Fandango Catering and Events Blog

Fandango Catering Offers 5 Fast Garnishes to Make Your Food Tres Chic

2012-02-11T11:52:00.000-08:00

After weeks of work and meetings we finally chose our 2012 garnishes for serving pieces--some modern, some traditional. While we can't give away the company secrets, today we offer 5 fast garnishes that most people can do to make their serving pieces tres chic at their parties and events.

Champagne grapes--So cute and fun with their small size, and the lavendar-to-purple color sets off many different colors of food. For an of-the-moment look, don't center the grapes but put them in a corner of a square, rectangular, rounded corner, leaf-shaped or fan-shaped serving piece and arrange the food in horizontal or vertical rows or a diagonal. We've been fans of champagne grapes since our NYC days, when we bought them at Balducci's.

Long chive strands--Lay two or three long chive strands, crossed, in the center or corner of a serving piece, with the food arranged in horizontal, vertical, or diagonal rows.

Two decorative chopsticks--Laid diagonally across the center of a serving piece, especially with Asian-inspired food spread out geometrically on either side of the chopsticks. Ceramic chopsticks are cool; our favorite colors are black, blue and white, and red, even gold.

One rather LARGE orchid, bougainvillea, or gerbera daisy bloom--Lay on a serving piece or passing tray off center or in a corner.

Baby Vegetables from the farmer's market--Raw and laid out in a little triangle at the top, bottom, or corner of a serving piece, put tiny carrots with their stalks, tiny eggplants or radishes, very tiny tomatoes...You don't have to do anything but wash and arrange them, then put the food below the baby vegetable triangle in horizontal or vertical rows, or center the baby vegetables and radiate out the food in rows from that (or around it if using skewers).

Tres chic and easy.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

2012-02-11T11:01:00.001-08:00

Lovely theme weddings

2012-02-10T11:43:00.001-08:00

Office: (Barely) Controlled madness

Fandango Catering and Events Offers 3 Ways to Make Catering Planning Easier

2012-02-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

If you've not worked with a caterer before and will, or may, use one this year, there are a few things to know to make the caterer's job easier and ensure that your experience is a great one.

Try to pin down a few thoughts on the kind of food you'd like--When you first approach a caterer, have at least a couple of thoughts in mind, or better, jot down a few ideas. For example, if you're looking for ideas for a dinner preceded by hors d'oeuvres, tell the caterer what kind of main dishes you're most interested in (chicken, beef, fish, vegetarian) or if you're interested in a particular cuisine (such as Mexican or Greek or whatever). Increasingly caterers do not work with fixed menus anymore as more and more clients want greater freedom of choice and control over their event menus, and this is true not just for weddings but for any kind of event. Would you go to a car dealer and say you want a car but don't know which make, model, year, or color you want? Probably not, and so you should be ready to tell your caterer your tentative ideas for your event--such as whether you want hors d'oeuvres only, hors d'oeuvres plus dinner, a dinner party, or whether you hate broccoli or cheese or can't eat seafood or whatever.

Tell the caterer your price range or budget--Only then can they send you suggestions suited to your finances. Sometimes a prospective client will say they don't know their budget. But the problem then is, how does a caterer know what kind of food to suggest for an event--whether expensive or more moderate--if they don't have even a ballpark budget? Unlike restaurants, increasingly caterers don't have a fixed price menu but draw from many recipe "lists" to tailor a catering proposal to a specific client's needs and budget.

Tell the caterer what "feel" you'd like for the event--Casual or formal, fun or elegant, exotic or down home, very modern or more traditional--by sharing this with the caterer it's easier for the caterer to interpret your vision. More and more caterers now offer a wide range of styles and presentations, serving pieces, etc., so it's much easier than it was even five years ago to get the look and feel you want at all kinds of catered events, large or small. If the caterer insists on a certain look--often, one they've had far too long--that may not represent you vision, contact another caterer.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

2012-02-07T11:37:00.001-08:00

Fast, chic entertaining: Cut out 2 in. biscuits, bake, slice open, fill w jamón serrano or prosciutto & frsh mozza serv w red pepper alioli

Fandango Catering Offers Tips for Creating a Themed Food Bar for Your Event

2012-02-06T13:02:00.000-08:00

We sometimes see guests overwhelmed by too many food choices at events. The trend in entertaining has gone towards more passed trays and less buffet style, and also towards fewer pieces of hors d'oeuvres or desserts set out, but in a more impactful visual style.

So fewer pieces are set out on more statement-type serving pieces; this does mean more refilling of food on the trays, but it gives a more chic look to the food.

One way to create a wonderful, distinctive event is to create a themed food bar, or two--food variations on a theme. What's the difference between a themed food bar and a food station? A food station is bigger, so it's for larger events. A themed food bar is for private parties of less than 50 guests.

A themed food bar offers the advantage of not overwhelming guests with too many choices and too much leftover food, and if done right is a way to make your event very cool and of-the-moment.

The idea is to concentrate on the themed food and making the guest experience of the themed food special. And with themed food bars it's pretty easy because by definition you don't put out many different dishes.

Here are our tips for creating a themed food bar:

Choose the theme--for example, desserts (such as all mini desserts) or a special kind of dessert (such as all panna cottas or mousses) or an ethnic or regional food (such as Thai or other Asian rolls or Indian finger foods) or a certain type of food (such as panini or tapas or Greek meze)
Choose three--no less, and not more than four. With fewer dishes you need to concentrate on quality not quantity.
Work on the presentation--since it's only three or four foods, put a little effort into making the presentation nice with nice plates or trays or dishes or whatever.
For example, when we do our signature Bailey's tiramisú bar for a client (consisting of a regular tiramisú, chocolate and raspberry tiramisú shots, and tiramisú ice cream), we use lovely trays, dishes, and spoons in styles traditional or modern, as the client wishes. We put the tiramisú bar on a sideboard or dessert table or even in the middle of a large dining table, and people love it! They don't say, "Oh, it's only three desserts"--no, they enjoy the variations on a theme, the quality of each food, and the nice presentation that makes those three foods a special experience. That's the secret.

Try a themed food bar using the above tips for your next smaller party, when you don't want to cook twenty things, and see if people don't enjoy themselves and the food wonderfully.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

2012-02-04T09:50:00.001-08:00

Three ideas to make your Super Bowl event distinctive:
http://bit.ly/9OepuP

Fandango Catering Offers 3 Ideas to Make Your Super Bowl Event Distinctive

2012-02-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

To make your Super Bowl event distinctive, why not get slightly creative with what you're going to serve?

Super Bowl menus have become almost as traditional as Thanksgiving dinners, but if you're looking for a way to make your gathering a little more special, you can tweak the traditional menu items and everyone will still be happy because you're not really changing the menu.

If you serve wings, by all means serve the Buffalo style, but maybe also try this: marinate wings in wine and a hot spice such as cayenne or hot pimentón (just a touch, you don't want to overdo it), then grill or broil. And to the traditional blue cheese sauce that accompanies wings, we like to add sour cream, half sour cream and half blue cheese, some chopped fresh chives maybe--try it, people tend to like this a lot better than the regular blue cheese dipper.

If you're serving a Mexican themed spread of nachos and so forth, why not a nacho or fajita bar? All you need to do is cook the main (i.e., "meat"), say fajitas, and then set out the fixings so it's easy, and people love to make their fajita tacos just as they like them. Interactive! When we do a fajita bar for clients we try to put out at least three types of mains in some combination of beef, chicken, pork carnitas, shrimp, or baja style battered fish filets. For nachos the same: set out the ingredients so people can build their own nachos.

If you're serving pizzas, put out some additional toppings people can add to their slices of pizza if they want. Again, many people love interactive food.

If the serious game watchers don't want to bother with interactive food, serve them or have them serve themselves and leave them in peace to watch while the non-serious chatters enjoy themselves in another room, perhaps close to the food :)

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers Tips for Choosing Serving Pieces & Table Decor for Your Event

2012-02-02T12:40:00.000-08:00

In 2012 the "interesting" serving pieces and table decor trend continues and today we offer 4 ideas for choosing such pieces to lift your event, whether a small party or a large wedding, out of the humdrum.

Look for interesting shapes--leaf shaped, fan shaped, square with round edges--these types of trays will definitely add a wow factor to your event and can be used in combination with plainer pieces. If used with plainer pieces make the interesting piece the focal point of your serving area.
Sources: Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Pier 1, www.alibaba.com ; or ask your caterer what serving pieces they offer.

Use an etched tray--These are hot now in gold plate, silver plate, and bronze and look stunning. Most are round but you can also find oval and elongated shapes. Great ones are available on www.ebay.com and at Pottery Barn.

Clear lucite trays offer a stunning modern look--We like Shriftman & Harrison's (http://hs-pr.com ) idea of using lucite trays with one large stunning bloom on each for either buffet or passed service. Opulent!

Choose one or more standout table decor pieces--If your event is small, one piece will look dazzling and will be a complimentary focal point to your interesting tray(s). If your event is large, standout decorative pieces on the guest tables will be what people will remember, the first thing they see when they walk in. You can rent such pieces in any large city, or borrow one for a smaller event. At a recent outdoor event we did at an historic home the hosts chose a beautiful, unusual large candelabra for the outdoor head table and it was lovely.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Offers 4 Tips for Choosing Pre-Dinner Hors d'Oeuvres

2012-01-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

At some events, such as dinners parties and weddings, an hors d'oeuvres period precedes the dinner. For these types of events today we offer 4 tips to help you put together your pre-dinner menu.

What is the main course? This should be your starting point. If you're having chicken for the main course, for example, don't include it in the pre-dinner appetizers. So, for example, if you're serving chicken for the main course, choose pork, beef, seafood, and/or vegetarian appetizers. Same with beef--if this is the main course, don't include it in the pre-dinner appetizers. On the other hand, if you're serving fish as the main course, you CAN serve another type of seafood, such as shrimp, in your pre-dinner menu as seafood is light and there are several kinds of seafood (shrimp, crab, oysters, crawfish, etc.).

Offer a vegetarian appetizer--These days there is a vegetarian in any group, and if the appetizers are interesting everyone will eat the vegetarian ones, not just the vegetarians.

Try to choose different kinds of appetizers--Select several shapes/types--and avoid too much pastry or puff pastry. There are so many wonderful hors d'oeuvres/small bites out there now--turnovers, canapés, wontons, crostini, skewers, fritters, rollups, stacks, spoons, shooters...The list is nearly endless, so choose different types to make your pre-dinner period interesting (unless it's a themed event like all skewers hors d'oeuvres).

Understand that skewers have special considerations--They're trendy now and there are many wonderful skewer recipes, but they DO generate more garbage and can be awkward taken from a passed tray. You can lay trays or platters with raised sides out and put a few empty skewers in them so people can see what they're for and put their used skewers there--it's a nicer look than just throwing into a garbage can for skewers to be laid on these trays

By following a few simple guidelines--and don't forget to write out your provisional menu and then look it over before deciding--, you can avoid having too many "dough"-based hors d'oeuvres or ones with chicken when chicken is the main course or all the same type to arrive at "just right."

Warmly,

Kristina

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

Fandango Catering Launches Paella (Cooking) Parties in 2012

2012-01-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

In 2012 we have received a lot of interest in and booked many paella party packages for this year, both cooking parties for small and large groups and as theme parties with tapas, Spanish wines, etc.

As mentioned in a previous blog post, themed events, whether parties or weddings or gatherings, are hot in 2012, and a paella party is a great themed event that's fun and delicious for groups of any size.

For our paella cooking party packages, our Spanish chef shows groups how to prepare authentic Spanish paella(s) chosen from a menu of authentic regional Spanish paellas. These packages are available as demos, as hands on cooking events, or as a combination of demo and hands on. We also provide paella cooking equipment if needed and can provide all ingredients or only the specialized ones like saffron and pimentón.

For our paella theme party packages, our Spanish chef and our crew create paella(s) onsite, providing all ingredients and cooking equipment, while guests relax and enjoy the food. The paellas can be done outside or inside.

For both types of packages hosts can choose from a variety of authentic Spanish paellas including:

Chicken, shrimp, and mussels (paella mixta)
Chicken, sausage, and boneless pork ribs
Fish, shrimp, and crawfish
Lobster, pork, and chicken with mushrooms
Vegetable paella (paella murciana)

And to complement the paellas, hosts can also choose from our authentic Spanish tapas menu, including:

Tortilla española (now available as individual frittata round cakes)
Honey-Lemon Chicken Brochettes
Pinchos morunos (Spicy pork skewers)
Ham and Cheese Croquettes with Bechamel
Puff Pastry Empanadas

For more information or to book your paella party, please contact us:
(713) 522-0077
info@fandango-catering.com

Warmly,

Kristina

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

2012-01-26T12:55:00.001-08:00

Valencia rice from Euro Mid for Paella outdoor cooking party Saturday

2012-01-24T13:44:00.001-08:00

Looking for minimalist dinnerware? http://ping.fm/eivbc

Fandango Catering Offers 2012 Hors d'Oeuvres Trends for Parties & Weddings

2012-01-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for hors d'oeuvres or small bites ideas for a party or wedding, you've come to the right place!

In 2012 these hors d'oeuvres/small bites concepts will make your party or wedding shine:

Themed--Themed parties and weddings are hot for 2012, and carrying the idea through to the small bites--whether it's a cocktail or tapas party or a pre-dinner cocktail period--makes your event of-the-moment. Themes such as France or another country, disco, comfort food, Indian or Moroccan ethnic, speakeasy, botanical, all white, etc., etc., add to the fun. What theme do you like?

Regional--Something like themed, but focusing on one country or region, such as the Mediterranean (e.g., Italy, Spain, Greece), Napa, Texas, or LA. The small bites would come from the area chosen.

Wontons--These are popular now in both savory and dessert versions. An international array of wontons, dumplings, purses, etc. adds exotic flair and if carefully chosen can please even the picky. We like to decorate them with a great idea from Fine Cooking: a skewer in each dumpling and a crouton or little flag on each skewer. With international spreads like this it's nice to have a menu, whether printed, chalkboard, or ceramic write on slate (at art supply stores).

Little glasses--The little glasses trend continues to be popular and can be a boon to a busy host/ess as if you use them for a cold soup or sip you can prepare the soup or sip ahead and then just pour and garnish. Mini martini glasses continue to be popular but also look for mini tulip glasses, mini square tumblers, and mini hurricane glasses or sake cups. Besides cold soups and sips, use to serve cold or room temperature small bites like crab or shrimp salads or cocktails, caprese or other salad "bites," parfaits, panna cottas, and mousses, and so forth. One don't--don't use them to serve hot food as it will get cold and lose flavor.

Skewers--Continue in popularity, and one fun idea is to have an all-skewers event of both savory and sweet treats, from satays and brochettes to cherry tomato and chickenette or meat lollipops to cake pops.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

2012-01-23T13:32:00.001-08:00

Cool for hard-to-find cooking tools:
http://ping.fm/aNkFv

2012-01-21T08:38:00.001-08:00

Looking for sustainable glassware for entertaining?
http://ping.fm/65oYS

2012-01-20T13:01:00.001-08:00

Best pairings 4 a roasted bf tndrln dish? Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Chianti Classico, Bordeaux

Fandango Catering Offers 5 Tips for Making Your Event or Wedding Greener in 2012

2012-01-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

At Fandango Catering and Events, our brand and mission is to help clients make each event as sustainable as possible.

Recently on the Event Managers group forum on Linked In, someone asked whether there WAS such a thing as a green event. The question generated dozens of comments. What surprised us was that most of the comments mentioned only paper and travel as the areas where an event can be made greener. There are SO many other ways that an event, whether a dinner party for ten, a cocktail party for 50, or a wedding for 200, can be made more sustainable.

On our end, we make it our policy to try to make each event we do as sustainable as possible within the client's vision and budget. As the years have gone by we've gotten better and better at this, and today we pass along 5 tips to help you make your event or wedding more sustainable this year--Choose those that are doable for you:

Select mostly local food--For large events like a wedding, that doesn't necessarily mean buying from specialized farmer's markets. The problem with specialized farmer's markets is that they don't sell large quantities (such as for an event for 100), nor do they take "orders," so to speak, so they're not a workable option for a large event, though for small events they work well.

