Fandango Catering Offers Halloween Event Resources

Today we'd like to offer our readers some resources and ideas for Halloween events and parties, since Halloween is next week. 

There is so much info on the web for this, even if you just do a search with terms like "Halloween party ideas" or Halloween party food" or "Halloween party decorations."

Two resources that we particularly like are:

www.marthastewart.com/halloween

and

www.heb.com/halloween

We loved Martha Stewart's Halloween Handbook this year, BTW! Check it out for the coolest ideas.

Now, for those who would like to throw something together last minute for Halloween and have it be cool and Halloweeny and festive but not much work, here are some of our ideas:

Serve regional favorite hamburgers that you buy (like Whataburgers or In and Out Burgers), or ones from a good hamburger place you know--buy them and fries, or have someone bring them just before, then reheat in foil (take off any paper wrappings) in a low 250 oven for about 10-15 minutes or until hot, and serve on platters.  Easy, and it's a nostalgia/cult favorite thing, and fun.  And since it's not your cooking, who can criticize?

Accompany with Halloween desserts such as themed cupcakes (best quality, not from the grocery store unless it's an upscale market since they do desserts well) and your candy assortment.  Easy too!  Or serve orange sherbert with black Oreo cookies to keep the theme but have it be easy on you.

Finally, you can buy if so inclined a large plastic jack-o-lantern, and use as a beverage tub.

Decorate as much or as little as you want, and then enjoy your easy-to-do and fun gathering.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 4 Fast Food Ideas for Fall Entertaining

If you'd like to host a fall gathering and are somewhat short on time, here are 4 food ideas that will help you entertain stylishly, but that don't take a lot of time.

Do a one-pot classic with salad and dessert--We like Grace Parisi's recipes in her article on New Comfort Classics in the Nov. 2012 issue of Food & Wine.  For more casual gatherings, the concept works well and isn't as much trouble as a starter, entree plus sides, then dessert.  Do a one-pot braise, stew, or soup and serve with a salad and dessert, and you're done.  Dishes like Parisi's Braised Chicken with Cilantro, Mint & Chiles or classics like goulash, paprikash, white or regular chili, minestrone or another hearty soup...Ideas for dishes like these abound in cookbooks or on the web.

Do a pressure cooker risotto--Same idea, but make a risotto with chicken or pork or beef or sausage the one-pot dish, with salad and dessert.  Kuhn Rikon's and other good pressure cookers can do risotto in around 7 minutes.  The work is in the prep; then just start the cooker and voilà! The finishing touch? Stir in Laughing Cow Cheese wedges, plain or flavored--no kidding! Easy and it really adds a master touch, a trick we learned a few years ago from a chef colleague.  The pressure cooker risotto concept is also great for casual gatherings.

Make crumbled cake balls--Fast cake balls, no baking in special molds! Crumble pieces of baked cake or even brownies in a bowl.  Mix with frosting, then roll out scoops of the mixture with an ice cream scoop.  Use a fork to dip cake balls into sprinkles or chocolate or other syrup, or drizzle syrup over cake balls.

Use chocolate spread as a dessert--We saw this in last month's F &W--Serve the new chocolate-cream cheese spread (or, our take, mix up your own with Nutella and cream cheese) and serve as a dessert course with the spread in ramkins or small dishes and a dipper like cookies, or even serve as a sort of pudding with spoons.  Decadent!

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 5 Tips for Serving Appetizers with Dinner

If you're thinking of serving appetizers with a dinner (at smaller events), here are 5 tips to make this go more smoothly. 

Choose 2, max 3 appetizers--Unless your main course is on the light side, 2 or max 3 appetizers should be more than enough.  Don't make the mistake of serving too many kinds of appetizers before a seated dinner or buffet then seated dinner; it's too much work and stress and your guests will be too full to enjoy the main course.

Choose appetizers based on doability--Don't stress and choose appetizers that can are good served room temperature rather than hot.  Many appetizers can be served this way, including all kinds of skewers, rollups, tartlets, pie or quichelike bites, and many others.  Look at cookbooks and on the web for ideas for cold appetizers.  And don't get overly ambitious--it's better to do something simpler well than to try something ambitious and not have it turn out as well.

 Offer a lovely cold board selection as an appetizer course--Cold cuts (charcuterie) and wonderful cheeses or cold boiled shrimp with a couple of interesting sauces or a nice antipasto are even easier than cooked appetizers, and are often served in Europe this way, as an appetizer course.  And it can be done buffet/self serve or passed style, or seated.  It's important to buy best quality, though.

Leave the appetizers on a side table or sideboard or bar--This way people can continue to enjoy them throughout the evening.  As your guests get up from the dinner table(s) and are lounging etc., they can continue nibbling from the appetizers if they wish, and we have often seen this to be the case.

Have enough plates--Be sure you have enough plates for all the courses you'll serve.  To be on the safe side have 1/3 to 1/4 as many plates as guests.  If you have 20 guests, have 20 + 7 or 5 extra for the appetizers, and so on for each course.  Unless your event is very informal AND the guests know that they are expected to reuse their plates, it's best to have extra plates.  Or use eco-disposables if the event is not overly formal--bamboo plates are lovely though more expensive, but bagasse is seen widely now in entertaining and is a less expensive disposable alternative that is still eco-friendly.

Warmly,

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 524-0077
www.fandango-catering.com  

Fandango Catering Offers 4 More Fall Entertaining Ideas

If you're looking for ideas for a fall gathering you're hosting or considering, today we offer 4 more ideas for creating successful fall events. 

Wine or other tastings--Tastings of wine, beer, cider, chocolate, or cheese are tremendous fun for guests.  Use a pairing idea--what cheeses or cold cuts or nuts go with what wines or with what fruit, for example.  Set up stations rather than having everything in one place--blind wine tastings are out and were boring anyway.  At each station have a different larger type of wine or whatever.  You can offer a self-guided tasting tour of the stations set up around your home, where guests stop at each station to sample.  There are all kinds of fun ideas for tastings--do a web search on "ideas for wine tastings." 

Fall sports-watching events--Here the key is to be unique! BHG has a great article this month on this type of event.  We especially like the idea of serving sandwiches and soup (sandwiches in kraft paper, soup in cups)--more original than the same old wings, pizza, or chili.

Outdoor brunch--Brunch time is so cool for outdoor entertaining in fall--lovely weather, and the time slot is great for people with kids or others who are REALLY busy on the weekends and can only spare a couple of hours mid-day to gather with friends.  And no late night cleanup!

Cocktail hour, also outdoors--People love these parties, which start at dusk, with finger foods, nice drinks, and lounging indoors and outside.  Relaxed and relaxing, and sure to be enjoyed by your guests.  Add ambience with little votives in holders all over, inside and outdoors, and turn all the lights on inside for light to spill outside too.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 6 Fast, Cool Food Presentation Ideas

Since many people are now considering or planning a fall or later event, today we offer 6 fast, cool food presentation ideas.

Most everyone is pressed for time these days, and so a few ideas you can use or adapt to make your event better looking come in handy.

