Cater: No Limits

I got to do a catering job that didn't restrict me financially - for the first time ever! How fun! This past weekend I catered a local doctor's office staff party. While there were some financial restrictions, they were hardly restrictive, so it allowed me to play a bit. The doc also specifically requested more playful food for himself and his wife, while also accounting for his more culinarily conservative staff.

I created, essentially three menus for them, with some shared items. Everyone had organic green salad, sourdough rolls, roasted potato wedges and green beans with toasted piñon and lemon. Then I added tri-olive tapenade set in olive oil crisp cups seasoned with anise, topped with candied kumquat:


Goat carnitas with avocado in fillo cones:


A sous vide cooked tenderloin, simply salt-n-pepper pan finished:


Sous vide tenderloin that was seasoned with molè dulce prior to sealing in the bag, and then pan finished with the same molè. While not pretty in the pic, this was amazingly good. I served it with a savory granola, hazelnut pudding with szechuan peppercorns and chocolate soil. What a combo!

I'd like to try this again encasing the tenderloin in the granola then pan finishing it. I think that would be nice.

Finally, three desserts. A traditional French Bouche Noel (I'll post on this later), a flourless chocolate orange cake, and this Tres Leches Egg Nog Cake which I spiked with brandy: