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

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 10^th 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 10^th 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.

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.

When we learned Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman had previously been in the catering business, we worked with Hallman and members of Tempe’s City Council to put on an event that would give back to the community.

On June 9^th our employees and their families met at the Community Christian Church to help serve dinner to those in need through IHELP (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program). Helping to serve the food from the Tempe City Council were Vice Mayor Shana Ellis, Councilmember Corey Woods, Councilmember Joel Navarro and his children, and Assistant City Manager Jeff Kulaga.

While many people leave the Valley of the Sun during summer months, the need for food, water and cool shelter still exists for the area’s less fortunate. The summer climate can be deadly for those who are in need.

Tempe Community Action Agency’s IHELP program provides lodging and comfort for an average of 30 homeless people in the community at different faith-based locations each night. Dinner and overnight shelter is provided seven nights per week.

Our executive chef Lex Heijiligers prepared a barbeque-themed meal, which included St. Louis-style BBQ ribs and chicken, jicama coleslaw, homemade red potato salad with apple cider-bacon dressing, corn cob bites, ranchero beans slow-cooked with Southwest spices and herbs, freshly-baked corn bread and Granny Smith cinnamon-apple cobbler with streusel topping and vanilla ice cream.

The IHELP dinner was a great success! Our employees and their family members were excited to have this opportunity to reach out and help those in need in Tempe. We appreciated the opportunity to volunteer, and we look forward to partnering with IHELP and TCAA again soon.

Zion & Zion, one of Phoenix’s top five full-service marketing agencies wanted to celebrate the opening of its new facility just off Mill Avenue in Tempe with a by-invitation-only party for over 200 guests.

They wanted to present dishes in a creative ways to reflect the creativity of their agency.  In addition they wanted to incorporate southern-comfort foods with an elegant touch, while not straying from their environmentally-friendly values.

By generating new trends for the industry, such as the DJ performing on the ceiling of one of the Zion & Zion conference rooms, to the specialty lighting and the unique presentations of the fare, we’re proud to say that our event execution received rave reviews from invited media and secured us a 2010 ZONIES award.

Santa Barbara has created three catering packages to suit any Inspirador wedding. The Delightful, Delicious and Decadent packages include hors d’oeuvres, buffet dinners, fun food stations and even a breakfast brunch option. These packages are ready to meet a bride’s every need.

Once a month, Inspirador hosts a themed open house. It’s the perfect opportunity for brides to check out the venue and sample some of Santa Barbara’s exquisite menu creations: Peach Almond Empanadas, Mini Tuscan Pizzas, Tomato, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta, Mini Brie en Croûte, Mini Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Desserts, and a Signature ‘mock’-tail of Bubbly with a Sweet Hibiscus Flower.

Also at Inspirador, The Inspiration Lounge is a complimentary shop and browse retail boutique showcasing a collection of event professionals for today’s bride, an aspiring hostess with the mostess, or a clever DIY party planner.

Inspirador is located at 63 E. Boston Street Chandler, AZ 85225. For more information you can visit them at www.inspirador.com

Santa Barbara Catering joined several wedding and event vendors at the Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens in North Phoenix for an event hosted by the Wedding and Event Network. The Boojum Tree is known for its exotic property, filled with tropical plants and multiple water features.

For the event, Santa Barbara Catering created a variety of dishes that could complement a diverse array of occasions.  A trio of Roasted Garlic, Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Hummus, served with Tortilla Chips and Pita Crisps were presented first. The Hummus dishes were accompanied by beautifully arranged Farm-Fresh Vegetables, served with Pesto-Sour Cream Dip and accented with Fresh Herbs and assorted Olives.

Additionally, a gourmet Mac & Cheese “Martini” was tailored to each guest’s taste with the available combinations of Herbed Bread Crumbs, Bleu Cheese, Roasted Tomatoes and Toasted Green Chilies.

The event was captured by Andy DeLisle from de L’oeil Photography, www.deloeilphoto.com.

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 recently catered a luncheon at the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. The Herberger Theater Center is a non-profit organization whose main focus is to support and foster the growth of performing arts in Phoenix as the premier performance venue, arts incubator and arts advocate. The Herberger Theater Center has contributed to the cultural and educational development of the Valley since 1989. Each year, approximately 175,000 patrons, including 30,000 school-aged children share the unique experience of live performing arts.

The 20^th anniversary celebration luncheon took place on Center Stage to honor its patrons and to induct Richard Mallery into the Performing & Broadcast Arts Hall of Fame.  Entertainment was provided by SCAN Originals.

The afternoon was filled with appreciation and warm admiration for all patrons involved. The menu included Chilled Avocado Soup topped with Cilantro Cream and Toasted Pepita’s, a Greek Salad that had not only Kalamata Olives and Roasted Tomatoes but also Grilled Shrimp served on mixed greens with Soft Feta and Garlic Hummus. To top it all off, guests received a rich, layered Chocolate Mousse topped with Whipped Cream and a Hazelnut Crunch.

All proceeds from the luncheon went to benefit the Herberger Theater Center’s Youth Outreach programs.

Healthy eating and sustainable foods were among the topics discussed by the Arizona Chapter of the International Special Events Society at its inspiring meeting this month.  Arizona’s professionals gathered to relax, enjoy delicious food and discuss personal balance. Santa Barbara Catering was happy to share its exquisitely made cuisine while industry peers gathered and discussed sustainable living, time management and healthy cooking.

Santa Barbara’s fare truly highlighted the healthy eating discussions with dishes such as Lemon Parmesan Chicken Skewers with Garlic, Baked Brie en Croûte with Apricot Preserves, and fresh cheese and fruit platters—perfect examples of why Santa Barbara was the right choice for the ISES meeting.

We at Santa Barbara pride ourselves in providing innovative and delicious cuisine with our clients’ goals always in mind and are glad to have done this at the ISES meeting.

The night was sensational. The combination of The Farm at South Mountain’s peaceful surroundings and Santa Barbara’s delightful fare provided both a serene atmosphere and tasty delights.