So it was with this particular Menu. My friend, who is a party planner in NYC, asked me to come up with a party idea for her brother's girlfriend's sister's engagement party. ( You follow that?) Well the story was she was a chick from Staten Island who was Italian and did not want a party like her father wanted to give her. Basically, a red sauce feast in wire chafing dishes and lots of pasta. So she called me up and asked me to come up with something in the budget range but with a little creative flair. So I thought about it and I came up with the following.
A Sangria bar. Appetizers including cheese boards and fruit and crusty breads and crackers. A short selection of Crudite and blue cheese dip. Nice ( Sliced Italian bread loaf sized) bruschetta with three interesting toppings. And cocktail meatballs in a smoked tomato sauce. Sort of an homage to the Italian roots of the girl's background. However, for dinner we would take it up the casual fun notch and have a gourmet taco bar and multi-colored chips and fun dips. There would be a beef taco, a chicken taco and a shrimp taco. And the dips would be red, green and queso. It would be fun and filling and who doesn't love a taco party!!!
Well the girl loved the idea! So did the planner. Till she saw the price. Not that it was all that much money but she decided to take my idea go to another caterer who owed her a favor and get them to do it for less. Well since duplicating is the highest form of flattery I guess was glad that she at least liked my menu and ideas if not my price tag. Not that it was cheap cheap, but it wasn't much, and it was fair. But business is business. Well maybe next time!
What is funnier is that my friend who work for me and would have done the party, ended up doing the party as part of the staff with the other company! So I got feedback from how this company tried to take my ideas and execute them. And only because he has had these tacos at my house before could he say, they were lessor representation of the food I had made! And not for nothing, but that's kinda nice to know!
Anyway I digress, I wanted to post these recipes so that you can give them a try. I think Taco parties are a really fun and interactive way to entertain. Not to mention a cheap way to entertain. Plus these recipes take the ordinary taco out of the box and to a place where tacos become little culinary gems. Tasty and interesting they are to be enjoyed with fine margaritas or Sangria. So I hope you all enjoy!!
Korean Kogi Beef BBQ Tacos
2 pounds Flanken Shortribs ( sometime call korean bbq at the butcher or grocery store)
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
4 green onions chopped
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
Cut meat into strips and place into a plastic bag. Mix all other ingredients and place into the bag. Place the bag in the refrigerator over night.
Remove meat from the marinade and reserve juice.
Cook meat in a hot pan till med rare, remove and cool. Coarsely chop meat. Reserve
For the toppings you will need
Quick creamy kimchi ( See Korean BBQ Pizza post)
Crumbled Feta cheese
Cucumber ( cut cucumber into small rectangular batons)
Radish trimmed and sliced thinly.
You will also need corn tortillas NOT flour 6 inch sized
To Serve:
Place meat back into a pan and pour reserved marinade over it. Bring to temp until marinade is bubbly and boiling. Allow to cook for 5 to 6 mins until heated through and juice is reduced a little bit.
Heat tortilla on a pan with a little oil but only till pliable and heated through not crispy
Place tortilla on plate
Add 2 tablespoons or so of the Kimchi slaw
Top with the beef mixture
Garnish with the cucumber batons, radish and feta cheese
EAT!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment