The Studio Noir – Boston Wedding & Portrait Photography

I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa of Simply Dahlicious! Custom Catering & Confections at the lovely LisaAnn Donegan‘s open house a few weeks ago.  She catered the fun afternoon, and the treats were both beautiful & delicious!  I got to chatting with her, and Lisa has one of the most fun ideas for a bridal shower I have heard!  We at the Studio Noir are particularly excited when we hear things that are a bit out of the ordinary, or unique and creative.

It’s called a Simply Dahlicious Interactive Cooking Party, and it’s all about great food & great fun.  From the experienced chef to the very beginner, all skill levels are welcome!  Lisa works with you to create the perfect menu that suits you & your guests.  Once the guests arrive, you divide up into groups.  Each group is responsible for one course.  Once it is ready & it all comes together, everyone can enjoy the feast.  From start to finish Lisa coordinates every detail so you can relax, celebrate & enjoy the entire experience.  She can even add a wine tasting to your cooking party, matching each dish to the perfect wine.  And, of course, the finale is always dessert!  She supplies the cake, the frosting and supplies as you and your friends create a cake that reflects the special couple.

Items on her ever-expanding menu include: Fillet of Salmon en Papillote with Juillenne of Vegetables, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad, & Garlic Ginger Chicken with fruit salsa.  She also often does several smaller dishes at catering events.  Such dishes include her Lemon & White Chocolate Mousse Parfaits with Strawberries, or her very unique & refreshing fruit medley with pineapple, honeydew, mango with a delightful and unexpected pairing of ginger, sesame seeds, and fresh herbs.  It was one of my favorites for sure!

Take a peek at just a handful of dishes she is excited to be adding to her ever-growing menu…  Let the salivating begin!

Below: Salmon with 2 types of apples, cranberries and a homemade vinaigrette.  Really refreshing!

Below: L – Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with Pistachios, R – Fillet of Salmon en Papillote with Julienne of Vegetables

This is the Garlic Ginger Chicken with a Horseradish Puree & Fruit Salsa.  Being that I don’t eat meat, Vince was happy to take this off my hands and he really loved it!

Another personal favorite, as I have just become very fond of quinoa:  L – Quinoa & Black Bean Salad   R – The Garlic Chicken paired with her Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame Seeds, served as it might appear after an Interactive Cooking Party with Lisa.

Top view just because it’s all so beautiful!  A great combination of textures & colors (as well as flavors, of course!  They are just a bit harder to portray via blog post). 

I.  Was.  Obsessed.  L – Pineapple, Honeydew, Mango & Sesame Seeds with Ginger & Fresh Herbs – YUM!!  R – These were also hard to resist.  Fresh Black Raspberry, Red Raspberry & Strawberry Parfaits.

Even if you don’t have guests, these are delicious (and stinkin’ cute).  Darling little Lemon & White Chocolate Mousse Parfaits with Strawberries. 

L – I’m not a huge sweets junky, but these were a favorite on the sweeter side, while the tartness from the lemon pudding balanced the ginger snaps, black raspberries, and fresh whipped cream beautifully (and deliciously).  R – Another look at those cute little raspberry parfaits.

Below: Lisa’s homemade raspberry cookies she made to send her daughter.  She insisted we keep a few, and let me tell you with no hesitation – they were as divine as they were adorable.  And isn’t that dish cute, too!?

So if you’re trying to find the perfect idea for your bridal party/shower (or any celebration, for that matter), why not get in touch with Lisa to take your next celebration to the next level?  Bonus for most of us: No dishes to worry about after all the cooking is done!  Thanks again, Lisa for sharing all your goodies with us!       – Laura  (& Sam)       Find Lisa on Facebook here.