Solution? Source, or have whomever's preparing the food source, at a local restaurant row market. Many of these restaurant row vendors operate as the outlet for their family farms to the restaurant and catering trade, and most do take large orders with enough lead time, or have enough on hand daily for large purchases. Or now some large supermarkets also source from local family farms; usually these products are labeled as such, or you can inquire. Downside: supermarkets don't take large orders--but they're fine for local food for a smaller event.

If you use anything paper at an event, make sure it gets recycled--We've seen many events where table menus, place cards, programs, and napkins get left behind on tables and the floor when the guests leave. If you're too busy hosting or you're getting married, ask someone to do this, going through the event space at the end and picking up all paper and taking it to a recycling bin. Apps for event check ins and so forth to save paper? The electronic element consumes more fossil fuel than if you used paper instead and recycled it--or even if you don't recycle it.

Avoid paper doilies by using serving pieces that don't need them--As of 2012 we no longer use doilies unless a client asks for them. If you have nice trays and serving pieces you don't need them, and the look has moved away from doilies to more "standout" or "interesting" serving pieces.

Consider: Using many tea lights looks beautiful, but if you're in a warm climate tea lights make the event space hotter, so you have to turn the air conditioning up, wasting more fossil fuel. Candelabras, both table ones and tall standing ones, also lend the glow of candlelight with less heat.

More ideas? Look for upcoming blog posts.

Warmly,

Kristina

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

2012-01-19T12:57:00.001-08:00

Great mini dessert ideas! Beatrice Ojakangas, Petite Sweets:
http://amzn.to/xPOsAN

2012-01-18T12:56:00.001-08:00

Cookware that finishes ckg at the table, keeps food hot, 60% less energy, great 4 entertaining: Durotherm Cookware:
http://www.kuhnrikon.com

2012-01-18T11:54:00.001-08:00

Nice ideas: Dina Cheney's Tasting Club--how tos of hosting tasting party at home

2012-01-17T13:18:00.001-08:00

Cool Tool: Seasoned skewers:
http://bit.ly/yUG8cJ

Fandango Catering Launches 2012 Menu

2012-01-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

Fandango Catering has launched its 2012 menu with many new, all HANDMADE global hors d'oeuvres and starters, main course items, and desserts.

We are known for our handmade, 100% from scratch food, created using ingredients that are sourced locally as much as possible, with no preservatives or trans fats.

Just a few of our delicious new menu items:

Hors d'oeuvres/Starters

Shrimp Mousse Cones
Cinnamon Chicken Pastillas (Moroccan mini phyllo parcels)
White Gazpacho Panna Cotta Shots Garnished with Grapes
Chorizo-Stuffed Mushrooms with Panko Cheese Breadcrumbs
Tomato-Gruyere Tart Squares
Beef Sirloin Crostini with Balsamic Glaze
Cheese and Vegetable Puff Pastry Napoleons
Shrimp and Mango Skewers with Pineapple-Lime Dipping Sauce
Red and Yellow Cherry Tomato Salads in Puff Pastry Baskets

Main Course Items

Beef Tenderloin Braised with Zinfandel
Chicken with Balsamic Glaze, Pancetta, and Shallots
Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary Chimichurri
Chicken with Strawberry-Feta Sauce
Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Shallots and Vermouth
Pulled Pork Macaroni and Cheese Gratin
Spicy Red Wine and Honey Chicken
Five Spice-Rosemary Beef Tenderloin
Salmon with Cabernet Sauce
Moroccan Carrots
Brown Butter-Nutmeg Potato Puree
Braised Green Beans and Cipolline Onions with Pancetta
Sherried Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach
Sauteed Baby Potatoes with Rosemary Butter

This year because of client requests we have also added ASIAN APPETIZER choices, including:

Tandoori Chicken Spears and Drunken Chicken Spears with Ginger-Chile Sauce
Bacon-Wrapped Pork-Scallion Potstickers with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce
Shrimp and Chicken Honey Summer Rolls with Pineapple-Lime Dipping Sauce

And new SWEETS offerings, including:

Chocolate Wontons with Orange Dipping Sauce
Berry-Vanilla Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Mini Pies
Roasted Red Grapes with Mascarpone Shots
Chocolate Verrine (Crumble) with Chocolate Mousse Shots
Upside-Down Cheesecake Shots

In 2012 we are again offering our FUN FOODS options, launched last fall, including:

House made frozen treats and ice cream carts
Savory and sweet popcorn bars
Candy and sweets buffets
and more!

Our Food Station options also continue in 2012, including interactive chef stations, concept stations, themed stations, and regional stations.

Of course, we continue to offer our most popular signature items--such as Roast Chicken, Spinach, and Jack Puff Pastry Empanadas; Beef Tenderloin in Rioja Sauce; Potato-Gruyere Gratins; and Chocolate and Raspberry Tiramisú Shots.

We've also expanded our serving and presentation lines to include, besides our lovely silver pieces, a variety of white and black porcelain, clear glass, beaten gold leaf, and footed serving pieces as well as dozens of beautiful new garnish and presentation ideas from classic to modern.

Bon Appetit!

Kristina

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

2012-01-13T11:34:00.001-08:00

Easy to use: Kuhn Rikon Cookie and Cupcake Deco Set, kid friendly, great results:
http://ping.fm/zJPoH

Fandango Catering Offers 5 Tips on Using a Caterer for Your Event

2012-01-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

If you'll be hosting an event, large or small, this year at which you'll be using a caterer, it's important to keep in mind several things so your catering will be as successful as possible.

Tell your prospective caterer your budget, and be realistic about it--By telling your prospective caterer what kind of food you'd like to serve and by specifying a budget, your caterer can design a menu and presentation along the lines of what you'd like and what you can afford. Most caterers have many ideas to satisfy a client's vision within their budget. But be realistic--don't expect a caterer to work miracles to produce and serve costly food in luxe ways if you can't afford to pay for it.
Tell your prospective caterer your vision for or the purpose of the event--Share what you hope the event will accomplish, whether it's just to enjoy the company of guests or to impress, motivate employees, honor someone, create bridal memories, whatever. This way the caterer can use this knowledge to support your purpose for the event and maybe even suggest things you hadn't thought of.
Don't get in the caterer's way--Once the caterers arrive, check if they need anything, then let them do their job without interference from you, your family, or early guests. Event setups are done under tremendous time pressure, and caterers need every minute to finish everything flawlessly before the event start time. Of course, if the caterer is doing something you didn't agree on beforehand, speak up and say so.
Don't ask a caterer to do extra last minute things at the event location that you haven't discussed with them previously--unless you're willing to tip them generously.
Have only one person deal with the caterer--too many cooks spoil the broth with conflicting instructions from different people, so only designate one person to deal with the caterer. But do have that one person there before and throughout the event so that if they caterer has questions there is someone to ask.

If you keep these tips in mind, your catered event this year will go much smoother and it will be a great experience for both you and your caterer.

Warmly,

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

2012-01-05T13:50:00.001-08:00

If u dont want 2 use a squeeze bottle Drizzle Spoon 2 drizzle sauces on entrees, desserts-elegant 4 events:
http://ping.fm/AzLIt

Food Entertaining Trends for 2012-And What You Should Know About Them

2012-01-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

To help you plan your gathering this year, here is our roundup of the top food entertaining trends for 2012--and what you should know about them.

The tasting craze continues
The tasting party craze continues in 2012. An assortment of small amounts of foods in small-ish, often specialized, tasting serving pieces or dishes is set out for guests.

What you should know: Hot food doesn't do as well at tasting parties as the so-called tasting serving pieces do not offer anything designed to keep food hot. Someone recently suggested that hot bites be brought out midway through an event, but unless you offer the hot bites to people off trays, they won't rush to leave whomever their socializing with to eat the hot food while it's hot, so what's the point?

A solution may be a hybrid cocktail/tasting party, with the hot food in a chafer (and there are some very mod chafers and chafer options out there now) and the other food in tasting dishes or serving pieces.

You should also know that if you want to have a tasting party for a lot of people, you will need to use a LOT of little tasting dishes--do you have room?

Wine bar food continues to be popular
In a similar vein to the tasting craze, wine bar food continues to be popular for entertaining, more popular than dinner parties. Gatherings with wine bar food are easier to pull off than a tasting party as you can serve wine bar food on larger trays and not just the little tasting dishes. They can also be easier than a dinner party as they tend to be more casual.

