We are very excited to have been selected as the exclusive caterer at the famed “Spinning Wheel Inn,” in Redding Ridge, CT! It’s five banquet rooms, lush gardens, and fantastic central Fairfield County location make it an ideal spot to host your wedding, bar mitzvah, cocktail party, or corporate affair. Its unique charm stems from the bones of the main building built in 1742. It has a clever mix of classic New England but has the ameneties of a modern event space.

The Spinning Wheel Inn has a scenario for every event.

The Ridge Room features and antique boardroom table and is the perfect spot for the important meeting or small rehearsal dinner.

The Tavern, with its large fireplace and warm surroundings, can host 50 for dinner and 100 for cocktails. Imagine hosting your own pub night in a centuries old pub!

The Nutmeg Room features another fantastic fireplace and comfortable seats 80 for dinner or 110 for cocktails. This room abuts the beautiful terrace and the views out the west windows look down over acres of lush woods and foliage.

The Connecticut Room can can seat 110 and hold 150 for cocktails. This room has a dancefloor, bandstand, and also direct access to the terrace.

The Waverly Suite can comfortable host 200 guests for a seated meal or 300 for cocktails and hors d’oeuvre. It hosts a magnificent fireplace, dance floor, bandstand, and access to the Terrace and the great western views!

The Spinning Wheel Inn is also a great spot for corporate events, retreats, and conferences. You can seat 400 theatre style, and can bring in nearly any technology. Full service catering and snacks are designed to fit your needs, your timing, your budget.

The food! The Cantering Caterer is known for fantastic, creative food! We have designed menus specifically for this space but as always, everything is customizable. We will offer the same policies here as we do in the Westport kitchen. Unlimited site visits, unlimited tastings once contracted, and unlimited planning…

Please call us anyime for availability and rates - the space will surely sell out during the fall foliage season and there are still some unbelievable dates available this spring and summer.

Please call The Cantering Caterer at The Spinning Wheel at 203-227-7459.

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This week Christian will be on WFSB 3, Better Connecticut with Scott Haney.  This is our third appearance on the show and we will be discussing ideas for spring parties.  Christian will prepare a few sample hors d’oeuvre and have some interesting cocktail and decor suggestions.  The show is live on Wednesday from 10:ooam-11:00am. 

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The Cantering Caterer was just hired to cater and design a fantastic wedding in Easton, CT.  Working out of an acre sized clearing in the woods we will deliver a memorable night to 100 guests under a tent and canopy of trees.  The very next day we will transform a private home into a magical setting based on “Where the Wild Things Are,” for a childrens birthday party.

We were hired today to cater an opening for a French artist at the home gallery of a prominent collector in Greenwich.  We will do a classic French menu, paired with amazing wines, (all white!), and our service staff that day will all be native to France.  This will be an unbelievable event!

Roger Williams University just contracted us to cater their tailgate before and after an away lacrosse game on Saturday.  We will have an exciting barbeque in the cold as we cheer The Hawks to victory!

 Every caterer says “now is the time to start planning your summer party.”  Now, its true!  Now IS the time to schedule your date.  Despite the gloom and doom in the financial papers lately people are booking parties and events more that ever before.  We noticed that over the Christmas school break many people that normally would have been away stayed home and had parties.  Small dinner parties, large cocktail parties…  Now really is the time…

Lastly, we were just contracted to cater a Kentucky Derby Party.  This is the day of the year in the sport of kings!  We are service a traditional Derby menu and we start testing Mint Juleps this week!

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-Locations - we are seeing lots of non-traditional venues…  Museums, galleries, beaches, private homes.  We have been named exclusive caterer at the Downtowm Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport and this is one of the most amazing places we have ever worked.  2 floors, cabaret style seating, a fantastic stage and light system.  The theatre has some sound capability, and the staff is very friendly and easy to work with.  The price is right and we have recently done 2 weddings and a Bar Mitzvah there - it is definitely worth looking into.

Speaking of lighting, we are seeing more attention being paid to lighting this year.  Candles can create an intimate atmosphere and in some situations can reduce the need for more expensive equipment.  With creative lighting you can make a large space smaller and a smaller space appear larger.  Using ambers and pinks will really make your skin look great in photos too.

