Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Easy Peasy Truffles & Thumbprint Cookies!

Easy Peasy Truffles









Yields: 12 dozen truffles
Total Time: 5 hr 45 min





Ingredients





Ganache:
  • 1 quart(s) heavy cream
  • 3 pound(s) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 stick(s) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
  • Pinch of salt
Truffle Flavorings:
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon(s) dark rum
  • 4 teaspoon(s) pure peppermint oil
  • 2 teaspoon(s) instant espresso dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 teaspoon(s) ground cardamom

Directions
  1. To make the ganache: In a large saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. In a large bowl, combine the chopped chocolate with the butter and salt. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand until the chocolate and butter are melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk the ganache until smooth and shiny.
  2. Divide the ganache into 4 bowls. To flavor it, add either the rum, peppermint oil, espresso, or cardamom to each batch. Cover the ganache and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
  3. Line 3 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1-tablespoon-size ice cream scoop, drop level tablespoons of the ganache onto the baking sheets. Chill until firm, about 1 hour.
  4. Coat the truffles: Spoon the coatings into small bowls. Moisten your hands with ice water and roll the ganache into balls, then roll in the coatings. Package the truffles in decorative bags or boxes. The coated truffles can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
  5. Optional toppings that can be used for the coating: Finely crushed toffee bits, mint candies, pretzels, dehydrated raspberries, amaretti cookies, malted milk balls, chocolate cookies, finely chopped toasted almonds, chocolate covered espresso beans, toasted coconut, roasted salted peanuts, candied ginger, cinnamon-sugar, confectioners' sugar mixed with cocoa powder, and large pinch kosher salt.

Tips & Techniques
Truffle ideas:
Peppermint filling with powdered sugar, chocolate cookie crumbs or mint candies
Espresso filling with cinnamon-sugar, amaretti, or cocoa powder-salt mixture
Rum filling with coconut, candied ginger or toffee
Cardamom filling with cinnamon-sugar, amaretti or candied ginger
Plain chocolate filling with raspberry, malt balls or peanuts


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coconut-Raspberry Thumbprints

 

Yields: 6 1/2 dozen cookies
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Oven Temp: 350

Ingredients





  • 2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup(s) shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
  • 2 stick(s) (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/4 cup(s) sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
  • Raspberry jam

 

Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the coconut, baking soda, and salt. In a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, or using a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, scraping the side and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the dry ingredients at medium-low speed. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and bake for 14 minutes. Make a dent in the cookies; fill with jam and bake for about 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Tips & Techniques
Make ahead: The cookie dough can be wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before using. The baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week or wrapped in plastic and foil and frozen for up to 1 month.























Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Why Is Beef Wellington Called "Beef Wellington"?

 Why Is Beef Wellington Called Beef Wellington?








Beef Wellington is a delicious entree using the best and most tender cuts of steak available. This dish tends to be on many fine dining steakhouse menus. There are many theories behind the origin of Beef Wellington. Some say it was a French dish. It was called "filet de boeuf en croûte" in France. Since the ties between England and France were not good at that time, an English chef changed the name to honor the famous Duke of Wellington and called it Beef Wellington.

History

    Beef Wellington is said to be named after the winner of the Waterloo battle in 1815, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington. After defeating Napoleon, the Duke had become a national hero and the entire country was proud of him. One of his cooks, wanting to honor the Duke, created this dish to serve him one night at dinner. Surprisingly, he was indifferent to food inasmuch that the cooks in his kitchen left their jobs, saying that their talents were wasted on the Duke of Wellington.

    There were a particular set of boots that were brown and shiny just like the beef after preparation. The beef was said to have looked and been shaped exactly like a Wellington boot. Wellington boots were military boots that were named after the Duke of Wellington himself. Therefore, it was only fitting that the dish would be named after him since the recipe came from his kitchen and looked like his boots, hence the name Beef Wellington.

