Inspire me with a Menu

[greekchef]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, some of them probably would not work for the girls I serve but every one has been thought provoking in their response. Please keep going. Even if something you suggest isn't something I would think the girl would like it might spur my thinking.

Today we had a deli bar for lunch with sliced turkey, ham, meatball in marinara sauce, homemade pimiento cheese, chips, tomato soup, a full salad bar, carckers and assorted bread (kaisers, whole wheat hoagie rolls and whole wheat slice bread), and crackers. Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Ummmmm

[AlphaFrog]

Orange Tequlia Lime chicken -

Marinate chicken in a mix of orange juice, lime, tequlia, and all the (Mexican) herbs and spices you can think of (I change it up, depending on what I'm feeling like) - some of my favorites are cumin, chili powder, oregano, rosmary, allspice, and thyme. Then you just bake it until it's tender. Or, as a variant, you can do it in a fry pan, and when it's just about done, turn up the heat and add some surgar to turn the marinade into a glaze.

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Orange Tequlia Lime chicken -

Marinate chicken in a mix of orange juice, lime, tequlia, and all the (Mexican) herbs and spices you can think of (I change it up, depending on what I'm feeling like) - some of my favorites are cumin, chili powder, oregano, rosmary, allspice, and thyme. Then you just bake it until it's tender. Or, as a variant, you can do it in a fry pan, and when it's just about done, turn up the heat and add some surgar to turn the marinade into a glaze.

That sounds yummy- I'll have to try that for my own family.

On a side note- can you cook with alcohol in a sorority house? Or would that go against the no alcohol rule?

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

On a side note- can you cook with alcohol in a sorority house? Or would that go against the no alcohol rule?

I guess you could smuggle in an airplane size bottle, but I'd like to think that your National/Housing Corp/Campus doesn't have THAT big a stick up their ass.

[greekchef]

I have brought in wine and beer to use in cooking only. I just don't say anything and its never been an issue. Used in recipes like Beef Burgundy, Brats, Poached Pears, She Crab Soup.

[LXA SE285]

Mmmm ... she-crab soup ...

[catiebug]

I have to ask - no He Crab Soup?

What makes it She Crab Soup, and how can you tell it's a girl crab?

Oh, and can I have the recipe? I'm partial to crab.

Originally Posted by greekchef

She Crab Soup.

[greekchef]

I'll get a recipe to post for She Crab Soup but I'm going out of town and it will be a couple of days before I can post it. It is She Crab in that traditionally you add crab roe. I don't think I've ever had a bowl of it with the roe, so its more accurate to say a She Crab Style Soup. But it is really good if after dishing into a bowl you float some sherry on top. Nice and hot and thick for a good cold winter day.

[nittanyalum]

Originally Posted by catiebug

I have to ask - no He Crab Soup?

What makes it She Crab Soup, and how can you tell it's a girl crab?

Hope this helps!

He-crab, she-crab, it...does it matter?
Many recipes specify she-crabs, so you'll need to be able to tell females from males. Luckily, this is easy to do, and you won't need a magnifying glass. Simply look at the underside of the crab. As you will see from the graphic, the female has a broad, triangular-shaped area in the center of the shell, whereas the male has a distinctive, elongated spire in the center.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Orange Tequlia Lime chicken -

Marinate chicken in a mix of orange juice, lime, tequlia, and all the (Mexican) herbs and spices you can think of (I change it up, depending on what I'm feeling like) - some of my favorites are cumin, chili powder, oregano, rosmary, allspice, and thyme. Then you just bake it until it's tender. Or, as a variant, you can do it in a fry pan, and when it's just about done, turn up the heat and add some surgar to turn the marinade into a glaze.

This sounds great. Do you have any measurements for the ingredients (equal parts perhaps?) or do you just eyeball it? And have you tried it with either dried or fresh cilantro?

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by TSteven

This sounds great. Do you have any measurements for the ingredients (equal parts perhaps?) or do you just eyeball it? And have you tried it with either dried or fresh cilantro?

I like fresh cilantro...and yeah, that's on the list of Mexican herbs, I just forgot it when I typed it up. I don't measure anything, and it changes every time.

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

I like fresh cilantro...and yeah, that's on the list of Mexican herbs, I just forgot it when I typed it up. I don't measure anything, and it changes every time.

Thanks. Personally, I think this is one of the best things about not measuring. You get a variation each time.

[Benzgirl]

Hey Chef,
How are you at working with Phyllo Dough?

[AlphaFrog]

Oh - if you have a Phyllo Dough recipe, throw it out there. I love the stuff...and with the amount of Greeks in Charlotte, I can find the GOOD stuff!!

However, thanks to my Bohemian great-grandmother, Baklava to me will always be Czech, with orangeblossom, not honey.