|
Cooking Demonstration by chef Kevin Lacassin – Shrimp and Scallop Linguine
Posted on May 9th, 2010 - No Comments My wife is often asked if she “always eats great food” because she is married to a catering company chef. I would like to believe the answer is “yes!” One such occasion was last weekend, when she accompanied me to a cooking demonstration that I did in Apollo Beach as part of the Parade of Homes. The theme for the cooking demo was “easy living on the coast,” and I couldn’t think of a better recipe to share than my Shrimp and Scallop Linguine with White Wine Cream Sauce. It is a fantastic and easy seafood pasta that combines two mild but distinct seafood flavors, jumbo Gulf shrimp and bay scallops. This dish should have a creamy but refreshing flavor with a bite from the cayenne pepper and just the right amount of salt to remind you of the ocean. It’s a simple romantic meal for two or perfect with a glass of wine after a day at the beach or on the boat. It pairs well with an un-oaked chardonnay, but I prefer it on the spicier side with a pinot grigio to cool off. If you weren’t able to make it to the live version, you can print out the recipe here (in PDF format): Shrimp and Scallop Linguine with White Wine Cream Sauce. Below are some photos from the event, taken by Lara Lacassin. If you would like to book one of our chefs for a cooking demo or corporate product demo, give us a call at 813.731.0819.
Innovative Corporate Event Catering (click for photos)
Posted on August 28th, 2009 - 1 Comment Despite the doldrums of summer and being engulfed in the heat of a Florida August, Good Food Catering Company has been rather busy catering various events and parties in the Tampa Bay region. Although the event catering has kept us from regular blogging, I wanted to share a particular highlight in the corporate event catering branch of our company. In early July we were contacted by a prominent Ybor City design and advertising firm with the possibility of catering an evening cocktail party mixer at their office, to be held in honor of one of their VIP clients. Because the firm wanted something different and unique, they felt Good Food would be the perfect fit to bring tasty and approachable food along with our unique and modern look. After a couple of proposal revisions and a committee decision, the firm chose us as the top Tampa caterer to be a part of their event. Since the event was for nearly 100 guests and held in a confined office setting, we used three unique tablescapes, strategically placed throughout the office along with a full bar setup by uDream Events in the main foyer. As an added touch and creative twist, we used the firm’s logo and colors as a template for a portion of the food signage and designs. The summer environment also gave us another opportunity to utilize wheatgrass for a light and refreshing “pop.” The menu was designed to be refreshing and approachable party food that was easy to eat but also heavy enough to mix with an afternoon and evening of cocktails. Check out the menu (followed by photos): Passed Signature Appetizer Bites Stationary Food Displays And for a visual:
If you’re a corporate event planner in the Tampa Bay region and you’re looking for unique and fun food for your next event or Holiday party, give us a call to discuss having us cater it. And don’t forget about our innovative style! 813.731.0819.
7 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Wedding Caterer
Posted on May 4th, 2009 - 2 Comments Congratulations on your engagement; now the wedding planning begins! Only a couple of years ago, I was in your shoes, working with my fiancée to plan our upcoming wedding, a task that proved to be quite daunting. At Good Food Catering Company, we understand that spending a large amount of money and planning such a large celebration can be intimidating, but we’re here to help you through the process and make it easy and painless when hiring your Tampa Bay wedding caterer. Take a look below at this short article and please give me a call personally with any questions. 7 Things to Consider Before Hiring a Wedding Caterer Decide on your priorities. There are many brides and grooms who consider wedding food a necessity and are happy finding a caterer who can provide the most food for the lowest cost. Others may place the food and décor as a higher priority in their spending and decide that having tasty and unique food is something that will be a great memory instead of an afterthought. Menu design does not involve picking food from columns. Many caterers have pre-set packages of dishes that are used over and over. It’s likely that a menu picked from the “A” package will also be utilized for many other weddings. It’s your special day; wouldn’t you enjoy a special menu? Your caterer should be well versed in menu design and be able to understand your crowd as well as your likes and dislikes. Your caterer’s menus may be outdated. When you are checking out sample menus on the internet, take a look to find out when they were last updated (sometimes you can go to the bottom of the menu). If it has been four years since their wedding menus were updated, you may want to reconsider whether or not that caterer is at the forefront of current trends. You probably have updated your wardrobe in the past four or five years and you certainly are not using outdated wedding decorations, so why serve outdated food? Your wedding food may have come straight from the food supplier’s freezer section. It’s true! Ever notice how many caterers in town have similar menus? It’s likely that many of the appetizer s like meatballs and crab cakes were bought pre-made and frozen. Sure, it can help the caterer save on labor costs, but keep in mind that sometimes fresh is best. Living in Florida, your guests deserve fresh seafood. Don’t settle for second best! Make sure your caterer is licensed and insured. Have you found catering pricing that is too good to be true? Or does your caterer promise to beat everyone’s price while also providing great food? If so,there is a chance that they can do so because they’re not saddled with the overhead costs of licensing, insurance and a commercial kitchen. If you are dealing with a well known caterer, it is likely that they possesses the proper licensing with the state of Florida as well as general liability insurance, but it is still ok to ask. Most venues that host weddings will require proof from the caterer, so you won’t have to worry about dealing with those details. However, if your caterer will be providing bartenders to serve your liquor at an approved venue, make sure your caterer has liquor liability insurance, or you could be stuck buying it yourself to cover your one day wedding. You may get the “B” team from your caterer. Find out how many events will be catered during the time of your reception. If it is more than one, does your caterer have the adequate staff and expertise to provide the same exact same service to all of their events? Or will you be stuck with the second best team? It’s not just about the food. Though caterers tend to be most focused on the food aspect, there is so much more that goes into executing a great wedding reception. Some of the greatest chefs can wow our taste buds, but would be unable to serve that same food to a group of 200 guests; it’s all about logistics and planning. How about the service staff? Ask to see photos of past events that include the service staff. The guests at your wedding deserve a clean, congenial server. And is your caterer up to date with the latest trends in catering? If they’re not constantly working to make themselves better, do they deserve your business? |
