Spotlight on Lauren & Jordan's B'nai Mitzvah!

A few weeks ago, an intimate group of family and friends gathered at the Port Theater in Corona Del Mar to celebrate the stars of the evening, Lauren & Jordan, at their B'nai Mitzvah bash! Here at Chef Molly Culinary Artistry, we were thrilled to help with the occasion by creating a custom designed menu designed to appeal to our guests of honor.

Our client really wanted this event to be centered on the kids, so we aimed for a fun and young menu that 12-13 year olds would love, but would appeal to adults too. The Port Theater with its hip lounge vibe, vintage accents and state of the art entertainment system made a unique and elegant backdrop for the affair. In keeping with the movie star theme, guests were greeted with a custom designed popcorn bar featuring flavors of kettle corn, caramel and ranch.  Each of the cones, 240 of them to be exact, were made by hand (we also used them for the waffle fries!). 

Passed hors d'oeuvre kept the guests smiling with Crispy Chicken Tenders, 'star' shaped Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and Rainbow 'star' Fruit Kabobs (with watermelon, pineapple and strawberries). A vegetarian/vegan option is simply a 'must' for today's clientele, so Chef Molly's Moroccan Cous Cous was a welcome addition to the menu!

In an effort to please partygoers of all ages, we created a Kid's Buffet featuring Sirloin Sliders with Tillamook Cheddar Cheese served with a house-made ketchup, Waffle fries with assorted dipping sauces, Mini Corn Dogs, and Margarita Pizzas with fire roasted tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. The Adult Buffet included Sliced Herb-crusted Chicken Breast and Poached Salmon served with sautéed red onion and house-made aioli, Roasted Red Potatoes, Green Bean Almondine and assorted Artisan Rolls. The Signature salad was a perennial crowd pleaser: butter lettuce, candied pecans, pears and goat cheese with a pomegranate vinaigrette. Guests dined on Artisanal cheese including creamy Bries, nutty Goat Cheese, sharp Cheddars, and smoked Gouda accompanied with fresh seasonal fruits (grown by local farmers!) served with hazelnuts, honey, chutneys, jams and imported crackers. 

Guests both young and old found common ground with a "Make Your Own Taco and Tostada" Buffet: Grilled Herbed Chicken, lean Ground Beef, house-made Pico de Gallo, Sour Cream, Spanish Rice, Refried Beans, Flour & Corn Tortillas, Crispy Taco & Tostada shells, Salsa and Guacamole.

The celebration ended with a star-studded dessert buffet: Ice Cream Sandwich & Sundae Bar and gourmet Coffee Station! House-made J & L monogrammed cookies, chocolate chip & flourless cookies, house-made ice cream and all the wonderful toppings you can possibly imagine! The coffee bar had to be top notch. "Really good coffee is super important to me" explained Molly, chef de cuisine. "Nothing worse than a crummy cup of coffee after a good meal!" The Coffee Station included chocolate shavings, flavored syrups and raw sugar. 

Photography:  Kristina Lee Photography

Venue: The Port Theater

'Elements' with Chef Molly

Chef Molly has been known to spoil her clients, stopping at no lengths to make sure every detail is perfect. Making each client feel pampered is of the highest importance! But wouldn’t it be great if that experience could last beyond the night of the event?  If you could take it home and re-live the culinary artistry all over again? 

When a group of the top wedding planners and professionals met in Newport for a weekend of pampering, Molly presented them with a unique concept and striking presentation tucked inside a logo-branded wooden box.

“I have been cultivating this idea for a long time.  My thought was to create all the major components of an hors d’oeuvre so that they can be created at a whim or for a special gathering. It needed to be fun, versatile and beautifully packaged” explained Molly, chef de cuisine.  

  

The vessel itself, a beautifully crafted wooden box branded with Chef Molly’s logo, hinted at the ‘Earth’ element and perfectly piqued curiosity as to its contents. What other classical elements could be inside?

                                                            

Air Element:

Light & fluffy Traditional Scones, Malbec Red Onion & Fig Conserve, Liquid Gold (our signature balsamic reduction) and Cayenne Brown Sugar.  

With these elements provided, Chef Molly made suggestions as to what additions could be added at service:  Bacon, Speck, Seared Chicken Breast, Manchego Cheese.  
                           

Adding personal creativity at home is part of the vision (and fun!) with these boxes; fine dining elements from a classically trained Chef, but the final dish manifests in the hands of the recipient! Scones, Fig Conserve, Liquid Gold and Cayenne Brown Sugar…it’s hard to go wrong! 

The 2nd course blooms with promising possibilities…

Ocean Element:

Air Dried Pineapple Flower Cups, Malay Sweet & Spicy Sambal, Tea Smoked Sesame Seeds

Suggested additions: Broiled Shrimp, Smoked Tofu, Steamed Black Cod, Lump Meat Crab.

           

 It takes 24 hours to make these pineapple flowers but the time is worth the results.

Photo credit: Studio EMP 

And of course we  crowned this beautiful box with a logo-cookie on top! We share kitchen space with the talented sugar artist at Plumeria Cake Studio…how could we not?!  

In conclusion, we ask you, dear clients and readers…how do you feel about this ‘Elements’ concept? Do you like the idea of a chef-created hors d'oeuvre that can be finished at home and shared with friends and family? We would love to hear from you! 


Read more about the Flavors of Newport event:
http://www.natalievishny.com/blog-beta/category/pxlm8fqtzxp4hpnum3mvqk0jv7v691

Sweetheart's Breakfast: Scotch Eggs on Brioche with Irish Butter and fresh Strawberry Jam

Happy Valentine's Day from 

Chef Molly Culinary Artistry!

Love is in the air! Isn't it extra sweet when Valentine's Day falls on a weekend? Instead of the same old dinner reservations and candy, what about breakfast in bed or even cooking a meal together? Chef Molly has created this unforgettable breakfast menu guaranteed to let your Sweethearts know that they are loved! 

Scotch Eggs on Brioche with Irish Butter and fresh Strawberry Jam.

Ingredients matter! Chef Molly recommends exploring some of the local artisan butchers for the perfect farm eggs and high quality sausage.   A lovely runny middle with a golden, crispy outside...that is a perfect Scotch Egg! 

Scotch Eggs 

4 eggs

1# fine quality sausage

1 egg beaten well

1/4 cup flour

2 cups panko bread crumbs

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

4 slices brioche bread

1. Soft poach 4 eggs for approximately 4 minutes. Remove form boiling water and immediately submerge into ice water bath. This will stop it from cooking any further. Let eggs rest in the ice water for 5 minutes. Remove and carefully peal away shell then set aside.

2. Remove sausage meat from the casing and divide into 4 equal portions. Form a round ball then flatten.

3. Place one soft boiled egg in the middle of each of the flattened portions of sausage and close up around the egg.

4. Set up three bowls with 1/4 cup flour in the first, another with 1 egg beaten well and the last with 2 cups panko bread crumbs. 

5. Roll each sausage covered egg in flour first then roll in the egg batter and lastly roll in the panko bread crumbs.

6. Heat a heavy bottomed saute pan and add your oil. When oil is hot add your sausage rolled eggs and cook until sausage is cooked through and the bread crumbs are golden brown. Remove in to a paper towel 

just before service.

Fresh Strawberry Jam 

Nothing conveys the message of love quite like homemade Strawberry Jam! This can be made up to a week in advance and is so easy even the kids can help out!   

See those little hands squeezing the lemon?  

That would be my daughter Maya :)

1# fresh Strawberries

2/3 cup raw sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1. Wash and hull strawberries. Cut strawberries in 1/4 and toss with sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.Let sit 10 minutes.

2. Place all ingredients into a heavy bottomed sauce pan and cook on low to medium heat for 15-20 minutes. 

3. Remove from pan and place in a jar to refrigerate for use.

Food is the ultimate expression of love! Get things cooking in the kitchen, then get cozy and enjoy this heartfelt meal with the ones you love. 

Happy Valentine's Day from Chef Molly Culinary Artistry!