UPDATE: Self-catering my wedding - 40 people. Foodies and cooks, I need your help!

[lisabees]

I'd probably make Aloo gobi, tandoori chicken and daal. Indian food is easy to make in quantity and reheat.

 

Also the ATK recipe for Thai street noodles is great if you have access to LARGE woks or pans.

 

I soooo love that menu.  Swoon.

 

Daal shooters!

 

I am all about the shooter idea now!

[lisabees]

My advice is more on logistics.  When our DD got married, it was a traditional church wedding with a catered meal afterwards.  However, most of the guests were from out of state and staying in hotels. We had guests from at least 12 states visiting as we don't live near any of our relatives on either side of those two families.  Because of that I wanted to have as much casual time with these precious dear friends and family as we could.  We self catered what you would refer to as the "rehearsal dinner" in our backyard, for almost 100 people. The morning after the wedding we had a brunch/gift opening and we fed over 100. Yes, the gift opening could have waited, but our DD was moving to her DH home state the next day, so we wanted to enjoy her gift opening with her.

Organization was key.  I had lists, and I had lists for my lists.  I kept track of everything in a 3 ring binder.  The week of the wedding I had daily lists of meals to be prepared and tasks that needed to be done.  I even wrote down things like, someone check toilet paper in the bathrooms and put out fresh towels.  Each morning the task list was posted on a cabinet and anytime a willing hand asked if they could help, we pointed them to the list. We had local friends offer to help and we asked them to do things like bring us a meal early in the week when we were busy with decorating the chruch.

One of the biggest issues we had was storage for food and the necessary dishes.  My amazing butcher offered to store the pork loins in his cooler until grill time.  We picked them up the day before, got the marinade on them, and took them back overnight, retrieving them again when it was time for the grill.  I had neighbors gave us access to their extra fridge in the garage.

Our meals were simple, but delicious, and I wouldn't change a thing. 

 

Wow.  That sounds like a lovely event.  So it's possible?  To enjoy the day(s) even though they are filled with so much work?  Wonderful.

 

Your advice about lists and more lists is perfect.  Thank you!  I will be sure to consider all options as far as storing food.  Because we have access to two houses, we will have two fridges.  I should spend more time scoping out the local town (30 mins from us) and its businesses.  They may be able to help in some way, especially if we purchase things from them.

 

Thanks again!

[KatieJ]

Wow. That sounds like a lovely event. So it's possible? To enjoy the day(s) even though they are filled with so much work? Wonderful.

 

Your advice about lists and more lists is perfect. Thank you! I will be sure to consider all options as far as storing food. Because we have access to two houses, we will have two fridges. I should spend more time scoping out the local town (30 mins from us) and its businesses. They may be able to help in some way, especially if we purchase things from them.

 

Thanks again!

We absolutely enjoyed it, however, the day of the wedding, there was no one eating at my house except immediate family, and the reception at the church was catered. So calm reigned that day.

 

One more thing, check into food stores that will shop for you. We bought locally here at Gordon Food Service ( GFS) . Several weeks before the wedding, I did the shopping with a "gun" at the store same as you do for registries at BBB or target. The day I needed the groceries, It was all waiting for me in a cart. I just had to pay for it and get it home. I have recently read that Sam's club will do that for you.

Edited September 4, 2016 by KatieinMich

[lisabees]

We absolutely enjoyed it, however, the day of the wedding, there was no one eating at my house except immediate family, and the reception at the church was catered. So calm reigned that day.

 

One more thing, check into food stores that will shop for,you. We bought locally they a Gordon Good Service ( GFS) . Several weeks before the wedding, I did ,h shopping with a "gun" at the store same as you do for registries at BBB or target. The day I needed the groceries, Ot was all waiting for me in a cart. I just had to pay for it and get it home. I have recently read that Sam's club will do that for you.

 

Another brilliant idea.  Thank you!  Will check that out.

[KatieJ]

Another brilliant idea. Thank you! Will check that out.

Sorry about the typos. Grandchildren here distracting me.

[lisabees]

Sorry about the typos. Grandchildren here distracting me.

