Calling ATOT chefs - updated with pics - party held.

[norseamd]

can you make some gourmet steak filet or anything. that would more or less jsut be putting some nice steak and seasoning it and the cook it in a skillet

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Hire a professional. If they are that "upscale" that they cant appreciate simpler food done right then you don't want this. You never try something new and unfamiliar for company you feel needs to be impressed by difficult professional level cuisine. You aren't having a dinner party, you are prepping a disaster.

Edit.

Progressive dinner. Jeebus. Forget the pros and the Wellington.

How is this working? You have just the entree?

 

[brainhulk]

I would try to jazz up some fast food and pass it off as fancy. Pls take video

 

[LevelSea]

pate en croute

 

[Chocu1a]

Smoked Pork tenderloin, Sour cherry Compote, Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, & Smashed Potatoes. Very simple & inexpensive but amazing flavors.
For the Cherry Compote, just use this. Can be purchased at Walmart.

 

[bradly1101]

My mom used to make incredible Beef Burgundy on the stove, but there are crock-pot versions.

http://diningwithdebbie.net/2009/08/31/crockpot-beef-burgundy-my-tribute-to-julia-child/

 

[jaedaliu]

Yeah that was my thought as well. I have a truly excellent chicken parm recipe, but I think it would be too heavy. I might end up doing that anyway, because I can plate the food to make it look extremely fancy and I know that it will taste good.

This is a really good point.

Good food tastes good.

Fancy food is good food that looks pretty.

If you're a good cook (I believe you when you say you are,) the challenge is more of planning a meal around the aesthetics of your plate without reducing the quality / concept of the food. As such, the suggestion I gave earlier of a slab of meat with 2 sides fits in the old steak-house way, but probably isn't the modern meal that 1%ers really look forward to.

There's nothing wrong with the neighborhood IP attorney dishing out steak and potatoes, but a fancier approach would be to do the same thing with smaller pieces of meat on a bed of (mashed potatoes/polenta/potato pave) with a whple mini whole roasted veggies on top with a circle of colorful sauce (maybe a chimichurri, or a red pepper gastrique or something) around it. The difficulty here is making the plates all look the same, and making sure every component fits with the rest.

Prime rib won't work well with that due to its size, but strip, hanger, or loin could work. Hanger's my new favorite cut of meat. My only problem is that I can't get it at the neighborhood grocery store. So go the extra mile and get it from the farmer (who sometimes doesn't have it because the slaughterhouse he uses sometimes just grinds it up with the rest of the leftovers, sometimes, the slaughterhouse separates then vacuum pack/freezes it.)

 

[norseamd]

yah but hey are not going to like something with a heavy taste. calories contribute but there is more than that to it. not sure what gives a food some heavy taste

 

[Markbnj]

So you will probably appreciate it when I say that a good burger is a bun with a slab of 80/20 on it, seasoned with nothing but salt and pepper.

Well, I am probably more of a cheese, onions, jalepenos, and sharp mustard guy, but I am with you on the 80/20, brother. People who buy super lean ground beef are heretics. Just have a fiber cracker and go to bed.

 

[norseamd]

People who buy super lean ground beef are heretics. Just have a fiber cracker and go to bed.

lean and well done

but with the 80 to 20 or any cheap beef you often get stuff that should not be in there

 

[jaedaliu]

lean and well done

but with the 80 to 20 or any cheap beef you often get stuff that should not be in there

I think you're misunderstanding. 80:20 is just the ratio of lean meat to fat. It has nothing to do with being cheap or expensive.

I ask the butcher to grind mine because I don't have a grinder at home.

 

[norseamd]

I think you're misunderstanding. 80:20 is just the ratio of lean meat to fat. It has nothing to do with being cheap or expensive. I ask the butcher to grind mine because I don't have a grinder at home.

yeah it is

but in the supermarket the cheaper meat is often the meat with more fat

 

[TerryMathews]

I would say considering your cooking background, your best path to success would be some sort of fusion dish. Substitute a meat you do well like BBQ ribs or pulled pork into a fancy dish.

My first thought until I read no seafood was pulled pork sushi. Which granted is probably more of an app but gives you an idea where my head is at.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Hire a professional.

Sorry, but that is not an option.

How is this working? You have just the entree?

Simple. There are 30 couples involved (60 people). Evening starts with drinks and apps., which are hosted by 5 homes this year (each home hosts 12 people). After an hour or so, the groups further split up and go to other homes for soup and salad. An hour later, the groups reshuffle again and people go to different homes for dinner. After dinner, everyone goes to one house for a big dessert party.

We are hosting dinner for 8 this year. So yes, we have only the entre.

 

[jaedaliu]

Sorry, but that is not an option.



Simple. There are 30 couples involved 60 people). Evening starts with drinks and apps., which are hosted by 5 homes this year (each home hosts 12 people). After an hour or so, the groups further split up and go to other homes for soup and salad. An hour later, the groups reshuffle again and people go to different homes for dinner. After dinner, everyone goes to one house for a big dessert party.

We are hosting dinner for 8 this year. So yes, we have only the entre.

Is this what rich white people do? Some day I'd like to do this; though, I'll never be white.

Don't forget to post a picture of the food you make.

 

[Fritzo]

My advice is to make single things that feed many instead of individual servings to feed each person.

Do they like Italian? That's my go-to area for large groups, and Italian food can look great on the cheap. You can make a variety of different things and let the people pick and choose what they'd like on a tasteful buffet.

Home made meatballs, Italian sausage, a few different sauces, focaccia, fettuccini alfredo mixed with spring vegetables, farfalle pasta with red and yellow peppers, ravioli oil/leaf salad with feta cheese and black olives.

Decorate the table with large table grapes, salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, and vines. Put out some port table wine in wicker bottles.

Get some canollis, tiramisu, and biscotti with some dark coffee for dessert.

Should look great!

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Is this what rich white people do? Some day I'd like to do this; though, I'll never be white.

Don't forget to post a picture of the food you make.

Apparently. I grew up poor and we sure as hell didn't do this. We had potluck dinners and were lucky if anyone brought a main dish.

I'll post pics of the food.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Order a pizza. Just to see people's reaction. "the food is not quite ready yet, oh nevermind, the pizza guy is pulling in!"

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Sorry, but that is not an option.



Simple. There are 30 couples involved (60 people). Evening starts with drinks and apps., which are hosted by 5 homes this year (each home hosts 12 people). After an hour or so, the groups further split up and go to other homes for soup and salad. An hour later, the groups reshuffle again and people go to different homes for dinner. After dinner, everyone goes to one house for a big dessert party.

We are hosting dinner for 8 this year. So yes, we have only the entre.

Once I saw "progressive" that's when I did the edit.

OK, upscale.

There's a couple ways you could go about this but it all comes down to time and resource management. I am going to feed a group this weekend at someone elses home and what I'm doing is Philly roast pork sandwiches. I've not done them before but the principles are simple stupid. As I only have today to prep I'll take a pork shoulder and butterfly it, put in some minced garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and this and that, then roll it up and tie it. After resting a couple hours it gets seared on the outside for more flavor then into the oven for several hours. I don't want pulled pork so I'll pull out when it's 145F internally. This is more a braise, where there will be a few inches of liquid in the pan with aromatics. The roast will produce juices and those will be strained and kept for a jus. After the roast cools I'll bag it and then into the fridge.

Once I arrive (and we'll be eating soon after that I think) I'll take the roast and slice it thinly. That goes into very warm (not boiling hot) jus then onto a good roll with sliced hard provolone. Philly pork usually has broccoli rabe, but this crowd wouldn't be into that. Upscale? No, but I guarantee not one of them has had something done like this. Novelty and taste makes up for a lack of formal elegance as I'm sure you understand. Since it's "do ahead" that allows more flexibility and keeps one sane.

If that sort of approach doesn't work, then you still need to manage things so you aren't tied to the kitchen too much. That's where I pimp sous vide yet again. You could do filets with crab, asparagus and bearnaise sauce (omit the crab for yourself) and some side and a good salad with home made croutons.

When guests arrive you can have it all ready to assemble, put the perfectly cooked fillets on the grill to finish and in 15 minutes have everyone's food hot on plates at the same time, and again without going insane.

 

[xochi]

This recipe is an option and it worked well for our last neighborhood progressive dinner.

Its very easy to make and the cranberries brings a unique flavor to the meat. Add some good veggies, bread and wine and it will be a hit. There are many other varieties of this recipe, Martha Stewart has one but I haven't tried that one yet.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cranberry-brisket/

 

[WelshBloke]

Are you still looking for a side dish?

Potato boulangere is pretty awesome. Its got more flavour than dauphinoise and would probable go better with beef wellington. You can fancy it up a bit by using round cutters to serve it.

Potato Lyonnaise is good as well but its faffier and doesnt look as good on the plate.

 

[Mixolydian]

Suddenly I am grateful that the majority of my neighbors are cold & uncaring. Thanks for the new perspective OP! :awe:

This!

 

[Howard]

Why not buy a sous vide thing if this is so important? Opens up a bunch of new possibilities.

Also, do you have a decent blender?

 

[Anubis]

Holy . . . . that looks awesome. Just looked up Tyler Florence's recipe and I think it is something I could definitely do. Serve with some garlic mash and fresh green beans . . . Fu . . . . I'm drooling now.

its really easy TBH, i do it every year for the holidays

my advice is to not try and do 1 large one as it never cooks evennly enough IMO

go with individual ones, use a large filet per

 

[HomerJS]

Get em drunk first. Everything tastes better.