Busy, busy, busy (& recent Bat Mitzvah pics)

Wow, where has the time gone. I've been slacking on the blog because we've been so busy. We've had lots of corporate events, meeting with our summer/fall brides, and a few parties. The one we've had the most fun with the last few weeks was a Bat Mitzvah held at The Dance Spot in Kansas City, MO (http://www.thedancespot.com/). We had a lot of fun putting the Asian themed menu together with our client. The birthday girl and all of her guests were greeted into a "rock star" theme party with fun decor on all the tables, and the beautiful buffet. On the menu that night was fresh fruit displays, a vertical crudite display, mixed green salad with Asian vinaigrette, dumplings, chicken satays with house made peanut dipping and bbq sauces, and chicken lo mein.

Pomp & Circumstance

Aw, graduation time is creeping up on us. Time for high school and college graduates to spread their wings and move on to the next stage. While mom and dad will surely have tears in their eyes as they watch their baby walk across the stage, they won't have to worry about the food. Deco Catering does lots of graduation parties, and we've put together a menu for those parents that want a simple solution so that they can enjoy the day too.

Deco Catering is offering a 10% discount on all Graduation Parties booked by April 25. Choose between Brunch or Afternoon/Evening Menu and we will deliver to your door day of party. Minimum 20 people.

Brunch – 9.98 per person
Baked French Toast
Sausage/Egg Casserole
Fresh Fruit Bowl

Afternoon/Evening – 10.78 per person
Pulled Pork w/asst. breads
Smoky Chipotle Baked Beans
Asian Slaw
Potato Chips

http://www.decocateringkc.com/ - 913.709.8375

Tips for a perfect Spring wedding menu

Ah, it's finally Spring! The weather is warming up, the trees are blooming, and wedding season is officially beginning. The best Spring wedding menus take full advantage of the flavors of the season and incorporate unique spring accents. Asparagus and baby vegetables are at their peak this time of year. Serve Prosciutto wrapped asparagus for a delectable appetizer, and roasted baby vegetables with the main course. And speaking of the main course, try to stay away from the heavy flavors of winter. Fresh herbs, and lighter sauces can make a traditional chicken entree appropriate for the season. Build your own pasta bars are also a fun way to incorporate the vegetables and colors of the season. Have your caterer put together a couple of pasta options with a couple of meats, seasonal vegetables, and sauces. This can be set up as a chef manned station, where the chef builds the pasta for the guest, or a do-it-yourself, where the guest makes their own plate. Have your caterer add edible flowers to the appetizer presentation for a beautiful touch that has spring written all over it. Instead of a boring cake topper, have your cake adorned with bright flowers that go with the color palette of your wedding. These can be sugar or real flowers (talk to your baker). Incorporating these seasonal ideas into your overall planning will help make your wedding reception unique and memorable. Happy planning!!

http://www.decocateringkc.com/ - Kansas City Wedding Catering, Corporate Catering, Social Catering

Open house at 510 Events

Wedding season is almost in full swing now, and Deco Catering is participating in an open house tomorrow at the 510 Event Space in downtown Kansas City, MO. The space is an ideal location for a wedding reception, and we are offering $200 off all weddings booked during the open house. 510 Event's is also offering $200 off their rental fee, so brides who book both Deco and 510 Events tomorrow can save $400!! Email me if you'd like me information on the open house.

http://www.decocateringkc.com/ - Kansas City Catering, Wedding Catering, Corporate Catering

Lots of lunches & Spring is in the air!

Lunches, oh delicious lunches
We've been busy lately with our gourmet box lunches for some of our large clients in Kansas City. We've been delivering fresh sandwiches, salads, chips, and cookies all over town. Some of our client favorites are the roasted chicken salad sandwich and the crunchy Asian chicken salad. I personally love our Turkey and Swiss because of the delicious multi-grain bread we serve it on. We go the extra mile on the quality of our ingredients and care we put into making the food. Clients love that we are easily accessible for ordering and that we can usually accommodate their needs at the last minute.






Spring has Sprung
This time of year is one of my favorites; the weather is finally getting better, wedding season is beginning, St. Patrick's Day is this month, and our KU Jayhawks are gearing up for March Madness. Oh, how my family loves St. Patrick's Day. My mother's side of the family is very Irish, and you'd think it was Christmas when March 17th rolls around. Celebrations abound with the parade, lots of home cooked food, and the green beer of course! Irish or not, it's a holiday to be enjoyed by all. Here's a great appetizer to serve at your green party. Enjoy!

Irish Cheddar and Stout Fondue
Bon Appétit March 2006
Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Ingredients
2 cups 1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter red-skinned potatoes, halved
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups very small brussels sprouts
2 apples, cored, cut into wedges
1 pound Irish cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 cup (or more) Irish stout (such as Guinness)
6 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preparation
Steam all vegetables until tender, about 15 minutes. Arrange vegetables and apples around edge of large platter.
Meanwhile, toss cheese with flour in large bowl. Bring 3/4 cup stout, juice concentrate, and mustard to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add cheese mixture, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and smooth, thinning with more stout, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer fondue to bowl. Place in center of platter with vegetables.

