Tastebuds: A Taste Catering Blog

Welcome to Tastebuds!

Thank you for visiting our blog, Tastebuds.  Tastebuds presents a Taste Catering perspective on a variety of topics having to do with food and entertaining.  As with everything we do, Tastebuds focus is on quality, creativity and excellence.  We expect to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously.  While I provide the overall direction for the blog, expect to see input from all of the "tastebuds"  as the fancy takes them.

We talk about food and menus, entertaining and gadgets decor and flower arranging, local restaurants and unique beverages.  We use photos and videos when words are not enough. We hope that you enjoy our eclectic approach and that you will join us in our on-going discussion.

Thanks,

MeMe Pederson
Co-Owner & CEO
Taste Catering and Event Planning

 

A Chef’s Memories from a Sonoma Wedding

It’s hard to take one’s eyes off a beautiful sunset, especially one setting behind successive silhouettes of Healdsburg hills, a graceful bend of the Russian River, bluffs of manzanita, and countless other thriving, verdant living things of which I do not even pretend to know the name.  An impressive pink hue dominates the dusk opposite the sun to the east.  It is heavenly, at worst.




Neglecting that, I find myself staring at the cutting board next to me – more specifically the ruby red juice pooled around the lone chunk of beef.  A blood stained knife rests in the background.  I cure my slackjaw only momentarily to lick my lips in a decidedly Pavlovian fashion---a sort of simple culinary still life notwithstanding the juices still ever so slowly oozing from the 2 inch thick Piedmontese beef ribeye right in front of me.



We have just finished service for a very high end 230 guest wedding this past Saturday night (dessert buffet still to come after dancing).  Only four passed hors d’oeuvres (but rapid fire! – these guests are hungry!); then a plated little gem and grilled artichoke salad that all of a sudden had to be served immediately, fifteen minutes before the scheduled time. 
Family style platters of hot food (81 heaping platters in all) as a main course followed, served simultaneously with 72 plated vegetarian entrees of our housemade English pea ravioli – all in 15 minutes.

And now I allow myself a moment to finally let my mind wander.  I would say 75% of the guests have exited the tent, satiated, in an effort to soak in the aforementioned setting sun and pink clouds.  The other 25% appear to be cut from my mold, utilizing the mass exodus to their advantage by stalking each table in an attempt to grab the remaining prime ribeye chunks from the unattended platters.  “Bravo,” I admire.  “Huh?” the chef next to me asks.  Oops! I guess I said that out loud.  Blame it on the slackjaw.

Food, of course, stirs up poignant memories in us all.  As I stare into the four hot deep fryers of pure duck fat (noble cauldrons of witches brew if ever there were!), 

my mirrored reflection dissolves into memories of past sunsets, my own wedding, and, of course, some of the finest, fattest steaks I can recall eating.  I may not remem
ber to pick up the dry cleaning tomorrow, but I sure can remember that bistecca Fiorentina I ate at Perseus in Florence ten years ago.  Or the sizzling 42 ounce porterhouse I ate at the original Ruth Chris’ in New Orleans some twenty years ago.  Not to mention the thick Kobe steaks I grilled up for myself, my wife, and my three year old only a few weeks back.

More importantly, food not only stirs up the past, it creates new, poignant memories again and again.  Why may you ask did we have 4 fryers full of thousands of dollars of duck fat?  For the decadent duck fat fries that the bride and groom just had to have on arguably the most important day of their lives---the yearning for a taste memory that only food can create and sustain.  I certainly understand.  Ultimately, that is the reason I cook.  And eat.

As more and more people exit the tent to gaze at the ever increasing pinkness of the Sonoma sky, the bride and groom sit by themselves at the head table.  No conversation – just an impressive display of beef and duck fat fry splendor---making memories indeed.

 I will never forget...

 

 

Photos:  Kate Webber Photography

Creating a Living Painting for your Garden Wall

At the recent Macy's Flower Show Demonstration I showed an eager crowd how to create a living painting for their garden wall.  Here is how to do it.

 

Choosing and Prepping Your “Frame” (a wooden serving tray works very well!):

1.     Drill two holes through the back side near the top to use to hang when finished
2.     Measure a piece of chicken wire (purchased from your neighborhood florist) to fit inside the tray, then double the size. It’s good to cut the piece a few inches longer than you think you will need, just in case-- you can always trim away excess.
3.     Staple the chicken wire to the inside of the tray. This should use up almost one half of your pre-cut piece.
4.     Cover the stapled chicken wire with moss, filling the tray. Sphagnum moss that you can purchase at a local nursery or at the flower market works best.
5.     Fold the remaining half of the chicken wire back over the top of the moss and staple down the sides to the top edge of the wooden tray on three sides.
6.     Finished stuffing in sphagnum moss (you want to fill the wire in the tray as if you were stuffing a pillow) before you staple down the last side of chicken wire.
7.     Soak moss thoroughly with water.

 


Planting Your Topiary:

1.     The kinds of plants you use depend on where you are going to hang your “painting”(shade vs sun). Also consider how large the plants might grow (you don’t want them outgrow the tray too quickly). Choosing plants that are drought resistant is also helpful, they’ll survive better if you skip a watering or two.
   
   
2.     It is helpful to choose flats of plants in smaller pots/containers, as they will be easier to work with.
3.     Arrange your plants on your work area before you actually start to affix them to the “frame.” Start with simple shapes/geometric patterns or maybe an initial.
4.     Using a pair of wire cutters, clip a small hole in the chicken wire. Taking care not to poke or cut your fingers on the cut wire, pull a bit of damp moss out to form a small hole to in which to plant. Insert plant and pack moss back in around it’s roots/soil to help hold it in place until it actually starts to root.
5.     Repeat the above procedure until your “painting” is complete. Take care not to cut holes in the wire too close together, as you want the overall web of wire to hold your plants together. You also will want to leave a little room for the individual plants to settle in and grow. If you like, you can tuck in some decorative moss or other accent to add interest.

Et viola! Hang your living painting in outside in your entryway, on your balcony or on your garden wall. Be sure to water every couple of days, and enjoy watching it grow and fill in!

Life as a Tastebud: 1 Year and 10 Pounds

I joined the Taste team about a year ago and I was warned on my first day of the “Taste Ten”.  The “Taste Ten” are the inevitable pounds gained from working with talented chefs and being around fabulous food.   Most of my day is spent talking to brides and grooms about their dream menu; getting to know their favorite foods, family recipes, talking about wonderful meals they’ve had and plotting one of the most important dinners of their life.  On occasion, my day has been spent in the kitchen mixing cocktails to come up with a tasty recipe that looks exactly like the picture torn out of the last issue of Martha Stewart – Margarita’s at 11am, Manhattan’s at noon, by 2pm the Peach Bellini is the most perfect hue of dusty champagne and peachy pink – a process that very much helped contribute to the “Taste Ten”.  Also not helpful for the waistline…Lunchtime, which is served daily at 12noon and, unlike most offices, is eaten family style with everyone in the office.  No skipping meals around here. Then there is usually an afternoon visit from the Sugar Fairy (a.k.a. Executive Pastry Chef, Yigit Pura), who totes around irresistible sugary concoctions – Taste testing is mandatory here and on my second day of work I learned you never say “no thank you” to a Yigit treat.  Around 5pm – when most are headed to the gym for a post work sweat, we Tastebuds are moving to the dinner table for a tasting, or to the bar for happy hour cocktail with a client or out-the-door to an event – where again, Taste testing is part of the job.  So here it is – a glimpse (in iPhone Photos) of the past year as a Tastebud.

    


     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday Dessert Sauce Assortment

The Holiday's are upon us! Fortunately, there is time to pick up the perfect foodie gift created for you in our Pastry Department by Executive Pastry Chef and Top Chef Just Desserts WINNER, Yigit Pura.

 

For Holiday 2010 we are offering a sweetly delightful assortment of three dessert sauces created by Yigit:

Candied Milk Jam with Cognac,
Burnt Caramel Sauce with Fleur de Sel
& Dark Chocolate Ganache.

The three 6 ounce jars of deliciousness come packed in a beautiful bamboo bento box and tied with a festive Holiday ribbon. The price is $45 for the three sauce assortment. You can pick your assortments up at our offices or we can send them any place in the US (additional shipping & handling charges apply). Please allow for 2 business days plus any applicable shipping time. We accept most major credit cards.

Email smz@tastecatering.com or 415.550.4777 ext. 102

Taste Catering & Event Planning
3450 3rd Street, Suite 4D, San Francisco, CA 94124

Taste's Pomegranate Martini

I see pomegranate martini's in my future here in Palm Springs.... growing right outside my window. Convenient!".

