Toasting the New Year w/ St. Germain!

We have a really gorgeous looking wedding taking place here tonight.
It got me thinking though...what will I toast the New Year with?

There are all kinds of great choices available to me here.
Ciao Prosecco, Kenwood's Yulupa Brut, maybe even the Perrier-Jouet Fleur de Champagne!

Sparkling cocktails sound really good to me now though...hmm...
Bellinis, Mimosa, and their endless variations are always good.

Wait, I've got it!
The Pear Tree Martini.

1 1/2 Shots of St-Germain (elderflower liqueur)
1 1/2 Shots of Absolut Pear
Top with Champagne

Method:
Shake first two ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled Martini Glass with sugared rim. Top with Champagne. Because it's hard to find elderflowers to garnish with... Garnish with D'Anjou pear. No D'Anjou? Substitute Bartlett. Bartlett out of season? Opt for a twist. Preferably carved from a pear-shaped lemon.

Just St.-Germain & Champagne is amazing! Garnish with a strawberry and you've got a great drink to toast with.

Red & Green

Happy Holidays everyone!

Here is a red and green recipe for the holiday season.

With these recipes, even the red is green!

Dirty (But Clean) Martini

Ingredients:
4 oz. Juniper Green Organic Gin
1.5 oz. olive juice (preferably from a jar of organic olives)
Splash of vermouth (if you've got it)

Directions:
Shake up the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker (or if you're not feeling the James Bond, stir it instead). Pour into a chilled martini glass and garnish with some tasty organic olives.

Result: If you're going to have a real dirty martini, make it as clean as you can with Juniper Green gin. Of course, if vodka is your liquor of choice, Square One is a good alternative. Either way, this one's a classic.

Siembra Azul Pomegranate Margarita

Ingredients:
2 oz. Siembra Azul Tequila
1/2 oz. organic lime juice
2 oz. pomegranate juice
1/2 oz. organic agave nectar or a spoonful of honey

Directions:
Shake ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass. Add a splash of club soda, if you're in the mood for a bit of sparkle. For a slight citrus twist, try using POM Tangerine and orange-infused honey.

Result: Some people find pomegranate juice a bit bitter but with the agave and the Siembra Azul tequila, it goes down real smooth. Just think about drinking this one early in the night. You don't want to deal with sloppy spills on New Year's Eve and pomegranate stains on New Year's Day.

TurnToTap

I've found a really great resourse I'd like to share with you.
TurnToTap.com is a way to stay connected with the ongoing struggle to get consumers into tap water vs. bottled water.
Check it out and do your part!

12-20-08 - Range Resources Holiday Party

The party is still going strong right now but I wanted to post this ASAP!

This is how to do a holiday party!

Range Resources has the entire building with something for everyone.

As the guests enter the facility, their pictures are taken for a keepsake they can leave with.

There was great passed items for the cocktail hour such as Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops with Fresh Dill, Spicy Grilled Beef Satay with Ancho Chili Barbecue Sauce, Roasted Garlic & Tomato-Basil Bruschetta with Shaved Asiago, and Assorted Greek Phyllo-Wrapped Hors d'oeuvers.

The night's special guest was none other the football legend Franco Harris! He kicked the night off (which is unusual for a running back...) and our stations service began.

Comfort items like Petite Wonton Pierogies with Longhorn Cheddar Cheese, Benkovitz Famous Fish Sandwiches by Nordic Fisheries, and Pasta with Vodka Sauce made for just one of three dinner stations.

What is still keeping the party going now is the live music of No Bad Ju Ju. A rock, soul, R&B, funk fusion band that has elevated this party to one of the best of the year. Since they have the whole facility at their disposal, the upstairs banquet room is hosting various games of chance. Entertainment Unlimited has a variety of games available to all the guests.

For something really different, they had a handwriting analysis expert here for the guests to learn more about themselves through their handwriting.

All in all, one of the best holiday parties of they year!