 

Lucky you!

[lisabees]

idnib - what cut of lamb would you use?  Making the biryani tomorrow!

 

In looking at recipes, there are many kinds of biryani.  Which one?

Edited September 4, 2016 by lisabees

[lmrich]

Something else to think about...enough dishes and utensils. We once stayed at a lovely home that advertised it slept 25. It had exactly 25 plates, one set of serving utensils, and four pots. I had brought paper plates, etc... anyways, but it could have been a problem.  Are you able to go to the home before hand and check stuff out? Congratulations!

[KungFuPanda]

This might not be special enough, but maybe check it out as a starting point: Oven-roasted Chicken Shawarma. (Link to NY Times Cooking)

 

We like it for parties because it's fun to add sides and accompaniments and let people eat it the way they want to (in a pita, not in a pita, with olves, feta, cucumbers, etc, or without...) I make a chickpea salad with tahini sauce to go with it. Once I added falafels, that was great too. I think the chicken could be grilled rather than done in the oven? That would be so delicious!

 

I won't get my feelings hurt if you reject it.

I saw this recipe posted on two different threads, so now it's marinating in my fridge :-) my kitchen smells amazing.

[marbel]

I saw this recipe posted on two different threads, so now it's marinating in my fridge :-) my kitchen smells amazing.

 

We had it tonight.  I've probably made it 5 or 6 times since discovering the recipe early this summer.   3/4 of us love it.  Our vegetarian doesn't eat it, but there are other things for her. 

 

I had mine in pita bread with the yogurt sauce mentioned in the recipe (yogurt, a little mayo, lemon juice, and garlic), tomato, cucumber, and feta.  We also had some tahini sauce from this recipe* (link to New York Times cooking), and some of what I'm calling "cheater's falafel" because they are made with garbanzo flour and while I think they are pretty good, they are not as good as the real thing.  

 

*We have made the chickpeas in the linked recipe too.  Delicious.  But with the falafels we didn't need more chickpeas tonight, kwim?  

 

Our eating life has changed for the better since I started getting the NY Times Cooking newsletter in my mailbox and facebook feed. 

Edited September 5, 2016 by marbel

[KungFuPanda]

We had it tonight. I've probably made it 5 or 6 times since discovering the recipe early this summer. 3/4 of us love it. Our vegetarian doesn't eat it, but there are other things for her.

 

I had mine in pita bread with the yogurt sauce mentioned in the recipe (yogurt, a little mayo, lemon juice, and garlic), tomato, cucumber, and feta. We also had some tahini sauce from this recipe* (link to New York Times cooking), and some of what I'm calling "cheater's falafel" because they are made with garbanzo flour and while I think they are pretty good, they are not as good as the real thing.

 

*We have made the chickpeas in the linked recipe too. Delicious. But with the falafels we didn't need more chickpeas tonight, kwim?

 

Our eating life has changed for the better since I started getting the NY Times Cooking newsletter in my mailbox and facebook feed.

It was delicious and I only had to buy chicken thighs and lemons to make it. I keep everything else on hand. I served it with pita, hummus, and an Israeli chopped salad. Until I read your post, I forgot I had feta to serve with it. This would be great dinner party food because you can make everything ahead of time. I think I'll make some rice or couscous with almonds and dried apricots to serve with the leftovers.

[idnib]

idnib - what cut of lamb would you use?  Making the biryani tomorrow!

 

In looking at recipes, there are many kinds of biryani.  Which one?

 

I would use lamb stew meat, and keep the size under 1.5".

 

My version is like this one: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/212487/lamb-gosht-biryani/ but without the red pepper, saffron, or milk. The pepper makes it too spicy for me, and the milk/saffron is very nice for color and a bit of flavor, but can be expensive, especially if you double or triple the recipe. Also I pre-fry the onions in ghee as outlined above, rather than adding them to the spices as in this recipe.

 

Sorry I don't have it written down or measured.

 

It's important to realize that on the sub-continent "lamb chops" = chopped lamb. Not always, but in this context they do.

 

You can also use beef 1:1 in this recipe.

