Paradocx Vineyard

On Friday September 24, 2010 we had the pleasure of catering for Danielle and James's Wedding at Paradocx Vineyard. I met with the couple in late Spring and they told me it would be a very intimate wedding..24 Guests. While most of our events, weddings specifically, our usually in the 100's, it's a nice change of pace when catering to a smaller group. One of the benefits of a smaller group is that we can offer a menu that typically would be a nightmare for 100 or 200 guests. Drawing on the brides Italian Heritage, we did an antipasti Display for cocktail hour. Guests were seated at one long communal table, with a small round table set on the side for the kids. The table setting and all decor was handled by Petah Bashano from Alvins Florist. Petah and I went to high school together but hadn't seen each other in almost 20 years. It was a true pleasure working with Petah as no detail was sparred, from the custom napkin rings with each guests seating card attached to it; to the china, flatware and stem ware which was chosen to complement not just the great menu but the overall theme of the evening.
The first course was a wild mushroom Risotto served in a martini glass. Second course was a Caesar salad with shaved Parmiagiano and cracked black pepper. After guests relaxed for a bit we brought out the main entrees. Guests were given a choice of the grooms favorite Porterhouse steak with a wild Mushroom Reduction, Chicken Florentine with Spinach and aged Provolone and Pan Seared Sea Bass with a Kalamata Olive Tapenade. For the bride and her father who are both vegeatrians we made a free form vegetable lasagna with a vodka sauce.
In lieu of a traditional wedding cake the bride opted for a selection of cupcakes from "Cupcakes Gourmet".
After dessert, guests relaxed with their wine by candlelight and toasted the new couple as they begin the next chapter of their lives.
We wouldn't have been able to provide such a beautiful event with out the help of our industry partners, Karyn from Paradocx Vineyard, Maki from Cupcakes Gourmet and of course Petah from Alvins Florist.

Artesano Iron works

We were fortunate this past August to work with a great couple at a new venue for John Serock Catering. Nicole and Bill were married Friday August 20, 2010 at Artesano Iron Works in Manayunk, Philadelphia. Artesano is a great new venue space located on Cresson street in Manayunk. Guests arrived in the courtyard for cocktails and passed hors d' oeuvre's and were free to explore the beautiful 1st floor gallery of custom made Iron Masterpieces. At the conclusion of cocktail hour the bride and groom greeted their guests "Romeo and Juliet" style from the second floor balcony where they the bouquet and garter and welcomed all the guests to join them on the second floor for dinner.
From the initial planning stages Nicole conveyed to me how important family was to both of them and given the fact that they got engaged in Italy we decided on a Italian Family style meal.
Guests were seated at long communal tables and enjoyed platters of antipasti and a selection of great Italian breads and olive oil for dipping. the first course was a great summer salad of mixed baby field greens, fresh Jersey peaches and goat cheese with a citrus vinaigrette. The Pasta course was Penne with Peas in a Vodka sauce.
For the main course guest were served Chicken Francaise with a lite lemon sauce complimented by vegetable Napoleon and Roasted Shittake Mushroom Polenta.
After dinner guests sipped coffee, danced and wandered thru the candle lit courtyard, before sending the bride and groom off for a honeymoon in Mexico.

Chaddsford Winery

Over the past few years I've had the opportunity to work a good number of events at Chaddsford Winery both for private clients and for the winery itself. One of the challenges we normally encounter working at the winery is trying to come up with innovative, trendy menus to complement their vast selection of wines. This particular event was particularly challenging because our guests for the evening were members of The National Association of Catering Executives. Catering to your peers, particularly one's with such discerning tastes really keeps you on your game. After consulting with winery's amazing special events staff Rachel and Corey and owner and Wine maker Eric Miller we came up with a menu that complemented the Chaddsford wines perfectly:

Passed Hors D' Oeuvre:
Jambalaya Lollipops
Baja Fish Tacos

Risotto Station..Roasted Vegetable Risotto served from our oversize Paella Pan, guests topped with their choice of Wild Mushrooms, Asparagus, Peas, Shrimp Scampi, Parmigiana Regiano

Short Plates:
Thyme Scented Duck Confit over Creamy Polenta
Chaddsford Merlot Braised Brisket over Parsnip Puree
Tuscan Chicken and White Beans
Roasted Pork Tenderloin over Wilted Rainbow Chard, Fennel and Aged Balsamic Reduction

Dessert:
Espresso Panna Cotta with Cocoa Cream
Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding served on Asian Spoons with Grand Marnier Creme Anglaise
Fresh Berry Tartlets with Vanilla Whipped Cream

** Special thanks to Dave Campli from Campli Photography for taking some great shots of the event

One of a Kind!

