Tuesday, May 31, 2011

4 sumer tmtoes, grllng: 1 1/2 c. EVOO 4-6 clves garl peeled & smshed 3 sprigs fresh herb of choice heat oil w garlic 3-4 mins add herb cool
Working on RFP for christening brunch--incl requested Roasted Vegetable and Herbed Goat Cheese terrine prepared for them 2 years ago

Friday, May 27, 2011

Another cool grilling tool Ceramic skillet 2 use on grill instead of back & forth bet. grill & stove: Xtrema Open Skillet
www.ceramcor.com

Thursday, May 26, 2011

We have just booked the Lila Luna opening reception at the Institute of Hispanic Culture 6/4/11

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Memorial Day Decorating Tips

Memorial Day gatherings, aside from honoring the military and so forth, traditionally kick off the summer season here in the U.S. (in Europe summer runs from June to September), and summery gatherings are popular--barbecues, al fresco gatherings, beach house meals, or indoor gatherings (there are those with no interest in the outdoors, even a backyard).

Today we offer ideas for decorating for your Memorial Day gathering in ways that aren't too cloying or party pack-ish. 

If you use disposable serveware, offset your carbon footprint in other ways such as recycling wine and beer bottles and using real glasses.

Traditional colors associated with Memorial Day are the patriotic colors of red, white, and blue.  So let's say that you want to use these colors but want an elegant look.  Here are some ideas.

  • A red OR blue solid tablecloth with white plates, clear or red glasses, and flowers or a centerpiece in either red or blue (blue flowers with a red tablecloth or red flowers with a blue tablecloth).
  • Red OR blue plates on a white tablecloth, with, again, red or blue flowers or a centerpiece to match the plates.
  • Same ideas as above but with placemats
  • Real glasses look better with any of these ideas than disposable glasses UNLESS you buy Caspari or another upscale paper serveware glasses.  We still prefer real glasses as it takes your gathering to the next level.
  • Decorate your beverage station by tying a red or blue ribbon around your beverage tub or by putting red, white, or blue flowers there (stick to one color)
  • Speaking of which, IF and only if you're good at arranging flowers (or you pay someone to do it), mixtures of red, white, and blue flowers can look good; display them in a white or clear square glass vase.  If you're not adept at flower arranging and you don't want to pay someone to do it, stick to one color of flowers and your florals will always look more elegant than if you attempt mixtures
  • Avoid colored cutlery as this looks too party pack-ish
  • Red or blue napkins can look nice but in general remember to let either red or blue or white predominate in your Memorial Day decor--in other words, let one of the three colors predominate. 
By using a predominant color and not mixing too much red, white, and blue on each table, beverage table, etc., your decorating looks chic and not overdone.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Trio of citrus sorbets with vanilla shortbreads half dipped in chocolate

Monday, May 23, 2011

Ths wk Chx medllions w Rose Sauce Rosted Vegetable & Fresh Mozza PP Tarts, Ciabatta Sliders w Trio of Mayos more:
www.fandango-catering.com
We like Gavioli Sparkling Blood Orange Juice and other sparkling fruit flavors for warm-weather gatherings

Fandango Catering and Events Offers 6 Reasons Why Small Desserts are Better


At Fandango Catering and Events, two of our signature items are our line of mini desserts and our line of organic cupcakes, and we consistently see that people prefer small desserts to full-size ones.  Why? 

There are several reasons why small desserts can be a better choice for an event than full-size desserts.  Here are a few:

Small comfort food
There is something playful and comforting about a small dessert that seems to take one back to childhood pleasures.  Witness the current craze for hot dog, ice cream, and popcorn catering trucks at swank events--with so much bad news out there right now, anything comforting is good.

Less trouble at an event
Full-size desserts must be cut and often get messy after the first few cuts.  Small desserts are stand alone and so no one has to cut and/or serve them--they're delicious morsels ready to be picked up and eaten by guests with no further fussing. 

Brides are finding this especially true as a pastry chef's cake cutting fees are hefty; this is one reason why wedding cupcakes, particularly as part of a wedding buffet, are increasinly popular.

Visually, small desserts look more abundant
Go figure, but even elaborate, large full-size desserts tend to look less abundant than many small desserts, even if by weight and volume they're the same.  So small desserts look more welcoming, in a way.

Guests don't feel so "piggy" when eating small desserts
Guests are often hesitant to serve themselves, or be served, a portion of a full-size dessert, but will readily take a couple of small desserts, as psychologically they feel less guilty than if they took a portion of a full-size dessert.

Small desserts complement an hors d'oeuvres or small plates event
Small desserts are the best choice for either an hors d'oeuvres or small plates event as their smaller scale goes better with the smaller-scale concept of the savory food than a full-size dessert. 

In fact, catering and event professionals increasingly refer to "savory" and "sweet" tapas or small plates or finger foods, "sweet" being small desserts.

But even with full-size savory food, more guests will eat small desserts than full-size desserts in our experience.

Small desserts can be adapted to many tastes and looks and needn't be frilly
Just recently a groom chose our signature chocolate organic cupcakes in brown and gold panettone papers (like the holiday panettone cake wrapper but for cupcakes) for his groom's "cake."  From modern to traditional, small desserts designs can be even more appreciated by guests as they get to see them more "up close" instead of seeing only part of a decoration that has been "cut into."

If you haven't tried serving small desserts at an event, we invite you to try it and see if they're not pretty much all eaten by your guests.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Friday, May 20, 2011

New from our blog: 6 Best Party Decorating Tips:
http://bit.ly/9OepuP

Fandango Catering and Events Offers Our 6 Best Party Decorating Tips


At Fandango Catering and Events we create, in collaboration with our clients, an event design, including tablescape(s), for 80% of our events as we don't really focus on delivery-type catering (though we do it if requested, especially if the event is in the suburbs far from our operations).   

Our event design team, which I head, truly enjoys the challenge of creating a unique design "look" for each event which complements the event space, whether a venue or a private home, indoors or outdoors, as well as complementing our chefs' garnishing artistry.  Those who want everything at their event very utilitarian and don't care about how things look--that's not our client.

Today we offer 6 of our more interesting party decorating tips to help you when you gather ideas for your next party or gathering.  With one or two special touches, you can transform your gathering into something amazing.

#1
All white or cream table(s) in a room with strong-colored walls is soothing to guests; use a soft to medium color for any flowers or centerpieces.  Conversely, if the walls are white, cream, or beige, strong or medium-colored table/tables will look best, and you can do flowers and/or centerpieces in colors to match or complement either the tablecloth(s) or the white walls.

#2
Centerpieces, if guests aren't seated, can be low or tall but not flat--we don't like basket centerpieces for this reason unless they've got some height (and even then they remind us of an Easter basket).
In our planning with clients, if they don't have anything of their own they'd like to use, we often use a piece from our collection of table statuary and decorative pieces in styles from traditional to modern, around which we create interesting, one-of-a-kind tablescapes.  These decorative pieces can be anything from small statues to clocks, framed pictures to a special book.  We also sometimes put the decorative piece chosen on a cake stand and nestle it among a puddled (scrunched up) overlay or we wrap the overlay around the bottom of the piece or cake stand.

#3
If you use the current trendy square and rectangle plates and martini glasses to serve food, don't put anything in them that should be served hot as the food will grow cold and be tasteless.  Save this type of serveware for cold or room temperature foods (and avoid plastic martini glasses).  Recently we were served at a party we attended a rice dish in martini glasses and it was very pretty but a real letdown tastewise and most guests just tasted the rice and put it down somewhere.

#4
Overlay fresh bay leaves or organic ferns on a platter or tray with hors d'oeuvres in the middle if you don't want to use doilies.  We find serving hors d'oeuvres on lettuce or kale or other greens of this type looks too rustic and these type of leaves always curl up to some extent so they don't look as nice, plus they tend to make any food placed on them soggy as they hold a lot of water.

