Beyond the same old, same old
 
By BEV BENNETT
Bride's Guide
 

Between your lively culinary drive and your uncle's heartburn it can be a challenge to formulate a wedding menu that suits everyone's tastes.

Is it any wonder that chicken, salmon and beef, simply prepared, so often are the main attraction when a reception dinner is served?

This triumvirate of middle-of-the-road entrées is safe on two counts. These dishes won't wow the foodies, but they're also not likely to offend any guests and they won't wreak havoc on your budget. Unfortunately, a bride with a more adventuresome palette may feel she must sacrifice her culinary adventurousness.

That doesn't have to be the case, say caterers. Ethnic seasonings, herbs and spices along with exotic side dishes and garnishes are this year's perfect accessories that take ho-hum entrées and transform them into chic dishes.

Think of the entrée as a blank canvas to be painted and decorated, says Rita Gutekanst, principal of Limelight, a Chicago catering company.

"There are pretty plate garnishes that add flourishes: tall Parmesan crisps; fried sage leaves; crispy onions; plantain chips; oven-dried taro root chips; crispy rice sticks," says Gutekanst.

This wedding season, Gutekanst will be delighting wedding parties with such fare as herb-grilled chicken paillard with roasted pepper and fennel relish, or roasted chicken roulade stuffed with Tuscan salsa verde served with oven-dried cherry tomatoes and a balsamic vinegar reduction.

Christie Katona is looking to seasonal produce for inspiration. "I use fruits and vegetables for beautiful color and flavor," says Katona, a caterer in Renton, Wash.

Her goal is to create a flavor explosion, which she gets by combining fruits, vegetables, chiles and herbs in sauces and side dishes. For example, mango-cilantro salsa on a chicken breast is one of the most popular entrées among Katona's clientele.

Ethnic influences are very important this year, says Katona, author of "The Wedding Catering Cookbook"(Bristol Publishing Co, 2005). "Asian, which is always big, is continuing to grow. Even Indian. We're getting more calls for well-seasoned Indian sauces, such as banana raita,"she says.

Right now Katona is experimenting with a classic pork loin in a number of exciting ethnic variations. Her repertoire includes a South American-inspired pork with cumin, black beans, rice and a chimichurri sauce; pork with Asian hoisin sauce, white and black sesame seeds and pork smeared with mustard and brown sugar and sprinkled with "booze" for an American accent.

Not ready to dish a plain hunk of meat, Katona prepares ground lamb and bechamel sauce in the Greek answer to lasagna.

As exciting as it may seem to you, moving your guests'palates from the standard roast beef or chicken to the chiles, herbs and spices of most ethnic cuisines can be a stretch, and you may be apprehensive about your choice.

When Joanna Brewer married recently, she and her husband Jeremy chose a Mexican menu catered by a local restaurant.

"We were getting married in San Diego, which has wonderful Mexican food, so we knew we'd be getting great quality and we knew it would be reasonable," says Brewer, who lives in San Francisco.

She was concerned that some of the 100 people on the guest list wouldn't embrace her choices, but eventually concluded that she "couldn't please everyone." Her wedding menu included fajitas, salad, rice and beans, and a cupcake wedding cake. There was enough variety that "people could find something they like to eat," says Brewer. No one went hungry. The cost for 100 guests, including service: less than $2,000.

Brewer's advice to others hesitant about improvising on the classics: "Understand that you're trying to please people, but some won't be."

Fortunately, beef skirt steak, the basis for the fajita dish Brewer chose, is one of this year's most popular meat cuts. "Skirt steak is economical and I love the flavor," says Gutekanst.

The meat's versatility in Mexican, Southwestern and even Asian menus appeals to chefs. "We marinate skirt steak in tequila, then grill it and top it with a chipotle-onion topping," says Tony Conway, owner of A Legendary Event, a catering and event-planning company in Atlanta, Ga.

Although fish isn't as common as meat at weddings, couples have choices beyond the ubiquitous salmon and tuna. Tilapia has a mild taste that inspires Gutekanst. "It takes on whatever flavor you bring to it. I like to prepare it with olives and herbs," she says.

You can also whet appetites with food service. Meat and poultry both look succulent and seductive presented on a cutting board rather than in a chafing dish for a buffet.

"Meat floating in sauce in a chafing dish is ugly," says Conway. Move the entrée to a cutting board and have a chef slice it to order. Your guests are treated to the drama of a culinary pro in action and avoid food that looks as if it's been treading in gravy.

Conway has a lot of demand for grill to order foods at weddings. There's nothing like aromatic grilling woods to season meat, fish or poultry. "Grill chicken to order and top it with sundried tomato sauce," says Conway as a suggestion for an easy, delicious and economical entrée.

When planning your menu, think of ways to marry your favorite ethnic cuisine to otherwise staid dishes.