Beer, wine and bubbles
Prices start at $15 per head for two hours drinking.
Includes trestle style bar, bar staff, glassware, equipment and GST
Seaview Sparkling
St Andrew’s Red and White wines (Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc and Cab Sauv)
Boag’s and Cascade Light
OJ, coke, lemon squash and lemonade, still and sparkling water
2 hours - $15 per head (minimum 40 pax – conditions apply)
3 hours - $19 per head (minimum 35 pax)
4 hours - $23 per head (minimum 35 pax)
All too often newly married couples heave a sigh of relief when the reception is over. The feeling of being on display and the pressure of keeping to a rigid schedule of photographs, toasts, menu courses and speeches can be a stressful and unpleasant experience.
This generation of newlyweds is much less concerned with the “show”. They want to be able to mingle with family and friends, spend time with each other and above all, enjoy their party. As a result, many are opting for alternative and even unconventional ways to celebrate their nuptials.
In keeping with this trend, cocktail wedding receptions are gaining in popularity. The cocktail reception offers many advantages. The atmosphere is more relaxed and provides greater opportunity to circulate and mingle with guests. While the cost of food can be comparable to a dinner reception, rental and staff charges for cocktail parties are considerably less than for a sit-down dinner. There is also greater flexibility and more selection when choosing a venue. Heritage Inns, private homes and flower gardens are popular choices among those preferring the charm and intimacy of these venues to the formal elegance of halls and hotel ballrooms. A cocktail menu also leaves much more room for creativity. Food can set the tone for the entire event and a selection of interesting and unusual bite-sized morsels and artfully presented platters is always sure to delight. The menu can treat guests to a culinary tour by starting in one corner of the world and ending in another. Or a themed menu can be carried right through to the drinks and decorations. Port glasses filled with fresh oysters, red wine vinegar and shallots, mini crepes stuffed with Thai chicken curry and fresh basil, warm squash dumplings with cranberry syrup - the options are endless and every guest is sure to enjoy something on the menu.
Tiny cupcakes decorated with pastel frosting are another popular item at weddings. Arranged on tiered silver tea trays with white lace doilies, they are a perfect cocktail alternative to a traditional wedding cake. Other ideas could include small chocolate cups filled with mousse and fresh raspberries, mini French pastries or profiteroles stuffed with caramelized bananas.
Clearly the advantages of a cocktail reception are abundant. But overwhelmingly couples report that what they appreciate most is being able to relax and enjoy the party . . . and each other.
People all around the world suffer from the diseases of digestive system and extra weight and are desperate to deal with them. Most of them do not know that solution to all these problems lie in the totally natural fibrous foods. High fiber foods hold many advantages. Many diseases just start from the irregularity with the digestive system of a person. Usage of high fiber foods makes the functionality of the digestive system very smooth. High fiber foods have the natural ability to dissolve water in them on their way in the digestive tract, this helps in the smooth excretion process with softer and bulkier stools. The second main advantage of using the high fiber food is that it helps a person to loose his weight. Many people take numerous supplements and take any possible measures to loose their weight but that goes in vain. A person can naturally loose weight without any side effects by adding fiber foods into their daily diet. It is also believed that high fiber foods help in control of the diabetes. A person who takes fiber food in his diet feels more active and efficient in his daily life as fiber food, unlike sugar gives more energy to body.
Types of High Fiber Foods for Different Lifestyles:
Most people do not know about the advantages that high fiber foods offer, the ones who do, certainly add them in their daily eating. There are different types of high fiber foods available in the market according to the different lifestyles. For example, a person with a table job who has to sit all day long needs a low fiber meal while a person with a busy schedule and a tough and tiring job will need a high fiber food. People who are always on the go also has the choice because there are fibrous drinks, vitamins and gums available to fulfill their daily need of fiber.