#5
As square serveware IS all the rage, condiment trays are trendy now to serve non-condiments such as chorizo and bread rounds, grilled veggies, cheese cubes or rounds, or even chocolate truffles or petit fours.  We like the look of square serveware on a colored tablecloth or runner rather than a countertop or kitchen island as square serveware can sometimes look cold and clinical.

#6
Decorate your light fixtures--whether chandeliers or another type of fixture, this immediately has visual impact for your party, probably more so than if you just decorate with flowers.  Use floral wire to decorate a light fixture with flowers, greenery, or decorative ribbons hanging down.
For certain types of events this also works well if your buffet table is directly beneath your light fixture and you have ribbons hanging down touching the table (be careful not to have anything flammable touching the light bulbs). 

Successful party givers understand that by giving their event space or home a special, festive look, they communicate, as through the food, that it's a special occasion.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Just finished mtg on & recommend: Kate Heyhoe, Great Bar Food at Home; Cathy & Tony Mantuano, Wine Bar Food (Mediterranean bar food)
Discussing with client--rectangular or round for sweetheart table at her wedding next month

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Fandango Catering and Events Offers 4 Tips for Cooking with Alcohol


Yesterday we attended the 2011 Great Match Wines from Spain event held here in Houston (http://www.greatmatch.org/ ), where we learned a lot and had a great time.  

One of the things the great master sommelier Doug Frost said in his presentation was that many Tempranillo (name of grape)/Ribera del Duero (name of region) wines are better to pair with food than to drink alone (unless you grew up drinking them).

What's their secret?
This got us to thinking about how people use (or don't use) alcohol to cook with.  In Europe, as Frost pointed out, most people don't fuss so much as here in the U.S. about the type of wine they either eat with or cook with--and yet visitors to Europe often comment that the food just tastes so much better and well, different, there than here.  Their secret? They use alcohol in cooking.

Who, me?
Yes, YOU can use alcohol to improve your cooking.  There's no mystery to this as people believe.  If your budget allows, use a more expensive wine or the same wine you'll serve with dinner to cook, but even less expensive wines can vastly improve your cooking as the heat breaks down the sugars in the alcohol, helping to smooth and bring together the flavors of any sauce, from a meat, chicken, or pork pan sauce to a pasta sauce to baked meat dishes to risotto to...

Not only wine
But here's the real secret: not only wine is great for cooking! The following give excellent results when added to most cooked dishes:
  • Red, white, or rosé wines
  • Champagne or other sparkling wine
  • Alcoholic ciders (big in parts of France and Spain)
  • Beer
  • Dry sherry, marsala, madeira, and dry vermouth
  • Liqueurs such as Gran Marnier or brandy--but if you're not an experienced cook don't try cooking with liqueurs as it's a bit trickier to get right with savory food

Keep it in stock
What could be easier than to keep wine or beer for drinking in your fridge and then when you cook something, pour a little wine or beer into the sauce as it cooks (whether by sauté pan, sauce pan, or roasting pan).  This is what Europeans do and it works wonders.

Our Chef Jesús has cooked at two different times for Belgian restauranteurs, once in Madrid and once here in Houston, and from them he learned to cook with all kinds of beer. 

But don't imagine that you must be a purist to do this--just pour a little of the beer you keep in the fridge to drink into something as mundane as a jar pasta sauce as you heat it, let the alcohol cook out, 2-3 minutes (you can tell by sniffing; if the steam coming from the dish no longer smells like freshly opened beer, the alcohol has cooked out), add some cheese, almost any type, and let it melt in, and you'll see what we mean about the alcohol working wonders. Or if you sauté a steak or a chicken breast in a sauté pan (we assume you've seasoned the meat or chicken some way), as you turn the meat over to cook the second side, add a little beer or wine and let the alcohol cook out, then pour the pan juices out when you serve the meat.  Easy and amazing!

In fact, we often prefer beer and dry sherry to cook with over an inferior wine (which often tastes too tannic/strong), so beer is great for non-adventurous palates to try for cooking and gives great results.

Bon Appetit!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Monday, May 16, 2011

Fandango Catering and Events Offers 3 Tips for Choosing the Right Graduation Party

With so many graduations now taking place, today we want to offer three tips for helping you choose the right type of graduation party for your grad. 

