Posted on Wed, Feb 22, 2012 @ 05:05 AM
March has so many national food holidays you can use these to help you plan your next office catering and have fun! Corporate catering can get a bit repetitive without some innovation, so use this as a guide to jazz up your menus. There are plenty of food holidays in this month, there should be plenty of inspiration for the whole month no matter how many meetings you're planning.
National Celery Month
Raw, cooked, sautéed, sliced, diced in a salad or as part of a garden vegetable tray, there are so many ways to enjoy this one - no wonder it needs a whole month!
National Nutrition Month
If you are what you eat, then we salute nutrition! The food pyramid has been replaced with My Plate which provides a visual interpretation of good eating. So, adding a garden vegetable tray instead of all those potato chips, and a fruit tray to your dessert catering will honor this month and your health.
National Noodle Month
Do you know how many noodles there really are in this world? Straight, curly, short, long, thin, thick and a myraid of colors and sizes. Have some Lasagna, Ziti or Primavera and bring this holiday to your next catered office lunch and don't forget to add a salad to round out your meal and re-honor nutrition month
National Flour Month
This should be an easy one to celebrate Whole wheat, rye, white, rice just to name a few. Have a continental breakfast with danish, muffins or bagels or for lunch, order a box lunch, with a sandwich or a a wrap (tortilla) sandwich and you'll have a perfect menu to to honor flour.
National Frozen Food Month
Well go head- shop in your freezer for dinner tonight. We'll leave this one up to you!
National Peanut Month and Peanut Butter Lover's Day is March 1st!
Well peanut allergies have affected our world of late, but it IS national peanut month so those of you who can enjoy
Have some peanut butter on bananas, celery, graham crackers or bake some fabulous peanut butter cookies. Crunchy or smooth, organic or not, peanut butter is always good and good for you.
And finally, the really good news? It's Chocolate Chip Cookie Week the second week of March. so, in your box lunch catering - it's the perfect and probably the most standard dessert for a box lunch.
Posted on Fri, Feb 17, 2012 @ 05:40 AM
You don’t have to settle for just box lunches as the only lunch menu for corporate and office catering in Dallas Fort Worth. Box lunches have their place and are appropriate for working lunches, lunches where limited time to serve people is at a minimum, and even to offer people departing from a long morning meeting who will have no chance to get lunch on the way back to the airport or to a distant office.
You can be the hero of the office and offer a hot lunch either as a buffet or served as a banquet. There are so many options available; menus can be as diverse as you want them to be. Certain foods, like fried anything, doesn’t cater well, but a professional caterers already knows that and will have catering menus designed that take all that into consideration.
When selecting what to serve, pick your entrée and build around that with a starch, vegetable and salad and you’ll thrill your attendants with a restaurant like meal, catered right in their office. No fuss for them, no travel time to lose, just a fresh hot meal ready to consume right on time. And, don’t forget about dessert! Dessert catering can be as simple as an assortment of cookies, dessert bars, cake, pies or tarts, or more striking as a parfait.
For meal ideas, consider the time of year, any particular holiday that might be near the date of your event, and any menu that would complement the purpose of the meeting. Or, pick a theme and create the menu around that. Themes might include:
Parmesan Crusted Chicken or any pasta dish like lasagna or ziti, combined with a great Caesar salad, some oven roasted squash or Italian green beans and Italian bread and let the eating begin.
Fajitas are big in Dallas! Offer a fajita bar featuring fajita beef and chicken strips, all the normal toppers, refried beans, Mexican style rice and flour tortillas with chips and fire roasted salsa or 7 layer dip and you’ll have a complete meal.
Asian Inspired Menus
Teriyaki beef or chicken, Asian rice and an Oriental vegetable blend of green beans, broccoli cuts, onions, mushrooms and red peppers complete with fortune cookies create a fun and different corporate catering menu.
International Menus
This office catering idea is to pick different items from different countries and put them together like:
Chicken Cordon Bleu, Duchess potatoes, herb crusted tomato and Caribbean vegetable blend (broccoli, green beans, yellow carrots and red peppers) offered with a golden dinner roll and you’ve covered several countries in this menu.
For more menu ideas, literally just think outside the box!
Posted on Tue, Feb 14, 2012 @ 05:26 AM
What to plan first?
