You’ve been tasked to call some caterers, get quotes and figure out who you want serving that all-important meal to your wedding guests. Whether you’re going the all-inclusive route at a hotel, hosting your wedding a venue with a caterer you are required to use, or you get to choose your own caterer, this is the quick and dirty guide to getting the numbers you want.

Run through the list below and write up a quick document of the criteria you’re looking for. Give that to caterers you’re considering instead of repeating yourself 10 times. Trust me, it’s worth it. Don’t forget–after the caterer, you’ve got to call 10 florists, then 10 photographers. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda.

What the caterer wants to know:

Date, venue and guest count. These are the top three things that puts your caterer in the right mindset for your call. If your date isn’t booked, the entire call could be for naught. And who has time to waste? Neither of you.

Once you’ve established the basics above, let the caterer know what kind of service you want. Here’s a quick breakdown of what your caterer will need to know:

1. Plated Dinner. This is the crème de la crème of service. Each plate is arranged by the kitchen team and carried out by servers to each guest. Pros: All the plates are arranged by a professional and, well, it’s fancy. Cons: Food can get cold and it can be more expensive because of added servers.

2. Family Style. This is fast becoming an interesting concept to couples and restaurants everywhere. All of your menu items are served on platters and guests pass amongst themselves. Pros: Creates a fun environment for dinner and guests take what they’d like of each dish. Think of it as a buffet sitting down without the waiting. Cons: You may have to forego a lot of the clutter like centerpieces, favors, etc. to fit all the platters on the table, plus the cost of platters can get pretty high (5 dishes x 8 tables = 40 platters at $10 each = $400)

3. Buffet. There’s nothing like a good ole buffet. The buffet gets a bad rap for making people wait or being the cheaper route, but sometimes I have to admit it accommodates even the pickiest of eaters.

Kitchen Equipment: You need to know what kind of kitchen you’re offering to the catering team. We want specifics. Pictures are good too!

If you need to build a kitchen to pull this dinner off, the caterer will add that to your rental list at YOUR cost. You want to know what they’ll need so there are no surprise costs later.

Kitchen Guide:

Fridge: How much space will the caterer have? If the food can’t be kept cold, you’ll end up with a reception that ends with something less fun than dancing.

Stove: How many burners?

Oven: How many ovens? What type (convection, baking)?

Prep space: Do they need to rent tables?

The most important question you have to ask your venue: IS EVERYTHING IN YOUR KITCHEN IN WORKING CONDITION? Don’t laugh, I’ve done events with ovens that won’t turn on and fridges that give out sporadically.

Set-up and breakdown:

Be clear on who will be setting up your tables. You want to be sure the catering team has allowed enough time to set 150 places before guests arrive.

Breakdown: Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bob love you but don’t want to be involuntarily signed up for breaking down at the end of the night. Make sure to ask the caterer to budget time for breaking down the reception after everyone leaves.

What I’m telling you is that you need to know the service you’re looking for, the kitchen environment you’re providing and how long you’ll need staff before you call the caterer. The most important advice I’m going to give you: Ask about hidden fees! They need to disclose all the extra costs, not just the starting package price.

Now go create that document and make informed calls to caterers. Better service, delicious food and upfront costs await you!

Hairy Eyeballs 

Polenta Poppers
Ingredients
2 Tbsp. olive oil 3/4 cupyellow onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, Grated
1 qt chicken stock
1 cup ground cornmeal
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Parmesan, freshly grated

Directions
In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan and cook until translucent.

Add chicken stock and heat until simmering.

Gradually add cornmeal while whisking to prevent clumping.

Stir until cornmeal is soft and the liquid has been mostly absorbed.

Stir in Parmesan and butter. Season to taste.

Pour polenta into non-stick sprayed deep pans — two loaf pans, if possible. A small casserole dish works as well.

Once polenta is firm and cool, use a large melon baller to scoop out the “eyeballs.”

To get round balls, try to get the melon baller edges flush with the polenta surface then scoop. This will create a flat bottom and a round top.

Makes 20 poppers

Sauce & Assembly
Ingredients
1/2 cup marinara sauce
3 corn cobs, leaves removed but silk kept on, cut or torn into 1/2″ strands
20 polenta “eyeballs”
4 whole eggs, whisked and placed in large bowl
1 qt canola oil for frying

Directions
Heat canola oil in medium sauce pan to approximately 325 degrees.

Set up dipping station with the egg mixture first, then the corn silks in separate bowls.

One at a time, cover the polenta balls in egg, then coat in corn silk.

Gently lower polenta eyeballs into the oil and fry until the corn silk is golden brown.

Gently place polenta eyeballs on paper towels for draining.

Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Garnish with marinara sauce on top of the round for blood shot eyeball effect.

For additional Halloween recipes click here!

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A Farm-to-Fork St. Patty’s Day Feast

Chef to the stars Meg Hall creates three new takes on Irish classics.

By Meghann Foye

“The Irish food scene is re-emerging as an energized farm-to-fork scene,” shares Chef Hall, whose seasonal snack spot Made by Meg is opening soon in Redondo Beach, California. “Almost 20 percent of the land in Ireland is dedicated to agriculture, which leads to incredibly fresh food and outstanding dairy.” Her suggestions for making any dish mo
re “Irish?” “Think nutmeg, cinnamon, garlic, cloves and allspice.” Change up a favorite recipe for pulled pork or braised brisket to include those spices and you won’t need any luck to make an incredibly delicious — and cost-effective — meal.

Irish Whiskey Braised Corned Beef Sandwiches on Pretzel Rolls

One 3-pound corned beef brisket (uncooked), in brine
13 cups cold water
1 750 ml bottle of Jameson Irish Whiskey
2 bay leaves
3 tsp black peppercorns
4 allspice berries, whole
1 cinnamon stick
10 garlic cloves, peeled
3 star anise, whole
4 whole cloves
1/2 head red cabbage (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch slices
10 fingerling potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), halved lengthwise
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 pretzel rolls
4 tbsp whole-grain mustard

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the corned beef in a colander in the sink and rinse well under cold running water.

Place the corned beef in a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Add water, Jameson, star anise, peppercorns, allspice berries, garlic and cloves. Bring to a boil, uncovered, and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and transfer pan to the oven, and braise until very tender, about three hours.

Transfer the corned beef to a cutting board and cover tightly with foil to keep warm. Add the cabbage and potatoes to the cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage and potatoes to paper towels to drain. Slice the corned beef across the grain of the meat into thin slices.

Assemble sandwiches by slicing the pretzel roll in half, then spreading on some whole-grain mustard. Arrange beef slices, then cabbage onto roll and close.

Read more here!

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