Weddings
My goodness, wedding season is upon us! Am getting requests for quotes flying in left, right and centre. I’m having to force myself to be terribly strict and sensible and keep a well planned diary to hand at all times when I’m doing administration, so that I ensure the weddings I say yes to are not so close together that I and all my staff will be completely wedding-ed out (believe that is actually a medical condition, and can be experienced by all involved in anything to do with weddings, be they those planning it, those providing services, or those guests who have to attend so many over the summer months they have to re-mortgage their house to pay for all the costs involved). Saying that, it is terribly difficult not to want to be involved in every wedding that is going because it is rather fun – unless you find yourself lumbered with Bridezilla, in which case you just grit your teeth, smile calmly and keep all sharp knives firmly out of sight/reach.
When I’m catering a wedding I like to make sure the couple have everything that they want just so – although I tend to suggest they have a look at our set menus, if there’s something they really want, or an ingredient they wish to include/change then I’m happy to follow their instructions. After all, this is the biggest day of their lives and they’ll (hopefully) only be doing it once. I tend to hold tasting sessions to help the couple (and anyone from the wedding party who wishes to attend) make their final decisions about what they want. I think it’s a good way to reassure them as well that the food will not only taste fabulous but also look great too. One couple I did a tasting session for absolutely loved my tropical fruit salad, super-simple (i.e. chop up a variety of different tropical fruits and arrange prettily in a bowl), but is dressed with a gorgeous sauce that makes all the difference. What I do is make a quick sugar syrup (sugar in water in a pan over a low heat until all the sugar is dissolved) to which I add fresh orange juice, any juice that oozed out of the fruit when I was chopping it, a generous slug of Cointreau and then scoop 1-2 passion fruits into it. A quick stir to combine and then chill prior to serving. Absolutely yummy, takes no time at all and always impresses!
As important as tasting the food is for us to visit the chosen venue. It’s always so useful to have a good look around where the whole thing is going to happen and try to identify any problems there may be in advance. It also ensures that we know exactly what equipment we need to bring with us. There have been some fabulous places where we need bring only our knives and the food, and others where we have to bring everything including ovens.
None of my friends are getting married this summer – can’t decide whether that’s terribly selfish of them or a huge relief. On the one hand, I won’t have a big occasion to dress up for and wear a big hat, and on the other hand, I won’t have to worry about buying a new outfit and a big hat I shall only wear once, and which will irritate me all day, only to cap things off by leaving me with the dreaded hat hair. No, I shall be wearing white to the only weddings I shall be attending this year – chef’s whites.
Got to go,
Farewell for now,
Penni Black x
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