! So here is the third one.....

Kathryn Powers and her husband Steve normally do all their own cooking for their dinner parties (they even specially ordered Foie Gras for a dinner one time!), but this time, for Steve's birthday, they both just wanted to chill and enjoy the dinner without bustling around in the kitchen the whole time.  So, you guessed it...they called ME! We decided on a menu, they set the table, ordered some beautiful flower arrangements, chilled several bottles of champagne, and there you have it.  A beautiful evening was born.

Now I pride myself on being able to do fabulous events without much help.  Taylor definitely chips in on the planning and prep work and makes sure I cover all my bases, but unless I absolutely cannot MANAGE without him, I go to my catering events alone. (Makes me look like a total rockstar!! haha)  But for dinner parties, unless they are for two or four people, I really need an extra set of hands.  There's just no way around it. It doesn't look good to be trotting back and forth carrying plates to and from the table, while trying to cook the food, plate the food, take photos of the food, refill their drinks, yadda yadda yadda.  So, this time, I asked my dear, dear friend, Heather Peterson (Owner and Cake Artist of Slice at a Time Cakes) to come with me and act as my server!  She is a natural, and helped me with everything from plating to cleaning dishes to taking beautiful photographs with her PROFESSIONAL camera! So without further adue, here are the beautiful photographs of the dinner party.

The gorgeous table

Beautiful flower arrangements

First Course: 

Berries and Blue Salad with Strawberries, 

dried Cranberries, crumbled Blue Cheese, 

Sweet 'n Spicy Pecans, 

and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette 

(everyone chooses this salad!)

 Second Course: 

Southern Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits 

with sauteed Mushrooms, slivered Scallions, 

diced Tomato, crumbled Bacon, 

and a creamy Lemon pan sauce

Main Course: 

Grilled Filet Mignon and Butter-poached Lobster Tail 

with Garlic whipped Potatoes, 

flame-grilled Asparagus, 

Balsamic Demi Glace and classic Bernaise Sauce

Fourth Course: 

Vanilla Almond Panna Cotta with marinated Berries, 

Blackberry and Raspberry Couli, Chocolate Ganache, 

and Vanilla Tuiles

Every plate was licked clean, every bottle was drained, and every guest was happy and satisfied. Thanks to Heather for coming along to help, and thank you, Kathryn and Steve, for allowing me to cater this spectacular event!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

Intimate (SURPRISE!) Birthday Dinner for Two

As a Chef/Caterer/Teacher, just about everything I do is rewarding.  Whether I'm making a pre-made dinner for a busy lady to feed her family, teaching a young husband how to grill vegetables for his new wife, showing a child how to make Tacos, setting up in a corporate conference room to show employees that healthy cooking doesn't have to be bland, or being a part of the most important day in many people's life (their wedding day), I am never running low on satisfaction in my job.  But every once in a while, I have the incredible honor of being a part of something extra-special.  Something that stands out from the crowd, and really makes my heart sing.  On Wednesday, January 5th, I had one of those events.

Way back in the fall, I got a cold call from Markeisha Lauderdale inquiring about my catering services.  She explained that January 5th is her long-time boyfriend, Jeff's, 26th birthday, and she wanted to go all out to make his birthday one for the history books. She had an entire day planned to pamper him, and then top it off with a surprise dinner in her apartment catered by The Chef Next Door.  The day would go like this:  First, she would convert her living room into a barber shop, and have a barber come fix him up and have him looking his best.  Next, she would spin her living room into a spa, and have a professional come give him a facial, a massage, and a pedicure.  Wow, talk about being "King" for a day!  She would make it seem as the surprises were over, and they would finish off the day by going out for a nice dinner in Huntsville.  But for the grand finale, she would have Jeff come pick her up and be totally shocked when he found out that the "restaurant" was in fact her apartment, and she had a private chef making a beautiful 4-course dinner just for them.  She named the restaurant "Lanyé's"- a creative twist on Jeff's last name, Layne. And that is precisely how it went.

