Communion Dinner 2012-Sunday Dinner and German Chocolate Cake Recipe

 A week ago Sunday was our last Communion Season dinner and we wanted to finish strong after four-dinner-marathon.  And if my church family couldn't remember what they had for four dinners in a row, they will certainly remember this German Chocolate Cake!  !  The cake was so moist and the frosting made with pecans and coconut was outstanding.  Here is what the rest of the menu looked like:

 Communion/Sunday Dinner Menu for 280

(Click hyperlink for recipes)

Pork Tenderloin with Coffee Rub (60 lbs of pork tenderloin)

Pineapple-Papaya Salsa (10 pineapples, 8 papayas, 16 bell peppers, variety colors)

Garden Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (36 small heads of Romaine, 2 1/2 lbs. tomatoes, 3 large cucumbers, 7 cups of dressing)

French Bread with Cheese Spread (280 pieces, 6 cups of cheese spread)

Watermelon Slices (4 large seedless melons)

German Chocolate Cake (225 pieces)

 The key to making the cake moist and fluffy is not over beating the batter, especially in large volume baking.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together first.  Then we use a hand-held mixer and a large mixing bowl rather than a large commercial mixer.   This gives us much better control and avoid over mixing.

The frosting will take much longer when cooking recipe x10.  Use the heaviest gauge aluminum stock pot you can find in your kitchen.   Cook the ingredients in low-medium heat until frosting turns light golden color and thickens, it takes good bit of patience but so worth it!  Are you measuring baking ingredients by weight yet?  Oh, this is a must if baking in large volume!  Here is the conversion chart you can use.  

German Chocolate Cake
Adapted from Allrecipe

• 1/2 cup water
• 4 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites
•  
• Filling:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  With vegetable oil spray, spray 9x13 pan ( or three 9 inch round pans).  Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together and set it aside.  

In a small sauce pan, heat water until steaming.  Add chocolate and stir to melt.  Off the heat, cool and add vanilla extract.   

Using a hand held mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.  

Cream butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy in a large bowl. Add egg yolks, one at a time.  Stir in melted chocolate mixture.  Alternate flour mixture and buttermilk, being careful not to over mix.  Using a rubber spatula, quickly fold in beaten egg whites until white streaks disappear.  

Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes.  Cool for about 10 minutes and turn out onto wire rack. Cool while making the frosting. 

For Filling:  In a large sauce pan, combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, egg yolks, and cook over low/medium heat, stirring until thickened.  12-15 minutes.  Off the heat, add vanilla extract, coconut and pecans.  Cool before icing the cake. 

For large volume baking tips:

• 5-12x24x2 steam pans used
• Above recipe x2 makes 1 steam pan, which yields about 45 pieces per pan.  
• Cakes can be baked ahead and frozen up to 2 weeks
• Dry ingredients for the frosting can be measured days ahead and frosting made on the day of serving.
• Frosting recipe x10 took about 45 minutes to thicken 

Communion Season 2012- Friday Dinner and Bulgogi Recipe

Photo by Hyosun @ Eating and Living

On Friday was our meal two for our Annual Communion Season dinners and I wanted to make something very special for my church family, and of course Korean food it had to be!  Korean Beef BBQ or Bulgogi is most likely the best well known meat dish and for trusted recipes, I always to go Hyosun's Korean food site, Eating and Living.  

I have planned this menu several months ahead not knowing that Hyosun of Eating and LIving blog would be coming to visit me in Savannah in conjunction with her business trip!  Can you believe that!?  Though I have "known" her through her blog for last two years, I was beyond ecstatic and honored to meet her in person.  So Friday afternoon,when Hyosun was done with her work, she came to IPC kitchen and helped with the meal prep for 200.  

Friday Dinner Menu for 200

Bulgogi with Teriyaki Sauce (65 lbs of bottom round sliced paper thin)

Steamed Rice (28 lbs of rice), click here for method

Fried Egg Rolls with Red Chili Sauce  (250)

Sauteed Vegetable Medley  (12 lbs of frozen beans/18 lbs of broccoli/8 large onions/24 bell peppers)

Garden Salad with Spiced Dressing (9 large heads of Romaine, with red onions, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes)

Coconut-Kiwi Cake (recipe x10 = 4 pans/180 pieces)   

For detailed preparation instruction from Hyosun's site, Click Here. 

Bulgogi 
Recipe by Eating and Living
Used with Permission

2 pounds thinly sliced beef (rib eye or top sirloin)*
3 scallions cut into 2-inch pieces
1 small onion thinly sliced10 mushroom caps sliced (optional)

6 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)

2 tablespoons garlic

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

3 tablespoons grated Asian pear (optional)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

(*Pre-sliced bulgogi meat is sold at any Korean market. Pay a little more to get good quality meat. If cutting the beef at home, partially freeze for about an hour to firm it up for easier slicing. Cut across the grain into about 1/8-inch thick slices.)

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. If using packaged pre-sliced meat, separate the slices. Add the meat and vegetables to the marinade and toss gently to combineeverything well. Marinate the meat for about an hour. Grill on a charcoal or gas grill or pan fry in a skillet over high heat until slightly caramelized. (Preheat and lightly oil with sesame oil before adding the meat. If pan frying, do not crowd the skillet.)

Note: Since rib eye or top sirloin would be too expensive to feed 200, I purchased bottom round cut and had the butcher slice it very thinly. 

Print This Recipe!

Even though it was a busy weekend with another two dinners ahead, Hyosun and I carved out some to frolic around town.   It was as though I have known her all my life.  We talked incessantly about blogging, food photography, our children, food photo props, our dreams, faith and more blogging. 

 On Saturday, we went to The Tea Room for an early lunch. Both our salads were fabulous and Hyosun fell in love with my favorite tea in the world, Emperor's Bride Tea.  

 

I gave Hyosun a quick tour of my beloved church.  I am never tired of looking at my church's exquisite steeple and the sanctuary ceiling.  Can you see why?

 It was simply wonderful to meet someone for the first time and yet have the feeling as though you have reconnected with your old friend.  Thanks so much, Hyosun for taking your time to visit me!  Love you, my friend! 

Communion Season 2012 - Thursday Dinner and The Best Yellow Rice Recipe

This Thursday through Sunday, my church is having a special program called Annual Communion Season.  And it is going to be extra special because this year's speaker is Dr. Harry Reeder, the senior pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian Church, in Birmingham, AL.  I love to hear this dynamic speaker, who truly brings out the word of God like no other preacher can; other than my own senior pastor, of course.  

Anyway, the kitchen staff and I are on a cooking marathon since we have four dinners to prep and serve this weekend.   I was too busy last night and this was the only photo I managed to take.  But I have to tell ya, this yellow rice we made last night was the best ever!  So I had to share the recipe with you. 

Friday night dinner may or may  not involve Bulgogi and a special guest appearance.  So stay tuned....

Thursday Dinner Menu for 200 (Click Hyperlinks for recipes)

Blackened Swai   (55 lbs - 3-5 oz filets = about 210 pieces)

Mango Salsa (20lbs. frozen diced mango chunks)

Yellow Rice (30lbs rice)

Yeast Rolls (200)

Garden Salad with Savannah Mustard Dressing  (30 small heads of Romaine plus tomatoes, onions, cucumbers)

Lemon-Ginger Pound Cake with Lemon Whipped Cream  (Recipe x10 = 4 full pans)

The Best Yellow Rice

Serves 4

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup onion, finely diced

1/2 cup sweet peppers, finely dice (we used tri-colored)
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 cup long grain rice, soaked in water for 15 min, rinsed, drained
1 1/3 cup chicken broth, homemade preferred
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt (use only if using homemade broth)

Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic and cook until just soft. Toss in the rice for about a minute, stirring once or twice.   

Add the broth, ground turmeric and salt if using homemade broth without salt added.  Cover and cook in medium-high until rice starts to boil,  for about 10-12 minutes.  

When it begins to boil, quickly reduce the heat to simmer.  Do not open the lid.  Simmer until the liquid is absorbed, another 15 minutes.  Fluff with a fork before serving.  

For large volume rice cooking tips, click here. 

The Best Yellow Rice for 200 

25 lbs of long grain rice, soak first in cold water for 20-30 minutes, rinse, drain

6 large onions, finely chopped, pulsed coarsely food processor 

10 tricolored peppers, finely chopped, pulsed coarsely in food processor

1/3 cup minced garlic

2/3 cups olive oil

About 16 quarts of homemade chicken stock

2 tablespoon ground turmeric

salt to taste

Print This Recipe!

Sunday Dinner (Communion Season 2011)

What a great way to end our Annual Communion Season with a thought provoking sermon by Dr. James Baird followed by a good ol' Southern pork barbeque! I chose the barbeque because it is so tasty and very inexpensive option to serve my large church family.


I purchases 13 pork shoulders which already smoked/grilled from my local Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Pooler, GA for $17 each(7-8 pounder). OK, I'm a food snob and very picky when it comes to purchasing already cooked foods. But Mr. Marvin at Pooler Piggly Wiggly does a fantastic job grilling these pork shoulders and I am always very confident to serve these. If you don 't grill or don't have the time to grill, look for a place who can do the job for you.

These shoulders are double wrapped in foil, then baked for additional 4-5hours in low heat for easy chopping.


Cheryl, my young kitchen staff is a great softball player, and I am so happy to have her arm strength to chop 13 of these. That's 90 pounds of meat. Yeah, don't mess with Cheryl when she has the cleaver in her hand.



Working in a commercial kitchen is not for the weak. And this is one of many ways I get my daily exercise. These canned beans are opened upside down for a reason. At the grocery store the cans are stored right side up, which causes the beans to settle to the bottom and liquid on top. It's easier to pour the beans out of the cans when bottom lid is opened.


Along with canned baked beans, I added sauteed onions, bacon bits, cooked black and red kidney beans and extra sauce made with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Click here for the recipe.


Simple Lemon Coleslaw made with white cabbages and tri-colored peppers. Here is the recipe.


And for dessert, we made simple caramel cakes. I adore caramel sauce; butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar, what's not to like?


Simple yellow cake drizzled, no, swimming in caramel sauce was so delicious!


Thanks to Dr. James Baird's great teaching and preaching this weekend, our souls were well fed! And it was an honor for my kitchen staff and I to be part of serving Dr. Baird and this wonderful congregation.

Sunday Fellowship Dinner Menu
For 300

Pork BBQ (13 pork shoulders, 90 pounds); 1 1/2 gallons of BBQ sauce (Cattleman's Tangy Gold)
Lemon Coleslaw (25 lbs of cabbage, 12 tricolor peppers); shallots omitted
Three Bean Casserole (5-#10 cans canned beans, 6 lbs dried black beans cooked, 4 lbs dried kidney beans cooked, 6 lbs of bacon cooked & chopped, 4 large onions sauteed)
Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing (30 heads of Romaine, 4 lbs of cherry tomatoes, 4 English Cucumbers, 12 cups of ranch dressing)
Watermelon slices (4 large melons, sliced)
Caramel Cake (5 full size pans = 225 pieces)
Chicken Nuggets for babies (8 lbs frozen nuggets heated)
**since we have so many babies/toddlers, we always serve either chicken nuggets or corn dogs

General Prep List

A week prior:
Order pork shoulders
Make cakes and freeze (only the cake, caramel sauce is made later)

3 days prior
Julienne cabbages, store in zip lock baggies, refrigerate
Bell peppers, halved, cored, store in zip lock baggies, refrigerate
Make Ranch Dressing
Cook black beans, red beans (soak them the day before)
Slice bacon and cook until crisp, cool and store in baggies then refrigerate
Saute chopped onions in a little bacon fat, cool, store in baggies, refrigerate
Make bean sauce, baggie, then refrigerate
Measure caramel sauce ingredients store in fridge or leave room temperature covered
Juice and zest lemons, bag and store in fridge

On the day of event:
7 hours prior
Bake pork shoulders in oven 325 degrees F. until well heated through and shoulder bone fall off the meat
Lightly salt sliced cabbages with salt, set it in colander for about an hour
Make coleslaw dressing
Assemble baked beans, add sauce
Wash and julienne colored peppers
Thaw cakes


4 hours prior
Wash cabbage in cold water, let water drain completely, paper towel dry, add dressing and toss with peppers, let flavor meld for several hours
Make caramel sauce
Cut cake and drizzle caramel sauce; let cool
Make tea concentrate

2-3 hours prior
Bake bean casserole
Cut and wash romaine, prep salad
Chop pork shoulder, cover with foil and keep warm
Slice watermelon, cover with plastic wrap

1 hour to serving
Heat BBQ sauce
Toss coleslaw a few times
Toss salad (15 minutes before serving)
Table set up

Note: Every group, depending on the age, will eat more or less than my church family. You will need to adjust the amount for your own group you are serving. For more info on cooking for a big group, read "Event Planning" and "Cooking Tips" in this blog. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me. :)

Saturday Dinner (IPC's Communion Season 2011)

Though this was a relatively simple menu with much of the prep work done ahead, the kitchen staff and I were moving a bit sluggish this afternoon. We felt the fatigue settling on our bodies serving dinners three nights in a row. I had to have some caffeinated drink to perk me up and it sure worked, now I am WIDE awake and it is way past my bed time! Here is what we did.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast is lightly dusted with herb dry mixture of dried oregano, basil, parsley, granulated garlic, pepper, and kosher salt, then seared on a hot griddle. Finish baking in oven until internal temperature reaches 155-160 degrees F. Let meat rest 25-30 minutes before slicing.



