EVENT PLANNING BOOKS

The wholesomeness of a homemade quiche brings kitchen magic to the table. The crust, when homemade, is most special and fresh ingredients make the difference. Personally, I like to use a quiche pan that has been passed down in my family. The quiche pan is shallower than a regular pie pan and has fluted edges. The dough can be made a day ahead and wrapped tightly in the refrigerator before rolling it out. It is fun to explore various ingredients; but, one combination that works well is 1 cup of whipping cream and 3 eggs mixed well until smooth. Add 1 cup of shredded fresh Gruyère cheese, a dash of white pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. Top the quiche with thin slices of grilled yellow squash and zucchini for a grand fall look. Fresh spinach added to the egg mixture is delicious, too. Some prefer chopped sautéed onion and cooked bacon. Just be sure to drain and pat dry any cooked ingredients so that the quiche doesn’t have a watery appearance. A fun addition is to twist additional dough into very thin bread sticks and bake the bread sticks separately. When the quiche is baked and still hot, press the cooked (twisted) bread sticks (in a spiral spoke shape) into the mixture for a grand design. Baking fills the home with pleasant aromas and creates the best memories. Welcome your family to the table with your own quiche creation. © Kelly McBride Loft

Seasonal cuisine designs encourage a good appetite and the presentation can be simple but impacting. Golden beets create a stunning autumn salad. Simply wash and boil the beets in equal parts of water and white wine vinegar, with a quarter portion of sugar, until tender. Drain and chill. Within an hour of serving, melt one jar of marmalade in a skillet. Roll and simmer the cooked beets in the marmalade. Prepare the salad plates with layered fresh orange slices (trimming the rind off) and arugula greens.  Artfully, place the orange slices, the arugula and the lovely golden beets onto the salad plates. The beets can be served whole or sliced. Pair the beets with sliced Époisses or Langres orange (washed rind) cheese. A lovely light orange vinaigrette dressing will enhance this starter course. It’s October beautiful! © Kelly McBride Loft

Cooking with corn offers many options. Cooking with corn husks adds another dimension. Corn husks can be toss onto flaming outdoor grill coals to smoke a fish; but, another option creates a more delicate taste. To cook en papillote is to wrap a fish in parchment baking paper and bake. Place your favorite fish fillet choice onto washed corn husks and place onto the parchment baking paper. Add a dash of white wine or sherry, and a dash kosher salt. Top the fish with slice of butter and seal the fish tightly in the parchment. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350⁰F. It is magnificent. © Kelly McBride Loft

The autumn season brings a glorious harvest of apples. We love our apple pies, apple fritters, and baked apples. For a new culinary addition, try dried apple slices. It is that ”je ne sais quoi”– that extra something special to set complete a simple butterscotch parfait pudding or top off a lovely bowl of pumpkin soup. Dried apple slices make a healthy choice vs. potato chips. If you are running short on time for preparing those delicious caramel apples, the dried apple slices are the perfect option to serve with a bowl of melted caramel over ice cream. It is a way to not miss the seasonal moment and warm your table moment because of your thoughtfulness. © Kelly McBride Loft

When autumn glances our way, I can’t help but to recall those days as a child with the family gathered around a campfire making S’mores. Well, it is life in the fast lane and children have so many activities with little leisure time. Here is an easy way to create the flavors without the campfire. Form a crust from: 1 stick of butter (melted), half cup of ground Graham crackers, half cup of flour and 1 cup of minced pecans (combined well). Cut into rounds and bake on parchment paper at 350⁰F for 10 minutes. Remove and just before serving, spread on some hazelnut chocolate spread onto the rounds with a dollop of marshmallow cream from a jar. Finish this out in the microwave for just a few seconds and the family moment becomes memorable as it brings back wholesome childhood memories, too. © Kelly McBride Loft