Markeisha and I strung twinkle lights around her living and dining room, set the table, lit many a candle, and even placed a fire pot on a side table for extra romance.  She special ordered his favorite, hard-to-find Tequila (forgive me, I don't remember the name), printed and laminated a menu for Lanyé's, chilled a bottle of Moscato, put on some Kenny G, and turned the lights down low while Chef Margaret created a dinner fit for "King Jeffrey".  They wined, they dined, and I think Markeisha has gone down as the Queen of Romance among her friends and family.  It was truly a beautiful evening- one that I am proud to have been a part of.  I think we should all take some inspiration from Markeisha and take a moment to appreciate the ones we love and do something special for them today.  A hand-written note, a sweet text message, an unexpected hug, or.....a Dinner for Two by The Chef Next Door!  What????  This is MY blog after all; I'm allowed to do a bit of shameless advertising once in a while.  ;)

Enjoy these photos from Jeff's 4-Course Birthday Dinner at "Lanyé's"!

Bringin' the romance...

Isn't she so crafty??? She even made menus!

Ms. Markeisha, ready for the birthday boy to arrive!

First Course: Berries and Blue Salad
with Strawberries, crumbled Blue Cheese,
dried Cranberries, Sweet 'n Spicy Pecans,
and Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Second Course: Ahi Tuna and Sockeye Salmon Tartare with Avocado Relish, Mango Salsa, Chili Oil,
Soy Reduction, and Red Hawaiian Sea Salt

Main Course: Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast
with creamed Potatoes, flame-grilled Asparagus,
and a Spicy Honey Drizzle

Fourth Course: Chocolate Cake Napoleon
with Chantilly Cream, macerated Strawberries,
Chocolate Ganache and Strawberry Couli

The happy couple :)

Boy, do I love my job.  Thanks so much for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of such a special night, Markeisha. If any of you need to show your sweetie some extra attention, you know who to call.

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door

A Quick Christmas Catch-Up

Soooooo as you could probably guess, December has kept us over here at The Chef Next Door INSANELY busy!!  I haven't had a day off in almost a month, but I am so very thankful.  It's been incredible, and December has become the Cherry on top of the most decadent Ice Cream Sundae anybody could ever imagine.  I spent a few hours yesterday updating my client folders, and I believe I'm almost to 100......wow. Huntsville has been so good to us, and I love each and every one of my clients dearly!  There are some fun things on the horizon for 2011, so stay tuned!

Going back to December 11th, I had the opportunity to cater an incredible 4-course dinner party for Elizabeth Cooper-Golden and the agents of her realty group, @ Homes Realty.  You know, sometimes you just sort of vibe with someone naturally and get along with them instantly, and Elizabeth is that way.  From the very first phone call, I just adored her right away and couldn't wait to cater her party.  She is such a giver at heart, and had all of her agents "adopt" a family for Christmas and shower them with gifts and pizza and show these less-fortunate children a great Christmas.  THEN, she brought the agents to her home and showered THEM with gifts, in the form of a gourmet dinner with lots and lots of wine. :)  What a fantastic woman- one who I am proud to have as a client and friend.  Anyway....here are some shots of the dinner party!

The table is set, and waiting for guests. Elizabeth's daughter, Miranda, was my server for the evening!

Plated Salads

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with torn Prosciutto, crumbled Goat Cheese, and Champagne Vinaigrette

Berries and Blue Salad with dried Cranberries, 

sweet 'n spicy Pecans, crumbled Blue Cheese, 

and Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

I plated the salads with the vinaigrettes in shot glasses.

The salads are set, the candles are lit, 

all we need now is the guests!

Second course: Shrimp and Cheesy Grits Tapas with crumbled Bacon, diced Tomato, slivered Scallions, sauteed Mushrooms, and a creamy Lemon Pan Sauce

Main Course: Pan-fried Chicken Breast with Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Orzo Pasta, 

butter-braised Artichoke hearts, shaved Parmesan, 

and a Sherry Cream Sauce

Main Course: Grilled Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Butter, Balsamic Demi Glaze, flame-grilled Asparagus, and Garlic whipped Potatoes

Dessert Course: Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Glaze and Strawberries

Dessert Course: Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle with Chantilly Cream, Toffee Crunch, and Caramel Tuiles

Me and the happy hostess, Elizabeth Cooper-Golden!!

