With the party season on at full swing, the kitchen is busy rolling out delicious appetizers. And unlike the dinner menu, where changes bring with itself a whole new look at logistics, planning for hors d’oeuvres is more like ‘Chopped’ in real life! Line cooks scour the walk-in cooler for ingredients and come up with ideas for apps very much along the lines of what happens in the reality show on TV. It’s a no idea-barred passionate kitchen meeting soon after, where ideas are analyzed for flavors and setup time. If the caper-raisin puree-scallop tartine sounds too long-drawn for comfort it’s kept aside for another day but if we have a winner like the mini Butternut squash pancakes with brie and glazed pecans, the recipe gets the nod from Chef Bruce. He is usually the man keeping score and rejecting ideas mercilessly if they don’t match up to his bar.
Sometimes parties just opt for the famous F&P Charcuterie Platter instead of hors d’oeuvres and its then that Chef Bruce gets out his hunk of a John Boos butcher block, reserved for the platter, and designs the cold cut array on it with his trademark style. “What I love about the party-season is that everyone is in a good mood! The feedback; hearing about how much everyone enjoyed themselves is the icing on the Christmas cookie!’’, says Betsy, who probably holds the record for organizing the maximum number of parties in Central Jersey!
To be entirely honest, I have not read your blog in a few months because I felt like it had gotten a little boring, but the last few posts have been wonderful so I reckon I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist.