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.

Tempe Center for the Arts recently hosted “A Supreme Evening of Jazz,” for the O’Connor House Project, a community effort to relocate the original adobe house of Sandra Day O’Connor to Papago Park. The O’Connor house is not only recognized as her first home in Arizona,  but also for being a witness to her remarkable accomplishments and a testament for much of Arizona’s state history in O’Connor’s early career as a self-employed lawyer.

Through donations it is hoped that the house will once again be a gathering place where people find the level of compromise and consensus needed to move society forward.

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor was in attendance to thank guests for their support and to talk about her love of jazz. The event featured performances by Ivory and Gold; jazz music by pianist Jeff Barnhart, flutist Anne Barnhart and percussionist Danny Coots

“Santa Barbara Catering prepared and served the food. You can’t go wrong with them. Truly the best in Arizona,” said event photographer, Scott Foust.

The menu planned for the event included:

Chipotle Braised Beef Short Rib Empanada with Caramelized Onion, Queso Fresco and Cilantro. Served with a Poblano Crème Fraîche

Blue Corn Pancake Topped with Tequila Smoked Salmon, Caviar, Capers

Red Onion and Cilantro Crème

Stuffed Date Filled with Boursin Cheese and Topped with a Marcona Almond

Foust’s images can be viewed here.  Flowers and décor design was provided by Avante Garde. 

Santa Barbara Catering Company was recently featured on FOX 10 Arizona showcasing some delicious and creative ideas for your Super Bowl party this weekend.

Santa Barbara Pastry Chef Lynn Elston whipped up a few simple treats that you can easily recreate at home. “I Scream You Scream Ice Cream Sandwiches” were decorated with Super Bowl team logos making a mouth watering treat for Colts and Saints fans alike.

“Super Bowl Fruit Pizzas” made with caramel cream cheese and decorated with fruits according to team colors (blueberries for the Colts and blackberries and mango for the Saints), make for a delectable twist on pizza that is sure to impress.

To wash it all down, enjoy “Orange Cream Circle Pop Floats” made with fresh squeezed orange juice, vanilla ice cream and a splash of vodka.

Below are the recipes from Santa Barbara Pastry Chef Lynn Elston if you would like to make your own yummy Super Bowl themed desserts at home for your guests.

I Scream You Scream Ice Cream Sandwiches

You will need:
24 sugar cookies
½ gallon your favorite ice scream
Cellophane bags and ribbon
Sugar Cookie Dough
1-cup butter
1-cup sugar
2 large eggs
1-teaspoon vanilla
4-cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven 325 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla. Next add dry ingredients in. Chill dough up to one hour. Roll dough on floured surface to about one quarter of an inch thick. Using a football cookie cutter, cut out 24 total. Place 12 cookies upside down; scoop ice cream onto bottoms of cookies and sandwich with remaining cookies rightside up. Place cookies in freezer for 20 min. Once firm, place in bags and tie with raffia. Place back in freezer and take out 10 minutes before serving.

Super Bowl Fruit Pizzas
Pizza Dough
2 cups water warm 109*-113* degrees
¼ cup plus tablespoon Olive Oil
1-tablespoon instant yeast
5 cups Bread Flour
1-tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Salt

In a mixing bowl with dough hooks, mix warm water and yeast. Let sit for about 5 min until yeast foams and dissolves to the top. Add sugar and oil, then flour and salt. Mix with dough hook for 5 min. Place dough in well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let double in size for 1 hour.

Once risen, punch dough with hand, and portion into 5 pieces. Roll into flat round pizzas with rolling pin on a floured surface. You can grill on outside grill or bake in oven at 400 degrees.

Melt some butter and have some cinnamon sugar on side and brush the fresh baked dough lightly with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Pizza Caramel Spread:

2 cups cream cheese
¼ cup brown sugar

Combine in a mixing bowl and beat until well combined.
Once the baked pizza has cooled,sSpread the cream cheese caramel mixture evenly on pizza leaving a 1-inch edge on crust.

Colts Pizza: Spread blueberries with whip cream.

Saints pizza: Arrange blackberries and mango with thinly sliced mint as a garnish.

You can also make any flavor pizza you want. Enjoy!

Orange Cream Circle Pop Floats

Plastic cup
1 cup Fresh squeezed Orange juice
¼ cup soda spritzer
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
Splash of Grand Marnier or Premium Vodka

Enjoy with a spoon and root for your team!

THANK YOU Arizona Bride Magazine readers for voting us as “Arizona’s Best Caterer for a Large Wedding” in 2009!

But the wedding is just the beginning…

We look forward to a lifetime of special events with our brides including anniversaries, family reunions, business events and more. Santa Barbara Catering Company can plan and cater any special event at the top venues in the Phoenix area.

View the Arizona Bride Magazine article >

Beautiful flowers, artful place settings, hand-written place cards and of course, a wedding cake that fulfills your sweetest fantasies — here at Santa Barbara Catering Company, we custom design every detail to match your definition of wedding perfection. As the Phoenix area’s most referred wedding caterer, Santa Barbara Catering Company leads the event and catering industry with fresh ideas, innovative design and contemporary style that ensure each guest experience is distinctive and memorable.

Start planning your phoenix area wedding today!
Santa Barbara Catering Company

Ready to learn more? Schedule your event consultation today!