MS150 fundraiser

We were asked to provide light appetizers for a fundraising cocktail party for 30 people last Saturday in the home of our client Adam. Adam was the team captain for a group riding in the MS150 - a 150 mile road bike ride through Logan, Utah. The MS150 is a charity event where the riders raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis (also known as MS) is a central nervous disease which impacts many people in the US. A cause as worthy as this one deserved a worthy menu. Adam wanted a handful of small plate/appetizer type food and we were definitely eager to please. Because appetizers at a cocktail party aren't traditionally meant to provide a formal dinner, you want to give guests a number of options while making sure they feel like they've eaten enough. One catering trick when doing an appetizer party is to satisfy a person's dinner urge with a number of vegetarian items but also to be sure to provide a little protein as well. In this menu of small plates, salmon cakes and deli meats in an antipasto platter filled this task. When doing multiple appetizers like this, I always try to blend flavors so that there is a mild theme among the dishes. In building the menu I was inspired by Mediterranean ingredients; in the end I thought we came up with a nice mix of small plates. Appetizers at a cocktail party scream finger food to me, so most of the dishes we served consisted of something you could pick up and eat while standing. The menu:

Bruschetta with ricotta, caramelized onions, and balsamic reduction
Skewered caprese: cherry tomato, basil pesto, and fresh mozarella
Orzo salad with roasted red peppers, asparagus, and feta in a lemon vinaigrette
Antipasto platter (salami, sun-dried tomato roasted turkey breast, olives, 4 cheeses, and crackers)
Salmon cakes with cilantro cream

Adam set his home up with a big buffet table. On one end of the buffet line he set up a computer terminal where people could make donations online as well as a tip jar on the other end where people could drop off cash donations. The party was a smash, helping Adam meet his fundraising goal. There were also many great comments about the food which helped to make the party a big success. In an effort to make our own small contribution to supporting research and awareness for MS, we decided to sponsor Adam's team this year for his bike ride. Foodmode will be proudly displayed on the left sleeve of the team TryAngles' bike jersey this year. We're looking forward to a successful and fun ride for everyone doing the MS150 this year.

U graduation party

I have a fond memory of graduation. I've always enjoyed the pageantry associated with the occasion as well as the significance of the accomplishment itself. As someone who was in school for a really long time, I've gone through many a graduation for myself as well as for others - and it's a time of year that I really appreciate. It's a great time to get people together to celebrate over some good food. My family always had huge graduation parties whether it be for grade school, high school, or college - so I was excited when Foodmode was asked to cater a graduation party for a few friends who were all graduating from the University of Utah. The graduates had become great friends throughout their years at the U and wanted to co-host a party for all of their friends and family. The gathering was informal; in addition to the food we provided, the family and some friends of the graduates also brought in some home-made treats as well. It was a true communal event - giving the party a warm, family feel. This is also a great option for people who think they can't afford a fully catered event. Have key parts of your event catered but supplement the party with some of your own food.

Of the dishes we provided, two treats got particular notice. I asked my friend Annalise if she could bake up a batch of custom made sugar cookies, decorated with a characteristic "U" symbol (for the University of Utah). I met Annalise in culinary school. She was a baking and pastry major (I was a culinary arts major - savory food focus) and she ran her own baking blog site completelydelicious.com. I had been thinking about bringing Annalise on at Foodmode as our dessert specialist, so I thought this would be a good segue into our group for her. One of the graduates was also going to provide cupcakes as dessert so I thought these "U" cookies would add a personalized touch to the occasion as an additional treat. People absolutely went crazy for these cookies. They thought the "U" was very cute and when I told them that Annalise drew and frosted each and every "U" free-hand, they were even more impressed. We've asked Annalise to join Foodmode as our Pastry Chef and she's provided us with a new special dessert menu that we've added to our normal list of offerings. Be sure to check it out!

The other treat that generated a lot of buzz was the sweet and spicy cocktail nuts we put out with the beverages. People were amazed at their flavor and everyone asked how we made them. It's a simple mix of ingredients actually, so I don't mind sharing. Roasting and seasoning your own nuts is something that no one ever thinks of doing but is actually really easy and can be done ahead of time. It also allows you to change the flavor profile of an ordinary nut into something with a little more pizazz for that special occasion.


Sweet and spicy cocktail nuts

3 cups of raw mixed nuts
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick of butter
3 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread nuts onto baking sheet in a single layer.
3. When oven reaches temperature, bake nuts about 20-30 minutes or until nuts become aromatic. Be careful that some of the nuts do not burn.
4. While the nuts are roasting, melt butter over heat. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and dissolve in hot butter.
5. Add nuts (right out of the oven) into the melted butter mixture and mix to coat.
6. Place nuts back onto baking sheet and bake 15 mintues longer.
7. Take nuts out and allow to cool at room temperature.
8. Stir nuts up to break apart, serve.

Dinner party 911?

I got a call last Friday from a client asking if we could do a last minute dinner party for 25 people for Saturday night. The client had been asked to "help" give a surprise birthday party for her sister-in-law. After a few conversations with her brother, the client realized that her brother had dropped the ball on the entire party and really wanted his sister to just plan the entire surprise party herself - food, decorations, and all. Hence the last minute call for a catered dinner for the next night. They weren't looking for anything too fancy, just a lasagna dinner family style - so I was really happy to oblige. The funny part of the story is that while the client was talking to me, her friend who was in the car and had heard our entire conversation, also asked if we could a similar dinner party for her for 10 people the following Sunday night (for her husband's birthday). I laughed a little. We should be so lucky to get all our business this way. Lasagna feeds a lot of people; it's a pretty easy crowd pleaser. I'd definitely enjoy a nice catered lasagna dinner party if someone invited me over for it.

My dad, who was a cook in the Navy, often made our family American comfort foods that he prepared for the crew of the ships he was on. He had a big box of recipes that were Navy standard issue and as a kid I loved looking through these to see how they worked. Lasagna was definitely a Navy staple and in turn was a regular staple for dinner in our home growing up. I do still get a warm feeling of nostalgia when I dive into a hot square of lasagna. Something about the crunchy topping, with the gooey cheesy interior mixed in with the savory meat and creamy ricottta - is all very comforting to me. It's all so very satisfying...and it brings back a wonderful taste memory. In homage of my dad's lasagna, I've developed what I think is the perfect lasagna recipe over the years. It is very different than my father's lasagna but I think is equally as good. Most notably my dad uses cottage cheese and I use ricotta. But both are good options. For catering purposes we scale up for whatever number we need. Though it won't be enough to feed a big Navy crew on an aircraft carrier, this recipe should feed about 10-12 people easily...with second helpings.

1 lb. dried lasagna noodles
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
3-4 T fresh basil, chopped
2-3 T fresh oregano, chopped
2-3 T fresh thyme, chopped
1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 6oz. can tomato paste
2 C diced tomato (canned is fine)
2 15oz. containers of ricotta cheese
1 lb. shredded mozarella cheese
1 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
4-6 C tomato sauce (canned is fine)
Additional grated Parmesan for topping off
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

*pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Stage I: The noodles
1. Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling, salted water about 10 minutes. You don't want to cook the noodles all the way through, just partly so that they are barely tender (they will finish cooking to a perfect texture in the oven).
2. Drain noodles and coat with olive oil to keep them from sticking to each other. Set aside until final assembly.

Stage II: The meat
1. Preheat a skillet on the stove. Coat the hot skillet with olive oil and saute the onions, garlic, and half of all the herbs - about 5 minutes until the onions become translucent.
2. Add beef and sausage and continue to cook until no longer pink; add in diced tomato.
3. Drain meat of its fat (discard) and stir in tomato paste. Set aside until final assembly.

Stage III: The cheese filling
1. Combine ricotta cheese, the other half of the chopped herbs, and the beaten eggs in a mixing bowl.
2. Add 1/2 C Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Set aside until final assembly.

Stage IV: The final assembly
1. Coat the bottom of a lasagna dish (13x9 or something similarly sized) with 1/4 cup or so of tomato sauce.
2. Arrange 4-5 noodles lengthwise overlapping on top of the sauce.
3. Spread half of the meat mixture over the pasta.
4. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the meat, spreading it out almost like frosting on a cake.
5. Sprinkle half of shredded mozarella cheese on top of the ricotta.
6. Top with another 1/4 cup or so of tomato sauce.
7. Repeat steps 2-5.
8. Top the last layer with noodles, sauce, and shredded mozarella and a handful of grated parmesan.
9. Bake for 1 hour.
10. Let lasagna rest for 10 minutes. Serve and be happy.