The war on bottled water

#4 of Time Magazine's Top 10 Food Trends:

The war on bottled water

In 1992's The Player, Tim Robbins' character, the consummate Hollywood insider, showed his sophistication at restaurants through his ability to differentiate among various kinds of bottled water. But today, that same Hollywood macher would never ask for anything but tap. Because of the environmental costs of producing and shipping bottled waters, more and more chefs are offering only filtered tap water to customers.

Mario Batali and his business partner Joseph Bastianich stopped selling bottled water at their New York City restaurants Del Posto and Otto earlier this year, and eateries in Florida and Massachusetts are also serving only tap. The U.S. Conference of Mayors voted in June to recommend that City Halls stop serving bottled water even at special functions. Once hip, bottled water is now unforgivably '90s.

Water is something that we are really looking at in 2009 as we go green. One of the easiest ways we can help the enviroment is to only offer water by request. You will notice more and more restaurants not pre-setting water for all guests. This is a great way to conserve our most precious resource. We are also looking into alternative ways to "produce water". A very interresting company is Natura.

Craziest Food Service Idea Ever

Here's a bit of fun I read in a food service newsletter I read:

Burger King’s scent of love now flame broiled

By Christine McConville
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 - Updated 2h ago


Burger King is hoping to be known as more than “The Home of the Whopper.” This weekend, the fast food chain rolled out “Flame,” a new men’s body spray billed as “the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat.” And an informal survey by the Boston Herald found that there are men out there who’d wear it - even one who seemed to be named after a meat.

“It’s very nice,” said Salami Caushi, 55 and a South Boston resident, who was sipping hot coffee at the Burger King on Broadway yesterday. As his companion grimaced, Caushi sprayed the scent on his wrist, and then took a long sniff of Flame for men. “Yes, nice,” he said.

Tony Rama, who was sitting downwind of Caushi, strongly disagreed. “It’s much too heavy,” he said. A few tables away, Reno Hoxhallari, 29 and from Medford, was taken aback by the burger joint’s new product. “It’s got to be a joke,” he said, as he scrutinized a photo of the chain’s cartoonish King, languishing by the fire, wearing his crown and little else.

Two days ago - just in time for the holidays - the fast food chain began selling the body spray, for $4 a bottle, at Rickey’s, a New York City retailer, and on the Web site, http://www.firemeetsdesire.com/. Yesterday, after the company distributed samples to various news organizations, the Herald took it on a trial run. “It smells like cinnamon,” said Alyse Hawco, 14, of Dorchester. She was at Burger King enjoying a post-school snack with some friends.

“I’d buy it for my brother,” she said. Up the street, at a crowded corner on Broadway, a group of men in their 20s were initially skeptical about the fragrance. “Flame??” one man said. “I think they should change the name.” Another guy wondered if it would “make me break out.”

But after their female companion said she liked it, their opinions appeared to shift. “Yeah, I’d think about it,” said Jaime, a native Cape Codder. “Do you think it’ll make girls swarm?” he asked his friends. On the Web: http://www.firemeetsdesire.com/

Organic Spirits Company

2009 is Greco's Gourmet Catering's 10th year in existance.

This fact renewed our interest and drive towards the future. One of our biggest ongoing projects in 2009 is our relationship with the planet. This means changing how we use paper in the office, water throughout the building, food with the lowest carbon footprint and even the type of utenzils we send out on off-premise jobs. It also means looking at certified organic products and sustainable agriculture.

One group that I've had a chance to reach out to in 2008 is the Organic Spirits Company.

They have 5 certified organic products that I've picked up to show our clients.

Highland Harvest Organic Scotch Whiskey is the world’s first organic Scotch Whiskey. Produced from three organic malts and an organic grain that have been blended together in Scotland and matured in oak for four years.

Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin has been praised for its smooth taste and lack of alcohol on the nose. Made from organic juniper berries, it is created in two very small stills with a maximum production of 500 liters per day.

Papagayo Organic Rum and Organic Spiced Rum are made with organic sugar cane from Paraguay. It is single estate rum that is never blended.

