What’s your trick of keeping the pasta al dente and not soft like at canteen?
Scallops with citrus sauce and mango are always a hit in all the party I prepared, even frozen scallops when budget imposed. The problem was some people ate more they should. Chicken, pork, beef are meat that are fine with most people. People like roasted duck here. For 24+ people, dishes like paella is a crowd pleaser. I have a panna cotta recipe with orange coffee sauce, very successful in many parties and easy to prepare.
I have an excellent suckling pig recipe if you are interested, restaurant signature dish, with creamy sauce with various spices and cabbage, the best part, it is easy to make.
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When I make the pasta, I scoop it out of the water instead of dumping the water. That way I could make the pasta in two batches, putting the second batch into the hot water as I was serving the first batch.
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re pasta, mine were both baked. So slightly underdone before saucing, then baked until bubbly and crusted. I always combine both Parmesan AND crumbs for baked pasta dishes.
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We’d love to read your suckling pig recipe and procedure. Consider that many of these whole animal recipes can be condensed for large but smaller cuts.
Here it goes, recipe by Delacourcelle brothers. I made it back in April with pork belly, more here.
The recipe in French (with video at the bottom of the page).
https://www.levitis.fr/cuisine-carte/cochon-de-lait/
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You could do baked quesadillas for the kids and tacos bar thing for adults- the basic flour tortilla and cheese quesadilla is generally a sure thing for kids.
A few years ago for christmas i did a “theme” of retro family recipes, i made an appetizer from one grandma, dessert from the other grandma, my dad did the omni protein which was another family favorite.
Are there any family favorites that would scale up well for a crowd? Could be fun to serve something that has a backstory to it.
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Any constraints aside from kids involved? Picky palates or allergies?
This is absolutely lovely! My mother made fabulous baking powder biscuits but didn’t pass on the gene. Her other cooking was competent but basic. Her mantra re pleasing grandkids was “it’s just as easy to open (homecanned) peaches as apricots, to make green Jello as red” and that’s about as far as it went.
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None. Adults are easy, not demanding nor requiring that i knock myself out. They just want to come…
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CREAMY VANILLA WITH ORANGE COULIS
François BENOT
Ingredients for 4 persons
- 1 vanilla pod
- 250 g of liquid cream
- The juice of 4 oranges
- 8 coffee beans
- 40 g caster sugar
- 2 sheets of gelatin 2g
Preparation
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Soak 2 sheets of gelatin in cold water.
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Split 1 vanilla pod in 2 lengthwise, using a knife, gently scrape the inside for small seeds.
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Stir 250 g of liquid cream at 40 °C in a saucepan. Then add 40 g caster sugar, mix with a whisk, then the small seeds and the vanilla pod. Squeeze the gelatin sheets and drain them well, add them to the cream, then pass this preparation through a colander.
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Garnish 8 small pots or coffee cups with this creamy vanilla, cover them with a cling film, and store at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. It is possible to prepare them the day before.
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Simmer the juice of 4 oranges in a saucepan, add 8 beans of coffee, and let reduce 30 minutes over low heat to obtain a syrupy juice. Then let the orange coulis cool to room temperature.
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Before serving these creamy vanilla, gently pour in each small pot a small tablespoon of orange sauce, to complete the presentation, pour the coulis in the center of the pots taking care to stop before it spread on the edges. Then add 1 small bean of coffee in the center of each pot.
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Serve 2 creamy vanilla with orange coulis per person.
I usually serve big meal, so a light refreshing but tangy dessert to end is always appreciated. The recipe mentioned 2 tiny expresso cups for each person, I usually use small dessert glasses and 4 of them, 1 per person.
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I’d repeat last year’s menu, it sounds terrific! And you know it was both appreciated and doable. Leave out the green pasta since that didn’t fly. Love the idea of guests bringing the desserts.
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Think it might be nice to bake a large fresh beef brisket. Low and slow will make it fork tender. Perhaps a pan of lasagne, with a nice big salad and garlic bread. In place of the brisket, you could marinate a couple flank steaks, which are always good to feed a crowd. Oh and macaroni & cheese as mentioned above is always popular. Good luck whatever you decide on!
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All of this works. I usually supply a couple of NYT 18hour bread and big slab of butter. Calms the savage beasts of all ages!
Love the brisket idea. Have never done one but this method works so well on many tough cuts.
Am getting inspired.
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Mini hamburger and hot dog bar for the kidlings, with topping, but keep it simple, with homemade or chef adjusted canned baked beans and oven roasted fries.
Big cold green salad with lot of “picados” olives, roasted peppers, bruschetta, cheese, salami, sliced cold beef, cherry tomato, grilled asparagus, canned beats, artichokes, toothpicks , crusty bread.
Try and ethnic approach to change it up but do not completely abandon last years success as suggested up stream: ie pork shoulder / taco / bar.
Then again add in some chicken or eggplant parm. Keep the poached side of salmon, or do shrimp laden pasta.
Keep it familiar.
Have a mini family cocktail party to start. Do Shirley Temple cocktails for the kids, Martini bar for the big kids!
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I like to keep it simple for parties like this and make 99.999% ahead. Big batches of pulled pork in the slow cooker with buns and sides of creamy coleslaw are always hits. You can go full southern on it too. Mac and cheese are always crowd pleasers. Baked beans (either canned or homemade if you are feeling bold). Ok fine. I’ll come! haha!!!
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I am thinking crowd pleasers.
How about grilled blackened chicken breast and Cajun-spiced and grilled/smoked side of salmon, served up with baked cavatappi Alfredo, brown-butter haricots, and a big green salad with Caesar dressing? Brownie sundaes with hot fudge and peanuts for dessert.
ETA: you could do something fun like gougeres for an easy but impressive nibble with drinks. Maybe French 75s?
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I’LL come to THAT party! But it’s a lot more effort than I’m putting into this one. 
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