How to Create an At-Home Tasting Menu

By Nadine Anglin

Comments ( 0 )

Tools:
Print
Share:

Tasting menus are usually found in restaurants and are a great way for diners to sample a wide variety of dishes at once.

Tasting menus are usually found in restaurants and are a great way for diners to sample a wide variety of dishes at once. Each dish usually much smaller than a regular serving size, but the meal itself is comprised of several more courses than the norm.

The easiest way to throw a tasting menu party at home is to pick a theme or regional cuisine in which to base the menu. For example, you may choose a Tuscan-themed menu and showcase several dishes from Northern Italy, or a menu featuring street foods from around the world.

You will need several small dishes in a solid colour. Avoid patterned dishware as this will take away from the actual dish. Different cutlery for each dish is a given and a wine or non-alcoholic beverage that will complement the dishes is an absolute must. Also consider serving distilled water with lemon in between each course so that guests can cleanse their palates.

Chefs who create tasting menus have a staff of sous chefs and assistants to make everything go smoothly. You will only have yourself and possibly a half-hearted partner to make it through the cooking tasks at hand! For this reason, try to choose one or two main dishes and then a few side dishes or less complex recipes.

Each tasting menu below is easy to divide amongst guests and categorized by theme. Use your imagination to make each dish a diminutive culinary work of art.

Menu 1: Flavours of the Mediterranean

Olive Salad

Calamari with Citrus Aioli

Lamb and Radicchio Barquettes

Pasta Alla Trapanese

Tiramisu

Menu 2: Southern Comfort

Antojitos

Warm Okra and Tomato Salad

Louisiana Gumbo with Rice and Spinach Salad

Southern-BBQ Chicken

Mixed Fruit Cobbler