6 Tips for Your New Year's Party

In our continuing blog series, "Holiday Entertaining," today we offer 6 tips to make your New Year's Eve or Day party cool, distinctive, and fun.

#1
If you want to serve a dinner, don't stress! Buy a pre-seasoned pork loin (as many as you need), and bake according to directions.  If side dishes aren't your strong point, buy several orders of an excellent pasta from a favorite restaurant and reheat (but when you reheat it, put a glop of butter on top before reheating, and cover to reheat--you'll thank me for this).  Maybe add a bought vegetable dish from an excellent restaurant or food emporium (reheat this with butter too).  Use nice plates, cutlery, glasses, and napkins, and everyone will be impressed and happy.

#2
For a fast, fun, no-cook dessert or to create a dessert bar, buy high quality frozen cheesecakes (such as from Costco or Trader Joe's), thaw a bit (not completely), then cut out small cheesecake bites with a square, round, star, or other shaped cookie cutter.  Avoid pre-made commercial cheesecake bites as they are cloying.  Cutting out these bites should not take you more than 15 minutes for a party of 25 guests or less.  And you can do the same thing with purchased brownies (best quality of course).  Then put the cut out cheesecake bites and/or cut out brownie bites on a tray or plates and sprinkle the cheesecake bites with cocoa powder and the brownie bites with powdered sugar.  People love the fun look of these little bites! And your creations will wow everyone, but aren't much work for you.

#3
Set up a champagne bar. There are several ways to do this.  One way is to set out bottles of champagne method beverages such as true Champagne, prosecco, cava, and sparkling wines.  Or choose a country or region where champagne method beverages are made and put out bottles of several different types from that country or region.  If you want to up it a notch, also put out fresh berries for people to put in their glasses with their champagne.  Or put out a tray of champagne cocktails (recipes abound on the web) as well, so your guests can try different variations on the champagne theme.

#4
In Spain it's traditional to begin eating a bunch of grapes when the clock begins striking midnight on New Year's Eve.  If you finish the grapes before the clock strikes midnight it's supposed to be good luck.  It's a fun activity with a group, anyway.  And you can even make the grapes part of the the decor of your party by putting the bunches, separated, on a tray, in cones, or on small plates and decorating with fresh berries.

#5
Party decor colors? Metallics and creams, of course, and we also like black and white, perhaps with touches of red or fuschia, as well as pale blue and silver or pale blue and midnight blue with gold accents.

#6
Tie long curling ribbon around the stems of your champagne flutes to make them festive too (just don't make the ribbons TOO long).

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Decor Ideas for End-Of-Year Gatherings

As the year draws to a close many of us will have gatherings of one type of another, for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day or even during this week, or next week. 

Some people leave their Christmas or Chanukah decorations as the same decorations for their end-of- or beginning of-year gatherings--and as long as they make the hosts and guests feel festive, why not?

Others change their decorations for their end-of-year gatherings, or did not decorate for Christmas or Chanukah. 

If you fall into the latter group, end-of-year or beginning-of-year gatherings present great opportunities to lift you and your guests out of the winter doldrums.

Traditional colors for end-of-year and beginning-of-year gatherings are cream, silver, and gold; in recent years, midnight blue has also become popular for decor for these parties.  But be careful not to use too much midnight blue as your gathering will look gloomy. 

Tablecloths, runners, trays, or other entertaining pieces can add "lightness" to your gathering, either by a light color (cream or pale gold cloth) or by the "shininess" of distinctive serving pieces.  End- and beginning-of-year parties are the best time of year to use stylish gold and silver serving trays and so forth as these colors are associated with that time of year, just as red and green, for example, are associated with Christmas. 

Or, for a "bridge" look, you can use red and gold or blue and gold.

A few years ago we did a Sunday afternoon tea for a neighbor at the beginning of January and did cream-on-cream tones with black and gold accents from pieces that the hostess owned, including a gold flower-shaped tray that held sherry glasses and sherry as well as the tea and sweets, and, as the day was overcast, everyone liked the design because they said it lifted them out of the winter blahs.

The thing to remember is, in most parts of the world the weather is dreary, so why invite guests to a dark cave for a party now?

But avoid brights for your end- or beginning-of-year gathering as they are jarring this time of year unless you live in a tropical climate.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Ideas 4 ur holiday sweets table? Central Market Truffle Assortment gift boxes & Dallas chocolatier choc Santas:
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Where to Buy Distinctive Last-Minute Holiday Serveware

OK, so despite the best-laid plans of mice and men you either have a planned holiday gathering and are still looking for a way to add a distinctive touch to your party or you've been hesitating and have finally decided to host a holiday gathering, but don't want it to look like a last-minute takeout fest.

Where to buy stylish serveware at this last minute? Don't despair.  With one trip you can be ready.

Budget

If you're on a budget and you like a more mod look, the place to go is IKEA.

Recommended:

• SVALKA goblets and champagne flutes--and here's an idea: serve any non-hot beverages, whether wine, champagne, a cocktail, or anything non-alchoholic, even water, in the flutes.  Your beverages will look so nice!
• Serving pieces: GROGGY stainless trays, ARV BROLLOP cake stand with lid and serving plates, IKEA 365+ serving plates, GOTTIS and MALTID serving bowls

Avoid anything plastic from IKEA or anywhere else as it doesn't look stylish (perhaps only if you're serving small children?)

Another place to check is Cost Plus World Markets--Their markdown prices are very good and they tend to have a wider selection of square, rectangle, and oval white porcelain serving pieces than IKEA, and sometimes have nice beaten gold trays from India, for example, that would go well with either traditional or mod holiday decor.

Not on a Budget

• Neiman-Marcus--ABSOLUTELY the best and most beautiful serveware in styles from traditional to mod and whimsical if you can afford it
• Pottery Barn
• Williams-Sonoma
• Crate & Barrel
• Sur La Table--And if you absolutely must use disposables at your gathering, their bamboo plates are a lovely golden color and will look wonderful as well as being eco friendly
• Department stores--They mark down right before Christmas, so you can pick up some great pieces at great prices

In our experience the mass retailers' serveware quality is not very durable, so we don't recommend it as it's a waste of money if it won't last at least a few years without breaking.  In fact, the IKEA serveware is more reliable and often less expensive than that of the mass retailers like Target and Wal-Mart.

One fell swoop to distinctive tableware for your gathering

To save time, check out websites and note what you like, then head to the store(s) and check out the sales table-you might find something you like better!

Then, armed with your new stylish serveware, you're ready to make your holiday gathering distinctive.

Enjoy.

Best wishes for a beautiful, delicious, and magical Christmas from all of us,

Kristina

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

Looking for distinctive stemware for your holiday event? Pottery Barn's rimmed coupes and goblets:
http://ping.fm/vf4eN

Red food color makes cupcakes dry; to avoid, Red Velvet Cupcakes w Buttermilk recipe:
http://bit.ly/34Goc3

8 More Beverage Ideas for Holiday Events

As we move in the last rush toward our holiday events, today we offer 8 more ideas for distinctive beverages to serve at holiday events.

Non Alcoholic

Sodas with a Twist
Buy bottles of Italian limoncello sodas, French Oranginas, Mexican Jarritos, Spanish KAS...And thus embrace an international theme.  You can achieve a wonderful effect with a rainbow of sodas.  Or go nostalgic and buy bottles of artisan root beer or your regional soft drink.

Orange Eggnog Punch
1 qt. eggnog
1 can (12 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed, or 2 cans of peach nectar
1 can (12 oz.) ginger ale

In pitcher mix eggnog and orange juice or peach nectar.  Pour in ginger ale and stir.

House Snapple
Make your usual recipe of lemon, sweetened iced tea.  Add 1-2 cans Jumex peach nectar and juice of 1-3 fresh oranges.  Taste and add more sugar if needed.

Cranberry-Lime Punch
Mix 1 large bottle cranberry or cran-apple juice, 1 can (12 oz.) ginger ale, and 1-2 scoops lime sherbert.  Stir to dissolve sherbert.  Add a little more sugar if needed.