Here are some of our fast presentation ideas:

Use small bunches of grapes--Snip small bunches of grapes and put in corners of trays, or in two corners of a tray.  This should not take more than a couple of minutes, and it adds color and style to a food tray with only a little time spent and no special skills needed.  Even fancier? Use champagne grapes. 

Use dill sprigs or cut fresh chives--Put dill sprigs in the center of an hors d'oeuvres tray or on dinner serving bowls or platters (such as on top of mashed potatoes or a vegetable dish).  Or cut fresh chives and sprinkle them on top of the food and a bit on the serving piece on hors d'oeuvres trays, serving bowls, in chafing dishes, on soup glasses or mugs, or on plated food.  To cut chives, line up the strands, cut off the tips, and, using one hand to hold them down, cut across using the other hand--and you can even do this with a steak knife, you don't need a special knife.  Keep moving your hand as you cut, and don't rush so you won't get cut; it's much easier to cut chives than people think.

Use croutons or add-ins to decorate soup servings--Make or buy croutons and put them on top of your little soup cups or glasses (see above), or drop into plated soup bowls or larger mugs croutons, chopped chives, a bit of grated cheese, tiny soup crackers, a cooked shrimp, a bit of crabmeat, some tiny diced red pepper or tomato...Add color by using light or bright-colored croutons or add ins if the soup is dark (such as grated cheddar on a dark soup or a lovely pink shrimp on a red or cream-colored soup), or vice versa. 

Use grapes in a martini glass--Put green grapes in a martini or cocktail glass and let the bunches hang over the sides of the glass a bit (cut the bunch to size)--it looks mod and is easy to do! Then use this as a centerpiece for any display like hors d'oeuvres, cheese, fruit, sandwiches, mini desserts, etc. The glass should not be too tall or too short; you should be able to see it comfortably on the platter from several feet away.

Lay food out in circles--Almost any hors d'oeuvres, cheese, sandwiches, desserts, look good this way.  Creative? Pile a bit of food in a triangle/pyramid as a centerpiece.

Pile up certain foods--Some foods, like Caprese salads or fruit trays or other cold salads, look good piled up a bit.  The secret is to use a serving piece with a bit of sloping sides so that when the food is served it doesn't fall on the table, but instead falls back into the bowl.  Don't use a flat serving piece to pile up food, for this reason.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers Dessert Shot Ideas for Dinner and Cocktail Parties

One of the signature foods we're known for are our dessert shots, and today we offer several ideas to inspire you to serve dessert shots at your next dinner or cocktail party. 

Dessert shots are fun for guests as their small size is whimsical and, since the portions aren't too big, people eat them more readily than a large slice of a rich baked dessert.

Plus you can have all kinds of fun presenting them attractively.  AND, depending, on the recipe, they're doable even for those who don't cook or bake.

Below, ideas to get you started.

-The way to present dessert shots is to line them up on a (or as the) dessert buffet or on a tray (or both)--the number of little glasses is what's cool.

-Choose real glass (we buy schnaps glasses at IKEA) or now you can also buy elegant mod green plastic that's like acrylic from online suppliers like www.restaurantware.com in cool shapes like triangles, waves, boats, shells, round shot duo cups, parfaits, stars, square glasses...

-Try to make time to add a little garnish to each shot glass--As simple as a mint leaf, a bit of cocoa powder or powdered sugar sprinkled on top, a raspberry or blueberry, a strawberry slice or other small fruit that fits, a small cookie (such as a rolled profiterole) that fits

-If not a plated dinner (and even then, if you adjourn to another room or another part of the room for dessert), pass trays of dessert shots with little spoons (Restaurantware sells the cool green disposable ones), and people will gobble them up.  If you have no one to pass trays, arrange trays with the shot glasses in the room you adjourn to and people will still love them.

Here are some of our most popular dessert shots:

• Valencian dark chocolate mousse
• Bailey's tiramisú shots
• Bourbon cheesecake shots
• Ricotta-coffee mousse shots
• Cheesecake truffle shots

-Pressed for time and don't have a caterer or helper for your party? You can still serve dessert shots! Buy wide-mouthed shot glasses and cut up brownies or cake and ice cream to fit inside each glass and garnish.  Or another idea: soften cheesecake and ice cream and fold gently together, then spoon into shot glasses and garnish, or blend together until smooth, freeze, and garnish.  Or just serve great bought ice cream or gelato in shot glasses, with a garnish--the shot glass presentation will add style and fun!

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers Fall Entertaining Ideas

Fall is one of our favorite times of the year, and it's wonderful for entertaining (actually, we like every season except deep winter; mercifully winter is short where we are).

It seems like people become energized in fall to host gatherings of every type--wine tastings, cocktail parties, dinners, not to mention fundraisers and tailgating.

Today we offer some ideas for fall entertaining.

Harvest--The harvest theme lends itself to so many cool interpretations.  It can be things like celebrating pumpkins or squashes or apples or fall festivals or fall arts offerings or fall sports, or it can be the wine harvest (vendange).  Seasonal produce lends itself to wonderful dishes like pork or beef loin with apples or pears in Calvados cream or rich gratins of potatoes or vegetables or both, plus lovely desserts usings the season's apples and pears or, in some areas, citrus fruits (in our area, satsumas).

Outdoor entertaining--Fall's cool weather inspires outdoor entertaining, from casual grilling to tailgating to more formal outdoor dinner parties.  More ideas? Block parties, Halloween parties, Thanksgiving dinner or post-dinner gatherings, interactive grilling parties where guests help grill (this is fun!).  So nice to be outdoors! During the day is often good for a fall outdoor event, and on a beautiful fall day, who wants to be inside?

Use fall in your decor--We love small white pumpkins for fall event decor, for example, lined up on a runner or mantel or as a display, or even the smallest ones as tray garnishes.  For color, we like burnt peach (not carrot orange), yellows, gold, or deep terracotta for fall events.  These say fall but aren't the stereotypical shades, and are softer, so more elegant and inviting.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 3 Ideas for Outdoor Dinner Parties

Continuing with the concept of dinner parties, today we offer 3 ideas to inspire outdoor dinner parties and make them successful.

If you're VERY busy, choose some type of outdoor cooking and make that your dinner party
For people who are VERY busy, especially if you have children, this type of outdoor dinner party makes sense because there's less to prepare and have ready before the party starts. Choose simple food like grilled sausages or hamburgers and grilled vegetables, prepare (or buy) a salad and dessert, appetizers if you're feeling ambitious, and you're set.  Even involve your guests in the grilling, if they're the type--people love interactive cooking parties these days. 

But here's the key: make the outdoor dinner party environment as festive as possible with colorful plates or glasses, a table runner or outdoor tablecloth, votives, some nice beverages (non-alcoholic as well as alcoholic)...People that try to do an outdoor dinner with any old white disposable plates and foam glasses, or a plastic table and no table covering or any decoration--well, it looks bad and that will simply not be a successful party.  We have clients who are VERY BUSY professionals with small children and who keep nice melamine outdoorware that they use regularly, and their outdoor parties are very successful (BTW, buying a set like this inspires you to do more outdoor dining!).  You don't have to buy an outdoorware set but do look for best-quality paperware at least, a tablecloth or runner, flowers, votives, something.  THEN your outdoor dinner party will be a success, not a miss.

