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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warmly,

Kristina

Fandango Catering and Events
www.fandango-catering.com

Fandango Catering Offers More Ideas for Successful Events

Today we offer 6 more ideas for making your parties and events more successful--better food and bev presentations, more welcoming and comfortable for guests, etc. 

Successful events mean that everyone enjoys the food and beverages and the decor.  Whether your event is small or large, there are a few things you can do to improve how your offerings look and how easy it is for guests to feel welcome.  Below, some tips.

If you have a large or large-ish group and are using a food buffet, avoid long lines either by using a double-sided buffet or two different buffet/food station tables close together.  You can also cut down on lines by having servers pass trays of food as well as having a buffet--though not all hot food, especially, works when served from a passed tray (but many upscale events do any hot food, from sliders and hot dim sum to entrees on plates, passed on trays; the trick is to keep bringing out trays of hot foods every 10-15 minutes so the food doesn't get cold).  And if you lay out desserts in another room, make sure servers pass those also so you won't be left with a bunch of uneaten desserts.  Lately clients in planning meetings have told us they prefer station-like event setups with desserts near the savory food so whomever wants to eat savory and dessert at the same time can do so--and you'd be surprised how many people like to do this!

Speaking of buffets, be aware that calling tables to a buffet is VERY time consuming and can irritate guests, who become impatient or feel "lazy" about getting up to serve themselves when they're quite comfy in their chairs.  A buffet line takes around 25 minutes for 100 guests to pass through it; calling tables to a buffet takes 45 minutes to an hour for 100 guests to go through.

For a smaller cocktail-type event, you can create a wonderful, easy presentation if you buy a few large blooms like gerbera daisies or hibiscus or gardenias or camellias, cut off the blooms near the stems so they lay flat, and lay one large bloom on each serving tray; then in the other end of the tray lay long chive strands, stacked.  Or lay two large blooms on a tray in opposite corners.  See how easy? Moderne and stylish.

For a spring or summer beverage table or bar, lay tropical leaves on a tray, then put filled wineglasses or flutes on top of the leaves.  Not into tropical? Put a small bowl of good chocolates or cookies on the tray with the filled glasses, or even just on your bar or beverage station table for guests to enjoy with our without your wines or champagne.  It's a way of lifting the bar to the next level, the way good hotels put small gifts for guests in their rooms.

Another easy food presentation idea--Unusual small produce (from better food emporiums or farmers' markets) such as champagne grapes, crabapples, Seckel pears, mini eggplants...Pile in the center of your serving tray or, easier, put in a large martini glass in the center of your serving tray.  Works for finger foods, dinner foods (the latter if you aren't using chafing dishes), even mini dessert displays.

Guests really DO like to sit down--We see people wanting to skimp on seating at their event.  If you do this you'll see that people will leave faster then if you provide seating for at least half the guests.  At a party we catered the hostess put many small tables with chairs in the backyard, lit with tealights in holders, and we passed trays while her bartender tended bar out in the yard too--her guests enjoyed sitting and table-hopping so much that they stayed until quite late! On the other hand, at a wedding we catered several years ago the couple decided to rent only a few tall cocktail tables and chairs and about half the guests left after around 30 minutes of a three-hour reception.  Guests (especially if wearing high heels) really do like to sit down at a an event!

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

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 Offers 2012 Hors d'Oeuvres Trends for Parties & Weddings

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

Fandango Catering Launches 2012 Menu

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

Fandango Catering and Events Offers 4 Tips for Wedding and Event Contracts

Event contracts--for catering, event planning or design, or event services--are CONTRACTS.  That means they are legal documents that the client is entering into with a vendor.  Today we offer 4 tips to help you avoid problems with your wedding or event contract.

Not every event has or needs a detailed contract.  For smaller or recurring events, generally event professionals do not prepare a detailed contract.  But weddings and larger, typically more expensive events do use contracts to protect both the client(s) and the vendor(s).  At Fandango we prepare event contracts for events over $3,000.

We're astonished when a client doesn't, or doesn't make sure their event planner does, read their event contracts carefully.  People are insanely busy nowadays, but not reading your contract can cost you money unexpectedly.  Event professionals are nothing like credit card companies, in our view, but the same holds true as when you sign up for a credit card: read the fine print (read everything).  Fortunately, event contracts are usually short and straightforward, not overly complicated.

