It’s wedding season in Connecticut, and Emily’s Catering Group is in full swing for wedding catering. We thought we’d share some trends we’re seeing this year for Connecticut weddings.

Formal Weddings are Back

Crystal on the table, chargers, chandeliers covered in garlands – weddings are going more formal this year.

Plated Dinners for Wedding Catering

With things leaning more toward formal, serving a beautiful plated dinner on formal china with gold silverware really makes an elegant statement.

Peonies are In

They’re the most requested wedding flower for the second year running. They’re in bloom right now in Connecticut gardens, but only for a short 2 months. Need an alternative? Look into garden roses.

Wedding Decor is Neutral

Table settings are going neutral. We’re seeing lots of linens requested in grays and taupes with pops of white or black. The neutral palettes make for a more formal feel at the wedding reception.

Foil-Stamped Wedding Invitations

A well-placed bit of metallic foil stamping on your invitations can be used to call out the names of the bride and groom, the date, and whatever other elements you want to highlight. Adds a special, more formal touch to your wedding invitations.

Clean, Modern Wedding Cakes

Just a beautiful bow or flower to decorate a modern looking wedding cake is a trend we are seeing.

Green Weddings

Look for recycled stationery, recyclable favors, and even plantable invitations to create a more green wedding.

We have so many creative ideas for your Connecticut wedding – following trends, and bucking them! Call on Emily’s Catering and your dream wedding gets underway.

Superbowl Sunday is almost here! Make sure you’re ready for the crowd! Let Emily’s Catering put together a satisfying spread for your favorite football fans. We’ll make you an awesome Superbowl party platter and get you all set with the fixin’s, too. Let us help you score huge points with hungry football fans at your Connecticut Superbowl party.

If you’re out and about, you can pick up our Lobster Mac & Cheese along with an Apple Crumb or S’more Bars for dessert. If you want to make something at home, how about a Grilled Chicken? You can serve it for dinner and then use the leftovers for homemade pizza, salads and Quesadillas.

Sunday Night Football Grilled Chicken

Take a 2-3 lb. package of boneless skinless chicken, slice it lengthwise to create strips about 1 1/2″ thick.  Place chicken pieces in a large plastic bag.  In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup ground mustard, 2 Tablespoons smoked paprika, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle over chicken.  Rub it over the chicken and  place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least an hour or until the next day for the most flavor.

Over medium heat in a grill pan, grill the chicken with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 1-2 Tablespoons butter, 3-5 minutes each side.  Don’t fuss with them and they’ll get really nice grill marks.

Caramelized Onion and Pepper Topping

Peel a large onion and slice a large pepper lengthwise.  Saute over medium heat with salt, pepper, 2 Tablespoons of honey, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil and 2 Tablespoons butter.  Stir with a wooden spoon until caramelized. Serve with Grilled Chicken.

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

• Emily’s Black bean & roasted corn salad
• large tortillas
• grilled chicken strips
• caramelized onions
• Shredded Mexican cheese blend or 4 cheese blend
• Gorgonzola cheese

Slice grilled chicken into small pieces and set aside. Line a 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper. Lay a tortilla on the pan and cover with grilled chicken, onions, cheese and black bean & corn salad on one half.  Fold it over and pat it down a bit.  Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown, flipping tortilla half way through.  You should be able to fit 3 or 4 on one sheet pan. When done, cut into triangles on a wooden cutting board with a large chef’s knife or a pizza cutter.  Serve with sour cream and your favorite salsa.

Ideas for Christmas Brunch:

• smoked salmon
• bagels, croissants, fruit scones and muffins
• cinnamon rolls
• French toast
• quiche and/or bread & egg casserole
• sausage, ham and bacon

Some things are very easy to prepare the day ahead of time and simply pop in the oven Christmas morning. Why not give our Cinnamon Rolls a try? Get the family into the act the afternoon of Christmas Eve, and prepare these delicious cinnamon rolls the night before. Then place the slices in the baking pan and cover them with plastic wrap. Refrigerate them up to 24 hours. Christmas morning, before baking, cover them loosely with a new piece of plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm area for about 1-2 hours. (or until doubled) Then bake them and…enjoy!

Recipe for Cinnamon Rolls

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 package active dry yeast (or 1 1/2 Tablespoons dry yeast)
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup granulated maple sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 teaspoon ssalt
• 2 large eggs

Cinnamon sugar filling

• 6 Tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• chopped nuts and/or raisins (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 of the flour, maple sugar, salt and the dry yeast.  Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it is very warm.  Add the warm milk, butter and eggs to the flour and yeast mixture and combine.  Mix thoroughly and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the remaining flour.  The dough may be sticky.

On a lightly floured surface turn the dough out. Knead the dough by folding dough toward you, then with the heels of your hands, pushing dough away from you.  Knead for about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle a bit more flour on the surface you are working on as needed so the dough does not stick.  Spray a large bowl with cooking spray.  Place the dough into the bowl and lightly cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours. (or until it has doubled in size)

Spray a 13×9 cooking dish with cooking spray and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and brown sugar and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out.  With your hands and a wooden rolling pin, flatten the dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle.  Brush the dough with the room temperature butter.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture, nuts and raisins.  Starting at the 15-inch side, roll up tightly and pinch to seal.  Using a very sharp serrated knife (such as a bread knife) cut into 1-inch pieces.

Set the pieces in the pan with some room.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30-45 minutes (or until doubled).

Remove plastic wrap and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and remove cinnamon rolls from the pan immediately and place on a cooling rack.  Let cool for 5 minutes then drizzle with glaze.

Glaze: 1/2-3/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons whole milk and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice.  Combine with a whisk and drizzle over warm cinnamon buns.

Hanukkah is almost here – have you dug out your potato latke recipe yet? Apple sauce and sour cream, alone or in combination, are the traditional toppings for Hanukkah potato latkes. A simple, but fancier idea is to top your latkes with a dollop of whipped cream cheese, a slice of smoked salmon and some fresh dill. But why not really mix it up and make them worthy of raves from your holiday guests? Here are some delicious ideas for potato latke toppings – and a warning: you may want to double these recipes, your guests are gonna beg for more!

Ginger/Apple Relish for Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

•  1 apple finely diced
• 1 small piece of ginger, peeled, minced fine
• 1 small shallot, minced fine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp ground cumin

Combine all ingredients, allow to sit 1 hour at room temperature. Spoon over latkes with a dollop of sour cream.

Goat Cheese and Fresh Pear Topping for Potato Latkes

In a food processor, combine 3 ounces of goat cheese with ½ ripe pear.  Blend until smooth. Add 1 tbsp of sour cream and blend.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary.

A friend’s father has been making these potato latkes for decades. Who are we to change up a tried and true recipe for potato latkes, direct from “the old country”?

Papa’s Best Potato Latkes

• 3 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and grated
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 whole egg, plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 4 tablespoons flour or matzoh meal
• ½ -1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Squeeze moisture from potatoes. Combine with all remaining ingredients, except oil. Heat about ¼ cup oil in large frying pan until very hot. Drop 2-3 tablespoons potato mixture into pan for each latke. Fry over medium high heat 4-5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 250-degree oven. Makes 32 latkes.

Now, what are you serving with these beauties? Check out our Creative Latke Toppings ideas!

Turkey Stock for Soup

In a large pot, simmer turkey carcass in water, onions, carrots, celery, thyme leaves, bay leaves and whole black pepper.  Simmer for 2 hours.  Strain and set aside the stock.

Turkey Barley Soup

• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled, chopped into small pieces
• 3 celery stalks, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 stick butter
• 1 lb. barley
• flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
• fresh dill, chopped finely
• salt & pepper to taste

In a large pot, sweat onion in butter, add the carrots and celery.  Pull the meat from the carcass and add to the pot.  Add fresh dill, parsley and salt & pepper to taste.  Cover with hot simmered broth and barley.  Simmer until barley is tender.  Enjoy with a fresh loaf of sourdough bread from Harvest Bakery.

Thanksgiving Turkey Rub

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons ground mustard
• 2 Tablespoons granulated maple sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• salt & pepper to taste

 
In a small bowl, combine the above ingredients and blend together well.  With your hands, rub under the skin of the turkey and on the turkey.  Cook your turkey as you normally would.  One of our favorite ways to cook a Turkey is in Char-broil’s Oil-less turkey cooker.  It comes out so juicy and the skin is perfectly golden (cook the turkey based on how many pounds according to the directions on the cooker).

Apple Chestnut Stuffing Recipe

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery, about 4 celery stalks
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, about 1 medium onion
• 4 cups chopped apples (about 3 apples)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 10 cups of cubed bread (assortment of potato bread and white bread) toasted until dry
• 2 cups coarsely chopped cooked shelled chestnuts
• 2 cups cooked crumbled sweet Italian sausage (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 6 tablespoons butter

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add apple, parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes.
3. Combine apple mixture, bread, and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl. Add hot broth, brandy and apple cider; stir well. (Mixture should be moist but not soaked.) Spoon into prepared baking dish. Dot with butter. Cover with foil.
4. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand 15–20 minutes before serving.

Hurricane preparedness is no joke. We’re assuming you’ve got all the usual supplies you’ll need (bottled water, batteries and the like). But after our long power outage last October, we know Connecticut residents still remember how tired they grew of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. So in the New England spirit of toughing it out, here’s the Emily’s Catering Group “Iron Chef for Hurricane Sandy”!

Stock your Pantry for the Hurricane

Canned Tuna: Don’t worry if the mayo’s no longer to be trusted. You don’t need it. Open a can of tuna (in water). Chop up some fresh red onion, mix it into the tuna along with the juice of a fresh squeezed lemon, and add a little Dijon mustard if you have some on-hand. Finish it off with a generous number of capers, and put a dollop on some nice crusty Italian bread or a slice of baguette. Delicious even with electricity!

Smoked Fish: Smoking preserves the fish, so an opened package of smoked salmon kept in tight saran wrapping should be okay without refrigeration for a couple of days (which is hopefully as long as the power might be out!). Cream cheese also has a longer stability without refrigeration than you might think, especially right now as the weather is relatively cool. If the power is only out for 48 hours or less, a brick of cream cheese left in your sealed refrigerator could survive! A good old-fashioned bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, topped with some briny capers and a slice of fresh tomato makes a great blackout breakfast or lunch!

Canned Vegetables: Forget about canned peas and soggy green beans. How about some delicious caponata? It’s got eggplant, celery, tomato, olives – all good for you and still delicious. Spread some on some nice crackers and you can even invite your neighbor in for a glass of wine! If you can’t find any caponata, then here are some ideas for those more traditional canned items. Drain a can of green beans, coat with olive oil and season with garlic, salt and pepper. Add a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice and a handful of slivered almonds. You can even grate a little lemon zest to top it off, let it sit for a half hour before serving, and – while not to be compared to fresh crisp green beans – decide there are worse things than losing electricity!

Canned Beans: Make a three-bean salad on Monday (when Hurricane Sandy is supposed to hit Connecticut), and it will actually even taste better over the next day or two! Red kidney beans, white beans like cannelini beans, and some garbanzo beans can be tossed in extra virgin olive oil, a good quality red wine vinegar, and a healthy handful of fresh oregano (dried if your oregano succumbed to the last frost). Add some chopped garlic and freshly chopped red onion and you’ve got a delicious salad marinating. You can also try a lentil salad. Cook the lentils before the storm hits, and get them marinating in the same oil, vinegar and garlic as above. Add in some chopped carrots, and some diced onion, celery and red pepper. The first day of a blackout, you could probably add in some crumbled feta or goat cheese if it’s been kept below 40 °F. Day two, leave out the cheese but enjoy the salad.

Fresh Fruit: Stock up on lemons, grapefruit, oranges and apples. If we lose power for days on end, they’ll still keep in Mother Nature’s wrapping. You can make a small fruit salad of freshly peeled and coarsely chopped apples, grapefruit sections, and orange sections. Keep some extra juice from the grapefruit in the salad, and throw in some dried cranberries or dried cherries. This is another salad that gets better the next day! You can also buy a head of iceberg lettuce – it can keep on the countertop for a good two days at current temperatures without wilting.

How Long is Food Good For in a Blackout?

Any meats left above 40 °F for 2 hours or more should not be eaten. If you keep your refrigerator closed, it should keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full should keep its temperature for 48 hours, or 24 hours if it’s half full. Remember to keep the door closed!

Of course we’re hoping Connecticut will fare better with this October storm than the last. If we lose electricity, let’s hope it’s not for long. But if we do have an extended power outage, use it as an excuse to whip up your own creativity in the kitchen!

Hurricane Sandy Shopping List Ideas

• Red onion
• Lemons
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Apples
• Mustard
• Caponata
• Fine crackers
• Crusty breads (Italian, Baguette)
• Cream Cheese
• Bagels
• Smoked Salmon (also trout)
• Capers
• Canned tuna
• Canned salmon
• Dried fruit: craisins, raisins, apricots
• Nuts: slivered almonds, honey roasted peanuts
• Canned beans: Kidney, Canellini, Garbanzo

Whether it is football (high school, college or pro) or the last little dreggs of baseball that you are tailgating for, it is such a fun time to get together with friends and family in the brisk Fall air.

If you’re the one that always brings the chili, why not try a different soup that highlights the season? At Emily’s Catering Group, one recipe comes to mind that is just delicious and that is butternut squash bisque. This simple soup with roasted butternut squash, cream, apples, salt and pepper and vegetable base pureed all together is like Fall in a bowl. This is a great alternative because  It doesn’t feel as heavy as a chili but fills you up all the same.

Butternut Bisque Instead of Chili at Tailgating!

Where there are sports, there are grills. As an alternative to just hot dogs and hamburgers (but of course those can still be on the menu) try a grilled cheese bar. Have three or more different kinds of bread and cheeses and then a plethora or other toppings and sauces that your guests can create their own culinary deliciousness. Serve with a hearty tomato bisque or the butternut bisque from above and you will have a satisfiedtailgating crowd!

Grilled Cheese Bar

Since tailgating is such a huge weekend pass time, changing things up each week can be a great way to try out new recipes!