How to cook dinner like you know what you are doing

A couple weeks ago, I did a ten course, dinner for nine. Ok, putting on a dinner like this may be pretentious, and it may be showing off but there is a reason for it. If you have a comfortable Dining room, nine good chairs, a good mixture of personalities and backgrounds, then it can be a wonderful social event. It is the way I was raised. Once in a while you have dinner in the big room, with the shiny silverware and fancy plates. Yes that dinner lasts more then 37 minutes. Pushing your self as a host and a cook is your opportunity to grow. All you have to do is be able to execute ten courses for that many people.

The key to succeeding with a complex service is organization. The more complex the event the more organized you have to be. Firing up a quick post night club dessert, is about as simple as a service comes. Pleasing a couple of drunk clubbers requires nothing more then having the right supplies on hand. Ten courses for a crowd is a totally different beast but it can be managed. An event of this nature takes discipline, organization and lots of prep work.

When I start planning a service (other then a 2:25 AM Sabayon) this is the basic method I use for organizing a service. It applies to dinner, apps, or just a plain ol hootenanny.. Ok, I am going to look like a crazy, anal over the top, hyper organized gastrofreekagoofazoid by the time this is written, but I will take my chances because it does work.

My planning is basically a set of lists that start out real simple and conceptual. These lists feed other lists that bloom into detailed, anal beasts that capture every detail of the service. Every single service that I do always starts with a concept…

Concept: What? do you want to do?? Apps, Dinner, Brunch or what??
Who ? what kind of a crowd? Who many?
Really who?? Invitation list.
How?? Are we talking 2 course? 12 courses, or pancakes?

Course: I list out the courses on a piece of paper that I want to do. These tie into my concept above by using “What” and “How”.

Amuse Beuche, Soup, Appetizer, Fish, Pallet cleansing (sorbet….), entre, salad, cheese, Dessert, coffee and chocolates.. or a mixture of these courses

Menu: I copy the courses onto a new sheet.. and start filling in ideas. For example: Snails, Stuffed Chicken with a blah blah blah sauce, or Rack of lamp, Rice? Or mashed potatoes

The menu is worked, and I push things in and out based on complementary components, history (my dear ol cousin Sis had a diary so that she never ever served the same dish to the same guest twice) I balance different types of protein, sauces, and the given weight of items.
For example, I won’t serve chicken 6 times. Or all fish. Or no fish. Flavor profiles are compared and balanced. I may use a re-occurring theme aka flavor profile, classic combinations, or as a shot in the pallet, a new and unique flavor profile.

Any way, there is a lot of artistry in managing the menu. But work it until you are happy with a menu and it is one that can actually be executed, and a menu that will keep your guests on their toes.

Final Menu: Take the final menu, and add all items associated with each course. This means bread, whipped butter, wine, truffles, ect.

Menu Components: Using your “Final Menu”, add every component required to serve that item.
Trout becomes, “Pan Seared Trout, Tarragon Beur Blanc, and chopped tarragon garnish.
Onion Soup becomes, Onion Soup, Croutons, and sliced Cheese.
Chocolate mouse becomes: Chocolate Mousse, Whipped Cream, Coco Powder.

This list should be detailed; it will serve as the start for a prep list, as well as a service list.

Component Ingredients: Using Menu Components as a starting point, add ingredients. Make a list that is grouped by courses, then each course is grouped by their components and then finally every component lists individually all ingredients required with quantities. List every thing even if an item was listed before. When you are done you should have a list of every single ingredient with its quantity needed to execute the service. Grouped by component of every item of every course.

Ingredients: Starting with the first ingredient on your Components Ingredients list, make a new list. Write that item down, then look for any re-occurrences of that ingredient. Sum up quantities to get a total required quantity for the entire menu. Continue on until every ingredient has been summed up into the master ingredients list. I actually check each item off of the Components Ingredients, so that I don’t miss any item or any addition in quantity.

Shopping List: Using your Ingredients, Write on a new list first “Produce” and then list all items found on Ingredients list that are produce items with their total quantity. Once all produce items have been re-listed mover on to “Fish”, then “Meat”, “Delly”, “Cheese”, “Dairy”, “Dry Goods”, and “Frozen Goods,” ect..
List all Wines and liquors needed to cook with and to serve with the service.

This list is organized by department in the grocery store. When you get to the Fish dept, you will have a concise list of al fish items you need and you will not have to “Go Back” for something you missed. This technique will make you look like a grocery rock star. You should see the looks I get when house wives peer over my shoulder to see what I am up to…

Prep List: Using your Menu Components, list every component that needs to be prepared prior to service.
Mise En Place: add to Prep list all prep items that are set aside to work with. This list almost always includes finely dices shallots, garlic, parsley, Basel, separated butter. Add additional prep items like butcher chicken or filet fish.

Platting Plan: Using your Menu, Decide how to plate each dish for each course. Yes you have to count plates.. You may not have enough of one type and either use a mixture of styles or a different plate altogether. The point is, think about how you will plate, what you have and then sort it out. I will stack my plates in the part of my kitchen where I do the platting, in order, as they will be used, course by course. Leave a space in the stacks if you have to wash and reuse a given plate. Think about what utensils you will need. Are you going to have people reuse utensils? Arrange 30 at each setting? Or place them down as a given course is being served?? Just figure it out before the soufflé is en rout to the dining room table.

The Line…… aka your range. Just one little itsy bitsy teensy weensy comment here…. If a course has 3 items, 4 different sauces, a couple of hot garnishes, and you have one sauté, and 2 sauce pans.. you either need to stick to post clubbing desserts or go shopping… think about what you need to fire a course and have it done on time, all proper like.


So….. we have done all this planning. As the even approaches, I have a definitive guest list to mail invitations to, I can even mail a menu to them to double check problems ( or just show off) and I know what I need to do. When I go shopping I have a list organized by grocery store department. I will not waist time at Wegmans, and I will not need to go back for any thing… I mean any thing!!. As I start getting ready, I use my prep list to decide what to do first( usually the hardest first and then down the line). When the eleventh hour approaches I will have a fully crossed off prep list, I check my stack of plates against my menu and platting plan, and I set the table according to how I will execute. I know exactly what wine to serve and when, what wine glasses to have on the table and what ones to have ready some where else. If you will ever be able to this dinner then you will be able to do it now. Just cook and be charming..

If I was really thorough, it is easy for me to cook. Every thing I need is ready and all I have to do is fire courses.



My Menu:

Amuse Bouche

Champignons aux Islay
(Sautéed mushroom in a Islay scotch sauce)

Soupé

Consume de poulet avec citron et vin blanc
(Chicken consume seasoned with lemon juice and white wine)

Appétiez

Pétoncle de curry
(Seared scallop with curry butter sauce)

Poisson

Mousse de vivaneau rouge avec crevettes et Riesling béchamel
(Red snapper mousse filled with shrimp in a dilled Riesling sauce)

Sorbet

Entre

Filet de bœuf avec demi glace vin rouge
Légumes de jour
Deux fois pommes de terre

(Beef tenderloin served with a red wine demi-glace)
(Mixed Vegetables)
(Twice backed potatoes)

Salade

Verts mixtes avec estragon pansement
(Mixed greens and a tarragon vinaigrette)

Fromage

Toi fromage avec sauce framboise
(Three Cheeses and a raspberry sauce)

Désert

Deux soufflé au chocolat avec crème anglaisé
(Two Chocolate soufflés served with English custard sauce)

Café

Français café et truffé
(Coffee and chocolate truffles)