    Beef Wellington had a resurgence in the 1960s when the late President Richard Nixon was in office. As Beef Wellington was his favorite dish (although no one knows exactly why), the President stated that he would like to have his favorite dish served at every dinner he hosted while in office.

Identification

    Beef Wellington is rare-roasted beef tenderloin coated with mushroom paste in puff pastry. A recipe for Beef Wellington calls for combining a beef tenderloin filet that has been seared filet of beef tenderloin coated with duxelles and pate then wrapped in puff pastry and before being baked. The finished Beef Wellington can be served as large cut or in individual servings.

Am I the only one whose mouth is watering now?  YUM!



Sunday, December 9, 2012

The History Of Catering


 THE HISTORY OF CATERING:






Most people have been to an event that was catered by a professional catering company. 
Catering enters peoples’ lives during some of their most important times: weddings, baby showers and anniversary parties, just to name a few.  Have you ever wondered just when catering
actually started?  Catering can be traced back to the 4th millennium BC in China. During this time
in China as well as in Ancient Egypt, Greece and the prosperous times of the Roman Empire, catering was used to provide food for soldiers on transportation and trade routes. It was also critical in the Christian Pilgrimages to Rome and other travelers throughout Europe.  During the Middle Ages catering spread throughout Europe and evolved into not only providing food for soldiers and travelers
but for entertainment purposes for the upper classes.

Catering and food service became so popular in the 14th and 15th century that Germany was the first country to put laws in place regulating quality of both food and beer.  Catering continued to flourish and in the mid 1800’s Alexis Soyer invented the first catering boiler which used steam to help keep food warm.
During the 19th and 20th century many more technical innovations, improvements in transportation, and growing populations helped catering become an important part of the national economy. 
Today’s catering has evolved from simply providing food for travelers. Catering companies now pride themselves on not only providing appetizing food but also a visually appealing atmosphere, from the presentation of food to linens and decorations.  Although the intent of catering has changed throughout the years, it continues to be a vital part of our society.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Something light to get you through Winter!!

This is the time of year to be in full planning mode for a Spring Wedding!  So we thought we'd share some of these beautiful themes.  Hope you enjoy!

Spring Weddings - Pretty Pastels



Monday, December 3, 2012

Office Party Do's & Don'ts




‘Tis the season to socialize with your coworkers. We thought we'd put a few "rules" out there to help keep people in good standing at the office.  Here’s how to have fun while keeping it professional.

Party time. It doesn’t matter whether your employer is holding this year’s holiday party at the office or off site. Nor does it matter if it takes place at lunchtime or after hours.
It’s still a work-related event. Repeat: a work-related event.
What does this mean?

Leave the low cut party dress in the closet. Yes, you look stunning in it. You’ll wow everyone. You may even be the center of attention—but this isn’t the kind of attention you want.
Still not convinced? Picture overhearing your coworkers talking about how your girls had a night out. Uh huh.
The same rule applies to dresses, skirts, and tops that are too short or too tight.
This doesn’t mean you can’t wear something a little more festive; just remember it should be appropriate.  When in doubt, err on the side of conservative.

Watch your alcohol intake. You may think you can hold your liquor, but don’t risk going anywhere near your perceived limit at a work-related event.
For one thing, your true limit is probably less than you realize. And, more importantly, one too many drinks can turn people into babbling fools...or worse!
If you find yourself feeling the effects, switch to a non-alcoholic beverage. Better safe than sorry (there’s a reason it’s a cliché).

Avoid behavior that might be construed as flirtatious. Okay, you already know not to sidle up to an attractive coworker with a drink in your hand while batting your eyelashes.
But other behavior, such as standing too close to the other person, also sends a message.

Resist the urge to gossip. In social situations, the conversation often veers away from work.
One of the topics people tend to talk about is other people. Some conversations are innocent enough, as in, “I met Jane’s sister at the gym. What a lovely person she is.”
Other conversations, however, clearly are not going down a good path. If a person says, “I met Jane’s sister at the gym. She’s not nearly as attractive as people say she is,” it’s time to change the subject or move on to a conversation with another person.