 

ETA: After reading this thread, I'm leaning toward the chicken recipe for the wedding, myself. Seems much easier and delicious!

Edited September 5, 2016 by idnib

[lisabees]

idnib - the chicken recipe is easy and delicious.  I have made it enough and it is fun.  Everyone likes it and the addition of falafel is perfect for vegetarians.  

 

I have been on Israeli cuisine kick lately, as we recently ate at Zahav and saw a documentary about its owner, Michael Solomonov -  In Search of Israeli Cuisine.  His restaurant makes an awesome lamb shoulder.  He has a beautiful cookbook called Zahav.

 

I am throwing that out there for all of you cooks!

 

Now, I am off to get biryani ingredients!  It's my fave way to spend a holiday - cooking.  Certainly not a typical American Labor Day meal, eh?!

[lewber]

Congratulations!

Your ideas so far sound delicious. This is my go to for lunch entertaining. It's easy, can be made a day ahead, and is a lot of food with not too much effort. Just throwing it out there as a lunch idea.

 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/chicken-green-bean-and-goat-cheese-salad-2037

 

I'm trying the chicken upthread tomorrow for dinner. That sounds delicious!!

[lisabees]

I did it!  I did it!  I made the ghee.  I browned the onions for an hour.  I made an awesome lamb biryani!

 

Thank you idnib.   :hurray:

 

I followed your linked recipe; I added a bit of nutmeg and a star anise.  I also used saffron and milk at the end!

 

 

[idnib]

I did it!  I did it!  I made the ghee.  I browned the onions for an hour.  I made an awesome lamb biryani!

 

Thank you idnib.   :hurray:

 

I followed your linked recipe; I added a bit of nutmeg and a star anise.  I also used saffron and milk at the end!

 

:party:

 

I was just coming here to ask how it went! It sounds delicious with the nutmeg and star anise. And good on you for doing the saffron and milk; most native nowadays just add a bit of yellow food coloring to save expense.

 

ETA: Eek, I hope that didn't sound bad. It's my own culture, so I was referring to what my own friends and family do for the coloring, not complaining about another culture!

Edited September 6, 2016 by idnib

[lisabees]

Bumping shamelessly to request more advice! 

[Spy Car]

Bumping shamelessly to request more advice! 

 

On the Middle Eastern menu all the items could be done in advance, save kabobs or shwarma. And those could be a nightmare. Over-cooked, dried out, or not ready on demand.

 

I have a solution. Lately I've been playing (with high success) with a cooking process called "Sous Vide."

 

Sous Vide is a fancy way of describing foods (especially proteins) cooked in temperature controlled water-bath while sealed in plastic (either vacuum sealed or just ziplocked with minimal air).

 

With Sous Vide you set the water-bath to the interior temp you desire to reach. So I do steak at 120, and have some ribs on now at 162.

 

Anyway, the sous Vide cooks the meat perfectly, and the beauty part is the food (say pre-sliced chicken kabob meat) can stay in the water-bath until ready to use without risk of overcooking.

 

So you could have chicken at the ready for use. At the moment of need, you could have someone skewer the chicken and grill briefly to brown the outside. Sous Vide does not "brown" so you'd need a moment on the grill, But the chicken is already perfectly cooked. The person on the grill could just need to put on a flash sear.

 

They have little devices that will heat a container of water (anything works for this purpose inc. plastic) that plug-in and heat and circulate the water-bath.

 

This is a brilliant way to have meat ready for a last minute sear. And OMG does Sous Vide cook meat perfectly. Very elegant and no (AS IN ZERO) chance of over-cooking the meat.

 

The best inexpensive Sous Vide machine seems to be the Anova. I'd love to have the smaller and more powerful "Joule" made by Chef Steps that's a little more expensive.

 

But to remove the headache and stress of cooking meat/chicken at a wedding either devices would be way worth it.

 

The Joule is about 200, some Anovas are under $150.

 

This is a good tip. Trust me :D

 

Bill

 

ETA: If you when this route, all the chicken pieces could be pre-cut, packed in ziplocks (as airtight as possible), and  frozen until needed. The frozen bags could go right tinto the water-bath. This would make the hardest part very easy, and people would rave about how perfectly it is cooked.

