Leadership Appreciation Dinner

First I must confess...I need to get better at remembering to take pictures, or at least acquire some that others took so I can show you examples of the menu's or food I post here.  I don't always do that, or have the pictures to do it!

Our church usually has an appreciation dinner for the different leaders of this and that like sunday school, children's church, small groups...things of that nature.  I cooked the main food for it the weekend of November the 13th.

It was heavy hor' dourves this time.  Estimated about 70 people. Menu as follows:

• Beef Sliders (made with NY Strip steak I found on managers special 4.99lb. Usually 7.99) w/horseradish and onion mayo.
• Chicken Satay (on skewer) w/Thai peanut sauce for dipping.
• Smoked Salmon Bouquet (slice of English cucumber with lemon-dill cream cheese mixture topped with the cold smoked/cured Salmon placed like flower design)
• Veggie Tray w/standard Ranch dressing for dipping.  
• Hummus (very easy to do) and Pita Chips.
• Artichoke Spinach dip (served hot).
• Fruit Tray w/seasonal fruit (grapes, apples/slices...had melons too, but never got around to using them).  Two dips - a caramel, and a Greek yogurt and honey mixture w/"fall flavored" spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves...).
• Chicken Salad on pumpernickel.
• Mini Muffaletta's on Focaccia bread that I made.
• Small vine ripe tomato cups w/prosciutto and lump white crab meat (basically "the good stuff").  I was going to do a tuna salad sandwich but I though it was a bit boring and sprung for the crab after saving money on the steak.
• Pulled Pork Asian Salad Bite - Ok, maybe I could have come up with a better name for this or something.  Slow cooked pork shoulder combined with a "slaw" using Asian flavors: ginger, soy, lemongrass, hoison...etcetera, served on a piece of endive leaf/"petal".

As you can probably tell, I went a little 'International' with the tastes of the food and did some twists of my own on it.  In the beginning I was a little to adventurous in thinking I had the time to do all the breads for this menu but in the end I just did the Focaccia and bought some small hogie looking rolls for the other sandwiches. But it all came out great.

We had discussed maybe a cheese platter as well, but in the end it was just to much food for placement on the space provided.  I had a wheel of Brie I was going to bake in puff pastry with a nice fruit jam topping...but we never got that far.

But I believe it was a success.  Many compliments about the food...and one of the other most important things, WE DIDN'T RUN OUT! That's like the first 'no no' you figure out in catering.  Unless of course your customers miscommunicated the proper amount of guests.  But this event was not the case.

Set-up, desserts, and drinks were not handled by me but I can tell you they were delicious!  When doing things of this nature whether getting paid, volunteering, and/or helping out, know your limitations and don't be scared to say 'no' or ask for help!