If you have more time, you can choose theme concepts or even go fancy
So cool outdoor dinner parties can revolve around themes like Texas BBQ, paella, France, Italy, Mexico, Tiki, seafood feasts, etc.--or how about an outdoor dinner party for a holiday like Halloween or Thanksgiving (weather permitting, of course)? A birthday, promotion, or celebrating retirement outdoor dinner party?

And if you have time, a bit fancier outdoor party will be memorable.  Several years ago we found a book on picnics with one chapter devoted to outdoor dinner parties--a beef or pork tenderloin served room temp with a seafood mousse, lovely cold marinated vegetables, and mini desserts or fruit and cheese plus nice outdoorware, real glasses, nice wines, maybe candles.  A bit more work, but if you have time so enjoyable to dine outdoors this way!

If you aren't crazy busy but don't have tons of extra time, do dinner but outside
Why not give a dinner party and just carry the food and eat it outside?  This won't be more work than a regular indoor dinner party.  The technique would be either to serve from the kitchen and have guests carry their plates outside or have helpers or servers carry served plates to guests seated outside.  Or if it's casual even serve family style at an outdoor table. 

What's great about this is that guests, and you, get to enjoy the food AND the weather.  So do the dinner party you were planning on doing, but if the weather will be nice eat outside, and we guarantee people will like it.  If you don't want to fuss too much with the outdoor table just put some flowers or a hurricane lamp with a candle on the outside table. 

Clear a space in the kitchen for used plates and have people take their plates inside, or have helpers clear the plates.  Put everything in the dishwasher if real plates and forget it until the next day, and enjoy a leisurely evening with your guests outdoors.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 5 Tips for Choosing a Dinner Party Menu

Many people are intimidated by choosing a dinner party menu (or any menu).  Today we offer 5 tips to make the process less intimidating and more enjoyable. 

Use color ideas--As you put together your dinner party menu, think of what colors the foods or sauces will be and try for a mix of colors on the plate.  For example, if you have a chicken or pork or seafood dish in a light-colored sauce, you want to choose side dishes that complement the color of the entrée sauce, such as green spinach or artichokes or orange carrots or sweet potatoes, or potatoes or pasta or rice with a green- or red- (or shades of) colored sauce.  If you serve a a beef or pork dish with a dark-colored sauce, serve colorful vegetables that are orange or green or red, or a starch that is light-colored or with a green- or red-colored (or shades of) sauce.  You can also, if you're feeling ambitious, add chopped chives to the plated food (for plated, not buffet dinners) and that will make it more colorful, just sprinkle the chives over the food and serve.

Consider all the food--If you serve a meat or chicken main course you want to serve a vegetable- or cheese- or seafood-based appetizer.  If your main course is fish or seafood, serve a meat, chicken, pork, or cheese- or vegetable-based appetizer.

Salad? Don't repeat the main course--If you'll have chicken as your main course, don't put chicken in the salad.  We advise against serving salads with chicken, beef, pork, or seafood unless that IS the main course.

Pair dessert to the other courses--If your main course is very rich and filling, serve a light dessert, and if your main course is light (not skimpy but rather light in sauce or marinade), serve a richer, more filling dessert.  Unless everyone's on a diet! Then serve everything light :)

Write or type and print your dinner party menu and review it--Don't just stare at it on a computer or tablet.  In cold hard print or writing is where you'll see if you're repeating ingredients, have flavors that are too extreme or timid for your guests, have taken into account any vegetarians or special diets, are in season or wildly out of season, will need hard-to-obtain ingredients, etc., etc.  Review with a critical eye and then decide if you need to make changes, and it's not a bad idea to have at least one other pair of eyes look it over and give feedback. 

BTW, a dinner party is NOT the time to try a new recipe--if it comes out badly you'll look foolish.  Stick with recipes you know and do well, or hire someone, and save the new recipe for another day, when you can test it and then, having tried it out, use it at your next party.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers More Dinner Party Ideas and Resources

Since there has been so much interest on the part of our clients this late summer and early fall-ish season in dinner party entertaining, today we offer more dinner party ideas and some web resources with more dinner party ideas and tips. 

A client recently had a cool idea for a fall dinner party: putting several tables together to make one long table outdoors, with a appetizer food station, an outdoor cooking area, and servers serving the main course.

We love this idea and it can be tailored to your needs.  You could do all three things or choose only one. 

The long table outdoors is the unifier. If the only tables you can get to make one long table don't match or are unattractive, cover them with overlapping tablecloths in the same color or design (make sure that the tablecloths drop nearly or all the way to the ground or you'll see mismatched, maybe unattrative, table legs). 

You could have this long table and a self-serve finger foods station and have people serve themselves and sit at the long table.  Or you can have servers serve the guests finger foods from the station at the long table. 

Or you can have an outdoor cooking area where guests serve themselves and sit at the long table, or are served at the long table.  If you do this, serve interesting food, more so than standard BBQ items...Foods like paella or grilled Spanish sausages, interesting kebabs (Middle Eastern or Russian or other Slavic or Greek), Florentine steak sprinkled with lemon juice, satay or fish skewers...

Go casual or more formal, adults only or with kids, any way you put it together, an outdoor dinner party is cool and fun.

Here is a list of web resources on dinner parties:

www.divinedinnerparty.com

www.food.com/recipes/dinner-party

www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/parties/dinner-parties/

www.adinnerparty.net

www.celebrations.com/dinnerparties

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers Cool Tips to Make Your Event a Success

Someone recently gave us a stack of Organic Style magazines, and one of the issues has some of the coolest ideas for things you can do to ensure that your event or party is a success that we've come across, so we want to share these with you.

When setting up food (either buffet style or a sit-down dinner), think like a caterer--Try for plenty of red, yellow, and green foods.  Our note: Or add color with easy garnishes like whole or chopped chives or small grape clusters or flowers.

For sit-down dinners, choose foods that don't need too much use of a knife--Struggling with cutlery impedes conversation.  Our note: BTW, European-style holding of cutlery with the knife in the left hand and the fork in the right if you're right handed (or vice versa if you're left handed) means you don't have to switch as in American-style use of cutlery; you push the food with the fork onto the knife without missing a beat! I mastered this years ago and it's so much easier.  Try it sometime if you don't already do this!

Act as your own butler--As you take people's coats or purses, inquire about their commute or if they found parking and ask about their children or significant other if they have one.  Even if you're busy praise their choice of wine or flowers if they bring them.  Then give them their first drink and show them where to get more.  Our note: Beware starting heart-to-heart talks when greeting guests as they arrive or you won't be able to greet everyone.  So often no one greets anyone at the door anymore at a party or event.  If you feel you really will be too busy, ask someone to greet everyone.  It's much more welcoming than everyone just wandering in and asking where do we put this? where are the hosts? are we supposed to go out back? where is the bar?, where is the restroom? etc., etc.

Get the conversation going--Ask a couple how they met or seek advice such as whether to buy a specific car, how to sell old jewelry, where to go on vacation, ideas for your parents' anniversary, and so forth.  Some kind of advice always gets the conversation going.

Turn on a jazz station in the background, such as upstairs or in a bedroom, or leave a piano open or a guitar out and a guest may play--Unless you're very young, blasting music kills conversation (and if you're very young it does too).  Our note: If you hate jazz, how about Brazilian music or world music?  This way you have music but it isn't intrusive; no one has to shout but there isn't dead silence.  And if a guest starts playing--fun!

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 3 Ideas for Choosing a Dessert for a Dinner Party

Choosing a dessert for a dinner party can be daunting.  Full-size or mini? Frozen, parfait, mousse, ramekins? And on and on.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a dessert for your dinner party. 

Understand what it means when you choose to offer a full-size dessert--In our experience full-size desserts at a dinner party work best for 12 or fewer guests UNLESS you have a caterer or other helper.  Why? If you don't hire someone to handle dessert, guests will be waiting while you serve dessert portions, and thus will have to wait less if you have 12 or fewer guests.  If you pre-plate full-size desserts to avoid hiring a caterer or helper to handle dessert, you must also make sure that you have space on your counter or kitchen island or in your refrigerator for the pre-plated desserts ON THEIR PLATES.  You must have room for them somewhere while the first part of the dinner is going on.  A full-size dessert for a group larger than about 10 or 12 guests is best served buffet style, with portions pre-cut and/or plated and put out on a dessert buffet before your party starts.

Ice cream and other frozen-type desserts can be messy to handle yourself--Again, if you'll be scooping while guests are waiting, it's better for a small group.  You can pre-scoop and put the scoops on cookie sheets in the freezer until dessert time as long as you have enough room in your freezer.  And frozen desserts can't be left out on a buffet or they'll melt; they must be brought to table or to the buffet table at serving time.

Mini desserts can be easiest of all--They don't need to be sliced or scooped, take up less room, and can be served buffet style or plated.  You can set out mini desserts buffet style before the dinner party starts or have them waiting in the wings for dessert time.  Or here's another way to serve them: one of our clients has one or two of the catering team (us) go around to seated guests and offer mini desserts and small plates to guests seated at her dining tables--sometimes we serve guests and sometimes they prefer to help themselves and all we do is put the plate down on the table for them, depending on the mood of the party.  People really like this as it makes them feel special.  The fun factor of mini desserts is another reason to choose them for your dinner party--their fun size puts guests in a good mood! Also, people feel more virtuous when they have a mini dessert than if they have a full-size dessert. 

BTW, beware relying too much on a candy buffet combined with dessert--though candy buffets are popular at events nowadays, too much candy and not enough baked or made desserts  (whomever actually makes them, be it you or a restaurant or food emporium or caterer or baker) says you couldn't be bothered and is too much like a Halloween party (unless of course it IS a Halloween party).

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 4 Tips for Hosting a Dinner Party

After Labor Day it seems that everyone is in a flurry to plan and host a gathering of some type.  Today we offer 4 tips for success at hosting a small dinner party. 

A small dinner party is 40 people or less.  Most dinner parties are 20-25 people.

Some dinners are fully plated, with servers serving every course and clearing dishes between courses.  For many this is too much work or too formal.

A seated buffet is when guests are served or serve themselves from a buffet and then seat themselves at one or more guest tables.

A combination is where you have one or more courses plated, such as a starter or dessert, and the guests go to a buffet for the main course.

Whatever type of dinner party you choose, here are few ideas to make yours successful.

Unify guest tables visually--If you have more than one guest table you should unify them visually with tablecloths or something else.  Often people press into service for their dinner party tables that aren't alike in size or shape.  So make them look alike with all the same tablecloths--also a good idea if the tables you use aren't attractive, such as banquet or card tables.

Serve hot food hot--Use or have your caterer use chafing dishes if your guests are the type to mill around for a while after being called to a dinner buffet.  You may want to serve from your kitchen, with the food taken hot out of your oven, but this only works well when people eat it right away.  Chafing dishes keep hot food hot with moist heat for up to 2 hours; or use a tableside warmer/cooker like Fagor's portable induction cooktop.  If you insist on serving from your oven, don't allow guests to mill around without serving themselves after you announce dinner or let a caterer, who knows how to work with "holding" food and keeping it from drying out in the dry heat of an oven, handle it--but be warned that even a caterer can't work miracles at preventing food from drying out if you delay serving from the oven TOO long once the food is hot/ready.

Put cutlery and napkins, if not on guest tables, at the end of the buffet, after the food--That way it's easier for guests to serve themselves or be served and then grab the cutlery and napkins at the end, whether the cutlery is rolled in napkins or not.

Consider serving dessert and/or coffee in another room--If you have room this can be a good idea as so many people don't want dessert or coffee nowadays.  That way, it gives people a gracious out, and often by then guests will want to get up and move around anyway after sitting during the dinner.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers Easy Ideas for Labor Day Food

Today we offer easy ideas for Labor Day, or any end-of-summer casual gathering, food.

First, an easy starter, such as cold shrimp, boiled with a good shrimp boil, and served with a couple of sauces, such as picante sauce mixed with sour cream--so easy and people love this sauce, and a classic cocktail or remoulade sauce.

For the main course, a few of the great pre-seasoned fresh sausages out there, such as chicken with poblano and cheese, grilled.  Since these are already seasoned, you don't really need to season them, just grill and serve.  Accompany with potatoes or veggies, seasoned with fresh herbs and spices (or even Italian dressing), in foil packets, so it's easy to do.  Just open the packets and serve. 

Then for a dessert, a bar dessert or the currently trendy parfait shots of cake or brownies layered with whipped cream and berries (or just whipped cream), or one we like, softened cheesecake mixed with softened vanilla ice cream for easy cheesecake ice cream.

Bon Appetit!

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 4 More Cool Hors d'oeuvres Presentation Ideas

As people plan their end-of-summer and fall parties, many are looking for just that special something that will make THEIR events stand out.  A good way is through cool food presentation ideas. 

In the last few weeks our chefs have designed several more cool hors d'oeuvres presentations, and we want to share some with you today. 

Shots garnished with fresh dill and/or citrus slices--Our Shrimp, Crab & Avocado Shots are presented in shot (schnaps) glasses decorated with small sprigs of fresh dill and citrus slices (or quarter slices).  You can use this idea to serve seafood cocktails, any type of mousse, cold soups, or the now trendy savory verrines (parfaits). 

If you are feeling creative, add a few long strands of chives and some bell pepper, finely diced, to the serving tray--this is one of our signature presentations.  But the chives and pepper "confetti" are not necessary--with only the dill sprigs and citrus slices you'll still have a very cool presentation!