Not one size fits all
In our view, age group and the grad's likes/dislikes are the two most important factors in choosing a graduation party that your grad will actually LIKE.

The major grad age groups are:
  • Graduating from middle school
  • Graduating from high school
  • Graduating from college (bachelor's degree)
  • Graduating from graduate or professional school
If you want your grad to actually like their graduation party, tailor it to their interests, not yours. With any age group it's a good idea to start your graduation party planning by asking what other grads in their class are planning to do--use this to decide if your grad even wants a party at all or would prefer to attend someone else's party or maybe both.

Your next step should be to discuss the general lines of your party ideas with the grad to see if they'd like something like that, using as a gauge what others in the class are doing.  Is your party idea too "out there" and more about what you'd like than what the grad would like? What would be really celebratory for them? Last year a friend who graduated from professional school told his parents that he preferred that they babysit his daughter so that he and his wife could go out on a date night since they hadn't done so in over a year.

Discuss the kind of party you'd like to give for them with your grad; in fact they may actually want something different from their usual social life for their graduation party, or as part of a round of graduation parties.    When I finished my M.A. at NYU and flew down to Texas for a couple of graduation parties (before I moved back here), my aunts hosted a Southern dinner for me and I loved it because at the time my friends and I went out every weekend, so it was a welcome change for me.  But be respecful of the grad's wishes.

Do something
The two schools of thought regarding graduation parties are: 1) socializing only and 2) keep them entertained.

Keep-them-entertained parties are nice for all ages IF the grad likes such things.  By "entertained" we mean things like having live music, lawn games or sports, a backyard carnival or fortune teller, retro activities like limbo, catered ice cream or hot dog trucks, and so forth. 

Such activities are great for middle and high schoolers as they keep them amused and out of trouble--but only if they enjoy the idea, or better yet, see if the grad wants to be involved in planning, including any activities.Younger grads are more influenced by their peers and more into enjoying graduation parties than those graduating from college or graduate or professional school, who are thinking mostly about finding or starting a job and so may find it more difficult to enjoy a graduation party in their honor; but such activities can take their minds off their job obsessions even if only momentarily. Ask them!


Let them eat cake?
Finally, serve foods your grad will enjoy, not just what you enjoy. This is a great time of year for an outdoor party but again, only if the grad likes it, and here too you can ask the grad what food they'd like for their party.  It's their day!

Our best to this year's grads,

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Friday, May 13, 2011

Fandango Catering and Events's Recent Menus 2011

It is May and we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of our fantastic sous chef Josh Exner, a 2010 LeNotre School grad! And we are also celebrating our explosive growth in 2010 and 2011 and the fact that in 2011 we launched several new and updated menus to better serve our clients' needs. 

Since many people ask us which menus we have, or think we only do food from Spain or Latin America (not true), today we'd like to talk about our recent and updated menus of 2011, which are our most popular menus.

Our most popular updated menus are:
  • Hors d'oeuvres menu
  • Dinner Menu
  • Sandwich Lunch Menu
  • Organic Wedding Cakes and Cupcakes

The three most popular types of events that we do are:
  • Hors d'oeuvres parties (cocktail parties and receptions large and small as well as some clients wanting hors d'oeuvres served at their large brunches)
  • Dinners (for private clients, weddings, and corporate events like important meetings or conferences)
  • Sandwich lunches (generally for corporate and non-profit clients but sometimes for private clients)

We have made our most popular menus into PDFs as this works best for our prospective clients and does not use paper senselessly; but we also have many off-menu items, and we create a custom menu for each event by pulling together what interests the client and is within their needs, type of event, and budget.  Plus people don't really like cookie cutter menus; they like to feel that their event, from a gathering of friends to a wedding, is unique.

New Hors d'Oeuvres
New hors d'oeuvres added this year include:
  • Spiced Chicken Mini Skewers with Avocado Crema Dipping Sauce
  • Heirloom Cherry Tomato Melange in Puff Pastry Baskets Garnished with Fresh Basil
  • Crispy Shrimp, Cream Cheese, and Chive Tartlets
  • Honey-Guajillo Beef Skewers
  • Ciabatta Cheeseburger Sliders
  • Avocado, Mac n' cheese, and Gulf seafood stations

New Dinner Menu Items
New Dinner Menu items added this year include:
  • Roasted Cherry Tomato and Spinach Salad with Thai Citrus Dressing
  • Greens and Strawberry Salad with Poblano Buttermilk Dressing
  • Beef Tenderloin with Riesling-Dijon Sauce
  • Chicken in Leek, Red Pepper, and Champagne Sauce
  • Tilapia with Citrus Cream Garnished with Leeks
  • Shrimp Ravioli with Ginger-Vermouth Sauce
  • Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Shallots
  • Cheese Flans Garnished with Fair-Trade Chocolate Bits
  • Medley of Macerated Local Fruit Served with Tequila Cream
  • Lemon Curd and Seasonal Fruit in Puff Pastry Mini Baskets

New Sandwich Menu Items
New Sandwich Menu items added this year include:
  • Berry and Spinach Salad with Mozzarella Rounds and Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Apple Cider Chicken Salad on Croissant
  • Roast Beef and Swiss Tortilla Rollups with Pesto-Ranch Dressing
  • Mushrooms, Sausage, and Swiss Puff Pastry Empanadas
  • Red Potato Salad with Bacon, Gouda Bites, and Dijon Mayo Dressing
  • Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies

Um, What type of food do y'all do?
We are often asked what type of food we cater.  The simple answer is that we have several specialty areas, which are:
  • Sustainable Food
  • American Bistro
  • Spanish
  • Latin
  • European and Mediterranean
  • Tapas and Small Plates from Around the World (including mini desserts, one of our most popular offerings)
No matter the type of food or cuisine that our chefs prepare or our clients request, we are big on sustainable food! We use all local food (from within 400 miles of us) and buy as much organic and fair trade food as possible; our beef is grass-fed and our chicken is antibiotic free, while our fish is sustainable as recommended by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

Thanks for all the support and to our blog readers (over 3,000 strong) and a shoutout to Jane Marx, former owner of Jane's and Jane's Carts in NYC, who long ago encouraged, mentored, and initiated us into the world of catering and events!

Bon Appetit!

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Fandango Catering and Events Offers 6 Ideas for Easy Warm-Weather Buffets


Warm weather has finally arrived and as our thoughts turn to getting together with friends and family during the warm months, many begin thinking of hosting some type of gathering, either outdoors or indoors/outdoors.       

Today we offer several ideas for easy warm-weather buffets that you can do either alone or with a little help. Your event and guests will determine what type of food will work best. Each is an idea for a stand-alone buffet.

The important thing about entertaining during warm weather is to also put a little effort into your serveware so that even if what you serve is fairly simple, your reputation as a great host/ess is assured (see our blog post of April 28, 2011 on creating dazzling parties with paper serveware, especially from our favorite supplier, Caspari).

Buffet Ideas
  • Sandwiches and fruit or desserts--These must be gourmet sandwiches so if you're not able in the kitchen buy them, and the desserts, from a reputable gourmet supermarket, caterer, or restaurant.  If you have no time or desire to slice fruit, buy that cut up already too.
  • 2-3 interesting "green" salads and 3 good cheeses
  • Flight of salads--3-4 main-course salads.  If you like the old-fashioned trio of chicken, tuna, and fruit salad, why not serve that? And other less traditional choices abound, from grilled meat salads to simple cold spice-boiled shrimp with vanilla bean mayo or an interesting remoulade. The salads don't have to be complicated to be good or interesting, and during warm weather so much produce and seafood is in season.
  • Flight of soups--If you love your hand or other blender or processor (I once read that the French actor Leslie Caron entertained groups of up to 100 at her Paris flat with nothing more than a food processor and a set of knives), consider serving a flight of cold soups (3 soups).  So many cold soups are easier than you think! Plus they can be made ahead of time.  Or buy them from a reputable source.  Offer a good bread and a nice cheese or two and a gelato to round out the menu.
  • "Torte" and dessert--So easy: just make ONE torte-type dish (frittata, quiche, torta rustica, savory cheesecake) and serve with a dessert (bought, if you have no time, or even eaiser, a gelato or two).  Add a salad if you have time and are so inclined (or if your guests are a hungry bunch). Easier than a salad: a big tray of mixed heirloom tomatoes with a drizzle of great fruity olive oil and whole or chopped fresh basil.
  • Stellar one-dish with a fruit and greens salad and dessert--Along the same line, if you're inclined to cook a dish, choose just one stellar one, such as your specialty grilled meat (chicken or whatever), a shrimp scampi or shrimp in red pepper sauce, or another hot dish (but just one).  But this is more work and heats up the house so it's not as easy to do.

BTW, please check out the great composée salads with greens, fruit, and cheese in Janet Fletcher's marvelous book, The Cheese Course.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Fandango Catering and Events
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Monday, May 9, 2011

Fandango Catering and Events Provides Ideas for Creating Food Stations

Food stations are popular at larger events, from corporate conferences to weddings.  Because food stations require going to different tables (stations) to taste all the food, stations tend to promote a more interactive, "social" experience for guests as they travel to the different stations and get to talk to more people on the way to and from the stations.

Pros and Cons
There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding to use food stations.  Here are a caterer and event planner's viewpoints.

Pros
  • Already mentioned--Stations promote a more interactive, social experience for guests
  • They promote a wider variety of food as each station is generally made up of variations on a theme
  • They can also provide, if the host(s) wish(es), for a wider variety of decoration as each station can be decorated differently if desired
Cons
  • Food stations are more expensive whether you do them yourself or pay someone to handle them, due to increased number of trays, dishes, table linens, servers, chafing dishes, ice bowls, and all manner of necessary things to create each station and also because they are more work for the food professional (caterer, hotel, or restaurant), so if you decide to go this route expect to pay more
  • They take longer to set up and break down
  • The event space must be fairly large as there is much coming and going around the stations
  • If the event space is not very large and open (or you don't have the food in separate rooms or on separate floors), food stations can make your event seem crowded and chaotic
  • If not handled tastefully with great table designs, stations can make your event seem like a trade show
Ideas for Specific Stations
Here are some ideas for specific stations; each station should have a minimum of three variations on a theme. Your choice of foods will also depend on whether your event is more formal or informal.

  • Macaroni and cheese
  • Quesadilla
  • Seafood
  • Avocado
  • Mini entrees served in custard cups (mini beef wellingtons, mini lasagnas, mini gratins)
  • Crostini
  • Shooters
  • Sliders
  • Mini desserts
  • Gourmet hot dogs
  • Frittatas
  • Dumplings (potstickers, wontons, rangoons, etc.)
  • Rollups (Asian or on tortillas)
  • Fajitas
  • Sangría, Margaritas, or Craft Beers
  • Artisan Cheeses
  • Gelato, ice creams, sorbets, ice cream sandwiches
  • Kids' foods (for big and little kids)
We suggest you avoid carving stations and hot pasta bars as the food dries out terribly.

More nice ideas that can be used at any large event, not just weddings, at http://www.intimateweddings.com/ -search for "food stations"

Decoration
You can use all the same decor at each station to unify the event or vary a little on each station.  We advise against using a completely different decor at each station unless the event is in a private home or space where each station is in a different room and then the station decor complements the room decor.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Friday, May 6, 2011

Fandango Catering and Events Offers Ideas for Parties for Charity

We recently ran across an article we had saved from InStyle magazine of a couple of years ago about a tea party given by celebrity women and their daughters in Santa Monica, California at which Lilly Pulitzer items were sold with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit women's and family charities. 

The idea of hosting a gathering at which some portion is collected for charity is amazing and we got to thinking-why don't more people do this?

If you're thinking of hosting a gathering this year, but especially if you entertain often, why not choose one of your gatherings to give back in some way?

