Wedding Fare to Remember

The response card, it may seem like a small piece of paper whose only purpose is to relay the wedding day responses and regrets of family and friends. But the response card also gives potential guests a tiny feel for what they can expect on the big day. Can the day that you've been planning for perhaps your entire life be described as, "chicken, beef or unnamed vegetarian option?" How about, "Herb-Roasted Cornish Game Hen, Miso Glazed Salmon or Wild Porcini Mushroom Ravioli?"

Catering options for weddings are expanding. Everything from ethnic cuisines to non-traditional styles of serving are becoming readily available through caterers who are keeping up with the demands of a food-centric culture. And there are plenty of companies ready to "cater" to a couple's cuisine dreams right around the corner.

Seasoned Palette Catering

Lauren Barone and Marianne Stravinskas' culinary paths met when they began running the café at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton in 2005. Two years ago they opened a full-service catering company together- Seasoned Palette Catering. Today, Seasoned Palette caters weddings, bar mitzvahs, corporate functions and small dinner parties throughout the greater Boston area and Cape Cod.

Seasoned Palette works with couples to custom design a menu just for their wedding. Aside from the traditional plated dinner or buffet-style meal, Barone points out that Seasoned Palette offers a small plates option, a fairly new style that she has become an increasingly popular option for weddings. "It's like an extended cocktail hour with passed small plates. It's extremely elegant," said Barone.

Some examples of signature dishes that Seasoned Palette incorporates into a small plates menu include Seared Halibut with a Ginger Shitake Cream Sauce and an Herbed Lamb Chop with a Balsamic Fig Reduction.

"A good event encompasses not just great food, but great service as well," commented Barone. Because of this belief, Seasoned Palette does not use a temporary wait staff for their weddings and events. They rely on their establish service staff to ensure that the quality of service matches their high-end food.

Seasoned Palette recommends booking at least six months in advance of your wedding date. But busy times of the year, like May, June, September and October, fill up quickly and may need to be booked closer to a year in advance. For more information, email seasonedpalette@gmail.com.

Stir It Up Cuisine

After years of catering friends events for fun Patrcia Kiernan decided to leave the medical field and start using her culinary skills professionally. Five years ago she started Stir It Up Cuisine, a full-service catering company "with a Caribbean flair."

Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Kiernan learned about cooking and traditional Caribbean dishes from her family's cook. Kiernan's father was a pioneer of the Jamaican recording industry, and his relationship with Bob Marley eventually became the inspiration for the name "Stir it Up."

Kiernan's customer base is primarily made up of members of the Caribbean population, who, she says, tend toward traditional dishes, but her menu offerings span a wide variety of tastes and cultures. According to Kiernan, a traditional Caribbean meal would consist of Fricaseed Chicken, Rice and Beans, Jerk Pork and Baked Plantain.

For the American palate, Stir It Up offers main course options like Filet of Beef Bourguignon and Stuffed Cornish Hen. Stir It Up can also prepare non-traditional, upscale dishes such as Stuffed Lamb, Creole Shrimp or Rolled Flounder. All dishes are adaptable to a couple's tastes and preferences, "I'm pretty flexible; it's your day and you should get whatever you want," said Kiernan.

Kiernan says that a number of factors should be considered when selecting a menu and service style, "Venue is the biggest factor, number of people, formality, if you plated, buffet or family style and, of course, budget."

Kiernan has worked in all types of venues, both traditional and outdoor; she's even catered a luau-style reception in a barn in New Hampshire. Stir It Up Cuisine is also a preferred vendor at the Milton Hoosic Club.

Kiernan recommends booking your date nine months in advance. At that time couples work with her to develop their menu and schedule a tasting. Tastings are held one Wednesday a month and can also be purchased prior to booking. For more information, visit www.stiritupcuisine.com.

Tasting Notes

A few final things to consider when selecting your wedding caterer

First and foremost, make sure that your prospective caterer offers tastings. It's food, the most important thing is how it tastes, and most professional caterers will give you the opportunity to taste their work before the big day. "It's nice to see what a menu looks like on paper, but you really want to be sure you like a caterers food," Barone astutely points out.

Discuss your venue with your caterer. The reason for this is twofold; first, it's imperative that they are able to work in the space. Let them know all of the amenities available at your facility as well as any limitations. Some caterers will even do a site visit before they commit to working an event.

The second reason to talk location is that caterers have professional experience which may help to select a menu style best suited for your location. A full-service caterer will also be able to lend professional insight into other aspects of your wedding, helping with everything from linens, to rentals, to music options.

Be sure to have a budget in mind before speaking with caterers, "this is helpful for the caterer so they can come up with a reasonable, elegant menu," said Barone. "A good cater should be thinking 'how can we make your event as elegant as possible with [a couple's] budget in mind?'" Being upfront about this aspect can also prevent the disappointment of being presented with the perfect menu that's out of your price range.

For couples overwhelmed by the stress of micromanaging every aspect of their wedding, Barone offers a final of wisdom, "Let the professionals do their job. If you have a good caterer and they know what you want, you don't need to stress over every little detail of your event."