All brides have a dream – a dream of the perfect wedding…that dream includes the perfect dress, the perfect reception hall, the perfect menu and the perfect wedding cake all creating that perfect day. No matter how large or small the wedding is, a lot of work goes into coordinating all the details of this once-in-a-lifetime day.
1. The Wedding Venue
Where is the grand celebration going to take place? You should look at several locations, even if your heart is set on one. Why? Because the price of a venue can eat up a substantial portion of your budget, so be sure to find out what’s included with the rental and make a spreadsheet to compare all the elements of one venue versus another. Popular party halls and reception sites book early – months before the actual day and brides will feel a bit pushed to rush and reserve. Don’t be hasty. Before you sign anything – be sure to know what’s included with the rental. Are tables and chairs included, linens, centerpieces, use of any common area and any other feature unique to that venue? Because no two venues are the same and no two rental packages are the same the only way to really see what you’re getting it to break it down and look at it.
2. The Wedding Time
Depending on what the venue has available, if your date is most important, you may have to alter the ideal time you wanted to have your reception. If you dreamed of a candle light wedding, but the venue is only available in the afternoon, you’ll have to decide which is more important- the date, or the candles. Whatever time you end up selecting will drive other decisions like your attire, your wedding party attire, your menu and maybe even the flow of the reception. You probably wouldn’t have a black tie reception at 1:00 in the afternoon – serving a full 7 course meal. As a guideline, if your budget is conservative, then an afternoon reception would be best; if not, then some of these considerations won’t matter.
3. The Wedding Colors
After years of working with brides, we can tell you they have an idea of what colors they want to incorporate into their wedding. This determines what color flowers they wish to carry, what linens and décor they want, what colors and maybe flavors are used to create their wedding cake, and sometimes, even down to what reception catering menu they want.
Most brides have a color scheme I in mind when they first start their planning. It helps if these colors complement the time of year, geographical location and time of day this celebration is going to take place. When asked, brides will eagerly tell you the colors they’ve selected, but typically, even though this has been their dream, those colors may and often do change. Maybe that shade of lavender they so counted on, can’t be found in dresses that coordinate with the wedding dress, or, maybe that shade of lime green isn’t flattering to the wedding party. Or maybe the ladies want a dress they can use again since this is an investment on their part…and just maybe, some new trend they’ve seen completely changes their original color scheme. Whatever the wedding party dresses end up being will ultimately be the colors the bride ends up selecting.
Posted on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 06:31 AM
So you’re getting married. What to do first?
Our years wedding coordinating experience show that the wedding venue is the one of the first things selected because everything hinges around the where and what time you want your reception. It’s typically chosen months before the actual big day! Before you decide, here are some tips to help you decide on the ultimate wedding reception venue:
If your wedding ceremony and reception are going to be in the same venue, that’s all the better for your guests. If they are in two different locations, then there are some things you should be prepared to plan for and provide to your guests:
1. The number of guests you’re expecting and what travel arrangements are needed to get people from one location to another
2. How many guests are familiar with the area and can easily travel whatever distance there is between the two locations
3. How many guests will require overnight accommodations and what is the cost of those for your guests?
Search for hotels/motels/bed and breakfast spots close to the reception for that’s where they’ll end up and a closer drive from there to their hotel will matter more than being closer to the actual ceremony.
Offer numerous options in numerous price ranges with complete contact information for each possibility and let your guests decide what is affordable for them. (If you’re paying for the rooms, then this may not matter.)
Contact those businesses and see if you can negotiate special pricing for your guests. If you book numerous rooms in one hotel, then they should offer some special pricing for the wedding guests.
4. If guests are out of town and need hotel/motel room, they probably also need a rental car. Offer complete contact information on car rental companies and their locations so you guests can select the one convenient for them. You can also contact them for any special pricing they can arrange for your guests
5. Decide if the reception venue is more important than your dream wedding date. Sometimes the two aren’t the same. If the date is more important, and your ideal venue is already reserved, you will have to either move the date, or, find a new venue. Many venues are sold out months in advance, some beyond a year, so don’t get your heart set on a venue until you know if the site’s available. Or, don’t set or announce the date or even send out save-the-date announcements until you know for sure where you’re hosting this grand celebration.
Because the more popular the wedding reception venue, the more pricey they can become and the more pressure you’ll fee to reserve it the minute you can. It’s an emotionally exciting time…and you can get caught up in the moment, so think carefully before you sign anything or put money down to reserve it. Typically you’ll have a contract to sign so READ it before you sign it. And do the math. If the venue is $5,000 and you’re expecting 100 guests, then you’re about to commit to $50 per person just for the room. Before you sign, make sure you know:
- What the rental fee includes?
- What does that price do to your budget ($50 per person and no food, drink, wedding cake, music or even centerpieces are planned yet).
- How long do you have the room?
- What limitations are there?
- And, as much as you won’t want to think about this, what happens if unforeseen circumstances cause you to have to cancel your reservation for any reason?
It is an exciting time, the day of you’ve dreamed of, so make your decisions wisely and ones your budget can realistically support.
Posted on Fri, Feb 03, 2012 @ 06:35 AM
Any party or gathering you’re hosting will need plates, utensils and napkins for your guests but which ones should you use? Here are some guidelines to consider before making that decision:
1. Does your venue have any requirements?
Some Dallas venues require only eco-friendly items or real china and glass ware. Some party places should only have plastic or paper used for areas around swimming pools, spas, recreational areas or those places where a child’s party might be held.
2. How much time is allotted for serving your guests?
If the service time is brief and you have to hustle the guests through, consider disposable place settings. Handling china takes a bit more time and care and bartenders and professional wait staff can clear the used glasses and plates faster than if china were used.
3. What is the Special Event Menu?
For a quick snack, continental breakfast, even a light lunch or buffet appetizers work easily with disposable items and allow the guests to maneuver around more easily with the lighter weight items.
The temperature of the items served should also be factored in. Some disposable items don’t take the heat well, or, are make that item too hot to handle (why you need a cup collar on some paper coffee cups) so ask your caterer what’s best to use for the menu you’ve selected.
4. What type of event is it?
If this is a child’s party? Wedding Reception? VIP Board of Directors’ Dinner? You should select the appropriate place setting to coordinate with the purpose of the event. Some of the acrylic plates being produced now, look just like china so there is a level of disposable that could dress up even the fanciest of gatherings.
5. Budget
Of course this is a decision driver. Using real china will create the need for more Professional Wait staff and more time to set up and tear down your event as well as provide proper service during the event. Since service staff is typically charged by the hour, this will impact the price of using china.
Most rental companies and caterers will charge you for loss and/or damaged place setting pieces, like a broken champagne flute, lost fork or missing plate. Ask about these fees too before you make your decision. Replacement costs of lost, broken or damaged item will shock you. They can be up to 200%, and even more, of typical retail prices so be sure to ask about those costs before deciding.
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Note from a Pro:
Some rental companies and caterers offer a damage waiver option which typically is a percentage of the whole invoice but would cover some of the cost of lost and/or damaged items so ask before you sign!
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Using disposable place settings not only allow for the quicker set up and clean-up; it can also reduce the number of wait staff needed depending on the event and menu. Though some patterns are not inexpensive, it still typically saves money overall. (The price of plastics is dependent upon oil prices so when you see the price of gasoline on the rise, know that any plastic anything will follow suit)
Posted on Mon, Jan 30, 2012 @ 04:46 AM
OK, you’re going to have a party and want the food to look wonderful. How do you do it?
First, list all the food items you plan to serve indicating what will be hot and what will be cold.The hot items will have to go in some sort of heat supporting presentation while the cold or room temperature food can go or be arranged on just about anything.
Now, on to the cold food. Cold and room temperature foods like fruit and cheese trays, fruit platters, cheese displays and meat and cheese trays can be a centerpiece by itself just because of the colors. Designed properly, these can be amazing and impressive. To decide how to arrange the food you want on this platter, consider the shape, color and size of the item along with what will compliment that food.
Then there’s the “wet” or “dry” distinction to take in consideration. If your menu item is a “wet” food item like fruit than putting that with a “dry “ item like a sandwich won’t be ideal since the moisture of the fruit will impact the sandwich, possibly making it soggy. Try and keep wet things with wet, dry with dry and you’ll be better off and preserve the integrity of the menu items.