Welcome autumn with a festive, colorful seafood grille. It seems that the big marketing push for grilling is during the summer; but, I prefer the autumn and spring because the pit is so hot and the autumn temperature provides for more socialization time outside with the Chef. On individual skewers, line up alternating scallops, tail-on shrimp, chunks of salmon and medallions of lobster. Baste the seafood with garlic butter and finish with lemon after cooking. I like to serve the line-up set at an angle on the plate, served on top of sautéed and squeezed spinach. To squeeze the cooked spinach, simply put another plate onto the one with the spinach and squeeze out the liquid. It is a simple “tool” of the trade that works every time. If you don’t like spinach, well-drained thinly sliced eggplant works, too. So as the nights cool down, crank up the hot grille. Your friends are sure to enjoy the seasonal camaraderie with great cuisine. © Kelly McBride Loft

Going to the theatre is a treat; but, it is too early for a regular dinner and too late for a regular dinner. Try my before or after symphonic treat. It is sure to please your tasteful expectations without over-indulging prior to an arts performance or just enough afterward. Prepare a fresh crepe. Set a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center and fold the crepe over multiple times, encasing the ice cream. In a sauté pan, add 3 tablespoons of butter, a dash of sugar, fresh strawberries. Flambé this with cognac. Add a dash of red wine, a small dash of Balsamic Vinegar and a twist of fresh cracked pepper. Pour the sauce over the ice cream crepe and top with a fresh mint leaf. It is lovely, simple and delicious. Bravo and enjoy the performance! © Kelly McBride Loft

Who doesn’t love a good Muffuletta sandwich? New Orleans cuisine tops the charts on all the real flavors; but, it is possible to make this at home with the right ingredients. First, decide if you prefer individual Muffulettas or one big long Muffuletta to be cut and shared. Then, select your bread. Muffuletta bread is available or can be special ordered. Make a small portion of garlic butter and reserve it on the side. In a food processer, drain and pulse green and black pitted olives. Seriously, ONLY pulse this. You don’t want mush. Remove the olives, add just a tiny touch of olive oil and set it to the side. Toast the bread or brown it in a skillet. Layer on Provolone cheese, deli-style ham, pastrami and salami. Shredded lettuce and sliced tomatoes are a must; but, always top the personal deli-selections with the olive mixture. (My personal touch is to drizzle a good balsamic vinegar onto the deli meat to add the extra pop of flavor.) Then, brush the bread bun top with the garlic butter. Oh, so yummy and it is fast, too! So, run with the back to school books and fast-track with the tasty goodies – school is back in session! Enjoy! © Kelly McBride Loft

Some food selections are naturally enhanced when paired with fruit. For example, prosciutto naturally goes well with cantaloupe – a classic. But, have you ever tried pairing chicken salad with cantaloupe? I prefer to mix the chicken salad with mango chutney instead of mayonnaise. The chutney gives the taste a big lift. Another fruit pairing that works well is that of grapes and cheese. I prefer peeled seedless grapes when entertaining. Many don’t understand how fast and easy it is to peel grapes and it is a treat when served. Dash the seedless grapes in the boiling water for about 5 seconds and then toss the grapes into ice water – the skin peels straight away. This can be done in advance for preparing the cheese course or served as an appetizer. Another pairing concept is that of honeydew melon chunks with peeled boiled shrimp. Serve with a light remoulade sauce. It was discovered years ago that turkey pairs well with cranberry and that ham tastes better with raisins or prunes. Be adventuresome, try a kiwi relish with turkey slices or ham with apple chutney. It’s all about how you pair it – those wonderful relationships that we need to keep developing. © Kelly McBride Loft

Capture the sea one last time before school programming kicks in. Make crepe thin omelets with fresh spinach, crab meat and shaved gruyere cheese. Eggs are wholesome and perfect when being served family style at the kitchen table. There is always that transitional edge when the scholastic season changes, which is why this is a great family-style meal. I use 3 eggs and 2 egg whites, per person. This is combined with a mixer. Add a touch of half and half milk to lighted with eggs further.  I also use a 12-inch non-stick skillet with ample non-stick spray. The large skillet keeps the omelet thinner. Pour and heat the egg mixture, when half cooked add the fresh spinach pieces, pre-cooked and drained crab meat and finely grated gruyere. Flip half of the omelet onto the other half and lift with two spatulas to not break the presentation. When feeding a group, I place the multiple omelets onto a heat proof glass dish allowing the multiple omelets to be heated in the microwave, for no more than 2 minutes prior to serving. This allows everyone to be served at the same time. Joyful home-style dining marks those marvelously anticipated transitions. Enjoy! © Kelly McBride Loft

Gather your friends for an end of summer party by showcasing the bounty of the sea in mini carved watermelon boats. Just hollow out the watermelon and prepare the feast. The design can be simple like a fishing boat or more elaborate like a Viking ship. (I prefer to place the ingredients in the watermelon just before guests arrive so everything presents freshness.) Sear scallops, boil & peel shrimp, and boil & crack crab claws. Wash and cut Romaine lettuce, small tomato bites, figs and ripe peaches. Steam shaved asparagus. Chill all the ingredients and fill the watermelons. Top with salad selections with a lovey lemon tarragon vinaigrette dressing and it is a crowd pleaser. © Kelly McBride Loft

A little summer elegance goes a long way – Vichyssoise. This beautiful chilled soup is so simple. Boil red “new potatoes” peeled and in halves with 4 fresh leeks, until tender. Drain. Remove the leeks. With an immersion blender, pulverize the cooked potatoes and add, dash by dash, half and half cream until the desired soup consistency is reached. Season with kosher salt and white pepper, to taste. It is very important to not over or under-season the soup. Chill the soup thoroughly. Prepare washed French chives but cutting the chives into small diagonal cut pieces. Serve very cold and topped with the French chives. Voila! Fit for royalty with minimal expense. © Kelly McBride Loft

Nothing bonds a family faster than water time – but when there is water recreation, there are hungry relatives! Chilled sandwiches are the answer, with the crust cut off. Why? Because everyone feels special when the chef du cuisine has taken the time to trim the crust. Also, wet fingers aren’t soaking the bread, when there are small sandwiches. The variety and color spectrum make a difference. Use various sliced breads such as pumpernickel, rye, egg bread, seeded bread, etc. Create fillings that are colorful such as chives mixed with cream cheese, pimentos blended into cream cheese, smoked salmon dusted with dill, crab meat mixed with poppy seed dressing, baked ham paired with goat cheese mixed with a touch of molasses, etc. Think beyond the usual and be a leader. Don’t forget to offer simple vegetable sandwiches, too, utilizing cucumbers and tomatoes. Now, for the presentation: If many children are attending, I like to make the classic caterpillar line-up curved shape. Try the Argonauta spiral shell shape, to set the theme. As the relatives create the waves, you can make a splash with your creativity! © Kelly McBride Loft

There is a saying in Louisiana that if you love someone, you peel their shrimp. Shrimp can be prepared in vastly versatile and different ways. Peeled shrimp dishes are extra special because the sauces that enhance the shrimp are most memorable. Curry, Thai-style, coconut, mango and fig sauces are part of the Nuevo-cuisine; although, some insist on the classic remoulade or red sauces. One of my favorites is paired with green tomato soup. The peeled garlic basted shrimp is grilled on a skewer and then set across the top of the bowl of green tomato soup. It’s a beautiful presentation. Another one of my favorites is to cut cantaloupe into crescent shaped slices and top each slice with peeled, boiled shrimp. Then, top those shrimp with a light, linear drizzle of green goddess vinaigrette. It is delightful! I call it my “Crescent Moon on the Beach!” © Kelly McBride Loft

Fruit is colorful, flavorful and oh, there’s that H word…healthy. When fruit is emulsified in a juicer or food processer, it also makes the most divine chilled soup. There is an array of spectacular choices: apricot, peach, mixed berries, cantaloupe, kiwi, etc. Be sure to chill the soup overnight. Personally, an hour prior to serving I like to put the soup du jour in the freezer, during the summer to make it really cold. For your designer dinner or flavorful picnic, fruit soups are the culinary answer to first course. Have fun with the color palette while treating your palate to summer’s best harvest treats! © Kelly McBride Loft