What you should know: Be prepared to put out less of a variety of wine bar foods but of the best quality, especially if your guests have traveled and know wine bars, enotecas, tascas, tabernas, salumerias, etc., etc., from different places and have that to compare you with.

The best thing is to choose only three or max four different dishes and use the best ingredients. Up the wow factor and green it by using local artisan cheeses, local cold cuts, local produce, local breads, and local wines, mixing one or two hot wine bar dishes with a really good salumeria/charcuterie spread to make it easy on you.

The exotic bites trend continues
People continue to hunt for ever more exotic food--exotic to the U.S.--for, especially, cocktail parties, fundraisers, and weddings.

What you should know: More often than hosts think, this type of food just doesn't taste good, though it may be beautiful. Suggestion: take the presentation or concept from an exotic bite and adapt it to foods that do taste good and that more people will like and eat.

For example, we recently added to our menus our Executive Chef's take on Shrimp-, Crab-, and Octopus-Stuffed Avocado with Cilantro-Caper Mayo, changing it to Sherried Gulf Shrimp-Stuffed Avocado "Pears" with Cilantro-Caper Mayo, which we serve by alternating the avocado "pears" with Three-Cheese "Pears" on a serving tray and decorating the "pears" with fresh herb "leaves."

Interactive food continues to be popular
The trend of interactive food, from make-your-own-skewers to cooking class parties, continues to be popular in 2012. This type of entertaining is now used for everything from bridal and baby showers to business events.

What you should know: These types of gatherings, except cooking classes, appeal mostly to younger people, so if you're planning a mixed-age event this year, you may want to keep that in mind and offer alternatives (such as one or two hors d'oeuvres that you don't need to put together yourself or someone to prepare plates for those who don't care for interactive food).

Enjoy.

Kristina

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

2012-01-04T12:51:00.001-08:00

Winter food-better homemade pizza (healthier too)- Add frsh chopped spinach thinly sliced tomatoes sauteed zucchini or onions fresh mozza

Entertaining Trends for 2012

2012-01-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! This year we're going to see the continuance of some wonderful entertaining trends. Here is our list of the most important six:

Scrollwork Style--The Mission or Old California-inspired style continues in serveware, drinkware, even flatware. Wrought iron-inspired scrollwork looks are distinctive. The only thing to remember is that you should counterbalance the dark colors of the scrollwork looks with light or bright linens or pieces or garnishes. Beautiful pieces at Neiman's (home): www.neimanmarcus.com

Irregular-Shaped Serving Pieces--These will continue to be trendy, and they do add distinction to a gathering. Irregular shapes, squiggled edges, rhomboids or geometric shapes...These add interest to your party. Finish the presentation with lovely fresh herb leaves such as fresh basil (purple basil is so cool for garnishing) and fresh berries, or baby vegetables. Check out the gold-edged ceramic dinnerware at www.upintheairsomewhere.com , or find all manner of wonderful styles at better retailers.

Pedestals--Also called cake stands or dessert stands. These continue to be wildly popular, in styles from clear glass to white or colored porcelain to sleek chrome to silver or art glass. Square, round, or rectangle pedestals all add distinction to the serving of food.

Oversize Cocktail Glasses--These continue to be popular from the last couple of years, and they do make a statement, especially in a mod home decor. But try this idea too: Buy small cordial glasses and put them out also, and I can almost guarantee that people will choose the small cordial glasses first, for wine or any other beverage. So put out different beverages and let people choose what type glass they want.

Flutes--Speaking of stemware, the trend for serving any cold or room temperature beverage in flutes continues. We love this idea and there are so many beautiful flute designs out there now! For a small party, a striking presentation is to fill flutes halfway or 2/3s, then put them and a nice decanter filled with the same beverage on a tray for self service. Adds wonderful but not stuffy elegance to a gathering.

The Table Showpiece--Lovely dining tables without linens continue in popularity to serve food at parties, especially if the host wants to showcase the table.

Do be careful of food, drinks, or other things at a party that can mar a lovely, expensive table. You may want to consider a runner or, even better, a small piece of nice fabric, puddled, under the area where food or beverages are most likely to mar the table (such as at one end, where the serving trays are). Or you can also sort of center the hors d'oeuvres in the middle of the serving trays as this also cuts down on dropped food and crumbs (but doesn't help with beverage rings, sorry!)

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

6 Tips for Your New Year's Party

2011-12-29T09:34:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-22T13:05:00.001-08:00

Ideas 4 ur holiday sweets table? Central Market Truffle Assortment gift boxes & Dallas chocolatier choc Santas:
http://ping.fm/IECv2

Where to Buy Distinctive Last-Minute Holiday Serveware

2011-12-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-21T14:04:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-21T12:23:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-19T12:39:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-19T09:48:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-19T09:07:00.001-08:00

Ths wk Gulf Shrimp, Leek, Fontina Risotto; Tndrln w Harvest Vegetables & Pears in Satsuma Cream Sauce more:
http://ping.fm/OT8lz

2011-12-18T11:05:00.001-08:00

How to Make Your Guests More Comfortable at Your Holiday Parties:
http://bit.ly/9OepuP

2011-12-17T13:05:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-14T06:41:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-13T12:11:00.001-08:00

4 holiday parties Cuisinart Coffee Plus 12-cup Coffeemaker lets u make coffee & tea or another hot bev @ same time:
http://ping.fm/gKY4M

Choosing Decor for Your Holiday Party

2011-12-13T10:03:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-12T12:02:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-11T12:19:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-11T11:17:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-08T12:18:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-04T13:18:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-03T12:11:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-03T11:35:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-03T11:31:00.001-08:00

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

2011-12-01T11:52:00.001-08:00

Eco 4 TX holiday parties: Local Shiner Holiday Cheer, seasonal, Dunkelweizen style w addition of peach, pecan flavors
http://www.shiner.com

Serveware that Makes Your Holiday Party Stand Out

2011-12-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-01T08:02:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-30T11:15:00.001-08:00

For the holidays Antique Bar Party Ice Bucket, Antique Silver Snack Bowl:
http://ping.fm/sDIMG

Easy Ways to Make Your Holiday Party Greener

2011-11-29T10:41:00.000-08:00

If you're planning a holiday party this year, here are some easy ways to make your party greener, or more eco-friendly, and still have a chic gathering.

Recycle any wine or liquor bottles--make this easy to do by having an attractive container near your bar or beverage area, such as the Susty Party Pop-Up Bins (www.sustyparty.com ), a decorative large cardboard box, a wooden wine box (available at wine shops), or even an extra empty beverage tub.
Speaking of Susty Party...They have excellent prices on packets of attractive off-white compostable disposable plates made of bagasse, or sugarcane residue--for example, $7.99 for 50 plates or $65 for 500 plates. The larger size package is a great choice as you can continue to use these plates for any party or just for meals at home or office after the holidays. And look for attractive compostable cutlery too if your holiday cocktail party or non-seated gathering will use forks, for instance.
If you don't want to order plates online, you can go to Whole Foods and buy their World Market line, also made from bagasse; but these plates are a light brown color, so this color doesn't go well with every decor. Or you can buy bamboo plates, which are a dark golden color and tend to look better with a variety of home decors, at Sur La Table. If your party isn't too large, it makes sense to buy these smaller packs of eco-friendly plates from Whole Foods or Sur La Table in store (but they are more expensive).
Buy at least one local or regional wine or beer, if you'll be serving alcohol--the local wine and beer industry has grown explosively, and many wonderful varieties are now available.
Buy soy candles if you decide to use candles--soy candles are now very available at many retailers, and are not made from petroleum
If you have leftover food, donate it to a shelter or church instead of eating it for a few days after your party and then throwing the rest away--or leave some to eat after your party but donate the rest, or give it to someone you know will eat it, such as a friend or neighbor.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-11-28T09:20:00.001-08:00

Louisiana satsuma jelly--regional citrus:
http://ping.fm/UVmd3

Tabletop and Decor Ideas for the Holidays

2011-11-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving is over and the holiday season has now officially begun, today we offer 7 ideas for tabletop and holiday decor for your gatherings this season.

Most of these ideas take minimal time and effort:

If your home and decor are more traditional, decorate large mirrors and paintings with garlands and bendable organza ribbon, intertwined among the garlands. Add metal or glass bead strings if you want to go all out.
If you have a mantel or sideboard, whether your decor is traditional or more modern, you can decorate these with greenery garlands and fresh or faux fruit, even gold fruit, perhaps mixed with Christmas balls
Speaking of organza ribbon, if you're pressed for time you can buy beautiful ready-made organza bows and combine with organza ribbon to decorate doorways, staircases, chair backs, tied around vases or candlesticks or topiaries, or added to Christmas trees. A word of caution: after you've decorated with organza bows and/or ribbon, count how many of these you've put out. If too many, subtract a few or it will look overdone.
A modern home decor looks nice with a variety of white pillar candles, gold and/or silver Christmas balls, and gold and/or silver curling ribbon woven among the candles and Christmas balls as a centerpiece of a dinner or buffet table or on accent tables or even to decorate a bar area
Another idea for a very modern home decor is to put gold and/or silver Christmas balls in a large glass bowl; or put the balls on a very sleek silver or chrome or gold tray lined with greenery. The latter looks especially nice if you extend or fan the greenery out a bit from the edges of the tray.
An easy way to decorate your seated dinner place settings is to lay Christmas crackers on them--these are so fun and cool and SO EASY--just buy them and lay them across the dinner plates. They come in decorative colors to suit many decors. And the merriest in your group will want to wear the paper crowns inside the crackers at your gathering!
Keep the proportions of your home in mind--a large home with high ceilings looks weird with small decorations, and vice versa. After you decorate, ask a friend to walk in the front door and give you an honest opinion, then fix whatever.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-11-23T11:25:00.001-08:00

Wines for Thanksgiving that non-wine aficionados will like too:
http://bit.ly/9OepuP

Wines for Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T07:37:00.000-08:00

Today we'd like to offer several ideas for serving wines that will appeal to a wide range of folks with your Thanksgivng dinner.

One thing we've found is that, often, suggested wine pairings utilize wines that are really too strong for the food and that are primarily geared toward people who already drink wine, alone or with food.

For those, like my family and some of our friends, who aren't really wine drinkers, a careful pairing will make your Thanksgiving meal relaxed and merry without being either too strong for the food or overwhelming your guests. I didn't grow up drinking wine as Chef Jesús (and most other Europeans) did, though my Spanish-born father always had wine or sherry before dinner every night to "unwind" from his tax law practice.

For folks who would like to try wine with their Thanksgiving meal but who aren't wine aficionados, so to speak, we recommend any of the following:

A Vinho Verde (delicious with white meats and low in alcohol)
A Riesling on the less acidic side
A South African Semillon Chardonnay
A Gewurztramminer
A Moscatel-based wine on the less acidic side
A Spanish or French alcoholic cider, also delicious with white meats

And you can also seek out wines made with fewer or no sulfites (often of local origin), and these have less of a strong taste and a strong effect on guests.

Of course, also offer at table or on your beverage table a non-alcoholic option--not only water, but maybe some fresh juices or Italian fruit sodas. Or iced tea, if you're Southerners like my family :)

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-11-21T11:44:00.001-08:00

Love the beautiful serveware in this year's Neiman Marcus line:
http://bit.ly/sS2cDE

Using Glass Pedestals for Parties This Season

2011-11-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

Lately we've become fond of using glass pedestals, or cake stands, as serving "trays" at our events (which we'll often mix with trays, too), and these type of serving pieces offer many advantages to party givers.

Among their advantages:

They add height to an hors d'oeuvres display with little effort (no risers or draping of risers)
They add a touch of lightness to the presentation of your food because they're made of glass; even opaque cake stands lend a lightness to the display just by virtue of being made of glass
Your hors d'oeuvres, especially on clear glass pedestals, look more "artistic," again, with little work on your part. For the best presentation, don't overcrowd the food on the glass pedestal. We took a wonderful idea from an LA caterer and use large flat blooms on a cake stand with hors d'oeuvres or tapas arranged around the bloom (see photo of our Spanish Honey-Lemon Chicken Brochettes Tapa, above), either in a circle or square, depending on whether we use a square or round glass cake stand (and BTW you can use this idea of the bloom with flat trays too!)
Glass cake stands don't obscure the table that they're put on, which is important to some folks, who want guests to be able to see their table. Nor do glass stands scratch delicate table surfaces like silver or metal trays do.

And glass pedestals or cake stands lend themselves to many types of decor, from modern to traditional, depending on the type of stand chosen.

Clear glass stands are very adaptable to any decor while vintage glass stands go better with traditional or eclectic decor. Using doilies with glass stands is optional; if your party space has a modern decor you can skip doilies for a more modern look and put the hors d'oeuvres directly on the cake stands (again, don't overcrowd them or you'll spoil the look).

Here are some more ideas for using glass stands at your parties this season:

On a long rectangular dining table, you can put glass pedestals with hors d'oeuvres on the table and then if you're having a seated dinner party, leave the pedestals there on the table for guests to continue enjoying them. This looks great because the height of the pedestals makes them decorative and almost as if they were centerpieces. If you also have centerpieces, say candles, you can put the glass pedestals with the hors d'oeuvres on either side of the centerpieces and it will look dazzling.
You can also stack, or buy sets of stacking, cake stands, making "tier stands" as we call them in the industry. This would be best for less casual events. In any event, be careful if small children or pets will be running around as they might knock over the stacked stands.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-11-18T10:31:00.001-08:00

Gourmet cones in several sizes & flavors + earth-friendly edible cups:
http://ping.fm/DO3XZ

2011-11-17T14:16:00.001-08:00

New photos in photo gallery:
http://ping.fm/ChAkW

Ideas for a Tasting Party

2011-11-17T13:42:00.000-08:00

Tasting parties are popular now, and today we offer several ideas for organizing one.

The whole idea behind organizing a tasting party is that you sample a large variety of foods, but only small portions of each type of food. At least 5 or more types of food should be provided for guests to sample.

For convenience you'll want to serve all cold or room temperature foods. And you can have a tasting party even in winter as you can serve cold and room temperature foods and also serve a hot drink or some wines and spirits to warm you up! Or how about small cups of hot conommé, self served from a coffee urn? Or you can serve coffee or cappucino if your group is into that.

If you really want to go all out, buy or rent tasting dishes, including any of the following:

Small square or round plates
Rectangular plates
Porcelain tasting spoons or half holders
Mini martini glasses (we serve our new Garlic- and Black Pepper-Roasted Shrimp Cocktail Martinis this way)

But these special tasting dishes aren't, strictly speaking, necessary. What's more important in organizing a tasting party is that no serving pieces be piled with food. Put out fewer pieces of food and spread them out a bit. You'll then need to refill with food as needed. For this reason, a tasting party is best for small groups, no more than 40, say. So if you don't want to refill too many times (or pay someone to do it for you), don't invite more than around 20 guests.

And you can also mix the specialized "tasting" dishes with small to medium-sized regular trays or platters.

One idea we like and use, and it's always very appreciated by guests, is to put one bloom in the middle of a tray and then put the tasting hors d'oeuvres or tapas around it in a circle or square (see photo of Shrimp Martinis, above).

The final element in a tasting party is to have a written menu of some type, printed or on chalkboard, and to put it on the food table somewhere. Guests enjoy tasting the food and matching up what they're tasting to the foods listed on the menu.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Cocktail Ideas for the Holidays

2011-11-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

As we approach the holidays and start planning our gatherings, one way to add distinction to your event is by having one or more cocktails that appeal to your guests. I said "appeal to your guests" because often such cocktails don't. Truth is, cocktails with a lot of hard liquor don't appeal to many besides perhaps very young men and women (still in college drinking mode?).

Here are some great cocktail party beverage ideas for the holidays that will please a wide range of folks:

Bellinis--Remembering our days in NYC, when Chef Jesús would work the Sunday brunch at the Stanhope Hotel where the Bellinis flowed like the proverbial water...Mix 1/3 amt. of Prosecco with 2/3 amt. of peach nectar for the classic Italian Bellini; or, our take on it, which is wildly popular with guests at our events, 1/3 amt. of Spanish cava with 2/3 amt. of imported Mexican peach nectar. For many, domestic U.S. peach nectar is too sweet, but the imported juicelike Mexican peach nectar is just right for a Bellini. At one of our events last week several guests mentioned that after tasting a Bellini they no longer want mimosas!
Striped Mimosa--Pour 2 oz. passionfruit juice in a flute or goblet, then 3 oz. champagne, Prosecco, or cava, then 1/2 tsp. grenadine, pom, or cranberry juice. Don't stir if you like the striped effect, or shake in a shaker for an iridescent effect.
Juice Spritzers--Create a cool juice spritzer bar with fresh organic juices and champagne, cava, or Prosecco. Mix as for a mimosa. You must try this! And to up the cool factor, put the juices in carafes in a beverage tub with ice, and in another tub put the champagne, Prosecco, or cava, also on ice.

Set out cool glasses like martini glasses or, trendy now, round or square low tumblers, and mod, monogrammed, or linen on a roll napkins (the latter from MyDrap, for example). And if any guest wants only any of these juices with no alcohol, no problem.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-11-10T11:59:00.001-08:00

4 hliday ckg unbleached prchment, wax paper chlorin free bkg cups 100% rcycld alum foil BPA, PVC free plstic wrap:
http://www.sustyparty.com

4 Cool Ideas to Add Flair to Your Thanksgiving Meal

2011-11-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for ideas to add flair to your Thanksgiving (or any festive fall) meal this year, read on.

You can still keep the tradtional feel that many people like in Thanksgiving dinner and add an interesting touch or two just to spice things up. Here are four ideas to do this:

Use real small pumpkins with decorative real or paper leaves attached to the stems as place/name cards, or lay the leaves across the plates if you're doing a sit-down dinner. Or, edgier: use quinces, a relative of the apple that comes in shades ranging from pale to deep yellow (legend has it that the quince was the apple in the Garden of Eden). Or alternate pumpkins and quinces.
Add touches of gold, bronze, or deep, not pastel, peach to the decor with serving pieces, a runner, or decorations. These touches add warmth and a fall-like feel with a more contemporary slant.
Set out or serve a trio (or at least a duo) of pumpkin desserts rather than a pumpkin pie. Pumpkin mousse, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bars, chocolate-pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll..And you can include a pumpkin pie as part of this too if you want to please the traditionalists. Why not?
Try some wine pairings--If you've not done this before at a Thanksgiving meal, please do try it. Ask your wine store for recommendations for your menu, and also serve non-alcoholic options with the meal. You'll be surprised how much more festive and relaxed your meal becomes!
Set out a tray of orange and yellow sorbets or gelatos in small glasses or goblets. Even if you serve baked desserts, people love anything in the ice cream family even in winter! If you like, decorate the tray with small pumpkins or gourds.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-11-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Cool tool: Kuhn Rikon Vase Spice Grinder to grind spices or pepper w no grinding dust on your counter or stove:
http://ping.fm/yEg9I

2011-11-08T14:11:00.001-08:00

Young friend: hors d'oeuvres 4 my dinner party 2nite? Seafood & cheese blender mousse piped in tartlets, frittata bites on skewers

Using Cones at Parties

2011-11-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

Food cones are very popular at events now, whether cocktail or dinner parties or other types of events, and can be used to add interest to your gathering. Guests like food cones because they feel like they're receiving a lovely packaged gift of food.

Types of Cones for Events
There are several types of cones that can be used at events, including:

Paper cones
Sweet (waffle or plain) cones
Savory (waffle or plain) cones

Cones for parties and dinners can be filled with all manner of foods including:

Popcorn
Candies
Fries
Mini hot dogs
Non-drippy hot or cold small bites such as shrimp or fish bites or balls or fresh fruit and cheese cubes (make sure the fruit has been dried off before putting in the cones) or gougeres (puff pastry cheese puffs)
Cake pops or other small sweet treats
Mini wraps
And many more!

Paper cones offer the widest possibilities for serving as they can be used either with sweet or savory foods and are much less trouble to make. If you want to make sweet or savory food cones there are now electric cone makers that make 4-6 cones in 10 minutes or so; or you can also buy food cones from some gourmet suppliers online or in stores (they won't be as good as freshly made, though), or you can have a baker or caterer make them for you.

How to Display Cones
There are special stands to serve cones but you can also use any round or square container deep enough to hold the cones, you can lay them across a tray on their sides, or you can use a stacked tier stand (lay the cones around the perimeter) or put a filled cone in each cup of a cupcake holder or in round or square tumblers.

Making Paper Cones
You can buy sheets of heavy cone paper at craft stores (they're used to hold flower cones at weddings too) or buy paper sandwich wrappers at a restaurant supply store (you may want to use 2-3 sandwich wrapper sheets if they're very thin).

Roll into a cone shape, staple the cones closed on one side, then cover the staples with stickers. Colorful paper or more elegant gold or silver or textured or embossed white cone sheets are also available at craft and paper stores. Avoid tissue paper as it tends to bleed when moist.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Why Some Parties Look Boring

2011-11-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

One of the things people hire caterers and event planners for is the fact that we know how to create a design for any event, no matter how small or large. And we also know how to avoid the visual "blahs" at a gathering--by using simple design principles that anyone can learn.

No, you don't have to become an interior decorator to add visual interest to your party or gathering, though of course the most high-end affairs do require that level of design skill.

For smaller or less over-the-top gatherings, it's not at all difficult to avoid your party looking boring.

Start by deciding a color scheme. This is the easiest way to avoid your party looking blah. If you want your party color scheme to complement the color scheme in your home or wherever your party will be held, remember that you don't want your party decor to be the same color exactly as your home decor or it won't stand out. It's better to have a complementary color (or two) rather than to try to match your party decor to your walls or furnishings. Or at most use one of the colors in your home and then add in a complementary color for your gathering.

Another quick way to add color and interest to your party table(s) is with the use of greenery. We use greenery at most of our events as our supplier raises wonderful climbing vines such as passionflower most of the year, but you can pick up several types of greenery even at the supermarket these days. Lay it on the tables, leaving room for the serving pieces with the food, then put the serving pieces with the food down (some do it the other way around but we've found the final effects to be better if we lay the greenery out first, and it also forces you to see whether you're overcrowding the party table with food and thereby losing any nice visual, non-blah effects).

Or go to a gourmet supermarket and buy baby vegetables or champagne grapes and put them on a pedestal by themselves as a centerpiece or on serving pieces with food on your party table(s). Or mix in the baby vegetables or small fruits among the greenery leaves. And then if you don't want to eat this produce, donate it to a shelter rather than throwing it away.

Or buy a few fresh flowers and put just a few or even just one large bloom on your food trays or serving pieces--looks great if the flower is in the middle of the tray with the hors d'oeuvres around the bloom.

Any of these ideas add color with little work or previous design experience, saving your party from looking boring.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-11-03T12:40:00.001-07:00

Moscatel vinegar nice alternative to balsamic for sauteeing, drizzling, even over desserts at specialty shops and http://www.latienda.com

2011-11-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

If u don't make ur own Fromage Blanc-no fat & can be used for sweet or savory dishes- at supermarkets:
http://ping.fm/fh4UT

Decorating for a Fall Party

2011-11-02T08:56:00.000-07:00

People often entertain more in the fall, and if you're looking for ideas for creating a warm, fall-like feeling for your fall gathering without resorting to orange, read on.

There's nothing wrong with orange (sienna, terracotta, pumpkin, etc.), of course. It's just that it's used so often to signal "fall party" that it's become a little over-used.

If you'd like your event to stand out and still evoke the warm tones associated with fall, here are our suggestions:

Warm shades of cream mixed with a few touches of gold or any metallic with a bronze-y or coppery sheen (or actual bronze or copper)--Touches can be things like trays, candlesticks or candelabras, a runner, serving bowls or dinner plates, or a table statue or other decorative piece.
Deep, not pastel, shades of yellow, also nice with accents of gold or copper
Shades of brown with touches of gold or a coppery shade, or brown mixed with deep yellow--Remember, too much dark brown without any lightening touches looks depressing and dark
Very dark (burnt) peach mixed with gold or cream accents (or both)--elegant but friendly and adds a lot of warmth to your gathering, sort of an orange-without-being-orange

All of these ideas will add a great fall warmth to your gathering but are more elegant and less tiring on the eyes and nervous system than orange.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Halloween Cupcake Ideas

2011-10-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

I readily admit that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays as my birthday is the day before.

If you've decided at the last-minute to go ahead and do something festive for Halloween--whether for friends or family, the kids or their school party, the office, or wherever--, we have three ideas for dressing up purchased cupcakes so they'll look fabulous.