Alcoholic

Irish Coffee
Still great in winter! And festive.  Coffee, Bailey's Irish Cream, whipped cream to garnish the cups.

Raspberry a Go Go
Stir together one bottle white wine, 2 small bottles raspberry beer or 1/2 cup Creme de Cassis, 1 small bottle ginger ale, and 1 pint raspberry ice cream. 

Hot Sangría
Make your favorite sangría recipe and add 2 cinnamon sticks and 1-3 tbsp., or to taste, of honey. Heat on low 20 minutes. Discard cinnamon and serve warm.

Coffee with Liqueur
In the European tradition, add a liqueur such as cognac, Amaretto, Frangelico, Gran Marnier, or eau-de-vie to hot coffee and stir.  Warms you right up.

Enjoy.

Kristina

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

2 of r wine picks this holiday season: 4 shellfish Quinta da Aveleda's Casal Garcia Vinho Verde, 4 Beef Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Crianza

Posted some of our holiday photos to album "Holiday" on FB:
http://on.fb.me/tlPyI2

Ths wk Gulf Shrimp, Leek, Fontina Risotto; Tndrln w Harvest Vegetables & Pears in Satsuma Cream Sauce more:
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How to Make Your Guests More Comfortable at Your Holiday Parties:
http://bit.ly/9OepuP

2day's personal chef client holiday lunch Pesto Scampi, Tndrln w Rosemary Chimichurri, Potato Gruyere Leek Au Gratin

How to Make Guests Comfortable at Your Holiday Party

Often we don't think about what would make guests comfortable at our holiday parties. 

If you go to a lot of parties you may be aware of what makes you comfortable and what parties you didn't feel particularly comfortable at, but many people only give a party once a year and aren't really in tune with things that make their guests either comfortable or not at a party.  Today we offer tips for making your guests more comfortable at your holiday party this year.

Don't dim the lights too much
This holiday season we did two parties where the hosts dimmed the lights so low that you couldn't see the food or pretty much anything else.  At one of these parties, even though guests asked the hostess to make at least part of the event area brighter, she did not want to.  Thus, her older guests, who made up about half the guest list, did not enjoy themselves as the lounge-y effect the young hostess liked was not comfortable for them.  So consider your guest list.  At the other party we did recently where someone dimmed the lights, also about a half and half mix of young and older guests, the host listened to some of his guests who asked him to not dim the lights so much, and everyone had a wonderful time.  Leave the lounge thing out of holiday gatherings!

Have someone pass trays of bites and beverages
Think this is a luxury? It isn't if you don't want food to be wasted.  Unless you're hosting a football team that devours anything in sight, people like to stand or sit where they are and socialize, and they prefer to eat where they are rather than going to a buffet.  Have the buffet too, but try passing trays of food too and you'll see.

And if you prefer to have a self-serve beverage station and don't want to pass trays of beverages--understandable as they can spill if you're not skilled at this--, have someone go around offering to refill people's glasses from wine bottles or from pitchers of beverages.  Again, you'll see that people prefer that to going to or going back to the self-serve beverage station.

If you have space, consider renting cocktail tables
If you use nice tablecloths it won't seem like a nightclub and it's more comfortable for people to put their used plates and glasses. Or consider borrowing or moving into the event area small/occasional tables for this purpose--and you don't need tablecloths for occasional tables if you don't want to use them.

Have someone clean the room of used plates, glasses, and napkins throughout the party
For some this may seem a luxury, but it's not comfortable for guests if used plates, napkins, and glasses are lying all around with no one to pick them up until the end of the party.  Where do they put their things--on top of the used ones already there?

We do a pass through, as it's known in the industry, every fifteen minutes; to us, waiting for every half hour means too much is piled up and the event room no longer looks nice, so again, people aren't as comfortable.

Enjoy.

Kristina

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

The Easiest Desserts for a Holiday Dessert Buffet

Today in our continuing blog series, "Holiday Entertaining," we offer ideas for the easiest desserts for a holiday dessert buffet.

