Peter Callahan's Party Food

by Peter Callahan

  Copyright © 2017 by PETER CALLAHAN

  Photography copyright © 2017 by CON P0ULOS

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by CLARKSON POTTER/PUBLISHERS, an imprint of the CROWN PUBLISHING GROUP, a division of PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LLC, New York.

  crownpublishing.com

  clarksonpotter.com

  CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a registered trademark of PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE LLC.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 9780553459715

  Ebook ISBN 9780553459722

  Cover design by IAN DINGMAN

  Cover photography by CON POULOS

  v4.1

  prh

  To my wonderful wife, Josephine, who is my partner in all things

  CONTENTS

  Foreword

  Introduction

  Kitchen Tools and Conveniences

  PASSED

  Hors d’Oeuvres, Savory and Sweet

  PLATED

  The Seated Dinner in Multiple Courses

  FAMILY STYLE

  Entertaining Family and Friends

  BARS, CARTS, AND SPECIALTY DRINKS

  Fun and Unique Service Scenarios

  Acknowledgments

  Sources

  Index

  Foreword

  I first met Peter when he had just come up with his concept for shrinking comfort food into small, single bites to serve at parties. That was almost twenty years ago.

  These were perfect for my fashion events, where we wanted things that were cute and fun, but also easy to eat. Not long after, Peter started pairing mini drinks with his mini foods and those became my next must-haves.

  All these things Peter did first, but what many people may not be aware of is that Peter interprets ideas across the whole party spectrum, including buffets, seated dinners, carts and more. He understands people and their vision for entertaining.

  A beach vacation in Mexico influenced the planning for my husband Andy’s birthday. I told Peter I wanted shanty chic food and displays—I said I wanted mismatched flatware that looked like it had been run over by a truck as an analogy for the whole feel of the party. Peter so got it and carried that concept throughout the event. It felt authentic and completely captured the mood I wanted.

  Peter’s hors d’oeuvres are legendary and, as you can see in this book, he keeps ringing up hit after hit, but it’s the treatment of all the components of food and beverage where his genius continues to shine. It may be shanty-chic Mexican for a birthday or a fine French multi-course dinner for a European crowd, but guests at either event will enjoy delicious food, even if their number is in the hundreds.

  And then there are all the other aspects of an event that he creates, all these innovative serving displays—like a cake made of caviar (this page), served at a special occasion instead of dessert, or carving stations for fish or meat that look like art (this page and this page) but are practical and function well to serve your guests.

  It is often said by others that there is nothing new in the world of design and parties, but Peter proves year in and year out that he has a treasure trove of unique and appealing ideas to amaze and delight us all.

  I am so thankful that he has pulled the curtain back to share his knowledge. Consider it your invitation to the world of Peter’s parties.

  Kate Spade

  Introduction

  The press has called me “the king of hors d’oeuvres,” and it’s true that I may be most well known for introducing the world to mini comfort food, often with matching mini drinks, served on custom-designed trays. So it was natural that my first book, Bite by Bite, focused on these concepts.

  But I dream up ideas across the entire landscape of the event world: platter layouts and structures for buffets that are simple yet original, creative serving carts for drinks, and beautiful designs for plates of delicious, seasonal food.

  I work with clients who dine at the best restaurants around the world and wish to replicate such experiences for their own landmark celebrations, such as a three-hundred-guest wedding or thousand-person charity dinner. So we at Peter Callahan have become experts in creating perfect meals that look and taste amazing and can be served quickly to hundreds of people.

  When I do my job correctly, it brings great joy to those who attend these parties—and the work that goes on behind the scenes is invisible to them. But I would like more of the public to be able to experience what I do without having to hire me. So now I am pulling back the curtain on my culinary design world.

  When my team and I think of a new idea, our first thought is: Can we do this for a large group of people? We have the advantage of working from what used to be Jive Records recording studio, and is now our seven-thousand-square-foot kitchen and design studio, in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. Close to thirty employees work in our space daily. But then we pack up everything needed for the event and ship it all off in trucks—and sometimes planes—to an event site that usually has no kitchen. From there, we serve hundreds of guests, perhaps even a thousand, according to precise timelines.

  But no matter the size of the event, we take the same approach: Can we create something beautiful and fresh and elegant and perhaps entertaining that, to our knowledge, hasn’t been done before? Can we create something that is personal to our hosts or unique to the environment of the event?

  We always set out to see how we can do things in a different way; we rethink every part of the food and beverage experience at each event. It is this approach that defines us and differentiates us as caterers and event planners.

  But the same steps we take in designing a large-scale event are ones you can follow at home, allowing you to serve dinner and then enjoy it along with your guests. Our criteria for dishes that can be put together easily at the last minute, with a lot of the prep done ahead, are perhaps even more beneficial for the home cook who doesn’t have helpers in the kitchen.

  This book contains the best of our ideas. Luckily, they just keep rolling in, and it is this continuing creative process that makes our business a joy. Here, we open our kitchen to share far and wide the ideas that our clients have relished the most and to help you translate them for a variety of situations.

  Enjoy!

  Peter

  Kitchen Tools and Conveniences

  The recipes in this book will result in delicious food, but the dishes are made that much more special by their presentation. Let’s discuss the equipment that will not only make the food preparation easier but also help you achieve the right look.

  Baking Dishes

  Whether glass, ceramic, or stainless steel, baking dishes are inexpensive and very useful for everything from marinating to baking to serving to storing. Stock your cabinets with an assortment of sizes, including 8 and 9 inches square and 9 × 11- and 9 × 13-inch oblongs.

  Baking Sheets

  Rimmed baking sheets measuring 18 × 13 inches, also known as half-sheet pans, are a necessity. Quarter-sheets (9 × 13 inches) are useful, too. It’s good to have at least two of each size.

  Blender

  A good blender with a tight-fitting lid is a kitchen basic that can puree anything from soup to frozen fruit for smoothies and cocktails. If you don’t have one, or are looking to buy a new one, consider a high-speed model like a Vitamix. This will crush ice easily, perfectly emulsify homemade mayonnaise and other sauces, make flour from whole nuts, and extract fresh juices from whole fruits and vegetables.

  Cast-Iron Skillet

  You can cook, bake, or sear just about anything in a cast-iron skillet, but what it does best is fry. The cast iron heats evenly and ke
eps the oil at a steady temperature. Buy a deep skillet (at least 5 inches high) with a lid—it’s especially great for recipes like Mini Chicken Wings (this page), Eggplant Meatballs (this page), Homemade Potato Chips (this page), and Breakfast Egg Rolls (this page). Cast-iron skillets are inexpensive, too, so it won’t break the budget to get one—or two.

  Cocktail Shaker

  For mixing margaritas and martinis in style.

  Cookie Cutters

  Start collecting biscuit or cookie cutters in lots of fun shapes and assorted sizes, from standard round and square ones to specialty shapes like pigs, musical notes, and bones.

  Cups and Glasses

  Cordial glasses, mini tulip glasses, sake cups, silver mint julep cups, mini beer steins, espresso cups, and small shot glasses are incredibly versatile. Use them for drinks, cocktails, soups, and even for some desserts.

  Dishers

  In addition to the ice cream scoop you know and love, dishers come in a wide range of sizes that make it easy to create consistently sized portions. We frequently use a #100 disher, which holds ¾ tablespoon, for hors d’oeuvres like our Eggplant Meatballs (this page) and Meatballs (this page). Larger versions that hold up to ⅓ cup are available, and you can even find an oval-shaped disher that makes attractive quenelles of sorbet (see this page).

  Fine-Mesh Sieve

  A medium to large fine-mesh sieve is great for straining everything from cereal milk (see this page) to Sorrel Soup (this page). You can also use it as a pasta strainer instead of a colander.

  Food Processor

  A kitchen workhorse for soups, sauces, purees, even cracker dough. Buying a model that includes a smaller work bowl is a great idea—it comes in handy as a spice grinder or for finely chopping nuts and herbs, making pastes, and processing foods in small batches.

  Grill Pans

  I call for nonstick ridged and flat grill pans throughout the book. Ridged pans are great for getting grill marks on baby corn (see this page), lemons (see this page), and vegetables (see this page). A flat grill pan, or griddle, makes cooking pancakes a breeze.

  Hotel Pans

  Hotel pans are rectangular stainless steel pans used to cook, store, and serve food. Designed to fit into steam tables, they’re great for marinating meat (see this page, this page, and this page), freezing granitas, and a host of other uses. A full-size hotel pan is about 12 × 20 inches and comes in 2-, 4-, and 6-inch depths. Half hotel pans, which are about 12 × 10 inches, are nice for a smaller number of servings.

  Instant-Read Digital Thermometer

  This is indispensable when knowing exact temperature is important—such as whether oil is hot enough for frying or meat is cooked to your liking. The kind with the probe attached to a base via a metal wire can be helpful—you can leave the probe in a pot of oil or in meat while it’s in the oven. Some models also have an alarm to let you know when the oil is too hot or when your meat is perfectly cooked.

  Knives

  You don’t need any special knives to make the dishes in this book, although keeping your knives sharp and honed will make precision work easier. A chef’s knife, paring knife, boning knife, serrated bread knife, and kitchen shears are the essentials.

  Mandoline

  When you need super thin slices of potatoes (see this page and this page), beets, and other vegetables, a mandoline makes the job a cinch.

  Microplane Grater

  A can’t-live-without tool for perfectly removing zest (and leaving the bitter pith behind) from citrus. Unlike a zester or a box grater, a Microplane removes zest in small bits, so there’s no need to chop it into smaller pieces afterward.

  Mixing Bowls

  Amass as many as your cupboards can handle! Small mixing bowls, especially stylish ones, can double as serving dishes for nuts or other small finger foods.

  Pastry Brush

  A traditional pastry brush, silicone brush, or even small natural-bristle paintbrush from the hardware store is great for moistening the edges of wontons when sealing them, for brushing egg wash on pastry to give it a nice shine before it goes into the oven, or for brushing melted butter or olive oil onto vegetables before and after cooking.

