CUISINE
anyone can use to build a grab-and-go picnic,” O’Brien said, noting
a basket isn’t a requirement for picnicking. “We created party trays
that are perfect for a lakeside picnic. They offer a good assortment of
meats, cheeses, crackers and cold salads like our naked chicken salad
(chicken salad served without a tortilla wrap or bread).
To complement a basket of chilled foods, consider adding a hot
item or two. No matter the combination, O’Brien emphasized while
planning any al fresco soiree, remember food safety rules - keep cold
foods cold and hot foods hot.
Setting the
picnic buffet
table with
style, a
specialty
of Butler’s
Pantry
Muny-goers
picnic before a
performance
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GAZELLE
To strike a menu balance between Cedar Lake’s cold trays, O’Brien
recommends adding something hot from the Smokehouse. Top picks:
the BBQ-topped pork, chicken-topped nachos or the Pretzel Corks
(Bavarian pretzel bites served with a Cheddar cheese sauce), Cedar
Lakes’ signature snack. “We changed the name from bites to corks for
fun,” O’Brien said. “After all, we are a winery.”
Tenacious Eats chef, Liz Schuster, takes a different approach when
picnicking. She loves to pack the basket with surprises.
“You never know what’s going to be inside. That’s what makes it
so much fun,” said Schuster, who loves to picnic in the park. “One of
my favorite things to pack is fried chicken - one of my most fav orite
things in the whole world. I remember every time we had a picnic, my
grandma made fried chicken.”
Schuster’s crispy fried chicken, based on a family recipe, becomes
an avant-garde entrée when transformed into fried chicken soft tacos
topped with grape salsa - a delightful twist that takes Grandma’s fried
chicken to the next level. To successfully transport the dish, wrap the
taco elements separately, and warm the tortillas before packing. To
keep the tortillas warm and pliable, wrap them in a foil pack or use a
tortilla warmer; the inexpensive plastic kind Mexican restaurants use
tableside. Another tip from the chef: toss salads and slaws on site just
before serving. Recipes like her unique Boo Yah Slaw, which features
Honeycrisp apples, will remain crisp and escape premature wilting.
Posh picnics are all about style, with a stylist menu staged in fantastic
surroundings, where one can graze and enjoy - places like Forest Park,
especially Art Hill during its film series, or on the grounds surrounding
The Muny, which celebrates its centennial season this year. Picnics have
been enjoyed before Muny productions since the beginning, and the
tradition continues throughout the season, with theater-goers arriving
early to eat outside and take in the free pre-show entertainment. Savvy
fans know to arrive early in order to claim one of the tables surrounding
the outdoor performance venues. Otherwise, bring a blanket and your
folding chairs. There are plenty of prime locations nearby under one of
Forest Park’s mighty oak trees.