Here is a quick way to prep romaine lettuce for salad. Hold by the root end , chop into bite size, then wash the lettuce; drain in a colander.


After water is completely drained, put lettuce and veggies in large bowls and have them ready to toss with dressing. It is important to put just enough of dressing to coat the salad.


Sprinkle cheese on top.


Perfectly cooked pasta for 200? Click here for my previous post. Since angel hair pasta is so easy to overcook in large volume, choose a little thicker pasta such as spaghetti or linguini . After cooking the pasta firmer than al dente, quickly cool in ice cold water, then drain. Add a little of olive oil to prevent from sticking. Cover loosely until ready to serve.


Reserve the water from cooking the pasta, add more water to the pot and keep the water simmering until ready to reheat the pasta. See how I keep the cooked pasta in the metal colander with a deep large pan to fit underneath?


Pour boiling reserved pasta water over the noodles. Stir the pasta for only for about 10-15 seconds. Do this in small batches to reheat the remaining.


My church family love Sister Schubert's yeast rolls! These par-baked frozen rolls can be purchased at Sam's Club. We brush them with melted butter and bake at 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes in the convection oven.


Decadent Chocolate cake with Chocolate Buttercream frosting was made three days ago and frozen.


Simple but delicious Italian meal tonight! OK, one more meal tomorrow.
And my church family is on their own for rest of the week. I'm done. "Io sono finito!"


Saturday Menu:
For 200

Chicken Marinara (48 lbs of chicken breast/16 quarts of marinara sauce/ 20 lbs pasta)
Yeast Rolls (Sister Schubert's 190 rolls)
Greek Salad (30 heads of romaine/4 lb.cherry tomatoes, 3 English Cucumbers/3 red onions/3 lbs olives/5 lb feta cheese
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Icing (4 full pans, 180 servings, not everyone eat dessert)

General Prep List:
**Marinara sauce and chocolate cake can be made and frozen weeks ahead
**Greek salad dressing can be made and refrigerated a few weeks ahead

On the day of serving:

6 hours prior
Thaw chocolate cake, uncover the wrap or foil so ice crystals on the wraps don't fall on the icing

4 hours prior
Cook pasta firmer than al dente, cool, set aside loosely covered, reserve pasta water & keep hot
Slowly reheat marinara sauce (we reheat sauce in a steamer)
Prep salad
Herb dry rub on chicken and sear until lightly blackened

2 hours prior
Baked seared chicken in oven 12-18 minutes until internal temp reaches 155-160 degrees F
Let meat rest and slice against the grain, loosely cover and keep room temp
Cut Cake
Yeast rolls on sheet pans, brush with melted butter

1 hour prior to serving
Salad ready to toss, mix with dressing 15 minutes prior to serving
Heat pasta in batches by pouring boiling reserved water
Plate cakes
Plate salad
Begin plating main dish, serve with shredded Parmesan cheese

Friday Dinner (IPC's Communion Season 2011)

Unintentionally, I have created ethnic menus for IPC's First Annual Communion Season meals. Last night was Caribbean style dinner, and tonight, Asian.

I have been wanting to make Bulgogi, Korean style stir-fried beef, for my church family for a long time but never did due to high cost of beef, until now! Through a good friend, I was able to get 70 pounds of top round, sliced thinly enough to be used for Korea's most famous beef dish. Thank you, Sunju!

So, the kitchen staff and I made a bathtub-ful of soy marinade with fresh garlic, sesame oil, brown and granulated sugar, pepper, and a splash of white wine.


This is the way my kitchen staff and I get a good bicep work out. Wrestling with half a calf makes you strong.


When using less tender cut, hot, quick stir fry is the key to keeping the beef moist.


Bulgogi can't be served with long grain rice, no sirree! Short grain, sushi grade rice must be used when serving this wonderful dish. Rinse away the starch from the grains a few times with cold water.


Along with this, we also prepared stir fry veggies of Chinese cabbage, white cabbage, zucchini, bell peppers, and mung sprouts.





Mandarin orange segments were used for Spinach Salad with candied walnuts.


And Peanut brittle to top the frozen peanut butter pies.

