Expert: Teri Davis Newman - 8/4/2009

Question
Love your answers Teri!  Here's my questions:

I'm planning to cater my daughter's bat mitzvah luncheon later this month. (The menu I came up with is below). It's been a while since I catered professionally (um, 20 years), and I'm rusty on a few points:

Have you ever used foil steam trays for tea-smoking salmon?  I can't imagine why it wouldn't work, but just want to be sure.


THANKS!
Also, any tricks for making that many sushi rolls?  

Finally, is there any reason you know of why peanut sauce wouldn't freeze well? What about cooked, shredded chicken meat?




Noa’s Bat Mitzvah Lunch


Edamame

Rice Crackers

Avocado Rolls

Not So Spicy Tuna Rolls

Cold Tea-Smoked Salmon
Wasabi Plum Sauce
Lemon Ginger Marmalade

Cold Chinese Peanut Noodles

Chinese Chicken Salad

Fruit Display

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Guava Punch, Water, Wine & Sake


Answer
Peanut sauce should freeze fine, but be aware that more people are allergic to peanuts than any other food.  I wouldn't smoke anything in an aluminum hotel pan--but I'm old and cautious. I also wouldn't serve sushi as it's a serious food poisoning risk if you are not a professional chef and having lived in Japan I know that sushi chefs train for 10 years in order to learn to spot parasites in the fish. Caveat Emptor. I don't like sushi even after all the years in Tokyo and won't eat or serve it.  I've never seen chicken salad served in Asia--lived in Japan, Hong Kong, Seoul and Bangkok and never saw it served anywhere so I couldn't offer an opinion on it other that it's not an authentic dish. Sake is a beer, not a wine and in Asia isn't served hot. Guavas are a delicious fruit and we made jelly with them as we had a tree but I can't offer an opinion on Guava punch. Make the avocado dish last and nothing but zero contact with air prevents browning.
This is a very ambitious menu.  I hope you are a professional chef or that you have hired one to cater this event. As a footnote, I wouldn't serve a menu like this to tweens--most of the ones I've met in my career are pizza eaters and wouldn't go near this menu.  I am assuming that your child may have a sophisticated palate, but if your guests do not, you are going to have a lot og very expensive leftovers that won't keep and hungry guests.
 Good Luck!