As a wedding caterer I am fortunate enough to work with a lot of great couples. I am given the opportunity to assist brides and grooms with planning the biggest day of their lives. While some couples rely heavily on my expertise and will ask my opinion on every detail; ceremony, floral, favors, etc. some couples know exactly what they want and just want me to show up the day of to provide the food, clean-up and leave. Dealing with the public on a daily basis I've think I've become pretty good at reading people and knowing what type of personalities I am dealing with. In August I had the opportunity to meet Mindy Fortune. Mindy came into my shop one day with her sister Jean who was an existing customer of mine. Mindy who lives in California with her fiance Karim was raised in Delaware and was back home planning her wedding which was going to be held November 7, 2009 in Jean's backyard. Mindy and Karim had most of their guests coming in from out of town. They wanted a reception where the guests could relax, eat when they want and dance the night away. We worked on a preliminary menu that included some traditional stations (carving, pasta) and I threw out the idea of an Indian comfort food station to accommodate Karim's family who was Indian. Mindy left that day with menu's in hand, a working budget and a rough time line of the event. The next 2 months we worked out all the details via phone calls and E-mails. Now, as I said earlier I have become pretty good at reading people. 3 days before the wedding Mindy and Karim came out to finalize all the details. We tightened up the timeline for guest arrival, ceremony start time, food service, last call etc. When we talked about the ceremony I assumed it would be the typical 10 minute backyard do you take..I do, I do, party on. Karim told me they had some special things planned and it would probably be more like 30 minutes. I had my doubts it would go that long but I went along with what they said. Fast forward to Saturday. Beautiful fall day, guests start arriving and then.. the second shuttle bus with the guests is stuck in traffic and does not arrive until 15 minutes past the scheduled ceremony start time. The bus arrives, my staff ushers everyone to their seats and I go to the house to get Mindy for her walk down the aisle. As we are preparing Mindy for her trip down the aisle she tells me "Wait to you see what we have planned". It was obvious from our first meeting that Mindy was a very laid back, carefree person who loved to have fun. I knew she liked to entertain, as she has been in a few commercials and has some hilarious YouTube videos. What happened next was the most unique ceremony I have ever seen. My staff and I witnessed one of the memorable wedding ceremonies I have ever seen; the ring bearers driving their motorized truck down the aisle shooting confetti, the flower girls doing cartwheels down the aisle, Karim's dad and Mindy's mom presiding over the ceremony and then the VOWS. I have attached a link to the vows. Now if you are a wedding purist: church ceremony, country club reception, bouquet toss, chicken dance etc. this video is not for you. Your wedding day should be a true reflection of your self and your personality, I applaud Mindy and Karim for thinking outside the box and putting on one hell of a show!

B-I-N-G-O!

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to work with a great group of parents for the St. Monica's (Berwyn) "Beach Blanket Bingo" auction. From our initial meeting in May, I knew that I was going to be working with a very talented and dedicated group of women. The transformation of the school's cafeteria and gymnasium was unbelievable. The footprint of the event was for guests to arrive on the "Boardwalk" which was the lobby area which had been covered in decorative paper to resemble a boardwalk. Guests proceeded into the cafeteria for 1 1/2 hours of cocktails including "California Coolers" and passed Hors d' Oeuvres, including my new favorite: Baja Mini Fish Tacos. After drinks and a silent auction, the real party began. Shannon and the decorating committee turned your run of the mill school gym into an evening beach party. White Japanese lanterns were hung from the rafters over Aqua draped tables. Faux surfboards painted by the students as well as a few real surfboards borrowed from one of my bartenders for the evening were placed thru out the gym. During cocktail hour the doors were kept closed as we prepared the stations for service. When guests were ushered in they were greeted with an amazing array of smells from my staff preparing dinner at the 3 service pods which were decorated with Tikki torches and some fun beach props:

California Comfort:

"Burger and a Shake"; Mini Angus sliders with a shooter of Fresh Made Milkshakes

" Lobster Mac and Cheese"

California "Green" Salad: Baby Greens, Endaname, Radish Sprouts and Margarita Vinaigrette

Gourmet Grilled Pizzas including Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese and Pizza Margherita

Beefcake Buffet

Short Plates of:

Braised Short Rib over Horseradish Mashed

"Malibu" Pork Loin over rum glazed apples

Mirin roasted Salmon with a lemon artichoke orzo

Pacific Fusion

Hand Rolled Spring Rolls:

Shrimp with Thai Peanut

Crab with Ponzu

Vegetable Lo Mein served in Chinese Take-out Boxes

For dessert we set up a make your own smores station. The centerpiece of the table was a Pineapple Palm tree with fresh fruit skewers. Guests also had a choice of white or dark chocolate fondue for dipping marshmallows toasted to order and then rolling in crushed graham cracker crumbs. Assorted Homemade Biscotti including cranberry almond finished off the evening.

A well deserved congratulations goes out to the Mary Kay, Jenn, Christine, Shannon and their respective committees for putting on a great event, and hats off to all the parents and friends who came out to show their support for Catholic Education.

** Please excuse the lighting on the pictures, I STILL can't figure out how to use my camera!

Philly Kitchen Share

I've been pretty crazy the past few weeks and haven't any time to update my blog. I want to send a long over due thank you to Eli and Emily at Philly Kitchen Share for being such gracious hosts for the Italian Cooking class I taught there on Wednesday October 7th with Corey Krejcik from Rolling Barrel. If you are an amateur caterer in need of part time commercial space or a home cook who would like to try and produce and sell your specialty at a local farmers market, Philly Kitchen Share offers affordable hourly packages for use of a fully outfitted and health department approved kitchen. Check them out at www.phillykitchenshare.com and www.rollingbarrell.com. I look forward to working with them on many future events.

Welcome

I have been putting off starting a blog for what feels like at least a year. I've managed to come up with every excuse in the book. My main issues were:

A. Limited Time

B. I hated English and specifically Creative writing in high school and college.

So what changed my mind? Over the past few months, I have spent countless hours researching various blogs on the Internet and the one thing that was most evident to me was the passion shared by all the authors regardless of the theme of the blog (Cooking, Sports, Politics). I'm hoping thru this blog to share with my readers the passion I have for creating memorable events for my clients.

**Disclaimer** I'm a chef, not an award winning journalist, if you get your kicks analyzing grammar and spelling this blog may not be for you... actually you'll probably have a field day!

Enjoy.