Sit Down Dinner in Menlo Park

I catered a marvelous sit down dinner last night.  Two events in one day! busy, busy....
Birthday celebrations are always fun and it's even more fun when you can celebrate by having a caterer come to your home and do the cooking for you!  Just have Butler For Hire Catering do it for you and you can be a guest at your own party! please visit my website: http://www.butlerforhire.com/ for catering in the San Francisco Bay Area!

 Passed Hor D'Ouevres of Roasted Golden Beet & Goat Cheese Tartlets with Fresh Dill

 Passed Hor D'Ouevres of Sesame Beer Battered Green Beans with Hot & Sweet Mustard...It's like a green french fry!!

 Seated Appetizer of Coquille St. Jacques with a wonderful panko and Gruyere Cheese crust

 Thai style Vegetable Soup with Coconut Milk....so good!

 Butter Lettuce Salad with Grapefruite, Goat Cheese, Spiced Walnuts, Red Onion & Champagne Vinaigrette

 Crab Stuffed Sole with Champagne Tarragon Cream Sauce with Rice Pilaf with Almonds, Peas and Mushrooms. Baby Carrots and Sauteed Baby Broccoli

Tres Leches Cupcakes for Dessert with fresh berries and figs!  YUM

Bridal Shower in Burlingame

Catered a bridal shower yesterday in Burlingame for a luncheon of three passed appetizers and a buffet lunch of small bites with a salad.  A bunch of ladies getting together to celebrate love!  The bride to be was glowing and very excited about her future and of course this luscious food!

 Passed Hor D'Ouevres of Vegetable Egg Rolls with Sweet Chili Sauce

 Passed Hor D'Ouevres of Fresh Fig Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Balsamic Glaze & Pistachios

 Passed Hor D'Ouevres of Roasted Pear, Bleu Cheese & Walnut Tartlets

 Buffet Luncheon

 Chicken Salad "Sliders" with Dried Cranberries, Slivered Almonds & Arugula

 Chicken Sesame Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce

 Mixed Baby Green Salad with Pears, Gorgonzola Cheese, Dried Cranberries & Spiced Pecans with Pear Champagne Vinaigrette

 Mini Cheeseburgers...always a favorite! and below...Apricot Baked Brie in Puff Pastry

A beautiful cake for a sweet ending of a beautiful day of celebration for a wonderful future for a young bride!

Friday Night Sit Down Dinner Party in Hillsborough

 Curried Crab & Corn Hushpuppies with Curry Honey Mustard Dip

 Wild Mushroom & Gruyere Cheese Tartlets

 Tuna Tartare on Wonton with Edammame Wasabi Puree

 Creamed Corn Soup with Crab and Creme Fraiche

 Baby Spinach Salad with Pomagranate Dressing, Curried Walnuts, Pears & Bleu Cheese

 Bacon wrapped Fillet with Bleu Cheese Crust on a pool of Wild Mushroom Cabernet Sauce with Buttermilk Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes
and a Medley of Squash with Balsamic Butter and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Dessert Sampler Plate of Triple Chocolate Ganache Cake, Blueberry Creme Brulee and Key Lime Pie!

Ladies Garden Party

It was a pleasure to have catered a ladies garden party yesterday in Hillsborough, Ca., the weather was perfect!  My client wanted to celebrate her children going back to school with style, and why not.  She had invited many moms from the school her children go to.  I'm sure much relief to all mom's that school had started and what a perfect way to celebrate, by having a beautifully catered luncheon with small bites out by the garden and pool.  Butler for Hire Catering in the San Francisco Bay Area made it happen with panache.

Strawberry Topiary, how fashionable and chic....perfect for a garden party!

Ladies Garden Party Buffet, I love the triple waterfall in the background, looks so refreshing

Summer Vegetable Israeli Couscous Salad served in spoons

Mini Turkey, provolonne, pesto & dijon pannini

Couscous salad, chinese chicken salad in mini "take out" containers with chopsticks & lemon blueberry bars

Fruit Kabobs and Antipasto Skewers are sure to please

Chicken Apple sausage rolls with hot & sweet mustard

Strawberries...they almost look like they grew in this pot

Ladies that are captivated over this stunning buffet

Ladies mingling and nibbling

Lemon Blueberry Bars for the sweet ending of a beautiful day....until the next time.

Romantic Anniversary Dinner For Two

Shrimp Cocktail with Hearts of Palm, Oranges, Avocado and Brandy Remoulade Sauce

 Tuna Tartare on Crispy Wonton with Edammame Wasabi Puree

 Almond Stuffed Dates wrapped with Bacon

 Butternut Squash Soup with Creme Fraiche and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

 Watermelon Salad with Mixed Greens, Candied Pecans, Dried Cranberries & Champagne Vinaigrette

 Braised Short Ribs with Wild Mushrooms, Buttermilk Roasted Garlic Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze and sliced Almonds

 Warm Chocolate Molten Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache, Raspberries & Vanilla Ice Cream

It's not that often that I get the privilege to cater a dinner party for two with a server no less!  I was happy to please my two new clients with a special 5 year anniversary dinner for two at their home.  What could be more romantic and cozy than to have your own party for two catered!  You could do the same by calling me and having me cater your next special event from two to two hundred!  Just go to my website at http://www.butlerforhire.com/ and see what wonderful catering that we can do for you!  You can be a guest at your own party.  Always fantastic food and service with catering in the San Franciso Bay Area.

Curry Corn and Crab Hushpuppies

Served these yummy morsels at numerous parties that I've catered, good way to use your summer fresh corn! Remember...Good Food is Always in Style!

Curry Corn and Crab Hushpuppies


With Curried Honey-Mustard Dip

Ingredients

· 1 cup yellow cornmeal (not too coarse)
· ½ cup all-purpose flour
· ½ tsp baking powder
· ½ tsp baking soda
· ½ cup buttermilk
· 1 egg
· 2 tbsp melted, unsalted butter
· ¼ cup thinly sliced scallion greens
· ½ cup lightly cooked corn kernels (or raw)
· 1 cup crab meat
· canola oil for frying
· kosher salt
· freshly ground black pepper
· 1 teaspoon curry powder

How-to

1. In a bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking soda and powder and curry powder

2. In a separate bowl mix the buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, being careful not to over mix

3. Gently fold the scallions, corn and crab into the batter, season with salt and pepper

4. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes before frying

5. Heat the canola oil in a pot or deep fryer to 350º. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the oil, cooking until golden brown & delicious, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt

6. Serve immediately with Curry Honey Mustard Sauce

Curry Honey Mustard Sauce

· ½ cup Creole mustard
· ½ cup of Mayonnaise
· ¼ cup of honey
· 1 teaspoon curry powder

· How-to
· Stir mustard, honey, mayonnaise and curry powder together



By Joseph Sciascia of Butler For Hire Catering…Good Food is Always in Style!

Fig and Goast Cheese Crostini

I have served my fig Crostini at numerous events that I’ve catered…. it’s fig season now and I’m so excited. My favorite fruit!


Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini

Makes 24 hors d’oeuvres

Ingredients

1 baguette, sliced into 24 –(1/2 inch-thick) diagonally cut pieces

12 oz soft mild goat cheese at room temperature

1 bottle of balsamic glaze, usually at most gourmet stores

½ cup of toasted Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

about 8 fresh ripe figs, cut into ¼ inch slices

¼ cup of Olive Oil

fresh salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
arrange cut baguette slices on baking sheet and brush tops lightly with oil. Bake in preheated *350 oven until lightly toasted and golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Cool.

Assemble Crostini:
Spread each toast with goat cheese, top with 1 or 2 slices of fig, depending on how big the slices are, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle a little balsamic glaze and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds on top and ENJOY!