Tuesday
September 21, 2010
6:30 – 9:00 pm |
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For a wonderful evening of dining and dancing consider attending Swing Night at Majestic Gardens.
This past Saturday Evening, Majestic Gardens hosted Swing Night. While most events here are private, Swing Night is an opportunity for everyone to enjoy Majestic Gardens since the event is open to the public. Many times we are asked to describe Swing Night and it is quite easy to explain.
Swing Night is an opportunity for couples, friends and families to have a gourmet dinner in a beautiful setting, and for those who enjoy dancing, to dance the night away. There is live entertainment provided by Jack Fontana, Jr. who sings the standards and plays music from different eras. The tables accommodate from two to twelve guests so many couples come alone while other couples join together and sit as a group.
This Saturday, the menu featured Grilled Chicken with Feta Cheese and Toasted Almonds over Mixed Greens followed by the following entrée selections: Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Lobster Béarnaise Sauce, Traditional Chicken Marsala, Everything Crusted Swordfish and Eggplant Cannelloni.
 The Everything Crusted Swordfish was actually prepared on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters and was the winning dish. The challenge required the cheftestants to prepare dishes inspired by the mythological Gods and this dish was inspired by Hades. You can actually see a video preparation of the recipe at http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-masters/videos/underworld-crusted-swordfish. The recipe was slightly modified by adjusting the amount of Togarashi for a milder presentation.
 Eggplant Cannelloni Eggplant Cannelloni is a recent addition to our menu and is a great vegetarian option. The eggplant is rolled and stuffed with goat cheese, garlic, onion, capers and Calamata olives to name a few of the ingredients. The complete recipe can be found at www.Epicurious.com, which is a great resource.
Our next Swing Night will be in the Fall so keep checking back on our events page for more information.
 There’s no question, chocolate and romance go together, but have you ever thought why? Many believe chocolate to be an aphrodisiac and there are many ties between chocolate and romance throughout history.
It was the Aztecs who were the first to believe chocolate had love inducing properties and the Aztec Emperor Montezuma purportedly drank 50 golden goblets of chocolate each day. This belief was passed on from the Aztecs to the Spanish and brought to Europe. From there, chocolate has been regarded as an aphrodisiac, and at times, even a powerful love potion that stimulates passionate love. Some believed that giving chocolate would actually seduce your beloved’s heart. Casanova reportedly the “world’s greatest lover” was said to drink chocolate daily to increase his amorous energy.
Myths and folklore aside, science tells us that chocolate does in fact boost the mood effecting chemicals in our brains including serotonin and phenylethylamine. As the normal levels of these chemicals are increased, feelings of excitement and energy are heightened and sensations of love and romance are enhanced.
Valentine’s Day is always associated with heart shaped boxes filled with chocolates but chocolate can be incorporated into your day in many ways. Start with a chocolate based cocktail such as a Chocolate Martini, French Kiss, Milky Way or Chocolate Covered Raspberry.  While there are numerous recipes to guide you in preparing these cocktails, these are our favorites:
Chocolate Martini
1 Part Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 Part Vanilla Vodka
1 Part Crème de Cacao
1 Part Cream
Shake over ice, strain and garnish with chocolate shavings or rim with cocoa powder.
Chocolate Covered Raspberry
1 Part Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
1 Part Raspberry Liqueur
1 Part Raspberry Vodka
1 Part Cream
Shake over ice, strain and garnish with Fresh Raspberries
In addition to cocktails, there are so many rich chocolate dessert recipes to consider.  Chocolate fondue is very easy to prepare and you can add your favorite flavors to the melted chocolate including espresso, peanut butter or flavored liqueurs such as Baileys, Chambord or Kahlua. From there, you can dip strawberries or your favorites in the fondue for a fun and decadent dessert.
What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with chocolate!
Cocktail-styled wedding receptions have been increasing in popularity over the past few years with couples opting to create more of a “party” atmosphere for their reception, encouraging guests to mingle and relax.
Over and over, we hear guests comment that the best part of a wedding reception is the cocktail hour and couples who select a cocktail-styled reception are actually choosing a reception that encourages their guests to dance, mingle and dine at their own pace.
The couple who selects a cocktail-styled reception wants a less traditional reception and is confident that this type of event will make an impression on their guests. There are many different types of cocktail-styled receptions and if you opt for this type of a reception, you can design a menu to reflect your vision.
In response to the increasing requests for a cocktail-styled reception, we created a Continuous Cocktail Wedding Reception Menu. This menu is a five hour cocktail menu with the first hour styled after a traditional cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres, hot and cold stations including the Miniature Vegetable Garden pictured below.
Following the cocktail hour, guests are welcomed into the ballroom for a four hour reception that begins with a passed champagne toast and passed hors d’oeuvres. Then, as the guests are mingling and dancing, different stations open in the Ballroom.
Station options include Italian, Seafood, Continental and Asian, as well as traditional stations such as Carving, Wok, Mexican and Sushi. There are also whimsical selections including the Gourmet Burger Bar, the All American Station and the Smashed Potato Martini Bar.
The wedding cake is served at a station together with coffee, capp  uccino and espresso. Continuing the cocktail theme, servers pass dessert and cordial selections throughout the Ballroom. Of course, you can change this menu and many couples elect to have the champagne poured at the guests tables and to have the wedding cake served to the guests.
With this menu, guests are always left amazed because the food just keeps coming. Many times, people think that the reception is going to be similar to a buffet-styled reception but there is very little similarity between the two. The Continuous Cocktail Menu offers an upscale alternative to a traditional sit-down reception and is certainly a trend that is here to stay.
Hello and welcome to In Bloom, Majestic Gardens’ new blog where you will find all the latest news on everything about weddings, catering and Majestic Gardens. In Bloom will include information on the latest trends for weddings and celebrations, as well as offering guidance to couples as they plan their ceremony and reception.
Today, more and more, couples are looking for ways to set their reception apart and In Bloom will feature “Make it Your Own” posts with information, ideas and pictures detailing décor designs and menu selections to set your event apart. Our “Getting Married” posts are for the bride and groom and will feature all sorts of information about planning a wedding and wedding etiquette.  For the “Foodies” we will post recipes and cooking tips from our Executive Chef, as well as posts relating to the latest and trendiest cocktails and signature drinks. Plus you’ll see pictures from events held at Majestic Gardens and posts spotlighting couples who are planning their reception at Majestic Gardens in our “In Season” section.
The beauty of this blog is that we will be able to get information to you so much quicker since we can post photographs of events, new stations and enhancements almost instantaneously. So bookmark this blog, email your family and friends, add us to your RSS feed, read up and comment often. You may even check in and find us blogging about your event!! We would love your feedback on Majestic Gardens and In Bloom—including suggestions for future posts.
Email us at info@majesticgardens.com.
Until next time …
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