Well, you may not have the Pomegranate tree right outside your window but at least I can give you my recipe for my favorite pomegranate martini.

  Muddle seeds from 1 pomegranate with 1 tspoon raw cane sugar

Add: 2 oz Charbay Rum, 1 oz Cointreau

Shake in cocktail shaker with Ice

Strain into Martini Glass

Add: Fresh Peeled Orange Zest
Serve
Enjoy!

What Kind of Bride Are You?

Design Sample: Casual Garden Bistro

An easy-on-the-budget sample design concept for a bride who is looking for a wedding with outdoor casual ease.   Table with simple white linens, rustic wood-slat chairs and centerpieces of glass jam jars filled with old-fashioned garden flowers lend a romantic open-air ambience. 


Buffets could be propped with more contemporary wooden risers and clean glass tiles for a more sleek edge, and then accented with vintage bottles filled with an eclectic mix of  heirloom blossoms and botanicals.  A hand-written chalkboard menu adds a personalized touch, reminiscent of a menu du jour posted in a garden bistro in Sonoma County, Spain or the south of France.

BRAVO TOP CHEFS: Just Desserts

I am thrilled to announce that our Executive Pastry Chef, Yigit Pura has been chosen as one of twelve chefs to participate in the Bravo Channel's new Fall show, Top Chefs Just Desserts, premiering on September 15th at 11:00.  Go Yigit!

 

More to come...

 

Bridal Bliss

Fashion Journalist and former Fashion Editor at 7 x 7 Magazine, Nerissa Pacio Itchon, has written a wonderful piece on the wedding of our Wedding Designer, Hayley Seed.  I thought that I would share it here with you.  The photography by Tanja Lippert is simply gorgeous.  It makes me want to get married all over again.  What do you think Bruce?

Bridal Bliss: Hayley and Lindon tie the knot in St. Helena

Sticky Situation: How to handle Children at Your Wedding Reception

Kids or No Kids. That is the question.  A question that can cause brides and grooms hours of painful debate over questions like: Do you invite family members to bring their kids?  Do you allow only the kids that are in the wedding party, or kids of parents in the wedding party?  What if you allow one of your friends to bring their kid and not your other friend?  Not only is it tough to find a diplomatic way to address this situation, there is the added pressure of the financial impact of allowing everyone to bring their children. Think about it:  10, 20 or even more kids picking at their dinner, on your dime, at $175 (or more) per person(!).  But not to worry, everything will be OK because Taste has your back. After lots of research in the best known etiquette books and some creative thinking, we have developed the following list of tips to help you avoid these Sticky Situations.

1.    Make a decision and stick to it, No exceptions.  If you choose to exclude children at your wedding, Emily Post says "It would be most unfriendly and in the poorest of taste to write "No children" on the invitations."  Outside of your own children, "you must refrain from inviting one child under your age limit, or the hurt feelings will far outweigh the money saved".  To get the word out, rely on your bridesmaids and family to politely spread the word.

 
2.  Have a Kids Menu.  If you decide to include children at your wedding, then come one, come all.  Oftentimes kids don't want to eat what their parents are eating anyway.  Taste will create a separate kids menu at a much lower price point.  A Kid-friendly Menu might include: Chicken Fingers, Macaroni and Cheese, Baby Vegetables with Butter and a Chocolate Chip Cookie.  When having a separate kids menu, we suggest serving kids over the age of 4 at a separate "Kids-Only" table; it is more fun for the kids (and for the parents).  Kids 3 and under will most likely share a plate with mom or dad and you won't need to account for them in your guest count.

  3. Ask for Help:  Let someone else handle fielding these questions for you.  Taste has an exclusive list of preferred wedding planners who are all seasoned professionals with hundreds of weddings under their belt and years of experience.  They are experts in the wedding industry and skilled at negotiating the proverbial wedding "battlefield".  They are armed with etiquette and an artillery of contacts and resources that ensure you make it to and through your wedding day looking like a Princess Bride rather than a Bridezilla!

Macy's Flower Show "Bouquet of the Day"

Taste décor department's design for Macy's Flower Show "Bouquet of the Day," was on display on the second floor of the Union Square store the weekend of April 9th.  Whew!  "April showers/May Flowers" sure was a haul, but it looked fabulous!