Demonstration Dish Help

I have a dinner that I prepare for a financial group of 20 and they like a bit of a show with dinner but are also a mixed group with a few VERY unadventurous eaters- added limitations are I have no burner, and they don't want any raw proteins.

In the past I have held them in rapt attention as I tell the story of Cesar Cardini and how Caesar salad is not from Italy but from Mexico then I make a Caesar salad without eggs (thus removing any drama) and that is that.

Any ideas out there? Needs to be a cold dish, preferably with a good story or at least as much drama as whisking stuff in a bowl them tossing a salad. I am very bored with the Caesar Salad Show. ( we do a flambe dessert with a blow torch-- it was Cherries Jubilee, then Bananas Foster - this time it will be Baked Alaska)

Aliwaks
  • Posted by: Aliwaks
  • April 20, 2017
  • 1402 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

BerryBaby
BerryBaby April 23, 2017
A Seven Layered salad is beautiful and fun. You will need a big clear glass bowl. Start with a layer of chipped lettuce on the bottom, then start building with additional layers frozen/thawed peas, crumbled bacon, sliced black olives, a mix of chopped broccoli and cauliflower, cheedar cheese and top with a mayonnaise. I like to mix tarragon, fresh cracked pepper, a bit of lemon juice with the may, it's optional. What's fun is thete are no rules so you can make the layers whatever you'd like. Use cucumbers, onions or peppers instead of broccoli, it's whatever produce you'd enjoy. The more colorful the better!
 
BerryBaby
BerryBaby April 23, 2017
That should read CHOPPED lettuce.
 
Windischgirl
Windischgirl April 20, 2017
The first 'dish with a story' that came to mind was Paris-Brest, and I wonder if you could make a savory version for a starter. The show part could be using a piping bag to fill it, although if you could put together a video of you making the choux paste and forming the pastry, they'd share in the magic.
My second thought was to check out George Lang's "Cuisine of Hungary" as we like nothing better than to share stories, especially about food. The ultimate Hungarian food story is Rigo Jancsi, but since you already have a dessert picked out, how about Liptö cheese spread? Or a cucumber salad with vinaigrette, which is interesting because it's a staple in Sweden, Hungary, India, and Japan...how did these diverse cultures gravitate toward similar foods?
 
Nancy
Nancy April 20, 2017
Ideas which might be useful:
Dishes named after famous finance people (e.g., Rockefeller, Rothschild) and their stories
Dishes invented in or ascribed to famous hotels or restaurants, where an averted crisis becomes a new standard dish
Blended soups (if you have electrical power) and their stories...gazpacho in different colors from different regions, borscht ditto
Hot soup you "make" or finish in front of them by pouring hot broth over raw or semi-cooked ingredients in a bowl.
Oh, and for the flambe series...flan ir creme caramel
 
Nancy
Nancy April 21, 2017
Or, layered shots. Use their favorite tipples and/or color code for holidays, corporate logos etc.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune April 20, 2017
This dish https://food52.com/recipes/10695-flambeed-chicken-with-tomatoes-and-garlic doesn't have such a romantic story as the Caesar Salad, in fact, it doesn't have much of a story at all, but the flambee part adds a lot of drama and everyone always loves the dish...
 
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