There are two schools of thought here:

• Buy a dessert that's completely made
• Buy a HIGH QUALITY mix and make a dessert

Most people will not want or have time to make a dessert, so we'll just recommend two high-quality lines of dessert mixes:

• Williams Sonoma
• Central Market (most of these are all natural)

With these mixes you can be assured of a high quality, which is not true of the mass market mixes.

Or, even easier, make a fruit fool and serve in shot glasses, very trendy now: mix sweetened whipped cream with berries in a blender (taste and add more sugar if needed), then spoon the fool into small tumblers or even wine glasses and decorate each with fresh berries or chocolate bits

If you want to buy one or more desserts, our recommendations are:

• Buy from a caterer
• Buy from a good restaurant you frequent and where you've eaten desserts, if they sell desserts (not all do)
• Buy from a high-quality pastry shop--but take our advice and don't buy for your party if you've never purchased a dessert from that pastry shop before.  Instead, buy one ahead of time and taste test it so you and your guests won't be disappointed.  You can always give away the extra dessert or save it for after your party.
• Buy from a specialty baker (ask for references)
• The easiest? Buy some of the wonderful panettones, pandoros, panfortes, liqueur regular and mini cakes, and so forth available at upscale supermarkets and some upscale department stores (like Neiman Marcus and Bloomie's).  If you want to be sure of the best quality, buy the more expensive ones--like everything else in life, you get what you pay for.

Then put your desserts on nice trays.  If you're lost in the "nice tray" arena, the easiest thing to do is to buy a square or oval white porcelain tray, widely available at retailers, and garnish at intervals or corners and/or in the center with:

• Fresh raspberries, cranberries, or crab apples
• Fresh herb sprigs
• Edible flowers

Then stand back, admire, and eat!

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Choosing Decor for Your Holiday Party:
http://bit.ly/9OepuP

4 holiday parties Cuisinart Coffee Plus 12-cup Coffeemaker lets u make coffee & tea or another hot bev @ same time:
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Choosing Decor for Your Holiday Party

Today in our continuing blog series, "Holiday Entertaining," we offer ideas for choosing decor for your holiday party.

Often decor at holiday parties is either overdone or too minimal.  But striking the right note need not be complicated if you follow a few simple guidelines.

#1: Choose a Color Scheme that Makes You Look Good and Your Guests Feel Good
In our experience bright red and bright green in combination is not stylish and looks too much like a department store Christmas section.  And too much bright red makes people nervous--this is a scientifically-proven fact.

What to do? One idea is to choose softer versions of red and green.  You can still use both colors but in a more stylish, less in-your-face way.

For example, use pale green table linens with red Christmas balls or red Christmas accents.  Mix either or both with touches of gold, which warms things up and looks stylish. Or choose a patterned or deep turkey red tablecloth, perhaps with gold or pale green accents and some greenery.  We once saw a client use a dark red toile tablecloth with greenery for a holiday table and it was stunning.

#2: (Mid-Century) Mod is Often Unwelcoming
The mid-century mod-retro aesthetic is trendy now, but be aware that if this is the way your home is decorated, it often lacks warmth, or, to put it another way,  it isn't very welcoming to guests.

Here we advise using a bit of an eclectic approach and a bit MORE holiday decoration than in a home with traditional furnishings, as traditional furnishings often are already rather decorative (e.g., giltwood pictures, elaborate credenzas, Louis XV chairs, Aubusson rugs). No, the minimalist-furnished home, to look welcoming, must have a bit more holiday ambience than the traditional home for it to feel welcoming.  And again, avoid bright red, especially if your furniture is red.  Instead, use pale green and gold alone or with a FEW touches of dark red--Martha Stewart, for instance, has wonderful holiday decorations and accents in these colors.

#3: Make Your Food and Beverage Tables Decorative
So often this is an afterthought--if you don't have a caterer or event planner.

Take 10 minutes more and at least put some greenery, Christmas balls or figurines, a colored tablecloth, flowers, or SOMETHING to dress up your food table(s). 

Beverage table or area? At least put greenery around a punchbowl or coil greenery around the perimeter of trays of poured wines--we use both these techniques even in small spaces and everyone loves the way it looks. 

The key is to decide beforehand what you're going to use to decorate with and then put that on your to do and/or shopping list for the party. 

