Looking for a cool summer party menu? Good Food -Tampa Caterer Has One

If you need to throw a party and it's hot outside, think cool. This summer we created some new cool catering dishes and party ideas, perfect for the scorching Tampa summer weather.

Check out:

Seared Ahi Tuna Mini Tacos

Watermelon Gazpacho Shooters

Poached Shrimp with Citrus VinaigretteOrange Poppy Salad

And don't forget that when the weather cools off for your Tampa wedding, holiday party or event and you need a caterer, check out Good Food Caterng Company for top notch food!

Something Different for the Grill - Vegetables!

Based on the barrage of television ads and cooking shows, Summer seems to be grilling season. In the North, at least. In Florida, the heat approaches triple digits and the humidity does its best to catch up, so down in the South we tend to spend as much of the summer avoiding more heat by firing up the grill. There are, however some poolside cookouts where the grill will inevitably win the battle. So are hamburgers and hot dogs on the menu? Or have you stepped it up a notch and made some Chimmichuri marinated steak along with butter-basted grilled lobster tail? Either way, you'll need a side dish. How about some vegetables?

I know, vegetables tend to be an afterthought when the word "cookout" is mentioned. Generally cooks will think of their best meat dish or even get creative and grill dessert (grilled peaches with vanilla whipped cream, drizzled with cane syrup). But vegetables get the short end of the skewer (stick... get it?) when it comes to grilling. Just a couple of weeks ago we went to a casual waterside party and I shocked the crowd when I arrived with a pan of chopped veggies, a bottle of olive oil and a couple of grill baskets. But the veggies were well received and one of the most complimented; they were perfect with burgers and potato salad!

So here are a couple of tips on grilling veggies:

• Pick veggies that are easy to cook on the grill (foods that don't take all day to cook)- squash, zucchini, asparagus, red onion, green onion, mushrooms, red bell pepper (skip the green beans, brussels sprouts, carrots, etc.).
• Make sure you get a good variety of colors in your veggie selection (red, green, yellow, brown)
  
• Chop in nice, thick pieces so your veggies will not get overcooked.
• Use a grill basket for easy grilling (and your food won't fall through the grates).
• Before grilling, toss with extra virgin olive oil. When finished, season with Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
• For no-fuss cooking, grill your veggies for just a few minutes and then transfer to a pan to finish in the oven.
  
• Serve hot or even at room temperature!
  

Next time you're invited to a cookout, shop in the produce section. With the large number of healthy eaters and flavorful seasonal ingredients, your dish is sure to be a hit!

Need event or wedding catering? Seeking a wedding caterer in Tampa? Check out GoodFoodTampa.com

Shrimp and Scallop Linguine Recipe

My wife is often asked if she "always eats great food" because she is married to a catering company chef. I would like to believe the answer is "yes!" One such occasion was last weekend, when she accompanied me to a cooking demonstration that I did in Apollo Beach as part of the Parade of Homes.

Since I modeled the cooking demo around a dish that was easy to prepare and can be done by anyone, I figured I would share it here. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Scallop Linguine with White Wine Cream Sauce

Courtesy of Kevin Lacassin, Good Food Catering Company

www.GoodFoodTampa.com

Serves 2 (about 8-10 large shrimp per serving)

Here is a fantastic and easy seafood pasta that combines two mild but distinct seafood flavors, jumbo Gulf shrimp and bay scallops. This dish should have a creamy but refreshing flavor with a bite from the cayenne pepper and just the right amount of salt to remind you of the ocean. It’s a simple romantic meal for two or perfect with a glass of wine after a day at the beach or on the boat. It pairs well with an un-oaked chardonnay, but I prefer it on the spicier side with a pinot grigio to cool off.

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ pound jumbo gulf shrimp (size 26/30 work great), peeled and deveined
• ½ lb. bay scallops (the small ones)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, diced small
• ½ cup dry white wine (pinot grigio works great)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• flat leaf parsley, chopped fine, for garnish
• Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and Cajun seasoning
• 1/3 pound dry linguine, cooked according to directions

METHOD

1. Season shrimp with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper (or Cajun seasoning).

2. Add 1/3 pound of dried linguine to a pot of boiling water, seasoned liberally with salt. Cook according to directions on the box. When finished, drain and drizzle with olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together.

3. Meanwhile, in a heated sauté pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté shrimp for 3-5 minutes until almost done (the shrimp will begin to turn pink), then add scallops and cook for 1-2 more minutes, turning only once or twice. When finished, remove the seafood and reserve on a plate.

4. To the same sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat (cook slowly over medium heat) the chopped shallot for 5-6 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sweat for 3-5 minutes longer; do not keep the heat too high to burn the garlic.

5. Add about a half-cup of white wine to deglaze the pan; turn up the heat to bring to a simmer and reduce for several minutes.

6. Then add whipping cream, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to let the sauce reduce. Taste!

7. Last, add seafood back to the sauté pan to reheat, then add cooked pasta, sprinkle with chopped parsley and fold all ingredients together. Add more cream if necessary to get an even coating on all of the pasta.

