Lunch menu for birthday party

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kandjy

Assistant Cook
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Hi guys,
I am preparing a little party for my son's birthday. He is 11 and enjoys French food.I was thinking about Cassoulet or Confit de Canard for main and an apple tart for dessert but I have no idea of the best appetizers; I hesitate between smoked salmon and duck paté. Any suggestion would be pleased :)
 
Since the main dish is quite substantial, how about something light like salad nicoise?
 
Wow, some party for an 11 year old! It is for adults I hope? Kids nowadays want pizza, at best.


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well yes, know your audience. The party may be in honor of your son's birthday, however, if it includes some of his friends, more than family, kids his age may not enjoy either dish as much as the birthday guy.

You can include duck confit in the cassoulet.

For appies, you might consider prosciutto wrapped--+ asparagus, stuffed dates, or depending on your location, about the only fruit I can think of that's available this time of years is pears.
 
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The casoulet might be a hit if altered a bit to fit the tastes of most eleven-year-olds. Ingredients:
1 4 oz. can tomato paste
1 6 oz can Tomato Sauce

The Chief's Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:
1 12 oz. can dark red kidney beans
½ clove minced garlic
½ medium yellow onion, diced
3 heaping tbs. chopped green pepper
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. Chili Powder
½ tsp. Salt
1 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 tbs. olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
Place ground beef into a 12 inch covered frying pan and place over medium heat. While the pan is warming, add the olive oil to a 1 quart sauce pan and apply medium heat. Add the garlic,
onion, and bay leaf to the oil and saute until the onion turns
translucent. Add the remaining ingredients, stir until well
blended, cover and turn down heat to simmer.
Lift the lid from the ground beef and break up the meat into
bite sized chunks. Lightly salt the meat, stir, and cover.
Check the meat and stir the sauce every five minutes until the
meat is cooked through.
Drain the meat into a suitable bowl and place the juice in the refrigerator for later use. Combine the meat and sauce and serve over hamburger buns.

If that doesn't fit what you want, You might try this - Profiteroles filled with a good french cheese and crumbled Toulouse sausage - French finger good. Serve with a good dipping sauce. Just a couple of ideas for yu.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Hi guys,
I am preparing a little party for my son's birthday. He is 11 and enjoys French food.I was thinking about Cassoulet or Confit de Canard for main and an apple tart for dessert but I have no idea of the best appetizers; I hesitate between smoked salmon and duck paté. Any suggestion would be pleased :)
I made a cassoulet for Boxing day dinner for ten.
Both the dishes you mentioned are fairly fatty/rich as you know, you may consider an app that is light on the palette in contrast.
For the app I made two types: Roasted fennel and artichoke on bite size flat breads.
And smoked salmon pate on crostinis.
 
Of course Addie, you are welcome :)
Pizza is already on the menu Charlie, he wants to invite some of his classmates and cousins, few uncles and aunts.
The prosciutto sounds good maybe I will prepare one and will also try to make pear and parmesan stuffed mushrooms or smoked salmon pate on crostinis.
Thanks for this good Cassoulet recipe Longwind Chief.
 
Hi guys !
Sorry to be a little bit late. Everybody gave ideas about the menu but nobody talked about the birthday cake. A birthday without a cake is not a birthday. Whatever your age, you’ll be deeply disappointed if the cake is missing. Fortunately, here I am :ROFLMAO:
I am a pastry lover and I have an original cake receipt for you. Here is the link: BBC Good Food | Recipes and cooking tips
 
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BBC link produced very nice cod recipe. I hope you not going to be serving cod in place of cake. ?


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I'm with you on that one. I have not had cod in ages. Cannot get it kosher here in town. And I love cod.


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I'm with you on that one. I have not had cod in ages. Cannot get it kosher here in town. And I love cod.


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Charlie, other than gutting the Cod which is done right on the fishing boat, if you are able to buy a whole Cod with the head on, could you take that to a Rabbi and have it considered Kosher? Or is it the equipment that is used on the boat and to gut it also have to be declared Kosher? From experience I can tell you that each man has their own knife for gutting and a hook and rake is used as the men sit on the deck to pull the pile of fish toward them so they can just reach down and pick up a fish. Once they are gutted the basket is lowered below deck and iced down. When they get into port, the men lump (unload) the catch from the hold with pitchforks and tossed onto the conveyor belt to the processor plant.

One more thing. Any lobsters that are caught in the nets, are also placed in the hold with the fish after their claws are banded. I do know lobsters are definitely not Kosher. Lobsters are considered trash catch and the crew divide them to take home. :angel:
 
If fish in the store has scales then it is kosher, even if it is a fillet and there is no head and you don't even know what fish it is. It doesn't matter how it was gutted. Rabbi has nothing to do with it. If fish is completely filleted(sp?) then the proper supervision required. And then it would have kosher symbol and would sealed and bagged under said supervision.

It is much more complicated with meats


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If fish in the store has scales then it is kosher, even if it is a fillet and there is no head and you don't even know what fish it is. It doesn't matter how it was gutted. Rabbi has nothing to do with it. If fish is completely filleted(sp?) then the proper supervision required. And then it would have kosher symbol and would sealed and bagged under said supervision.

It is much more complicated with meats


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I knew about the scales and gills requirement. I just thought that the process for meat may apply to fish also. I am also aware of the requirements for the meat processing.

Charlie I have a story for you in your private messages. Give me a chance to post it. Thanks for the information. :angel:
 
Hi guys !
Sorry to be a little bit late. Everybody gave ideas about the menu but nobody talked about the birthday cake. A birthday without a cake is not a birthday. Whatever your age, you’ll be deeply disappointed if the cake is missing. Fortunately, here I am :ROFLMAO:
I am a pastry lover and I have an original cake receipt for you. Here is the link: BBC Good Food | Recipes and cooking tips

Hi Carry,

You're perfectly right, the link you gave was a precious help. Everything was perfect and my little boy was in seventh heaven :LOL: Thanks.
 
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Fishcake is a good alternative though it is often considered as part of leftovers, I personally love it, especially those made of smoked salmon and vegetable with its crispy and golden brown on the outside but for kid's birthday, I think a birthday cake is more appropriate.
 
You could of had the best of both and made a smoked salmon cheesecake.:yum:
 
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