Stir It 28! A Fundraiser for Haiti!

WOW! Another opportunity to support Haiti fundraising efforts! Bren Hererra (Flamboyanteats.com) invited us out to participate in this food lover/blogger/eater event and 100% of the proceeds go to benefit Haiti relief. We'll prepare two dishes and rub shoulders with other foodies. I'll update the blog with photos as they come in. But in the meantime, please come out if you can!

Another Fire In The Kitchen!!

Team in a slump? Need ideas to get the creative juices flowing? Is there a project that you're team is working on and everything is in flux? Well, I think that our team building offering, "Fire in the Kitchen", is the perfect opportunity! Develop team building skills, flex brain muscles, and show fellow co-workers how to work smart and TOGETHER under pressure! Get to understand the different personality types of fellow co-workers, and also understand the importance balancing cost, quality, and time in project management. Why not use cooking as a means to build upon those concepts!! A local consulting firm decided to incorporate our team building offering with a half day meeting for 14 staff members. The results...the ability to develop a cohesive product, tackle last minute decisions, and execute under the gun (I did give them an extra minute or too because I saw them sweating under pressure LOL). And the winning Fried Chicken Taco exceeded judges expectations, because they "Put an Onion Ring on it"..no pun intended Beyonce! But nonetheless, any team who is desirous for a team building activity with an edge, check us out! We'll even transform your office space into a fully functioning kitchen for the occassion!

Each Event Brings New Ideas

So, a friend of mine tapped me into a local community celebrity who didn't want a whole lot, but was in need of good food for a group of young women, all who own non-profits. So, the end result became what I would call our "Easy Entertaining" Package. It feeds 35-40 people, and includes your choice of "Whatever Your Way Wings", 1 cold finger food selection, seasonal fruit arrangement, organic crudite, and a local cheese selection. The only difference with this package is that it for drop off service...I arrive with the food and focus on presentation and arrangement. I tried something new for this one as it relates to the finger food....Cajun fried turkey sammies! How invigorating it is to bring something new to the table, but more importantly...something different! Everyone knows about cajun fried turkey during the holidays, so I already had the spirit to use turkey just one more time..enjoy! And order your Easy Entertaining Experience Today!!

A "Chip" Off the Old Block

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Originally uploaded by heroshifoxx

And the winner is...the Salmon Tortilla Chip! Man, what a time we had with Reggie Hammond and the Create Your Dreams Organization. Reggie hosted a FABULOUS party, and invited myself, along with two other chefs to challenge each other in the kitchen. I showed the crowd how to make homemade tortilla chips and I think that's what really stole the show!

The lucky donor, Rudy Fears, (between me and Reggie above) got to select the winner for the night and also received a FREE Personal Chef service from etch&market, thanks to Reggie's generosity. Not to mention, I made a new dish..the Phyllo Buffalo (center photo). A creative spin on the oh so famous hot wing. Let's just say that it was gone before it left the kitchen. Know your audience!

etch & market Participating in Gourmet Gents

What a busy day!!! Had to get there at 12:30 to setup on my 3x3 table LOL! Stayed till 6:30. And the lesson learned for us...'know your audience'! I thought that delivering some culinary excitement to the affair would play off well, but it seems like we were competing with many a hot wing and baby back ribs! Those who did love the Salmon Chips came back for more, but there were more visitors interested in the meatballs. Heck, we make meatballs, but didn't think that folks would run to them! Next year, we'll do something special, but it was fun!

The Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter launched “Gourmet Gents” in 1989 as the organization’s first annual fundraiser. More than 100 Atlanta gentlemen responded to the Chapter’s call to volunteer their time, culinary skills and food to raise money for the Chapter’s service project. Today, the event has been hailed by many as Atlanta’s premier gents' cook-off. More than 500 people attended the inaugural event, and the following year 150 chefs served more than 700 guests who were there enjoying the festivities, food and entertainment. Since then, Gourmet Gents has grown more popular in its appeal to the community, attracting over 3,500 attendees eager to sample the food offerings of more than 300 chefs and several of Atlanta’s premier restaurants.

Italian Pasta Bar for Southern Company

Southern Company decided to host a luncheon for the administrative staff and etch&market was called to provide something unique and memorable. Renee and Jesse didn't want the typical sandwich and chip ordeal. So, we agreed on an Italian Pasta Bar....choose your pasta, your veggies, and your protein. Here's what the pasta bar consisted of:

Modern Caesar - Romaine Lettuce Leaf, shaved Red Onion & Grape Tomatoes with House Caesar Dressing & Our Own Baked Croutons

Select vegetables and choice of favorite sauce and pasta.

Savory Meats - Sweet & Hot Italian Sausage (Turkey Variation) & Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast

Dessert - Ice Cream Sunday Station

Premium Brand Vanilla Bean & Chocolate Ice Cream with a choice of toppings!!

Needless to say, there wasn't a stir from the guest as they tried to maintain their attention span after lunch. Thanks to Renee and Jesse for allowing us to provide our services!

Fiesta, Fiesta!

Repeat client, Chitan Chandler, is by far one of our favorites. Her motto..'as long as it's good, I don't care'! That's all we need to hear, when catering for a crowd of 125 for Labor Day! The typical fare would appeal to the picnic traditionalist...hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans. But we appealed to the 'atypical', and decided to mix things up and do something 'Nuevo'! A Mexican Style Taco Bar was in full effect! Ground Turkey, black beans, Mexican rice (pictured), all the fixins', and homemade pico de gallo! That's right! Many a jalapeno were cut and cilantro chopped the night before to make sure it was right! Boy, they were doing everything from making taco salads, to sneaking plates for folks who weren't event invited to the party. Oh, it was a good time!

menu:

Savory Black Beans - simmered onions, bay leaf, cumin, sea salt, seasoned stock

Mexican Rice - fresh tomato puree, lime juice, jalapeno, cilantro

Ground Turkey - vidalia onion, cumin, sea salt, minced garlic, ancho chili powder, fresh ground pepper

Fresh pico de gallo - beefsteak tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, fresh lime juice, cilantro

**Condiments included