High Fiber Foods: The Bottom Line
High fiber foods are an essential part of one’s daily food. With its numerous advantages, it keeps a person healthy and active. It also keeps the stomach active and working. All that needs to be done is to chose the right fiber diet and make sure it doesn’t conflict with the other food items you take like alcohol and sugar. Therefore, when next time you go to buy food for you, read its ingredients carefully and make sure it has fiber. After using high fiber food for a while you yourself will notice yourself to be much fitter and healthier than ever before and you will definitely wonder why you didn’t start using fibrous food earlier.
Are you looking for different twist for your ho-hum get together with your usual finger food menu? Want to get everyone together for casual dining but don’t want to be tied down to the table? A fondue party may be the perfect party for you. Fondue parties are offer a fun and unique way to dine, and are suburb for mingling and conversation. Here are some tips to help you throw your own fondue party
Decide how many people you will be inviting. The amount of people you invite will be the key in figuring out how much food to purchase. It’s a good idea to keep your list a little smaller at first since fondue is not conducive to larger parties.
Since you will be using a fondue pot for each of your courses, it’s a good idea to set up separate stations using at least three different pots. The first station should consist of a cheese based dip with bread cubes and a variety of dip-able veggies such as broccoli, peppers, and baby carrots.
The next pot would be used for your main course which will comprise of a savory sauce of your choice and cubed beef, chicken, scallops or shrimp. (Be sure to keep all raw meat away from other foods and inform your guest that they are required to cook the meat or fish in the fondue pot before eating it.)
The final station will be your dessert station. While using a chocolate sauce is recommended you can also you sweet cream based sauces. Use angel food cake, pretzels, marshmallows, and fruits like strawberries and bananas for dipping.
It may be helpful to prepare your dips over the stove and then transfer them into the fondue pots to keep them warm. This will keep dips that will be used later in the meal from becoming over cooked and possibly boiling in the pot.
When serving food for the fondue party, make sure it is cut into bite size cubes for easy dipping and eating. It’s also important to choose foods that don’t fall apart or crumble easy to avoid stray food particles in the dips.
There are a number of different fondue recipes, so before your first party make sure to experiment with a couple.
If your find that your fondue is too thick it’s not a good idea to add water; instead add something that is full of flavor such as chicken or beef broth. Depending on the purpose of the dip, wine and beer can also be added to thin a dip and give it more flavor.
If your are having a lot of people or serving raw foods it may be a good idea to use disposable fondue forks such as ones made with bamboo. Using disposable forks will help to avoid contamination from raw foods and are easier to clean up.
Create an atmosphere conducive to conversation. Fondue is casual dining and your guests should mingle and enjoy themselves.
Deciding on the food and drink to serve at your wedding event can be a huge decision, considering it often costs more than half of your entire wedding budget. There are a number of details that must be addressed in order for your special day to turn out exactly as you want.
You should plan to start meeting with potential caterers once you have chosen and booked the reception site. Make a mental assessment of what you want the reception to be like, in terms of the theme and subsequent food, beverages, deserts, and any other food necessities. Make a list of caterers that can fulfill your vision. You may also want to ask the reception center for catering recommendations; often, many places will even have a list of preferred caters they like to work with. A huge plus to that is the caterers will be familiar with your reception venue, making the whole process that much easier.
Try also gathering recommendations from trusted friends and family or if you have recently been to an event where you were impressed with the catering that was provided, find out the name of the caterer.
Once you have gotten a few recommendations, you should set up interviews to meet with the caterer in person. You should also request a tasting session as part of the interview so you know their culinary capabilities. Your ultimate decision should ideally be based on the taste and presentation of the food, the creativity of the caterer, the cost, and their enthusiasm and compliance to meet your needs.
A fashionable party is not complete without its chocolate fountain. Gone are the days of the ice sculpture, now, it’s all about the chocolate fountain. Imagine what looks to be a three or four tiered chocolate wedding cake but is in actual fact warm smooth chocolate. Used at weddings, parties and even corporate events, a chocolate fountain is guaranteed to make a lasting impression on even the most diet conscious.
The fountain comprises two units, the heater base and the holding basin and the auger (which is a large corkscrew). The heater must be turned on 15-20 minutes before the use and the solid chocolate put into the basin. The unit melts the solid chocolate which takes around 30-45 minutes to begin to flow. If you are new to chocolate fountain use it is recommended that you melt the chocolate prior to putting it in the basin. Chocolate fountains do not pump the chocolate to the top; instead they use a corkscrew motion which brings the chocolate to the top. This means that the life expectancy of the unit is increased and cuts down on unnecessary repair costs.
Any type of chocolate can be used in a chocolate fountain however chocolate with around 30% or more cocoa is preferred. This creates a silkier look and smoother taste; any other type of chocolate used will need a small amount of vegetable oil added.
If the unit is to be used on and off on a regular basis melted chocolate can be stored in the heated part at the bottom of the unit and the corkscrew/auger turned off when not in use. It is a good idea for hygiene reasons to cover any melted chocolate with a mesh of some sort which allows heat to escape but prevents anything contaminating the chocolate.
As the most customary place for eating and entertaining, the dining room is one of the most frequented rooms in the house. The dining table is the foundation of this significant room, and the chairs that accompany it either add or subtract from that significance. Great food and great dining provisions are what make for a great dining experience, but having a fantastic dinette set will set this dinner experience apart from any other. Dinette sets enhance and accentuate the décor of the room that contains them, and the dining chairs that are part of the set help to tie the whole thing together.
Dining chairs that were made to accommodate the dining table are usually the best choice of chairs, especially since they are designed to compliment the table itself. However, you don’t necessarily have to choose the chairs that are featured with a dinette set’s table. Therefore, if you are selecting different chairs to accompany your table, choosing the right dining chairs becomes very important. A set of awkward or mismatched chairs will detract from the beauty of a dining room table. It will also diminish the overall theme and purpose of the dining room décor.
There is always the possibility that you will need to purchase dining chairs without purchasing the dining table; for example, when the dining chairs wear out or break before the table itself. Yet if you are not ready to purchase new chairs, or you cannot decide on a dining chair design that compliments your table well, there are a few alternatives. Reupholstering your dining chairs is one of these alternatives. After many years of being sat upon, the dining chairs often suffer as their padding and fabric wear out. This sort of wear and tear is quite embarrassing, but can be easily remedied with some fabric and hardware.
Dining chair slip covers are another alternative, and can give your current dining chairs a face-lift of sorts. Since the selection of slip covers is massive, you can get a style and pattern to suit any preference. In a variety of fabrics, colors and textures, dining chair slip covers will give your existing dining chairs a new and different look. And they can do this without the added expense that purchasing new dining chairs will do. Dining chair slip covers can take any outdated furniture and make it look brand new again.
Whatever the desired style of the dinette set is, the dining chairs will accentuate your dining room décor. The will serve as the perfect addition or renovation to your dining space providing not only a functional purpose but a taste of your personality as well. The original dining chairs that accompany a dining table are recommended as the best choice. However, if this is not your preference, remember that the selection of chairs is as vital to the dinette set as the table itself is. They can make or break even your best intended decorative efforts.
Need to know the best way to keep your turkey moist? Want to know about marinades and rubs? Here are a few great cooking tips taken from the Good Cooking Central website that you may benefit from:
•TURKEY TIP:
For a moist and succulent Thanksgiving turkey, when oven-roasting place the turkey upside down in your roasting pan. All the juices will run into the turkey breasts making them very moist and tender. About half-way through the cooking time, turn the turkey back over to brown the top.
Purchase one pound of turkey per person to be served. This allows for the holiday meal plus a little left over for next day turkey left-overs.
•STEAK IN THE OVEN:
To get more of that B-B-Q taste when you need to use your oven broiler to cook steaks, pre-heat the oven until it is really hot. This sears the outside of the meat and keeps the juices in. Use tongs or a spatula to turn the steaks instead of a fork to prevent juices from leaking out.
•USE RUBS OR MARINADES TO GRILLED FOODS TO ADD FLAVOUR.
1. Rubs are dry spice blends and usually include both salt and sugar. They are rubbed directly on and into the meat before cooking. They add a mild flavour, but if you add the rub a day or so in advance the flavour of the spices will penetrate more into the meat.
2. Marinades are liquid and can be made from a variety of ingredients, but most importantly include something acidic (like lemon or lime juice, vinegar, yoghurt or fruit like papayas, pineapple or kiwis). This adds enzymes to the meat which tenderize it. Use caution in the amount of time you marinade meat to avoid the meat becoming “mushy”. A general rule is, for seafood as little as 15 minutes, 4-6 hours for thin cuts of meat and up to 12 hours for larger cuts.
3. Use a re-sealable plastic bag to marinate meats. Add the marinade and meat into the bag, seal, and shake or mush together to combine. Then let sit in the fridge for the required amount of time.
4. Never re-use marinades. If you wish to make a sauce or gravy from the marinade the meat has been in, boil the marinade for at least two minutes.
5. Brush the extra marinade onto the meat before grilling for extra flavour. Use it like a barbeque sauce, but be sure to let it cook through
•CLEANING MUSSELS:
Most mussels that have been purchased from a supermarket have been purged of sand, but if you have dug the mussels yourself here is how to clean them: The best way is to soak them in a bucket of sea water. (Do not use fresh water as this will kill the mussels.) If you do not have access to sea water, use 1 cup of salt per 3 quarts of water, with a handful of cornmeal added to the water. The cornmeal will clean the mussels stomach, purging them of sand. Let the mussels soak in the refrigerator overnight or for at least several hours, changing the water at least once. Clean the shells with a stiff kitchen brush under cool running water and remove the beard before using. If you are cooking mussels and the shells do not open, discard immediately and DO NOT USE.
•PREPARING SHRIMP:
If you are using frozen shrimp, refresh the shrimp by soaking them in salted water (1-2 TBSP. of salt to 1 quart of water). Keep shrimp in ice water to keep them fresh while preparing them. Pat the shrimp with a paper towel to dry before cooking. Leaving the shell on while boiling or steaming shrimp helps to preserve the juices and natural flavours. You can either remove or leave the digestive tract on the shrimp as a matter of personal preference. There is seldom a flavour difference unless the vein is large and contains a high volume or grit and digested material.
The meat in our Silver and Gold Roast menus is partially roasted prior to delivery at your function. Upon arrival the roasting is completed on site in your oven (or we can provide an oven if necessary. We do not use spit roasting for a number of reasons:
1. So we can provide you with delicious, succulent roast meat - rain, hail or sunshine. Instead of being at the mercy of the fickle Melbourne weather.
2. Our system is much more user friendly, requiring less equipment, less set-up and less cleaning.
3. Serving and storage is more efficient and hygienic. )
FINGER FOOD
Perfect for any occasion and unbelievably great value, our finger food menus are completely customisable so that you can select exactly what you want and how much you need. You can select any number of items from the list below and we can deliver everything to you hot and ready to serve. Just let us know what you want and how many guests you will have and we will send you a quote.
KEY: V – Vegetarian H- Served Hot C – Served Cold
FINGER FOOD PLATTER (HOT)
Choose from an assortment of our finger food:
Mini Salmon Quiches
With Smoked Tasmanian Salmon
Provincial Mini Quiches
With Chicken & Leek
Mini Vegetarian Quiches
With Mushrooms & Sun-dried Tomatoes
Silk Road Dim Sums
Baked Pastry Parcels filled with Sweet & Sour Vegetables
Aussie Mini Party Pies
Beef Curry Puffs
Flavoured with Sri Lankan Herbs
Indian Tikka Bites
Spicy Chicken-Filled Parcels
Bacon & Gorgonzola Parcels
In crispy pastry squares
Italian Risotto Balls
With Pumpkin & Parmesan
South China Sea Prawns
Grilled with Garlic & Herbs
Traditional French Vol Au Vents
With Chicken & Mushroom, Cheese & Bacon, Creamy Asparagus,
and Mixed Vegetables (All 4 flavours)
Chicken & Asparagus Turnovers
Delicate moon-shaped Savoury Pastries
Starts from $59 for a platter of 30
