Buy your ticket for the 13th Annual Culinary Creations today!

 
When: Monday, May 21st 2012
6:30 p.m. Champagne & Hors d’ Oeuvres
7:30 p.m. Dinner
 
Where: The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach
 
Cost: $125.00 per person
$1000.00 per table of ten
*VIP Tables Available
 
For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 561.494.0515 or visit www.quantumhouse.org.
 

Lemongrass is a tall perennial clumping grass whose thin, arching stalks contrast nicely with other herbs in the garden. Native to warm temperate and tropical regions, the herb’s leaves are bright bluish-green and release a citrus aroma when crushed.

Along with complimentary herb garden tours, a lemongrass-inspired cooking demonstration and specialty cocktails at the hotel, the Harvest Herb Festival gives us a chance to get our hands on a fun new recipe: Lemongrass Custard with Pineapple & Lychee Thai Basil Salsa.

Order it now through April 15 at Echo Palm Beach, or whip it up at home for your next wedding planning meeting with the girls. Yum!

Lemongrass Custard

What you’ll need:

How to:
Mix cream, milk sugar and lemongrass in saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.
Combine water and gelatin in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes until gelatin is softened.
Strain cream mixture; return to the saucepan and heat on low for 2-3 minutes.
Add gelatin to the cream mixture, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved.
Cool down mixture in an ice bath and continue to stir until mixture is cooled, about 10 minutes.
Pour into 6 dessert dishes. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.

Pineapple & Lychee Thai Basil Salsa

What you’ll need:

How to:
Mix lychees, mango, kiwi, coconut, and Thai basil in a bowl. Add ¼ cup of lychee juice, refrigerate. Spoon salsa over top of custard and serve.

Lobster Roll
Yield: 3 servings
2 cups cooked lobster meat, chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ¼ cup lobster dressing, see recipe
Squeeze lemon juice over lobster meat and season with salt and pepper. Gently fold into the dressing and serve on a butter toasted brioche bun.

Lobster Roll Dressing
Yield: 1 ¼ cups
1 cup mayonnaise
1 T chives, chopped
1 tsp salt
Juice of ½ Lemon
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 T celery, chopped
Combine all ingredients.

Lobster Roll Tropical Slaw
Yield: 8 ½ cups
4 cups cabbage
½ cup carrot, finely chopped
½ cup celery
½ cup red onion
1 cup corn
1 cup mango, julienned
1 cup pineapple, julienned
2 cups Sambal aioli, see recipe
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients, let stand for 10 minutes. Re-season with salt and pepper.

Sambal Aioli
Yield: 2 cups
2 cups mayonnaise
1 ½ T Sambal
2 tsp honey
Juice of ½ lime
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients.

If you whip up this delicious recipe in your kitchen, upload a photo to our Facebook wall!

Order the avocado fries at The Breakers’ Seafood Bar or make them at home!

What you’ll need:
• One Avocado
• Flour
• Tempura Mix
• Lime Juice
• Cajun Seasoning
• Panko Bread Crumbs
• Salt and Pepper
• Poblano Pepper Sour Cream for Dipping

How to:
1. Peel and seed the Avocado and cut into half-inch strips
2. Dust the strips in flour
3. Dip strips in tempura mix that is seasoned with lime juice and cajun seasoning
4. Coat the avocado strips with Panko breadcrumbs
5. Fry strips in 375-degree oil until golden brown, season with salt and pepper
6. Serve with sour cream mixed with a sprinkling of Poblano pepper seasoning for dipping

Pair it with a cocktail: Need Something to Sip on? Enjoy our drink recipes.

“In my mid 20′s I very spontaneously left Wall Street to start a small catering co. The owner of the firm said I was the dumbest person he ever met to leave his company and all the future affluence it afforded. For a while I thought he was right….” Peter remembers. “Then, a creative streak I didn’t know I had kicked in — and I started dreaming up all sorts of new party food, bar designs, trays and buffets in ways nobody had ever seen.”

Since then, Peter has ignited the party world and is well known as the originator of the mini comfort food trend that has swept the wedding world. And – his new book, Bite by Bite: 100 Stylish Little Plates You Can Make for Any Party, shares a bunch of his delicious recipes.

Q: Your new book recently hit the shelves – congrats! Tell us more about it.
A: I hadn’t planned on doing a book, but Martha Stewart, who has always been fabulous to me, kept asking when was I going to do a book, and next thing you know I had a book!

Q: What is it like planning an event at The Breakers?
A: Planning an event at The Breakers is the ultimate plum job; it doesn’t count as work being surrounded by such fabulousness! And there are so many different location possibilities it is like 10 locations on one!

