Archive for July, 2010

Are food allergies the next hot food trend?

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

You’ll be hard pressed in this day and age to find a sizeable group of people without food allergies. As people’s knowledge of food allergies becomes more prevalent, the food service industry is working towards solutions to accommodate clients while still impressing them. Serving a plate of raw vegetables is no longer an acceptable solution, and Santa Barbara Catering is up for the challenge.

Personally, having a gluten allergy, I am all too familiar with the struggles that people with food allergies face and how important it is for food purveyors to be knowledgeable about food allergies and the food they are serving to ensure that it is safe for guests.

Recently at the Phoenix Art Museum, Santa Barbara Catering executed a wedding for over 200 people where the fare was 100% gluten free. In addition, we catered to lactose allergies, onion allergies, peanut allergies and a variety of other individual dietary restrictions at the event.

As the bride and her family had severe gluten allergies, they wanted to make sure that they would be safe to eat the food at the wedding but also wanted to show people how delicious gluten free food can be. And delicious it was!

The menu contained a variety of indulgent treats to entice guests from start to finish. The event started with hand passed appetizers such as:

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
Served with Hazelnut Pesto

Beef Short Ribs Risotto Cake
Served with Sweet Potato Risotto and
Chipotle Braised Beef Short Ribs

Spicy Cold Clear Tomato and Crab Gazpacho
With Diced Avocado

Brie and Green Apple Quesadilla
With Raspberry Dipping Sauce

For dinner, guests feasted on:

Heirloom Tomato Salad
with MOZARELLA Cheese, Basil Aged Balsamic Vinegar,
Olive Oil

Gluten Free Corn Bread
With honey butter

NY Strip Steak
In Red Wine Reduction

Basiled Chicken Breast
And Aromatic Jus

Fingerling Potatoes
Roasted in Rosemary and Olive Oil

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Grilled Summer Vegetables
Seasoned to Perfection

The meal did not end there. In addition to a gluten free wedding cake, guests were invited to sample chocolate mousse, pistachio crème brulee and were even surprised at the end of the night with late night munchies including:

Quesadilla with Corn Tortilla with Salsa & Sour cream

Gluten Free Mac & Cheese

French Fries Served with Ketchup, Ranch and Mayo

Given the array of the menu, maybe eating gluten free isn’t so bad after all?

-Blog post written by Executive Event Manager, Melissan Falcone

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A Perfect 10 Wedding

Monday, July 12th, 2010

One of SBCC’s favorite events to be a part of in the valley is serving as partner and official wedding caterer of The Farm at South Mountain.  For those of you who haven’t been to The Farm, we highly suggest you make it your next outing.  The serene property is set on 12-acres of grass lawns lined with canopies of pecan trees, creating a truly picturesque fairytale setting. This historical land has been carefully nurtured and kept pristine since the 1920s, and the organic gardens elucidate the main focuses of The Farm: tranquility and sustainability. Being an outdoor venue, the lush setting gives any event that beautiful garden-party charm. Clearly we can’t get enough of this organic oasis, which is why we are passionate about creating delicious menus for their spectacular wedding events.

We recently got the inside scoop from our friends at The Farm and learned they have one time slot still available for booking on one of the most desired dates of the year: October 10, 2010. Brides-to-be, you’re in luck!  10/10/10 is an incredibly highly sought-after date to get married for a few reasons.

  • The number 10 represents total perfection.  Many brides believe having a wedding on the 10th is good luck for the wedding to run smoothly and for the marriage to run forever.
  • Furthermore, the number 10 three times in a row represents perfection all around – the perfect 10 wedding! Aside from the having the date that your guests will never forget, couples can rest assure that everyone will be able to attend. The Monday after October 10th is Columbus Day, so most friends and family members will have the day off and ready to celebrate a long weekend.
  • There are endless possibilities for styling save-the-dates, invites, and monogrammed wedding favors around 10-10-10. Of course, getting married at 10:10 AM at The Farm (warmly named “The Valley’s Favorite Escape”) will make the wedding even more memorable, and an absolutely Perfect 10.

For morning weddings such as this, the Wedding Brunch Buffet is one of our most requested menus. It features a collection of gourmet breakfast and lunch dishes that range from light to more indulgent.  First, guests may enjoy an assortment of breakfast breads, bagels, pastries, or a bakery basket.  Some favorite items include cheddar-chive biscuits, blueberry-almond coffee cake muffins, and glazed orange cakes served with whipped butter and homemade blueberry-ginger preserves.  For the main entrée, popular choices include Poached Salmon served with grilled asparagus and lemon-mustard dressing; Chicken Panini with wild mushrooms and brie cheese; or the Breakfast Scramble made with farm fresh eggs, goat cheese, red onion, and zucchini. Side options include a fresh fruit trifle made with the season’s freshest fruits, a vegetable caponata, and many more fresh and delicious choices.

Learn more about weddings at The Farm at South Mountain online or call The Farm at (602) 243-9081 to book your Perfect 10 wedding.

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A Unique Venue for the Perfect Menu

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

The Boulder House, located in North Scottsdale in the landscape of the Sonoran Desert, is considered by many to be a cultural and architectural masterpiece. The house sits in, around, over and under 38,000 square feet of granite boulders and is very appropriately listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

We were honored to cater a reception at the Boulder House, with the menu featuring an elegant twist on Southwest cuisine.

While many Southwest menus include traditional nachos and tamales, the fare created for the event incorporated our modern perspective on the recipes. Our nachos were served with smoked duck and goat cheese paired with sweet potato and green chili tamales and blue point oysters served in a martini glass under a delicate Bloody Mary sauce and cracked pepper.

The appetizers went on to include crab cakes topped with smoked paprika and stone ground mustard aioli, as well as sweet Mexican shrimp sautéed with white wine and cilantro atop grilled rustic bread.

For dinner, guests had the option of toasted cumin beef tenderloin and sea bass served with green chili-cilantro mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus drizzled in a poblano red wine sauce or goat cheese and chive enchiladas.

The night finished with a Mexican chocolate cinnamon tart, a warm ancho-infused ganache, drizzled with cajeta and a goat cheese pound cake topped with fresh blackberries and jalapeno ice cream.

The Boulder House was the perfect venue to host this beautiful Santa Barbara Southwest menu.

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