Cocktail bites in mini martini or cordial glasses--A client recently gave us a fabulous collection of Art Deco serving pieces she inherited and didn't want, including some beautiful mini cordial glasses, and we'e used them to put skewered small bites, one in each glass--and then we also added sprigs of fresh dill or fresh rosemary.

Fresh mint leaves--Lay fresh mint leaves--the wide-ish leaves work best--(make sure they aren't damp) one by one with the points all facing one direction, in rows, angled, on a rectangular or square tray, then put one small skewer or hors d'oeuvres on each leaf.

Cold skewers in an eye-catching base--put skewers standing up in a base like a rectangle or wide oval vase or, for a more casual event, standing up in a slice of watermelon or a cut pineapple. 

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 3 Ideas for End-of-Summer Parties

With Labor Day fast approaching, we have to at least BEGIN saying goodbye to summer.  To make saying goodbye to summer easier--because most people enjoy summer and it's relaxed living--, an end-of-summer party or gathering is just the thing. 

This can take many forms--closing up the beach or vacation house/apartment, get-togethers after everyone's vacation, back-to-school or back-to-school sports gathering for families with kids, groups or clubs starting fall activities...Whatever form your gathering takes, you want it to be a bit summery to send summer off with a bang, and upbeat--because for some people the end of summer is totally sad!

Here are a few ideas to make your end-of-summer gathering wonderful:

Take final advantage of summer's bounty of produce and local food--Summer's lovely produce is still at its best but not for long, so feature it in your menu in some way.  Same for local food--for example, lobster rolls on the East Coast or shrimp boils on the Gulf Coast.  What is your region's special summer food? When we lived in New York we attended a wonderful end-of-summer potuck party where everything was local and regional: gazpacho made with home-grown tomatoes, delightful soft-shell crab rolls, and local lemon pots de creme, with the whole guest group finishing the evening outside with s'mores, with tealights spread throughout the garden.  So New York summer, and then everyone was ready for the after-Labor Day back to work and school thing.

Celebrate summery green things--An end-of-summer party is the perfect time to set out summer's last flowers, ferns, greenery, etc., from your garden or a friend's or neighbor's garden.  Not imported flowers or greenery.  Or if your theme is more beachy, mix summery green things with beach shells and other beach theme items (because too much beach theme alone tends to look kitschy).

Let people catch up without pushing them to organized activities--Often at end-of-summer parties people haven't seen each other all summer, or at least for a while, so why push them to some organized activity if what they really want to do is catch up? Let them do so in peace, and provide mood music rather than an organized activity to keep the party ambience going, and/or provide baskets of fun favors like little horns, slinkys, mini chalkboards and chalk, constellation cards, paddles-and-balls or catch-the-ball-in-a-cup: those who want to interact with these types of favors will do so if they wish, while those who don't won't be annoyed by having to stop their catching up at summer's end to participate in some activity.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 3 Ways to Make Your Event More Fun

As many of us are now involved in planning fall events, today we offer 3 ways to make your event, fall or whenever, more fun.

Use a name and/or theme--We recently read something that is so true: whenever you give your event a name and/or theme, it instantly becomes more fun.  Whether a social, corporate, or family event, try giving your occasion a name and/or theme and you'll see that it's not only easier to plan the event but that you'll enjoy planning it more and that more people will enjoy it more.  There are so many stressors out there that people appreciate "letting off steam" in a healthy way like this.

Serve a signature drink--Whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic or both, make the serving of drinks interesting and fun with a sig drink.  Maybe have little signs to let the guests know the name(s) of the drink(s)...Serving signature drinks is not as plain vanilla as just serving standards like wine, beer, sodas, and water.  The latest trend are juice bar setups plus alcohol, but serving at least one sig drink, festively poured and ready for guests, will say welcome and party!, and as many signature cocktails are interesting colors, serving one or more will add interest and fun to your event as guests arrive and discover your sig drink.  There are some great signature drink ideas, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, in Denise Gee's Porch Parties.

Have a fun take-home item--We recently saw maracas as a fun take-home, and any fun "gag"-type gift will add fun to your event.  Things like lollipops, Etch-a-Sketches, Slinkys...Or a mix of little gifts like this.  You'll see--people will interact with things like this right off, and this will add a great fun vibe to your event.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 3 Ways to Ensure Your Guests Enjoy Your Event More

Sometimes when we plan an event we concentrate a little too much on  ourselves and what we like and don't think about whether our guests will enjoy what we've planned for our events.  So today we offer 3 ways to better ensure that your guests enjoy your event as much as possible. 

Always include something vegetarians can eat--As you plan your menu, review it to see that there is at least one food a vegetarian can eat.  If you're hosting a cocktail party, for instance, include at least one vegetarian hors d'oeuvres--there are so many wonderful vegetarian hors d'oeuvres out there now! Whether you're hosting a cocktail party, dinner, or other type of event, consider--in fact, find out--if any vegetarians will attend so you can arrange something for them to eat. 

If you've planned an activity, make sure those who aren't interested have a space where they can hang out--If you've planned an activity like a wine or whiskey tasting or a literary reading or bocce or dancing or whatever, make sure there's SOME place for those guests who aren't interested in this to go to, such as a backyard, porch, terrace, living or dining room, or sunroom--some place they and others who aren't interested can go while the activity is taking place.  We regularly see at least a few guests who aren't interested in a planned activity at events, and they gather together during the activity, then rejoin the group afterwards (though some may decide to stay in their little conversation corner--but if they're enjoying themselves, what's the harm?).

Have someone clearing used dishes and glasses THROUGHOUT the event--This is one of the things that make guests at informal or non-seated dinner events uncomfortable, i.e., being surrounded by piled-up glasses and dishes or disposables (at seated dinners the used dishes are picked up by servers between courses).  Arrange for helpers or servers, paid or volunteers, to clear dishes, glasses, used napkins, cutlery, etc., at regular intervals throughout your event, at least every 20-30 minutes.  And have plenty of large trash bags and at least one table or counter or island for your helpers to use in the kitchen or back area as they clean up throughout the event!

Your guests will enjoy your event much more if these potential problems are avoided.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 5 More Ideas for Cool Hors d'oeuvres Parties

As folks begin to return to their routines after summer vacations, many will begin planning a gathering, either for late summer, early fall, or mid fall (or later).  Thinking of hosting an hors d'oeuvres or light bites event? Today we offer 5 more ideas for creating cool hors d'oeuvres events.

Let the coolness begin with a little color on the table--For an evening event, try a black table linen for your food station table--stunning, and sets off any serving pieces put on it.  Or a black table linen with a colored overlay if you want a bit more color.  Another idea--seen in this month's Food & Wine--is to use a Tuscan or other floral table runner (www.surlatable.com and other retailers)--adds color and is suited to a casual event, indoors or outdoors.

Add color with colored paper plates--So easy and fun.  Stacks of red, yellow, or other colored plates or designs like zebra print, chosen to go with your decor or theme, especially if you use a nice table linen or runner, look stylishly cool.

Serve skewers--People are crazy about food on skewers! Whatever the reason, you simply can't have a cool hors d'oeuvres party without at least one kind, and preferably several kinds, of skewer(s).  Vary the skewers by serving them with seafood, meat, chicken, and/or vegetable skewers (or have an all skewer event--easy and cool).  If you have no time to set up skewers artistically and haven't hired a caterer to do it for you, put the skewers spoke fashion on a round, square, or rectangular tray with a dipping sauce in the middle.  Gild it a bit more by adding long chives, either over or under the skewers or even gathered in a corner--this is one of our signature presentations and it's fast and beautiful and our clients and their guests really like it.  And do make sure the skewers are spiced, not just grilled, as just grilled is not as tasty.  A classic rub: chile, paprika, cumin, and garlic, with or without a bit of cinnamon; or try some of Penzeys' wonderful rubs (www.penzeys.com ).

Add an unusual (but doable) hors d'oeuvre--Shrimp cocktail or cold soups in shot glasses; hot soups in small cups or sake cups;  cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella balls drizzled with a good vinaigrette and skewered; puff pastry shells filled with chicken salad or pesto shrimp or mini salads or some other mixture...all you do is bake the shells, cut out the precut holes, and fill, then decorate with fresh chopped herbs or minced chives; different kinds of sliders and fixings for a slider bar...But something unusual, to make YOUR event cool and distinguish it from the ho hum ones.

Use an unusual serving piece--Moroccan or Indian beaten, etched, or hammered trays; unusual shapes (we have a wonderful large porcelain shell-shaped tray from Italy); a nice color or pattern like a Chinese lacqueur or a pastel--any of these add flair.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 4 Tips for Serving Small Hot Plates at Events

Small hot plates are trendy this year for cocktail-type events, and today we offer 4 tips for serving this type of food successfully.

Small plates of hot food are a bit heartier than room temperature hors d'oeuvres, and are popular now for cocktail events that run through the dinner hour, say, 7 to 8pm or 9pm.  So a cocktail event that starts at 5pm and runs until 8pm, or one that starts at 6 and runs until 9pm, would be good candidates for this type of food.

Small hot plates are popular at corporate or work-related events, where many of the guests (typically young single professionals) will pretty much make of what's served their dinner, or if the guests include many people with heartier appetites.

Examples of small hot plates include meatballs, mini chicken parmigianas, sliders, crab or other seafood cakes, small hot pastas, or other hot dishes served in small portions.

There are a few things to keep in mind when including small hot plates in your event planning:

The food should not be too difficult to eat--Avoid bright red sauces (too messy, can stain clothes), long pastas like spaghetti, foods that are very saucy or soupy, etc.  Do not serve any small hot plate that requires a knife; only a fork should be necessary and it should be possible to eat the small hot plate standing up.
Keep in mind that hot food served away from a heating source becomes cold in about 1 minute--So ditch any idea that requires serving hot food in unusual containers that don't retain heat.  For instance, say you're planning a teen's party and the guest of honor wants sliders but wants them served in Chinese takeout boxes, lined up in rows.  Served this way, the sliders become cold immediately and lose flavor and juices--though the box presentation is certainly unusual.  We suggest to clients a mix of hot and cold foods (and saving the unusual presentations for foods that do not taste best hot).  There are now very modern chafing dish subsitutes for those that dislike chafing dishes.  But the fact remains that hot small plates or any hot food not served in a heat-retaining container will just not be (as) good.  If you like the idea of a mashed potato bar, make sure you have sufficient help to keep bringing out the bowls of hot mashed potatoes for guests, or that you're using some heat source to keep the potatoes hot on the station.  If you don't, then you may want to rethink your menu.
Keep plates small, 7" or less--Or you may run out of food quickly. People can always go back and serve themselves more.
Choose a menu that mixes small hot plates with a few cold ones--If you handle your own event, this is easier on you.  If you pay someone to handle it, it will cost more if you serve all or mostly all hot dishes, so this is a consideration for some people.

Serving small hot plates can be a great idea as long as you keep in mind a few things they require to do successfully.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 4 Ideas for Late Summer Entertaining

If you'll be hosting a gathering as summer winds its way down--from closing a vacation home to welcoming back or gathering people after the summer or a special day--here are 4 ideas to make YOUR gathering distinctive and fun.

Use distinctive disposables--If your gathering is casual and you're planning to use disposables anyway, you can make your event distinctive with disposables that add color and/or style.  We love Caspari's range of designs, available at www.casparionline.com and retailers.  Or many upscale food emporiums and retailers now offer nice colors and designs in disposables.  Add color to your gathering this way! This is one of the easiest ways to add distinctiveness to your gathering.  And after your event please use up the remaining disposables with future casual meals at home, take them to work to use there, or put them in the recycling bin, making your event more sustainable!

Serve a distinctive beverage (or two)--Serving just wine, beer, and water or tea is nice but ho hum.  Add a signature cocktail and/or signature non-alcoholic beverage and take your event from boring to interesting.  Look for cocktail ideas at the cool Mrs. Lilien's Cocktail Swatchbook (www.potterstyle.com ), and for non-alcoholic beverages serve a punch (trendy), kicked up with fresh fruit, fresh fruit juice, or fresh fruit juice ice cubes, an Italian or imported soda, or even smoothies (in a hurry? Jamba Juice now comes frozen so you can make smoothies in a hurry).  Another idea would be fresh-squeezed (not commercial) orange juice--takes a little more time but you'll see how your guests glug that down, even preferring it to alcohol.

Offer a dessert (or two)--Many hosts put together a gathering and omit dessert.  Your guests will be happier if you offer a dessert or two (and grumble behind your back if you don't).  Full-size or mini desserts, take your pick or mix and match, though mini desserts add a fun touch and many people prefer them nowadays as their small size makes them feel virtuous about indulging in dessert.  Even at seated dinners we often serve mini desserts in duos or trios, and people tend to like that better than just one full-size dessert.

Play cool music that doesn't interfere with conversation--For events we like world music (our fave label for this is Putumayo), set not so loud that it interferes with conversation (of course if you want it loud for dancing or whatever, do your thing).  Use a playlist rather than all one artist or group or genre--people like the variety more, and if someone doesn't like one artist or song or genre they just have to wait for the next song!

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 6 Ideas for Cool Hors d'Oeuvres Presentations

As summer winds down many are either having end-of-summer bashes or planning for fall and beyond gatherings.  Either way, today we offer 6 ideas for cool hors d'oeuvres presentations. 

Shrimp cocktail martinis--so cool and really easy to do.  Just rent martini glasses from a rentals company, prepare or buy shrimp for cocktail, and put cocktail sauce or remoulade in the bottom of the glasses, then one whole shrimp either on the edge of each glass or on the top of the sauce in the bottom of the glass
Verrines and parfaits--These have been hot for the past couple of years in everything from savory to sweet food.  Here's how they're cool: You can fill wine or parfait or hurricane glasses with a salad, just layer the ingredients, or chunks of cake or crumbled cookies and whipped cream, or chunks of ham and cheese and mascarpone...the idea is to layer. 
Easy cocktail purses--these are usually too much trouble, but one way to make them that's not too much work is to buy Parma ham, fill each slice with herb cheese, twist up like a little purse or pouch, and tie each with the long green piece from a scallion.  These are best for small gatherings as they ARE a bit more work (unless you hire a caterer to do them for you).
Mirror--We love Martha Stewart's idea of serving slices, pre-cut, of terrines spread out in rows on a mirror.  A mirrored tray is even better, as is a Lucite tray with sides (the kind without compartments)--sometimes you can find Lucite trays with sides meant for cosmetics or jewelry, just use them for your parties! If you don't like terrines, any small bites look cooler on a mirrored surfacr or Lucite tray.
Sticks--The trend of skewers, sticks, and picks continues unabated.  Make your hors d'oeuvres of the moment by serving them speared on sticks or picks.  Many hors d'oeuvres shapes lend themselves to this (round, oval, small bites).  For example, you can buy small fresh mozzarella balls, cut off a slice so they'll sit flat on a tray, lay the flattened balls on sticks out on a tray, then put a cherry tomato on each skewer too, and they'll stand up like little soldiers.  So fun.  People like this more than small bites served in cones, for some reason.  If you're feeling ambitions cut bell peppers in small dice, which we call in the catering profession "pepper confetti," and scatter it on your serving pieces.
Buy an ultra-cool serving piece--This is the easiest of all! You can find this type of ultra-cool serving pieces at www.gretelhome.com  --We like Babell XL, their white mod tier stand with gradually bigger tiers--any small bites you put on this tier stand will look so cool!  For a more traditional look rent a large stainless tier stand (some have swinging arms) at a rentals company and put your small bites on that.  Anything with height adds a lot of oomph to a food presentation.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Announces New Menu Additions

Twice a year we spend extensive time coming up with menu ideas, and we've just finished a serious menu-a-thon of this type. 

New Menu Additions Include:

• New hip hors d'oeuvres and tapas
• New creative dinner menu items for buffets, stations, and seated dinners
• New vegetarian vegetable side dishes and vegan main courses
• New small hot plates for cocktail events that run through the dinner hour

New menu items include:

Salads and Starters

• Mixed Greens and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes in Sherry Vinaigrette
• Spinach and Roasted Pears in Honey Vinaigrette
• Stuffed Avocados with Creole Shrimp, Jack, Tarragon, and Tomato
• Tomato, Cucumber, and Mixed Fresh Herbs with Mint Vinaigrette Verrines (parfaits), garnished with Cinnamon Croutons

Hors d'oeuvres and Tapas

• Chicken Bites in Marsala Sauce
• Poblano Crab Cakes with Red Remoulade
• Ancho-Marinated Pork and Mango Skewers
• Ham-Stuffed Mushrooms Au Gratin
• Asparagus and Bechamel Tart Bites
• Shrimp in Sherry-Scallion Cream Puff Pastry Bites
• Black Bean and Jack Quesadilla Bites
• Dill and Pimentón Seafood Tartlets
• Mini Meatballs in Saffron-Orange Sauce
• Mango and Peach Gazpacho Shots, Garnished with Fresh Herbs
• Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Salad Vol-au-vents (puff pastry baskets)

Dinner Items

• Smoked Ham and Gruyere-Stuffed Ravioli with Pink Champagne Sauce
• Chicken with Tarragon-Orange Sauce
• Chicken with Pears in Sherry Sauce
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Cutlets with Salsa Verde
• Beef Tenderloin with Five-Spice Crust in Beer Jus
• Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Onions in Cream Sauce
• Beef Tenderloin with Shallot and Blue Cheese Sauce
• Spice-Seared Scallop Lollipops with Pistachio Sauce
• Salmon with Orange-Basil Sauce
• Ginger-Glazed Salmon with Creamy Scallion-Ricotta Sauce
• Moroccan-Spiced Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
• Mushrooms in Sherry Glaze
• Carrots and Spinach with Pimentón-Vermouth Sauce
• Glazed Carrots with Caramelized Onions
• Sauteed Spinach and Tomatoes in Gingered Reduction
• Bacon and Gruyere Macaroni and Cheese
• Baby Potatoes in Salsa Verde

Desserts

• Espresso Cream with Coffee Bean Crunch
• Upside Down Bourbon Cheesecake Shots
• Chocolate Croissant Mini Bread Puddings

Of course, we continue to offer our signature menu items!

As always, all our menus are custom menus so that each event is unique to the client.

And, as always, our produce is local as much as possible, as is our chicken and wild-caught shrimp, supporting local businesses. 

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

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 3 Tips for Late Summer Entertaining

As summer winds down you may be hosting or thinking of hosting a gathering, and today we offer three tips for your late summer entertaining.

Actually, the start of the Summer Olympics is very representative of late summer entertaining--how so? Well, it brings together people for summer sports at the end of summer, and the colors of Team USA are good for late summer entertaining, as I explain below. 

When we lived in NYC everyone had a late summer "blowout," one last summer gathering to concurrently celebrate summer, mark summer's waning, and look ahead to fall.  These blowouts often took place at the beach (or "shore" as it's called there) or began at the shore and ended at someone's home, whether a beach home or home in the city/boroughs.

To create celebrating late summer elements at your gathering, here are 3 ideas:

• Use certain colors--Here's where the Olympics idea comes in--Red or dark red and royal blue in napkins, tablecloths, plates, flowers, or decor are "bridge" entertaining colors, bridging summer into early fall.  Other bridge colors are marigold, dark sea green, and navy mixed with white or with a pastel, e.g., marigold with medium pink or with light blue.  Still says summer, but the mix of medium and light colors also says looking ahead to fall.
• Serve bridge foods--Take advantage of summer produce but serve it with a slightly heartier dish that also looks ahead to fall.  For instance, sauté some lovely spice-rubbed t-bone steaks in a mix of butter and oil until just underdone, then add 1/2 cup Marsala and cook over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes until done to your liking, and serve with pan juices.  Accompany with a pasta salad of diced ham and cheddar, diced red onion, diced tomatoes, maybe some diced cucumbers, and a dressing of sour cream mixed with pesto and chopped fresh tarragon and dill.  For dessert, serve a verrine (layered parfait) of chocolate cake chunks, chocolate mousse, and mascarpone with sugar to taste.  A bit more substantial than the food of high summer, but it still says summer.
• Create a "this summer" activity--This is fun for you and your guests.  Invite guests to bring "this summer" photos (print, phone, tablet) of trips, their garden, kids, activities, or other "this summer" moments and add yours.  Then have fun with it as everyone explains the photos to each other-don't go around the room doing this, which would make it boring, but have everyone choose a few photos and show them to the person nearest them, then move to the next person.  The most fun is when everyone is talking at the same time!  This celebrates summer but also marks it as moving toward its finale.  And a great icebreaker too, BTW.

What was your summer like?

