How to Have an Indoor Picnic
March 28, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Miami
• 0 Comments
How to Have an Indoor Picnic
Living in Florida gives you a bit of a head start when it comes to fighting wintertime cabin fever, but no matter where you are, the weather doesn’t always cooperate. There is nothing more springtime than a picnic. Recreate that same feeling indoors and your plans can never be ruined by unfavorable weather. It may not be the same as what you are used to but it’s a chance to break free of the dining room table and to let your dreams wander to warmer weather and blue skies.
Step 1: Choose the menu! This is the fun part. Do you want to do a winter theme, spring or summer? Let your flair for the culinary arts run wild and select a menu for your picnic that will not only satisfy your tastes but will also have ingredients that will be available in the store this time of year. Finger foods are ideal and don’t worry about getting too fancy with it. One of the joys of a picnic is the classic simplicity. Remember, the culinary arts don’t need to be complex to be delicious.
Step 2: Invite friends, family or that special someone. In order to keep with the picnic theme, invite loved ones to share the meal with you. It may be fun to also bring some games and other activities in before mealtime. Why not play some of your favorite outdoor sports inside? Try setting up an indoor ring toss game and play it like horse shoes or, if you have the space, why not grab a wiffle ball bat and strike up a mini game?
Step 3: Prepare a fruit plate. No matter your menu, you can never go wrong with fruit. The best fruits for winter include citrus, cranberries, blueberries and bananas. If you would rather, turn all the fruit into a lovely fruit salad and use some of your Florida cooking techniques which may require adding a bit or citrus from your own backyard.
Step 4: Play a nature sound CD as a soundtrack for the day’s festivities. This will add the perfect authentic background for your picnic. Once lunch/dinner is cleaned up, take time to play a board game or look at pictures from the summer. Dream and plan for the months ahead. Chocolate covered strawberries are a great way to wrap up the day as a perfect summer-dreaming food.
If all that daydreaming brings your thoughts to a career in the culinary arts, perhaps exploring Florida cooking schools is the path to take!
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Orlando, Florida. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Orlando for more information.
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