Entry 11...Spoonful Of Sugar

Off-Premise plated dinners for a couple of hundred people are usually fun affairs and brings our team closer together. It takes planning, has a certain cadence and must be expertly timed.  The Chef is like the Field Marshall, getting all of the artillery, troops and provisions into formation and off we go.

Last week we had such a field operation. Local United Nations group held a fundraiser celebrating some local stars and celebrating its 65th year.

The meal was to be simple, all vegetarian but still elegant and filling. At a discount, of course. Dozens of phone calls, a site visit, client meetings, a tasting...all the things a caterer has to create to part of the planning stages. Can you imagine doing all of this if you were going to buy a car? With a car, you get your money, you try out the car, you go through the hell of negotiations then you drive it off the lot. I guess they have their own tribulations. I mean to sell autos you have to be a car salesman, eh? Nuff said.

We rent a truck, thank you Box Solutions for always having something we can drive.The truck is being packed, some of the servers stand around pretending to work. I know the ones that are really working, believe me. Its hard to keep 8 people busy. Something might be missed or put on the truck without approval. We are doing two gigs tonight and two trucks are being loaded at the same time. Anything can happen. Maybe its that extra cheeseboard that is meant for tomorrow's gig. Anyway, it is boisterous, loud, and has a beautiful order to the chaos.
 We fill the trucks, get the waiters to stop smoking, put their ubiquitous cell phones on mute and we take off. Luckily the catering venue is very close and we get there with time to spare. Ever try to find a United Nations Blue napkin? We did. There is plenty of hub bub going down on the part of the clients when we get there. Beautiful as it is, St. Mark's still has a church basement looking much like all church basements. It takes a lot to convert it to an event space. But world flags aplenty help, balloons, nice linens and of course United Nations Blue napkins make it pop.

 

The guest count has jumped at the last minute so there  are extra tables to set, more things to get ready.

Plating up is an assembly line of activity. Portions are set, jobs are doled out and the fun begins. They have to be uniform so the Chef normally does one to show all the rest of the workers. It is known as The Golden. All 249 of the other salads should look exactly like it.

Then after the salad comes the soup and condiments for the soup.

The soup is cleared and a lovely world cheeses plate with raspberries is served.
We end with a wine poached pear sitting in a rum sauce with cream. For not being chocolate, it is still a superior item for dessert.  Lot of love went in to the pears for sure.
They are soaked overnight in a wine sugar bath then poached in the same liquid.
 They receive a slight slice on the bottom so they will stand.  A sugar rum sauce is placed on the plate along with some drips of cream then the pear is perfectly perched on the plate and then brought out.



 Now as many of you know if you have been following, I have been on the Dukan Diet out of France. No carbohydrates, save the Magic Oat Bran, have passed these lips. I have now lost 25 pounds.
But I am in a celebratory mood. I look at the hundreds of pears all lined up on the table.Even though not chocolate, so many pears look like something out of Willie Wonka's factory. The Chef looks at me looking at the pears and says "wanna?"  I don''t hesitate. "YES"   Read that as emphatic!

 She assembles the perfect spoonful of pear, rum sugar sauce and some cream as well. You couldn't put more on that spoon if you tried. Even a drop more sauce would cause it to collapse. The Chef gingerly brings the spoon closer to my mouth. I gently inhale the aroma. I open my mouth and just like the little choo choo of my baby eating games, into the tunnel goes the train. I gently close down.

Such a rush of mouth sensations. The pear, the rum, the wine, the sugar the cream. So many levels. So many lasting tastes.  I am in heaven. Just a bite. All I need. What an orgasmic treat. This is better than a handful of Pixie Sticks and a glass of Boone's Farm.

Sugar is just like riding a bike. Once you learn to eat it, you never forget how.

Now for a closing, our clients are usually pretty sophisticated and this group certainly was. but we could write a book on the funny things they ask us. One lady looked at the pear swimming in the sugar rum sauce and asked "honey, does that have any sugar in it?" For some reason, that really cracked us all up. We laughed the rest of the night and into the next day.  A week later you can still hear someone chirp "honey, does that have any sugar in it?" Ya had to have been there.