{"id":15,"date":"2012-09-13T07:38:35","date_gmt":"2012-09-13T13:38:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/therealfoodchronicles.com\/?page_id=15"},"modified":"2016-04-23T19:48:52","modified_gmt":"2016-04-24T01:48:52","slug":"a-mexican-wedding-feast-and-5-tips-for-feeding-groups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stormysweitzer.com\/recipes\/a-mexican-wedding-feast-and-5-tips-for-feeding-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"A Mexican Wedding Feast and 5 Tips for Feeding Groups"},"content":{"rendered":"
Last weekend, I hosted a wedding. \u00a0The bride, of Mexican heritage, wanted food reminiscent of her childhood. \u00a0The groom, a meat and potatoes kind of man, has milder tastes in food. \u00a0As I was in charge of the kitchen, I opted for a happy medium that was gluten and dairy-free, without being obviously so, and suitable to a wide range of tastes and other dietary needs.<\/header>\n
<\/header>\n

\"Mostly-paleo<\/p>\n

Feeding large groups of people takes work, especially if you want to make something special, accommodate different tastes and food needs, and offer a feast for the eyes and taste buds. \u00a0But, there are definitely tricks to simplifying your preparation, making a mixed group of eaters happy, and being efficient in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

What did we eat?<\/h3>\n

After\u00a010 hours of cooking we had a table filled with:<\/p>\n

16 pounds of pork carnitas<\/strong> \u2013 it took 3 crockpots to do it –\u00a0using this\u00a0Crockpot Carnitas recipe<\/a>,\u00a0a garnish of onions, cilantro, jalape\u00f1o and lime juice, and buckets of salsa and guacamole<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

5 gallons of charro beans<\/strong> (made with bacon, chorizo, ham hocks, peppers, onions, and garlic). \u00a0I used my grandfather\u2019s original recipe instead of the bean-free charro chile version<\/a> posted earlier this year.<\/p>\n

10 pounds of Spanish rice<\/strong>, a last-minute addition, made by browning the dry white rice and\u00a0sauteing\u00a0it with onions and garlic before adding in chopped tomatoes, water and a pinch of saffron. \u00a0Peas were added in to one batch, but not the other.<\/p>\n

A mountain of Mexican coleslaw<\/a><\/strong> using Heidi from 101 Cookbook\u2019s recipe. \u00a0Slivered almonds are a great substitute for the peanuts, and adding in purple cabbage and carrots make it all the more festive!<\/p>\n

\"mexican<\/p>\n

The meal was topped off with some delicious salad and dessert additions brought by friends and family, as well as\u00a0margaritas and some pineapple vanilla bean cocktails\u00a0<\/strong>(they were AMAZING, and very dangerous). The trick is to add 2-3 vanilla bean pods (sliced \u00a0lengthwise) and a tablespoon of maple syrup\u00a0to a liter of white tequila two weeks before you need it. \u00a0Add a shot of the tequila to a glass of pineapple juice and ice, and voila!<\/p>\n

\"wedding<\/p>\n

5 Tips for Feeding Groups of Eaters with Different Food Needs and Tastes<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Learn about your guests and put together a menu that appeals to the broadest number of people. \u00a0<\/strong>Overly-exotic, too-spicy foods or foods that are not recognizable to the average person can be a hit with adventurous eaters, but a more familiar menu will likely be appreciated by your guests. \u00a0And, if you can also accommodate their dietary constraints, you\u2019ll be loved to death.<\/li>\n
  2. Work with trusted recipes that can be increased successfully. \u00a0<\/strong>Big parties and special events are not the time for experiments or overly-complex recipes. \u00a0 They can be a turn off to taste buds or create stress in the kitchen. \u00a0Turn to recipes that you are comfortable preparing, have stood the test of time taste-wise, and which can be pulled off easily in larger quantities.<\/li>\n
  3. Create a list of what you are preparing in the order that you need to prepare it. \u00a0<\/strong>Being organized can keep you from getting frazzled. \u00a0Write down all of the dishes that you are making and when you need to start them so they\u2019ll be done in time for the meal. \u00a0If a dish requires steps that are spaced apart, add them as separate items on the list. \u00a0For example, the carnitas have to be cut and coated in a dry rub at least 24 hours before they are cooked. \u00a0Then just go down the list and check things off as you go.<\/li>\n
  4. Anticipate the recurring need for certain ingredients.<\/strong> \u00a0I went through a dozen onions, 4 heads of garlic, several cans of chopped tomatoes, and large quantities of certain spices over the course of the 2 days I did prep work and cooking. Rather than cut an onion here and there, I chopped them all at once and used the amount I needed for each dish. \u00a0Peeling all of the garlic, opening all of the cans, and keeping the spices on hand helped me keep my dirty dishes and movements across the kitchen to a minimum.
    \n\"Chopping<\/li>\n
  5. Take people up on their offers to bring food.<\/strong> \u00a0One of our dear neighbors heard that we were holding a wedding at our home and generously offered to make a potato salad and a cottage cheese jello\u00a0mold. \u00a0The sister of the groom wanted to prepare the dessert, a gorgeous brownie, pudding, strawberry and whipped cream delight that I couldn\u2019t even conceive of making. \u00a0Even though they were not Mexican in flavor, all were hits with a number of guests\u00a0and it allowed me to focus on the core meal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/header>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Last weekend, I hosted a wedding. \u00a0The bride, of Mexican heritage, wanted food reminiscent of her childhood. \u00a0The groom, a meat and potatoes kind of man, has milder tastes in food. \u00a0As I was in charge of the kitchen, I opted for a happy medium that was gluten and dairy-free, without being obviously so, and… <\/p>\n

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