Mind your manners. It sounds basic, but it can be easy to forget some of the simple things, especially if you’re a little nervous.
When your manager’s boss comes up to you and asks if you’re enjoying the party, you don’t want to talk with food in your mouth.
Similarly, you don’t want to wolf down your meal, even if you are famished.
You also want to be polite and gracious to your host. Sure, it’s a work-related event, but you should still thank the person responsible for the party and wish him or her a happy holiday season.
If you sincerely (key word) had a great time and the event was spectacular, you might want to seek out the party planner(s) as well and let them know you enjoyed yourself.

Remember your position. This last point often gets overlooked and, as a result, can be a source of confusion.
In a social situation, people generally become more relaxed. But this doesn’t mean the corporate hierarchy has vanished.
Joe CEO is still the CEO; he’s not suddenly your buddy Joe. Similarly, people who report to your direct reports aren’t members of your new hang-out-and-party gang.
This doesn’t mean you can’t be friendly to one and all. You can and should socialize. Here again, though, don’t lose sight of the big picture.
After the holiday party is over and you return to work, Joe CEO won’t be hanging out in your cubicle. Likewise, you don’t want to give workers who report to your staff members the impression that you are their new best friend.

Party hearty. Once you know how to turn your party animal into a cool cat, you can enjoy the festivities of the season and maintain—perhaps even enhance—your professional standing at work.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Holiday Food Traditions!





For many families, the best thing about the holidays isn’t the lavish gifts, it’s the traditions they have made together. And while old customs won’t fade, families across the country are spicing up their holiday celebrations with new traditions this year.

Here are FIVE ideas for new food traditions you can start this holiday season:


• Serve food from other cultures:  Try adding a cultural dish to your holiday feast. Danish roast goose, Hungarian chicken paprikash, Jewish latkes, Irish oyster stew, or Grecian leg of lamb are all traditional meals that could invigorate your holiday spread. For dessert, try Italian sweet cakes or Australian Pavlova, a meringue-like treat.

• New take on an old favorite:   Lots of families have traditional holiday favorites that they break out once a year. For many, that dessert is the moist, sweet cake panettone. Bauducco Panettone is a ready to eat specialty cake loaded with a variety of raisins, candied fruits and chocolate chips. Extremely versatile, panettone can add a new twist to classic recipes. Some unique recipes include using panettone to make croutons for fresh arugula and roasted fruit salad or substituting Bauducco Panettone in a bread pudding with amaretto sauce.
“Even for breakfast, its light texture and subtle sweetness make the cake perfect to pair with coffee or hot chocolate,” said Stefano Mozzi, General Manager at Bauducco Foods Inc. “It can even be used to make French toast and waffles.”
For some delicious recipe ideas, visit www.bauducco.com/product/panettone.
You can find Bauducco Panettone on store shelves this holiday season at Wal-Mart, CVS, Walgreens and grocery stores, drug stores and mass market retailers nationwide.

• Plan a cookie exchange: Have everyone in your family bake one type of cookie and bring them to the festivities - one dozen cookies each for larger groups and two dozen for smaller ones. You’ll have a variety of delicious cookies for dessert, while only having to bake one type yourself. This is an easy and surefire way to please your family’s sweet tooth!

• Cook with the kids: The days leading up to the holidays are a great time to bond with your kids. One of the best ways to do that is to get them involved in the cooking process. Have your children pick a few recipes they can help you with. Make extra for friends, neighbors and the less fortunate and deliver them with your kids to spread some good cheer.

Hire a Catering Service & Relax: Instead of all the rushing around, trying to get everything done with limited time, consider using a catering service, like Celebrations Distinctive Catering to help out and give you more opportunity to just enjoy the season!