  Pastry Tips

  In addition to piping frostings or garnishes, I use pastry tips for everything from cutting out mini circles of mozzarella cheese (see this page) to molding mini breads and ice cream cones (see this page and this page).

  Pitchers and Carafes

  Glass pitchers, vintage carafes, and decanters all work nicely for serving cocktails and mixers as well as nonalcoholic beverages.

  Platters and Trays

  How else are you going to serve your beautiful creations? Always keep an eye out for cake plates, tiered hors d’oeuvre stands, platters, and trays of all sizes. I like white platters with clean lines, but if your style is all about French country, then choose colors and shapes that work with your decor and taste. Mixing a few neutral-colored platters into any collection is a good idea.

  Rolling Pin

  Whether rolling out dough or flattening bread to make bread cones, a tapered French pin is lightweight and beautiful, and works like a charm.

  Ruler

  A clear plastic ruler is easy to store and wash. A mini retractable tape measure comes in handy, too.

  Skillets and Sauté Pans

  Nonstick and regular stainless steel skillets (or frying pans) have slanted sides, which make them perfect for quick cooking; sauté pans have straight sides and a larger surface area, so they’re good for searing meat and reducing sauces.

  Slotted Spoon and Frying Spider

  These utensils come in handy for straining pasta, removing vegetables from a pot of broth, and turning Homemade Potato Chips (this page) as they fry. A slotted spoon is simply a metal spoon that is perforated. A frying spider is like a skimmer with a mesh net attached.

  Squeeze Bottles

  You put all that time and effort into making the food, so finish it with precision, like a pro. Using a squeeze bottle to dress a plate (see this page) really finishes the look.

  Stand Mixer

  A stand mixer makes kneading bread dough a snap. It’s also convenient for mixing cakes and cookies and for whipping egg whites and heavy cream. A hand mixer and a large bowl work for the latter in a pinch.

  Tart Pans

  Mini tart pans come in handy for all sorts of preparations, and are essential for Individual Apple Tarte Tatins (this page).

  Printer

  Last but not least is an item you might not think of as part of a culinary arsenal. The printer for your home computer is a handy design and presentation tool. Use it to print custom labels for mini pizza boxes (see this page), cones for holding French fries (see this page), soda bottle labels (see this page), and all manner of personalization that will delight and surprise your guests.

  PASSED

  Hors d’Oeuvres,

  Savory and Sweet

  I’ve become famous for miniaturized versions of favorite comfort foods and hors d’oeuvres with wit and whimsy. I serve breakfast hors d’oeuvres not only at breakfast events, but also at the end of evening affairs. When the client wants the dancing to last all night, we might pass trays of Breakfast Egg Rolls (this page) or Mini Fruit Tart Pops (this page)—it’s like a trip to the local diner at three in the morning.

  People want that little bit of indulgence, even something rich, if it’s just a single bite. Sweet hors d’oeuvres are a great addition to a party. Passing trays of mini dessert items at the end of a cocktail party helps to let people know it’s time to go home. The guests may think all the food has been served, but wait—there’s more!

  My hors d’oeuvres are not complicated, but most are original ideas or twists on a classic item. An hors d’oeuvre tray can be filled with beautiful, classic food that has been served for years and people will enjoy it—but they won’t remember it. But when trays bearing our caviar-topped “rings” (see this page) arrive, guests are surprised and intrigued. Unusual presentations like t
hese become an ice breaker at cocktails and get the guests talking: “Can I actually touch this?” They look at each other to see who will be the first to dare to try a “ring” on their finger. People will remember that for years to come.

  I try to create food that makes an emotional connection with the guests—something that goes beyond being attractive and tasty. The food often triggers favorite memories, reminding people of birthday cake from their youth or summer nights spent at an ice cream stand. This food makes people happy and creates an emotional response. Our connection is also achieved through the styling of the food. Often it makes people smile when they see it. When done right, the food concept and styling makes the presentation about much more than food—it becomes a whole experience.

  CAVIAR CAKE

  This multitiered stand turns our popular buckwheat blinis with caviar into a “cake.” We sometimes use this in place of a birthday or wedding cake. It’s an elegant accompaniment to a Champagne toast. (The recipe for the blinis can be found in my book Bite by Bite.)

  SCALLOPS AND PEARLS

  I am very fortunate to have summered on Nantucket since high school. One of the things the island is known for is Nantucket Bay scallops, and the beaches along the sound are covered with their beautiful shells. Those shells—and their myriad natural shades of yellow, orange, and red—were the inspiration for this hors d’oeuvre.

  Although we use a bay scallop shell as the platform (see the serving tip, this page, to learn how we made this work), there’s a sea scallop nestled inside; we cut them down to the proper size for a single bite. At home, you should simply use bay scallops; it’s easier and you’ll avoid the waste. It is seared, then topped with a dollop of flavorful sauce ravigote and garnished with finely diced cucumbers. Guests can lift the scallop right out of the shell and pop it in their mouth.