Utkins UK5 Organic Vodka is the first organic vodka made from 100% rye; the grain is grown on a German farm that has been organic for more than 30 years. It is the only nonfiltered vodka in the world.

Now, when you party hearty, you can party sustainably, too!

Great Rosé!

Looking for a unique pink drink that isn't so sweet that it's not much of a wine?
Try one of our favorites, Banfi's Centine Rosé.

Tuscany (Italy)
Variety: Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Delightful pink rose with hints of woodland berries and long, crisp finish. Demurely perfumed with floral aromas, carnation-pink Centine Rosé is sophisticatedly dry with wild berry flavors and a crisp clean finish. The contrast between its capricious pastel color and austere Tuscan character make it the perfect year-round aperitif, though it also pairs well with salads and lighter fare.

November 1st Wedding - Pictures!

Check out these pictures from November 1st's wedding of Katie and Troy by Rebecca Devono!
Great centerpieces. Very unique.

More pictures...

The scrabble theme is something I've never seen before. I love themes that tie into how the proposal happened.

One of the two weddings we have here this week is giving away gum as a favor because he proposed with a ring in a gum package!

Last Cooking Class of 2008 - 11-19-08

Last night's cooking class was How to Cook for the Holidays.

Check out the article WXPI did on last night.

The video WXPI did can be found here.

The slideshow is available here.

Thanks everyone for a great cooking class season!

Thursday February 6th, 2009 - The Basics of Blogging

I will be talking to caterers from all over the world about blogging this February in Vegas.

Here's the description from the recently published booklet:

11-1-08 Wedding

Congrats Kaiti and Troy!

Here's pictures from Saturday's wedding here (Check out the amazing Centerpieces!)...

10-25-08 Wedding

Check out some pictures from the October 25th Wedding that was here!

Tonight's Tasting at Jernigans

I'm on my way to a great tasting tonight at Jernigans.


Patron XO Café is an extraordinary blend of ultra premium tequila and the natural essence of the finest coffee. The taste is dry, not sweet as with most low proof coffee liqueurs. The higher proof brings out the flavor of the coffee essence and the ultra premium tequila. It is excellent for sipping as well as a premium ingredient in a cocktail or as a unique and delicious dessert topping.

Pyrat XO Reserve is a select blend of fine, aged Caribbean rum as old as 15 years. Its smooth taste and delicious flavor is complimented by its rich amber color. Pyrat XO reserve is excellent over ice with a twist of lemon

Do You Know Paella?

From the London Times

Everyone thinks they know paella – a mixture of rice and seafood served in a big dish like a soup bowl, right? Wrong, actually. Though the tourist version can be delicious, true paella – pronounced “pah-eya” – originated as a way of cooking rice with protein from the countryside, particularly wild rabbit and snails.

It is the regional speciality of Valencia, in eastern Spain, and nowhere is it taken more seriously than in the village of El Palmar, in the very heart of the rice-growing area.
For paella purists, there are a number of rules that must be adhered to. The first concerns the type of rice, which should be medium- or short-grained in order to absorb as much stock as possible. In El Palmar, they only usebomba, the fat, stubby variety grown in the adjacent marshes of La Albufera.

Separated from the Mediterranean by a thin strip of beach, these salty, silent waters were first used as paddy fields in the 8th century by the Moors, whose ingenious system of canals and bridges is still in use today.

Second, paella must always be cooked over an open fire. This is partly because the traditional cooking pan, the paellera, is more than 16in wide, and partly because the rhythm of an open fire suits the cooking process – a fierce heat to fry the meat, then a gentle one to simmer the rice.
An even heat is also essential to the creation of a socarrat, the crusty, crunchy bottom layer of rice that is served as a special delicacy. To this end, the paella is never stirred once the rice is added, the pan being gently rotated over the flames instead.

Other ingredients are flexible – a paella de la huerta, or country paella, might additionally contain artichokes, sausage and plump white lima beans called garrafon. Saffron paella is common, and there are even varieties that employ cuttlefish stock and cauliflower.
And while a paella de mariscos is perfectly acceptable, it is considered bad form to mix seafood and meat. What to drink: wines made from the local bobal grape are the traditional accompaniment to rice dishes, and there are so many good ones, you’ll be spoilt for choice – light reds from Utiel are particularly sought after.

When to go: hearty food like this is best avoided in high summer. In any case, this part of eastern Spain is nicest in autumn and winter, when the fierce heat becomes more comfortable. Insider tip: good paella is always cooked fresh; and given the size of the pan, many places insist that at least two people order it. Also, because it’s such a substantial meal, many only serve it at lunchtime – which often doesn’t begin until 2pm.

Where to eat it: it isn’t hard to find a good paella restaurant in El Palmar – the long main street consists of little else. If you have a car, head to L’Establiment, just out of town – it’s one of the best, in a pleasant setting overlooking a reed-lined canal. If you’re without transport, buses marked “Valencia-Perello” run regularly from the bullring in Valencia.

Even in Valencia itself, there are plenty to choose from. Pepica on Avenue Neptuno was Ernest Hemingway’s favourite: “A big, clean, open-air place . . . you could hear the sea breaking on the beach and the lights shone on the wet sand.”

Scallops - Great Tasting and Great for the Heart

This is from the Chicago Tribune:

Usually reserved for restaurant dining, scallops can make an elegant entree.

About the size of a marshmallow, the bivalve has a mildly sweet, slightly nutty flavor that even those who do not typically like fish usually enjoy. And like all fish, scallops are good for your heart.

The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two fish meals per week.Scallops are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, but an even better source of vitamin B-12, which helps the body convert homosysteine, a chemical that attacks the blood vessel walls, into a benign substance. Four ounces of scallops equal 33 percent of the daily value of B-12, according to the World's Healthiest Foods, a non-profit health organization at whfoods.org.

Scallops are also a good source of magnesium, which helps the blood vessels relax, and a good source of potassium, a nutrient that helps maintain normal blood pressure.

By Jill Wendholt Silva - October 22, 2008

_____________________________________________________________________

Since Scallops are so good for you, you can afford to wrap them in bacon, right?

Flashbox in the Post Gazette

Wednesday's Post Gazette had a great article on Flashbox.

I've talked about this service before but I really think it's the most well thought-out compliment to a wedding.

Here's the article on the Post Gazette's web site:

http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/08296/921687-355.stm?cmpid=newspanel1

For information on Flashbox, call 1-866-996-7700 or go to http://www.theflashbox.com/. The company offers payment plans.

Jason and Terry's trip to Italy

Jason just got back from Italy this week. This time around he brought our good friend photographer, Terry Clark.

Terry took over 6,000 shots and Jason took quite a few as well.

Here is a great image to tease you to check out Terry's blog for more!

Clement Rhum Tasting in Philadelphia

Here is a YouTube Clip from the dinner and tasting I experienced at Tequilas in Philadelphia.



Clement Rhums are quite amazing and more people need to know about the level of spirit they produce.

2 New Cocktails

Here is a new cocktails I made last week:

The Crush
Neat or On the Rocks
2 oz of Grappa
1 1/2 oz of Tawny Port
1/2 oz of Orange Liquer
Brands I used:

Armand de Brignac featured in Cosmopolitan Bride Magazine

Armand de Brignac has proven to be a favorite of niche bridal publications and wedding features in publications worldwide.

The one-of-a-kind experience of toasting with bottles of our prestige cuvées is a perfect match for once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.

The British bridal publication Cosmopolitan Bride is the latest to feature Armand de Brignac – this time the new, limited-edition Rosé - as a surefire choice for engaged Champagne lovers.


Try their new Media Gallery Slideshow: www.armanddebrignac.com/slideshow

9 - 13 - 08 Iyndia & Wayne

Check out the In Visions Studio Blog entry for the September 13, 2008 wedding of Iyndia Bey and Wayne Jackson. What a great event!

Iyndia and Wayne Bella Sera