Try something new in the kitchen this holiday season. Sometimes the traditions you start on your own are the best of all.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Thanksgiving Day Leftover Recipes!




Wondering what to do with all those leftovers?  Here are some fabulous looking recipes courtesy of The Food Network!

Thanksgiving Day Leftovers

Friday, November 16, 2012

Top 10 Wedding Menu Ideas

Top 10 Wedding Menu Ideas

Wedding catering has come a long way over the years, with more and more interesting food on offer than ever before!  So have a look and give us your input, too!


These are in no particular order, and please feel free to add your own ideas in the comments section!

1. - Finger buffet

2. - Hot buffet

3. - Food platters

4. - Sit down meal

5. - Spit roast
 
6. - Pasta Station

7. - Crepe station (and mashed potato/taco, etc... stations)
 
8. - Combination menus

9. - Hog roast
 
10. - BBQ catering

Sunday, November 11, 2012

9 Tips for Hiring a Caterer on a Small Budget...

 

 

1. The Bar

Instead of hosting a bar stocked with every imaginable liquor, mixer and condiment, choose a soft bar that serves only beer, wine and champagne. If your heart is set on serving a true cocktail, add one signature drink to your beverage menu, such as the wide-appealing Sour Apple Martini, Cosmopolitan, or Gimlet. And don’t forget to dream up a great name for your signature special, like “Sarah and Mike’s Romantic Refresher.” You may also choose to create a semi-soft bar, adding one or two versatile spirits to the drink menu. We recommend going with vodka or whiskey. Both are extremely flexible, can be enjoyed alone or in a cocktail, and work well with a variety of mixers.

2. The Three Course Meal

After a sampling of hors d’oeuvres and drinks, a three-course meal that includes a soup or salad, entrée, and finishes with wedding cake is plenty of food for your guests. Remember, most people don’t order that much food when they dine at their favorite restaurants, so just say “no” when your caterer asks about including expensive additional courses in your reception menu.

3. Go Easy On The Hors d’oeuvres

Though it’s common for caterers to recommend many more choices, we suggest you select a maximum of three prepared hors d’oeuvres to serve during your cocktail hour. Remember, you’re just giving your guests something to nibble on before introducing the main culinary event, so an abundance of food at this point in the event is really an unnecessary expense.

4. Self-Serve Bites

Skip the passed hors d’oeuvres altogether and pile cocktail tables high with beautiful spreads of crudités and dips, plates of artisan cheeses, baskets of gourmet crackers and fresh breads, and mouth-watering bowls of fruit. You’ll save money by paring down both on food preparation and serving staff.

5. Skip the Delicacies

Forgo expensive entrée ingredients like lobster, filet mignon, Ahi tuna, caviar, and truffles. If you absolutely must include one of these flavors in your event, ask your caterer to create an hors d’oeuvre that celebrates the ingredient, yet uses it sparingly. A mini blini with a tiny dollop of crème fraiche and a smidge of caviar is a perfect example.

6. Keep It Simple

You may be wild for Beef Wellington or crazy for cassoulet, but these labor intensive dishes take more time and expense than other equally delectable dishes. To keep costs down, choose simple, easy to prepare entrees.

7. Supplement with Stations

Make a budget meal seem sumptuous by adding one or two cost-friendly “stations” to your reception menu. We particularly love self-serve pasta and mashed potato stations, both set with an array of inexpensive but delicious sauces and toppings.

8. Limit Entree Choices

There’s no rule that says you must give reception guests their choice of entrees. To stay within your budget, ask your caterer to create one widely appealing main course, like a savory chicken breast with a wonderful sauce, or a fabulous pasta primavera.

9. Educate Yourself

Certain cuts of beef cost much more than others. Farm-raised catfish is far more economical than wild Alaskan salmon. Organic produce is often more expensive than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. Work with your caterer ahead of time to determine which corners you’re happy to cut, and which menu elements are non-negotiable.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Bite Sized Thanksgiving? Yay, or No Way?

