When in the catering business, there are a lot of requests for interesting and unique dishes. However, there are a few dishes that keep turning up as favorites and, over the years, have become staples on the menus of any catered events. Where did these popular dishes come from and why do people love them so much? Time to learn a little about the foods that are created when catering in Melbourne!
#1 Walford Salad
Almost every catering menu has a salad component and the classic Waldorf Salad is one of the most requested versions of this popular dish. It may surprise you to learn that this salad has been around for hundreds of years (that’s right- and it’s still popular!). The maitre D’hotel of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City originally created the recipe for a charity ball benefiting a children’s hospital. One bite of this salad was all it took, people were hooked!
While the original Waldorf Salad contained simply mayonnaise, grapes and celery, walnuts and chopped lettuce have become essential as well. You can also find many variations of the Waldorf salad. Some contain apple slices, shredded chicken, plain yogurt or lemon juice- all delicious and all still reminiscent of the classic dish. Pick a Waldorf salad for your next catered event and you’ll be getting a great classic side dish that everyone knows and loves.
#2 Filet Mignon
If you have ever bit into a juicy filet mignon steak, then you already know why it is so popular. This sought after cut of meat is tender, full of flavor and considered to be the best cut of beef available. There is only a very small section of the cow which can be considered a filet mignon which is why it is expensive and rare but this cut has been around since 1906 when the term filet mignon or “cute filet” was coined by a cookbook author named O. Henry. It was through this book that the idea of a filet mignon became a symbol of romance and necessity for a special occasion.
Filet Mignon is still extremely popular and continues to possess a romantic association making it an ideal dish for any catered event. Cooked rarer than any other steak, you will love the taste of this simple, luxurious meat.
#3 Chicken and Waffles
Maybe you are a big fan of comfort foods and have stumbles across the pairing of chicken and waffles before. Or perhaps you have never heard of anyone putting a piece of fried chicken on top of a waffle before and are wondering what the heck this combination is all about. Well, this American creation is the epitome of “soul food” which is a group of dishes that are considered to feed your soul, making you feel happy, relaxed and full of love (and food!). Traditionally a piece of fried chicken is served with warm buttermilk waffles and maple syrup is poured across the top of both, joining them with sweet goodness. While not necessarily healthy, this dish is unique and quite irresistible.
This dish has actually been around since the 1800’s and is a staple in many cultures in the United States- everyone has their own version of Chicken and Waffles! The tradition, great taste and ability to adapt the dish to your own liking is what makes chicken and waffles and ideal food to serve at your next catered meal. Serve it as a plated meal or at a buffet- both options will be perfect when you are getting catering in Melbourne!
#4 Chocolate Chip Cookies
The dessert bar is everyone’s favorite part of a catered meal. Have you ever notice that chocolate chip cookies almost always make an appearance at catered events? They are always there and they are always gone by the time the event is over since everyone loves a chocolate chip cookie! But did you know that chocolate chip cookies were invented by accident? A chef in the United States named Ruth Graves Wakefield was making cookie dough and added some chopped chocolate, thinking that it would melt in the oven and just make chocolate cookies. Of course, the chocolate held its shape and what came out of the oven was the first batch of chocolate chip cookies. They were immediately a success and one of the most popular cookies in history was born!
A simple mistake became a food that is known around the world and is still requested to this day at so many catered events. Make sure to have chocolate chip cookies at your next catered meal and let everyone know the story behind them!
#5 Burgers
If you are thinking of having a simple barbecue style catered event, burgers may be on your list of foods to serve. How did burgers become such a standard dish on every grill? This is a very hard question to answer as several countries and people have laid claim to the food that we know today as a burger. Essentially a burger is ground meat which is formed into a patty then cooked and served on top of bread. That is the most basic idea but, as we all know, burgers can be almost anything. From turkey to bison, cheese to jalapenos, grilled to broiled, you can change or adjust almost every aspect of a burger until it is what you desire. That is what makes it so popular too- you can easily cater to everyone in your party when you serve burgers as each person can choose their own style burger.
So should we thank Louis Lassen from Connecticut, USA for inventing the first burger in his restaurant? Should we turn to Otto Kuase of Hamburg, Germany who has been traced back to be a burger inventor? Or was it really at the lunch counter of Fletcher Davis’ in Texas, USA where the burger was born? This mystery is still unsolved but one thing is true, it is essential to any great catered barbecue!
