Your Catered Feast and ” The Last Chinese Chef”
"Apprentices have asked me, what is the most exalted peak of cuisine? Is it the freshest ingredients,the most complex flavors? Is it the rustic, or the rare? It is none of these. The peak is neither eating nor cooking, but the giving and sharing of food. Great food should never be taken alone. What pleasures can a man take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation?" – Liang Wei "The Last Chinese Chef", pub. Peking 1925 As I mentioned in my last post, the wonderful little novel The Last Chinese Chef: A Novel by Nicole Mones, develops the theme of creating a whole culture of the giving and sharing food with others. When I first read this opening quote from the book, I couldn't help but think it was almost an anthem for the great catered party. I've always felt my job is much more than solely providing great food. Okay, so food is pretty important, but I consider it my mission to create memorable celebrations for those special moments in my clients' lives. And creating a memorable celebration goes beyond food. A good caterer should be able and willing to help a client create a whole experience. Need suggestions on a theme, decor, flowers? Looking for a great photographer? Need music to enhance or enliven the mood? Your caterer should be able to make suggestions and point you to other vendors who can help you create the experience. A caterer can rent the perfect table coverings and bring just the right serving platters and decor items.They can hire a great florist for you, and book live entertainment, or a great DJ . I have even, on occasion, provided appropriate CD's for a client. And while not every caterer will feel comfortable composing an "anticipatory poem" for your invitation, they can certainly point you to a great designer and printer. A good caterer is always on the lookout for, and will have relationships with several other party providers. So leverage your time and your caterer's experience by using your caterer as the great resource they are. Ciao, Gisele www.smallpleasurescatering.com P.S. Would you like more great insights into how a caterer can help you create a whole experience for your special celebration? Order my new E-book at...
read more“The Last Chinese Chef” and Sharing our Thanksgiving Table
Last summer while wandering through a favorite bookstore, I happened upon a wonderful little novel titled The Last Chinese Chef: A Novel . The book opens with this quote: “Apprentices have asked me, what is the most exalted peak of cuisine? Is it the freshest ingredients, the most complex flavors? Is it the rustic, or the rare? It is none of these. The peak is neither eating nor cooking, but the giving and sharing of food. Great food should never be taken alone. What pleasures can a man take in fine cuisine unless he invites cherished friends, counts the days until the banquet, and composes an anticipatory poem for his letter of invitation?” How wonderful is that! One of the main themes of the book has to do with how food and dining reflected the whole culture in imperial China. It also stresses that eating in China is never a solo act. In fact, meals are never even individually plated, but always served on family style platters from which all the diners serve themselves. Of course, the Chinese have had thousands of years to develop this rarefied culture around eating. We are babes, comparatively, in the U.S. Still, we are here at Thanksgiving, when we, as a nation, celebrate a shared feast. A feast rooted in welcoming others to our banquet table, and bound with tradition. So I extend my wishes for a very Happy Thanksgiving to you all. May you find pleasure in sharing your table with many others. Ciao, Gisele...
read moreAnnouncement re: Hiring a Caterer
I am very happy to announce that my new E-book "Help! I Need a Caterer- The Ultimate Guide to Hiring the Perfect Caterer to Create a Fabulous Wedding Reception-or Any Other Special Party" is now online and available for purchase. This book grew out of my repeated observation that many newly engaged couples began planning a reception and seeking a caterer without knowledge that would most certainly ease the process for them. There are often items to rent that young couples don't consider (or budget for) when they select a venue for their reception. There are all sorts of things to consider which they might never have thought about when planning the increasingly popular outdoor wedding. They usually underestimate the costs of a catered reception. And sadly, couples, far too often get burned by caterers they hire. My intention is to walk a newly engaged couple-or anyone else who needs to hire a caterer- step by step through the process, beginning with helping them determine their vision for their celebration, identify special needs they may have to meet, and define their unique style of entertaining. It's my hope that I will help those who read this book, to truly create the wedding reception- or any other special party- of their dreams. As a bonus, you will also receive a free report on the most common wedding reception disasters, and how to deal with them. Ciao,...
read moreLife is too short to eat bad food!
A few months back I received an e-mail from someone who had attended many parties which I had I catered before she moved across the country. She opened with this line: “I was thinking about you the other day, and thought I’d drop you a line, after 2 years of being away… I was at a small reception with the worst food I’ve ever had, and wished that you had been the one to cater this event…I was at a conference and everything served was pre-packaged stuff that you just pulled out of the freezer and re-heated…Yuck!” I have always been very proud of the quality of food I serve at events. I believe in using quality ingredients, and buy much of my produce at local farmer’s markets. I don’t serve frozen pre-made hors d’oeuvre or desserts, two areas where many caterers choose to trim costs. I make all my own salad dressings and sauces. Making these items in house can be labor intensive, and buying seasonal and vine and field ripened locally grown produce can sometimes be more expensive. It can be frustrating to get calls from prospective clients who don’t seem to understand that quality food always costs more. I’m sorry to say, that on many more than one occasion I have had prospects contact me saying they had a budget of $15-$20 a person for their wedding or other special event. Now, I believe these people must surely understand that you may be able to go to Denny’s and get a full meal for $15 to $20 per person, but for a fine dining experience, it’s going to cost a whole lot more than that. If you were taking your guests to a restaurant and picking up the bill, plus tip, and if the restaurant were closing its doors to accommodate only your party for that evening, surely you would expect to pay more. So perhaps it’s helpful to think of catering in this way. The caterer is picking up a restaurant and bringing it to your home or venue for the evening, and creating a dining experience hopefully way beyond the experience of dining at Denny’s. I recently had someone say to me, “no one is coming to my wedding just for the food.” Well, that’s probably true, but I am sure we have all had the experience of attending a wedding where the food was exceptionally good – or exceptionally bad- that people talked about for months, maybe even years to come. People do remember. Your guests may have traveled a great distance, bought you a gift, and spent their time, effort and money to join you in celebrating on your special day So don’t you owe it to them – and yourself – to serve great...
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