A Formal Dining Experience

Melissa Weber

You’re Invited!

Winter WonderlandChristmas Dinner

Date: December 15, 2014Time: 6:00 PM

Venue: The Country Club ResortAttire: Formal

Please RSVP by December 10th

Event Description

These outfits would be fitting to wear to a winter wonderland formal.

I would use whites, grays and silvers in my linens and dinnerwear to highlight the presentation of the foods themselves.

Each individual cover would resemble this setting except I would omit the wine glasses since wine is not in my food budget.

MenuRoasted Tomato Soup w/ Garlic French Bread

Fresh Baby Spinach Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette

Hoisin Glazed Wild Caught Salmon

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts w/ Rosemary & Garlic

Salted Carmel Poached Pear w/ Vanilla Ice Cream

Iced Tea w/ Lemon & Coffee

SOUP

SALAD

ENTREE

DESSERT

Roasted Tomato Soup Prep time 5 mins Cook time 40 mins Total time 45 mins Serves: Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients•8 to 10 tomatoes, halved•4 garlic cloves, smashed•2 small onions, quartered•2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil•salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste•⅓ cup sliced fresh basil•fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

Instructions1.Preheat oven to 400.2.Lightly grease a baking pan or baking sheet.3.In a large mixing bowl or pot, combine halved tomatoes, garlic, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper.4.Toss to coat.5.Spread tomato mixture on prepared pan.6.Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender, stirring once or twice during the process.7.Remove from oven and let cool slightly.8.Transfer roasted tomatoes to a blender and add sliced basil.9.Blend until smooth.10.Pour mixture into a soup pot and cook over medium-high heat until heated through.11.Garnish with basil leaves.12.ServeWordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Ingredients •1 tablespoon fresh orange juice •2 tablespoons hoisin sauce •2 teaspoons honey •4 salmon steaks (each 8 to 10 ounces and 1 inch thick) •Coarse salt and ground pepper Directions 1.Heat broiler. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, hoisin sauce, and honey.2.Rinse salmon steaks, and pat dry. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Place steaks on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush generously with glaze.3.Broil salmon about 4 inches from the heat source, basting once, until opaque in center, 10 to 13 minutes.

Hoisin Glazed Wild Caught Salmon Prep: 5 mins Total Time: 18 mins Servings: 4

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Rosemary and Garlic

Yield: Serves 4-5 as a sideIngredients:

•(0.80kg/1.75lb) fingerling potatoes•(0.34kg/0.75lb) brussels sprouts•3 garlic cloves, minced•2 tbsp fresh minced rosemary•1 tbsp + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil•1/2 tbsp Sucanat (optional)•3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt•Freshly ground black pepper•1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Rinse and scrub potatoes. Pat dry. Slice in half lengthwise and place into large mixing bowl.3. Cut off stem of brussels sprouts and remove loose outer leaves. Rinse and pat dry. Place in bowl.4. Add the minced garlic, minced rosemary, oil, optional Sucanat, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes into the bowl along with the potatoes and sprouts. Toss with your hands to combine and place on baking sheet.5. Roast for 35-38 minutes at 400F, stirring once half way through baking. Potatoes will be golden and brussels will be lightly charred when ready. Season with Herbamare (or salt) and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Baby Spinach & Feta Salad w/ Balsalmic Vinaigrette

Ingredients8 ounces fresh spinach1/2 cup feta or goat cheese, crumbled1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced1/2 cup Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds, optional

DRESSING:1/2 cup bottled balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing2 tablespoons orange juice1 teaspoon orange zest, optionalDirectionsWash and clean spinach. Tear into bite size pieces and place in a serving bowl. Add half of the feta or goat cheese and onion; toss to combine.

Combine dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with dried cranberries and almonds. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Slow cooker poached pears in caramel sauce

Adapted from Real Simple, this recipe makes 4-8 servings (1-2 pear halves per person).1-1/2 cups brown sugar1 Tbsp grated ginger root2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces4 firm, slightly underripe Bartlett or Bosc pears1/8 tsp ground cinnamon and sea salt, for garnishIn a 4-quart slow cooker, stir together the sugar, ginger and butter.Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler. Cut each pear in half lengthwise, and use a melon baller to remove the core. With a sharp paring knife, remove the stem and trim the bottom.Gently toss the pears with the sugar mixture in the slow cooker, and layer them cut side down.Set the cooker to HIGH, cover, and cook for 2 hours, until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife. (Open the cooker once during the cook time and gently spoon the sauce over the top pears.) Turn the cooker off, and with a slotted spoon, remove the pears to a bowl.Pour the caramel sauce into a small sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, to keep the sauce at a simmer. Shaking the pan fairly constantly, reduce the caramel sauce by one-third of its original volume (don't let the caramel get too dark, or it will have a burnt taste), 2-3 minutes.Place 1-2 pear halves per person on individual plates. Spoon a bit of sauce over the pears, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sea salt. Serve warm.

The $30 Budget/2 Guests

This shopping list includes enough ingredients to serve four people

because most all the recipes allow for at least four servings and most items have a set amount in package and not

in bulk. I added an additional 2 servings of salmon to round out what it would actually be per each guest of a

party of four.

Therefore, it will be $22.66 per two quests.

Shopping List

Roma Tomatoes 2lbs 0.99$ 1.98$

1 Garlic Glove 0.39$

Sweet Onion 2 small 0.79$

French Bread 1 loaf 1.00$

Salmon 2lbs 6.99$ 13.98$

Orange Juice Concentrate 1.50$

Hoisin Sauce 1.48$

Fingerling Potatoes 2 lbs 2.98$

Brussel Sprouts 1 lb 2.98$

Baby Spinach 8oz 1.98$

Feta Cheese 1.89$

Sm Red Onion 0.50$

Craisins 1.98$

Sliced Almonds 1.00$

Balsalmic Dressing 1.58$

1 Orange 0.33$

Brown Sugar 0.99$

Ginger Root 0.50$

Bartlett Pears 4 0.99$

Vanilla Ice Cream 3.49$

Tea 1.00$

Coffee 2.00$

45.31$

Time Management Strategy for Event Preparation

Day Before – Purchase all ingredients – 2 hoursNight Before - Table Setting 2 hoursMorning of Meal – Wash and prep all vegetables and fruit – 1 hourMorning of Meal – Roast vegetables for tomato soup, I would have the vegetables roasting while I completed my morning prep items. The soup can be completed in the morning and reheated before service, this will take 15 minutes to complete. The tea can also be made and chilled. Total time 10 minutes. Salads can be prepared in the morning and chilled - total time 30 minutes.Two hours before meal – start the crock pot with the poached pear recipe – 10 minutes to get all ingredients in the crock pot.One hour before service – get the potatoes and Brussel sprouts roasting, it will take about 45 minutes. While vegetables are cooking prepare the salmon for roasting 5 minutes and begin roasting 25 minutes before meal is to be served. Heat soup 15 minutes before meal time. Prepare French bread for heating and heat for 5 minutes right before. Brew coffee right before meal is to be served so it will be ready for dessert time - 5 minutes prep.After event - Clean up – 2 hours

Guest EVALUATION

Tool

Loved It Could Take It Or Leave It

Hated It

Originality

Creativity

Variety of Food Colors

Variety of Textures

Presentation

Flavor

Proper Temperatures

Were foods served on time?

Did you enjoy the theme and décor?

Did you enjoy the hospitality & conversation?

This concludes our virtual formal dining experience.

I hope you have enjoyed every last morsel!