an upscale down-home Southern menu

Every now and then I get to attend crazy highbrow events that I would never have the means to throw. These events involve things like contortionists suspended from the ceiling clad in body suits that look like the exterior of disco balls or “living statues” who appear to be made of marble but are people who steal your hat while you’re not looking.

Between money and space issues, I’m never going to have entertainers hanging from the ceiling at my parties. I’ve come to terms with this.

However, recently I attended an event at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering, and when I saw the upscale buffet, I thought, “Now, that’s something I could do.”

This menu would be good for a Kentucky Derby party (May 3), or really any party at all where guests enjoy good, hearty food. Here’s what was on the menu:

• Hush puppies (Feel free to cheat and purchase the hush puppies. Even Wolfgang Puck’s hush puppies didn’t taste much different than any other hush puppy I’ve ever had.)
• Honey-barbecue chicken skewers
• Blackened catfish tacos (I. Loved. This.)
• Beef and grits (I wish I could remember the specific type of beef, but I can’t. I do, however, remember it was delicious.)
• Cole slaw (I recommend opting for a vinaigrette-based one instead of a mayo-based slaw, just to lighten up the offerings a tad.)
• Peach cobbler with a crème anglaise (Peach cobbler may be my favorite thing on the planet.)

Pick and choose what suits you and enjoy!

Comments

Yum! Sounds wonderful! What great ideas!

What is the recipe for the blackened catfish tacos?

Sonya--Sadly, I wasn't able to snag the recipe from Wolfie! However, this recipe seems to be along the lines of what I had at the event: http://media.myfoxutah.com/recipes/blackcatacos.htm.