HORS D’OEUVRES
My passion for the hors d’oeuvre was cultivated as a college undergraduate working as a lowly intern in Washington, DC, for United States Senator Herman Talmadge. Night-after-night I would call the Senate dinning room to inquire as to where the various receptions were held around the capital. Lo and behold – I’d show up representing the Senator… who was totally oblivious as to how well he was represented at Capital Hill functions. I could easily forego dinner, and make a meal on just appetizers and hors d’oeuvres.
We, of course, have hundreds of luscious options of appetizers and hors d’oeuvres to choose from – below is just a sample list of some of my favorites…and they have become our clients favorites as well. We are continually adding to this selection so continue to check back for new offerings and creations.
Because every element of an hors d’oeuvre is important, we make a dizzying array of building blocks as a base for a great tasting hors d’oeuvre. We spend hours deciding on what will best compliment our tasty toppings, fillings and spreads. Whether it is our homemade tartlet shells, brioche boxes, crostini’s, pita crisps, blue corn tortillas rounds, sweet potato gaufrettes, or any one of dozens of others, you can be assured we have spent many long hours deciding what will make the absolute best tasting hors d’oeuvre.
While they are all scrumptious, and all my favorites (regrettably); the hors d’oeuvres highlighted with an asterisk (*) are some of our repeat client’s most requested. Please do not feel limited in this small sampling of ideas – use this guide as a good starting point to see what may tantalize your palate, and then, we will create a menu tailored to your desires and tastes.
SEAFOOD
Buffalo Shrimp*
These might be just the most requested item we serve. Whether it is an
elegant cocktail party, or an outside bar b q, people just can’t
get enough of them. We start with fine shrimp, dust them in our spiced
flour, being careful to shake off all the excess flour so you get to taste
the shrimp - not the breading – we fry them on-site, and toss them
in the most incredible homemade Buffalo Sauce imaginable. They are mild
enough for every taste bud, with a hint of cayenne
Parmesan Shrimp Canapé*
I served these at my very first cocktail party right out of college. They
are a real crowd pleaser. They are light and delicious – made with
small rounds of fresh bread brushed with garlic butter – topped
with an incredible Shrimp & Scallion spread, and topped with freshly
grated parmesan cheese, sprinkled with fine Hungarian Paprika –
and broiled until they are bubbly hot…simply AWESOME!
Shrimp Scampi
Sautéed in Chardonnay, Garlic and Butter – What a Flavor!
Buttermilk Fried Shrimp or Coconut Fried Shrimp
We start with great Jumbo 16/20 Shrimp, fry them on-site, and serve them
with three unique sauces: a light Creamy Mustard Sauce, Homemade Asian
Duck Sauce, Bailey’s Cocktail Sauce
Chilled Jumbo Shrimp
We suggest these shrimp be placed at the bar for easy access. Serve with
our Dual Sauces: Horseradish Cocktail Sauce, and Serrano-Mint Sauce, what
better way to enjoy a nice cool libation
Grilled
Maine Lobster Bites*
You have not had lobster until you’ve had our grilled Maine lobster.
Grilled, then cut into bite-size chunks, and painted with butter and fresh
lemon
Chardonnay & Garlic
Scented Mussels
The mussel is loosened and served on the shell for easy slurping
Crabmeat
Rangoon
Made with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Cream Cheese & Scallions – Fried
and Served with a Homemade Sweet Wasabi Sauce
Fresh
Tuna Tartare Crostini
Served on top of crostini’s, fried sesame wonton crisps, or pumpernickel,
drizzled with Green Wasabi Aioli
Miniature Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Topped with a Dollop of Lime Scented Mango & Cayenne Aioli
Pan Seared Scallops w/ Minted Fava Bean*
I was trying to figure a good way to serve scallops – different
that the typical “wrapped in bacon.” After dozens of attempts,
we hit on one that everyone really seems to love. We puree blanched fava
beans with fresh mint, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and
other spices to make a thick puree – top a crositini with a dollop
of fava bean puree and top that with the pan seared scallop – a
final squeeze of lemon and fresh mint – it looks beautiful, and
is the next best thing to dangling your bare feet in the Mediterranean
BEEF
Tenderloin Crostini Bites*
Another great hit at a party. We just can’t serve enough of these.