Different shapes, colors and sizes on one platter is what create the eye appeal of the party tray. Take fruit, if you cut one fruit into one shape, and another fruit into a different shape then add berries and grapes, you’ll end up with 4 different shapes and colors on the platter and that’s what you want. Different shapes, different colors all arranged on one serving piece to create an eye appealing presentation.
You can also put one of the fruits on a smaller platter or even a charger, another one on its own platter, bowl or charger, and a third on a completely different plate, and then cluster those around the table at different heights and end up with a beautiful look too.
You can use simple house hold things to raise an item on a buffet. A Hurricane or vase is easy to use to elevate a buffet plate or platter. Just be sure it’s sturdy enough for the food item being placed on top. An upside down bowl, a decorative box or tin can also be used to raise food. Just use your imagination to achieve different heights when presenting your food.
Posted on Thu, Jan 12, 2012 @ 05:02 AM
A New Year...Here are some new ideas and trends to help shape your next corporate catering, event catering or wedding catering menu.
According to the National Restaurant Association, the top Menu trends for 2012 include locally sourced food, specifically meats, fish and even alcohol, as the top priory for diners followed by a keener interest in nutrition and healthier eating. Matt Alderton, author of the article, states these 20 trends in this order:
- Locally sourced meats and seafood
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| from soyculto |
- Locally grown produce
- Healthful kids’ meals
- Hyper-local items
- Culinary theme: sustainability
- Culinary theme: children’s nutrition
- Gluten Free/food allergy conscious items
- Locally produced beer and wine
- Sustainable seafood
- Whole grain items in kids’ meals
- Newly fabricated cuts of meat
- Farm/estate-branded items
- Food truck/street food
- Artisan spirits
- House-made/artisan ice cream
- Culinary theme: health/nutrition
- Non-traditional fish
- Fruit/Vegetable kids; side items
- Children’s mini-meal – smaller versions of adult menu items
- Culinary Cocktails
The research completed that formulated this list was from the “What’s Hot In 2012” survey conducted with 1,800 professional all of whom are members of the American Culinary Federation.
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My Plate
For those pursuing more nutritional meals, the menu guide was The Food Pyramid which illustrated basic guidelines for nutrition has been updated and given a new name: My Plate. The new My Plate outlines visually, the recommendations of more healthful eating. Quoting from The Nemours Foundation: “The big message is that fruits and vegetables take up half the plate, with the vegetable portion being a little bigger than the fruit section.
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And just like the pyramid where stripes were different widths, the plate has been divided so that the grain section is bigger than the protein section. Why? Because nutrition experts recommend you eat more vegetables than fruit and more grains than protein foods. The divided plate also aims to discourage super-big portions, which can cause weight gain.”
Check out the article on 10 tips to a great plate for more information.
All of this can be inspirational in planning your next event catering.
Posted on Thu, Jan 05, 2012 @ 09:38 AM
Guest Article provided by: Lillian Swift:
With the holidays coming to an end in the coming week, this time allows all of us to sit back to look at what may have went right and what went wrong as far as celebrations, parties and events go. For many, planning a holiday party or celebration just becomes too hectic. So many times an event planner can be run dry with too many responsibilities. One area where party planners and event organizers can look to improve on in 2012 is hiring a local catering service to take care of the food.
Having a caterer for a holiday event allows most organizers and planners to save a bunch of valuable time during the process. The holidays are certainly a time of year when free time is hard to come by, especially with all of the different aspects of party and event planning, on top of shopping and other activities. Having a professional catering service to take care of the food portion of an event will clear up time that can be allocated for other things.
A caterer will be able to supervise all food related activities during a holiday event next year. This way, the host or planner can focus their efforts on entertaining guests and making sure other aspects of the event are going well. Whether the event is low scale, taking place in Dallas apartments or a large scale corporate style holiday gathering, looking early for a caterer can take away a lot of pressure during the planning stages.
Even though the next round of the holiday season is a full year away, an annual party is usually something that is built up for months ahead of time. A 2011 holiday party may have caused some issues for event planners, especially in the food category. For planners, the time right after an event allows for reflection and improvement notes, one of them often being a need for a caterer in the future.
