If you think you can’t have a catered event that is both completely gluten-free and down right decadent—think again. My husband, son and I recently attended a wedding where all the food was gluten free and we all agreed that it was the best food we had eaten at a wedding… ever!!
The bride is my friend and colleague Anne Lee. Many of you are familiar with Anne because until recently she was the dietitian at The Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. She is now the U.S. rep for Dr. Schar gluten-free foods.
For those of you looking for inspiration for your next event, here is Anne’s complete menu.
Hor’dourves
Grilled baby rack of lamb with scallion leaves
Poached jumbo shrimp wrapped in snow peas and served with lemon aioli
Summer rolls filled with red snapper and papaya and served with a ginger sauce
Cashew encrusted chicken skewers served with a citrus marmalade dipping sauce
Pan seared mango curry glazed sea scallops
Grilled corn quesadillas filled with roasted corn and black beans and served with tomato basil salsa
Salad
Heirloom tomatoes, Asian pear, chiffonade of basil, golden raspberries, and toasted macadamia nuts tossed with apricot vinaigrette
Entrees
Tuscan chicken served with fingerling potatoes and roasted asparagus
Summer vegetable risotto served in a crisp parmesan cheese bowl
Desserts
Chocolate dipped strawberries
Flourless chocolate torte
Traditional wedding cake crafted by www.everybodyeats-inc.com
Is your mouth watering? Just writing this makes me wish for another cashew encrusted chicken skewer!
Unless you live in the vicinity of New York City, you probably won’t be lucky enough to have Anne’s caterer, Standing Room Only (srofinefoods.com) cater your next event. But Anne offers the following tips for working with caterers to make sure your next gluten-free event is a huge success—at least from a food perspective!
Begin looking for and talking with caterers well in advance of your event.
Have some good ideas about what foods you want to serve before meeting with caterers.
Bring recipe ideas with you and ask the caterer, “can you make this?”
Be flexible. The caterer may not be able to make a food item exactly as you had envisioned but they may have another alternative that is even better.
Take advantage of the caterer’s expertise. Remember they have a reputation to maintain. They want the food they serve to look and taste up to their standards.
Make sure the caterer understands the issue of cross contamination and can make your gluten-free food on a dedicated day or in a dedicated area.
Follow these tips and may your gluten-free diet live happily ever after!
Copyright © Tricia Thompson, MS, RD
Originally published August 2008. Updated February 2, 2011.
Also available at:
http://www.diet.com/dietblogs/read_blog.php?title=A+Delicious+Gluten-Free+Wedding&blid=11944