In a 2011 issue of WV Living Magazine, Publisher/Editor Nikki Bowman dished up a delectable Thanksgiving meal. This isn't just some ordinary Thanksgiving spread, however. This menu is chock-full of delectable finger foods and bite-sized recipes your family and friends will love. No more are the days of sinks full of dirty dinner plates and silverware. No more are the days of feeling so full you're afraid the top button of your pants is going to pop right off (assuming you didn't think ahead and throw on a pair of elastic waist-band sweatpants or a comfortable, loose cotton skirt). This bite-sized, "mini-meal" is perfect for a big family Thanksgiving dinner because everyone can just grab a shooter of soup or Thanksgiving dinner in a glass and off they go! There's the added perk, too, that bite-sized meals are so on trend, so this Thanksgiving consider a whole new concept for the Thanksgiving meal...here is just a glimpse of some ideas for Turkey Day Gone Bite Sized!

Let us know what you think of this concept.  Too avant garde for you, or are you always willing to test the new trends?  Give us a call for help with your Thanksgiving feast, be it teeny tiny or gargantuan! 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Top 3 Reasons to Hire Us!

With any important or large event, catering can certainly enhance the theme and ambiance for your guests.  Whether it's a birthday party, wedding, office event, or other celebration, hiring a professional catering company can be extremely beneficial for the host.   Here are the top 3 reasons to choose a professional caterer rather than try to pull it off by yourself:
Organization
Managing meals for an event, especially a large one, can be confusing, stressful, and very time consuming.  Celebrations is a professional catering company, and when hired, will handle absolutely everything as far as organizing the meal segment of the event.  We will provide a pre-planned itinerary for employees, staff, venue managers, and guests.  Also, we will organize all the arrangements for the menus, meal preparation, dining room set up and breakdown, and delegate to the staff and managers properly.
Professional Resources and Equipment
If you were to self-cater an event, especially for a large crowd, you would have to purchase all the necessary equipment and supplies to carry out the job successfully.  Supplies and equipment could include pan carriers, silverware, dishes, hot plates, ice caddies, table cloths, chafing dishes, cooking supplies, groceries, and more!  We have all of that at the ready, so you don't have to spend time & money securing all of these items!
Assorted Menu Options
With Celebrations, the food menu options are endless.  On your own, you would be limited to choosing what you can cook and what is available to you for the event.  Celebrations Distinctive Catering has menus and food item options to choose from, so all you have to do is decide what food you want served.  The chef, staff, and company will take care of everything else!
Seems like a pretty easy decision...and once you see our price list, we think it will seal the deal!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Be a Guest At Your Next Party: How to hire a little—or a lot of—help!


Think catered affairs are only for the rich and famous? The reality is that if you can afford to have a party, you can probably also afford to have at least a portion of it catered. Whether you’re looking for someone to take care of the side dishes, or a personal chef to cook the entire meal in your kitchen, sharing your host duties can make a huge difference to your own enjoyment of a special occasion. And the good news is that this kind of “home entertaining support” is available through Celebrations Distinctive Catering!

Seeing the need for delicious and convenient party food, the chefs at Celebrations Distinctive Catering have crafted our WORLD AT YOUR DOOR specialty menus!

We offer a wide variety of party platters, featuring hot entrees, gourmet sandwiches, salads, desserts and beverages. With these menus, you can mix and match your own platters to create your own unique party.  There are literally thousands of combinations, so go wild!  These are available for small groups with short notice and delivered right to your home with all the plates, napkins and cutlery you need. Unwrap and enjoy.

Always wanted to visit Italy, but don't have the time?  How about a Ciao Italia party right in your home?  Celebrations Distinctive Catering has put together a wonderfully extensive and diverse selection of Italian gourmet cooking.  Mangia! 

For more info, visit our website:   www.celebrationsmenu.com