Harry & David Executive Chef Tim Keller started cooking at age five when his familyโ€™s French foreign exchange student taught him how to make crepes. Heโ€™s not sure if he fell in love with the crepes or the girl, but it began his profession. Keller cooked professionally for 28 years before arriving at Harry & David. We asked him to share a few of his menu planning tips.

Q What is your first step in planning a menu?
TK Iโ€™m incredibly visual. I ask the person what the colors will be, how formal the dress will be, time of day, time of year, to get a feel for the overall mood of the event. With any event, itโ€™s really about the mood and how the food can enhance that. I visualize how every dish will look by visualizing the ingredients.

Q What makes a menu impressive?
TK Itโ€™s all about execution. The menu needs to be well thought out. Donโ€™t be flashy at the expense of veering away from the overall theme, presentation or mood youโ€™re after. The guest should know why youโ€™re doing somethingโ€”why you chose eel and rabbit to go together. One is fatty and one is a slim meat. Create purpose in every food pairing. When people expect it to be great, exceed their expectations. Take it to the next level.

Q How do you describe your menu?
TK Consider your word choice for each dish and ingredient. Donโ€™t make a menu in words no one understands. The idea is to flavor the menu with sophistication. Build intrigue but donโ€™t speak over your audience. Just add a few words that will take something that is regarded as not very special, and make it special. Thatโ€™s what all the great chefs have done. They call out the cuts of meat, and try to do something unusual with it. That can really show the skill of a chef. 

Q How do you make sure your guests are happy?
TK I donโ€™t want guests to be oversaturated with flavor or overly full from the meal. People want to be satisfied with flavor, not bulk. Consider the โ€œrule of three.โ€ After three bites, a person should be satisfied with the dish.

Q What other menu planning tips can you share with our readers?
TK Here are a few more:

  • Set aside time to plan the menu.
  • Consider the mood and theme you want to create.
  • Get organized! Simplify where you can. Keep it clean in set-up so when things come up, youโ€™re better equipped to handle them.
  • Get set up to prepare the food. Prepare your cutting boards and knives and make sure your kitchen is equipped for the task.
  • Make sure itโ€™s what you love. Make the food that youโ€™d want to eat at the event. Put your love, passion and excitement into your menu.
  • Stay focused and calm when cookingโ€”it comes out in the food. Energy is the key ingredient. People can tell that you cared and put some thought into it.
  • Add some surprises along the way, like making the presentation slightly different between plates. So even if everyone orders chicken, each plate looks different.
  • Be creative and have fun.

We hope these tips help you create a stunning menu for your next event. Remember, even if youโ€™re not an expert meal planner like Chef Keller, you can still put together a memorable dinner that your guests will appreciate.


What To Do Next…

  1. Do you have any menu planning tips to add? Please let us know in the comments. Weโ€™d love to hear from you.
  2. Feast your eyes on these prepared meals from Harry & David.
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