Market tip: Sharp white cheddar is a great substitute for the Irish cheddar (Dubliner's Irish Cheddar is available at Costco in Kansas City).

http://www.decocateringkc.com/ - Kansas City Catering, Corporate Catering, Wedding Catering

Annual Catersource convention & tradeshow

Annual Catersource Conference and Tradeshow
This week the Deco Catering team traveled to Las Vegas for the annual Catersource Conference and Tradeshow. Catersource is a group of the best and most talented caterers and their teams from across the country and their instructors were phenomenal! We learned so much that we're excited to incorporate into our menus and presentation. We have new, creative ideas for weddings and social events that we’ve never seen in our area, and we know brides and party planners alike will love them! Clean, simple buffets that focus on the food (we already do this!); simple decor, and fun action stations are all the rage. A lot of things we love, and our clients love, were reinforced as industry trends. Top chefs and their culinary teams were on hand to share their knowledge and we were thrilled to taste the delectable results of their cooking demos. We’re in the process now of adding a few new menu items we just couldn’t get enough of! Mini savory and sweet cones with an endless list of filling options make an adorable appetizer, as do edible spoons – a new take on the popular Asian spoon apps. Contemporary cupcake stands take the place of the old ones. The trade show was overflowing with these types of new serving, prep, and display ideas and we brought them all back to make our clients’ weddings and parties unique. We also have the latest in lighting to give centerpieces and buffets dramatic effects. And the best part - all of the ideas were presented with budget in mind so we can bring these to our clients at a reasonable cost. We're so excited to bring our new education and ideas back to the Kansas City market!

LED lights in flower stems.
This will really add style
to a centerpiece at an
evening reception.


Bread Pudding Trio

Edible Spoon App

These are so cool! They are actual pieces of fruit (coconut, lemon, etc), with sorbet in them! They would be absolutely adorable on ice at a summer wedding or Hawaiian theme party!

This wok will be used for our Asian wok station. A live chef will be prepping stir fry in the wok for the guests to watch. It makes for quite a show for the guests! Think Food Network....at your party or wedding reception!

http://www.decocateringkc.com/ - Full Service & Drop off Kansas City Catering

Happy Valentine's Day

In honor of Valentine's Day this weekend, our recipe this week is a sweet desert to share with your loved one....or your friends, or have them all to yourself! These are delicious with a heaping scoop of Breyer's Natural Vanilla ice cream. Enjoy

Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Filling:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips Cupcakes:

Cupcakes
1 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted, warm
1/2 cup whole milk


Preparation

For filling:Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in medium bowl. Add egg, sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat until almost smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.


For cupcakes:Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla and chocolate; beat at high speed 5 seconds. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk. Beat on high for 5 seconds to blend. Divide batter among cups, filling 1/3 full. Place 1 heaping tablespoonful cream cheese filling in each center.

Bake cupcakes until toothpick inserted into center (but not cream cheese filling) comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.

What, it's almost February?

Where has the time gone? Seems we were just planning holiday parties, and here we are. This weekend is the Super Bowl, and we have a great wing recipe for you to enjoy with friends. These are great with an ice cold unfiltered wheat.

Sticky Sesame Wings
1 large garlic clove
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons mild honey
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Pinch of cayenne
3 lb chicken wingettes or chicken wings (see cooks' note, below)
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 scallion (green part only), finely chopped
Preparation
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan (17 by 12 inches) with foil and lightly oil foil.
Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer garlic paste to a large bowl and stir in soy sauce, hoisin, honey, oil, and cayenne. Add wingettes to sauce, stirring to coat.
Arrange wingettes in 1 layer in baking pan and roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wingettes to a large serving bowl and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.
(modified from Epicurious.com)

Deco Catering - http://www.decocateringkc.com/

Terri's birthday dinner

We recently celebrated Terri's birthday with a dinner with the whole family. We had a nice evening that started with bacon wrapped, Gouda stuffed dates and a bottle of Malbec. The main course was a chicken and spinach sausage and vegetable lasagna, homemade Caesar salad, and crispy garlic bread. After the meal, chocolate cupcakes, with a cream cheese center were served warm with a dollop of ice cream. Below is the recipe for the stuffed dates. Happy birthday Terri!

Bacon Wrapped, Gouda Stuffed Dates

30 Dates
10 Slices Applewood Smoked Bacon
4-5 oz. Smoked Gouda
30 toothpicks

Slice the Gouda into small pieces to stuff inside the dates. Cut each slice of bacon into thirds. Cut a slit in the dates, and stuff a piece of the Gouda inside each. Wrap each stuffed date with a piece of the sliced bacon, and secure the bacon with a toothpick. Arrange dates on a sheet pan and bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes or until bacon is cooked. Enjoy!

www.decocateringkc.com - Kansas City Catering

Welcome to the Deco Catering Blog!

Welcome to our new blog! We will have exciting updates on events are participating in, weekly recipes, and more !

This week's Creamy White Bean Soup with Leek recipe is great with some crusty bread on a chilly night.

Ingredients
three 19-ounce cans white beans, rinsed well
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups thinly sliced washed white and pale green part of leek
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation
In a blender purée the beans in batches with the tarragon and the broth and strain the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids. In a large saucepan cook the leek, the garlic, and the red pepper flakes in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the leek is softened and begins to turn golden. Add the purée, the half-and-half, the lemon juice, and salt to taste and simmer the soup, stirring, for 5 minutes.
modified from Gourmet Magazine

http://www.decocateringkc.com/ - Kansas City Catering