Magical Thoughts

Navigating the Tasting

One of the most enjoyable parts of planning a wedding is the menu tasting for catering. last week, bride and groom to-be, Karen and Ben, experienced a great tasting at the fabulous Five Senses in Murfreesboro Tennessee. The Five Senses is one of our favorite caterers, because they offer such a wonderful selection of seasonal foods that are sure to tantalize your guest's senses.

Mollie and Mitchell Murphee are co-owners of both The Five Senses and the local pizzeria, Tomato, Tomato, and within the past year have branched out to offer catering for events small and large. With resident blogger Hillary being a resident of Murfreesboro, the Five Senses is hands down the best restaurant in Middle Tennessee-- period. And I don't joke around about food. Mollie and Mitchell set aside a few hours to offer Ben and Karen their sample menu from start to finish so that they could make some educated choices about what they'd like to feature at their reception. AMA's fav photographer, Donald Yeager, came out to document the experience (and snuck in a few bites as well).
We started with a choice of two salads. At left is a spinach salad with strawberries, caramelized walnuts, goat cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. MMMM.
Now, to the right is a delicious  salad composed of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese, fried yellow corn, a grilled red onion, and 
a warm bacon vinaigrette. To die for.

A selection of delectable appetizers followed featuring tuna. The Signature ahi-tuna lollipops, seared and encrusted with pepper with a wasabi creme fraiche are my personal favorites, but the bites of tuna carpacio on flatbread with tomato aioli and olive tapenade won over the tastebuds of the bride and groom.

When it came to all of these choices, it is easy to get overwhelmed, and Mollie and Mitchell took the time to explain each dish, it's pros and cons, and their personal dedication to providing high quality service to their customers.
We then moved on to tasting beef and chicken skewers with a variety of delicious dipping sauces: a spicy peanut sauce, Tzatziki sauce, and Chimichurri sauce.
The Tzatziki sauce is on the far left and is a yogurt based sauce with a Mediterranean background. It has cucumber, garlic, and  other delicious spices and pairs well with steak or chicken.
Chimichurri sauce is a latin American sauce made with yummy spices that pairs perfectly with grilled meats. It is a blend of chopped parsley, oregano, garlic, and olive oil. It's delightful green shade come from the fresh herbs, and it's a deliciously cooling sauce with just a hint of bite to it.
Lastly, the spicy peanut sauce is an Asian type sauce that has a definite zing to it but also a touch of sweetness. Our bride and groom loved this dish and plan on it being served as a passed appetizer.

One of the marks of a great tasting is having caterers that take the time to explain each dish-- something that we really appreciated. Learning about the different dishes, their origins, and the culinary inspiration behind them really helped our bride and groom in making educated decisions about their menu.

After appetizers, we moved on to side dishes: this grilled summer vegetables-- yellow squash, zucchini, grilled onions and sweet cherry tomatoes, paired beautifully with the delicious rice that was cooked to perfection.
Since the reception is later in the evening during the summer, this dish offers just the right amount of weight to a summer dish. When we initially queried the Five Senses about catering, we talked to them about our party theme-- which was a fun, relaxed, summer party atmosphere with an upscale twist. We wanted foods that really embraced the feel of summer. Since 90% of The Five Senses produce come from local gardens and vegetable sellers in Tennessee, we knew we were getting a fresh product. And, the Five Senses only uses in-season fruits and vegetables so that the ultimate "fresh" taste comes from every bite.

A parmesian cheese grit souflee (shown at the right) won the crowd's approval and applause, and had a rich cheesy texture that wowed our tastebuds. Fresh local snap peas with radish, garlic, and tomatoes were another mouth-pleasing side dish .

When we attend a tasting with our couple, we love when we can all sit down, share a meal, and get to know each other. Our tasting with the Five Senses exceeded our expectations, as Mollie and Mitchell were always ready and willing to go the extra mile to answer our questions and to help us feel comfortable each step of the way. They told us about how some dishes may change, slightly, based on seasonal ability. They shared portion size information for each guest, and they took the time to always pause to ask if we had any questions.

We concluded our tasting with a fine offering of meats: At the uppermost corner: a frilled pork tenderloin with peppercorn and dijon mustard sauce. The pork was cooked to absolute perfection, and nearly melted into our couple's mouths. To the immediate left, beef medallions with a fresh horseradish sauce. Delicious. And at the bottom: grilled flank steak topped with corn and blue cheese salsa.

By far, the Five Senses offered us a brilliant tasting experience that truly allowed us to experience their food in a relaxed, pressure free environment. Mollie and Mitchell were accommodating to our every need, offering pairing suggestions, tips for saving money, and explaining their philosophy for providing an excellent product and service.

Catering: Choosing a Time of Day

When it comes to good eats at your reception, it's all about taste.  In this blog, we're going to talk about how the time of day says a lot about what your guests expect you, as a host, to provide on your big day.