Q: Where does your inspiration come from?
A: My inspiration comes from everyday life and it pops into my mind randomly like a vision.

Enjoy these images from some of Peter’s favorite treats…

Q: Keeping in mind The Breakers tropical Palm Beach climate, give us three fun hors d’oeuvres you’d create for cocktail hour.
A: -A plantain cone with ahi tuna tartare is the perfect Breakers hors d’oeuvres — tropical cone topped with scoop of light diced jewel tone seafood.
-Lobster cucumber petit four under glass — this hors d’oeuvre with its individual glass dome has old-world glamour.
-Cod taco with papaya paired with mini rum punch in mini hurricane glass.

Q: What’s in: What hot new trend do you see emerging for 2012 weddings?
A: I see interactive stations becoming more part of receptions, before dinner perhaps a top chef seafood station where people have an array of ingredients and they construct their own dish.

Q: What’s out: Any trends you could leave behind?
A: I could easily say goodbye to chocolate fountains!

Q: What advice would you give to a bride who wants a traditional wedding with a modern twist?
A: Pick a great color to be a part of the event – it elevates a wedding. You can even do hors d’oeuvres trays and waiter neckties in this palette. Also, consider a combination of square tables and rectangular trestle tables for dinner.

Q: Give us three of your favorite weddings must-dos.
A: 1.Tons of passed bite size hors d’oeuvres
2. A surprise for after dinner, whether it’s a hot unexpected DJ, fireworks or a fun specialty cocktail or drink station
3. Seat everyone tightly both at the dinner tables and in the room as it makes for a much more energetic party

Q: What’s your take on edible to-go wedding favors?
A: Edible to-go wedding favors are here to stay! Mini pies, donuts, or whoopie pies to-go are fun, but the key is to package them beautifully.

Q: What’s the most important piece of advice you can offer a bride and groom?
A: Enjoy your engagement and wedding reception. Make the whole process of planning a joy. And above all — eat at your own reception!

Photos by Mel Barlow

Q: The Breakers has an immense history and some amazing architecture – How would you use this to inspire you and your events at the hotel?
A: One of my favorite things in Palm Beach and The Breakers is travertine stone. This coral imprinted stone is grand and speaks of the ocean. So I would have trays made of travertine for passing hors d’oeuvres and bar tops made from travertine.

Callahan Catering
(212) 327-1144
info@callahancatering.com
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Book

More: Meet all The Breakers’ Dream Makers in our Spotlight With A Guru

Luckily for you, you could win dinner for two by entering their Facebook contest!

So next time you’re at Echo for dinner or sipping a delicious specialty cocktail at the Dragonfly Lounge, be sure to grab some chopsticks, whip out your smartphone and take a great picture! Just be sure to upload your photo to Facebook and get your friends to ‘Like’ it before January 15.

Good luck – we’re excited to see all the fun photos!

More holiday fun: Echo is offering 10 percent off when you order Echo To Go online during the month of December!

What you’ll need:

Ingredients (Dough)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 7g package of dry active yeast
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Ingredients (Filling)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup finely chopped apple (approximately one medium apple)
• 1/4 cup raisins

Ingredients (Icing)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

How to:
1.Warm milk to about 100 degrees and mix with yeast and honey. Dissolve and let sit for 5 minutes.
2.Add the salt and all purpose flour and beat with a kneading with the dough hook for 2 minutes.
3.Then, beat in the egg and butter. Beat in the whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
4.Place the dough in a greased large bowl, cover and let it sit in a warm place for 40 minutes (or until doubled in size).
5.While the dough is rising, make the filling by mixing the sugar, brown sugar, pecans, raisins and apples, and set aside.
6.Roll the dough out to a 1/4″ thick rectangle and brush with the butter. Then, spread the filling on the dough, leaving about an inch on each side.
7.Roll the dough onto itself from the long side, making a really long log and slice the dough into 12 even slices.
8.Line the cupcake tin with liners and place a slice in each.
9.Cover the cupcake tin with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes.
10.Preheat oven to 350° and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Wouldn’t these adorable cookies just be the best treats to serve at a bridal shower?

What you’ll need:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp clementine zest
2 tbsp clementine juice
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cup flour
2 cup white chocolate chunks

Visit Hot Polka Dot for the all the how-to instructions!

Note: Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Make these yummy treats at home!

What you’ll need:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cup flour
1 cup blueberries
1/2 pkg cream cheese, cut into 1 tsp cubes

Visit Hot Polka Dot for the all the how-to instructions!

Note: Makes about 3 dozen cookies