If you will or are thinking of hosting a holiday gathering this year, there are several options you can choose that are easy on the host/hostess.
Antipasto tray-Always impresses and can be used as a starter for a dinner or with other items to round out a light bites gathering. Buy a variety of Italian cold cuts such as capicola, mortadella, prosciutto, and other gourmet cold cuts; 3-4 cheeses including fresh mozzarella balls or medallions; fresh fruit such as cantaloupe, grapes, or figs; marinated vegetables such as artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, and pepperoncini; breads (we like sourdough baguettes) and perhaps some purchased flavored oil for dipping; and fresh cherry tomatoes or sliced tomatoes.
No time to cook? Buy 3-4 desserts, put on nice platters or trays, and serve with coffee, wines, or both, or a champagne or Riesling or mimosas if it's an afternoon gathering.
Easy hors d'oeuvres--Make ham and cheese sandwiches (buy best-quality ham and we like Munster for this), beat eggs with milk and a sprinkle of nutmeg as for French toast, dip each sandwich in the beaten egg, let sit 20 minutes, then fry over low heat in olive oil until golden. Let cool slightly, then cut each sandwich into 4 diamonds and pile up the diamonds on a platter. Takes about an hour. Can be served hot or cold and they'll disappear fast! And you can serve this with an antipasto tray or another, perhaps bought, hors d'oeuvres and good wines, a dessert too if you're feeling luxe.
Instant buffet--Buy some gallons of a gourmet soup to-go at a gourmet supermarket or from a caterer; buy 3-4 breads such as brioche, ciabatta, or challah and put out real butter; and add a bought dessert. An instant buffet for an informal gathering such as a tree trimming or a neighbors' or relatives' pre- or post-Christmas gathering.
Cookie party--If you enjoy making cookies, make and serve several types and also serve a selection of beverages such as coffee, cocoa, eggnog, mulled cider or wassail, or a sparkling wine if you have wine aficionados in your group. If you have at least 3 kinds of cookies and 2-3 kinds of beverages people will be happy, but it's best to avoid the dinner hour for this type of gathering or let your guests know that it is a cookie party lest people expect more food. Most bought cookies aren't good but we have been guests at events where the hosts put out a mixture of homemade and gourmet imported cookies and their events went well.
Enjoy!
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales and Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Fandango Catering and Events Launches Quick Order by Credit Card Page
Fandango Catering and Events has launched at clients' requests a new Quick Order by credit card page on its website. Credit card orders are handled securely via PayPal on our site.
Products available for order on this page include:
PayPal orders are available for delivery up to two miles past Loop 610 or, by appointment only, at our new downtown kitchen. PayPal orders are not available Mondays or Tuesdays and other terms and conditions apply.
See our website for more information:
www.fandango-catering.com
Or contact us at (713) 522-0077, (281) 796-9841, or info@fandango-catering.com
Note: Website and our e-mailing list promotions do NOT apply to PayPal orders.
¡Feliz Navidad!
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
Products available for order on this page include:
- Specialty products such as holiday desserts and, coming soon!, our signature gazpacho by the gallon and signature cream cheese chicken salad by the pound
- Sandwich lunches
- Boxed hors d'oeuvres for serving at parties and events
PayPal orders are available for delivery up to two miles past Loop 610 or, by appointment only, at our new downtown kitchen. PayPal orders are not available Mondays or Tuesdays and other terms and conditions apply.
See our website for more information:
www.fandango-catering.com
Or contact us at (713) 522-0077, (281) 796-9841, or info@fandango-catering.com
Note: Website and our e-mailing list promotions do NOT apply to PayPal orders.
¡Feliz Navidad!
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Fandango Catering and Events Offers Ideas for Decorating for Holiday Events
If you're hosting a holiday event this year, you may be unsure of how to decorate your home or office. Below, ideas for decorating your event space this holiday season.
Try not to overdo the red--Red used judiciously looks wonderful, but studies show too much red makes people nervous and also makes your event look like a department store Christmas section. For a better look, combine red with gold, white or cream, Christmas green, soft greens or blues a la Martha Stewart, or even silver or bronze. Then go out and come in, taking a fresh look at your decor--is there too much of any one color? Choose two colors and stick to them, at least in each room. This year red combined with gold is popular, and we also like red and cream and red with pale green
A nice festive touch is to put one decorative element on every surface where you will serve food or beverages--such as tables, kitchen islands or counters, or sideboards. Decorative elements include flowers or flowering plants (like poinsettias, a classic); nutcrackers; standing figurines of cloth or glass such as angels, Father Christmases, or Santas; or toy-type Christmas decorations. This will instantly transform the serving area from ho-hum to outstanding. If you don't have much space choose a small decorative element. To take it a step further, add a runner in red, green, gold, or cream to set off your decor.
Home improvement stores often give away branches from their tree lots at holiday time and these look great on mirrors, doors, mantels, or chandeliers, especially if you intertwine gold gauze ribbon among them. We also decorate for client events by intertwining among branches some beautiful Christmas balls hanging on satin loops, draped along mantels.
Staircases can be decorated with tree branches, a handsome garland, or a cascade of Christmas stockings.
If pressed for time, you can hang a large glass collector-type Christmas ball or elongated ornament, such as gilded pears or apples or glass Christmas pendants, from a chandelier with a bit of wire in less than 5 minutes.
Avoid decorating every single surface--this looks overdone and you can't see the forest for the trees. If you'd like to decorate several rooms where people will gather, concentrate on one main rooom and consider tabletop trees or Christmas figurines on ONE surface in the auxiliary rooms.
To decorate a sit-down dinner table quickly and easily, lay small Christmas balls (no glitter) on folded napkins and/or use colored chargers to add a festive touch to the table.
Enjoy!
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Fandango Catering and Events Offers Tips on Greening Your Holiday Event
It's not as difficult to green your holiday event, or make it more eco-friendly, as many people imagine. Even if you do just one thing to green your event, you can feel good that with just that one thing you helped preserve our planet. Below we offer 7 tips for greening your holiday event this year.
7 Ways to Green Your Holiday Event This Year
If you want to use disposables to reduce the cleanup at your event, buy biodegradables or compostables or disposables made of 100% recycled materials. We buy ours--the brand name is Terraware--at Whole Foods and they are more attractive than the standard disposables as they come in a pretty ivory shade. But there are other biodegradables available in stores and from the web. Seventh Generation sells recycled paper plates that are fine for casual events.
To really make a difference, use real dishes, glasses, and/or cutlery--In fact, the use of real dishes takes ANY holiday event up a notch in attractiveness and panache. If you're on a budget, during holiday time many stores sell "catering" sets of dishes, generally white or white with a gold or silver band, specifically for holiday gatherings, and you can buy great all-purpose stemware all year round at IKEA (as we do). I guarantee you that these little touches will make your holiday party the most memorable in your group! Small touches but your gathering will be the one that will stand out. And you will be saving many trees this way!
Have an old-fashioned Christmas tree with no lights, only ornaments--We began doing this years ago and people always comment that our tree looks more "Christmasy" and less "commercial" than trees with lights.
At your holiday party put out a bin or box for empty bottles and cans in your beverage area--if you make it easy for people to recycle like this they will. You can even dress up the bin or box with a big bow.
If you have someone manning or helping with the beverage table, pour from cans or big bottles of soda and big bottles of water into guests' glasses rather than buying a bunch of cans and giving each person a can of soda or individual bottle of water--this helps cut down on the landfill waste tremendously! This professional bartender's trick also helps reduce wasted soda or water.
Use small plates for the food, even a dinner, as people waste less food if you give them smaller plates. With large plates, people load up and half of them throw part of that food away. Guests can always return to the buffet if they're still hungry.
If any food is left over after your event and you don't want it for whatever reason, please donate it to a shelter rather than throwing it away.
If we all do at least one thing to green our holiday gatherings this year, we will have made a difference in preserving our planet for the future.
Warm wishes,
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
7 Ways to Green Your Holiday Event This Year
If you want to use disposables to reduce the cleanup at your event, buy biodegradables or compostables or disposables made of 100% recycled materials. We buy ours--the brand name is Terraware--at Whole Foods and they are more attractive than the standard disposables as they come in a pretty ivory shade. But there are other biodegradables available in stores and from the web. Seventh Generation sells recycled paper plates that are fine for casual events.
To really make a difference, use real dishes, glasses, and/or cutlery--In fact, the use of real dishes takes ANY holiday event up a notch in attractiveness and panache. If you're on a budget, during holiday time many stores sell "catering" sets of dishes, generally white or white with a gold or silver band, specifically for holiday gatherings, and you can buy great all-purpose stemware all year round at IKEA (as we do). I guarantee you that these little touches will make your holiday party the most memorable in your group! Small touches but your gathering will be the one that will stand out. And you will be saving many trees this way!
Have an old-fashioned Christmas tree with no lights, only ornaments--We began doing this years ago and people always comment that our tree looks more "Christmasy" and less "commercial" than trees with lights.
At your holiday party put out a bin or box for empty bottles and cans in your beverage area--if you make it easy for people to recycle like this they will. You can even dress up the bin or box with a big bow.
If you have someone manning or helping with the beverage table, pour from cans or big bottles of soda and big bottles of water into guests' glasses rather than buying a bunch of cans and giving each person a can of soda or individual bottle of water--this helps cut down on the landfill waste tremendously! This professional bartender's trick also helps reduce wasted soda or water.
Use small plates for the food, even a dinner, as people waste less food if you give them smaller plates. With large plates, people load up and half of them throw part of that food away. Guests can always return to the buffet if they're still hungry.
If any food is left over after your event and you don't want it for whatever reason, please donate it to a shelter rather than throwing it away.
If we all do at least one thing to green our holiday gatherings this year, we will have made a difference in preserving our planet for the future.
Warm wishes,
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Fandango Catering and Events Special Holiday Offers
On our home page, special holiday offers--No download or printing of coupons needed!
Go to:
www.fandango-catering.com
Just in time for the holidays, our special offers make your busy life sweeter and more delicious. Whether you'd like to order and then handle your own event or have us design and handle your event details, our catering and event experience ensures that your holiday occasion will be a success!
Mention the promotional code when booking or ordering and we will include the special offer for that code in your invoice.
Holiday 2010 offers include 10% off bookings $50-$100, $20 off bookings $200-$500, and FREE mini desserts for bookings over $1,000.
For more information, menus, a price quote, or to order:
(713) 522-0077
info@fandango-catering.com
Warmly,
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
Go to:
www.fandango-catering.com
Just in time for the holidays, our special offers make your busy life sweeter and more delicious. Whether you'd like to order and then handle your own event or have us design and handle your event details, our catering and event experience ensures that your holiday occasion will be a success!
Mention the promotional code when booking or ordering and we will include the special offer for that code in your invoice.
Holiday 2010 offers include 10% off bookings $50-$100, $20 off bookings $200-$500, and FREE mini desserts for bookings over $1,000.
For more information, menus, a price quote, or to order:
(713) 522-0077
info@fandango-catering.com
Warmly,
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Fandango Catering and Events Offers Holiday Signature Cocktail Tips
At holiday time, holiday-themed signature cocktails add a festive touch to gatherings. Below, ideas for serving signature cocktails at your holiday event this year and recipes for some of our favorite signature cocktails.
Tips for Serving Signature Cocktails
*Prepare at least one batch of the cocktail before your guests arrive and have them lined up on your beverage table or beverage area. An elegant touch is to put the served cocktails on trays. If possible, make or assign someone to make batches of your signature cocktail throughout the event as needed--but please make sure everyone drinks responsibly.
*Drink charms or identifiers are another festive touch and can be a great icebreaker. You may want to lay out a plate and put a few charms on it to give your guests a place to put the charms when they've finished.
*If your signature cocktail calls for a garnish, make things easy by preparing them early in the day. If you're thinking of serving a drink that calls for a fresh garnish, such as muddled (crushed) fruit or herbs, substitute it for another cocktail that doesn't require a fresh garnish. And if really pressed for time, eliminate the garnish altogether--here's where drink charms can come in handy to dress up your drinks. Or opt for an easy garnish such as a maraschino cherry--60s and 70s cocktail culture is trendy now!
*For most events, unless they're very formal or weddings, an all-purpose wineglass and/or martini glass are fine for your bar. You can rent these very reasonably from a rentals company. We do suggest that you serve your signature cocktail in a martini glass--most cocktails look fine in these, and don't worry about highball glasses unless you're hired bartender provides them.
Holiday Signature Cocktail Recipes
Poinsettia
Makes 1 cocktail
1/2 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
Champagne
3 oz. cranberry juice
Have all ingredients chilled. Pour Cointreau and cranberry juice into a martini glass or champagne flute. Stir. Top with champagne.
Rudolph Fizz (Adapted from Karen Bussen's Simple Stunning Parties)
Makes 6 cocktails
1 bottle (750 ml) of cava, Champagne, Prosecco, or other sparkling wine
6 tsp. cherry syrup (see recipe below)
Fill cocktail glasses 3/4 full of sparkling wine. Drop 1 tsp. cherry syrup in each glass and serve.
Cherry Syrup:
1 lb. frozen cherries
1 cup sugar
Combine ingredients with 2 cups water in saucepan and stir. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cosmopolitan
Makes 1 cocktail
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 1/2--2 tsp. fresh or Rose's lime juice
In cocktail shaker combine ingredients and shake well. Pour into cocktail glasses and, if desired, garnish with lemon twist.
¡Salud!
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
Tips for Serving Signature Cocktails
*Prepare at least one batch of the cocktail before your guests arrive and have them lined up on your beverage table or beverage area. An elegant touch is to put the served cocktails on trays. If possible, make or assign someone to make batches of your signature cocktail throughout the event as needed--but please make sure everyone drinks responsibly.
*Drink charms or identifiers are another festive touch and can be a great icebreaker. You may want to lay out a plate and put a few charms on it to give your guests a place to put the charms when they've finished.
*If your signature cocktail calls for a garnish, make things easy by preparing them early in the day. If you're thinking of serving a drink that calls for a fresh garnish, such as muddled (crushed) fruit or herbs, substitute it for another cocktail that doesn't require a fresh garnish. And if really pressed for time, eliminate the garnish altogether--here's where drink charms can come in handy to dress up your drinks. Or opt for an easy garnish such as a maraschino cherry--60s and 70s cocktail culture is trendy now!
*For most events, unless they're very formal or weddings, an all-purpose wineglass and/or martini glass are fine for your bar. You can rent these very reasonably from a rentals company. We do suggest that you serve your signature cocktail in a martini glass--most cocktails look fine in these, and don't worry about highball glasses unless you're hired bartender provides them.
Holiday Signature Cocktail Recipes
Poinsettia
Makes 1 cocktail
1/2 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
Champagne
3 oz. cranberry juice
Have all ingredients chilled. Pour Cointreau and cranberry juice into a martini glass or champagne flute. Stir. Top with champagne.
Rudolph Fizz (Adapted from Karen Bussen's Simple Stunning Parties)
Makes 6 cocktails
1 bottle (750 ml) of cava, Champagne, Prosecco, or other sparkling wine
6 tsp. cherry syrup (see recipe below)
Fill cocktail glasses 3/4 full of sparkling wine. Drop 1 tsp. cherry syrup in each glass and serve.
Cherry Syrup:
1 lb. frozen cherries
1 cup sugar
Combine ingredients with 2 cups water in saucepan and stir. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cosmopolitan
Makes 1 cocktail
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 1/2--2 tsp. fresh or Rose's lime juice
In cocktail shaker combine ingredients and shake well. Pour into cocktail glasses and, if desired, garnish with lemon twist.
¡Salud!
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Fandango Catering and Events Offers Special Holiday Promotions
We will be offering special promotions and discounts this holiday season to new and continuing clients, including complimentary dessert trays with bookings and discount coupons for holiday orders and bookings.
Our holiday offerings this year will include many of our bestsellers from past years such as our signature Castle Cake; our Citrus, Chocolate Chunk, and Apricot Glaze Roscón de Reyes Ring Cakes; our Chocolate and Orange Buche de Noel; our signature mini desserts, including Baby Cheesecakes and Mini Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies; boxed handmade hors d'oeuvres; sandwich lunch packages; and--NEW!--6" puff pastry empanadas. We have also added to our list of handmade hors d'oeuvres and to our dinner/buffet options.
In addition, we will be adding to our website shortly a page for quick ordering by credit card--look for updates on our website and here on our blog!
For more information on our holiday promotions and offers, menus, or price quotes:
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
Enjoy the holidays!
Kristina
Kristina Ríos de Lumbreras, Ph.D.
Director of Sales & Operations
Fandango Catering and Events
(713) 522-0077
(281) 796-9841
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