Here are the typical areas in an event contract that can cost you money if you don't read them:

Guarantees
Most event professionals including caterers, hotels, restaurants, and country clubs, require a guaranteed number of guests for a large and/or expensive event as these events require a lot of work, time, and resources, and we event professionals don't want to be told, after a deposit is made and a lot of time and work has gone into the event, that a dramatically lower number of guests will be attending as we've already spent money on the event and often our suppliers won't let us change an order. 

Savvy people understand this and guarantee for a few more than they believe will come, then arrange for any food leftovers to be given to them or their guests or donated.

Cancellation Fees
Check out that cancellation fee clause; or if not a separate clause, find in the contract where it deals with cancellations.  Cancelling your event can go as high as 50%, so you want to know what the vendor's policy is on that.

Change Fees
Check out the change fees too--they run from 10%--30% or more per change.  After any deposit or payment is made the only change we allow without charging the change fee is the final head count. 

The time to decide any changes is BEFORE you make your deposit or pre-payment.  The best way to avoid change fees is to sit down and visualize every aspect of your event--will the way you want to do things be practical or do you need to rethink? Get a second opinion if necessary.  Recently a bride wanted to change the whole timeline of the wedding reception to cut the cake late in the evening and when we pointed out the change fee and the resulting costs involved (increased overtime fee for cake cutting by our pastry chefs, need for more plates and cutlery as the original plan was to have the cake as part of a dessert trio in the sit-down dinner), she decided to go with the original timeline.

Down here in Houston our contracts also include severe weather clauses because of hurricanes and tropical storms.

Line-by-Line
We suggest that you don't leave any reading of contracts for expensive services to an event planner unless in a former incarnation your event planner was an attorney.  We've seen too many event planners that are ditsy and trying to juggle kids too, and for the same reason, we've seen clients have to pay out or unable to make a change important to them because their event planners claimed to have reviewed all contracts for an event and in reality had only skimmed them.  My father was an attorney so I'm a stickler for creating solid contracts and for reading line-by-line any contracts we sign with other vendors.  We advise you to be as vigilant.

If anything, ask your event planner about these 3 points in each contract: guranteed number of guests, cancellation fees, and change fees.  And while you're at it, ask about terms: "What are the terms the vendor is proposing?"

Terms
This means things like the client will provide tables and not the caterer, for instance, and can also include payment methods or payment timelines or deliverables timelines, though these are sometimes specified in their own clauses. 

We have fairly detailed terms, but they're to protect us as well as the client.  For instance, twice we had to pay expensive paid parking at a client's (generally we do not have to pay for parking as our clients arrange it at their business or home) and the third time they hired us we put in the terms that they had to pay or validate the parking for our van and one other vehicle, and they did.

If no terms or policies are presented, we caution you, as often these are companies who book in volume, with few repeat clients, and thus don't care much about the kind of job they do.  If you have any questions or concerns, write them down and make sure they're answered, either to your planner or you. 

Remember, you're paying, so you want to make sure the final contract is acceptable both to you and your vendor(s).

Warmly,

Kristina

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

7 Tips for Choosing a Sustainable Wedding (or Any Event) Menu

As promised, here are tips for choosing a sustainable wedding (or any event) menu, whether you do the cooking or have someone do it.

What is a Sustainable Wedding or Event Menu?

Loosely defined, it's a menu that uses local and/or organic ingredients so that the Earth's resources are sustained more than depleted or contaminated. Local food can be, or not be, organic (grown without pesticides or other chemicals), and organic food can be, but often isn't, local, as it's often shipped from far away. This is changing as increasing areas of the country and the world grow organic and an increasing number of food businesses of every type are turning to sustainable food due to increasing numbers of people becoming more aware of the food they put in their bodies.

It's Too Much

The issue seems overwhelming, especially if you already have to plan an event. But it's better to do even ONE thing to make your wedding or event more sustainable than to do nothing at all as the Earth's resources have been tremendously depleted already. What can you do? Read on.

7 Ideas for Making Your Menu More Sustainable

Use or ask your caterer if you can use local/organic/seasonal/sustainable food. An increasing number of food professionals are willing to do so. It's up to consumers to begin demanding fresher, healthier, and better-tasting food.

Find out what's seasonal for your event date (see www.sustainabletable.org and www.about.com on local food for your area). Many areas with warm climates can grow produce all year-round.

Request antibiotic-free meat, chicken, or pork. Some meats are local and that's good too. Grass-fed is also great, lower in fat than corn-fed, and has immune-building and other health benefits.

If you serve fish, check out www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx for a list of sustainable fish (fish that hasn't been overfished or hasn't been contaminated, such as with mercury). We use mostly tilapia, mahi mahi, and wild-caught salmon. If you want to serve shellfish or other seafood, avoid farmed as their water is treated with antibiotics, and also avoid seafood imported from Asia as it is often treated with substances and is flown in from very far away.

Use or ask to use hormone-free or organic dairy, and check out any local cheesemakers as these often use hormone-free and/or organic operations.

If you serve coffee, tea, or chocolate desserts, you can use fair-trade, which ensures they weren't produced in terrible slave labor conditions in developing countries.

Price?

Organic produce is more expensive because it's more expensive to grow. Local produce can be cheaper because it's not shipped from far away (gasoline prices), so check out farmers' markets; but for lowest prices and excellent quality. the farmers' restaurant outlets in many cities that also sell to the public are your (or the caterer's) best bet. Organic, antibiotic-free, and grass-fed meats are more expensive; grass-fed is the less expensive of the three (but many grass-fed operations are organic too as the owners don't want to contaminate the livestock with anything). Organic and hormone-free dairy is more expensive than regular dairy. Fair-trade sugar and chocolate is not much more than regular (but fair-trade coffee is pricey).

As more people demand fresh and healthier food, more food businesses will turn to these foods and more local operations will be able to provide to caterers, hotels, restaurants, and other food businesses.

If you can only do one thing, buy or have catered with local produce as this can actually lower your event cost and encourages sustainable farming and local business. But do whatever your budget and time will allow. Your taste buds and the Planet will thank you.

Warmly,

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales and Operations/Event Manager
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
info@fandango-catering.com
www.fandango-catering.com

Fandango Catering and Events Offers 12 Eco-Friendly Wedding Tips

Many wedding couples hire us to help them create an eco-friendly wedding, and today we offer our top 12 tips for making your wedding more eco-friendly.

Eco-friendly weddings come in many styles and don't necessarily have to mean tons of raffia, terra cotta pots, or repurposed things, if that's not your style.

In fact, nearly any beautiful wedding design can be made more eco-friendly with just a few simple tweaks!

Here are 12. If you do even a few you will have already made your wedding more eco-friendly!

1) Have your caterer use local and, optimally, seasonal food. Organic food is often shipped from far away. Local and organic is even better if your budget allows it. For meat entrees, request no antibiotics and/or grass fed.

2) If you use disposable napkins (such as for hors d'oeuvres), use recycled paper napkins (Seventh Generation makes white ones appropriate for nice occasions like a wedding).

3) Use cloth napkins for the dinner.

4) If you use votives or candles, buy soy candles.

5) If you use flower centerpieces, donate them to a hospital or nursing home rather than throwing them away. Or use small vases, goblets, or silver cups to hold only a few amazing flowers each, or consider non-floral centerpieces, such as interesting table statues and flower petals on each table, which will cut down on the number of flowers needed and still look beautiful.

6) Have leftover food donated to a shelter.

7) Donate leftover table menus, invitations, and non-food favors to a low-income school for the kids to make crafts.

8) Have the bartenders pour soda from bottles rather than cans.

9) Recycle any recyclables, including wine and spirits bottles, large soda bottles, and unused paper napkins.

10) Consider electricity use: some of the most beautiful weddings use a dimmer turned about halfway down and votives, candles, or lanterns to lend a magical glow and ambience while cutting down on electricity use.

11) If you're having a destination wedding, you can ask guests to donate to offset carbon emissions sites, which use the money for good works, to compensate for the air travel of getting to the wedding destination.

12) Ask people attending the wedding or your event manager to take care of any donations and recycling so you know it will get done while you're busy with the wedding and/or honeymoon. We regularly prepare food for donation and often arrange for its pickup or deliver it to shelters ourselves, as well as taking care of the recycling from weddings.

Upcoming: How to make your wedding menu more sustainable.

Warmly,

Kristina

Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.

Director of Sales and Operations/Event Manager

Fandango Catering and Events

(713) 522--0077

info@fandango-catering.com

www.fandango-catering.com