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.