We start with our own bake crostini brushed with a bit of extra virgin
olive oil, sprinkled with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. We top
the crostini with a generous piece of prime tenderloin and top that with
something truly unique – thinly sliced cucumber that has macerated
in cane sugar and natural rice wine vinegar – giving it a sweet
crunchy texture. It is an incredible blend of flavors. You’ve just
got to taste these sensations
Asian
Meatballs*
Everyone loves meatballs, and these are truly special. They are made with
a bit of fresh ginger and finely diced water chestnuts, and marinated
in our own special Brown Sugar Soy Wasabi Sauce, and served with a Blanched
Snow Pea skewer adding a crunchy dimension
Burgundy
Meatballs
These gems are made with Veal, Pork and Beef – flavored perfectly
– and simmered in a rich sauce made with fine Burgundy wine. The
wine, liquors, or spirits, we use in any of our food, are only those we’d
enjoy drinking ourselves. Please, never use so called “cooking wines”
or “cooking sherry’s” in your own cooking – for
the only way to achieve the finest quality end taste, is by using the
finest ingredients. The three most important elements of good food are:
Ingredients, Ingredients, Ingredients
Bite-Size Black Angus-Beef Hamburger
Your guests will be enchanted – served on our own miniature brioche
bun topped with sesame seeds
Bite-Size Tenderloin & Baby Swiss Bites
A homemade miniature brioche roll is filled with tenderloin, topped with
baby Swiss cheese, and a dollop of caramelized onion to make a good thing
even better. The same size as our miniature hamburger, these bite-size
nuggets are delectable
Open-Faced Rib-eye Philly Cheese Steaks
Need we say more – a Philly Cheese Steak , made with the most flavorful
ribeye streak, served on a lightly toasted crostini, with peppers and
onions and melted provolone cheese. These are better than Pat’s
in Philadelphia
PORK
& LAMB
Pork Pinchitos with Tomato Romesco Sauce*
Pork Tenderloin is cubed into bite size pieces and marinated overnight
in white wine, garlic, paprika, olive oil, and a blend of other spices
– grilled and served with the most delicious sauce you will ever
taste…made with plum tomatoes, toasted almonds, and a blend of other
spices. I wish I had some right now. Your guests will love them!
Pulled Pork & Red Onion Quesadillas
Topped with Spiced Sour Cream, Fresh Mango, Avocado, and a sprig of Cilantro
Miniature Buttermilk Biscuits & Virginia Baked Ham
Our Buttermilk Biscuits can be made with Aged Cheddar Cheese for an extra
punch of flavor. Either biscuit is good, and both are spread with our
homemade Cayenne Peach Preserves
Brie
& Italian Capacola Ham Crostini*
We top a freshly made crostini with fine brie, shaved capacola ham, watercress,
and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil
Venetian Italian Sausage Bites
We make our own Italian Sausage the true Italian way, with a hint of Anise
and Red Pepper, and other fine spices
Miniature
Italian Sausage Sandwiches
We served these sandwiches with sautéed green peppers and onions,
drizzle with a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Taking us back to
the days of the Street Vendors in Ybor City
Moroccan Spiced Baby Lamb Chops
We can fix lamb so many different ways – so just ask us for some
suggestions. Our homemade Moroccan Eight Spice Blend is so good, it would
make the Orient Express take a dirt road just to get to a taste
CHICKEN
& POULTRY
Chicken Potstickers*
Along with the Buffalo Shrimp, these are the second most requested item
on our menu. We make these using both the breast and dark meat of the
chicken, and add sautéed bok choy, garlic, and other blended spices,
wrap them in wonton and cook them the traditional Asian way where they
stick to the bottom of the pan, then steamed – I love sauces, so
we created a special mild sweet wasabi, soy and teriyaki sauce
Lebanese Chicken Bites
Chicken breast bites are marinated overnight in a blend of seven spices,
garlic, lemon and olive oil – pan seared, and served with a flavorful
lemony rich cucumber and garlic yogurt sauce
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Breast Bites*
Another crowd pleaser, served with our homemade Maytag Blue Cheese Dressing
Sweet Potato & Chive Biscuits & Fresh Turkey Breast &
Cranberry Apple Chutney
Just Awesome – good with Buttermilk Biscuits too
Bar B Q Duck Confit*
Served on delectable flat Blue Corn Cakes –
drizzled with our spiced crème fraiche
Pan Seared Duck Bites
We have found that people just love the simple flavor or our rich and
flavorfully pan seared duck – no sauce, just rich pan juices
VEGETARIAN
& MORE
Fried Green Tomato Bites*
These crispy nuggets are served with our
Homemade Cilantro Ranch Dipping Sauce
Fresh Corn Fritters* – or Corn & Lobster (or Crabmeat)
Fritters – or Corn & Chorizo Fritters