With just a little time and effort you can make this year's holiday party decor much more beautiful and welcoming to your guests.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Looking 4 serveware 4 ur holiday party? Designs traditional to mod at Sur La Table, Macy's MS Collection, West Elm

Wonderful non-alcoholic option for your holiday gatherings: Val de France Organic Sparkling Juices (at CM, Spec's, others)

Lookng 4 ideas 2 garnish ur holiday buffet or svg pieces? Red, green or baby fruits-eg pears crab apples passionfruit--or whole basil sprigs

4 Tips to Add Flair to Your Holiday Event

In our continuing blog series, "Holiday Entertaining," today we offer 4 tips from this year's best trends for holiday entertaining.

• Use distinctive glassware--Distinctive glassware immediately stands out.  Colored stemware, flutes for wines AND champagne, square low tumblers, and oversized martini glasses are hip this year
• Use distinctive flatware--Whether your style is traditional or contemporary, use distinctive flatware, even if you use paper plates and napkins.  If you'll be renting flatware, inquire about some of the more interesting designs, or for a splurge luxury department stores have the most beautiful flatware that can be used for years to come.
• Buy beautiful, not plain white, napkins--Available at better department stores and stationery shops. 
• Add color to your buffet table--a red printed or pale green solid or printed runner or linen adds a special touch.  We avoid solid red and bright or emerald green table linens as they rarely look stylish.  Add some red Christmas balls on pale green or gold Christmas balls on pale green or red printed, or to make your color touches pop, use a white tablecloth with greenery and red or gold Christmas balls.  Avoid just putting food on a buffet table without any other decoration--this looks too plain, and the holidays are the easiest time of year to decorate a buffet table because people often have extra Christmas balls around that can be put into service.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Easy Food Ideas for a Holiday Open House

If you're looking for easy food ideas for a holiday open house, here are three that will allow you to entertain your guests stylishly with great food and little work.  Sound impossible? Read on.

Gourmet Sandwich Route
Looking for easy? The gourmet sandwich route is very easy--buy gourmet sandwiches or pinwheels, potato salad and perhaps a fresh fruit tray from an upscale gourmet supermarket--here in Houston that would be places like Whole Foods or Central Market. 

Notice I said "gourmet"--the point is that you have to spend a little money to have very good quality gourmet sandwiches, potato salad, and fruit trays.  Dress up the spread with a nice dessert, bought or made, nice wines and/or craft beers, and if it's cold maybe a hot beverage.  Dress it up more with nice plates, forks, and napkins.  Several years ago we attended a home tour and afterwards one of the hosts served just such a spread from Central Market, and since he used nice plates, cutlery, glasses, and wines, it made it seem special, the quality was excellent, and every bit was eaten!

Pasta Main Dish
If you want to serve a hot main dish at your open house, the easiest one is a pasta main dish.  But don't worry! This need not be complicated.  If you're doing the cooking, choose an easy dish like the one below, which Chef Jesús sometimes serves at family holiday open houses (to the great delight of the young folks, who don't seem to get full with hors d'oeuvres). 

This recipe is adapted from one of our favorite cookbooks, Edda Servi Machlin's The Cuisine of the Italian Jews. 

Le Pastone
First, saute in a little olive oil and butter a finely chopped shallot until the shallot is soft and translucent and then some fresh Italian or other fresh sausage, removed from its casing, until cooked through.

For the pasta:
2 1 lb. packages of rigatoni
2 cups butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Boil rigatoni following package directions until al dente (make sure to add salt to the water).  Heat a large bowl and slice the butter into it.  Take 1/2 cup of boiling water from the pasta pot and add to the bowl.  Stir to melt the butter.  Drain pasta and immediately pour it over the butter.  Toss until all pasta is coated with butter.  Sprinkle Parmigiano over it and toss again until pasta is well coated with cheese.  Mix well with the sauteed sausage and shallot, add some freshly ground black pepper, and serve hot. Serves 6-8 hungry guests or 8-10 not-as-hungry guests.

Serve the pasta with a salad, nice wines and some sparkling ciders, and a nice bought dessert.  Easy, and everyone's happy, even the hungrier guests.