Of course, the first step is to purchase the cupcakes from a reputable source. A reputable source is never a supermarket, no matter how upscale. Trust us, if you knew how they make their baked goods...No, better to buy from a pastry or cupcake shop, a restaurant, a caterer, or a small-batch baker. At least you'll know that 1) the cupcakes will taste better and 2) they won't have trans fats or tons of artificials in them. All the better if wherever you buy them puts them already in Halloween-themed cupcake papers. Ask wherever you buy them to not make the frosting so peaky. Here's why:

For the cool piece de resistance, decorate the cupcakes with any or all of the following three easy ideas:

Buy Milano-type cookies and with a squeeze bottle (a good investment if you entertain at less than $1.50 each at party and restaurant supply stores) write RIP on the cookie, then cut a horizontal slash in each cupcake and insert the cookie about 1/3 of the way in the slash so it looks like a tombstone.
Cut a small round hole in the top of each cupcake and insert a marshmallow about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way in; before doing so cut little holes in the marshmallow near the top and insert chocolate chip "eyes" so it now looks like a ghost.
Cut a chocolate wafer thin mint into fourths, place two pieces on each cupcake to make cat ears and finish the cat face with jelly bean eyes and nose (mouth too, if you want) and black licorice strings cut into cat whiskers.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-10-27T14:22:00.001-07:00

For the holidays cool & easy way 2 make whipped cream w no artificials iSi's Mini Whip @
SLT, Williams Sonoma &
http://ping.fm/vMj6u

Halloween Goody Buffet Ideas

2011-10-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for serving ideas for a casual Halloween get together, here are ideas for a cool Halloween goody buffet you can put together in minutes with no cooking.

Serve goodies on or in orange and black serving bowls and decorate the goody buffet with Halloween-themed paraphernalia to your heart's content.

Choose from the following:

Boo cups (fill bottom of glasses up to about halfway each with crushed Oreos or chocolate cake or cupcake crumbs, top with peaked dollops of whipped cream and two chocolate chip eyes to look like ghosts)
Cheetos "worms" (especially in a black bowl!)
Orange and/or black M & Ms
Gummy worms
Trick-or-treat bowl with mini candy bars or other pre-packaged mini candies--guests of all ages will indulge!
Witches' brew punch--So many witches' brew punch recipes are lovely but complicated. No worries. A super easy one: Orange sherbert+lemon lime or pineapple or kiwi-strawberry soda--add more sherbert if you start to lose the orange color with the soda

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-10-26T14:02:00.001-07:00

Susty Party biodegradable plates fall order going out

Small Foods Ideas for Your Party

2011-10-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

The idea of using small foods for entertaining brings a smile to most people's faces.

By small foods we don't mean Spanish tapas or Greek meze--these are more correctly called "small plates" foods as the foods themselves are not specifically small. Instead, it's the plates (and the portions), not the food size, that are small for tapas and meze.

No, small foods are foods made as or cut into small size, and there is something fun and comforting at the same time about them.

Don't believe that small foods can't be used at more formal occasions like weddings and fundraisers--if done right, they add flair and make guests happy.

Here are 14 ideas for small foods that add a wonderful touch to parties:

Small custard cups of macaroni and cheese
Beef or crab cake sliders
Mini quesadillas cut out with a cookie cutter or (easier) cut into triangles
Mini sweet and savory pies--So easy nowadays with wonderful little pie makers like the one from Sunbeam
Mini puff pastry empanadas--Also easy to do with a cookie cutter, just cut out circles with a cookie cutter, add filling, fold over, seal edges, and bake (don't forget to baste with butter for the full decadent experience)
Mini soup cups or shooters (cold soup for any size group and hot soup for a small group)
Mini desserts--cupcakes are popular but also look into small sizes of any dessert. Some bakers specifically make well-known desserts like cheesecakes or layer cakes in small sizes, perhaps 4" or 5".
Shakes or smoothies shots
Mini dessert shots
Mini pizzas
Mini skewers of any kind
Frittatas and quiches cut out with a cutter into small rounds
Mini (individual) ramekins of lasagna
Mini creme brulees or other custard desserts (use the smaller size of custard cups)
Any type of tartlet

And here's how to make a great easy mini dessert display in 10 minutes:

Buy cakey brownies, at least one inch thick, from a reputable baker
Cut out small circles from the larger brownie squares with a cookie cutter
Dust tops of these rounds with powdered sugar or frost the tops with cream cheese frosting
Serve.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

Another Easy Dessert for Fall Gatherings: Cheese&Wine Course

2011-10-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

At this VERY busy time of year, many people would like to have guests over and want to serve a dessert, but are unsure of what to serve, where to buy it, don't know how to bake, etc.

Here's an idea that will definitely add a cool factor to your gathering and is easy to pull off: serve a cheese course as the finale with some fruit and wines paired to the cheeses.

In Europe a fruit and/or cheese finale to a meal is the order of the day except for big Sunday lunches or holidays, when sweet desserts are served, and then they are quite rich and spectacular, often bought from the artisan pastry shops in every village and town. Nostalgia bite: our old fave pastry shop, run by a kindly and phenomenal Belgian immigré baker on General Aranda Street in Madrid's upscale Rubén Darío neighborhood, and its individual apple puff pastry tartlets glazed with apricot jam.

But if you're looking for an easy, interesting, sort of edgy way to end a meal at your gathering this fall--or even a stand alone food idea for your gathering--a cheese/fruit finale with wine is cool.

How Tos

Ask your wine store to recommend 1 or 2 wines for the cheeses you want to serve.

With Red Wines, Serve:

Goat cheeses
Young Cheddar
Camembert
Gruyere or any of the Swiss-type cheeses
Aged Gouda
Manchego

With Dessert Wines, Serve:

Aged Cheddar
Blue cheeses
Dry or regular Jack

One ounce of type of cheese per person is enough. Take cheese out one hour before serving.

Fruit to Serve:

Grapes (champagne grapes are pretty if you can find them)
Sliced pears
Quince paste (Spanish membrillo)

Use salad plates, forks, and knives for this course. Or go casual and eat as finger foods. Plate the cheese and fruit and serve to your guests, or have guests serve themselves from a platter.

Done. And a cool way to end your meal, or as a cool light spread itself.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-10-19T16:27:00.001-07:00

Private ckg. class: Tiramisú

2011-10-19T09:54:00.001-07:00

Cool for fall, holiday or anytime events: Rabbit wine corkscrews:
http://ping.fm/ox4aL

Creating a Super Easy Small Dessert Buffet

2011-10-18T12:11:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for ideas on creating a dessert buffet at your event this year and your gathering is not too large, one way to do this is to buy some small desserts from either a reputable baker or food establishment, or there are now even some frozen options that are of high quality.

It's all in the details, so find a space to put your desserts that's not too small or crowded, preferably away from the savory food, if you're serving it.

Or why not consider an all small desserts buffet with some nice wines or champagnes or some regular and/or specialty coffees (such as cappucino). This is great if you're really busy but still want to host a gathering of some type. Done with style but easy.

If your serving area is on the small side, try this: buy or borrow a cake stand and put it with some of the small desserts on top on the table, then arrange the other desserts on the table--any type of pedestal will increase your use of serving space. Plus it looks better--we avoid all flat surfaces because it doesn't look as appealing as if you have a little height.

Put all the same types of desserts together on your serving area, but don't be afraid to put more than one type on a tray, for example--just keep them separated, on the tray, by type. Or skip trays altogether! Keep in mind, though, that trays protect your furniture from crumbs and spills.

There are so many great small desserts that it's hard to choose! But a variety is always good (at least three different types), and if one has frosting, such as mini or full-size cupcakes or brownie bites, that's always a bit hit with guests. Here's another tip: ask your baker or wherever you buy the cupcakes to make sure the entire surface of the cupcake is pretty much covered with frosting, even if the frosting is piped or swirled to peaks--one of our real pet peeves is to see cupcakes with frosting only basically in the middle. Not.

Before your event you may want to try out some small desserts from several sources...At the retail level, Whole Foods is always of high quality, as is Trader Joe's (coming to Houston, yay!) and a new one we learned about that's a nice option if you don't have any good bakers nearby, Daphne Baking Company, which makes artisan small dessert tarts with no preservatives or trans fats that are frozen: www.daphnebaking.com

To finish your dessert buffet, lay your small desserts out nicely with some nice little plates in a style you like, forks, napkins, and beverages, and you're all set!