Un Galas
The tea party described in the magazine had only around 20 guests or so and it was not a formal "fundraiser" gala where people spend thousands of dollars for a table and wear evening clothes. 

No, these were actors and their daughters and the setting was a long outdoor table decked out with tier plate stands with tea sandwiches, cupcakes, petit fours, tartlets, scones, cookies, and strawberries, plus gelato on trays.  A few fresh flowers for decoration and Lilly P tablecloths (naturally).  Lovely, but not "formal"--and the kids got a great lesson in giving back. 

Who's Got Talent?
Even a backyard BBQ can be done this way; no need to sell Lilly items or anything else. 

Choose one or more charities, set up a box or basket or something else for donations, and use some kind of theme, like a tea party or awards night (Grammy, etc.) or any other theme you like. 

To make it more fun, ask guests to do an AI- or The Voice-type show and for other guests to vote by donating, the better the talent, the more donated, or something along those lines.

Fun and for a good cause, and your reputation as a host/ess who cares will make you cooler.

Enjoy!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Fandango Catering and Events Offers 4 Ideas for a Mother's Day Brunch

Mother's Day brunches are traditional and are a relaxed way of entertaining and of honoring the mothers in our lives.  Today we offer 4 ideas for organizing a Mother's Day brunch.

Make sure the mother you're honoring would like a brunch
Have you asked? Since it's about what the mother being honored, not the person hosting, would like, make sure that that's how she wants to spend her time on Mother's Day.

Design the brunch to suit the mother
Along the same lines, what would she prefer? A dressed up brunch, an old-fashioned tea, a picnic, an alfresco gathering after morning sports? Whatever her style, suit the brunch to that.

Choose food and beverages to suit the honoree
Many brunches serve mimosas, but is this what your mother would like? My mother didn't drink alcohol and drank Southern sweet lemon tea with everything. Same goes for the food.  Serve food your mother will like.

We have hundreds of brunch recipes, but here are a few sample menu templates to give you ideas:

Beverages
Orange, Apple, Pineapple, or Tomato Juice
Juices with Alcohol (Mimosas, Bellinis, Bloody Marys)
Iced Tea (we ARE in Texas)
Specialty Coffees-Don't go to Starbucks or fret if you don't have a fancy machine! Set up a mini coffee bar on a counter or small table with regular coffee and either or both of these:
Mexican coffee--coffee, cinnamon stick, whipped cream, cocoa powder to sprinkle on top
Cappuccino--coffee, heavy cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar

Fresh Fruit
Fill melon or pineapple halves with fresh fruit and serve with sour cream mixed with powdered sugar and orange liqueur.  Or just serve sliced fresh fruit if you're pressed for time.  Even easier: Fresh strawberries macerated in 1/2 orange juice, 1/2 orange liqueur or in kirsch, which you can do ahead of time.

Egg Dish
Stratas, casserole soufflés, quiches, breakfast tacos, scrambled eggs for a crowd (add sour cream to keep scrambled eggs creamy, a trick we learned while living in NYC).

Meat
Ham, sausage, or bacon (choose nitrate-free bacon).  We like sausages braised in red or white wine (prick the sausages all over with a fork and cook for a few minutes in a microwave first with nothing but a little water, then finish with the wine in a sauté pan until well browned).  Hearty eaters? Do as the hotels do and serve a grilled steak as your breakfast meat.

Pancakes Etc.
If you have a hungry bunch, add pancakes, waffles, crepes, blintzes, or French toast to your menu.  The easiest pancake for a crowd is of the Dutch baby type, which are puffy pancakes cooked in the oven to serve several people.

Sweets
Breakfast sweets include muffins, coffee cakes, pastries, crumpets, scones, biscuits, popovers, doughnuts, or breakfast quick breads.  If you serve a pancake-type dish you may not need this.  At one of our most successful brunches we served a black-and-white cheesecake (New York-style cheesecake with Ghirardelli chocolate crust) and every crumb was eaten.  So if your mother likes desserts more than breakfast-type sweets, indulge her (and yourself).

Enjoy!

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
http://www.fandango-catering.com/