Dessert Buffet
Aslo very easy to pull off--but take our advice and don't do a dessert potluck, almost invariably the quality is very mixed.  Instead, buy two desserts and make one, or buy three or four.  The only trick is to buy from reputable sources such as Whole Foods (no trans fats), a good restaurant that you frequent, a caterer, or even the wonderful imported Italian panettones and pandoros, available in several varieties.  So, for example, buy a panettone, some fruit tarts (nice ones at Whole Foods) or mini desserts, and a cheescake.  Or make cookies, a trifle, and your specialty dessert if you have one.  Just remember that people prefer smaller desserts to full size ones! And that you need at least three different kinds of dessert to pull this open house off.

Then, to add the special touch, serve the three or four desserts with nice dessert wines or champagne and coffees, maybe an organic or imported Italian soda for the non-drinkers, or punch or another specialty "pitcher" or punchbowl drink.  Use nice little plates, maybe even decorative paper ones, and decorative paper or real napkins and real cutlery. Decorate your dessert buffet with Christmas balls or something holiday-ish and maybe some greenery too.  Your guests will feel like VIPs and it wasn't much work for you.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Beverage Ideas for the Holidays

In our continuing blog series, "Holiday Entertaining," as we plan our holiday gatherings, another way to add distinction to your holiday event is by serving one or more distinctive beverages.

Of course, many people serve wines and beers or a mixed drinks bar, and that's all great.

But to add that special touch? A distinctive beverage--and by all means serve the wine and beer too!

We like to serve at least one hot beverage at winter events if possible, even if it's only coffee.

Here are 5 distinctive beverage ideas for your holiday events:

Apple Cider Punch
In punch bowl or pitchers mix 6 cups apple juice, 2 cups orange juice, 1/2 cup lemon juice, and 1 750 ml bottle of sparkling white grape juice or sparkling wine.  Makes 11 cups.

Mexican Hot Chocolate
Growing up in San Antonio we often served this at my parents' Christmas Eve party as my father, who was born in Spain but spent eight years in Mexico before coming to Texas, was fond of it.

Buy and follow package directions of Ibarra or other Mexican chocolate, and serve hot in mugs with whipped cream and cocoa powder or cinnamon sprinkled on top.  Add a cinnamon or chocolate swizzler if you want to get fancy.  Or even add a bit of cognac while heating the chocolate with the milk.

Milk Punch
Mix 1 cup sugar, 3 1/2 cups milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup bourbon, 1 tbsp. vanilla extract, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon in a punch bowl or large pitcher.  Garnish servings with chocolate bits. Makes 6 cups.

Scarlet Bubbler
Stir together 4 cups apple-cranberry juice, 1 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup lemon juice in a large pitcher.  Slowly add a 28 oz. bottle club soda or ginger ale.  Stir gently.  Serve with or without ice in wineglasses or flutes. Makes eight 8 oz. servings.

Hot White Russian
In large saucepan combine 5 cups freshly brewed coffee, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup Kahlua or Bailey's Irish Cream, and 1/2 cup vodka.  Cook over medium heat until hot. Divide among mugs and top each with whipped cream. Makes 7 cups.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering's Holiday Menu

Cocktail parties, office parties and lunches, family and friends' gatherings, dinners, dessert buffets...We make it easy, delicious, and beautiful!

Our amazing chefs have created our Holiday 2011 menu with many wonderful hors d'oeuvres, tapas, dinner items, and desserts debuted this fall and which have proved very popular with our clients and their guests, including:

• Spanish Honey-Lemon Chicken Brochettes
• Local Greens and Red and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette in Mini Puff Pastry Baskets
• Flight of Antipasto Brochettes
• Chicken in Strawberry-Feta Sauce
• Tiramisú Shots

Our 2011 Holiday Menu also includes many favorites from our regular menus.

And of course, a must on our holiday menu are our signature citrus Gran Marnier Castle and Cathedral Cakes, beautifully decorated with powdered sugar snow and chocolatines, which have become a tradition at many Houston holiday events and meals.