Cool, smooth frozen pie with crunchy topping was a perfect ending to this delicious meal.


Friday Dinner Menu
For180

Bulgogi with Steamed Rice (70 lbs of top round/35lbs of short grain rice)
Veggie Medley (6 large white cabbages, 5 Chinese Cabbage, 10 lbs zucchinis,
12 tri-color peppers, 10 lbs of mung sprouts)
Teriyaki Sauce (made approx. 1 gallon)
Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (10 lbs of baby spinach leaves, 16 cans mandarin orange segments, 2 lbs of Walnuts candied, plus 12 cups of poppy seed dressing)
Frozen Peanut Butter Pie with Peanut Brittle (4 full pans, 180 servings)

General prep list:

Up to 2 weeks ahead:
Make frozen peanut butter pie

Up to 5 days:
Make poppy seed dressing
Make Peanut brittle, store in air tight container in room temperature

Up to 3 days:
Make Teriyaki sauce and refrigerate

1 day ahead:
Marinade beef, refrigerate
Julienne veggies, store in zip lock storage bags, refrigerate

On the day of event:
3 hours before:
steam rice
slowly heat teriyaki sauce
Slightly thaw and cut peanut butter pie, back in freezer

2 hours before: begin stir frying veggie, par cook, layer uncovered

1 hour to serving time:
one person designated to stir fry beef in batches
Take frozen pie out of freezer 20 minutes prior to serving
toss salad 10 minutes before serving
plate dessert/salad/main meal

Thursday Dinner (IPC's Communion Season 2011)

It was a great turn out for tonight's dinner; close to 200 as anticipated! It is a great honor to have such a dynamic preacher/speaker such as Dr. James Baird and so many families came to hear him.

I should have made a little more black beans and rice (I put Tilapia on a bed of salad for those few who did not get rice), and Tropical Salsa, but over all everything went very smoothly.

Rice was cooked with garlic, onions, and chicken broth. Then cooked black beans were added with a bit of ground cumin and cayenne pepper.


Two hours prior to serving, dry rub was sprinkled on the Tilapia filets...

and par-cooked. On a high heat sear and blacken one side of filet and put on a full-size sheet pans. And 10 minutes prior to serving, bake at 400 degrees F. for 6-7 minutes.


Tropical salsa which had papaya, pineapple, jalapeno, fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and Thai red chili sauce was made a day ahead.



Coconut-Kiwi cake was made a day ahead too, then garnished with kiwi today.


I think this is one of the best ways to eat coconut!


It was simple but enjoyable meal for my church family. And best of all, hardly any leftover food! Yes!


I will post the recipes later for you, I pinky promise! Tell me which one you want me to post first.

Thursday Dinner

Blackened Tilapia (50 lbs of 5-7 oz portion filets, some cut in half)
Blackened Chicken (6 lbs for small children and for non-seafood eaters)
Tropical Salsa (12 pineapples, 8 papayas, and other ingredients
Black Bean and Rice (4 full size steam pans)
Garden Salad with Sundried Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette (3o small heads of Romaine Lettuce,
3 English Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes)
Coconut-Kiwi Cake (4 full size pans, 180 pcs)

Now, many little details are omitted here on this prep list but you get an idea how we do things in our kitchen when serving a meal like this.

Up to 5 days prior to serving:
Make Salad Dressing

One day before serving:
Make Tropical Salsa and refrigerate
Make Coconut-Kiwi Cake and refrigerate (without Kiwi garnish)

Five hours prior:
Thaw Tilapia completely in cold water (comes individually wrapped in plastic)
Make Tea/beverage

Four hours prior:
Cut coconut cakes, garnish with kiwi slices, refrigerate until ready to serve
Chop Romaine lettuce, wash & drain, prep cucumbers and cherry tomatoes
Start soaking long grain rice and rinse.

Three hours prior:
Saute minced garlic and onions with olive oil, add drained rice and broth, cook, fluff
Add drained and rinsed black beans (we used dried black beans, soaked and cooked them) to cooked rice, cover with foil and keep warm

Two hours prior:
Sprinkle dry rub, we used 50 lbs of Tilapia so started early

An hour prior to serving:
Begin blackening fish filets, put on sheet pans, preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Salad things out and ready to toss last minute
Beverage station set
Desserts out and ready for plating
Tilapia in oven 10 minutes prior and cooked for 6-7 minutes, in batches since diners come in waves.
Begin plating 5 minutes prior to serving.

And not so fun part.......the clean up!