 Another fun thing we are noticing is brides with 2 dresses.  The traditional formal wedding gown that gets ditched after the ceremony!  I have seen cocktail dresses, slim gowns, and a really hot red dress recently.

 Rental jewels…  You can rent a pair of Vera Wang designer diamond earings valued at 2600.00 for about $100.00! 

Documentary style wedding videography catches the whole day from begining to end…  It is on the expensive side but will give you a great look at the buildup to that fantastic moment! 

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-By not trucking foods all over the world we are reducing emissions.

-Buying locally supports your economy - in fact, we are going to hire a driver this spring to pick up our produce and meats from local farms daily.  We can now tell you that the lettuce you are eating at 6:00pm was cut at 4:30am!

-Flavor, freshness, quality!  We can see the products that we serve as they grow!  We visit the farms, talk with the farmers, taste things as they develop…  One local farm is going to grow organic herbs just for us this year.

-Organic and Fresh is healthy!  No preservatives, no growth hormones, no pesticides.

Sustainable food sources are another hot item.  We are buying our fish from sustainable populations only.  As the world gets smaller and access to once exotic ingredients is easier we are able to be less dependant on stocks that have been overfished.  For example, once rare Baramundi from Australia and New Zealand is in our local grocery stores right now…

Next week we will post some ”green decor” tips. 

Some helpful green links:

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When it comes to holiday catering and party planning, it’s easier than you think to do it on a budget! Christian was recently featured on Fox TV’s Good Day New York to talk about catering, event planning and design, and some really sharp ideas about entertaining on a budget without sacrificing quality.

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There are people (believe it or not) who don’t like the traditional Thanksgiving fare. Some people are allergic to turkey or to the ingredients in processed turkeys that “plump them up” (soy, wheat and nut allergies, beware). Don’t forget, there are also those who are vegetarians that we have to consider accommodating for the holiday meal.

In a restaurant that I used to own, we’d serve about 15% non-Turkey dinners on Thanksgiving. Duck, steak and fish were the selections we added to the special day menu.

First, for the vegetarian (or for the Italian family that must have a pasta course) I like to infuse the flavors of fall vegetables with the dish. A lasagna roll-up with spinach, mashed cooked butternut squash, ricotta cheese and fresh mozzarella is colorful and very tasty. They are easy to serve too because they are individual portions. I add blanched julienne strips of carrots and parsnips sometimes for little more substance and texture. Topped off with a sage flavored béchamel sauce and you have a new holiday staple.

Duck is the number one alternative to Turkey on Thanksgiving. Pre-roasting the ducks whole with sprigs of thyme and halves of oranges stuffed inside gives them a real nice flavor. Don’t forget to prick the skin with a fork to help de-fat the ducks. I cut them in half, partially de-bone them then blast in the oven to a crispy skin finish just before serving. Fruit compote is a great accompaniment. Spike it with a little orange liqueur for rich taste.

Stuffed flank steak roulade is a beef dish that can surely be a hit. Strips of fennel, carrot, red onion and peppers that are lightly sautéed first, flashed with some sherry wine and added to a butterflied flank steak. A little seasoned bread crumbs sprinkled on top, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning (got to have that seasonal flavor) then rolled and tied. Roasted to medium rare I like to serve this with an English stout gravy.

For the fish dish, here in New England, Cod is the plentiful bounty from the sea. Baked scrod topped with a fine dice of blanched turnip and tomatoes with a hint of garlic and sage (of course, it’s a must flavor on Thanksgiving) makes an incredible non-Turkey entrée for the holiday. I like this on a bed of sautéed beet greens or swiss chard. A chardonnay beurre blanc pulls it all together.

So, as you send out your invites this year for your Thanksgiving Feast, don’t cringe when your guest informs you, “Sure, but I don’t eat turkey…”. You now have alternative ideas to present.

Chef Scott G.