Along with free time, there are a wide variety of other benefits that catering an event can provide for planners. As 2012 gets under way, it would be wise to start thinking ahead to any events or parties that catering could be a help for. Whether it’s a fourth of July party or a large corporate gathering in the first half of the year, catering services can provide benefits for nearly every type of celebration or gathering. In the end, a quality catering partner ensures great food and less stress for a planner. So take a look at the pros and cons of your holiday event this winter, in an effort to decide whether catering services can help out in 2012.
Posted on Wed, Nov 09, 2011 @ 05:03 AM
Holiday event planning includes planning the holiday table place settings which can be fun and allow you to use lots of creativity. Different colors, center pieces, linens, glassware and a host of other items each can contribute to presenting your guests with a unique and stunning table.
This just has to come first. If you don’t know what you’re serving, you won’t know what utensils, glasses or plates you’ll need. And, how will you want that served? You can create a chart on which to list all the items you’ve selected for your perfect holiday menu, and next to each item, list in or on what you’ll be serving that, and then, list the utensil you want for that item.
For example:
ITEM
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ON/IN WHAT
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EATEN WITH
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| Shrimp cocktail |
Appetizer Plate |
Cocktail Fork |
| Spinach Salad |
Salad Plate |
Salad Fork |
| Prime Rib |
Dinner Plate |
Dinner Fork and Knife |
| Mashed Potatoes |
(On dinner plate) |
(With dinner utensils) |
| Green Beans |
(On dinner plate) |
(With dinner utensils) |
| Dinner Roll and Butter |
Bread and Butter Plate |
Bread Knife |
| Chocolate Mousse |
Martini Glass on Dessert Plate |
Dessert Spoon |
| Ice Tea |
Tea Goblet |
Iced Tea Spoon |
The Colors
You can use colors that either compliment the room in which you’ll be hosting this event, use a color scheme based on theme (Holidays, Weddings, Birthdays etc.) or a color scheme based around special items like china you already own, special linens you want to use or a centerpiece you already have. There are numerous ways to add color to any event with linens, chargers, centerpieces, the food itself and even balloons! Any professional catering company has resources available to not only prepare and provide the food you want, but also help with supplying colored linens, chargers, china, flatware and glassware.
The Placement
Now that you have the menu place setting pieces and the color scheme, it’s time to put that on the table. Typically, utensils are placed where the most outside pieces will be used first. You “build” the place setting with all the items from your chart, starting with the first items eaten, then working your way toward the center of the place setting. Here’s a sample place setting for reference.
Enjoy your now perfect table!
Posted on Sun, Oct 30, 2011 @ 08:08 AM
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Food Stations are a great way to engage your guests. It provides entertainment, allows your guests to create just what they want, and, it’s a fun way to offer your ideal menu selections. This popular style of catering service probably started with the ever-so-popular Salad Bar and progressed from there. Since the popularity of guests helping themselves, creating just the perfect salad allowed for great customer satisfaction, the hospitality industry grasped the concept and created “food stations”.
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| Photo by NatalieMaynor |
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One of the first to be born: the Mashed Potato Martini Bar
Mashed potatoes with different styles of potatoes and all kind of toppings like fresh chives, sour cream, bacon and herbed butter were displayed in fancy martini glasses allowing the guests to create their perfect potato dish. Different style of potatoes and more gourmet toppings were added to the traditional potato line up and this station probably pioneered the food station concept popular in today’s catered events.
From that popular station’s success grew the idea of the Macaroni and Cheese Station
This station typically features different shaped pasta, all kind of cheese options, toppings similar to the mashed potato bar and again, another very popular and fun menu item populated catering menus. To these traditional catering menu ideas came even more creative stations like: Sushi bars, pasta stations, crostini stations and risotto stations which are now all popular menu offerings for catering.
| by TheCulinaryGeek |
Dessert Stations
But Stations aren’t just for appetizers. Dessert Stations can be a terrific way to offer this style of service too. Consider a Cheesecake or Cup Cake station with different flavors of cake, a variety of icings or sauces and decorations for a sweet ending to your meal. A Sundae bar with hot fudge, chocolate sauce, caramel, fruit toppings, nuts, whipped cream and even bananas can be a fun way to end the meal. The list of ideas is endless. A professional caterer should be able to take any menu item you’d like to offer and create some sort of interactive food station for your guests. All you have to do is ask.
