Tasting/Menu: CHECK!

On Saturday I had a very typical marathon day. It started with a tasting at our venue. We were there to settle the vegetarian entree and the last appetizer. The venue had an updated list of appetizers, so we selected a bunch to try in case we wanted to either add a fourth app or change our mind on the coconut shrimp we'd already selected.

We tried:
Phyllo cups with gorgonzola cream cheese, walnuts, and pears
Crab cakes with aioli
Lemon peppercorn prawns
Portobello mushrooms in phyllo "purses"
Risotto stuffed mushrooms

We opted to stay with the original coconut shrimp. They were yummy and we preferred them to the other seafood apps we tried. Likewise, we chose the portobello purses as the final appetizer. They were delicious, the vegetarians can eat them, and they don't contain cheese, which means I can eat them too! (I snuck a taste of the gorgonzola cups and they were yummy, but Mr. T thought the flavor, which was strong, might not appeal to everyone.)

For the entrees, we tried curried veggies and a lentil stew. They were both yummy, but we ended up going with the stew for two reasons: 1. It contains protein. I think vegetarians are frequently shafted on this, because folks don't like to work with tofu. 2. The curried veggies, while delicious (I reaffirmed that I'm a huge fan of turnips, to my surprise), seemed more like a side dish to us and we worried that folks would overlook them as an entree option.

The tasting was super quick and easy. I want more of those portobello purses right now! Nom, nom, nom....

Oh, and we opted not to add a fourth appetizer. Our coordinator at the venue said that it usually ended up being too much food with that appetizer/guest count ratio, and that it would go to waste.

Our other appetizer is a cheese station with "gourmet cheeses and crackers", and I think we'll be bringing in pumpkin butter and/or quince paste for some other options. The venue was fine with that as long as the items were store bought--something about health codes. I found that so interesting, as my sister-in-law handmade some of the desserts at her wedding. I guess because our venue is a hotel/caterer they are held to stricter standards? Anyway, I'm no Martha Stewart, so buying these things at a store is so not a problem!