Also, this month The Cantering Caterer donated hors d’oeuvre and staff for the Annual Spin Odyssey Fundraiser at the Saugatuck Rowing Club for 120 guests, Hors d’oeuvre and staff for The Red Cross’ “Red Circle” held at Tiffany in Westport for 40 guests, a dinner for 8 plus staff for the Grasmere Eldercare Center, a dinner for 8 plus staff for Near and Far Aid, a dinner for 8 plus staff for “Dress for Success” benefit, and side dishes for the Clasp Homes fundraiser for 100… Busy month!

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Use your favorite stuffing recipe, be sure to use the giblets – that’s where the real flavor is! I used a Grand Marnier and Dried Apricot Stuffing with a little Andouille sausage to give that little extra kick!

Ingredients:
1, 18-19 pound fresh Turkey
1, 7 pound fresh Duck
1, 3-4 pound fresh Chicken
1 recipe, Dried Apricot and Grand Marnier Stuffing (recipe follows)
4 oranges
Buy the birds at your local butcher shop and bat your eyelashes until he agrees to debone them for you! This will save a LOT of time If you must debone the birds yourself get a nice bottle of wine, a good sharp paring knife, and a whole uninterrupted afternoon. You must remove every bit of bone and cartilage from the chicken and the duck. Leave the drumsticks and the wings on the turkey – they are necessary for the appearance of the final product. (Instructions on deboning follow).

To assemble the Turducken:
Lay all three birds skin side (breast) down on a clean flat surface. Starting with the turkey, press firmly into the flesh a coating of about ¾ of an inch of the stuffing. Lay the duck on top of the turkey and stuffing, spread it out repeat the process only this time use about ½ inch of stuffing. Next, lay the chicken on top and put a small mound of stuffing in the center.
Here is the tricky part… Cut 5 pieces of butchers twine into 30” lengths. You want to tie the turkey back together so that it looks like a turkey again. Slide each piece of the cut twine under the turkey. Gently fold the sides of the turkey up and tie it back together. It may take a few tries, or a few extra pieces of twine but that is ok!

Lastly, flip your bird! Turn it over and place in a roasting pan. Squeeze the juice of the oranges over the skin, cover in foil and put it in the oven at 225F. You want to cook it slow and low! You need to cook a Turducken this size for about 8 hours. During the last 2 hours you can uncover it to brown the skin. To make sure it is done stick a meat thermometer into the deepest part of the Turducken. You have to be sure that the internal temperature is 165F. Take the temperature in a couple of places to be safe. I like to serve the Turducken on a nice wooden platter garnished with apricots, currants, berries, whatever is fresh, colorful, and available.

Stand over your creation and cut right through middle with a sharp bread knife! Your guests will be amazed!

For the Dried Apricot and Grand Marnier Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 cup dried apricots; chopped coarsely
1-1/2 cups Grand Marnier Liqueur, enjoy the rest as you stuff the birds!
4 cups homemade poultry broth – make this with the carcasses of the deboned birds
The liver and heart from the turkey
2 cups celery, coarsely chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 pound Andouille Sausage
1 cup Gala apple pieces, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
16 ounces bread crumbs (day old brioche is fantastic!)
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher Salt
1 cup slivered Almonds

Instructions:
Place apricots and 1 cup Grand Marnier in a small saucepan. Heat to a boil to plump the apricots. Remove from the heat and set aside. Simmer the turkey liver and heart in just enough water to cover in a small saucepan for 5 minutes; set aside to cool

In a medium saucepan, heat chicken broth to boiling. Add celery and onion. Simmer 10 minutes or until tender.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage. Remove from heat and chop coarsley.
In a large mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, apricots with liquid, sausage, chopped apple, onion, celery, almonds, and broth. Stir to combine. Add remaining Grand Marnier. Stir well to moisten stuffing. Season with thyme and pepper to taste.

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Chill in the air and harvesting the long season fruits and vegetables inspires people to indulge in what is commonly called, “comfort food”. Food that give you that you warm and full feeling…..quite a bit longer than those summer salads.

Warm spiced cider is my way to kick if off. Simmer with a few cloves, a stick of cinnamon and maybe a few slices of candied ginger some “heat”. Spike it with plum wine, Riesling wine or a touch of dark rum.

