Playful Office Baby Shower

I found these amusing baby shower pictures from an office party Richard and I catered last October. The hostess, Sheri, has a delightful sense of humor which made it fun to create a "tongue in cheek" menu for the party.

To create a menu that is fun and entertaining, start with a list of dishes that will appeal to a variety of appetites. 

Here are some suggestions for success;
Be sure you consider "good taste," especially in an office setting. Re-naming dishes and select clever serving pieces to reinforce the theme, both are an easy way to have fun with the menu and guests love it.

Here is the menu for Sheri's event if you can use to add some whimsy to your own baby shower!

Playful Office Baby Shower

Menu for 25 guests

Lamaze-gna

creamy spinach lasagna with a plump belly

Brats in a Blanket

sausages wrapped in pastry served with grainy mustard

Baby Greens Salad with Baby Bottle Dressing

candied pecans, raspberries and Mandarin oranges

Conception Eggs with "Swimmer" Garnish

black olives top stuffed eggs 

Savory "Lollipops"

deli meats and cheeses in a wrap, sliced and skewered

Watermelon Baby Carriage

Fruit Salad

Fruit salad in a watermelon baby carriage

"Swimmers" decorated stuffed eggs

Lollipop Pinwheel Deli Skewers

 "Brats in a Blanket", brat sausages wrapped in pastry

 Raspberry Vinaigrette served in a baby bottle

I didn't find the picture of the "Lamazegna" I used the Spinach Lasagne from my recipe in Cook like a Caterer. I added some extra filling in the middle to make it look like it had a "baby bump" giving it a theme name (a play on Lamaze) is fun too. The stuffed eggs recipe, the quantity of fruits needed for the fruit salad and the raspberry vinaigrette are also in the cook book at cooklikeacaterer.com.

Tapas for an Exceptional Anniversary Party

The same weekend we catered the perfect surprise birthday taco party, we had another gem. Since it's hard to believe we could cater two perfect events in one weekend... we'll call it an exceptional party.

This exceptional party had perky umbrellas dotting a neat stretch of lawn bordered by orange trees and garden roses.
Roses and oranges, oh my!... their scent lingering heavenly in the breeze-less afternoon.

The sun was very high, very hot and stayed put right over the backyard.While warm like a August summer day usually is, it offered in return the bluest sky ever. A cloudless canopy stretching endlessly overhead.

A setting as beautiful as the occasion...

Celebrating 50 years of marriage!

On the patio, stretched two draped and decorated buffet stations near a babbling waterfall and pond. Koi fish delighted the guests... especially the little ones! Food, beverage and dessert stations enjoyed a lush backdrop.

 When the hostess suggested a Spanish Tapas style menu, I was surprised, delighted and intrigued.

Tapas are snacks and finger foods, something that I would normally pitch for an afternoon garden party but rarely do I get the go ahead.
I got the go.
Planning a Tapas menu is creative  there is so many unique and tasty options. Even if some of the appetizers are labor intensive, they are every bit worth the effort.

50th Anniversary Tapas Menu

110 guests

                                                                                                                                               
 

Tapas Platters

 grilled vegetables, marinated lima beans, cured pork, marinated artichokes, chorizo, marinated mushrooms, pickled carrots, roasted peppers, spanish stuffed olives, manchego cheese, kalamata black olives,

 melon wrapped in cured ham, herb goat cheese, dried fruit, grapes and berries

Fresh Summer Fruit

Shrimp Gazpacho

with avocado, capers, onion, celery, dried chili, lemons and lime

 Chevere Torte with Red Onion Jam

cracker assortment

Chafer Items

Spicy Stuffed Sausage Mushrooms

Manchego Cheese Popovers

Spanish Albondigas

Chorizo and Black Bean Empanadas

Station Items

Bruschetta freshly Toasted and

with Three Tomato Pomodoro Sauce

Saffron Seared Chicken Skewers

Sherry and Garlic Braised Beef "Sliders" 

Dessert Cupcakes

Guests gathered to celebrate five decades of special memories. All were treated to a exceptional afternoon of music, good food and friendship.

 "An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow."  ~Author Unknown







 

"OH MAYO!" Catering a Mexican Fiesta

Personally, I love Mexican food, I always have. It's not just the flavor I love, it's the comfort feeling that tags a long...warm, relaxed, and colorful. When a event comes a long with an opportunity to put a Mexican theme to it, I don't just want to serve authentic dishes, I want guests to feel the party too.

Cinco De Mayo is a good reason for a fiesta, but don't stop there! Affordable ingredients, ease of preparation and wide crowd appeal makes Mexican dishes an excellent choice for entertaining year round. A Mexican menu can be as simple as tacos, beans and rice or can have the addition of favorites like; Enchiladas, Tamales, Taquitos or Quesadillas. When made with simple fresh ingredients any Latin inspired dish is a good fit for a fiesta.

At this fiesta theme birthday party for 230 guests, a staff member, made tortillas to serve with the meal. Tortillas are inexpensive to make, and watching them being freshly made adds interest to the buffet. 

Just like menu, the festive look is easy to achieve. Bold color, vibrant flowers, warm terracotta, rustic pieces in wood, iron and clay work well for decorations. Use new serapes as table runners, fresh chilies, tomatoes and limes make great centerpieces, and paper flowers or pinatas keep cost down.

Bigger pieces rented from a prop house can turn a backyard tennis court into a Mexican village. Live Mariachi music is a wonderful treat at a special event. Having service staff in costume, and asking guests to dress up, adds to the fun.

(It only looks like the donkey is having a bite!)

The best way to offer fresh food at a fiesta is to cook on site at cooking stations or to create an open kitchen. Guests enjoy seeing the preparation which is part of the entertainment. The vegetables for this salad were grilled first, then the grill was used for cooking the Ancho Chicken for the main course. Once the vegetables cooled, the salad was assembled and served with Cilantro dressing.

 Fiesta Menu 

 230 Guests

Black Jack Quesadillas 

with Salsa Fresca

page 16

Carnitas Soft Tacos

page 142 

Taquitos Poquitos 

with roasted garlic guacamole

page 40

Cabo Shrimp Cocktail

page 20

Crab Green Chili and Cheddar Dip 

with fresh made tortilla chips

page 57

South American Grilled Vegetable Salad with Cilantro Dressing

page 97

Ancho Chili Grilled Chicken with Verde Sauce

page 132

Mexican Red Rice

page 123

Pinto Beans

Handmade Tortillas

page 216

Sliced Fruit Tray
page 65

Apple Flautas
page 184

Kahlua Chocolate Flan
page 199 

Classic Margaritas
page 227

 Recipes can be found in Cook like a Caterer...Party Sized Recipes for Entertaining

On Lulu or also on Amazon.

Catering A Gypsy Theme Event

I was planning an event for a client who has had so many parties, it seemed like every theme we thought of had been done before! Someone suggested the idea of a Gypsy Party, at first I was stumped. What seemed like it would be a challenging theme to work with, ended up a lot of fun.

The party was for the hosts birthday and 275 guests were invited to his private residence, (turned Gypsy Camp), in Yorba Linda, CA. The property is lush with mature trees and rambling gardens, the perfect forest look for a Gypsy camp. Props, menu and entertainment added to the flavor.

I rented a few old world style backdrops such as a cottage, forest, and thatched roof house. These were set dressed with luggage, tools, barrels and trunks. A few tents, wagons, wishing well, some farm animal props and bench seating helped with the camp look.

Most of the cooking was done on site in full view of the guests. The dishes were served on wagon covered buffets to protect the food as well as add to the rustic look. The party lasted into the night and everyone had a ball!

  ~Appetizers~

Market Fair Fruit, Cheese and Vegetables

Piroshki Russian Tiny Turnovers

Mystic Meatballs

Beggars Purse

Rosemary Steak Skewers

                                                                           ~Dinner~

Chicken Paprikash
Hungarian Beef Goulash
Rag Noodles
Rose Potatoes with Olives in Basil Oil
Chopped Peasant Salad 
Goat cheese, cucumber, tomato, shaved red onion and wine vinaigrette,
Rustic breads 

~Dessert~

Mixed Stone Fruit Cobbler with fresh whipped cream

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

 Tartelettes

~Beverages~

Lemonade Iced Tea and Campfire Coffee

Tavern Bar

~Entertainment~

Crystal ball reader, Tarot Card Reader, Gypsy Dancers, Strolling Music Playing Duo and a Theme Gypsy Band.

Prop tent makes a fun setting for a crystal ball reader

Props and buffet station settle nicely into the lush yard

Fortune Tellers tent

Benches and props set to watch the entertainment

Gypsy dancers liven up the evening

A colorful party

            

Wedding in the Woods

The best weddings are casual but classy... fresh and comfortable, outdoors but still intimate. There is never a need to fuss with decorations when nature can provide uncomplicated beauty. This Southern California wedding reception is a perfect example of all the above. Crisp white chairs, warm chocolate table linen, clean simple lines are framed by boughs and bramble. In one word~ beautiful.

Natural posts hold a simple covering for a simple buffet. In this picture only the basic table scape is in place.

Colors for the table mimic nature as well. Wood, ferns, stone and shade compliment rather then compete for attention.

The reception was a luncheon the menu items were arranged on platters and served cool.

Menu

cold poached salmon with cucumber coulis

lemon tarragon chicken with green grapes and lemon vinaigrette

beef tenderloin with portobella sweet onion mushroom salad and aoili 

orzo and wild rice salad

sliced tomato with blue cheese and bacon

creamy spinach pasta salad

bread display

wedding cupcakes

Photo RFontes Fresh Ideas

 Table assignments set for guests

Photo RFontes Fresh Ideas

Cupcakes for a sweet send off.

Photo RFontes Fresh Ideas

Take a Peek at a Roaring 2O's Party

Tortellini Salad with Artichoke Hearts, Dried Tomato, Olives and Fresh Mozzerella. Platter with deli meats. Photo RFontes

 My very creative friend Chris planned a fun party for her fathers birthday. She chose a Roaring 20's theme, booked a casino, and did an amazing job with period decorations. The guests arrived in terrific costumes, ready to roar!

Chris created dramatic decor areas

     


Look how great these ladies look in their 20's finery!                                                                                
Together with her family, Chris put together a menu and prepared dishes for a casual, easy to nosh on, buffet.

Sausage En Croute served with flavored mustard's. Platter with Puff Pastry Straws and Blistered Grape Tomatoes.  Photo: RFontes-Fresh Ideas

Handmade sausage wrapped in pastry before slicing. Photo RFontes

 My part was easy, I made the Tortellini Salad. Handmade sausage wrapped in pastry, Bruschetta Pomodorro, Chicken Satay and Grilled Sausage Skewers with peppers and onions.

Sausage Skewers ready for the grill. Photo RFontes, Fresh Ideas

Classic Pomodoro, served with fresh ciabatta toasted and rubbed with garlic. Photo RFontes

Adding some space onto your home to keep guests warm and cozy is easy. A party rental company can turn your backyard into another room.

Casino table gets it's own room

Chris turned her parents parlor into a classy casino.

The buffet was set in the kitchen for simple service.

Guests entered from the alley, into a fun "speakeasy" secret knock...and all!