A Graduation Dinner, Tossed Tableside

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

Do you have an upcoming graduation among your family members or friends this year? This year, my family is celebrating the “graduation” of our oldest son from preschool to kindergarten. And while this milestone is relatively minor in comparison to the pomp and circumstance of a high school or college graduation, we’ll still plan to mark the occasion in a special way. There is a school-sponsored picnic in the park and then we’ll probably have a celebratory pizza dinner (it’s almost every preschoolers favorite!) and strawberry shortcake cupcakes.

Graduation parties usually mean a barbecue. It’s an easy way to serve a few or a few hundred people in a casual and fun atmosphere. School friends can kick back and relax together before they head off to the pressures of college or the real world.

There is no shortage of creative ideas to enhance any graduation celebration. Barbecue doesn’t have to mean simply the same old hot dogs, hamburgers, and potato chips. While there is no single food that equals graduation, all the commencement accouterments—tassel topped caps, gowns, and diplomas—often make an appearance as part of the theme.

Tie ribbons in your school colors around pirouette cookies or roll up sliced cheese and tie with chives for fun pint sized diplomas. Or make graduation cap cupcakes or cake pops from mini peanut butter cups topped with a chocolate square and a candy string tassel.

Another way to honor your favorite graduate is by featuring all of his or her favorite foods. If your grad is a meat and potatoes type, try grilled marinated flank steak sandwiches accompanied by salt roasted potatoes.

If their tastes trend towards the more exotic try offering an assortment of homemade salads – Tabbouleh with Sliced Cherry Tomatoes, Watermelon, Cucumber and Mint salad, and different types of Hummus, along with a mix of Flatbreads topped with various meats, veggies, and cheeses. This works especially well if you have a vegetarian, or vegetarians to feed. For tamer vegetarian tastes try any number of homemade pasta salads, bean salads, and grilled marinated tofu.

And don’t forget special drinks to help celebrate. If your grad is of high school age or younger, you may want to serve a fun non-alcoholic punch, fruit smoothies or Shirley Temples in lieu of the usual soda.

One food that will always mean graduation to me is Caesar Salad. On the night of my high school graduation, my parents took us to the fancy French restaurant in town. The not very French specialty of the house was Caesar salad (It actually originated in Mexico). Each table started with a waiter preparing a big wooden bowl of it, tableside. Having a dish prepared right in front of us heightened the excitement of the dining experience, adding to the already ceremonious event.

My little almost-kindergartener has recently begun a love affair with Caesar Salad, so I’ll be sure to include it on the graduation night menu. To make this restaurant favorite, I’ll make the dressing first in the bottom of the bowl (being sure to use well coddled egg), then toss with the romaine lettuce, and top with Parmesan cheese curls and another favorite, homemade croutons. And I won’t feel silly having a little celebration this year. For graduation can be just as momentous to the wiggly front teeth set as it is to those moving onto even bigger pursuits than kindergarten.

Serves/Makes: 4

• 1 clove garlic
• 4 slices French or Italian bread
• 6 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 anchovies, drained and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste