Following our GLAMOUR and GQ SecretEats dinner at Crystal Towers Hotel & Spa, we sat down with the hotel’s Head Chef, Terrence Ford, and got him to spill his secrets to successful entertaining.
GLAMOUR: What did you take into account when assembling the menu for GQ and GLAMOUR’s SecretEATS dinner?
Terrence Ford: We used this as the perfect opportunity to showcase items of our new à la carte menu which will be available at the Towers Restaurant soon. Taking into account that GQ and Glamour magazine readers tend to be more health-conscious we opted for our goats cheese and lamb dishes.
What’s unique about designing a menu especially for a hotel’s restaurant?
What’s unique is that many hotels have inter-leading menus, as all the different outlets in the operation need to be catered for and many times all the food comes from one kitchen.
If I’m putting together a set menu for a dinner party, what factors should I consider when choosing dishes that work well together?
The secret is to know your guests and what they enjoy, but also to show them something new. Preparation time needs to be taken into serious consideration when serving the dinner and remember the basics – simple, uncomplicated, easy food prepared in a spectacular way!
What are some versatile ingredients to always keep in the kitchen?
We enjoy using thyme in our kitchen because of its subtle and non-overpowering flavour: it goes well with any fish, meat, and vegetable dishes. We even incorporate thyme into our homemade ice cream! Another ingredient to always keep in the kitchen is the good old egg.