Butternut squash is my favorite fall vegetable. I serve it as a soup, soufflé, pancake, muffin or mixed with some potato for firmness and piped out onto the plate. It also makes a nice base for slices of Pork Tenderloin roasted to perfection or seared Duck Breast. Garnish with what else. The number one fall fruit….Apples. Tart granny smith sautéed in butter and flashed with brandy, sweet baking apples and cranberry chutney or a classic British ale infused apple compote.

A tender pot roast is also a great entrée to serve in the fall. Eye of the round or even first cut brisket present well. Lean and just about falling apart. A nice port wine and cranberry glace’ over a medley of root veggies. Roasted carrots, parsnips, onions, turnips and beets. Very pretty plate! As colorful as a drive to Vermont in October.

Potatoes and stuffing are my choices for accompaniments. Chestnuts and sautéed leeks will spark up a stuffing or mashed potatoes. A cleaver trick I love to do is bake them in buttered muffin pans. Lovely little crisp individual servings.

To end an autumn meal one must have apples. A warm apple cheese tart, crunchy topped apple crisp or the classic apple pie (I like mine with walnuts and raisins) with French vanilla ice cream. Finish off with a brandy spiked coffee or glass of Late Harvest Riesling.

Say ahhh, sit back, fold your arms over your belly and watch a good football game. Autumn is a time for comfort food.

Here is a menu that we did last weekend…

To start:Fall Crudités with Fennel and Jicama, Roasted Pepper Dips, Pita Chips

Artisanal Cheeses
5 Selections of classic hard cheeses, Dried Apricots and Cranberries

Butlered
Seared Lamb Loin on Baguette Toast, Fresh Mint Jelly
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Exotic Mushroom
Sweet Potato Chip with Indian Style Diced Eggplant, Tomato, & Cilantro

Soup
Warm and Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Salad
Julienne of Endive, Radicchio, and Orange pepper Citrus Slaw in Bib lettuce Cup with Candied Pecans

Choices:
Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cranberry Ginger Compote

Seared and Roasted Tenderloin, Caramelized Shallots with Balsamic Reduction

Butternut Squash Soufflé

Oven Roasted Baby Beets, Baby Turnips, with sweet Butter glazed Baby Carrots

Carmel Walnut Apple Pie with Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean

Enjoy the harvest bounty, Chef Scott G.

Check out The Food Network - http://www.foodnetwork.com/
Epicurious - http://www.epicurious.com/gourmet/

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In honor of Oktoberfest, I have put together suggestions for some delicious beer and cheese pairings. These are perfect to serve at an Oktoberfest themed event. Hosting your own Oktoberfest is a great excuse to get friends together and enjoy an outdoor beer garden experience while the weather is still warm enough. Our event planners can even arrange for tenting and music if you want to give the original Oktoberfest in Munich a run for its money.

You can always serve traditional Oktoberfest fare like sausages and salted pretzels but why not do something a bit more refined and unexpected? Often looked down upon by the oenophile, beer is gaining respect with the growth of microbreweries, and as a result, beer and Artisanal cheese pairings are becoming a major trend. The grain that is used to produce beer is the same that is fed to milk-animals to produce cheese, so it makes sense that these two would make a good pair.

One of my favorite kinds of beer is the Wheat Beer, it is the perfect choice for outdoor drinking as it light and fruity and great with a lemon wedge for some added citrus. Wheat beers have many high notes and pair well with Lactic cheeses, like Loire Valley goat’s milk or young, soft-ripened cheeses.

Another unique style of beer is Indian Pale Ale (also known as IPA) – this beer has a very distinctive taste due to the overwhelming hop profile. It takes a brawny cheese to stand up to such intense flavors, and strong stinky, washed-rind varieties are the best match for this flavorful beer.

There are so many varieties of beers and delicious cheeses to pair with them but instead of listing them all I thought I’d give just a bit of inspiration. Give us a call or schedule a tasting at our Greenwich or Westport office if you want to learn more.

Here are a few links with useful information:

- Beer and Cheese: It’s Better Than Wine and Cheese. - a great article!

- Beer and Cheese

Elizabeth Ethridge

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