Fast-forward a few days later to December 16th, and another one of my most favoritest clients, Shotsie Platt, has hired me to cater the Christmas Cocktail Party for the Community Free Clinic, at which she is the hard-working director!  If you've never had the pleasure of meeting Shotsie, she is a DOLL!!  She is a very hardcore runner (she was jogging on her lunch break in 28 degree weather when I came to meet with her!!) and does a lot of great things for the community.  Besides that, she is one of the most pleasant and kind people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. I did a smaller cocktail party for Shotsie back in October, so I was so happy when she called and wanted me to do this large one for her employees.  She picked a great menu and everybody was really happy with the food!

We set up the food in her conference room so everybody could gather around and chow down! The pictures might look kind of....cheesy...with the lights on the table and what not, but the lighting in the room (minus the camera flash!) was very charming and really looked nice.

 

 My Mom's Cheesy Artichoke and Black Eyed Pea Dip....this stuff is ridiculous.  I've already had a few phone calls from ladies either A) wanting to order this for Christmas, or B) wanting the recipe!!

Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas with Spinach, Gruyere Cheese, and Honey Mustard

Sweet 'n Sour Meatballs!

Asiago-stuffed New Potatoes.  

Everybody loves these tasty little devils.

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Pinwheels 

with Cheddar and diced Tomato

Last but not least, another one of my Mom's famous recipes-  Tangy Two-Week Shrimp Cocktail! It literally marinates for two weeks.  Also had someone call and order this for their family. :)  Thanks, Mom!

Skip ahead two more days, to December 18th, and we're at Debbie and Kendall Black's beautiful home catering their annual Christmas Cocktail Party!  I met these two treasures while I was doing the first cooking class at The Wine Cellar back in October, and they instantly came up to me and told me they wanted me to cater their annual party in December.  They were regulars at the next class, invited me over for a glass of wine and to plan the menu, and voila! As simple as that.  Their home is GORGEOUS, and since Dr. Black is a Chef himself, the kitchen is a dream.  Counter-space galore, prep sinks built in the island, double ovens that sing to you when you press any buttons...I was in heaven.  They had 70 to 80 guests and let me tell you, it was a BLAST.  The party started at 6:30pm on the dot, and the last guests headed out the door around midnight.  That's the sign of a great party!  We even designed a special "Santa Claus Shot" for the last 15 people there, which was a huge hit. Chef Margaret even took one......but that's beside the point.  Debbie and Kendall are so much fun and I am already looking forward to doing their "Summer Party"!

 The beautiful table. If you'll notice a huge plate of meat in the middle, those are Dr. Black's famous smoked Lamb Lollipops! Apparently he marinates them for 5+ days, then smokes them for 3 hours until they are perfectly pink inside....goodness me I've never had something so delicious.

 Smart people that they are, they chose Mom's Cheesy Artichoke and Black Eyed Pea Dip!

They couldn't pass up the Bloody Mary Tomatoes floating in Peppar Vodka and Zing Zang with Celery Lime Sea Salt for dipping.

Kendall has a soft spot for Smoked Salmon Canapes with Cucumber and Dilled Cream Cheese....at one point I caught him hovering over them with a toothpick just stabbing and popping them in his mouth over and over and over.

Probably the biggest hit of the party, aside from Kendall's Lamb Lollipops: Asparagus Spirals with Cheesy Puff Pastry and homemade Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

They made another wise choice in selecting the 

Tangy Two-Week Shrimp Cocktail

Likely the second most popular item- 

the Asiago-stuffed New Potatoes!

In case there wasn't enough food already, they selected our delicious Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Rosemary and Maple Dijon Mustard Sauce. Yum!!

Here come the "Santa Claus Shots"....Orange and Cinnamon Tequila Shots.  Forget Lime and Salt forever!! Orange and Cinnamon is the way to go.

Well, they felt that I had earned myself a shot, so it would be rude of me to decline it, right???  ;)

When all is said and done, I am completely exhausted, and just now about to head back to Birmingham to be with my family for Christmas....but it has been the greatest month of my life, and I feel so incredibly blessed to get to do what I do and meet so many fantastic people.  Some days I still can't believe I get paid to do what I love, and I wish everybody on Earth could have the satisfaction of waking up every day and being excited to do your job. It is truly a blessing and an honor to get to serve these wonderful people of Huntsville. I am SO SO SO excited for 2011- meeting all of my Groupon recipients, some dinner parties already on the books for January, two weddings in the works for the summer, and possibly a Cooking Demo space of my own????? We'll see.  But until then, I hope all my readers have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Cheers,

The Chef Next Door