Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Fandango Catering and Events Offers Special Holiday Promotions


We will be offering special promotions and discounts this holiday season to new and continuing clients, including complimentary dessert trays with bookings and discount coupons for holiday orders and bookings.


Our holiday offerings this year will include many of our bestsellers from past years such as our signature Castle Cake; our Citrus, Chocolate Chunk, and Apricot Glaze Roscón de Reyes Ring Cakes; our Chocolate and Orange Buche de Noel; our signature mini desserts, including Baby Cheesecakes and Mini Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies; boxed handmade hors d'oeuvres; sandwich lunch packages; and--NEW!--6" puff pastry empanadas. We have also added to our list of handmade hors d'oeuvres and to our dinner/buffet options.

In addition, we will be adding to our website shortly a page for quick ordering by credit card--look for updates on our website and here on our blog!

For more information on our holiday promotions and offers, menus, or price quotes:


(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841

Enjoy the holidays!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Fandango Catering and Events Offers Tips for Choosing a Holiday Menu


Choosing a menu for a holiday party can be daunting for some people, but by following a few guidelines you can make your party a success this year. Below, tips for choosing a menu for your 2010 holiday party.

Know your group--If your group has many children, either keep the menu kid-friendly or serve the kids their own food and serve the adults something more grownup. If your group is mostly older people, guests won't eat as much as a gathering where hungry young people are present.
Decide what kind of event you want--The simplest events are cocktail or hors d'oeuvres parties, dessert buffets or cookie exchanges, and one-dish meal buffets such as lasagna with salad and dessert. One-dish meal events and cookie exchanges are best for more informal gatherings. Finger foods or dessert buffets are more elegant because they can be served on nice trays or platters. If you opt for a one-dish meal event for family or close friends, you can serve from the kitchen or on a table or sideboard from attractive roasters, stockpots, or earthenware to make the meal more special. Sit-down dinners without help are best only for small groups.
Decide if you will serve hot foods--Along the same lines, decide if you want to serve any hot foods, whether hot hors d'oeuvres or a hot dish. Most guests appreciate a mix of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres at a finger foods event. For any hot foods, the most elegant presentation is to use a chafing dish as the little flame of the sterno and the lid keep the food warm for about 3 hours. Caveats: make sure no small children mess with the flame under the chafing dish and put a tablecloth under any chafing dish to protect your table or sideboard. Chafing dishes are widely available in stores at holiday time or if you need a big one or don't want to buy one you can rent one from a rentals company (though once you buy a chafing dish they're great for entertaining with hot foods anytime of year).
Decide a time for your party--A 6:30--7:30pm start time may tend to send the message that you expect to feed your guests for the evening while a later start time sends the opposite message. If you want to provide only light bites, an 8pm start time is better for adults. If you know your guests will be attending several events in one evening or you don't want to take charge of feeding them for the evening, you can specify in your invitation that only light bites or dessert or whatever will be served. A daytime holiday gathering (before around 1pm) such as a brunch, lunch, or breakfast is more geared toward heartier fare than light bites. It's best to specify in your invitation what type of gathering you're hosting, such as "brunch," "lasagna," "finger foods,"or whatever so guests understand what to expect.
Exotic cuisines are best for younger (20s and 30s) event-goers--If you're hosting a holiday gathering where older people will also be present, remember that they generally don't care for exotic fare at holiday time and will appreciate more traditional foods for them.
After you choose a menu, type and print it, then review it to see that you don't have two chicken dishes, for instance, and that you have a good mix of types of foods and that not everything is the same color. And show it to someone else to see if they agree. If necessary, make changes. We were present at an open house last year (not clients!) where all the food was beige or white on white plates, so it didn't look very appealing.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Fandango Catering and Events Offers Quick Wine Guide for Holiday Foods


As the holidays approach and we plan holiday meals and events, the question of which wines to serve with which foods is on many people's minds.


Below, in Part 2 of our blog series, "Holiday Entertaining," our quick guide to the best types of wines to pair with holiday foods:


Appetizers: Sauvignon Blanc, Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, or, for something different, dry or sparkling rosé

Turkey, Pork, or Light Seafood: Pinot Noir, Riesling, White Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or a White Burgundy--ask your wine seller which types are dryer, which sweeter

Beef: Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Tempranillo

Rich or Fatty Fish Dishes: Chardonnay

Citrus-Based Foods and Sauces: Sauvignon Blanc

Creamy or Spicy Foods: A dry Riesling or, for spicy foods, also a Sauvignon Blanc or a Syrah

Italian Food (Tomato Based): Sangiovese

Mushroom-Based Dishes: Pinot Noir

Desserts: Port or, for fruit desserts, Moscato d'Asti or Asti Spumante

Upcoming: Signature cocktails for the holidays and Non-Alcoholic Beverage Ideas

¡Salud!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841

Monday, November 15, 2010

Fandango Catering and Events to Offer Cooking Classes, Order Pickups at New Downtown Kitchen


Fandango Catering and Events, which recently relocated its kitchen to a snazzy new downtown location (inside an historic building) at Franklin @ Travis, will be offering cooking classes and demos as well as products for sale and order pickups at the new kitchen space.

We are very happy to have relocated our kitchen downtown to the wonderful chefs' cooperative Kitchen Incubator:
At our new kitchen we have the opportunity to give cooking classes and demos, participate in "Iron Chef"-type competitions, and sell some of our specialty products in the Café, which should open in December 2010.

Just in time for the holidays--We will also be offering some of our specialty products and sandwich lunch and hors d'oeuvres packages--which are soon to be available for secure ordering with credit card on our website--for pickup by clients at our new kitchen, saving our customers a delivery fee.

Of course, we are also thrilled to be able to chat with other chefs and culinary entrepreneurs at the kitchen and to be part of the vibrant downtown scene in the historic Market Square district.

Look for updates and further info on our new kitchen activities and customer ordering here on our blog and on our website:

Warmly,

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, PhD.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841

Thursday, November 11, 2010

FANDANGO Catering Offers Thanksgiving Decorating Ideas


FANDANGO Catering, in its continuing blog series, "Fall Entertaining Ideas," offers Thanksgiving Dinner decorating ideas--and you can adapt them for other fall events too.



Welcome people with a fall wreath--Hang a fall wreath on your front door or front yard fence gate (or even a row of wreaths hung from a wrought-iron fence). You can buy these ready-made or make your own by buying a raffia base at a craft store and attaching silk flowers in fall colors, pine cones, or other fall-themed objects with florist's wire.

Dress up the dining table(s) -On your dining table(s), use a runner or even a long, wide piece of ribbon in fall colors, including sienna, gold, or chocolate brown, and line up small pumpkins, gourds, pine cones, or a mixture along the length of the runner or ribbon. Or place a decorative cake stand on the middle of the runner or ribbon and pile the little pumpkins, etc. on the cake stand, either loosely or in a pyramid shape. You can also lay a cloth napkin on the cake stand first and then pile this "cornucopia" on top of the napkin.

Use curling ribbon--If you're pressed for time, an easy and festive way of decorating for Thanksgiving, either for buffet or sit-down or "sit where you can find a seat" seating, is to tie curling ribbon in fall colors around the stems of stemware or glasses and run scissors along the ribbon to curl it.

Decorate a dessert table--You can also decorate a dessert sideboard or separate dessert table with a fall-colored runner or ribbon, a vase of fall flowers, or a candelabra with a ribbon tied in a bow around its base (we NEVER light candles in candelabras at our events and we advise our clients to not light candles either UNLESS they're in votives AND no children or pets can knock them over).

One of our favorite resources for event decorating ideas is Martha Stewart Living:

Enjoy!

Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
FANDANGO Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841

Thursday, November 4, 2010

FANDANGO Catering Offers Easy Fall Gathering Ideas

FANDANGO Catering in its continuing blog series, "Fall Entertaining Ideas," offers easy fall party and get-together food ideas.

These ideas are for smaller parties and get-togethers, so popular in fall when the weather turns cooler and appetites are a little heartier after the long hot summer days, when many are on vacation. But fall days are busy, so these ideas can be put together quickly with a combination of made and bought ingredients. The important thing is to get together with people you care about and have an easy meal that everyone will love!

One of the easiest ways to do this is to serve just three dishes: a salad, a one-dish entree, and a dessert. The following ideas can be done by just one person or if another helps that's even easier.

Idea 1:
Salad: Buy fresh spinach or baby mixed greens and cherry or heirloom tomatoes from a farmer's market. Halve the cherry tomatoes or dice the heirlooms. Wash the spinach well so no sand remains, then on a cutting board roll the spinach or greens up like a rope and cut crosswise with a chef's knife--this is called a "chiffonade" and makes long ribbons. Then cut the ribbons in half. With this technique you don't need to buy a lot of greens and the presentation is pretty. Mix the tomatoes and greens and make a fresh herb vinaigrette: Mix 1 cup olive oil with 1/4 cup sherry or cider vinegar and blend in a blender with 1/2 cup fresh mixed herbs. Add honey, salt, and pepper to taste; or, if you want a creamy dressing, add 1-2 tbsp. or more heavy cream.

Entree: Buy a seasoned pork or beef loin and add a little more dried herbs, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, or a salt-free blend. Buy slivered root vegetables (available at better supermarkets) and then cut into fourths a few Bosc pears. Put all in a baking dish, drizzle white wine mixed with a little chicken broth over, and bake according to the loin package time, basting every few minutes until done. Serve with pan juices.

Dessert: Buy a great marble chocolate cheesecake and serve with coffee or wine.

Idea 2
Salad: Same as above--it's a great salad!

Entree: Buy a mix to make white chicken chili but doctor it up with white or Marsala wine, 3-4 chiles de árbol, and about 1/2-1 cup heavy cream at the end. This white chicken chili is elegant but spicy! To carry out the theme of "an elegant chili gathering," serve scallions and grated Fontina cheese for topping the chili instead of the usual Cheddar or Jack.

Dessert: Since the entree is spicy, serve a couple of flavors of ice cream with a master touch--Dulce de leche sauce (you can buy one at better or gourmet supermarkets). Mix a bit of chocolate syrup into the dulce de leche and, if you're feeling indulgent, add some mini chocolate chips to the top of the sundaes.

Idea 3
Salad: Same salad

Entree: Fettucine with Marsala Bolognese--Finely chop 2-3 green onions and sauté in 2 tbsp. butter with a little olive oil. In same saute pan brown ground beef or pork, then add a pinch of cinnamon and allspice, a non-acidic pasta sauce (like Ragú traditional) if you don't make your own homemade marinara (and who does, except our Chef Jesús?), 1/2 cup Marsala wine, and 1/2 cup Parmigiano. Let simmer 5-8 minutes and then add 1/2 cup diced Fontina, Gruyere, or Munster cheese and stir until blended. Simmer a minute or two more,then add 1/2 cup heavy or sour cream or a mixture and do not let boil. Serve with fresh cooked fettucine or linguine (available fresh or fresh refrigerated at supermarkets).

Dessert: Layer and bake chunks of French baguette, chunks of chocolate, raisins, heavy cream, nutmeg, and a little Moscatel or other sweet wine or sweet sherry in a ceramic baking dish or individual ramekins. Bake about 10 minutes or just until chocolate melts and all is hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
FANDANGO Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841

Monday, November 1, 2010

FANDANGO Catering Offers Tips for Cooking w/Olive Oil (from Rice University Event)




FANDANGO Catering is offering a copy here on our blog of the "Cooking with Olive Oil" suggestions and recipes sheet given out at the "Olive Oil from Spain" event last Friday, Oct. 29. 2010 at Rice University's Duncan Hall.





With 240 attendees at the panel talk--at which our Executive Chef Jesús Lumbreras-Calvo was one of the panelists--and another 60+ also attending the tasting portion after the panel (for a total of 300+ attendees), we did not have enough of our cooking tips sheet for everyone! So, here on the blog is a copy of the sheet.


Just to dispel myths, you can make great dishes with olive oil if you choose the right one AND you then season the food and prepare it according to the recipe. Our catering company uses olive oil for all sauteing, braising, roasting, and baking of savory foods, and then our Exec Chef uses fresh herbs and the spices appropriate to the country or region of origin to the dish.


For example, he recently made Chicken Satay for a large wedding and he initially sauteed the chicken pieces, seasoned with Indonesian spices, in olive oil. The bride, whose parents are from Holland and Ireland, and the groom, from Guyana, were ecstatic, as were all the Dutch guests (around 80) who flew in from Holland, and do they know Indonesian food over there! Just goes to show how the right olive oil can be used to cook nearly any savory food. We recommend extra-virgin olive oil and a fruity one at that for most Americans to cook with at home, as the fruitier the oil is, the less acid it has and thus less of a "harsh" taste that some of the more acid olive oils have.



Here is the text of the handout from last week's Rice showcase:


Use flavored oils to bake or sauté chicken, fish, pork, meat, potatoes, or vegetables. Use in the sauté pan or drizzle on top of food in a baking pan. Add a bit more seasoning, such as dried Herbs de Provence, Cajun seasoning, or a salt-free blend.

You can make flavored oils by adding a pinch of chopped fresh herbs, lemon or orange zest, dried red pepper flakes, or fresh garlic cloves. Puree in a blender, starting with a pinch of flavoring, and taste. Add more to taste. You can also use flavored oils to spread on bread to make crostini, then top with cannellini spread, prosciutto and mozzarella, or your favorite topper. Kept in a cool, dry place, fresh-flavored oils last about 1 week.


Use olive oil to make French toast-like savory sandwiches--Make your favorite ham and cheese or other sandwich, dip both sides in egg beaten with milk, let sit for 20 minutes, then fry slowly in olive oil over low heat until golden brown. Sprinkle on a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg. You can also slice into small triangle hors d'oeuvres. Works best with fruity olive oil.


Make an easy pan sauce--Put one turn of olive oil in a sauté pan and heat to not quite smoking. Put seasoned or marinated chicken breasts or tenders, pork or turkey cutlets, or steaks in the pan. Let sauté 1-2 minutes, then turn with tongs. Keep turning every 30 seconds to one minute until nearly done, then add a splash of wine or beer and stir the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Let alcohol burn down, around 40-60 seconds. Check for doneness. Serve with pan sauce poured over. You can also add a little finely chopped onion to the pan before adding the chicken, pork, turkey, or steak and sauté until golden, then push to the side, add the meat, and continue with the turning and deglazing.


Basil Oil (sampled at the event)

Makes 1/2 cup


Blanch one cup packed fresh whole basil leaves in boiling water 1 minute. Drain. Run under cold water, drain, and squeeze out excess water in a paper towel. Transfer basil to processor. Add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil and process until basil is very finely chopped. Add 1/2 clove garlic, salt and pepper, and 1/2 tsp. honey. Transfer to a bowl and season with more salt, pepper, or honey to taste. If honey is added and you use this to cook with, watch foods carefully while they cook as they will brown more quickly.

Use as a dipping sauce, to marinade or roast meats and vegetables, as a sauce for pasta, or as a salad dressing.


Bon appetit!

Kristina


Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Partner, Director of Sales & Operations
FANDANGO Catering & Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841