Edited February 22, 2017 by Spy Car

[Jaybee]

Since marbel posted that chicken schwarma (sp?) recipe above, I have cooked it 3-4 times. So good! It would be easy to marinate ahead of time, then just dump into the baking pans. It takes minimal watching over--just a stir occasionally, except for a little broiling at the end. We eat it with a yogurt sauce (like in the comments) that could be made ahead, and a salad (also in comments) of chick peas, feta, olives, cilantro, olive oil, tomatoes, onions--which could also be made ahead of time. Then we serve with tortillas--the soft fat ones--as a substitute for naan. We all really enjoy this meal! (Thanks, marbel!)

[lisabees]

On the Middle Eastern menu all the items could be done in advance, save kabobs or shwarma. And those could be a nightmare. Over-cooked, dried out, or not ready on demand.

 

I have a solution. Lately I've been playing (with high success) with a cooking process called "Sous Vide."

 

Sous Vide is a fancy way of describing foods (especially proteins) cooked in temperature controlled water-bath while sealed in plastic (either vacuum sealed or just ziplocked with minimal air).

 

With Sous Vide you set the water-bath to the interior temp you desire to reach. So I do steak at 120, and have some ribs on now at 162.

 

Anyway, the sous Vide cooks the meat perfectly, and the beauty part is the food (say pre-sliced chicken kabob meat) can stay in the water-bath until ready to use without risk of overcooking.

 

So you could have chicken at the ready for use. At the moment of need, you could have someone skewer the chicken and grill briefly to brown the outside. Sous Vide does not "brown" so you'd need a moment on the grill, But the chicken is already perfectly cooked. The person on the grill could just need to put on a flash sear.

 

They have little devices that will heat a container of water (anything works for this purpose inc. plastic) that plug-in and heat and circulate the water-bath.

 

This is a brilliant way to have meat ready for a last minute sear. And OMG does Sous Vide cook meat perfectly. Very elegant and no (AS IN ZERO) chance of over-cooking the meat.

 

The best inexpensive Sous Vide machine seems to be the Anova. I'd love to have the smaller and more powerful "Joule" made by Chef Steps that's a little more expensive.

 

But to remove the headache and stress of cooking meat/chicken at a wedding either devices would be way worth it.

 

The Joule is about 200, some Anovas are under $150.

 

This is a good tip. Trust me :D

 

Bill

 

ETA: If you when this route, all the chicken pieces could be pre-cut, packed in ziplocks (as airtight as possible), and  frozen until needed. The frozen bags could go right tinto the water-bath. This would make the hardest part very easy, and people would rave about how perfectly it is cooked.

 

Oh, you KNOW I've been dying to try this method.  You may have given me a reason!  Ideally, I didn't want to cook on the wedding day, other than simple prep, assembling and heating food up.  The idea of those baggies, though...

 

Since marbel posted that chicken schwarma (sp?) recipe above, I have cooked it 3-4 times. So good! It would be easy to marinate ahead of time, then just dump into the baking pans. It takes minimal watching over--just a stir occasionally, except for a little broiling at the end. We eat it with a yogurt sauce (like in the comments) that could be made ahead, and a salad (also in comments) of chick peas, feta, olives, cilantro, olive oil, tomatoes, onions--which could also be made ahead of time. Then we serve with tortillas--the soft fat ones--as a substitute for naan. We all really enjoy this meal! (Thanks, marbel!)

 

Thanks, Jaybee.  I have actually changed to an Ottolenghi recipe that I like as well.  I am all about him lately!

 

Homemade pita bread is so much fun to make, especially watching it puff.  Try it!

[chiguirre]

Bill's idea sounds great. But if you don't do the sous vide thing, I'd avoid shwarma. It will be easier to do a curry in a chafing dish.

[lisabees]

Bill's idea sounds great. But if you don't do the sous vide thing, I'd avoid shwarma. It will be easier to do a curry in a chafing dish.

 

Thanks, although that makes me sad.  :(  I liked the idea of shawarma....