 We can also prepare ideas that are not on our Holiday Menu--our chefs are all culinary school-trained, so no problem!

See our Holiday 2011 Menu on our website home page:
www.fandango-catering.com

For more information, menu suggestions, or a price quote for your holiday event:

(713) 522-0077 or info@fandango-catering.com

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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

6 More Holiday Decorating Ideas

In our continuing series, "Holiday Entertaining," today we offer 6 more ideas for making your holiday gathering special. 

With these simple ideas, your guests will be wowed and you won't have spent more than a few minutes to give your holiday event or meal a special cool touch.

• Quick centerpiece or accent--Fill a large silver bowl (we love the ones at Pottery Barn) with loose greenery and top with a pile of silver, red, gold, or blue glass Christmas balls
• Put a gold or gold-accented runner on your table and arrange white pillar candles, set on gold or red candle stands, in the center of the runner
• Set small wrapped gifts or ornaments with ribbon bows at each place setting--and don't bother with centerpieces
• Write guests' names in gold ink on gift tags or leaves, then lay the tags or leaves at your place settings
• To make your place settings look more festive in less than a minute, buy Hershey's Kisses in red and green wrappers and put one on each folded napkin at your place settings.  And you can also put small decorative bowls or even goblets with these chocolates to add holiday color (and sweetness) to each guest table
• If you buy a dessert, make it more festive by putting a ring of fresh flower blooms around it or on its serving tray.  Or encircle beverage tubs, ice buckets, or displays of wine on your beverage station with fresh greenery

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Planning a holiday event? We can help Check out r Holiday Menu http://ping.fm/YesQC & holiday entrtaining http://bit.ly/9OepuP

Planning a holiday event or meal? We can help. Check out our Holiday 2011 Menu:
http://ping.fm/jJqWq and http://bit.ly/9OepuP

Eco 4 TX holiday parties: Local Shiner Holiday Cheer, seasonal, Dunkelweizen style w addition of peach, pecan flavors
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Serveware that Makes Your Holiday Party Stand Out

If you're looking for ways to make your holiday party really shine this year, the trend in catering and events serveware continues to be using at least one standout serving or tabletop piece and a mix of types of serving pieces, as we have moved away from more plain or uninspired serving looks such as all flat silver or white (or all any one color) trays and plain vanilla flatware.  The latter can often look too hotel-ish or restaurant-ish.

The solution? One or a few really unique, standout serveware pieces, including trays or platters, glass or porcelain pedestals, even bar accessories and napkins.

We recently catered a dinner party at which the hosts had the most wonderful serveware, all different, which we mixed with our own serving pieces to serve the food and drinks.  For example, they had a beautiful dull gold rectangular tray with high edges, which we mixed with their sleek chrome round tray and our collection of glass pedestals.  On these pieces the hors d'oeuvres really popped! And the effect was definitely not a hodge podge; instead, it was beautiful and artful.

Along the same lines, their gold-on-white patterned cocktail napkins really added a special touch to their pre-dinner cocktail hour, much more so than plain white cocktail napkins would have done.

These personalized servingware touches can then be used at future gatherings, so it's money well spent.  And if you're on a budget you can often find wonderful serveware at good prices in import or world market-type shops.

Other serveware trends this holiday season that will make your party outstanding:

• Anything served in martini or small glasses
• Square or round tumblers or oversize martini glasses for mixed drinks
• Serveware with gold touches
• Glass or porcelain pedestals to serve hors d'oeuvres or sweets
• Unusual fruit garnishes on food trays (e.g., quince, passionfruit, Seckel pears, crab apples, unusual berries)
• Colored wine or champagne glasses

More ideas? Beautiful beverage servers, fleur-de-lis drinkware, and flatware from Horchow (we like the Optic Glass Beverage Server and the French Countryside, Monkey, Napoleon Bee, and Bramasole flatware), or any interesting-shaped beverage server, drinkware, or flatware to suit your taste and decor.  Even one such touch will make your holiday party shine!

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Make ur holiday event stand out Optic Glass Bev Server Fleur de lis glasses Monkey Napoleon Bee or Bramasole flatware http://www.horchow.com