The plain corn fritters are dusted with powdered sugar. The other fritters
are served with a Mango, Peach Cayenne Dipping Sauce
Caramelized
Radicchio, Red Onion & Gruyere Quesadillas*
Topped with Spiced Sour Cream, Fresh Mango, Avocado, and a sprig of Cilantro
– They are a true hit
Maytag Blue Cheese, Pistachio Brittle & Dried Cranberry Endive
This incredible spread is so tasty, and stuffed in crisp Belgian Endive
Polenta
Bites w/Caramelized Mushroom Ragu
Our Polenta is creamy and simmers for hours, providing you a palate sensation
unmatched. This polenta can be served in a decorative spoon topped with
Ragu – about 2 small bites, or the polenta can be baked, cut into
squares, and topped with the Ragu. In addition to the Caramelized Mushroom
Ragu, this polenta is also good with a Lamb Shank Ragu – slow cooked
for 12 hours making a tasty tender succulent bite
Stuffed Phyllo Shells*
You’ve got to try these tasty treats that everyone will just rave
about. Served with a light drizzle of Spiced Cucumber Sauce
• Spinach, Pistachios, Gruyere, Feta & Dill
• Curried Walnut Chicken
• Wild Mushroom Duxelle & Gruyere
• Ragu of Butter and Garlic Escargot
Yellow & Red Tomato Bruschetta*
There are as many Bruschetta recipes are there are people in Italy. I
like the simple flavor of the tomato to shine through. We peel and seed
yellow and red tomatoes, macerate (overnight) thin slices of the tomato
in a bit of fresh lime juice, red wine vinegar, and a hint of garlic and
sea salt – that’s it…top a fresh made crispy crostini
with the tomato and serve with fresh basil --- I use to top that with
crumbled feta --- but these days, I keep it simple, so we can taste the
farm fresh flavor of the tomatoes
Vegetable
Sushi
We make all kinds of sushi – using only the finest ingredients.
If you think you are having guests that may not appreciate Sushi made
with raw seafood, try our steamed lobster sushi, or our vegetable sushi
is a hit with everyone
Wild
Mushroom Ravioli with Creamed Vodka Italian Plum Tomato Sauce*
An instant hit when we introduced this appetizer. We make ravioli with
3 different types of wild mushrooms, and a bit of gruyere cheese…they
are fried on site, and served with a sauce so good, it will make you want
to kick your grandmother to get some. Seriously folks, this incredible
sauce, pared with this super ravioli will keep your guests coming back
for more and more
Homemade Pita Chips* & Oven Roasted Asparagus
Served with Spreads & Dips
Hummus*, Tzatziki, Baba Ganoush, Caramelized Onion,
Oven Roasted Tomato*
I should have known I was going to have a passion for food when my mom
would endearingly call me her “little baba ganoush.” We hand
cut pita bread into triangles and fry them on-site, dust them with freshly
grated parmesan cheese, and serve them with any or all of the dips and
spreads listed above. Try our oven roasted asparagus with any of these
dips as well
Belgium Pomme Frittes with Garlic Aioli*
Before you go to the great beyond, you absolutely must have our authentic
Belgium Pomme Frittes. These are not just French fries. They are twice
fried, for that extra crunch, and served with our oven roasted garlic
aioli – decoratively served in a small paper cone made from the
pink Financial Times newspaper
Miniature Mac & Cheese
We make bite-size baskets from Parmesan Cheese and fill with our own 3-cheese
Macaroni and Cheese. People just love these little bite size mac &
cheese
MINIATURE SWEET ENDINGS
It is always good to end the evening with two or three sweet treats…it just makes the party finish on such a high note. Of course, we can always provide a beautiful and tasty dessert table with an array of our delicious desserts (see dessert list) – but why not serve our Desserts in Miniature?
Here
are a few delectable suggestions:
French Market Beignets*
People just can’t get enough of these 2-bite size gems. They are
fried on-site and dusted with powdered sugar. Your party will be an instant
hit
Valhrona Chocolate Bites*
Everyone loves chocolate – and these delectable morsels
are requested time and again
Miniature Pies
Strawberry Cream Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Pecan Pie,
Lemon Meringue, Apple Pie Al a Mode
Cotton
Candy
Transport your guests to the Florida State Fair with colorful miniature
cotton candy on a lollipop stick… 2-bites that will melt in your
mouth. What a fun ending to a great party
Homemade
Honey Lemon & Lavender Lollipops
An unusual treat that will bring your guests back to their childhood
Homemade Valhrona Chocolate Truffles
We use the finest chocolate in the world and dust them
with rich coco and powered sugar
Bailey's
Catering is under the umbrella of Innovative Catering Concepts, Inc.
a Florida Corporation • 815 South Rome Avenue
Tampa, Florida 33606 • (813) 254-8018
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