8. Serve with some warm French bread and glass of white wine.

Strawberries Are in Season - Get Them While They Last!

Some people love the winter, others love the cool wind of the fall and there are those that love the hot summer so they can spend time on the beach. Of all of the seasons, mine tend to be food focused. My favorite? Strawberry season!

As a Louisiana transplant, I have always been accustomed to celebrating Strawberry season, usually by consuming as many as possible. Fortunately I moved to another great Strawberry region - central Florida.

As a caterer in Tampa Bay, we do our best to integrate seasonal ingredients into our menus, so you'll find a plethora of Strawberry based dishes this time of year. Two of our most popular are Strawberry Shortcake and our famous Strawberry Spring Salad.


If you're looking for a great, light salad course this time of year, make sure it contains Strawberries. Ours consists of organic mixed spring greens tossed lightly with balsamic vinaigrette, then topped with chopped pecans, blue cheese crumbles and of course, ripe and fresh sliced Florida strawberries. If you're not a lover of blue cheese, go ahead and substitute goat cheese. Good Stuff.

Want to have fresh seasonal food at your wedding, event or party in the Tampa Bay region? Give us a call at 813.731.0819 to talk about designing a catering menu just for your occasion.

It's Cold in Tampa! Perfect for Braised Beef Short Ribs

When it's cold outside, there's nothing better than staying inside a warm house and cooking some great comfort food. Nothing says elegance and comfort like braised beef short ribs. And nothing says cold weather like Florida, right? Ok, so it has dipped down to the low 30's for most of this week and most of us Southerners are pulling out the heavy coats for the first time in years. If you are from up north, try not to laugh ;-)

In my Tampa wedding catering business, Braised Beef Short Ribs have become quite popular. Once thought to be a lesser cut of meat, the chuck short rib becomes unbelievably tender and flavorful after about 4 hours of cooking. It's one of my favorite cuts of meat to braise and one of our most popular dishes. If you are seeking a Tampa caterer that knows good food, then hop on over to our website at Good Food Catering Company.

And if you are in the mood to cook, then fire up the stove and get braising! Here's my personal recipe:

BRAISED BEEF SHORT RIBS

Courtesy of Kevin Lacassin

Good Food Catering Company (www.GoodFoodTampa.com)

Makes 4 servings

Serving Size : 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

4 lbs beef short ribs -- cut English style (cut parallel to the bone)

Coarse salt and black pepper -- to taste

3 cups red wine -- preferably cabernet sauvignon or zinfandel

6 oz canned chopped tomatoes

2 cups beef broth

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 sprigs fresh thyme -- picked off stem

2 bay leaves

3 oz canola oil

1 large onion -- diced (2 cups)

2 medium carrots -- diced (1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery -- diced (1/2 cup)

2 oz dried porcini mushrooms

METHOD

• Season short ribs with salt and pepper; be rather generous. In a mixing bowl, whisk together red wine, tomatoes, beef broth, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt.

• Pour canola oil into a heavy 12" cast iron skillet or Dutch oven (at least 5 quarts) and place over high heat. When oil is hot, working in small batches, brown the meat. Turn each piece to brown on all sides before removing from the pot.

• Tip: A sturdy pot that conducts heat well has a lot to do with the success of this dish. Get yourself a cast-iron pot!

• When all beef is browned and removed from pot, add onion, carrots, and celery, allowing to cook until browned, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Return beef to the pot along with wine mixture. Allow wine to come to a boil before reducing heat, skimming fat from surface.

• After simmering for several minutes, add mushrooms. Cover and simmer over very low heat until meat is fork tender and nearly falling off the bone, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

• Once the beef has cooked, remove from pot and keep warm. Turn up heat and reduce the pot liquids until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer ribs to four shallow bowls, spooning liquid over top. Serve with mashed potatoes or grits

Download this recipe in PDF format at -
http://goodfoodtampa.com/recipes/BraisedBeefShortRibs-GoodFoodCatering.pdf

Photo courtesy of bonappetit.com

Grits are the new Mashed Potatoes (you heard it here first)

There's something comforting about mashed potatoes. They go well with mom's meatloaf and they're the perfect vessel to hold gravy during Thanksgiving dinner, but are we starting to get tired of the old standby? Although I love them, the culinary world needs an alternative to a dish that is offered at damn near every restaurant and catered dinner. Fortunately we're beginning to see a new trend surface: Grits.

Yes, you heard it, grits. The breakfast staple of the South is taking over on menus across the country as the side dish du jour. One of my most memorable experiences with grits was during the first dinner on my honeymoon, where my wife and I dined at the The Olde Pink House in Savannah, Georgia. After a long wait at the bar and a couple of appetizers, I had an unbelievable entree consisting of seared tuna with mascarpone grits. From that moment on, I decided that grits would soon replace mashed potatoes as my favorite side dish.

In the Tampa Bay catering world, we're doing our best at Good Food Catering Company to get the word out about grits as a great side dish. Mascarpone grits go perfectly with Pan Roasted Lamb Chops and a Creole Mustard - Cabernet Reduction. And white cheddar cheese grits are a perfect base of our Southern Grits Bar, an interactive chef-attended station that allows your guests to top their "grits martini" with their choice of traditional shrimp and sausage or hickory smoked pulled pork with our secret BBQ sauce. And last, creamy Charleston grits are a fantastic accompaniment for our slow Braised Beef Short Ribs in a Red Wine Reduction.

So why am I writing about grits as a party planning tip? Here are three reasons: (1) They're rather easy to make, (2) even yankees love them and (3) they're an affordable side dish that can work great will grilled meats, seafood and even work as a vegetarian option. Hopefully I've convinced you to try grits for your next dinner party or even a small family dinner. Here are some tips about making great grits.

- Buy good quality grits. Although Quaker Quick Grits are acceptable and can be make well, do your best to find quality grits at your upscale grocery store. They take a little longer to cook, but the quality is worth the wait. Whatever you do, avoid using "Instant Grits."

- Cook your grits with flavorful liquid. Sure, water will work, but the grits soak up any flavor from the cooking liquid, so use a combination of stock (chicken, vegetable or seafood), whole milk, cream and water.

- Season your cooking liquid first. This is a very important step, since the grits are actually absorbing the flavor that is in the liquid, you will get the most flavor INTO the grits by seasoning the liquid first. It's a lot tougher to add seasoning after they've cooked. Make sure you add your butter and salt before adding the grits.

- Cheese is a natural addition to grits, but add it near the end of the cooking process. Want to get adventurous? Instead of the usual cheddar cheese, try mascarpone or asiago for something different.

Enjoy!

-Kevin
Owner / Chef
Good Food Catering Company
Tampa, FL
813.731.0819
Tampa Catering, Tampa Wedding Catering, Event Caterer

Jambalaya - The Perfect Party Dish

As the owner of a Tampa Bay Catering company, I regularly cook for large groups of people when they celebrate special occasions or host parties. So when my friends host parties or we get together, I am often called on to help out with the cooking and planning. My friend Pat turned 40 last week and this past weekend, we celebrated with an all day party, complete with swimming sun, eating and drinking. The menu included grilled Buffalo chicken wings, chicken and pork cooked in La Caja China, Rochester style Garbage Plates and a keg of Shipyard Export. One of Pat's requests was that I cook my nearly famous Cajun jambalaya.

Cooking for a large group is easy when you have the right tools. My recipe has been perfected over the years but one key ingredient that makes it great is a large 4 gallon cast iron pot that cooks evenly and perfectly. A large batch of jambalaya can feed 20-30 people, it holds well and with a little practice, is a fairly easy dish to cook. If you're looking to entertain, jambalaya is a fantastic way to feed a crowd.

If you don't own a large cast iron pot with its own propane burner, then don't fret. Go to Wal-Mart and pick up a small 4 or 5 quart Lodge cast iron Dutch oven and you'll be set. Need a recipe? I'll share mine with you below. Keep in mind that this is a work in progress and can change without notice. This is a Cajun style jambalaya, most popular in South Louisiana.

-Kevin

Cajun Jambalaya
courtesy of Kevin Lacassin

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound smoked SAUSAGE, cut into cubes
• 1 pound boneless, skinless CHICKEN THIGHS
• 3 cups white RICE
• 2 slices BACON, chopped
• 2 medium yellow ONIONS, diced
• ½ green BELL PEPPER, diced
• 3 stalks CELERY, diced
• 4 green ONIONS, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
• 1 teaspoon each of SALT, BLACK PEPPER, CAYENNE, OREGANO and THYME
• 4 ½ cups CHICKEN STOCK (if homemade isn’t available, use Kitchen Basics)
• Cast iron DUTCH OVEN

METHOD

1. Heat a large (5 ¼ quart or larger) cast iron Dutch oven and fry the bacon pieces to render the grease, remove and drain on paper towels.

2. Brown the chicken in the bacon grease, remove and when cool, cut into strips.

3. Brown the sausage for several minutes, then add the trinity of onion, celery and green pepper and cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 or 15 minutes on low heat.

4. Add the chicken stock, bacon, chicken, Kitchen Bouquet, seasonings. Bring up to a boil, add rice, then stir all together.

5. Reduce heat to a simmer (low) and cover. Set a kitchen timer and do not touch the lid for 20 minutes! You will need to cook until the rice is soft and all liquid is absorbed.

6. Lift the lid and confirm that rice is almost completely cooked and all liquid has been absorbed, then add the chopped green onion. Fold in the onions to the mixture, turn off the burner and replace the lid and let it sit for another 10 minutes.


Looking for a caterer for your Tampa wedding, corporate event or party? Good Food Catering Company will take care of you. Check us out!