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Cooking for a Crowd (Recipes Included)

March 8, 2010 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

Photo of me and a parent helper taken at the event, which went great.

Today, I’m cooking for my first big(ish) crowd, my daughter’s aftercare program. They started a new tradition this year of having dinners every couple months for the families of the children. What I thought was going to be 20 or so folks when I agreed turned out to be more like 60+, which is cool. I love a challenge.

The menu:

  • Leek and potato soup, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day
  • Spring mix salad with choice of ranch or homemade orange vinaigrette dressing (see below)
  • Spaghetti with meat sauce (loosely based on marinara recipe posted here earlier, just the tomato products, herbs and garlic)
  • Italian bread with parsley garlic butter (It hurt me to not bake the bread, but we gotta draw the line somewhere. I made the garlic butter, though.)
  • Cupcakes with homemade chocolate buttercream (see below)
  • Tea (sugar syrup on service table)

The challenges for  this event included figuring quantities and portions (already using that culinary math they taught a couple weeks ago in school), figuring out where to buy stuff (some from Sam’s Club, some from the grocery store, and some from Ben E. Keith), and remaining mindful that about half of the audience is children, who will usually eat less and often not the same stuff as the adults.

I must say that I felt pretty cool buying from Ben E. Keith, our local large-quantity foodservice supplier. They are letting me start small on some things, since I’ll probably be a customer from now on, either for catering events, doing classes or whatever I decide to do when I grow up. My daughter and I went to their customer service dock on Saturday to pick up a big box of leeks, two boxes of salad, the dairy products (cheaper there than elsewhere) and some other random things.

Saturday, the director of the aftercare program helped me make the sauce and the base for the soup (everything but the dairy products), and put it all in the fridge. I also cooked all the spaghetti to al dente, rinsed with cool water in a colander and tossed with olive oil, zip-bagged it and put it in the fridge. Not the optimal way to treat pasta, but great for cooking for a crowd — we’ll just hit it with hot water tonight to revive it for service. (My Food Production I instructor told me that trick. Thanks, Chef!)

Today, I’ll brown meat for the sauce (forgot that part Saturday), bake off the cupcakes, make the buttercream, warm the bread, make the vinaigrette (also from my Food Production I instructor), make the sugar syrup (it blends better than anything granulated), and generally freak out. But I’m sure it will be fine.

While planning the last details, we remembered that it’s Lent. So we’ll hold out some of the sauce to be without meat for anyone abstaining. The soup will also be a good option. (I would have had a lentil and mushroom dish available if we had any true vegetarians coming, which we don’t.)

So. All this to say, this is my first big crowd, and I’m a little nervous. But it’s for kids and their parents, so it’s a low-risk proposition. It all boils down to a great practice opportunity for me, as well as a good time for a great bunch of folks.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Please comment below and let me know if you’ve ever cooked for a crowd of, over, let’s say 30. How did you figure out portions and ingredients? How did things turn out? Where did you get your product? Any war stories, tips or suggestions? I look forward to your input.

Orange Vinaigrette Dressing

  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 T. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl. Or, place ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, cover and shake until combined.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 1/4 lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 lb. (1/2 cup) shortening
    Note: May use 2 sticks butter and eliminate shortening. Frosting will have a better mouth feel but will be less stable.
  • 1 lb. powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 tsp. cocoa powder
  • 2 T. cool water

Cream butter and shortening (if using) together in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Add sugar in several installments, scraping down the bowl occasionally. In a cup, mix cocoa and water together; add to fat/sugar mixture along with vanilla. Beat until smooth and lightened.

Simple Sugar Syrup

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (may substitute all or half with turbinado sugar for a more natural, deeper-flavored product)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 small sprig of any type of mint, optional

Simmer all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When all sugar is dissolved, cool for a few minutes off the heat, then pour through a sieve (if mint was used) into a squeeze bottle or other container. Perfect for use in cold drinks.

Filed Under: learning, Uncategorized Tagged With: buttercream, catering, cooking for a crowd, dressing, frosting, leeks, potato, recipes, soup, spaghetti

A Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Baking Adventure

December 21, 2009 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

The second, more "experimental" batch of GFCF muffins, with coconut, nuts and brown sugar.

Earlier I wrote about making some Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Muffins for my DS’s teacher. They turned out pretty decent! Here’s the whole story, for anyone who cares, along with the “recipe,” if you can call it that.

At Kroger, I picked up some flours that I knew were acceptable, but I wasn’t ready to invest in all the supplemental ingredients (Xanthan gum, for example) necessary to make a good consistency. So I trucked on over to the health food store in search of a mix of some sort. I usually don’t believe in mixes, but in this case, I was willing to concede, if only for the sake of completing my mission. And sure enough, I found this, a GFCF Vanilla Cake Mix by Namaste Foods.

The first batch, just cake mix with chocolate chips added.

I wanted to add chocolate and found the dairy-free chocolate chips by Enjoy Life, which are also GFCF acceptable. So, I put the mix in the bowl of my stand mixer, and I found it to be awfully lumpy. The health food shop keeper said this often happens, just because of the nature of the products used. I sifted the mix through a wire sieve, pressed out all the lumps, and dumped in the rice grain part that was too big to go through. After adding the wet ingredients (egg, oil and water), I mixed in the chips, along with some nutmeg and cinnamon. (My recipient doesn’t have any allergies, but you should check before doing any add-ins.)

One dozen of these in the oven, and I’m getting my typical itch to experiment. Thing is, that itch can be dangerous when it comes to special diets. Luckily, my teacher friend doesn’t have any allergies, so I decided just a few “experimental” muffins wouldn’t hurt. I wrote out every ingredient, just in case. The next batch, I stirred in some coconut and walnut pieces.

A second-batch muffin, cut open. The goodies are much better suspended in these.

These had a wonderful texture, and the coconut seemed to help suspend the chips, which partially sunk to the bottom of the earlier batch. I’m guessing one cup of coconut (to the remaining half-batch of cake mix) and 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts. I sprinkled brown sugar on the tops, but this didn’t turn out like I planned, as the batter rose over the sugar. It did leave kind of a neat brown swirl in the top, though.

One problem…since I didn’t plan for experimentation while at the store, I only had “regular” coconut and nuts…with additives. BHT and some other preservative junk. I wrote it all out for my friend, and I told her she could feed those to her hubby if necessary. 😉 Lesson for you: Ask first, then shop accordingly. If it’s for a surprise goody, then get all pure products.

She sent me a note later and said she was really happy about her surprise, and that she and the girls enjoyed them. (I am assuming this means the additives were OK, or at least OK enough for someone-else-made-it status.) Give it a try yourself, if you know someone with gluten issues…or even if you don’t! They’re darn tasty, and I’m eating an “extry” as I write this tonight.
Gluten Free Recipes on Foodista

Filed Under: Desserts, Uncategorized Tagged With: baking, casein-free, Christmas, GFCF, Gluten-free, holiday, muffins

Eating at the Argenta Fall Foodie Festival

October 17, 2009 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

For lunch, I had the beefalo chili from Maddie’s Place and greens from Walker’s. This is the chili we’ve been smelling all morning, and it was fabulous! The meat was tender and flavorful, and the beans still had substance to them. Not too spicy, but plenty of flavor.

I was told the greens at Walker’s started cooking yesterday, with ham hocks. You can definitely taste the extra time and attention put into them. I love greens, but the hubs doesn’t, so I have to get them when I go out. Now I’m spoiled!

I had to wait a while for dessert after eating so much! I decided on the Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Pudding from Simply the Best Catering. I was afraid it would be heavy, but it was very light and satisfying after eating so much. The toffee sauce was not cloyingly sweet, but just enough to balance the pumpkin flavor.

See my Twitter updates on the right hand side of the page for photos of what I had. (Don’t have all the software updates on my new laptop to transfer them easily…)

And if you’re not here yet, get here quick! You have an hour and a half!

More photos:

North Little Rock History Commission folks.
Art Genie Studio & Gallery.
Super cute (fancy pants!) apron at Art Genie Studio & Gallery booth.

Bella Vita Handmade Jewelry
Darril “Harp” Edwards, steel drum soloist, performing at the Foodie Fest.
Donnie Ferneau visiting with a customer.

Ashley’s Restaurant guys being silly.
Ribs smokin’ at Simply the Best.

Bratwurst by Foodshed Farm and Argenta Market.
T-shirts for sale by the Argenta Development folks.
Musician on the Farmer’s Market side of the block.

Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Pudding from Simply the Best. YUM!!!!!

Filed Under: Foodie News, Uncategorized

Argenta Fall Foodie Fest — Full Menu List

October 17, 2009 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

We’ve walked up and down the booths here at the festival so you’ll know just what you need to eat when you get here. Of course, you’ll want more when you see and smell it. Trust me.

The full list:

Foodshed Farm/Argenta Market:
Beefalo Bratwurst
Catfish Poboy
Arkansas Apple Cider

Simply the Best Catering:
Country Style Arkansas Pork Ribs
Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Pudding
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Ashley’s Restaurant:
Chicken and Andouille Gumbo
Garlic Braised Greens (Kale)
Sweet Potato Tart

Delicious Dinners (Lindsay’s):
Apple and Peach Fried Pies
“Slap” Sandwiches in Beef or Pork
Lindsay’s Family Sauce

Starving Artist Cafe:
Vegetable Frittata
Pumpkin Carrot and Lavender Soup
Focaccia Bread

Best Impressions:
Pork and Sharp Cheddar Quiche

Maddie’s Place Restaurant:
Beefalo Chili
Beefalo Chili Frito Pie

Walker’s Restaurant:
Spaghetti
Greens
Sweet Potatoes

Ristorante Capeo:
Tomato and Gorganzola Soup
Fried Green Tomatoes
Butternut Squash Soup

Ferneau Restaurant and Lounge:
Winter Squash Soup w/Bacon Jalapeño Créme Fraîche
Wild Boiled Shrimp
Cinnamon Bread Pudding w/Pumpkin Caramel Cream
Ferneau Seasoning also for sale

Hungry yet? You have until 2 p.m. to get here. See you then!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Morning Setup at Argenta Fall Foodie Fest

October 17, 2009 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

It smells ridiculously good here right now. I could eat, like, everything. Already. And it’s barely time for breakfast!

Fancy Pants Foodie set up shop here just an hour ago, and we’ve been cruising the booths and visiting with the chefs to see what’s cooking.

Chef Donnie Ferneau of the namesake restaurant was kind enough to let me taste a couple things. They are working on a Winter Squash Soup with a Bacon Jalapeño Créme Fraîche. (I told him how amused I was to type that yesterday, having three words in a row with some sort of accent mark.)

Can I tell you how ridiculously good that créme fraîche was? And the soup was buttery and smooth, with a warmth that resembles the fall harvest from which it came. It will definitely be on my to-eat list today.

Here are some photos to whet your foodie appetite. Please come see us today! Our booth is in the center area of the block, between the t-shirt/ticket sales and the drinks, and in front of Ashley’s Restaurant’s booth.

Pork and Sharp Cheddar Quiche from Best Impressions.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

A Puppy to Love!

August 28, 2009 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

Recipe Puppy

Just a quick post today to pass along a link my college buddy Stan sent me.

At Recipe Puppy, you can search the entire web for recipes based on ingredients. This is something I hadn’t seen before, and it’s wonderful!

For example, I had no idea what to make for dinner tonight. I still have some yellow squash and bell peppers from the farmer’s market (thx Hefty Fresh Extend), and there are some chicken breasts in the freezer. Put all that in the search box, and voilå, I’ve got options.

I think I’m going with the Baked Chicken Breasts in Salsa from Cooks.com. But wait, that sounds familiar…my fellow foodie girlfriend Sunshine over at Make Life Delicious has a similar Salsa Chicken, sans the veggies. May have to combine.

We’ll see what dinner becomes, I just thought this link was share-worthy.

Coming soon: Morgan’s Ratatouille and Pan-Roasted Patty Pan Squash w/Sage Cream Sauce.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ingredients, recipes, search, websites

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