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 5 Tips to Make Your Large Wedding or Event More Sustainable

Whew! After our recent events we are just finally catching up.  Today we want to share with you some tips for making large events (over 200 guests)--whether a wedding, corporate event, or other large event--more sustainable.

Large events in particular need to be made more sustainable because their use of the Earth's resources is much greater than that of small events. 

For Randy and Lucy, whose wedding had 350 guests and who are both nature lovers and active in causes, increasing their large wedding's sustainability was important to them.

Here are some of the ways we made this wedding more sustainable, and which you can also use to make your large event more sustainable.

• The menu emphasized more sustainable choices--The couple changed their menu from beef to chicken; beef uses many more of the Earth's resources than chicken or fish.  The produce was local, as was the chicken.  We choose all the produce by hand from the Restaurant Row farmer's market, and it was so large and lush!
• Only compostable disposable plates and cutlery were used--we used bagasse (sugarcane) plates and cutlery and 100% recycled paper napkins.  Because the wedding was more fun and casual than formal, this worked very well, and bagasse would also work well at large corporate events such as a large cocktail party.  Bagasse plates now come in round, square, and even triangle shapes.  And if you're in a hurry you can even buy them by the case at Whole Foods--done!
• The food tables were decorated with "natural" flowers from our organic community garden source--these included passionflowers, trumpet lilies, calendulas, baby's breath (and even some wonderful wild mushrooms), which we coupled with our mod metal dessert towers for a "romantic and mod" design as the couple wanted.  Since these flowers are grown anyway by our master gardener instead of being grown for sale and shipped from far away, their decoration of the food tables was a more sustainable choice
• The cascading fruit display decorating the dessert buffet was taken down in the last hour and put on decorative trays and the guests, especially the children, enthusiastically ate all the fresh fruit.  Often fruit from fruit displays is just thrown away after an event.
• The groom provided boxes for our bartenders to recycle wine and beer bottles and designated some friends to take charge of taking the recycling boxes to a recycling facility after the wedding. 
• Leftover food was donated to a shelter the next day--The couple's family took home some of the leftover food and the rest was donated so no food was wasted

We hope these tips will help you with ideas for making your large event more sustainable :)

Warmly,

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
www.fandango-catering.com

Fandango Catering Offers 9 Summer Dessert Ideas for Entertaining

Today in our continuing blog series, "Summer Entertaining," we offer 9 ideas for easy desserts for summer entertaining. 

 In the heat of summer it makes sense to offer a cool/hip dessert, something your guests may not be expecting and that's easy to accomplish, even without help.

 Below, 9 ideas.

• Fruit fool--These English desserts are so cool to serve in summer.  Mix pureed fruit, whipped cream, and sugar in a blender.
• Sorbet or gourmet ice cream--Dress these up by serving with nice cookies (bought if you have no time).  Or use add ins--we like to add cheesecake to ice cream, or tiramisú cream or crushed cookies.  To sorbet you can add a tiny bit of vodka (serve to adults only, please)
• Pour ice cream or sherbert into popsicle molds--Serve on interesting trays for passing or in bowls in larger bowls on ice
• Create a nostalgic ice cream station--In large bowls filled with crushed ice, put bowls of ice cream sandwiches, fudgesicles, creamsicles, Dove bars, etc.
• Macerate fruit in wine or liqueur--Very popular in Europe in summer.  Try berries with kirsch or Cointreau or peaches with red or white wine or Prosecco.  Add a bit of sugar if you like more sweetness
• Watermelon with balsamic vinegar--We love this idea from José Andrés: Cut seedless watermelon in cubes, cut a small hole in the side of each cube, and fill with balsamic vinegar.  Or serve the cubes alone, without the whole, and enjoy summer's fruit!  Use a minimalist tray.  Add lollipop sticks if you want a stunning presentation.
• Serve cupcakes with ice cream--Buy cupcakes from a reputable source and serve with ice cream, which you can pre-scoop and put on cookie sheets in the freezer, then take out the sheets at serving time and put one scoop and one cupcake on each dessert plate. No cutting cakes, pies, or tarts necessary!
• Chocolate lava cakes--This takes only 10 minues prep and 15 minutes in the oven and is so good hot, cooled, and/or with whipped cream.  See www.famousfrenchdesserts.com for a recipe
• Bourbon Cheesecake Shots--This is the big hit at our events this year! To serve 16 shots: 3/4 cup half and half, 2 tbsp. bourbon, 1 tub whipped cream cheese, and vanilla wafer cookies, crushed.  Just blend all ingredients in blender until smooth, then put the cream into shot glasses or dessert dishes and top each with wafer crumbs.  Make ahead and put in the fridge, then take out around 1 hour before serving time (again, as it has alcohol, it's best for an adults gathering)

Delicious and they add distinction to your summer gathering.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Offers Cool Hors d'Oeuvres Ideas for Summer Events

Today in our "Summer Entertaining" blog series, we offer some cool ideas for creative hors d'oeuvres for summer events.

To offset summer's heat, choose hors d'oeuvres that are representative of summer's bounty and that won't heat your guests up.  Below are ideas for creative hors d'oeuvres that you can and should serve cold or at room temperature--better for summer's heat! 

As skewers and savory lollipops are wildly popular now we'll concentrate on those--guests just love the whole skewer experience!

And if you want to make yours more elegant and eco-friendly, choose knot bamboo picks for your skewers. 

Vary the skewer-esque look by serving both skewers and savory lollipops--skewers have the pick going all the way through the food (i.e., the food is in the middle of the skewer stick) while lollipops have the food at the end of the skewer or lollipop stick.  Lollipop sticks are widely available online and at craft stores.  Skewer ideas:

• Antipasto brochettes or lollipops--small mozzarella balls (bocconcini) or feta chunks with small round slices or square chunks of coppa, salami, or other Italian-type cold cuts, topped with fresh basil leaves.  You can also brush these with pesto sauce.
• Chicken satay with yellow cherry tomatoes
• Jamón serrano threaded on skewers with chunks of Manchego cheese
• Marinated grilled or sauteed pork or shrimp with mango chunks
• Teriyaki beef or shrimp with pineapple chunks
• Pineapple chunks with whole strawberries or grapes
• Beef or chicken fajitas, threaded on skewers, with grilled pepper chunks
• Fresh fruit and cheese chunks
• Small mushrooms marinated in chimichurri or pesto sauce, grilled or sauteed and skewered
• A variety of mini red and yellow tomatoes, brushed with an interesting vinaigrette or dressing

For presentation ideas, you can:

• Lay skewers spoke fashion around the perimeter of a round or square serving tray or cake stand
• Lay them side by side on a rectangular tray, or cross them in pairs on the tray (we like to lay a few long chives on the base of our rectangular skewers trays for color and to make it cooler (and add a few drops of sauce on the tray if you're really creative) 
• Lay them in rows making an "X" on a serving tray
• Line them up to make a diagonal on a square or round serving tray
• Put those skewers with flat bases in rows on a serving tray with sides for the lollipop effect (trendy now)

Also be sure to have a small glass or dish nearby for guests to put their used skewer sticks in.

Warmly,

Kristina

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