While your wedding is the biggest day of your life, to your guests, it's still a party. And yes, it is your party, but you want to keep in mind that it's important that you consider your guests while planning your reception. Remember that they are the people that have driven cross-country to share in your special day, and that they would probably like more than cake and some saltines at the end of a 24-hour drive. If you can only afford cake and saltines, trust us, forego the saltines and make it the best cake-only reception you can.

Receptions are one of the main things that your guests remember from years to come. The tales of your wedding will usually begin with the crazy stories about Aunt Milda drinking a few too many Chambord-laced champagnes, or how the two of you busted out the craziest first dance anyone had seen. Either way, making your reception memorable means creating good memories, and those aren't the kind that start with "remember when Billy and Mary had saltines and spam at their reception? My, that was interesting." Work with your budget to create a memorable (in a good way) reception.

A caterer is one of your big five planning items: Locations (ceremony & reception); photography; style (casual reception or awesome extravaganza event); dress; and yes...the food! Catering should follow after you've determined these three things: 1. Your budget (trust us, you want to figure that one out FIRST-- there's nothing worse that getting your heart set on a sit-down, plated dinner and then finding out you have the budget for saltines and cake), 2. Your location for your reception, and 3. the time of day. This blog will focus on the time of day and how it impacts your catering choices.

The Brunch or Lunch Reception (10 am- 1 pm)

- If you have an ceremony between the hours of 10 in the morning & 1 in the afternoon, your guests will generally expect a brunch or lunch to follow. Lunches are a great way to save money, because you can bring in the elegant elements you'd like to have at a dinner, but for less. For what you'd spend on a buffet at dinner you can do as a sit down at lunch. Luncheons, as you know, are usually smaller, daintier affairs, but there's no limits on what you can serve: lobster & steak works just as well as soup and salad!

For planning the perfect brunch reception, do your research. The best research? Eating, of course. Go out to Sunday brunch and see what you like best. Do you want to have something your guests can customize, like an omelette station or a belgium waffle bar with exotic fruits and syrups? Wanting to do alcohol? Offer bloody mary's, mimosas, or some fresh champagne. For the quintessential Sunday brunch, bring in fresh country ham, biscuits, and gravy. There's a lot you can do to create an elaborate, sumptuous breakfast that will keep your guests talking for years to come.

The Mid Afternoon Reception (1-3 pm)

- If your soiree falls between 1 & 3, it's safe to serve light refreshments. This is the ideal time for the cake and punch reception with a few light bites, like tea sandwiches, dips, and fruit. You could also do something fun and offer a wine tasting reception, with assorted fruits and cheeses. This is a very stylish alternative that helps you to save money (because you need less food and less service staff!)

If you choose this option, a great rule of thumb for the wine tasting party is to choose 3 reds and 3 whites with varying levels of sweetness. You can offer your guests the favor of their wine tasting glass at the end of the afternoon, and get jiggers that measure out a precise 1 oz pour for each taste. A standard wine tasting progresses from sweetest to driest wines, with food pairings along the way. Talk with your favorite local wine shop owner for tips on selecting affordable wines for your reception. By limiting the tastes to one ounce, you can save on wine and food while delighting your guests with an upscale and unique party offering that they'll remember for years to come.

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The Dinner Reception (4-7 pm)

Anytime between 4&7 implies that you are going to serve your guests dinner. The popular option in the south is a full buffet with mixed heavy appetizers. This is by far a cost effective option to the seated, plated dinner. You can spice things up a bit by trying the newest trend: soup shooters! Roving trays of soup replace the standard passed appetizer in advance of the buffet dinner, giving your guests plenty to talk about as they marvel over your genius style. Plus, soup can be a very cheap option to appetizer offerings. If the weather's warm, serve a gazpacho with chilled tomatoes. If it's cold out, you could try this yummy purreed butternut squash soup. Either way, it's fun, cool, and cheaper than puffed pastry wrapped lobster bites.
Either way, when your guests come at dinner, and you serve alcohol, make sure that you offer them enough for keep their stomachs full before hitting the road. It's your responsibility as party host to ensure that your guests don't over indulge in your alcoholic beverages and that you have food for them (and alternate beverage choices) for them to enjoy.
If it's not in your budget to provide a full meal and you want to have an evening wedding, perhaps pick our next option.

The After Hours Soiree (after 7 pm)

-- If you are hosting a ceremony after 7pm, it's safe to assume your guests have eaten and you can try some of the more trendy reception offerings, like a dessert buffet (mmm) or even a late-night finger food extravaganza. Do you and your husband to be love sundaes? Then have a sundae bar? Big into Pizza? Have a pizza buffet. Later evening weddings & receptions allow for you to try a bit of the unconventional, and you can often do so with less expense.

For the perfect dessert reception, go with desserts that are exotic and fun (and different from wedding cake). Try tiramisu bites, cheesecakes, or custom-made chocolates to wow your guests and delight their sweet tooths. Or, if you want to do something fun and a bit upscale, offer some delightful dessert wines to accompany the dessert offerings. Port Wine, Ice Wine, and Champagne are delicious selections, but so are custom drinks, like a chocolate martini, Bailey's Irish Cream, and signature coffees can all be delightful options (and tasty offerings) for your guests to enjoy!