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-10-17T13:18:00.001-07:00

Ths wk Tomato & Swiss Mini Puff Pstry Pies Bf Tndrln w Rosemary Chimchrri Chkn in Berry & Feta Sauce more:
http://ping.fm/c6k93

2011-10-15T12:34:00.001-07:00

Chefs leaving private client just finshd 2day's brunch Ham & Pepper Jack Burritos w Roasted Tmto & 'peño Salsa Fruit Skewers Ornge Tea Bread

2011-10-15T12:27:00.001-07:00

Add fun foods to your event:
http://bit.ly/9OepuP

Add Fun Foods to Your Event

2011-10-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a way to add excitement to your event, why not consider adding some fun foods?

The fun foods trend has become increasingly popular in the last three years, and it makes sense if you're looking for a way to add a lighthearted touch to your event.

Fun foods touches are now popular at weddings, but are also increasingly popular at fundraisers, corporate and non-profit events (at everything from conference refreshment breaks to evening social hours), and private events for guests of all age groups.

And these are touches--generally they are served in addition to the food of the main menu for the event.

Why Fun Foods?

Adding a fun foods touch to your event will add an unexpected level of lightheartedness that guests of all ages can enjoy. And since it often IS unexpected by guests, the combined element of surprise and whimsy or fun will make guests smile and put them in a relaxed mood.

This can be especially important for certain events, such as corporate conferences, fundraisers, or weddings, where there might be a little tension or anxiety. But in any case, if it puts guests in a relaxed mood, that's a good thing.

Here are some fun foods ideas:

Popcorn (plain and flavored), popcorn balls, or Cracker Jack
Hot pretzels
Cake pops
Hot dogs or sliders
Cookies
Brownies (especially if cut into shapes and/or frosted)
Mini pies (mini pie makers available from Sunbeam and Breville, or you can also use a Babycakes Cupcake Maker)
Ice cream sandwiches, cones, or popsicles
Root beer or sherbert floats (use straws)
Cones filled with sweet or savory fillings
Chocolate milk or fruit smoothie shooters
Donuts (so easy to make, and so superior in taste, to commercial donuts: make holes in refrigerator biscuits or a biscuit dough cut out as for biscuits and fry in hot veg oil until golden on both sides, then roll in regular or cinnamon sugar)
Cream-filled cupcakes (similar to Hostess Twinkies and cupcakes but more elegant and with no trans fats; you can make them yourself with a special mold available at www.bryanlanehome.com or at large retailers and fill with regular or chocolate whipped cream or Nutella, or have a baker prepare for you)
Mini Mexican bites (mini taquitos, flautas, quesadillas, or gorditas)
Macaroni and cheese or bread pudding in small individual custard cups

Serving Fun Foods

To serve your fun foods you can either go with a high/low mix of serving them on elegant trays of your choice or, if appropriate to your event, on more "fun" type serving pieces such as colorful platters, or certain foods can also be served in small colored takeout boxes, or on stacked colored glass cake stands. Or you may want to go all out and set up a canopy of some type, even indoors, to mark off your fun foods area, and decorate the area.

Be aware that companies exist that offer to cater fun foods at events, but often their food and setup are of the type more appropriate to an outdoor festival, and so may not be right for your event. In addition, their food often contains trans fats. Better to create or have done for you your own fun foods with food you can trust, and a setup to serve them that's right for your event.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-10-13T13:45:00.001-07:00

Private interactive ckg class dinner @ client's home 2morrow Gambas al ajillo Euro lasagna w bechamel dssert duo lava cakes, tiramisú shots

How to Set Up a Coffee Bar at Your Party

2011-10-13T13:33:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to add flair to your home party this fall, another way to do this is to set up a coffee bar for your guests. You can hire someone to do this for you or do it yourself.

If you do it yourself...

First, set up an area near your desserts. Lay out spoons, cups, and napkins. Saucers are often optional these days at events held in venues (event spaces for rent), but saucers are a good idea for coffee at home parties so your guests won't ruin your furniture by putting a hot or dripping cup on it.

Consider brewing the coffee with strips of orange zest for added flavor.

Then set out cream in a decorative pitcher, brandy, and several other liqueurs such as kirsch, Kahlúa, Triple Sec, Tía María, and amaretto to stir into the coffee.

In small bowls offer loose sugar or sugar cubes (if cubes provide tongs), whipped cream, grated chocolate, and cocoa powder. Lay a small spoon in each bowl for guests to serve themselves. Add cinammon sticks as stirrers in another small bowl.

Impressive and fun for guests as they decide what they want in their coffee, without being too much work.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-10-11T12:28:00.001-07:00

Must see for coolest eco partyware!
http://ping.fm/GVmEG

4 Last-Minute Easy Centerpiece Ideas

2011-10-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

As cooler weather arrives many of us are thinking of having or planning home gatherings this fall. A quick way to make your gathering festive and to add pizzazz is with a quick and easy centerpiece idea.

There are times (or rather, lack of time) and occasions when a quick and easy centerpiece idea is just the thing you need to make your party or gathering look more finished or polished as well as festive, and less of an amateurish attempt at entertaining.

Here are 4 centerpiece ideas that will take less than 10 minutes to set up--and the results are surprisingly beautiful:

Pile seasonal fruit in a glass bowl--Select 5-12 of a single fruit such as apples, oranges, clementines, pears, pomegranates, quinces, or even lemons. Or use small pumpkins or squashes.
Buy several large bunches of fresh herbs--e.g., rosemary, basil, mint, dill--and gather them in a pitcher, jar, julep cup, or small-ish Asian porcelain vase (ginger jar-type). But be careful that none of your guests (like me) are allergic to fresh herbs.
Have a small or medium-size sculpture you like (obviously, nothing very expensive)? Put it as a centerpiece. Maybe gather some vines (ivy, passionflower, any climbing vines) from your yard and wind them around the statue base. Or for a minimalist look, leave the unadorned statue as your centerpiece to make a statement on its own.
Float 3-4 fresh flower blossoms in one large or three small bowls with water. Place at the center of your table.

In all cases, make sure served food, napkins, plates, cutlery, and glasses are not pushed up right next to the centerpiece or it will spoil the look.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-10-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

To add flair to fall & holiday entertaining we like the beautiful rimmed stemware at Pottery Barn:
http://ping.fm/vbZNq

Add Pizzaz to Your Party with Desserts in Shot Glasses

2011-10-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

A way to add pizzazz to your party or gathering is to serve desserts in shot glasses. This is an increasingly popular trend that is also fairly easy for even people who don't really cook to do.

There are several desserts you can serve in shot glasses, and several types of glasses that you can use for this.

Generally, a mousse or creamy-type dessert or dessert layers (like a trifle or parfait-type dessert) can be served like this. Here are a few:

Berry Cheesecake Shots: Buy a good quality cheesecake, cut in pieces, layer in shot glasses, top with sweetened whipped cream, then top with blueberries or blackberries in syrup (pour some of the syrup on too).
Make or buy a chocolate mousse. Spoon into shot glasses, top with whipped cream, then top that with a fresh berry or cocoa powder.
Crush cookies into large chunks and mix with ice cream, gelato, or sweetened whipped cream. Top all with candies or a small, rolled long cookie.
Even easier: Mix mascarpone or sour cream with sugar or honey and put in the glasses, top with cocoa powder and chocolate curls or bits. Or make a tiramisú (there are some good mixes imported from Italy for this if you don't know how to make tiramisú) and just spoon it into glasses and top with cocoa powder.

For more ideas and recipes, including one for pudding shots with Bailey's, see:

http://bit.ly/oRDmTp

http://bit.ly/nUxoVp

Dessert Shot Glasses
You can use several types of glasses to serve desserts like this. Square tumblers are trendy now, but you can also use short round tumblers, short round tumblers with a pedestal, small schnapps glasses, or even martini glasses. Note that it's easier to spoon desserts like this into short round or square glasses than it is into martini or schnapps glasses.

Line up the dessert shots for your guests or put them on a cake stand--looks very cool.

Enjoy!

Kristina

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

2011-10-06T13:32:00.001-07:00

Perfect homemade ice cream maker for 1 or 2: Hamilton Beach Half Pint Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker