FOOD TALK WITH FIG - Catering Tips & Stories

It is easy being green #8

2012-01-27T11:39:00.013-06:00

On a blustery Friday in December, Sarah & Andrew were married at Salvage One in Chicago. Many couples set out on their wedding planning journey with varying goals towards “greening” their event, particularly being less wasteful. Sarah & Andrew found lots of easy solutions that also made for a unique and memorable wedding to remember for a lifetime.

Venue

Many couples love Salvage One for their funky tables, chairs and lounge furniture which are used for your event instead of traditional rental tables with linens. And because their furniture is reclaimed, restored, and reused, this prevents more garbage in the landfill, and fewer rentals to be trucked around the city in gas guzzling box trucks – though it also helps that Salvage One is located directly across the street from one of our favorite rental companies, Tablescapes. Furthermore, the gorgeous restored antique tables need no linen, and the chairs need no covers or ties, saving hundreds of gallons of water and cleaning solution. Who knew looking cool could be so sustainable?

Escort Cards/Favors

Instead of card stock escort cards, which hare thrown away at the end of the evening, the couples showed guests their seats with small potted succulents, which live well indoors year round and last, as a memory of Sarah & Andrew’s special day.

Menu

Andrew & Sarah chose a hearty, winter menu, instead of old banquet or steakhouse standbys like asparagus & green beans, which are not in season or very tasty in the Midwest in December. The couple and guests enjoyed

Blackened Brussels Sprouts
Smashed Baby Potatoes
White Lasagna with Exotic Mushrooms and Goat Cheese Bechamel
Whole Roasted Rushing Waters Trout (Wisconsin) with Preserved Lemon-Caper Relish and Cranberry-Whole Mustard-Celery Relish
Whole Roasted Chicken with Lemon & Herbs
{Brussels sprouts photo by Jamie Davis/Greenhouse Loft}

The meal was served family-style, so guests could help themselves without getting up and nothing was left to waste! By serving whole fish and chicken, no part of the animal went to waste either. Fish filets and chicken breasts are more expensive than whole, as the prized portion of the meat, so the couple saved money too.

Floral/Vases

Flowers for the reception were designed by Lynn at Pollen. Lynn used a mix of her own vases, which she reclaims and reuses for the next event, and the couple’s personal vases, adding a personal and extra green touch to the décor. The flowers were also sourced from sustainable farms that don't use pesticides and limit production and shipping.

Venue: Salvage One
Catering: FIG Catering
Photography: Alix Kingenberg/Free to Be Photography
Floral: Pollen
DJ: Cage & Aquarium

Gingerbread Fallingwater: The Completion

2012-01-10T09:21:00.007-06:00

by Jeff Hallenbeck

With the holidays well beyond us, an update on my gingerbread project is overdue.

I spent about 2-3 weeks worth of free time planning and constructing a gingerbread house to resemble Frank Lloyd Wright's famous Fallingwater home. I had a self imposed deadline of December 25th and was actually able to finish a few days early (and spend some time relaxing with the family, thankfully!).

This is made entirely of edible materials. While we didn't partake in tasting this labor of love, the dog, apparently, has been nibbling on it (it's in my parent's backyard).

Oh, and yes to get a head start, does anyone have ideas or requests for the next gingerbread construction? I was thinking Corbusier's Villa Savoye, but I could change my mind...

Trends in Weddings: Delivered Food

2012-01-03T10:01:00.004-06:00

by Elyse Moore

While we deliver food a lot for corporate clients (sandwiches, hot meals, trays of hors d’oeuvres), 2011 was the first year we’ve provided food delivery for a number of wedding clients. Although it offers more limited options, getting food delivered is less expensive than full service catering. It may not work for every client, but we’d love to show you how our clients made it work for them.

At a small, Pilsen art gallery, Jamie and Jan tied the knot last spring. They opted for a light buffet with some of FIG’s favorite hors d’oeuvres including blue cheese gougeres with FIG jam, bruschetta, and Rushing Waters smoked trout cakes. Making your reception shorter (3-4 hours versus 5-6) and either before or after dinner hours (Jamie & Jan’s was from 4-7p) allows you to serve lighter food.

Teena and Brad introduced us to another new-to-us venue with their summer wedding at Logan Square Auditorium. Even though we dropped all of the food off, we actually staffed the event too. This may be a good option if you are at a venue where you do not want to be cleaning up and prefer professional staff.

On a warm Saturday in October, Stephanie and Robert had a casual wedding reception in their parent’s backyard in Wauconda. We delivered snacks (including some awesome artisanal cheeses), salads and sandwiches for a light dinner. The couple and their family definitely put in a little elbow grease into procuring rentals, decorating, and organizing before the wedding, but with a little help from independently hired private home staff on the day-of they were able to enjoy the day (and the FIG food).

Kaitlyn and Adam got married at The Shores of Turtle Creek, a private venue with lodge and extensive grounds near the Wisconsin border. They saved money on a venue outside of the city, but it was difficult for them to find a caterer who would travel that far outside of the city, and who could provide delicious vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals — then Kaitlyn & Adam met FIG at Indie Wed. We created a custom menu, including ceremony snacks, boxed lunches, pies and sweets, including some of Kaitlyn’s own recipes for cupcakes and meringue mushrooms. Kaitlyn and Adam also teamed up with Brittanie at Lola Events, who helped them coordinate other aspects of the reception and was on-site day-of to make sure that everything went smoothly.

Another vegetarian bride, Megan, wanted to offer her friends and family a delicious all vegetarian meal that wouldn’t bore them or cause them to wonder “Where’s the meat?” She rented space at Citizen’s Park in Barrington and had FIG drop off appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and, most importantly, big, fluffy cupcakes.

Everyone has a different vision for their own wedding, but if you imagine something more casual with good bites and close family and friends hanging out, drop-off food is a consideration.

I am woman, hear me roar?

2011-12-16T15:28:00.005-06:00

by Molly Schemper

A couple month's ago I was contacted by a group called CRAVE Chicago . They explained that CRAVE was a coffee table book that highlighted dynamic, entrepreneurial women and that I should be included. I checked out the sample profile and was bowled over by how beautiful it was, I recognized lots of fellow female entrepreneurs (including NOW Studio and Spilled Ink Press), and I quickly decided I would be in good company.

Saya Hillman, the Chicago partner, was super enthusiastic and organized. I completed a biography, was hooked up with CRAVE volunteer photographer, Amy Boyle, for headshots, and was looking at my digital profile in no time flat. Last night was the official book launch party at Open Books (a non-profit bookstore in River North - donate your old books, get "new" books while donating to charity).

Seeing the book in print, I was even more impressed. It's gorgeous and a great thing to flip through if you're an entrepreneur, thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, or a young woman/girl still figuring out what you can do. Plus it gives you tons of great ideas of places to shop, eat, relax, conduct business, and support small local businesses. Can you say "stocking stuffer?" We've got books, if you're interested, contact me at molly@figcatering.com.

The Great Outdoors

2011-11-29T16:01:00.014-06:00

As we head into the darkness of winter us Chicagoans agree on one thing - summer is one of the greatest things about living here. It gives us a chance to explore neighborhoods, enjoy the lake, and take a breath of fresh (not frigid) air. Unfortunately if you want to enjoy the outdoors on your wedding day, you are often limited to pictures on the lakefront or trying desperately to find a venue with outdoor space. However if you happen to have a backyard, try going it on your own. This is not as daunting as a task as it would seem. At many venues you’re bringing in (via rental company) all of the tables/chairs anyway so the cost will be the same. Figuring out rentals, with or without the help of your caterer, is not that difficult and suddenly you have a free venue where you can party all night.

Here are some of the advantages to having a wedding at home (and how our clients implemented them into their events):

♥ DIY Decoration– although, in theory, you can do this at a venue when the venue is your home it is much easier. You can set things up long before the event and don’t have to worry about cleaning everything up at the end of the night.

♥ Use the money you saved on the venue for things that are more important to you – whether that’s a kick-ass band, locally sourced food, decadent offerings, or really nice wine.

♥ Get “outdoorsy” with it. Embrace the casual atmosphere with a casual menu, simple place settings, and Ball jar glasses.

♥ Provide your own food/beverages. You may decide to do everything yourself, make it a potluck, or just bring in some of your favorite homemade items and have a caterer take care of the main meal. At many venues this would be restricted or illegal (food items need to be prepared in a commercial kitchen), but having the event at home allows you to do this.

♥ Being comfortable. Get ready with your bridesmaids in your own room, take photos with your hubby on your stairs, and always know where to find the bathroom/water/a bobby pin.

Photos by

Edyta Szyszlo Photography/www.edytaszyzlo.com

and Sheila Barabad

No shots for you

2011-11-23T11:00:00.003-06:00

by Lorna Juett

In honor of one of the biggest bar days of the year and in preparation for the holiday season which is always a time full of celebratory drinks, I'd like to offer my take on shots. As a drinker with plenty of practice, I have woken up on a few occasions to a parched throat, eyes and a brain that feel like they don’t belong to me and the pervasive thought, ”I should have never done those shots.”

As a bartender at an event, I have to turn down requests for shots, not because I care about how the guest feels in the morning, but rather about how they will act tonight. I don’t want any hand in helping the now uninhibited bridesmaid to hit on the bride’s underage cousin, or assist the friend of the groom in putting his fist through an antique mirror and then passing out in the bridal suite.

Most importantly, I don’t serve shots because I don’t want to put FIG or myself in any trouble. FIG is required to carry liquor liability or dram shop insurance. This insurance covers any claim if a guest gets injured, injures someone else, or damages property after being served alcohol by our staff. As a bartender, I could also be held personally liable. Not only do I not want our guests injuring themselves, but I don't want our insurance rates to skyrocket or, worse yet, have our insurance revoked making us unable to serve guests liquor.

Fortunately it is not my place to explain the finer points of insurance to a guest. When approached for a shot, it is best to keep it simple and tell the guest that it is against our policy to serve shots and that I could be fired for doing so. Most guests understand and will ask for a less direct means of alcohol delivery.

However, some more determined guests get creative. Recently I was asked by a woman in her 20s, after being denied a shot, for a 'neat' drink. Immediately afterwards. Now, I may look dumb, but I know that this person has no intention of sipping the whiskey and denied her the drink.

Now it's time for a little creativity of my own. Since you don't want a pissed off guest, dealing with their request in a fun, but firm manner is the balance you must strike. If it’s early in the night, I can offer a beer, or a mixed drink (something that will take them longer to drink). If it’s later, and I fear the patron is already over served, I can offer a glass of water or a mixed drink that I can short-pour (I feel less guilty about this because the person is not paying for the drink).

If the situation progresses further, we may have to cut off the guest. This is the point in this interaction that I hate the most, where I feel threatened, defensive, and afraid this news will be twisted and the client will be unhappy with the perceived treatment of their guest.

In the end, it’s my duty to use the authority I have to protect the health and safety of the patrons I serve, and the integrity of the business I work for. Typically, our clients and guests understand that, and thank us for being a voice of reason in a celebratory situation. I also hope that the guests I deny shots to, while they may be upset at the time, also wake up saying, “I am glad I never did those shots."

Hi Everyone! I'm Jeff.

2011-11-22T09:07:00.007-06:00

I am the assistant baker here at FIG. I am fresh out of IIT's architecture program; Now you may not think that architecture and pastry have much in common, I would have to argue otherwise. Broadly speaking, each is an art concerned not only with the beauty, but with the tangible, pragmatic realities. Shelter and function in the case of architecture; Satisfying hunger and of course flavor in the case of pastry.

The most important similarity between the two disciplines though, is the dedication to precision and craft each requires in order to truly become the master of your materials- or ingredients, as the case may be. Obviously, I have quite a respect for each.

www.fallingwater.org

In the coming weeks, I will be trying my hand at the fusion of those two great forms of art. That's right; in the spirit of the season, I will be building a gingerbread house. This will hopefully be no ordinary gingerbread house, however. In order to quell the architecture-school-withdrawal symptoms I have been suffering (that is, getting adequate sleep, leading a relatively stress free life, etc.)I will be making a scale model of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater entirely out of edible materials(no wood pulp does not count).

www.fallingwater.org

Having just recently journeyed to this architectural mecca, I have a new appreciation- and now first hand knowledge- of its splendor.I am well into the planning phase of my undertaking and have settled on my materials: Gingerbread, of course, to model the site and the stone; cast white chocolate, to represent the concrete cantilevered trays; and sugar glass, to mimic the windows and water.

My deadline for this project is December 25th. So if you would like to follow my progress make sure you check in on this blog from time to time. Oh, and wish me luck! (I'm going to need it!)

-Jeff Hallenbeck

FOOD TALK WITH FIG - Catering Tips & Stories: Caterer's Pet Peeves: Volume One

2011-11-18T11:44:00.000-06:00

FOOD TALK WITH FIG - Catering Tips & Stories: Caterer's Pet Peeves: Volume One

Caterer's Pet Peeves: Volume One

2011-11-10T10:24:00.007-06:00

by Molly

Stay in this business long enough and you're sure to see the same things done over and over again. This is not always a bad thing; sometimes tricks of the trade just make everyone's job easier, but eventually you'll develop a list of things that just irk you. It will not be the same list for everyone. Some peoples' unnecessary embellishments will be others' whimsical touches. Well, in the FIG office we've developed a list of some of our pet peeves (I've labeled this Volume One because I'm sure we'll come up with more):

1. ROSEMARY SPRIGS - I'm not anti-rosemary, it has its place alongside a steak, in savory stews, in focaccia, or other numerous applications, but when I was first in the business there were rosemary sprigs on nearly every dish that came out of the kitchen. Chicken, fish, vegetarian, steak - it didn't matter. Rosemary was "the perfect garnish" - green, sturdy, and fragrant. My problem? Most of these dishes didn't use rosemary as an ingredient and they didn't need it. It was not only superfluous, it overwhelmed the dishes. Scent plays a strong role in taste so the presence of rosemary will affect the taste of the dish. And, I still see it! In photos and at other caterers' events I see unnecessary rosemary sprigs and I cringe.

2. ICE SCULPTURES - Ice sculptures are beautiful, right? Well, from a service standpoint, they suck. They are heavy, they melt, and they invariably fall or fall apart at inappropriate or dangerous times. In my mind, ice sculptures should only exist in the Ice Hotel (one officemate approves of ice luges, but we think that's just because she's a lush).

3. VAGINA FOLD - aka tent fold. The tent fold is a simple napkin fold that is used a lot in the event industry - especially at banquet halls. The fold is simple, works in your napkin is starched or not, and can be placed in various locations at a setting. It's versatile and everyone knows it. We had one bride (herself a former catering server/manager) that exclaimed, "I do not want my guests walking in to a room full of vaginas." 'Nuff said.

4. CUPCAKES - Okay, this is one that's going to cause a lot of division; which is why I explained earlier that not everyone's pet peeves are the same. That being said, we are so OVER cupcakes. They are little cakes, people, nothing more. I've always thought there was too much frosting; another office staff things there is too little. I think the distribution is just wrong. Unless you personally just adore cupcakes (in which case, you should have them), please consider other desserts.

5. ELABORATE SERVING IDEAS - There are plenty of caterers out there who do this. FIG believes food should be pretty on it's own and does not get into overly elaborate displays. We believe serving pieces should enhance your enjoyment of the food by making it easy to eat/easy to serve, keeping it warm or cold, and fitting in nicely at the buffet. There does not need to be neon lights underneath it and if you're going to kill fish for your event, please eat them (and make sure they are sustainably fished or farmed).

Most of these peeves come from our side, but, of course, sometimes we're peeved at guests too. Here is an all too common guest-related pet peeve that you should avoid next time you're at an event.

6. PLACING GARBAGE NEAR FOOD - Whether a server is passing a tray of hors d'oeuvres or there is a buffet/station of food, you should not put used toothpicks, napkins, or other debris near the food. Generally there is a garbage, tray stand, or server with a clearing tray nearby. Look for them.

Featured Event: Poetry Foundation's Grand Opening

2011-10-12T12:40:00.013-05:00

We've been so busy with weddings this spring, summer, and fall, but we've managed to squeeze in a corporate event here and there too. In June, we helped the Poetry Foundation inaugurate their new home in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood. It was a grand event from the start...

We had no idea that poetry lovers were also so into food, but beginning with their first contact with FIG, we quickly began to understand why so many gustatory poems are written. They came to the FIG kitchen to taste their menu with bottles of carefully selected wine in tow. They tried eight passed hors d'oeuvres and decided to serve all of them; then they tried two desserts and decided they wanted both (mini sized). This was a match made in heaven!

Weeks before the event, Elyse did a walk-through of a space that was still under construction. She was a little apprehensive(and did her best not to show the client), but they assured her that all would be ready by the Grand Opening date.

One of our closest FIG friends (client, linen salesperson) is a budding photographer and her strength is food photography. We had been looking for a good time to work with her and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. A plated dinner for 100 in a brand, spanking-new facility. Lots of staff, lots of food, lots of light = lots of great pictures.

On June 23, we arrived to a gorgeous space that had been transformed. It was bright and clean, and ready to host a Grand Opening dinner. Everyone was well fed and we saw a few plates where people managed to finish both desserts (we have no doubt that they were the real poets).

Thanks, Jen Moran, for the amazing photography!

Cleaning up Chicago...one wedding beach at a time

2011-09-02T10:30:00.007-05:00

by Molly Schemper

As members of the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance, we are committed to helping couples make their weddings more environmentally friendly, but we don't stop there. Recently fourteen members of the group, including myself, gathered on a Monday afternoon to pick up trash, sort recycling, and test water quality in conjunction with the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Adopt-A-Beach program. We cleared nearly 100 pounds of debris from the beach and park around Montrose harbor and lots of the trash was little items, including an inordinate amount of little plastic wrappers - like the kind used for boxed juice drink straws. It's been a while since we were kids and we didn't realize boxed juices were so popular.

Photo by Amanda Hein
It was a great break from the office as we got to enjoy a perfect, sunny summer afternoon, and we were amazed at the number of thank yous we received from beach-goers (some even joined us to help out). On September 17, 2011, the Alliance for the Great Lakes is hosting a multi-state beach clean-up and the CGWA is hoping to help out again. The group is hoping that other wedding professionals and members of the public (including brides and grooms) will join them to volunteer at upcoming events including at the Ravenswood Remix on Labor Day weekend, where they’ll be enforcing recycling efforts and for National Parks Day on September 22 at Gompers Park. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit our Meet-up page.

Battle for the Veg Option: Vegetarians vs. Vegans

2011-07-07T13:53:00.010-05:00

by Elyse Moore

When selecting catering for your party or wedding reception, you won’t typically have the option to let your guests choose from a vast menu. However you will generally want to offer a couple options for guests, including a meat or fish option that will appeal to the majority of your guests and a vegetarian option for your guests who do not eat meat. Vegetarians are a small (but growing) contingent; according to the Vegetarian Times, in 2008 less than 3% of Americans reportedly follow a vegetarian diet, and only a fraction of these follow a stricter, vegan diet. What’s the difference? And how can you talk to your caterer and choose foods to please all of your guests?

Vegetarians do not eat fish, seafood, or meat, including chicken, turkey, duck, pork, beef, lamb or products made with the animal (eg. gelatin). Vegetarians do eat animal by-products, including eggs and dairy. Speaking from experience (I’m a vegaquarian and my husband is a vegetarian), most vegetarians love eggs and dairy! This is our “meat.” Vegans disagree; they not only eschew animal flesh, but animal by-products, including honey. Very strict vegans even avoid products like refined sugar and most wine because the processes used to make these products often involved fining or filtering them with charcoal, egg shells, or other animal by-products.

So, if you have a small contingent of vegetarians and vegans coming to your event, how do you solve this dilemma? Unfortunately, we’re finding that more and more people will just opt for a vegan option and say “that’s good for the vegetarians too.” From a cheese-loving vegetarian standpoint, this sucks. True story: A very dear, vegaquarian friend of mine had a secret cheese plate in her bridal suite at her wedding. She and her groom selected a variety of fish/seafood, meat, and vegan hors d’oeuvres for her cocktail-style reception with buffet hors d’oeuvres stations. There were three vegans attending and over a dozen vegetarians, and no cheese or eggs for anyone (unless you snuck into the bridal suite early)!

Your party is a special meal for you and your guests and the food you choose will reflect your personality and taste, along with being appealing to the guests. Most menus will have a balance of vegetables, grains, legumes, eggs, dairy and meats or seafood. “Meat-eaters” are, in fact, omnivores, and do eat more than steaks (unless they’re Paleo). Eggs and dairy usually complement vegetable and starch options to create especially decadent hors d’oeuvres and side dishes for your menu. If you find you have a vegan (or a few) in the mix, you do not have to bereave your vegetarians of their “meat” – cheese, butter, eggs! Vegans, because they are statistically so few in numbers, can be approached as a food allergy, and accommodated as such. Consider how many vegan guests you have (1 or 2?) and ask your caterer if they can modify foods on your menu to create a special meal for vegan guests. If you’re having a buffet, your vegan guests may need to be identified to the staff at dinner, but they’ll be sincerely happy that you thought of them. Your vegetarians and omnivores will thank you too. After all, everyone loves eggs and dairy—except vegans.

Sample Buffet Menu

Arugula Salad with Roasted Beets, Goat Cheese, and Honeyed Pistachios
Sautéed Snap Peas
Wild Rice “Risotto”
Seasonal Vegetable Gratin
Honey Mustard Grilled Trout
FIG-Glazed Pork Loin

Vegan Option

Arugula Salad with Roasted Beets, Raspberries, and Toasted Pistachios
Wild Rice and Lentil Pilaf with Sautéed Snap Peas

Homemade Whole Wheat English Muffins

2011-07-02T12:23:00.002-05:00

Adapted from The Bread Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Yield: 10 muffins

Sponge:
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
¾ cup warm water
1 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. instant yeast

In the bowl of your stand mixer or bread mixer, combine flour, water, honey, and yeast. Whisk together until smooth, whisk for about 2 minutes to incorporate air.

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. nonfat dry milk
½ tsp. instant yeast
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temp.
1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt
Cornmeal
Melted butter

In a separate dry bowl, combine whole wheat flour, dry milk, and yeast. Mix well and sprinkle on top of the sponge; do not stir. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment for 1 to 4 hours at room temperature (sponge will bubble through the top flour mixture).

To mix: Add butter and mix with the dough hook on low speed until a rough dough is formed. Cover again and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and knead (in mixer) for around 10 minutes (if your mixer is old and/or tired, finish kneading by hand). The dough should be smooth and shiny, but a little tacky (sticky); add flour or water, as necessary. Put dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 ½ hours. Deflate the dough and recover it; place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or up to 24).

Sprinkle a sheet pan with cornmeal. Lightly flour your counter and roll out the dough until about ¼ inch thick. Use a 3 1/2” biscuit cutter to cut out rounds. Reroll with scraps and cut until dough is done (if dough gets too hard to roll – i.e. starts to spring back when you roll it out – cover it and place it back in the fridge for 1 hour to relax the gluten). Set the pieces on the baking sheet, leaving space between them; dust with cornmeal and cover loosely with an oiled piece of plastic wrap. Let them rise for about 45 minutes or until ¾” tall.

Once risen, heat an electric griddle to 275 degrees, or a skillet/gas griddle over low heat. Brush the griddle with melted butter and place the muffins on the griddle. Cook for 10 minutes, or until browned, on first side. Flip over and continue cooking until second side has browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Split the muffins, using a fork, to create “nooks and crannies.” Enjoy toasted with butter or homemade jam.

FIG Friend: Katherine Anne Confections

2011-06-10T10:37:00.000-05:00

by Molly Schemper

While Justin has been known to nosh on more than his fair share of jelly beans, I am a sucker for chocolate (and ice cream, but that's a different post). When I was young Junior Mints and Hershey bars would suffice, but as I've grown and developed a slightly more mature palate I've come to realize that all chocolate is not created equally. Luckily I'm around chocolate a lot while I work, but, as with many things, sweets that have not been made by my hands sometimes just taste better. When I'm looking to splurge on an indulgent chocolate treat, I often think of Katherine Anne truffles.

We first met Katherine Duncan, the eponymous chocoholic/foodie behind the confectionery, nearly 4 years ago. She was just starting her business, which is focused on creating delicious truffles in creative flavors. Katherine shares some of FIG's core values - using high quality ingredients to create exceptional products, developing flavors with local and organic ingredients, and taking steps to run a sustainable business (including her fabulous packaging from Distant Village). In those 4 years since our first meeting, Katherine Anne has expanded exponentially and now has products available at farmer's markets all over the city, local shops (wine, coffee, and more), and even Whole Foods. Her line-up has expanded too and now includes caramels and, most recently, chocolate dipped s'mores (Justin recently tried these and declared it to be the "most awesomest graham cracker ever," so, I guess Katherine knows about more than just chocolate.)

What I like most about Katherine Anne's products is her judicious use of sugar (your teeth will never hurt eating her confections, even the caramel, because she doesn't use corn syrup), her knack for using salt (check out that s'more again, it's sprinkled with sea salt), and her amazing attention to detail (the banana cream pie truffle I had recently had the most perfect little vanilla wafer on top). Next time you see a box of KA's truffles, buy it! Or, better yet, consider giving them as favors at your wedding (did I mention the beautiful and sustainable packaging!) or attending a truffle making party.

FIG Staff: Lorna Juett

2011-05-19T10:37:00.000-05:00

It's with a lot of anticipation and a little bittersweetness that I introduce our newest staff member, Lorna Juett. We've know Lorna for a couple years because she used to work for one of our friendly competitors. I feel bad even calling City Provisions a competitor because we share a lot of the same philosophy, refer clients back and forth, and have an awesome relationship. In fact we like to say that if we "lose a job" to each other, it's still a win. Don't worry, we didn't steal her away - she had a amicable departure from City Provisions months ago and when we started thinking about adding staff she seemed like a natural fit. Without further ado, I'll let Lorna introduce herself...

In the liner notes for one of the final Johnny Cash albums, The Man Comes Around, Cash admits that the worst advice he ever gave was to Roy Orbison. He told him he shouldn’t sing so high and that he should change his name; Roy would never be famous with a last name like “Orbison.”

There is no way to see how taking Cash’s advice would have affected Orbison’s career, but I think his signature falsetto and name are so recognizable it is difficult to envision that era of music without them.

When I lost my job this winter I got a lot of advice from trusted friends and family. Some of it mirrored my own thoughts and intentions, and some of it diametrically opposed my ideals. Although taking contrary advice-and a few not-so-perfect professional opportunities- would have challenged me, I didn’t feel they would put me on the right path. In accepting my new role with FIG, I hope to channel Roy Orbison, who succeeded on his own terms, and retained his own identity.

My past experiences working with Merz Apothecary and City Provisions helped me cultivate an understanding of the passion and dedication it takes to run a successful service-oriented business, and I am pleased to report that Justin and Molly have what it takes. FIG Catering has many traits of a business I admire: Small, owner-operated, a desire to be the best while using the highest-quality resources, a goal of complete customer satisfaction, and a staff with a sense of humor. I am excited to join the team and help us to grow and serve more happy customers.

Once the good folks here let me to fly out on my own, I will be responsible for the corporate catering and events for FIG, along with organizing staff for each of our distinctive events. Until then I am learning the ropes and taking in as much as possible, including some delicious staff meals. (mmmmmm… pie…)

I cannot wait to meet the loyal customers and fans of FIG. Until then, I hope you’ve gotten to know me a little through these words.

FIG Friend: Toast & Jam DJs

2011-05-10T12:13:00.006-05:00

Remember back when we were going to start telling you about all of the great people with whom we work? If not, go back and read about Pollen. If you do and have been wondering if we have more than one friend, we do. We got lots of 'em. And when we want to get down and boogie, we can think of no one who puts us in the dancing spirit better than Toast & Jam.

When I was first introduced to Toast & Jam, I found out they were a woman owned business (yay!) that played kick-ass music and refused to play the Chicken Dance. I was pretty much sold. Then I found out that President and Top DJ Mary Nisi was a DePaul graduate and actually lived with my best friend freshman year. Crazy small world - I had to get to know them better.

Since that day, we have worked with Toast & Jam DJs on countless weddings at venues throughout the city. We've worked with various DJs too, including Sarah, Laura, Amanda, and most recently, Dustin (the one and only male DJ in Toast & Jam's cadre). Now, I won't claim to like every song T&J plays, but they really know how to keep the dance floor going...something your IPod can't always accomplish. Also, they rock at talking with us (your caterer) and making sure we're on the same schedule (don't want those pesky toasts going too long and causing the food to get cold)...something your IPod can definitely not handle Plus, Toast & Jam matches you up with the perfect DJ and this person meets with you twice before your wedding to make sure they know your taste and give you the dance party you've been dreaming of.

If you're looking for a DJ, don't need fancy strobe lights or fog machines, and definitely want to avoid the Macarena, give T&J a shout!

Under the Table: Commission Revealed

2011-04-27T08:56:00.005-05:00

Commission is a percentage or sum paid to an agent or representative for their services. However, in the special events industry, commission is often a way for a venue to increase profit by charging vendors, like caterers, for the right to work at their space (commissions are also often charged by event planners to vendors, for recommending them). The fee, usually 10-15% of food and beverages in the case of caterers, is charged to vendors for every event they book at the space. Personally, we’re getting sick and tired of the practice. Why? At FIG, we want you to have the most memorable wedding or party ever and will recommend venues, DJs, florists, bakeries, photographers, and even dance instructors who we know and trust will help make your event awesome. When awesome people recommend other awesome people with desirable services, the client and the vendors all win. We’ve feel that charging our fellow vendors for the commendation is in poor spirit and a disservice to the client.

Why should you care? If a venue charges commission, the venue may seem more affordable than other spaces. Unfortunately, the vendors will have to mark up their prices, so that they can still make a profit and stay in business. This is why a caterer’s proposal at one venue may be less expensive than the same proposal from the same caterer at a different venue. In the deceptive practice of charging commission, that less expensive venue may not save you money on your comprehensive wedding budget.

What can you do about it? Ask your venue if they charge commission to any of the vendors with whom you’ll be working (most commonly venues apply this charge caterers, but they may also charge DJs, florists, or design companies). If so, ask why. Some venues will say it is for inclusion on their exclusive list “guaranteeing” that the vendor gets a lot of jobs. But wouldn’t you rather have vendors on their list because they provide a great service and not just because they are paying to be on it? Some venues claim to be covering shared advertising costs. Molly, being a former advertising executive, certainly appreciates the value of good advertising and would be willing to actually contribute to co-op advertising, if this were the case, but charging a fee on every event incentivizes us to charge more and vendors to recommend more (perhaps unnecessary) services.

We do get business from venues, but, if there were no caterers or other vendors providing their services, the venue wouldn’t seem like such a great place to have a party, would it? When guests attend a wedding, they don’t think of the food, music, cake, space, and linens as separate things. They are all part of a whole package that makes the event great (or not). We believe that our food and service reflect positively on the venues we work at and ultimately make the venue more attractive to potential clients. So, we’re providing a service to the venue too, and yet, we’re not charging them. Hmmmm…

If you choose to work with a venue that charges commission to vendors, know the charges before you book with all of your vendors and make sure that you’ve considered these costs in your budget. As for us, by refusing to work at venues that charge commission, we hope to create more opportunities for venues and other vendors on a strictly merit basis and continue to help our clients have the best parties ever!

Peace, Love & Baconfest

2011-04-18T11:47:00.005-05:00

By Suzie Genyk, Intro by Molly

As you may or may not already know, FIG stands for For Intimate Gatherings. We cater smaller events – under 150 guests – and usually have an on-site staff of 2-10. Three years ago some fellow food friends approached me about helping them with a special event called Baconfest. At the time, Baconfest was a mere germ of an idea. In 2008, I helped plan an intimate VIP event at the Publican, last year we organized a bigger event (24 total chefs, 600 guests) at Stan Mansion, but this year (April 9th, to be precise) we catapulted into the big time with 57 chefs, 8 liquor sponsors, 20+ vendors, 9 sponsors, a great charity, and 1,800+ guests. I literally had all hands on-deck for this one – 2 supervisors (I was one of them), and 16 service staff.

It was a bacon-filled day full of garbage toting, water filling, and chef-managing. My staff was putting in a lot of hours (we started at 7 am and some of the staff were working a FIG wedding AFTER Baconfest) and I knew that to keep them satisfied I had to let them do more than just smell the bacon. Everyone got a break - time to go around and try as many dishes as they could/wanted to in 30 minutes. Some eyes lit up a little more brightly than others, including Suzie, who Tweets as @lakeviewfoodie, and fits right in with the FIG crew. Below is her personal account of Baconfest…

A pig came to my fifth birthday party. Not one covered in Nueske’s bacon, but a real live pig that waddled down my driveway, birthday hat and all, to celebrate the wonder of all that is being 5. Wilbur, the friendly pig from Charlotte's web, was my first love. This love affair meant not only did I collect everything pig but I most certainly did not eat anything "pig".

Knowing all this, my participation in Baconfest this year may shock you, however, Baconfest is the ultimate testimony to my evolving love affair with food. To cut the story short, Wilbur, my love, transformed into brown-sugared ham on Easter Sunday; he became the oh so delicious bacon that accompanies weekend brunches with friends and to my surprise the remorse never kicked in. When the opportunity arose to work at Baconfest this year with FIG Catering, I did not hesitate for one second!

I did not believe the claims that bacon would permeate the air of the whole UIC Forum, but boy, was I wrong. Setting up the event and seeing it from the ground up was amazing and it gave me a much better vantage point to what tasty concoctions I would stuff myself with at the end of my shift. And, let me tell you, I stuffed in a lot! There were lots of chefs, lots of bacon and a whole lot of happy and satisfied bacon lovers. In those 5 hours before I got to join the masses, I hopelessly craved the happiness that ensued from the massive bacon consumption by all those bacon fans.

Blah, blah, blah, enough about the scene, let's cue the food!

My favorites:
1) Chizakaya’s Grilled Bacon Nigiri (sushi). The rice was grilled, the bacon was oh so tender and whatever was in between was heavenly. Almost a week past the fact, I am still yearning for that nigiri, like a lover who went away too soon.
2) Naha’s Slow Roasted Slab Bacon with Rhubarb and Burton's Sorghum.
So simple=so delicious.
3) One SixtyBlue’s Pastrami Cured Pork Belly Rueben with 160 Blue Sauerkraut. I have a thing for sauerkraut and this was great with a ramp spread: A+ for seasonality!
4) La Madia’s Bacon and Spinach Ravioli with Browned Butter Sauce and Parmesan. I’m pretty sure the butter ran down my face during consumption, but, like everything I ate at Baconfest, I did not care how I looked gorging myself, I was in heaven!
5) A special shout out to the impressive Berkshire hog wrapped in a Nueske's bacon from Paddy Long's! Many were in awe; I was shocked. I never allowed myself to see a whole cooked hog before, but so happy when I ate that beauty and didn’t even flinch (outwardly) when someone took the tail to eat!

Picture courtesy of paddylongs.com.
I cannot wait for another afternoon full of bacon happiness, and honestly, I’ll pick up after you crazy bacon lovers for hours if I can have just one last morsel of bacon nigiri.

** I couldn't have done it without my FIG partner-in-crime, Mike Bigelow. Thank you for making me laugh (you know what you said!). **

From the Other Side

2011-04-05T09:42:00.008-05:00

by Elyse Moore

I’ve had this growing notion floating in my busy brain throughout my first year with FIG Catering. I was pretty confident in the business when I signed on last April. After all, FIG has made it through six growing years of business in one of the worst economies since the Depression. I’d also had a business crush on them due to their cool-kid connections with local farmers’ markets, where I was working when I first met FIG. I’ve been thinking, I might be working with the best catering company in Chicago.

Almost a year later, with dozens of FIG weddings, house parties, and other intimate gatherings under my belt (I’ve got quite a few FIG Family Lunches under my belt also), I become daily, ever-so-more certain of the awesomeness that is FIG. And now, readers, so that you may be certain of my brownnosing, I must affirm that as of Saturday, March 26 2011, I know—I do work with the best catering company in Chicago.

On March 26th, FIG catered the wedding of my best friends, Shelley & Ian, which I attended in a black velvet a-line mini, instead of my usual “black bistro” uniform—which is to say I had the honor of being a guest, rather than working, at an event catered by FIG.

Photo by Christina Noel

Shelley & Ian were married (and partied) at one of my favorite venues in Chicago, Salvage One, which definitely got everything off to a great start. Salvage One has the distinguished opportunity to offer their entire stock of unique salvaged and refurbished tables, chairs, and lounge furniture to outfit an expansive two-story brick and hardwood warehouse and showroom. The walls are swathed in all directions with huge paned windows, letting in the variable light landscapes of the Chicago city sky.

The only thing greater than or equal to such an awesome venue, is phenomenal food and service, which FIG delivered. All of our friends were raving about the crab cakes (I lost count how many I ate, more than 5?), various sliders (duck, ribeye, black bean, & quinoa-mushroom), bacon wrapped FIGs, and house cured salmon a corn scallion waffle. These items have been regular guests in my culinary lexicon at FIG since working daily here on menu proposals, contracts and events. But being able to sit back, relax, and eat FIG’s food hot and fresh (as opposed to end-of-the-night leftovers) gave me such an appreciation for Justin’s magical kitchen talents, and Molly’s skill at timing, coordination and presentation of an event. The bartenders made a French 75 just how I like it (I might have given some instruction) and the room always felt warm and intimate as the event timeline luxuriously tick-tocked away. Despite how much work I put into the event beforehand, as I guest I had nothing to worry about because our team worked flawlessly together. It was an honor to experience.

As a full time employee in the food and service industry, it’s a rare treat to have the time and privilege to enjoy such an elaborate fete, like those that I’m used to putting on regularly for our clients. Now that I’ve been spoiled once as a guest at a FIG wedding, I’m hoping to get some of my other friends to agree to matrimonial bliss so we can keep this party going. Maybe my parents will renew their vows? Mostly though, just to be gifted with the intimate knowledge that I get to work with the best catering company in Chicago is pretty rich for me. And to see my best friends enjoy one of the most special evenings of their life together-- that’s priceless.

How Smart Do We Need To Be?

2011-03-24T13:31:00.002-05:00

Confessions of a non blogger (so if this doesn’t sound like your normal blog, get over it, I don’t read ‘em and I don’t really have the time to write ‘em, twitter is sweeter!)
by Danielle Kruse (tweet me at @FIGDanielle)

Recently I became a member of an office staff of three at FIG. The shared passions of food and ideas were the main reason I took this position, one that uses many of my existing skills, and allows me to pick up some new ones as well (hence the blog). In my previous ‘life’, I traveled a lot and am now a master ‘panic’ packer. I am known to have in my possession, at almost all times, a sewing kit, knife, wine key, measuring tape, screwdriver (with several bits), pain reliever and bandages. I always felt like I was ready to deal with the world, even without technology, but then it reared its ugly head.

In the past six years, I have gone from Motorola Razer to Blackberry to Galaxy S Droid, from no laptop to used laptop to new million-biggabite-inspironium-huge-awesome-graphics laptop, from Rand McNally to Mapquest to Google Maps to GPS system, but they didn’t come easily - I fought against these changes. I bent to technology (I didn’t break as I don’t own a pad, tablet, or Kindle), but these changes definitely affected my life (for my first month at FIG, I did most of my work online in the hotel after working 8-10 hours at my other job). The ‘smart phone’ made my life easier, yet there became no way to be ‘out of the office’. This is a way of life, time off has become just a dream, but I have the world at my fingertips, yay…

Then there is the laptop. When this entered my life the search for WiFi (free of course) became an obsession; when I look back now feel pity for the hotel staff that had to ‘deal’ with me when the hotel internet was ‘down’. If I wasn’t able to spend quality time working on my laptop “after work”, I would actually lose sleep (and yet I still never went on any sites for blogs, articles, etc. and this is when I should and could have, ahhh the lost opportunities)

Don’t even get me started on the GPS. I still find myself ‘GPSing’ my way around Chicago, and I have lived here for almost fifteen years! So the GPS has made us dumber, me at least! Now I might not be able to find my way home, whereas I used to be able to find my way around a strange city in a strange state (Ohio anyone?) in the dark, without getting worried. With the GPS system I actually got ‘lost’ in Houston on the expressway, because my GPS system kept missing my exit. Now many of us cannot do simple math without a calculator, spell without spellchecker or, worse yet, AutoCorrect, or remember our loved ones phone numbers, due to the fabulous speed-dial, and our cell phones’ memory. These cons are just a few of many caused by our technology reliance. We need to remind ourselves constantly to use our brains to become smarter vs. letting our technology be smarter than us.

Recently I was at a networking/mixer event for the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance. Some of the guests included new businesses that are trying to learn, as well as those that had ‘been around’ and had much experience to share. A conversation started between us regarding social networking tools and how scary they can be - blogs, Yelp, Twitter and Facebook. This is another area where we can be smarter, not just look ‘smarter’ via technology. We often don’t have a personal relationship with the bloggers, Yelpers, tweeters or Facebookers we follow/read, these are essentially words written by anyone (look at the Rahm Emmanuel ‘tweets’), but we still take them as gospel (If someone is writing all of the time, how do they find time to do something worthy to write about?). Writers used to have degrees, be hired by a publication that had a vested interest in making sure they were telling the truth, and be bound by a code of ethics. This doesn’t always apply to the world of cyberspace. Obviously if the amount of positives/negatives is high and consistent, the assessment is probably accurate, but we can be smarter than the technology by consulting many sources, looking into the background of online writers, and, don’t forget, the powerful tool of picking up the phone and talking to someone. Actions still speak louder than words and we need to not let our customer service and communication skills fall by the wayside because it’s “easier” to ‘tweet’ or ‘yelp’ instead of working directly with the client or the service provider.

We all rely on technology every day, in varying degrees, but we have to keep in mind that it shouldn’t contain all of our knowledge. So, use your smart phone when you need to (Lord knows I do), but read a book every once in a while too and talk to your caterer/veterinarian/doctor/florist instead of just looking them up online.

Are you green?

2011-03-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

by Molly Schemper

Are you a green business? It's a loaded question in this day and age. With so many companies claiming to be "green" or "eco-friendly" or "environmentally responsible", and so few actually living up to the moniker, it makes consumers wary. Justin and I did not start our business with the intention of being a green catering company or with the noble cause of making a connection between farmers and consumers. We started FIG to provide great food and personal service for smaller events. Fortunately we also grew up in households that valued recycling, abhored waste, and, in my case, grew the food we served at our family restaurant. So, naturally, we incorporated some of these practices into our company (although I can't even keep herbs alive so you won't be eating any FIG grown produce).

As FIG has grown over the years (6 years on April 1, in case you want to buy us a present), we have become more aware of the steps we can take to become greener. We were inaugural members of the Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op, which started as a way to collectively buy more environmentally friendly kitchen and office products and has since grown into a lobbying and educational group (go, composting!). We personally recycle all products both on-site and at off-site events (not an easy feat). And, we have begun purchasing more and more local products (produce, meat, dairy, beer, and spirits). We are committed to local non-profits advancing the sustainable cause, including local farmer's markets, sustainable schools, and green venues. Recently we started the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance with like minded vendors who are hoping to work together to offer brides a whole greener wedding experience.

Are we perfectly green? No. If we were, we wouldn't throw parties. We understand that people are on budgets. We do our best to educate clients about better choices, stand firm ground on some things, and work with you to make your event less wasteful. We understand events produce waste, but we try to make as little as possible (no bottled water, real plates whenever possible). We produce thoughtful menus that take the season into consideration, but won't judge you if you want tomatoes in December (we may try to sway you towards the sun-dried variety).

It's not FIG's mission to be green, it is our practice(s).

Where to Pop Your Cork this Valentine’s Day

2011-02-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

The “Pop-Up Restaurant” common interest group on Facebook defines a “pop-up restaurant” as “a venue that is turned into a restaurant featuring a chef and culinary team that is normally not in that kitchen or venue for a limited period of time.” This hip new idea has been covered by news sources with international following in the past year, but you still won’t find any definition for a “pop-up restaurant” in the dictionary (are you reading this, Merriam?) Yet the elusiveness of this new dining trend is no deterrent to the trailblazing team at FIG Catering, and we hope you’ll join us as we pop the pop-up restaurant cherry this Valentine’s Day at the (in)appropriately christened Cupid’s Pop-Up! by FIG at the formerly known (and thereafter) Space Station Studio at 3348 N Pulaski @ Belmont.

Join us for a three or four course (aphrodisi-tastic menu)with wine pairings available, or BYO. Seating is filling quickly, so call 773.793.1035 to reserve your table for a literally once-in-a-lifetime Valentine’s Day to remember.

p.s. ATTN: FIG Brides & Grooms

Did you enjoy your wedding day as much as we did? Or are you excitedly counting the days until your FIGgy wedding this year? Let us serve you this Valentine’s Day and we’ll take 15% off your final bill! (before tax and gratuity)*

*Applies only to couples whose weddings we have catered in the past year or already have a signed contract.

Twelfth Night, again

2011-02-02T09:58:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things about owning a catering company is getting the opportunity to celebrate with our clients, to share in their joy and help them bring deliciousness to every occasion. Sometimes we get to do this for a long weekend - bachelorette party-rehearsal dinner-wedding receptions-post wedding brunch; sometimes we get to do this on a regular basis - for corporate clients who order every week or month, and sometimes we get to do it once a year. Such is the case on Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night, on the Christian calendar, celebrates the Epiphany and concludes the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Our client on Twelfth Night has been celebrating for much longer than FIG has even been around - this year was the 22nd consecutive dinner! It is a Tradition, with a capital T. Every year Mr. and Mrs. D invite 3 other couples (8 guests total) to gather around their table and enjoy a meal that includes seafood terrine, prime rib, Yorkshire popovers, and king cake (precisely the same, every year). The first couple of years, Mrs. D hired Chef Art Smith, a still-unknown-by-Oprah personal chef whom she had met on the American-European Express train. Once Art got too busy, Mrs. D went through a few other small caterers/personal chefs, before finally discovering FIG in November 2009.

We hit it off right away and I was only somewhat intimidated by the stack of papers she gave me which included pictures of the Twelfth Night table with priceless antique china and gold-plated glassware, a history of the home, and a very detailed "Order of Service" for the dinner (then still two months away). I appreciated her organization and knew that FIG could pull it off.

King Cake - a traditional cake made for Twelfth Night - didn't seem all that traditional at all. Other than the fact that there should be a baby, crown, or some sort of trinket hidden in the cake for one lucky guest to find, I could not seem to find an online concensus as to what a King Cake should be. Filled with cream cheese, rolled with cinnamon and sugar, layered with almond and candied fruit? I ultimately decided to stay simple and choose a eggy, yeast risen, slightly sweet brioche type recipe from the Times-Picayune. I decorated it with almond extract laced powdered sugar icing and green/purple/yellow sanding sugars. It was much larger than I expected - the first year I had to cut it in half to get it to fit on my client's antique serving platter. My client was THRILLED - proclaiming it the best king cake she'd ever eaten. And, we were invited back this year, so I guess she was legit.

We look forward to helping Mr. & Mrs. D out every year and hopefully my King Cake will only get better with age.

Kenmore Live Studios Recipes

2011-01-30T19:00:00.000-06:00

If you were able to watch the Kenomore demonstration today and wanted the recipes, here they are.

Curry-Ginger Lentils
2 C. Green or French Lentils
1 Clove Garlic (minced)
1 Onion (small dice)
1 Carrot (small dice)
2 Ribs Celery (small dice)
1t. Ground Cumin
1t. Ground Turmeric
2 T. Madras Curry Powder
2 T. Minced Ginger
1 Can Coconut Milk
4 C. Water or Vegetable Stock
2T. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place a medium pot on a medium burner and add the olive oil, garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Sautee vegetables for 3-5 minutes, or until they begin to brown on the edges. Then add your lentils, coconut milk, stock and spices and bring to a simmer. Lentils will need to simmer for 15-20 minutes. If your stock level gets low simply add a touch more. Once the lentils are tender they are ready to serve.

Roasted Potatoes & Cauliflower
2 Russet Potatoes
1 Head Cauliflower (separated into quarter sized flowerets)
1 Clove Garlic (minced)
2 T. Minced Ginger
1 t. Turmeric
1t. Ground Cumin
1t. Garam Masala
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 T. Peanut or Coconut Oil

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Toss all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Place everything onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Next stir everything and bake for another 15 minutes. Then remove and combine with lentils and serve.

Creamy Roasted Squash Soup
1 Acorn Squash (halved with seeds removed)
1 Onion (medium dice)
2 Carrots (peeled & medium dice)
2 Celery Ribs (medium dice)
¼ C. Heavy Cream
4 C. Vegetable Stock (recipe below)
4 Sage Leaves (minced)
1 Bay Leaf
3 T. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Pre-Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Coat the inside of the acorn squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and place it flat side down on a sheet pan. Place the squash in the oven and let bake for 25-30 minutes. Once cooked remove from the oven and let cool for 1 hour. Once cooled scoop out the flesh and place it into a container for later. Then place a large sauce/soup pot on the stove and set the heat to medium-high. Let it sit for 2 minutes until the pan is hot. Once hot coat the pan with olive oil and add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté until lightly brown on the edges. Then add the squash, stock, sage and bay leaf and let simmer for 25 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Once finished, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Add the cream and season to finish. Soup can be served right away or cooled and refrigerated for up to a week.

Vegetable Stock
1 Onion (halved)
5 Ribs of Celery (cut in half)
4 Carrots (peeled and halved)
2 Sprig Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
5-10 black pepper corns
6 C. Water

Place everything into a Large sauce pan and place on a medium burner. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain the liquid and chill.

Pickled Beets
1 # Red or Gold Beets (cut into large match sticks)
1 C. White Vinegar
½ C. Sugar
4T. Salt
2 Cloves GArlic
4 Sprigs Dill
6 Peppercorns
4 Juniper Berries
6 All Spice Berries
2 Bay Leaves
2 Sprig Thyme
1 C. Water

Combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium sauce pan. Place it on a medium flame and heat until it begins to simmer. Once the liquid is simmering, add the garlic and dill into the water. Then, Place all of the spices into a tea ball or cheese cloth and add it to liquid. Let it simmer for 3-5 minutes and then pour the hot mixture over the beets. Transfer the hot beets in to the refrigerator. Let them stay there for a day, and then they are ready to snack on or add to your roasted squash soup.

Indie Wed

2011-01-11T15:24:00.005-06:00

Being a caterer, we get asked to participate in a lot of wedding shows. The people planning these shows figure if they invite a caterer, or two, or twenty, they will have plenty of food to feed the attendees. In theory, they’re a good way to market our services to a captive audience that is ready to buy. In reality, they’re often cattle calls with brides (and grooms, MOBs, and bridesmaids) lined up to get free food, booze, and gifts. They are so scary that the “captive” adjective takes on a whole new meaning. Plus, they’re usually stodgy and boring. But, we found one that’s a little different – Indie Wed. According to Wikipedia, indie is short for independent and can refer to “niche or handmade products,” as such, Indie Wed is a collection of independent, local wedding vendors that offer hand crafted products. Sounds good so far.

Last year was the inaugural year for Indie Wed and although FIG didn’t participate, Molly did scope out the scene. As promised, the show had unique vendors in flowers, photography, printing, and more. It also seemed to attract a different kind of bride – slightly quirkier, a little bit greener, and just east of traditional – our kind of bride. This year, FIG plans on showing our indie wares to the world (or, at least, to those lucky enough to get tickets) on January 29th for the second annual Indie Wed. If you are in the market for wedding vendors with a twist (or think you may be soon), mark your calendar and come down to Ravenswood Event Center (just follow your nose to the second floor and look for the FIG ties…sweet.).

You're engaged, now what?

2011-01-03T08:00:00.002-06:00

The holidays are ripe with love, warmth, surprises, and for many, an engagement. Weddings are a beautiful and joyous expression of love and new life. Big weddings are also a lot of work. Sometimes venues book up two years in advance and finding a dress, caterer, florist, music and all the other elements that make your wedding, is daunting. And who’s footing that bill? Though your heart may be ready to join another’s ‘til death do you part’, you may not have the time, bankroll or interest in such a production. But that’s no reason not to celebrate! Planning an intimate home reception is a great way to celebrate your marriage with only a few months of planning and a lot less fuss.

Last year, FIG helped three couples celebrate their marriages in the comfort of their own homes. They each did things a little differently, but each event was unique, beautiful, and fit their personalities to a tee.

photo by Light on Life Images

Annie and Bill were married on a Sunday at their parish in Hyde Park, followed by a FIG catered reception in their home for 25 of their closest friends and family. Their menu, featuring a spread of their favorite hors d’oeuvres, including pickled herring for the New York crowd, and brunch fare, was perfect for food-loving couples on a budget. They hired a professional photographer, but because the event was on a Sunday and significantly shorter than most night-time weddings, they didn’t need her to stay as long. And at the end of the party, the couple left immediately for an extended Parisian honeymoon (The way they wanted to spend their money!).

Samantha and Patrick said “I do” at their family church is northwest suburban Genoa and took advantage of their parents home “in the middle of nowhere” for a rocking, fun reception. The vegetarian Indian feast seemed a little out of place in the fields of Illinois, but none of the guests seemed to mind. The couple’s friends had a band that cranked up the volume (no neighbors!) and they enjoyed a homemade lemonade cocktail under the stars (and a few light sprinkles). Kids got to run off and play, adults got to relax, and the dogs got to nibble dropped food. Everyone was happy.

Buying a new home can put quite a strain on your budget. Denise and David had recently purchased and renovated a cute bungalow in Bensenville and looking for an off-site venue for their wedding seemed absurd. They wanted to save money and show off their new home to friends and family so they decided to get married in their backyard. They accommodated 140 guests under a tent with gorgeous DIY decoration, burlap table linens, and a bar in the garage! They were able to splurge on a mostly locally sourced menu, including grilled flank steak and heirloom tomato salad, because they saved on other things.

In-home weddings are very intimate and can suit the right couple perfectly. Consider your home and other homes that may be available to you (parents, close friends) and decide how many guests you want to invite. Think about rental needs – tent, tables, chairs, etc. – and decide what items you can use that you already have. For the bride and groom on a budget, short on time (or temperament), or who would rather just spend their money on a honeymoon or a house, call FIG Catering to discuss your intimate wedding today!

FIG is Getting Bigger

2010-11-24T18:46:00.004-06:00

The FIG family is expanding. October was our busiest month EVER and we also made the decision to start hiring our own event staff. This seemed like (and ultimately was) a daunting task and I knew I didn’t want to do it alone. So, Justin and I sat down and thought about whom we knew who could do it with aplomb and one answer came to our minds – Danielle Kruse. We met Danielle over three years ago when she was scheduled to work a FIG event by the staffing agency we were using. We immediately liked her and our relationship (business and professional) has grown over the years. Once you read this blog, I think you’ll understand why Danielle fits with us and FIG so well.

I was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, but moved to Ames, Iowa when I was 1 and grew up there. Iowa is a cow loving state with a lot of corn, but I’ve always loved all vegetables - yellow or not. Like Molly, I grew up surrounded by food with parents who met in a restaurant. My first job was at McDonalds, and although not gourmet food, I was immediately enamored with the restaurant business so I decided to study Hotel Restaurant Management at Iowa State University. Upon graduation, my manager at McDonalds sat me down and convinced me that bigger and better things were in my future. And, he was right. I went on to work in a variety of food environments, from country clubs to bars, and in a variety of roles from Assistant manager to fine dining server to sous chef to drink cart girl.

In 1996, I moved to Chicago, and tried my hand in the retail world, as a manager for a store in Northbrook. After about 1 year, I realized I missed the foodie people. After stints at the Palmer House Hilton and many years with Houston’s Steakhouse, I made another change to merchandise installing, while still working some catering gigs (for FIG and independently) in my downtime, just to stay involved with food. During my 6 years in merchandising, I would travel to cities and towns throughout the country and always try to find some good local grub. When Molly and Justin approached me about the position with FIG, I realized once again that I missed the ‘foodies’ and I was tired of traveling, the local joints weren’t as much fun to eat at by myself! The opportunity would allow me to work with friends that have been following their dream, which, coincidentally, is in the industry I love. I started with FIG full time at the beginning of November and have already been busy hiring and training our new staff (yay, new staff!), trying to figure out the ins and outs of FIG’s custom menus and proposals (this is going to take a couple months), setting up my computer (ah, technology), and packing for jobs (the necessarily tedious part of events). Now I just have to dust off some skills that have gotten dormant, and enjoy.

Last Minute Thanksgiving ideas

2010-11-22T10:04:00.004-06:00

Unless you have the fortune of ordering from FIG this Thanksgiving you will probably be part of the cooking action around turkey day. Here are a few simple suggestions to make you day a bit easier.
First, make sure to get things done early; leaving Thanksgiving day to finish items and enjoying your company and meal. Clean and pre-chop your veggies - if you're mashing sweet potatoes or regular spuds they can be skinned, chopped, and stored in water in the fridge until you're ready to boil. Casseroles, cranberry sauce, and soups or stews are often better the next day so make them ahead of time. Next, if you need last minute items - ice, eggnog, a full frontal lobe lobotomy - make sure you delegate; young guests that can drive (i.e. those too big for the "kid's table", but not quite adults) are probably looking for a reason to break away for a second so give them a chore. With the words "keep the change" you can get deliveries done quick and cheap.

Finally,if you are a guest make sure you don't bring things to the party that will create extra work for your hosts. If you bring flowers, make sure they are in a vase or, better yet, potted plants. If you bring food, make sure you have the serving dishes and space in the oven, if needed. Anything to help lighten the load of a hosts already busy day will go miles. And if none of these sound good, it is not too late to have FIG help you with your day. Happy Thanksgiving.

FIG Friend: Pollen Floral Design

2010-10-29T11:55:00.004-05:00

“It takes a village…,” although this saying applies to children, it could equally be said about events. When we’re working 80+ hours a week, sometimes it feels like we’re all alone, but, in truth, we have fabulous partners that help us along the way. From the ingredients our farmers and distributors bring us, to the venue where your event is being held, to the photos that help you remember the party, all of the elements that come together to make our clients’ events special make us look better too. So, as we introduce you to the new faces here at FIG, we also want to introduce you to our “co-workers” who don’t work for us, but work with us. We’ll call this segment, “FIG Friends.”

You’ll see a common theme as you read our friend blogs. We tend to gravitate toward vendors who, like us, are small and have a fresh take on the event industry. We also like to recommend vendors who are greener – which means they consider the Earth when conducting business and are committed to recycling, sourcing locally, giving back to the community, and generally being good citizens. With all of those things in mind, Pollen Floral Design is just our kind of company. Lynn Fosbender started Pollen in 2009 with the aim of providing unique wedding décor that consists of local and organic flowers. The first time I was really blown away by Lynn’s work was at last year’s Indie Wed, where she displayed an awesome arrangement and boutonniere with a quirky, woodsy theme.

Lynn can be found at the farmer’s market picking up flowers nearly every weekend. She also sources from some southern Illinois greenhouses that provide orchids and other non-native flowers. This is wholly different from the flowers you pick up at the grocery store or are used at most other florists. The flower industry is massive and is centered in the Netherlands (which, if you didn’t know is a 9 hour plane ride from Chicago), but production often doesn’t even take place there. Often the flowers sold in the Netherlands and produced in other countries like Columbia, Ecuador, Kenya, and New Zealand. This means that your average bouquet has been on a world tour before it gets to you. Also, because these flowers are often grown in third world countries they are not only not organic they are often grown without any kind of pesticide regulation (click here for more info on pesticide use and how it affects the flower laborers: Labor Rights and Pesticides).

This year, Lynn has provided flowers for a number of FIG brides and they’ve always been magical. If you’re flexible, she will go all local and use what she can find on the day of your wedding. If you have something specific in mind, she’ll find it and make it as green as possible. Lynn also has a composter where she turns all of her organic waste into healthy compost so she can grow her own flowers. And, did I mention, it’s a joy to work with her? She is very responsive and goes out of her way to make sure you’re getting what you want. I met one of her clients at a recent cocktail party who told me they met with Lynn three times to change their design and she was always willing to travel and make time for them. Now that’s service.

Here is a sample of Lynn’s work from a FIG summer wedding. This design used all local flowers and beautifully colored the room.

Decorating Cakes with Rachel Ray

2010-09-18T14:14:00.013-05:00

Last week, we helped organize and catered a cake decorating class for Every Day with Rachel Ray Magazine. The magazine is celebrating its 5th Year Anniversary and for the anniversary issue is creating a 5-tiered cake consisting of a red velvet cupcake, a winter fruit cake with creme anglaise, a vanilla spiral cake, and more. Leading up to the issue, the event coordinator was organizing cake decorating classes for their advertisers in 4 different cities. The task was taxing as it's difficult to find a kitchen that will accommodate 30 amateur cake decorators and have room for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as well.

After finding just such a space at Logan Square Kitchen, the Rachel Ray people then contacted FIG to help create a menu, a specialty cocktail, and provide the supplies needed for 30 people to decorate cakes. We were asked to use Rachel Ray recipes, or, at least, follow her guidelines with a couple FIG touches. Searching the recipe database, I was able to cobble together a passed hors d'oeuvre menu that contained FIGs, was fairly seasonal, and at least somewhat represented our style.

We outsourced the cake baking, frosting making, and decorating equipment-purchasing to our good friends at Flour Cake & Pasty. Flour provided 30 layers of cake in chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet; they brought 40 quarts of frosting in cream cheese, vanilla buttercream, and chocolate buttercream; they brought spatulas, food dye, turntables, and, most importantly, they brought their expertise. Although we ended up having two teams, instead of the anticipated five, the girls were excited to give it a go and decorate their cakes (even a couple with impossibly high heeled shoes on).

The focus in the room was intense. After noshing on cheese, artisanal flavored popcorn (including truffle-piave and bacon caramel), juicy chicken potstickers, crab salad on rice crackers, and Salami & FIG Fans, and sipping on Rachael's Spiked Pink Lemonade, the ladies didn't take a bite of cake while the layered and frosted away for over three hours (full disclosure - I did see a couple spoonfuls of frosting being eaten). With absolutely no previous cake decorating experience, the Ad-(wo)Men were tasked to create towering cakes that represented the (albeit absent) guest of honor, Rachael Ray.

Then came the hard part - whose cake would reign supreme? Yes, this is a contest and every contest needs a winner. The event coordinator couldn't bear the full weight herself so Chef Molly, Zina from LSK, and the service staff were asked to weigh in -- but they didn't get to eat the results! Alas, this was not a taste test. The Battle of Buttercream vs. Fondant, oh my! The winning cake (or a picture of it, rather) was sent into a competition against cakes from similar contests across the country.

So, which do you think is the winning cake in Chicago, Rachael's Buttercream Birthday Cake (above) or the Sleek Chicago Skyline Cake (below)? And how will it stand up next to New York, LA, and Minneapolis? Best of luck girls!

The Moore Wedding (and how much a wedding costs)

2010-08-20T11:42:00.017-05:00

On July 10, 2010 I married my husband under a clear blue sky at Heritage Prairie Farm in Elburn, IL. Weddings are expensive, there is no getting around it. Brides call us all of the time with unrealistic budgets and usually it is because they only think about food costs and overlook rentals and service, some of the things that dramatically increase the cost of any off-site event. As a recent bride and caterer, I want to share with you how we managed our wedding budget and prioritized things that were important to us while saving money in those areas that weren't.

So, what are the real costs of a wedding, and how can you save?

FOOD

• Consider skipping passed hors d’oeuvres. Not only are they an additional food cost but you might be able to get away with fewer service staff if you pass on this.
• Think about buffet hors d’oeuvres stations. They require less staff and rentals than a seated meal with more variety!
• Go veg! It was an easy choice for me and Steve because we're a pescetarian /vegetarian couple, but really it could work for almost anyone. My husband and I had a phenomenal vegetarian family-style feast including salad, roasted potatoes, risotto, and a crazy assortment of stuffed vegetables. What we saved on meat, we got to add back in some hors d’oeuvres! It’s green and saves some green (Green²). Alternatively, choose less costly cuts of meat. If you want to serve meat: chicken is less expensive than pork or beef, which are less expensive than lamb or duck. Whole chicken is less expensive than breasts. Tilapia is less expensive than salmon or halibut. Flank, hanger, or skirt steak are generally less pricey that tenderloin or ribeye. Braised meats such as short ribs or pork shoulder can also be served instead of steaks or roasts.

• Reduce variety. For dinner service, a salad, starch, vegetable, and a protein is your least expensive option. More sides and additional proteins will increase the cost. For buffet hors d’oeuvres, consider one station with 6-8 options, two stations with 4-5 options each or three stations with 2-3 options each. Your caterer will make enough food to fill up everyone whether you have 4 or 14 items on your menu. However it takes much more time and cost to make a greater variety of items.
• A formal wedding cake was not that important to me. I choose instead to get multiple varieties of small layer cakes. Alternate desserts could be more or less than a wedding cake, but there is certainly opportunity to explore.

DRINKS

• Have a simple bar, with wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages only. A simple bar requires less glassware and, depending on the size of your crowd, could require fewer bartenders.
• If liquor is a requirement, consider simplifying options by offering one specialty cocktail or just one type of liquor (Vodka is still the most universally popular, but gin and whiskey drinkers are on the rise and an approachable specialty cocktail with either one could be a great way to introduce people to one of your favorites.)
• Buy your own liquor. My husband and I picked our own wines from Wine Discount Center on Elston and ordered kegs from Two Brothers, which lasted for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding.
• Avoid bottled water. Green²
• Serve coffee from the bar, instead of tableside. You can order for fewer guests as not all will partake.

RENTALS & STAFF

Rentals include all the tables, chairs, linens, plates, silverware, glassware, and serving equipment that you would expect to need to feed and entertain a crowd.

Depending on where the wedding is being held, your caterer may have to bring all or part of this in. Generally caterers charge you the same cost that the rental company would so it's not cheaper to "do it yourself." Caterers order enough to account for guests going to the buffet multiple times and using multiple glasses, that's why prices may seem higher.

Service includes the people on-site at your big day who make it all happen: setting up, passing hors d’oeuvres, refreshing the buffet, clearing messy plates and cleaning up at the end of night. Some people think that all of the servers can leave after the food is served, but some staff needs to be there until the end to clear the tables, breakdown everything, and, sometimes even, sweep and mop.

• If you’re attached to full seating, look for venues that include some seating options with the venue price. Salvage One sets up your space with infinite possibilities of seating (mixed, lounge, full seating) with their unique collection of vintage furniture. The pieces are so cool, you don't even need linens! West Loop Studio and A New Leaf also offer partial seating options including lounge areas or iron tables and chairs. The farm where my husband and I married included plates, silverware, glassware and chairs for up to 200 guests, so we only needed to rent tables and linens.
• Simple rented white padded wooden folding chairs are around $4 each. If you opt have your ceremony at a house of worship, or have a standing ceremony (really nice “in-the-round”), what you save on the chairs could buy all of your guests an extra drink! Or a nicer cut of beef.

• Unless you're having a picnic or a really informal affair, do not "hire" your
friends to work the event. This invariably causes problems when those friends don't have experience catering or want to party with you and forget their "job." Professional staff are worth the expense. A simple bar and buffet can decrease your need for staff. If you have your ceremony at a different site, you may decrease your event time and save money on service. Afternoon (brunch or lunch)affairs may also be shorter and require less staff time.
• Service staff deserves to be tipped so don't leave that out of your budget. Some caterers include gratuity on your final bill, but even if they don't they should be able to suggest an appropriate tip. We often suggest that clients can save money on gratuity if they tip in cash on the day of the event. Servers, in general, appreciate cash at the end of the night rather than waiting for a tip that has been paid on a credit card or check.

Other costs to consider…

FLOWERS

…Are beautiful, but can be expensive. Simple tea lights in ball jars can really set the mood of a space for a fraction of the cost. Or consider using locally grown flowers, fruit, or vegetables or wildflowers in your arrangements. Green²

MUSIC

DJs help facilitate dancing and are great if you want the party to last all night! They also help announce things like first dances, cake cutting, and toasts. Generally a DJ will charge you for a full night regardless of how long they are there, but demand is less on Friday or Sunday you may be able to get a deal. If you love music but don't think dancing will be a huge part of the night, you may not need a DJ. Create an iPod playlist with your favorite dance jams and corral a friend into being in charge of queuing up key moments or making any announcements. A P.A. system can be rented for less than $150. We got ours at Midwest Stereo on Belmont.

PRINTING

You can make your own invitations. I created my own design in Powerpoint, using a template I found online. I printed the 4-to-a-page at Kinkos and pasted them onto colorful cardstock with matching envelopes (200 8-color blank cards with envelopes for $12 at Target). I used images from the same invite to create a simple RSVP, printed on large address labels, adhered to an alternate color of cardstock. Total cost for invitations: $125, including postage. Also, skip programs and menus. Consider a chalkboard menu (some venues have chalkboards available) or a framed menu at the buffet (included in FIG’s service).

PHOTOGRAPHY

In general, a professional photographer is well worth the money, but you may not need them all day long. Think about what type of photography you want - pre-wedding "getting ready" photos, posed portraits, candid photos during the ceremony and reception, or dancing-all-night party pictures. Limit your photographer's time on-site by clearly indicating what aspects are most important for him/her to capture. Only purchase the photos you really want, instead of getting prints of everything, and find out if your photographer will let you buy a disk of the photos and print them yourself.

In the end, everyone's priorities are different so other couples will make different concessions than we did to fit within their budget. This site is not necessarily the most accurate, but it does a good job of showing you all of the factors that should be considered when planning your wedding. FIG weddings generally range between $75-$125 per person for a wedding, including the food, service, and rentals.

Cooking without Heat

2010-07-26T10:00:00.002-05:00

As we experience the dog days of summer, we certainly understand that many of our clients and friends want to stay out of the kitchen. We've catered quite a few in-home jobs lately where suddenly the kitchen, usually the gathering place, becomes too unbearably hot to hang out in and the hosts repeatedly apologize for the sweat dripping down our brows. Being good stewards of the Earth, we certainly encourage you to keep the oven off and avoid the need for extra air conditioning by making meals that don't require heat. It's tempting to grab chips and salsa and call it a day (we've certainly done the same), but there are many other ways to make cool meals that are substantial and delicious.

Cold Soups

Fruit soups, made with melons, berries, or grapes, can be refreshing and don't have to be too sweet. Use creme fraiche, sour cream, or yogurt for tang and use herbs to play up the savoriness (rosemary, cilantro, mint, chervil).

Gazpachos are classic and are beautiful to make with the summer tomatoes and cucumbers available now. Feel free to play with different colors of tomatoes, but be careful, remember a lesson from elementary art class - if you mix a lot of colors, you usually end up with brown.

Summer Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

3 Heirloom Tomatoes (quartered)
1 Seedless Cucumber (peeled & quartered)
½ cup Cold Water
½ cup Cilantro
¼ cup Mint
¼ cup Basil
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tbsp. Vinegar (red wine or champagne)
1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, basil, mint, garlic, vinegar & smoked paprika into a blender and puree on medium-high for 30 seconds to a minute. Once the mixture is smooth, add the olive oil and place blender on low for 1 minute. At this point you want to taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve plain or with a dollop of cumin crema.

Garnish - Cumin Crema

½ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1 tsp. Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Avocados can also be used for a delicious base to cold soups. Thin with veggie stock and load with diced summer veggies, like zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, or others.

Some cold soups do require that you cook your vegetables beforehand. Classic vichyssoise, with potatoes, a cold beet, or carrot soup can be a perfect summer treat. Cut the vegetables in a small dice and cook them on the stove in water or vegetable stock - this will minimize your cooking time. (To chill the soup quickly after cooking, place it in a medium bowl. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and put the smaller bowl inside, surrounded by the icy water, and stir to cool.)

Sandwiches

We LOVE sandwiches. Anything between two pieces of bread (preferably good homemade or bakery bread) tastes great. Making your own spread - mayonnaisse, hummus, pesto - creates something unique. Plus many spreads can be easily made in a bowl, blender, or food processor - no need for cooking.

If you get bored with bread, try using large lettuce leafs to wrap ingredients. It's sort of a salad and sandwich combined.

Photo by Callie Lipkin
Enjoy Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Luckily when it's hottest out, you generally have the most access to local fruits and vegetables. Enjoy these with abandon! Make homemade dressings to spice up salads. Add canned beans, quinoa or steamed edamame (easy to make in the microwave) to salads to make them heartier.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

4 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
4 Tbsp. Honey
1 pint Raspberries
2 sprigs Thyme
1C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine vinegar, mustard, honey and raspberries in a small deep bowl or food processor. Remove leaves of thyme from the stem and combine with other ingredients. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while blending with an immersion blender or in food processor. Add oil until fully emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grill It

If you have access to an outdoor space, even if it's small, get a small grill. This will allow you to enjoy the weather and stay out of the kitchen. If you have a large grill, cook a couple chickens, a whole pork loin, or lots of veggies. These items can be put in the fridge and saved for days when you don't feel like cooking...again.

Keep that Oven Off

If you do want something warm to eat, make it without the oven. The oven definitely produces the most heat in your kitchen. If you have a microwave, toaster oven, rice cooker, bread maker, crock pot, or pressure cooker, the summer is the perfect time to use them. These small appliances allow you to spend minimal time in the kitchen and don't produce much heat. And, don't think that by telling you to use the microwave, we mean frozen meals. There are many websites dedicated to making real food in the microwave including soups, roasts, lasagne, and even cake.

What Are You Eating?

2010-07-14T17:53:00.004-05:00

We recently started posting our FIG family meals (meals - usually lunch - for the staff working that day) on our Facebook page. We were hesitant at first because we are sometimes embarrassed. Our meals often seem like jumbled messes of cuisines and ingredients made up of remnants from recent jobs or scraps from upcoming jobs. Even though our catered food is not fussy or pretentious, our family meals are even simpler. Still, they're usually satisfying and almost always tasty. They are food you might make at home (or snacks that you'd take home from a party). They allow us to sit down together and take a short break (and we all take a "smoking" break after lunch, even though few of us smoke). We understand why they are called "family" meals because they hearken back to the family dinner table.

Some of our more embarrassing meals are some of our favorites and remind us that all people, especially so called "foodies", have secret food that they're embarrassed to like, but they still do (i.e. guilty pleasures). Often they are foods you grew up on (For me - JIF peanut butter), sometimes they are foods that you didn't have at home but EVERYONE else had (For me - Kraft Singles, ambrosia salad), and often foods associated with a particular memory (For me - French Onion Soup with rock sugar - a French cafe in Amsterdam, Jell-O pistachio instant pudding - college roommate and her magical "pudding shaker"). The point is, we all have things we like that may not sound good on paper and are not necessarily good for us, but if you're enjoying them with people you like it definitely sweetens the deal.

So, read about our family meals, don't judge and share some of your own guilty pleasures.

Talk to Your Farmer

2010-06-30T15:08:00.004-05:00

With almost 40 city-run and independent farmers’ markets in the city and dozens in nearby suburbs, Chicagoans have unparalleled access to fresh, local produce. Diet books and Oprah have been telling us for years that reading labels is important to find out exactly what is in the food we're buying at the grocery store, but what about at the market? At the market, the farmer or seller is your "label". They are an invaluable resource to use to learn more about the food you're purchasing.

Just like at the store, markets often have a carefully crafted exterior image that doesn't always reflect what is inside. For instance, did you know that at Green City Farmers’ Market, fewer than 10 of over 50 vendors are certified organic? You've undoubtedly heard the terms organic, sustainable, free-range, grass-fed, cage-free, humanely raised, all-natural, fresh and local , so what do they really mean?

Here is a very short introductory lesson:

Organic

Organic certification is regulated by the government. Farmers and producers who obtain certification go through annual audits and inspections. Organic standards regulate a farmer’s practices towards their land and cultivation, including use of renewable and recyclable resources, support of biological conservation and promotion of ecological balance. It takes a significant time and monetary commitment to become organically certified and often larger farms find it easier to get the certification (go into your local grocery store and notice where the organic produce is coming from - you'll likely see a few producers predominate). If you don't know your farmer, organic certification is the easiest way for you to ensure that the products have been raised or grown with some oversight.

Sustainable

Unlike organic certification, food that is labeled sustainable does not legally have to be certified as such, but there are a number of non-profit organizations that do offer certification including Certified Naturally Grown and Food Alliance. Certification by these organizations often takes into account workers conditions, treatment of animals, hormone and antibiotics usage, genetically modified organisms, and reduced use or elimination of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. They also promote conservation of natural resources. This is where it's important to talk to your farmer and find out what sustainability means to them.

Grass-Fed, Free Range & Cage-Free

Grass-fed is a designation given to beef, lamb, goat, bison and elk meat products for which the animals have access to pasture and their diets consist of natural grasses, wild greens, plants and roughage. Grass-fed animals promote the health of the land by recycling resources on-site and by not requiring corn or soy feed, which is mostly grown from genetically modified seed, in heavily synthetically fertilized soil and is regularly dusted with all manner of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides. Grass-fed products are often leaner, due to a naturally low-fat diet, and higher in antioxidants and essential nutrients. Some meat may be grass-fed and corn-finished, to produce a fattier cut of meat.

Free range and cage-free refer to poultry and eggs. The USDA requires that free range poultry has access to fresh pasture, though often only through one small door, but it does not have requirements for labeling eggs as "free range" so the classification means little. Cage free designation means that the chickens are not confined in cages, but may still be cooped in barns or warehouses with no access to the outdoors. If you're buying products at the market, ask the farmer or seller how the hens were raised.

Humanely-Raised

Certified Humane – Raised and Handled - is another third party, not for profit certification for farmers and ranchers. Certification ensures that animals are given adequate space and housing and generally humane treatment.

All natural, fresh and local

These designations have no official definition or third-party regulating body.”Natural” and “fresh” are subjective and mostly used for marketing purposes. ”Local” products can come from as far as a half day’s drive, over 300 miles. However, you can generally bet that products from local farmers markets are from Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan or Indiana.

What does all this mean to a conscientious shopper? The best part about the proliferation of farmers’ markets is not just the opportunity to eat better food, but also the opportunity to meet the people who grow that food. So don’t just bag your tomatoes and fork over your cash, take the time to talk to the people on the front lines - your farmers. They have been working all week and driving since dawn to get you the perfect meal. It’s worth the conversation. And you have to ask, or you’ll never know.

FIG shops regularly at local farmers markets, including the 61st Street Farmers Market, and at smaller produce stores that often get local produce. FIG Catering also spearheaded a sustainable buying cooperative, in conjunction with The Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op, with a produce distributor that allows us to source local and sustainable products right to our door. FIG is always willing to create menus that are 100% organic or local based on our clients' needs.

Cooking for Chefs

2010-05-30T09:57:00.007-05:00

On this Memorial Day, we find ourselves with the day off and the perfect excuse for throwing an intimate gathering of our own. Unlike many FIG affairs, when we throw our own parties the food tends towards the simple and familiar. We also really appreciate our friends chipping in on the menu. Since becoming a "professional chef," I have found that my friends are increasingly apprehensive about cooking food for me. They qualify their offerings my saying, "Well, I don't cook as well as you" or just opt out and bring prepared foods from the store. And, the thing is, I love all of it. Just being able to sit back and enjoy a party without cooking or serving all of the food is a joy.

When you're invite to a party where you've been asked to bring a dish, do you rise to the challenge or take the easy route? My generation has grown up with prepared foods (and it seems like every time I go to the store the groceries disappear and are replaced by more and more prepared items). Even though my parents generally homemade healthy and delicious salads and side dishes, I developed a disturbing attraction to things like ambrosia salad just because I didn't have them regularly.

Do you have a signature dish (or a couple) that you've perfected and bring to every party or do you experiment with new recipes each time? I had a friend in college who made a dish with White Castle sliders for every potluck. Maybe you have a family recipe or get inspiration from your favorite restaurant. Before I was a caterer, I generally liked to try something new every time. In a way, that style has influenced FIG where customize all of our menus and rarely produce the same thing two days in a row.

Do you volunteer to bring drinks or handle the grill (both important contributions)? Even making drinks can be creative, try some homemade sangria or hand-crafted cocktails. Bring a signature rub for the steak or make a unique vegetarian offering, like the Quinoa Mushroom Burgers.

On this Memorial Day, I'd like to encourage everyone to try something new. Explore the internet for recipes. Stop by the farmers market and pick up first of the season strawberries, asparagus, lettuces, green garlic, or radishes and make a dish up. But, most of all, have fun.

Here are some things we plan to serve tomorrow (unless I change my mind before then)

Spinach Salad with Rhubarb, Strawberries, Gouda, and Spiced Pecans

A good salad is simple, but not boring. This isn't a fancy layered salad or something that's too high-brow; it just combines simple seasonal ingredients. The rhubarb becomes a savory tart element with the strawberries and pecans adding sweetness. We'll probably serve it with a simple vinaigrette.

1/2 lb. rhubarb, cleaned
Olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Coat rhubarb with oil oil, line up on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes until easily pierced with a fork, but not mushy.

1/2 cup pecans
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. honey (warmed if too thick)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and toss to coat. Put on a silicone pad lined baking sheet (you don't need the silicone pad, but it sure makes clean up easier). Bake for 5-8 minutes (same temp is fine), until browned. Set aside.

8 oz. baby spinach
I may also add some mizuna for a little bitter, arugula would work well too)
1 pint of strawberries, hulled and halved
2 oz. aged Gouda (we've recently become obsessed with a aged cow's milk gouda from Wisconsin called Cowda...yum)

Once pecans and rhubarb have cooled, roughly chop. Combine spinach, strawberries, rhubarb, and pecans in a bowl. Toss with a small amount of dressing and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, place in a serving bowl, shave gouda on top of salad and serve. (Justin has taught a number of cooking class students how to dress a salad without overdressing a salad. After your ingredients are in the bowl, take a teaspoon and drizzle the dressing around the sides of the bowl - not on the greens. This will allow the dressing to lightly coat the sides and bottom of the bowl. Use your hands to lightly toss the salad, glazing the ingredients with the dressing from the bottom and sides. Remember - if you need more you can always add, but you can't subtract. Gordon Ramsay displays a similar method here, where he makes the dressing in the bowl and then makes the salad on top).

Blushed Sangria

Sangria is better if you let it sit for a day - if you have the time.

10 medium strawberries, diced
1 mango, diced
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 bottle rose wine

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and chill, serve over ice or frozen strawberries.

Grilled Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus
Olive oil
salt and pepper

Fire up the grill or heat a grill pan to medium high heat. Break woody stems off the asparagus (If you gently bend them, they will break at a good point. Save the stems and make stock for asparagus soup.). Coat will olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill on all sides until dark grill marks appear. (If you have thicker asparagus, you may want to first blanch it in boiling water for 20-30 seconds.)

I love asparagus naked, but you can also top it with cheese (pecorino is good), lemon zest, flavored butter, or crushed toasted nuts (I like hazelnuts).

Happy Grilling Season - Chef Molly

Quick Fire

2010-05-18T16:22:00.008-05:00

A few nights ago, I was in a home giving a cooking lesson to a group of women celebrating their friend's birthday. It was a simple class that started out much like any other. A quick lesson in homemade dressing (Caesar), some hand tossed pizza, and a finale of oozing chocolate lava cake. At the end of the class, it got personal when the girls and I started discussing Top Chef and they dared me to a quickfire challenge. The ladies laid it on the line, asking if I was up to a Top Chef style run around the kitchen. I accepted. Out of the pantry came peanut M&Ms, pretzels, hazelnuts and vanilla extract. I was given 15 minutes to create an entree that must contain all of these ingredients (along with any other ingredients I found in the "pantry").

I quickly began thinking of ways to incorporate these items into a savory and, I was hoping, delicious entree. I started by melting the M&Ms along with a Bell's Oberon and combining that with the hazelnuts in a food processor to make a sauce. Then I found some leftover lima beans in the fridge and made a pair of cakes with them, bound with yogurt and the pretzels. I seared some asparagus with butter and a touch of vanilla and made a quick apple-lemon-asparagus salad. The clock was ticking down and one of the challengers claimed I had run out of time. I began to think I had failed, but nevertheless plated the Lima Bean Cakes with M&M "Mole", Vanilla Seared Asparagus, and Asparagus-Apple Salad. Just as I finished describing the dish, the timer went off (signaling that I had in fact succeeded, at least time-wise). The judges had no trouble eating all of the dish; even after chocolate lava cakes! They declared it successful and, although I wasn't competing against anyone besides myself, I felt victorious.

The moral of the story: I need to get on Top Chef. So, if you are sitting next to a Bravo producer or a Magical Elves casting agent (or, perhaps, Padma), let em' know. I had a blast, thanks for the challenge.

- Chef Justin

Introducing Elyse

2010-05-03T12:23:00.007-05:00

Have you noticed the absense of blog posts? After returning from our honeymoon in Jamaica, our assistant, Nicole, left FIG for greener (as in, money) pastures. We were buried in bacon, pastries, and the backlog that happens when you take a week off work, all while scrambling to find someone to take Nicole's position. We had some great candidates and quickly hired someone who we felt will be a great addition to the FIG team.

Without much ado, I'll let Elyse Michaels tell you about herself...

I was born in Urbana, IL and moved to California when I was 10. So I’m a California girl. I went to college at the University of Washington in Seattle and graduated in three years with a B.A. in Drama—which is why it’s kind of funny that after all that I then moved back to Urbana to work on an organic farm. As it turns out, Seattle is the perfect place to become obsessed with food and farmers markets. Upon graduating I had pretty much lost interest in my professional career in musical theatre. Since then it has been my mission simply to get better food to more people.

The best place to start my personal journey was on the farm. As development coordinator, then director of customer relations at the farm I kept up with the day to day in the office, managing inventory, coordinating our organic certification and farmers market applications and working with wholesalers, while commuting to Chicago twice a week to represent the farm, managing and marketing our retail sales front at Green City Market. This past summer, my boyfriend and I also had the pleasure of organizing the Farmers’ Table Dinner Project in Champaign-Urbana. In coordination with a local non-profit, which runs a vegetarian kitchen spot in C-U, we set up weekly, volunteer-run, vegetarian dinners featuring products from vendors at the Urbana Farmers’ Market. When that schedule started to wear me out by the end of the summer I made a permanent move to Chicago to work with another farmer, representing the farm exclusively at several Chicago-area farmers markets.

Don’t worry, my boyfriend, now my fiancé quickly joined me in the city. We’re getting married at Heritage Prairie Farm in Elburn on July 10.

This past winter, with the fields all frozen over I decided to refocus my interest, using my experience on and with farms to work with someone in the city who has the same idea as I have—getting better food to more people. For anyone who knows FIG Catering, by now you probably understand just how I ended up here and that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

I live in Roscoe Village with my fiancé, three cats—Chief, Lola & Neige—and a dingo, Annie. Somehow I find a way to fill almost all of my free time in the kitchen, shopping at farmers’ markets, eating, and going out to eat, which makes me a very lucky girl. I also love riding bikes, long walks in no particular direction, reading books & food blogs, soy foam…

I am really looking forward to working with all FIG clients, old and new, and helping you all make your special occasions even that much more special.

Obviously we think Elyse's obvious love of food will make her feel right at home at FIG. We also hope her connection to local farmers will continue to inspire us in our quest to become "greener."

Pizza Day at YMCA

2010-03-29T12:02:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, FIG does in-home (or off-site) cooking classes. Today, we're doing a Family Cooking Class at the YMCA for 20 participants. Below are the recipes we're teaching. Enjoy!

Classic Caesar Dressing

1 Egg
4 T. Champagne Vinegar
3 T. Dijon Mustard
3 T. Worcestershire Sauce
4 Anchovy Filets
2 Cloves Garlic
2 T. Parmesan Cheese
1C. Canola Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place egg, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire, anchovies, garlic & cheese into a blender. Blend mixture on low for 1 minute or until all ingredients have incorporated. Keep blender running and slowly poor the canola oil into the mixture in a slow, steady stream. Once all of the oil is homogenized add salt and pepper to taste.

Pizza Dough

2 C. Water (warm)
1 Packet Dry Active Yeast
3 T. Butter
½ T. Salt
½ T. Pepper
½ T. Sugar
6 C. All Purpose Flour
2 T. Olive Oil

First set up your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. Next add the water and yeast to the mixing bowl and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Next add your sugar, salt, pepper, and flour. Turn your mixer on low and mix until combined. Then add your butter and olive oil and mix for 8 minutes. If the dough is to dry add a touch of water and if it is too sticky add a little flour and mix until the dough is the right consistency. Remove and portion dough into 6oz. pieces and place into a baking sheet covered in olive oil. Let rest in the refrigerator for 3 hour. Remove and have fun.

Chocolate Ice Cream
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

2 ¼ C. Heavy Cream
6 T. Unsweetened Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
1 C. Sugar
Pinch of Salt
6 Oz. Unsweetened Chocolate, Chopped
1 C. Whole Milk
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Whisk together the cream, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Heath the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate until it’s completely melted, then whisk in the milk and vanilla. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until very smooth. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (or over an ice bath), then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the instructions.

Crazy St. Patty's Day Recipe

2010-03-17T14:44:00.001-05:00

Because sometimes we like to be a little different...

Corned Beef & Cabbage Egg Rolls

2 cups + 1 Tbsp. peanut oil
¼ yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
¼ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
Rind of ½ orange
4 oz. thick cut corned beef, diced
1 tsp. champagne vinegar
24 egg roll wrappers
salt & pepper

In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 Tbsp. peanut oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft. Add garlic, fennel, orange rind, and cabbage, season with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables until they are slightly softened. Take off the heat and add corned beef and vinegar, mix well. Heat remaining peanut oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat until temperature reaches 350°. While oil is heating, lay out wrappers and put a large teaspoon of cabbage mix into the center of each wrapper. Roll from point to point, tucking the edges in. Brush tip with water to seal. Slowly lower egg rolls (about 4 at a time) into the oil and fry until they are golden brown remove and sprinkle with salt. Keep oil at 350°, adjusting flame as necessary. Serve with whole grain mustard, a mix or mustard & sour cream, or applesauce.

Baking Bread...A Family Tradition

2010-03-12T21:11:00.007-06:00

I think I'm feeling nostalgic lately. Maybe it's the upcoming wedding. Maybe it's the change of season. Regardless, nothing reminds me more of being a child than homemade bread. At my family's restaurant, my dad and uncle made bread every morning. They made simple, but delicious breads - white, honey whole wheat, and health nut (which had raisins and sunflowers seeds, I believe). They made it in an old fashioned dough mixer, like the one below, and served it gratis with $3 soup and salad combos. I remember the smell of honey and yeast and milk combining, I remember eating it with ham-laced split pea soup, and I remember how my dad could knead a piece of dough without adding any unnecessary flour even though the same dough stuck unmercifully to my small fists.

Image from www.channel4.com

I wish we could make all of our breads at FIG - the ones for corporate boxed lunches, the baguettes that get cut into bruschetta, and the artisan rolls and loaves for dinner parties, but as my inner accountant (i.e. Justin) tells me it's not a financially sound decision (and I know he's right...shhh). Even a small volume of bread takes a long time to make and, in general, clients aren't willing to pay extra for really good bread. It's just bread. However, slowly I've been adding more homemade breads to our menu including pretzel rolls (fast because they only have to rise once), bagels and English muffins (just to see if I could do it), and a loaf here and there.

Then, for Christmas I received The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum, and hope was born anew. Suddenly I wanted to go to New York, to Paris, to San Francisco, and stage (i.e. work for free) in some of the best bakeries. Then come back and open a artisan bakery here - make Chicagoans care about bread, realize that a great loaf was worth more than their daily venti mocha soy latte. Quickly reality sunk in and I realized I had work - even in January and February - and wedding plans, keeping me here for a little longer, but I have still been experimenting with bread.

Last week I craved sourdough, but had no starter. In The Bread Bible, the sourdough starter takes 5 days to mature/become active. Being highly impatient (and so accustomed to commercial yeast), I searched online and found a quick sourdough starter that uses kefir and commercial yeast to approximate a real sourdough. True, it wasn't quite sourdough. The tanginess didn't quite live up to the name. But it was delicious. A gorgeous dark crust with holes throughout and a lot of chew. It made a good vehicle for butter. The next day I started my real sourdough starter and while I haven't use it yet, it's alive and I'm going to try to keep it that way. In the meantime, I've made more pretzel rolls, the basic hearth bread (from the book), and flatbreads which don't really count because they have to yeast.

Here's my "fake" sourdough boule - I'll continue to bake and post. Today at family lunch we tore into the hearth bread and dipped it into the Thai green curry broth that our mussels were swimming in. Maybe someday I'll get to Paris, but, for now, this ain't half bad.

Not really "food talk"

2010-03-04T15:12:00.004-06:00

Friend and fellow FIG chef, Brian Swanson has taken his hobby pro. In this week's Chicago Reader, our little shutterbug toured Hyde Park and took some awesome pictures. He is officially no longer an amateur (sorry Olympic committee). Please check them out.

A Sweet, Green Partnership

2010-02-16T17:34:00.008-06:00

When Zina Murray from Logan Square Kitchen approached us to participate in their first ever Pastry Market, we jumped on the opportunity. Set to debut the day before Valentine’s Day, at one of the most unique (and green friendly) venues in the city, we thought it was too good to be true. Turns out, it was much better than just “good.”

On Saturday, February 13th, FIG joined the ranks of several other pastry chefs and artisans from around the city selling ice cream, macarons, truffles, and cupcakes, FIG decided to do something a little different. On our menu, sweet and savory: Just Baked Pies (Spiced Apple and Lemon Curd) and Quiche (Mushroom & Emmentaler and Duroc Bacon & Laack Cheddar), Warm Cookies (Vegan, Oaxacan Chocolate Cinnamon, and Dried Cherry-Oatmeal-Macadamia) and even a special Peanut Butter Brownie (the first item to sell out). Turns out, the quiche was a big hit as after one trip around the room all of the guests seemed to be on a sugar high.

Photo by Christina Noel
Before the market officially opened at 10am, there were already customers browsing. By noon, there was a line outside the door. The flow of hungry city goers in search of something to eat (and/or something to take home for their Valentine), didn’t stop until well after it ended at 3pm. While Molly baked in their state-of-the-art kitchen, I managed to pass out samples, talk to shoppers, interview with Chicago Magazine, and even pose for a few photos (compliments of Christina Noel). In five hours, we talked to many past clients, one future wedding client, and a few people we hope will become clients (including one who has a tasting next week).

Although our display was not as fancy as some of the other vendors, we feel like we did a great job displaying what FIG does best - delicious food with great ingredients. A friendly Yelper seems to agree; read her review of our vegan cookie.

If you didn’t make it last weekend, not to worry, there will be future events. Unfortunately for FIG, the next Pasty Market is scheduled for April 3rd, and Molly and Justin have other things going on. Check out LSK’s website for details on their April market.

Photo by Christina Noel

The downside of customized menus

2010-02-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

At FIG we take pride in our customized, unique menus. Sure, there are some items that are favorites and show up again and again, but, in general, ALL of our menus are different. Tweaked to reflect the season, adjusted to account for the venue (on-site kitchen or not?), and, most importantly, demonstrating a true understanding of our clients likes, dislikes, wants and needs. Unfortunately, customized menus take time. Right now we have new or revised proposals due to 14 potential clients; most of them are wedding clients which means we also have to think about venues, rentals, and staffing. This means long days in front of the computer, reading through magazines, cookbooks, blogs and restaurant menus for inspiration, and really thinking about food. Although I love thinking about food, sometimes I long for time in the kitchen just cooking.

Not all caterers work this way - some have menus ready to go, they change the name on the front of the proposal and send it to you, it takes minutes. Some clients expect this quick turnaround and are surprised when we tell them that their proposal may take a week or two. So, we're exploring the idea of having some ready-to-go menus - menus that reflect the season and have broad appeal. An hors d'oeuvre, buffet, station, and plated menu. Of course, we need vegetarian menus too. And, what if the client has a nut allergy - no pesto, no candied walnuts, no moles. Suppose they want a wedding that reflects their background - Greek, Portuguese, and Swedish. Or a menu that incorporates their favorite ingredients - Nutella and frog legs. Although some of these are extreme examples, the requests are different every day. So, how do I synthesize our thousands of menus to 15, 30, even 45 concise, interesting, and universal menus?

I'm sure this will be an ongoing struggle as we get busier and we try to find ways to deal with the busy-ness. How do we give clients what they want without compromising our FIG personality? How do we get bigger, but still stay small and personal? We want clients who care about food, who want more than a standard menu, who appreciate the time we put into their proposal. Just not too many please, I can't handle too many more proposals.

Nice Day for a White Wedding

2010-01-24T14:37:00.008-06:00

Although we're not having a white wedding for ourselves, FIG has recently paired with white CHICAGO, a designer wedding dress boutique, that does white right. All of their dresses are once wed (for the car buyers out there, think pre-owned) saving you money and cutting down on waste.

For a recent segment on WGN, lovebird events & styling, white CHICAGO, and FIG showed viewers some fabulous winter wedding trends. Models flaunted the fabulous once wed dresses with winter accents like fur and feathers and FIG showcased some white cocktails, white hot chocolate, and some other winter-friendly wedding fare (comfort food bites, chestnuts). Meghan from lovebird also talked about invitations and flowers - so make sure to check out that segment!

Proving again that white is not boring, white CHICAGO recently hosted a Recessionista bride event in their spotlessly white store in River North. This event brought together some industry experts to share tips on saving money on your wedding (a concept we can all get down with). From DIY tips like buying your own liquor, to making your own placecards or centerpieces, to hiring your own staff (Some of our favorite crew from Carol's Event Staffing were there passing cocktails from Binny's and tasty bites from FIG.) All of the experts agreed that you should choose the areas that are most important to you and spend your money there and cut back on the rest. The photos from this event were taken by Andre Lacour - and from my perspective the food looks as good as it tasted.

Going to the Chapel Jamaica...

2010-01-17T16:00:00.000-06:00

I knew I would take the easy way out. I've always imagined a small wedding, but I wasn't sure if it would be possible to limit the crowd to the 10 or so people I really wanted there. Once my mom had realized her dream of a bigger wedding with my sister, I felt a little less pressure to have a traditional ceremony and reception (Thanks, Annie!). Still, as I was getting older, I realized I had more and more friends, acquaintances, and family members. So, how to severely limit your guest size without offending anyone? Have a destination wedding (preferably somewhere that people can't drive to) and plan it quickly.

Done and done. Justin and I will be getting married in Jamaica on the first weekend in April. I found the perfect place that is slightly rustic, yet beautiful, right on the water. It's called Great Huts and not only does it have huts, it has tree houses and open air bathrooms! While this may not be everybody's idea of paradise, it is most definitely mine. Tickets are purchased, rooms are reserved, and most of our immediate families are able to attend (Justin's middle brother, Ian, and sister-in-law just bought a home and welcomed a new baby daughter into the world so they're not able to come. Miss you, guys!). Location, check.

Now, to the actual wedding. Great Huts, like most places in Jamaica, will coordinate your wedding for you. Including getting the license, marriage officer, photographer, and wedding dinner. As you may have guessed, I am not someone who does things traditionally. Although most brides love photos depicting them "getting ready" - their dress hanging in a corner and their shoes placed neatly atop each other - I did not want that. Also, since I wasn't planning on having a reception, per se, I didn't imagine photos of guests dancing, giving toasts, etc. I guessed that their photographer would take some posed shots on the Great Huts property and a few during the short ceremony. But, what I really wanted was lots of photos of the property, my family, and us while we enjoyed the trip (not just the ceremony). I envisioned a collection of beautiful, documentary style photos that would always remind me of the wonderful vacation and special time. The only way I felt like I was going to get this was to invite my own photographer along for the trip. Since we work in this business, I have good relationships with a number of photographers, but I could only imagine actually inviting and spending time with one - Jamie Kelter from West Loop Studio. Jamie and I have become friends in the past 3+ years of working together and I knew she would totally dig the assignment. After confirming with her that she was actually interested and figuring out how to manage it financially, Jamie is coming along on our terrific trip, wedding adventure, honeymoon. Photography, check.

Since announcing our engagement the first question has been, "Who's going to cater?" I've had tons of good meals in my life; be they greasy burgers at Paradise Pup, my favorite's at Frontera Grill, or multi-course extravaganzas at Schwa, but I have to say that some of the most memorable are due to my surroundings as much as the food in front of me. We'll be within steps of Jamaica's (and hence, the world's) most famous jerk stop - Boston Bay's Jerk Center (a collection of shacks offering jerk chicken, pork, fish and festival - Jamaican fried bread). I can't imagine that a jerk feast, in Jamaica, on my wedding day, will be anything less than perfect. Food, check.

The biggest challenge so far has been the dress. I thought it would be easy - my qualifications: nothing white, something summery and simple, colorful. Well, finding a sundress in Chicago in January proves to be a bit challenging. I've been online - more options (perhaps too many), but I can't try them on. I've been to Etsy, my new favorite online "store," but it's too risky to have something custom made that I can't return. I've been to department stores - limited options, some okay, none quite right. I've gotten recommendations and am looking forward to visiting some custom boutiques in Wicker Park. Dress, still searching.

Going to the Chapel...

2010-01-04T14:35:00.000-06:00

Like many of you, Justin and I got engaged this holiday season and we're busy thinking about our wedding plans. Unlike most of you, we already have a lot of experience with this kind of stuff. We have a better idea of what we want, what steps to take, and how much it will cost us in the end. So, we thought we'd offer a little advice.

By now you’ve read over and over again, “choosing the wedding date is the first step in the planning process.” This rings true in almost every instance. The only time it doesn’t – if you’re absolutely set on a specific venue, photographer, or caterer. The busiest wedding months are typically May, June, and September. Check with your most important vendor and see what their availability is first! Be prepared to be flexible. Consider a Friday or Sunday. We’ve had brides opt for brunch or lunch receptions which can save on the venue, photographer, caterer, music, and alcohol costs.

If the food is the most important thing and you have a caterer in mind, call them and ask for venue recommendations. Since some venues limit your choice of caterers it is important to find out. Don't go to the venue first! Often even venues with a preferred caterers list will allow you to bring in your own if the caterer "brings" you to the venue. Keep in mind that catering costs may be higher depending on the venue you choose - some venues charge caterers a fee which will get passed on to you and equipment needs will vary.

At this point, it’s helpful to get a better idea of just how quickly the catering budget will add up. Many brides often get so excited, they forget to account for hors d’oeuvres, dinner, dessert, bar set-up, coffee, rentals, and service. We thought we’d try to clear the rumors by letting you know how FIG does it.

Starters/Appetizers/Hors d'Oeuvres
This is a great place to get creative! Even if your guests are mostly traditional eaters and you want to keep the main meal "tried and true," hors d'oeuvres can be a little different, a little quirky, and a good place to show your style.

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres – Also known as butlered or tray service. Delicious, bite sized options ranging from Asparagus-Lemon-Jalapeño Soup Shots to Pâté Stuffed Micro Burgers to Salmon Crudo with Grapefruit Gelée. Waitstaff typically passes for about an hour while guests mingle and have a few cocktails.

Buffet Hors d’Oeuvres – Allows guests to snack during cocktail hour without the need for additional waitstaff. Items can include cheese platters, fresh fruit, crackers, veggie crudités, or gourmet dips and chips. Slightly more casual, but offers more substantial food options (good if you're having a late wedding or lighter meal).

Main Event
Plated Meal – Formal and traditional, but not necessarily stuffy. With a plated meal, all guests are seated and served by waitstaff. This serving style does require extra staff and rentals, but don’t automatically rule this option out. Costs are controlled by the fact that guests eat what they’re served and cannot go back to the buffet for more. Also remember that you can cut down on menu and rental costs by serving three courses, instead of four or five.

Family Style – A less formal twist on the plated meal, family style service allows guests to take as much as they want, like a buffet, without queuing. This will make your wedding seem very intimate and is a great idea for close families. Just don’t forget the caterer must prepare more food and rental costs can increase quite a bit as large platters need to be rented for each and every table.

Buffet Meal – Although you may save money on service and rentals, people tend to eat more since they can return to the buffet several times and they generally have more options which can make the menu pricier. This option allows you to provide mixed seating such as formal tables/chairs and casual dining options (highboy cocktail tables) so guests can mingle during dinner.

Stations – Stations are really a sub-set of buffets. Stations are basically small buffets that are focused around a particular food item (omelets, for example), a course (antipasti), or another theme (regional or ethnic specialties). Stations can be manned by a chef, as a crêpe or pasta station, or self-serve. The idea of stations is getting more and more popular (due, in part we think, to the fact that people like the word "station" better than "buffet"). Every day we clear up confusion about what a station is and what it isn’t, and when it makes sense to have stations and when it doesn’t. If you are having seating for all of your guests and a full meal, you’re having a buffet, not stations. Guests will not get up and down with small plates of food from each station, they will act like the stations are a buffet, get a large plate, fill up, and sit to eat. Stations make the most sense when you want to offer a variety of foods and have partial seating along with casual dining (highboys or lounge areas) where guests will want small plates of food and will not be sitting to eat all at one time.

Cocktail Reception (heavy buffet hors d’oeuvres) – Provides a casual and relaxed environment with creative flexibility. Out of the ordinary food pairings are totally normal. Mix different ethnicities and provide something for everyone. This option also allows mixed seating.

Dessert
Plated Dessert or Wedding Cake – This option works best for a seated or family style dinner where all guests have a place setting. The chefs will prepare and plate the dessert and the waitstaff will serve. Desserts can be really creative or very traditional. Some caterers charge a cake cutting fee if you bring in a cake from another vendor (FIG doesn't. We're there, we have knives, we're happy to cut and plate any dessert you want to bring in.)

Buffet Dessert – Buffet dessert options range from pie buffets, cupcake towers, candy or ice cream bars, and sweets tables. Buffet desserts can offer guests a variety of options. Depending on the selection, additional rentals may be needed.

Beverages
All caterers and venues are different, if alcohol is an important part of your celebration, ask before you book. Some allow you to buy your own liquor which will save you tons of money, but some require that you buy the liquor from a licensed caterer. Most caterers require that you get a mixer package through them which will include bar set-up (ice, garnishes), non alcoholic drinks, and insurance.

Limited/Simple Bar - Beer & Wine will keep most guests happy and your costs will be much lower. With a simple bar, typically only one bartender is needed for 100 guests. Plus, you’ll only need wine and non-alcoholic glassware. Although keg beer may sound like a good, economical idea, in general it is not. Reason 1: Unless you want to serve it in disposable cups, rental costs will more than off-set the beer savings. Reason 2: You cannot return a keg. Many liquor stores allow you to return bottles that haven't been chilled or opened, but not kegs.

Full Bar – If you want to serve liquor, consider limiting the options to the most popular drinks or offering a signature cocktail(s) to keep purchasing and serving simple. FIG can create a signature cocktail, customize mixers, order specialty glassware, and even let you know what liquor you’ll need to buy. A full bar will require additional bar staff and rentals.

Toast – Traditionally toasts are done with champagne, but if you're not a big fan of bubbly don't spend the extra money on flutes and wine. Punch and old fashioned cocktails are often replacing the traditional champagne toast or you could just allow guests to toast with their preferred drink.

Coffee & Hot Tea Service – Depending on your preference, coffee can be served table side, self-serve on a dessert buffet, or at the bar. Rentals can vary quite drastically.

More tips on venue selection and rentals to follow. Add a comment if you want to read anything specific. Happy Planning!

FIG Quick Tip

2009-12-31T15:31:00.004-06:00

When life gives you uncorked wine make vinegar. There is no need to throw that old wine down the sink, when you can turn it into homemade vinegar for gifts or just to make a killer vinaigrette. It’s simple, just follow these video instructions I dug up on YouTube and then order some mother of vinegar from here and get started.

FIG goes Fancy Schmancy

2009-11-20T18:09:00.007-06:00

Richard H. Driehaus. If you live in Chicago you've probably heard the name. Especially if you listen to Chicago Public Radio, went to DePaul, visit a museum, or walk through Millennium Park. Richard H. Driehaus is a local philanthropist who is a huge supporter of the arts, architecture, and local culture and a two time DePaul graduate. He also has his own museum (don't you wish you had your own museum?). It's located at the corner of Erie & Wabash and was at one time (when it was constructed in the early 1880s) the largest private residence in Chicago. It has a glorious architectural history which you can read about here. Over the years, the house had gone into disrepair, as these things often do, and in 2003 Mr. Driehaus established the Driehaus Museum and began restoring the building to its original glory (a process that took 5 years and is extensively documented on the website). It is now open to the public for tours and contains some of Mr. Driehaus' personal art collection including an amazing collection of Tiffany stained glass and other European and American decorative and fine art pieces. It's truly an amazing place.

Enough about Richard H. Driehaus you say. Tell me about catering, tell me about food. Well, the news is that earlier this year the museum set about to offer their space as a private event venue. They hired an Event Coordinator and set about finding the best vendors for their facility and potential clients. The space has a maximum capacity of 100 guests (it's big, but many of the rooms are "for show only" so actual event space is minimal) and they wanted to showcase caterers that were different. Unique. Able to offer a wide range of menus and services and not be "the same as everyone else." And, fabulously, they found us. That's right (if you haven't figured it out yet) FIG Catering has been named an official caterer at the Driehaus Museum! We are privileged and delighted to work in such a unique space (we're also a bit intimidated). We get to put on our white gloves (just kidding, I don't own a pair) and serve our guests surrounded by marble and stained glass. We only hope our food lives up to this awesome setting.

If you want to book the Driehaus Museum for your private party, contact Jeanine Riedl at (312) 482-8933 or if you just want to visit stop by on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 10 am, 1 pm, or 3 pm for a docent led tour.

Driehaus Museum
50 East Erie Street
Chicago, Illinois
312 932 8665

That's weird, wild, funny stuff*

2009-11-05T10:00:00.002-06:00

Catalyst Ranch is a unique Chicago venue that you have to see to believe. For years (literally), I have been looking at their website thinking about how cool it would be to do events there. It's like a playground for adults with bright colors, unique furnishings, hammocks, antiques, a sweet vintage photo booth, and a monkey mascot! I could not imagine an event being boring of stuffy at this place and since those are the exact events we try to avoid I just knew we'd be the perfect fit. Somehow, I never got around to persuing the idea though. I never had a client inquire that was having an event there and I was too busy working 60+ hour work weeks to keep track (hell, last week was 95 hours, but who's counting?). Suddenly FIG is 4.5 years old and I realize that, while we love our old venues, it's time to introduce FIG to new spaces too.

So it happened one day (a month or so ago) that I mentioned Catalyst Ranch to Justin's half-way employed friend, who is working part time as our first ever salesperson. He was blown over by their website and agreed that we would be a great fit. Except instead of just thinking it, he actually called and talked to someone about how we'd get on their preferred caterer's list. And, it was just that easy! Okay, there were a couple more phone calls, a fabulous reference from one of our favorite people , and a little paperwork. But, basically, it was that easy.

Now we're just eagerly awaiting our first event at the Ranch. So, please, if you're reading this and want a totally cool space right in downtown Chicago that screams "PERSONALITY" consider Catalyst Ranch. Creative business meeting and you need the juices flowing? Perfect. Bride that imagined her wedding at an amusement park? Perfect. 50-going-on-13 birthday party? Perfect. Call Paulette (See the number? Right over there? By the pogoing monkey?)

* thanks Johnny

Much Ado About Bacon

2009-10-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already noticed, people like bacon. In the past year alone, we've witnessed the bacon explosion, pig roasts in every nook and cranny of the city, bacon showing up in unexpected places like candy and chocolate, Cochon 555, and, of course, last weekend's Baconfest Pro Cookoff. There is a good reason for this - bacon is delicious. It's decadent and fatty. It's salty. It reminds you of Sunday mornings and long breakfasts watching cartoons or taking Mom breakfast in bed (bacon even tastes delicious out of the microwave, which can be said about so few things). It is comforting and satisfying.

With so much hoopla over bacon, some people feel like we've gone a little overboard. They feel that while bacon may be a great ingredient, we shouldn't celebrate bacon. We shouldn't praise it above other foods or rely on it's humor for jokes ("It’s amazing the shrinkage that occurs with bacon. You start with a pound, you end up with a bookmark.") or wear catchy bacon slogans (Bacon, Everything Else is Just a Condiment.)

Even as a sponsor of Baconfest, an unabashed bacon lover, and a maker of artisan bacon truffles, I understand the impetus behind this sentiment. It's clear that they (the anti-bacon establishment) are being secretly funded directly by chickens. Chickens who are clearly missing their time in the sun. For a long time, chickens had it good. They were touted as a clearly healthy alternative to the heady days of beef consumption. Chicken was versatile and could be fried, roasted, poached, baked, or broiled. Chicken breasts were bred to be big and nearly flavorless so you can add just about any sauce, marinade, or rub that you want to and not "mess them up." Pork, the other white meat? What about the first white meat?

So, readers, I say, "Forget this obsession with delicious, fatty bacon and eat a chicken." You can even buy a chicken clothing (like the onesie above available from Cafe Press). (But, if you still can't get over bacon, check out the recipe below for candied bacon truffles. Yum.)

Candied Bacon Truffles
Makes around 3 dozen truffles

For candied bacon:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
6 strips thick cut applewood smoked bacon

Preheat oven to 375. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip bacon in sugar mixture making sure both sides have a thin coating of sugar. Place strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and cook until crispy (8-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your bacon). When finished, drain bacon grease into a small heat proof container and save. Cool bacon and grease.

For truffle ganache:
6 oz. semi sweet chocolate
1.5 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 Tbsp. cooled bacon fat
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Chop chocolate (unless it's in chip form) and combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Set bowl over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water. Melt slowly, mixing to incorporate the ingredients. Once smooth and completely melted, pour into a shallow pan (I usually use a round cake pan) and spread evenly. Chill in the refrigerator. Once hardened (you should be able to make an impression in the ganache with your finger and a little force), remove from fridge and scoop out balls of chocolate with a melon baller (small side). Line the truffles on a baking sheet and put back in the fridge.

Chocolate coating:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate

Chop chocolate (unless it's in chip form) and put in a microwavable bowl and on medium-low heat; warm for 1 minute. Stir and put back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Repeat until chocolate is completely melted. Be careful not to scorch or overheat chocolate; it should be completely melted but only warm to the touch not hot.

Dipping chocolates:
Use a fork to dip each cooled truffle into the melted chocolate. Remove to a cool, clean baking sheet and top with a 1/4 inch slice of candied bacon. Refrigerate after done.

Chocolates will be best if removed from the fridge 15 minutes prior to serving. If you temper the chocolate, they will be able to withstand higher temperatures and won't melt if left out on the counter all day(but it probably won't matter as the truffles will be gone before you have to worry about it).

Our Little Tomato

2009-10-19T10:28:00.001-05:00

Justin and I are notoriously bad with plant life. While we admire chefs who grow their own food and are especially in awe of Uncommon Ground's rooftop garden, we have never had much luck keeping even houseplants alive. Our herbs have always died after their first harvest and we have never attempted to grow fruits or vegetables. Bearing that in mind, our friend Callie Lipkin (she's also a fabulous photographer, check out her site) brought me a tiny tomato seedling in May which I vowed would get planted, watered, loved, and produce juicy tomatoes.

I knew the plant needed to go in a large container to grow. I needed the container and some soil. Every week I would remind myself to go get a container and soil, but some how it kept being put off. The tomato plant stayed tiny, but alive. Weeks passed, month passed. Finally in August we managed to get the tomato plant replanted. We used some compost that we had been cultivating in our basement and added that in with the potting soil. The tomato plant sprang to life; growing by leaps and bounds. We watched like loving parents and rooted for it like any good soccer mom would. We found garden wire and built a cage around it. We watered it when there was no rain. We cried when the storms knocked it over and we carefully picked it up and patted it back in. Justin's mom came to visit in September and sadly informed us that the plant would probably not get big enough before the first frost to actually produce tomatoes, but we held on to our hope. At least we could enjoy the smell of a fresh tomato plant every day until then.

It got cold fast here in Chicago. We were already worried about frost at the beginning of October. We saw flowers begin to bloom on our plant and quickly hurried it inside. The front door at our kitchen is glass and gets pretty warm during the day. We put the plant in front of the door and crossed our fingers. Two weeks have passed and we now have three fuzzy little green tomatoes. They are gorgeous! I don't know if they'll ever grow up to be adults, but if you have any tips for keeping tomatoes alive inside please share. Maybe in November we'll be harvesting truly locally grown produce. And, who knows, maybe next year we'll plant in spring.

What a Difference a Year Can Make, Chicago Gourmet 2009

2009-09-28T12:52:00.000-05:00

Last year, we were invited to Chicago Gourmet as "press members" because of this blog. Even though we've been dismal at updating the blog and I doubt we drove any real traffic to the event, we were more than happy to get invitations again this year. Sure, we didn't love the event and would definitely not have paid $150 for a ticket, but we did enjoy the wine. And, it was free. This year, I would have gladly paid (but look for early registration and Groupon discounts to get more bang for your buck).

Last Year Rehash: Long lines, lack of food (some of it really good), lots of wine (some good to great)leading to an excessively drunk crowd, and no seating

The organizers seem to have addressed most of the problems from last year and this year's event was much more successful. They increased the number of food vendors from 8 to 32 per day. Tents and seating were added in the middle of the park (last year they merely surrounded the periphery), filling the void where drunk people sprawled out last year, and encouraging people to sit down and take it easy rather than merely walking from wine to wine to wine. Logically a bread sponsor (LaBriola) was added to load the tents up with samples which helped absorb the alcohol. In addition to the bread, food vendors and antipasto trays were placed in the wine tents to keep the buzz from turning into something more.

On to the food. While not everything was spectacular, there were some yummy highlights. Our assistant, Nicole, attended on Saturday while Molly and I went Sunday. We got to taste quite a smattering of samples and here are the standouts:

L20's House Cured Salmon with Earl Grey Noodle was at the top of my list. An ambitious sampling that went off flawlessly. If the Chicago episode of No Reservations didn't convince us, this bite definitely catapulted L2O to the top of our "Must Try, When We Have Money" list (before Alinea?).

Even after a full 5 hours of eating, Molly went back for seconds of the awesome (poached/roasted) plum dessert from NAHA with sweetened ricotta and crumbled biscotti. Simple ingredients, perfectly balanced.

The super spicy ceviche from Carnivale is also on my list. It takes some cajones to send out a dish that spicy at a public event, I wish more chefs were packing em'. Along with his recent rant on culinary students, I'm liking Mark Mendez more and more.

Pork belly is always delcious, but the restaurant that served our favorite version surprised us. Primarily because we had never heard of the place...Blue 13. Self described as Rock and Roll Chic American Cuisine, I'm sure I would have avoided this place like the plague if I had read that first. Their crispy pork with house fermented kimchi and ginger broth won me over though and if I'm ever in the west loop I won't hesitate to try more.

And lastly the Top Chef cheftestants really brought it. Radhika Desai showed up in the Supreme Lobster booth showcasing an Indian (what else?) Spiced White Fish Cake which was hot, spicy, and delicious. Nicole raved about Stephanie Izard's pork. And, Fabio, well he looked fabulous as he schmoozed with the Terlatos and hawked Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio.

Although the event went well, I still have a few ideas about how it could be improved next year. First, as recognized by others, the waste involved with this big of an event is enormous. Obviously, it's great to have one wine glass, but some kind of compostable or reusable plates and utensils could also be used. Although we tried to hold on to our utensils, many chefs plated up their dishes with utensils on the plate. The plates were almost exclusively the plastic, non-recyclable variety and trash piled up quickly. Maybe a set of silverware upon entry? Or a universally accepted biodegradable plate/bowl/cup? Next, the music. There are certain kinds of tunes you can use to fill the void of silence, I just don't think teen pop is the right choice for a gourmet wine and food event. I can't imagine they have any Britney or Ms. Gaga being piped in at Aspen (not that we have to copy them, but they have been doing it for longer)

And finally, food promos only please; it may just be me, but I would rather take my picture with a giant Heinz or Snapple bottle than with a Buick. I am sure they paid alot for the space, but the Auto Show is not until February.

Mac N Cheese N Bechamel N Cake N Chocolates

2009-09-08T18:31:00.000-05:00

This past weekend FIG catered a 40th birthday party with some unique buffet hors d'oeuvres. One of the highlights was a hors d'oeuvre that we are known for, Macaroni and Cheese Spoons. A bite sized portion of the yummy favorite that is far from what you would find in a blue box. A guest at the event told me that her kids loved mac n cheese and had only eaten the "real" version once, and they loved it. So, I told her I would post a recipe on my blog, it is below.

The event had two other highlights, a custom cake and chocolates provided by Flour. The cake was adorned with a culmination of life landmarks held close to the heart of the birthday boy. A giant New Balance shoe. NY, Boston and Chicago Marathon Logos. A "finish" line banner. Golf club and balls. A Mini Frisbee. And to top it off the entire outside was made to resemble the facade of Boston College, the alma mater of Mr.40. And what I thought was the coolest thing of the night, individual custom chocolates that had a announcement of a baby that was soon to be. All of the the guests were blown away when at the end of the night when they found out the hosts were expecting via chocolate.

It was a great event and everyone had a blast. Enjoy your cheesy noodles.

Real Macaroni N’ Cheese

1# Cooked Elbow or Corkscrew Pasta

Béchamel:
4T. Unsalted Butter
3T. All Purpose Flour
2C. Milk
2T. Salt
½ Spanish Onion (Small Dice)
1 Clove Garlic (minced)
1 Bay leaf
Pinch of Nutmeg
Hot Sauce

1 C. Sharp Cheddar (grated)
¼ C. Parmesan (grated fine)
¼ C. Aged Goat Cheese (broken into tiny chunks)

Place a medium sauce pan on a medium flame and melt the butter. Once melted add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Then add your flour and stir until a paste is made at the bottom of the pan. Then add the milk, bay leaf, nutmeg and hot sauce. Stir until everything is combined and bring to a simmer. Once simmering the sauce should thicken. You want the texture to be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once thickened, remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. This will allow all of the flavors to marry. Then pass the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl that has your cheese in it. Combine the cheese with the sauce and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Once finished you can place into a shallow container and cool for future use or you can add it to your cooked noodles and enjoy right away. I like to combine it with the noodles, add some broccoli and crispy bacon and place into a baking pan and top with a layer of more cheddar. Then cover it and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. If you want to go all the way, once it is finished in the oven uncover it and place it under the broiler for 3 minutes or until a yummy golden crust appears. Cover with some buttered bread crumbs and let the family or guest devour.

The Art of the Tasting

2009-09-07T18:09:00.000-05:00

If you've never planned a wedding or large event before you may not be aware of the term "tasting," used a noun. A tasting is when you, your fiance or fellow host, possibly your event planner, or even your mom and dad come to "try it before you buy it." Basically you get a free meal and we get to sit watching you eat, taking notes, and convincing you that we would definitely be THE BEST caterer for your event. It's a bit awkward for everyone - you may not know the questions you "should" ask and we may be unsure if we're truly capturing your opinions. A tasting doesn't have to be intimidating though, it should just be a fun experience and a chance for you to see if your caterer and you "mesh."

In the past two years, FIG has had dozens of tastings here is some advice that might help you feel at ease as you go into the tasting and maybe even some important questions to ask:

- You should get along with your caterer (or, for that matter, any vendor who is involved with your wedding). These relationships last from 3 months to 1+ years and you want to be able to tell/ask this person anything. If you feel like a caterer would be unapproachable or hard to talk to, you don't want to be doing business with them.

- Be honest. Even though sometimes it may sting a little, we're professional chefs and not every one's taste is the same; in general we can tweak the menu and make adjustments to dishes until you're happy. This is not a restaurant and although we have ideas about what goes well together; you should consider yourself the executive chef at your wedding, have what you want.

- Ask about payment options, extra fees, and contracts. Budget is an important factor when it comes to planning any party and we never want to lose your business because of price misunderstandings. All caterers price things differently (eventually we'll get a standard system) and we want you to understand how we price things. It's important to know if we charge a cake cutting fee (we don't), we mark-up rentals (we don't, unless we're delivering them), we add on gratuity (we don't, but will offer suggestions if you'd like to tip and have no idea how much), or whatever.

- Let us know as much as possible about you and the event. What restaurants do you like - food wise and atmosphere? Are your guests young, adventurous, big eaters, traditional? What type of beverages are you serving? But, also, where do you work and what do you do for fun? The more we know the better we can give you the event you want.

- Most full service caterers will accommodate you if you want a second tasting, a rental showroom visit, and a venue walk through, but there may be additional fees.

- Ask us for recommendations for venues, bands/djs, florists, and other wedding suppliers. After all, we do this for a living and have some unique insights.

- Know what the next steps are before you leave. Does the caterer need to send you an updated proposal? Do you need to get back to them regarding the menu options you liked most? Do you want to look at linens/rentals are get a more accurate price?

- And, if you forget to ask something, don't sweat it. A short e-mail or phone call after a tasting is expected.

If you keep these things in mind (without obsessing over them) during your tasting, it should help you when deciding on a caterer (and...I hope it's us).

Saving Summer's Bounty

2009-08-31T12:50:00.000-05:00

If your name doesn't begin with Grandma or you just don't have the time, patience, or food-fortitude for a day of canning try these easier methods for preserving food:

FREEZING:

Stew whole tomatoes for 5-20 minutes, depending on the size, and chill (in fridge). Place in an airtight container with at least 1" of space at the top and freeze.
Blanch (throw in boiling water) for 1-4 minutes and shock (cool rapidly by submerging in ice water) vegetables like broccoli, snap peas, cauliflower, and green beans. Drain cooled vegetables and spread on a baking sheet, place in freezer until frozen, remove and store in a bag. (Freezing the vegetables individually will allow you to more easily remove portions from the freezer when you're ready to use them.)
Roast peppers over an open gas flame or in a broiler until the skin has charred and blistered. Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Once cooled, peel skin off, remove seeds, and freeze individually (see above) before putting in a storage container.
Jams and jellies can be made and frozen instead of canned. Just take them out when you need them.
Make pesto or other herb sauces and freeze them in ice trays. Pull out a little cube of summer whenever you miss it.

DRYING:

Most vegetables and fruits can be dried and you avoid the added sugar and preserving agents that are often present in store purchased dried goods. Blanch vegetables or fruit and put in a dehydrator or really low oven (140 degrees) for 6-24 hours. The produce should be really dry and brittle before removing, cooling, and storing in an airtight bag.

SALTING:

Before refrigeration, salt was one of the most common methods for preserving food. While we recommend using refrigeration even when you cure foods with salt (we have it so we may as well be on the safe side), a salt brine or salt-sugar cure will provide a hostile environment for bacteria and will allow you to enjoy meat, fish, and vegetables for longer.

PICKLING:

Acids, such as vinegar or citrus, help prevent bacterial growth and therefore are good preserving methods. Although we all think of cucumbers when we think of pickling, many vegetables work well including kohlrabi, cauliflower, celery, beans, beets, and carrots.

If you do want to take the plunge and start learning canning techniques, the
University of Illinois offers a Master Preserver class that I've heard is awesome (and one of these days I'll have enough time to go).

Memories, Part 1

2009-08-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

Before FIG officially started (i.e. before we got a website), Justin and I were taking small jobs for family and friends but had no kitchen, no car, and no money. We cooked out of our home (shhh!, don't tell) and borrowed cars to get to our jobs (thank you, Uncle David and The Vignocchis). This was a totally impractical scenario and was soon remedied, but one fateful job before then got us into quite a squeeze.

The party required us to order rentals. The client was in the suburbs so we ordered from a suburban party rental company that did not carry linens. We had to order linens separately from another company and the best price I found was from Party Linens on the south side (specifically 79th and the Chicago Skyway). In lieu of getting charged two delivery fees, I figured I could pick the linens up myself and charge the client accordingly. Did I mention that at the time Justin and I were living on the north side? And working full time (during the week) in the Loop? And, most importantly, didn't have a car? After searching I decided my best route down to Party Linens was via the bus. Yes, I said the bus. You think that I'd know after living in Chicago for 11 years that the bus is almost never the best route to take...anywhere. But take the bus I did.

Photo by Kevin Zolkiewicz
Western Avenue is the longest continuous street IN THE WORLD and is a very long bus route. I can't remember how I got to Western all I remember is the interminably long ride punctuated by a stop at EVERY side street (this was before the express bus was introduced). After about 35th Street I began to feel very lonely in my pale skin (were people looking at me wondering where the hell I was going?). Eventually I got off at 79th and then waited on another bus going east. This was surely the worst route devised and I was running out of time. The linen company closed at 5pm and I warily looked at my cell phone indicating 4:45p. I called and begged them to just stay open until I got there. They could hear the desperation in my voice.

I got off the bus at Kenwood and walked north. I saw the Chicago Skyway passing overhead and realized that I'm normally passing over this section of Chicago too. I got offered a bean pie. I found the brick building I was looking for and searched for a door. The front door was locked. I called. The woman explained that I needed to come around back. I discovered a handle-less metal door off of the parking lot. It didn't look welcoming. I knocked. I got in. The woman was very helpful even though I had obviously made her stay late. I got out quickly.

Then, off I went. An armful of linens in tow. On to the bus(es) for my return trip to the Great White North. All in all I probably spent 5 hours ordering these linens, picking them up, and dropping them off after the party ended. Glad I saved that $45 delivery fee.

Young Cooks Tour

2009-08-06T11:10:00.000-05:00

Last week I had a chance to be a role model. I never thought I'd get this opportunity and I relished the chance to corrupt young minds...make that, "teach kids about food." My Chicago, a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) precollege program that provides students the opportunity to explore, broaden and deepen their thinking skills while exploring Chicago communities, organized the day. The students they brought together were from all areas of the city, but they all shared one thing - a motivation and interest in learning about Chicago.

Along with yours truly, three other Chicago chefs, Jill Houk from Centered Chef Food Studios, Laura Ramirez of J & L Catering & David Blackmon of the Chopping Block, volunteered their time to help the students learn about making good food decisions, local food options, and how to use these ingredients in the kitchen. We started off at their classroom, which is located on Loyola University's Gold Coast campus, where they watched a brief video by Alice Waters and then broke into groups. After a short Q&A session, the kids quickly realized that I am just a big kid and immediately felt comfortable joking and asking questions.

We took the train to the Daley Plaza Farmers Market to go shopping. The students broke out for a while to check out the vendors and get an idea of what local ingredients are available in July. They also got a chance to try some locally crafted truffles from Katherine Anne Confections, a friend of FIG (FoF). Nichols Farm, who was a great help with the program, provided a bunch of produce for lunch and then we were on our way to the FIG kitchen (just a short bus ride away).

I invited Michelle Hayes, another FoF, to talk to the students about food deserts. Michelle is an LTH Forum member and a mom who constantly cooks with her son and has developed countless recipes for cooking "peasant food, food desert style" - that is, with limited access to fresh produce or meat, relying on canned and processed items. Even though we were just at a wonderful farmers' market, many of these students may come from areas of the city where there is not easy access to a produce market or supermarket; Michelle helped them realize they can still create healthy (and delicious) meals.

After listening to food talk and being around food all morning, the kids (and me) were ready to get into the kitchen and start cooking. I designed a menu that was simple and focused on local produce, but also allowed the kids to try a number of different cooking techniques including searing, roasting, and frying. Because of the great summer tomatoes at the market (and my love of soups), we started with a lovely tomato-cucumber gazpacho. For the entree, we offered grilled chicken or seared trout with roasted fingerling potatoes and tempura green beans. And, for dessert, a seasonal fruit fool.

The students blended, mixed, chopped, fried, and roasted without any missing fingers or burns. They asked questions about my background and and whipped cream by hand. They were amazed by how easy it was to create a home cooked meal without using a microwave or frozen food.

I want to thank my students: Itzy, Terrance, Martha, Sonia, Robert, DeAllen, Lily & Jessica as well as Michelle. A big shout out to Blake, the appointed CPS chaperone, who is also Spokane, Washington and attended the same schools I did...a few years after. Thanks for the help. I can't wait to do this again next summer. (Recipes coming soon, I promise)

Green City Market Demo, 8/1/09

2009-08-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks for joining us, if you did. If you didn't, enjoy the recipe anyway.

Honey Cornmeal Pancakes

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 ¾ cup Blue Marble plain yogurt
¼ cup melted butter, cooled
¼ cup honey
Butter or vegetable oil for the pan

Whisk or sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs; add yogurt, cooled butter and honey, mix well. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat, brush lightly with oil or butter, and ladle ¼-1/3 cup mixture onto the hot pan. Small bubbles will start to form on the top; when these bubbles start to pop the pancake is ready to turn over. Flip it and cook for 1-2 minutes. Be careful to regulate your heat as you cook pancakes; if the pan gets too hot, wait until you start the next batch. Serve hot with flavored butter, syrup, or grilled peach jam.

Grilled Peach & Basil Jam
Recipe makes about 1 quart of jam

2 peaches
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. white pepper
½ cup sugar
½ cup honey
½ cup water
1 tsp. ground ginger
8 large basil leaves, chopped

Place a grill pan on the stove and put the burner on high. Once the grill is hot, cut your peaches into large pieces and lightly coat with the olive oil, salt and white pepper. Place the peaches flesh side down in the grill pan and cook for 2 minutes or so or until nice grill lines appear. Flip and repeat on skin side. Once cooked remove the peaches and let them cool for a few minutes. In a small saucepot, mix sugar, honey, water, ginger, and basil. Place this mixture on the stove and bring to a boil. Let it cook for 4 minutes or until the sugar is entirely dissolved. Cut the peaches into a medium dice and add it to the syrup. Cook the mixture for 3-5 minutes or until the jam is thick. Serve jam warm or cool. Jam will stay refrigerated for 3-5 weeks.

61st Steet Farmers Market

2009-07-25T14:08:00.000-05:00

Today I gave a demo at the 61st street farmers market. I must admit that I have not even shopped here yet this year. That being said, we love this market and the organizers. It was a great demo, smooth from the start and a great crowd. I love the free roaming chickens and all of the great farmers and vendors. Below is toady's recipe and check out the market if you can. I bought the best carrots of the year today.

Pan Seared Rushing Waters Rainbow Trout with Sautéed Kale, Tart Apples & Caramelized Onions

1 trout fillet
1 bunch sautéed kale (diced)
1 spanish onion (sliced)
2 tart apples (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
3 T. olive oil
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. butter
Juice from ½ lemon
salt & pepper to taste

First, heat a large sauté pan on medium flame. Then add olive oil, garlic and onions and cook them until the onions begin to caramelize. Then add the kale and apples and cook for 3-5 minutes until kale is tender. Then add vinegar & butter turn off the flame and stir until the butter has melted. Set aside covered while you cook the trout.

For the trout, place a sauté pan on high flame. Place oil, salt and pepper on the trout fillet so it is covered all over lightly. The place the fillet skin side down in the sauté pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until skin gets crispy. Then flip the trout and cook for 1 minute. Add lemon juice to the filet and trout is ready to serve.

To serve simply make a bed of the kale mixture and place the trout fillet atop.

Justino's Salsa Verde

2009-07-24T10:51:00.000-05:00

At our FIG Social Club last night I received a ton of compliments on my salsa so I thought I would give the recipe out so you can enjoy it at home.

2 lbs. tomatillos (peeled, washed & halved)
1 Spanish Onion (peeled and quartered)
4 Cloves Garlic
1-3 Jalapenos (Depends on the heat you like and the heat of the chilies)
1/2 Bunch Cilantro (remove the leaves and toss the stems)
2 C.Tortilla Chips (preferably El Ranchero Green Bag)
1 Lime
1 C. Salted, Toasted Nuts (almonds, pistachios or pecans)
Salt and pepper to taste

First, place the tomatillos, garlic, onions & into a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Place on the stove, add 3 T. salt and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Once finished remove everything with a slotted spoon and place them into a blender. Keep the water as you will use it later to get the right texture. Add everything else and blend, adding water to reach your preferred texture. Taste and add salt and pepper to season. That's it, super simple.

Great (Suburban) Venue

2009-07-23T10:33:00.001-05:00

Justin and I try to hide our queasiness when it comes to the suburbs. Although we feel very comfortable in Evanston or Oak Park (anyplace the 'el' goes is practically the city), once we go further north or west our eyes glaze over a little and we feel a bit out of our element.

Don't get me wrong, we have some great clients in the suburbs. We're willing to go there for any event and Justin likes to drive so the commute is not that horrible (especially since we don't do it everyday). Plus, the suburbs have a lot more open space than the city. You're hard pressed to find a venue in the city with outdoor space, but the suburbs abound with great venues that have beautiful lawns, gardens, or parks. And, that brings us to one of our favorite venues -- Redfield Estate at the Grove.

Redfield Estate is part of the Glenview Park District, located about 40 minutes (admittedly, on a good day) northwest of downtown Chicago. It's a historic Tudor-style home with great outdoor space including two gazebos, a creek, and beautiful wildflowers and majestic trees. For a clients, it's the perfect setting for a more natural wedding.

For caterers, it's a dream. They have tables and chairs. They have a huge garage for rental delivery. And, they have an enormous kitchen! Yes, a kitchen! You may not think this is a big deal and assume that all venues have a kitchen. You'd be wrong. Most venues in the city don't. We work in closets, garages, hallways, and other various nooks and crannies. Hopefully we have electricity, sometimes we have water, maybe they provide tables. Other than that, we bring everything including coolers, ovens, burners, portable "sinks," extension cords, warming ovens, etc. At Redfield Estate, our job is much easier.

Green Bonus: Last time we were there, throwing out trash at the end of the night, there was a raccoon staring up at us from inside the dumpster. Natural composting.

Our Love/Hate Relationship with Green City Market

2009-07-19T10:29:00.000-05:00

FIG participated in the annual Green City Market Barbecue last Thursday, but rather than rehash all of the preparation that went into that particular event or provide an incomplete review of the event (I only got to try 1/4 of the samples and there are much better reviews with pictures on LTH Forum, Sky Full of Bacon, and I'm sure more to come.) What I thought I'd do instead was cause a little controversy. Not much, just a little.

Although this was the first year we've participated in the BBQ, we have had an ongoing relationship with the GCM. We have been doing chef demonstrations there for three years (including one coming up on Aug. 1) and even before that were regular shoppers frequenting Seedling Enterprises, Kinnikinnick Farm, Brunkow Cheese, and Nichols Farm. We love the fact that GCM supports local farms, we love the fact that they promote sustainable and organic agriculture, we love the fact that they're open on Wed. and Sat. and just last year started opening all year round (the winter market is held indoors or under a tent at the Peggy Notebaert Museum).

Now to the controversy. Although we love and appreciate the GCM, nobody and nothing is perfect. Here are some of our gripes.

Strict Rules: I love the fact that GCM encourages local eating, but sometimes it's to the extreme and confusing. They kicked many bakeries out of the mix this year, including Bleeding Heart and Delightful Pastries, even though both of these companies have made sincere and often monumental efforts to comply with their requirements (without damaging their product). Every baked good available at the market must be made with all local ingredients and yet somehow I samples a slice of olive bread at Bennison's over the winter (do you know where I can get local olives?)

Disorganization: Although we've volunteered to do chef demos for the last two summers, had just done a demo at the winter market, and always take a last minute spot when asked, we were somehow missed when it came to scheduling chefs this summer. Until we noticed that the entire schedule was already up on their site and we weren't on it, we didn't even know. We choose a date and were scheduled on August 1, but it took them over 2 months to include us on the website.

This generally fits under disorganization as well. Being curious, we inquired about participating in the BBQ. I never heard back from the GCM Director and assumed they already had a full roster. Months later, someone on LTH Forum posted the list of participating chefs and I was surprised to find my name listed. Although we were excited to be included it would have been nice to know how big the commitment was before we were included on the official list. Of course, we ended up having a blast, and Justin will share the recipe for our Arugula, Fennel, Cherry Salad with Grilled Trout and Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette soon.

Lack of Respect: Recently I was asked to do a Sprouts (kids) demo on July 8th, I agreed and expected to be promoted as usual (at the market, on the website, in their newsletter) and was dismayed when my demo was moved to a diffent time the day prior and NOT included in the newsletter. We have fun doing chef demos, but they do take some time and involve product cost for us. In return for this time and cost, we hope to be promoted the GCM's customers. It sucks that GCM doesn't seem to value us as much as the chef's with PR agencies behind them.

For all of its flaws, the GCM is still one of the best things in Chicago and we hope they only improve with age.

What the...?

2009-07-11T08:38:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this has nothing to do with catering. Not with food, drink, restaurants, farms, markets, clients and not even bacon. I just wanted to share one of my favorite new web sites with everyone. The Windy Pixel. A great photography site that helps me see a new side of Chicago everyday. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Today In Pictures

2009-07-10T09:37:00.001-05:00

Cracking Eggs at the Green City Market.

Staffing Nightmare

2009-07-09T19:28:00.000-05:00

As time goes by Molly and I collect stories of the things that have made us, and FIG, a bit stronger. This story is one of the worst (or best) to-date and somehow we have left it off of our blog. We must have been suppressing the memory.

Three years ago we got a last minute job and our regular staffing agencies didn’t have staff to cover it. We needed one service staff; someone able to bartend and serve for a group of 20. We decided to call an agency whose card we had picked up somewhere – we’ll call them Babs’ Enchanted Touch Staffing (BETS). When we called we asked for a bartender that could also assist with the buffet after cocktail hour, Molly was told that they didn’t have staff capable of doing both serving and bartending and suggest we get two staff (first bad sign). Fifteen minutes after our call, Babs called back indicating that she had found someone that could help us and was trained to do both (miraculous, I know).

Although our staff arrived about 25 minutes late (second bad sign), I was lenient because the home was hard to find. I quickly explained the event and her roles and had her begin to set up the bar. For casual home parties, we usually give bartenders autonomy to set-up since they have done it hundreds of times below and know how they work best. After about 15 minutes, I went back to check on her progress and realized that she had probably not had this experience. The entire bar was covered with glassware and beverages, leaving no room for mixing drinks, opening wine, or scooping ice (third bad sign). I gave her some tips and a hand reorganizing before returning to the kitchen. Another 10 minutes went by and I went to the bar again; this time I found a 4 foot trail of Maraschino cherry juice on the white carpet leading to the bar were my server was setting out some cherries (fourth...). I had to point this out to her before she cleaned it up and my client noticed and shot me a look, I assured her that everything would be fine (even though I was beginning to wonder) and returned to my tasks.

Once the party had begun, it was immediately clear that the staff did not know how to bartend – she needed help making both a Manhattan and a simple gin and tonic (whatever). I decided that it made more sense for her to pass hors d’oeuvres and I would take over at the bar...until I heard crying coming from the living room. It was my client, on her hands and knees, crying. The server had spilled a tray of gazpacho soup shots all over my client’s Persian carpet and a pair of custom designer chairs fresh from the Merchandise Mart. As I bent over to help clean, my client whispered in my ear “get her out of my house right now”. So I did, post haste. She asked me why she was being sent home and I told her that if she didn’t understand why, I was going change my rosy composure. She asked if it was because she spilled the gazpacho. In my head I screamed, “Yes you idiot! That and the fact that you have no clue what you are doing. Not to mention the f**king cherry juice,” but aloud I just said, “Yes, now please leave.”

I was able to save the rest of the evening with plenty of humility, great food, and a self-serve bar. My client ended up pretty happy even though her things were stained – I explained that we carried insurance for these sorts of things and would pay for cleaning or replacement (hoping that BETS also had insurance and a good explanation). As I was cleaning up I noticed that the BETS staff member had also broken several bottles of beer in the basement that she had not bothered to clean up. A real nightmare.

Molly and I were able to get a final laugh out of this nightmare when I called BETS after the event and told Babs what happened. She was not phased, did not apologize, and did not even seemed hesitant to not charge me for the staff. I kept my cool, she didn't charge me, my client got the stains out, and everyone lived happily ever after.

Today in Pictures

2009-07-08T15:50:00.001-05:00

Molly doing a demo at the Chicago Green City Market this afternoon. She made a Herbed Tagliatelle with Scrambled Eggs & Sauteed Zucchini. It was originally going to be a 9am kids cooking demo thus the breakfast pasta. But only a few kids showed and the adults ate up the rest of our goodies.

We’re not a Restaurant

2009-07-07T17:24:00.000-05:00

Some restaurants offer catering (pizza places like Lou Malnati’s, barbecue joints like Sweet Baby Rays, local Italian places) and some caterers open restaurants (blueprint by Blue Plate in the Merchandise Mart, Bon Soiree, HB Bistro by the Hearty Boys), but there are distinct differences, as I’m sure these places can attest to. The number one difference is that we don’t have food “on-hand;” sure, we have a pantry stocked with baking supplies, oils, vinegars, spices and the like.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.com

I will almost always be able to mix up a batch of cookies or brownies on the fly. We usually have enough cheese in the fridge to put together a decent cheese tray and, as chefs are wont to do, we can always pull off a decent batch of soup. Things we cannot do:

• Make a lunch order for TODAY. We often bake our own bread for sandwiches and always roast our own meat – this alone takes more than two hours. Not to mention the homemade mayonnaise, the roasted peppers, the fresh vegetables that need to be purchased, etc.
• Add on to your order. We recently had a client that ordered food platters designed to feed 10-12 guests; they ordered enough variety that I indicated the total food would probably feed around 20, but that guests wouldn’t get to try everything. Later they called saying they didn’t think they had enough jerk chicken and could they swing by and pick up some more. As much as I wanted to say yes, the answer was no. The food we had purchased for their party was for their party; the other food we were preparing was for other parties that evening. Plus, the other parties hadn’t ordered jerk chicken. I hate to let clients down, but there is only so much that we can do.
• Send you our menu. Sure some caterers can do this, but at FIG we can’t. While our corporate menu is online and available for all to see, all of other menus are customized. They’re customized because we want to give clients the food they want. They’re also customized because the same menu for 2 people will be priced differently for 20 people; because we deal in intimate affairs, our menus reflect that.

Before you start thinking that restaurants are far superior to caterers, here are some of the things we CAN do (that most restaurants can’t):

• Full service catering– food, rentals, staffing, coordinating. While we don’t bill ourselves as party planners, we often become that. We’ve installed tents, we’ve designed and decorated a Caribbean cook-out including live fish and sand, we’ve taken wedding presents and left-over liquor back to our kitchen for couples to pick up later, and we’ve secured entertainment.

Photo courtesy of sacmag.com
• We clean your house. This may seem like a minor detail, but if you’ve ever thrown a party yourself you know that the cleaning at the end of the night is the suckiest (yes, I said suckiest) part. We clean dishes and put them away, we leave your kitchen cleaner than it was when we got there, and I’m an expert at carpet spot removal (because someone’s bound to spill…more on that later).
• Customize menus. Give you what you want not “what we have.” Between the two of us, Justin and I, are familiar with a ton of different cuisines and if we don’t know we’ll find out. Internet research, trips to local restaurants, asking our foodie friends. Whatever it takes.

The next time someone knocks on my door asking for a taco, I’m calmly explaining that that’s something we can’t do, but, boy oh boy, can we do so much more.

New Intern

2009-06-17T19:47:00.000-05:00

Shacana, our last intern from the Illinois Institute of Art, has graduated and left us. Fortunately, we already had another intern lined up for this summer (yay, no more interviewing!). Our newly minted intern, Dorcas Wong, is from the University of Dreams (UD). No, that's not a acid-induced fairy tale school, but a summer internship program that allows students from around the world to travel to exciting cities and get experience in their dream jobs. The jobs are generally in glamorous industries like fashion, media, advertising, film, and catering (I always tell Justin how G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S it is when I burn myself on a sheet pan or am elbow-deep in dishes.). Dorcas attends the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada; she's studying hospitality management and is interested in food, hotels, and tourism (she's young and hasn't quite decided yet). We had a phone interview with her, but did not meet her in person until yesterday when she showed up at our doorstep.

The UD sets up housing for the students while they're in Chicago (or whatever fabulous city they're in) so Dorcas' first mission was getting here -

Finding my way to Fig Catering yesterday was kind of brutal. I got lost a few times, but in the end I found the way (like an hour and a half later, when it only takes me 30 minutes.). - Dorcas

She got here early and we were preparing for a lunch delivery downtown and a venue meeting. I showed her around, she watched Justin prep some food, and she accompanied Justin on his delivery.

I've also realized that the roads in Chicago are a narrower than the roads back home. This was true, especially when Justin drove to that parking place to drop the food off. - Dorcas (This was actually an alley, not a road, but she'll learn. Toronto has ethnic neighborhoods, like Chicago, but possibly not alleys you drive through.)

Upon our return to the office, we were famished and decided to introduce Dorcas to one of the culinary gems of the neighborhood. Dorcas had her first tamale!
Photo courtesy of Time Out Chicago by Martha Williams

Then, we had a fire to put out (when don't we?). An event, scheduled to take place at our space on Thursday, didn't have a confirmed guest count, a staff or rental order, or a firm menu. In between explaining to Dorcas what I was doing, I had her follow up with our outstanding proposals. She's very quiet and wasn't quite comfortable on the phone, but it was a good learning experience. After all, we have to deal with people all of the time.

Finally, Dorcas got to do something she feels she excels at...shopping.

Molly and I had a "shopping" project to do. We were looking for different glassware and table linens for an event coming up on Thursday. It was really interesting because there's actually a wide variety to choose from, just like shopping! - Dorcas (I did have to put a slight damper on the process when I introduced the reality of rental prices.)

All day Justin joked, in his sarcastic manner, with Dorcas. She doesn't quite "get him" yet, but eventually we'll make her part of the team.

The Search, Part Three

2009-06-15T16:03:00.000-05:00

Yikes, I really don't know who to choose!

I am not a professional hirer. I've sometimes been asked my opinion (at the branding agency I worked for I somehow choose one person to do our books who didn't balance her own checkbook and another person to interact with our English-degree-holding-boss who had never read a book outside of a school requirement). I know you should check references, but I don't know exactly what I should ask them or how to "read their tone" as they spout glorious attributes of their co-worker/employee/friend.

We gave our four final candidates a little assignment. To write a (short, witty, and specific) press release based on a seasonal fall ingredient (hey, we may use these, I didn't want them to be obsolete!) or party trend. The candidates all got back to me quickly with some great ideas! Our favorite interview candidate did not give us the best press release, but it was still interesting and well written. The candidate we almost eliminated last round responded with a whole lot of enthusiasm and two press releases (overachiever!) that were really fun. Two of the candidates made up .figcatering.com e-mail addresses for themselves which I thought showed a little confidence and spunk. One candidate, unfortunately, did not read the assignment thoroughly and wrote a summer based press release - do I eliminate her based on a technicality? All of them demonstrating good writing skills with differnt strengths - menu writing/conceptualization, creativity, design.

Do I base my decision more on my personal impression? Their references? The assignment? Which is the most important factor?

(Potential) and Actual Disasters

2009-06-12T16:29:00.001-05:00

After we published the post about losing all of our platters out of the side of the truck, we got so many comments about how funny, horrifying, hilarious, and comical our lives must be. Slowly we realized that our friends, family, and clients like to see us punished and prefer to read about how difficult our job is. Just kidding. I know you all only wish us the best, but it is good to laugh about these sort of things...after the fact, when we've given them time to breathe. Here are some other memorable, potential disasters that we've encountered in our 4+ years in business. Have fun.

Justin's all time favorite kitchen nightmare: New Year's Eve, steaks (mostly well done) and risotto for 30 on a electric stove with two working burners; meanwhile Molly in the too small dining room fitting huge rectangular plates in front of each guest (some went on vertically, others horizontally)

This is a kitchen? When working in some one's home or a venue with a kitchen, our contract specifically states that a working oven, stove top, running water, and electricity must be available. When Justin showed up to a job last week, after climbing the four flights of stairs with all of our food and rental equipment, he found himself in an office kitchen with a toaster oven and microwave. Cooking mini burgers, bacon wrapped dates, mac and cheese for 60 guests was, how shall we put it? Interesting.

Serving time changes: "Can we serve dinner now?," when you were told guests would be mingling/drinking for another 30 minutes (how to make food cook faster). Or, "I think we'll be ready to eat in an hour/hour and a half," when dinner is basically done (how to hold food without letting it dry out). We've even had the hostess come to her birthday party 2 hours late - we were ready to go before that one even started.

These were not cooked in a microwave.

Forgetting: Senility shouldn't come on this early in life, but sometimes when rushing out the door things get left behind. Last week, I forgot I was supposed to provide ice and limes for a party. The host forgot she was supposed to provide cups. Don't worry, everyone got to drink, but I gained a gray hair (yes, just one).

Breakage: Losing 150 plates because a table wasn't set up securely, getting a client's percolator stuck in their garbage disposal, breaking (nearly) irreplaceable "wedding gift" glassware, and more platters than we care to count.

I'm sure I'm missing a lot (blog series?), but all in all most of our jobs are nearly perfect. Just like our friends, family, and clients.

The Search, Part Two

2009-06-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

So after conducting short phone interviews, Justin and I were unable to eliminate many candidates. The one candidate I was ready to eliminate called back about 1 hour after her interview explaining that she didn't think she did well, but that she was really interested in the position and hoped I would give her a chance. I'm a softy so I caved.

Last week we had about fifteen interviews scheduled between Monday and Thursday (two interviewees never even showed up and one called to let us know they had found a position - making our jobs a little easier). It was semi mind numbing to repeat the same information over and over again, but in general they were very interesting. Some came in jeans (perfectly acceptable in our casual, kitchen environment), others came in suits (Justin didn't advise them on our lax dress code so overdressing was par for the course), and one even showed up in a suit tie, black slacks, and high tops (I thought he had a maverick sense of style and only later learned that he locked himself out of his apartment and was unable to get his "real shoes"). Only one candidate showed up smelling of alcohol - in the food service business we considered that a good percentage. Some candidates made me feel very old, including a self-admitted (although sheepishly) Jonas Brothers fan. Most of the interviews we teamed up on, but a few were done solo (I left Justin alone with a particularly attractive actress-candidate who could have convinced him to take up acting.).

After getting lost and walking for blocks in Stuart Wietzman heels, one candidate spent the entire interview telling us about all of the fabulous things she's done. She's eaten at nearly every restaurant in Chicago and is definitely part of the "in-crowd". She's traveled around the world multiple times, including an awesome sailing trip through the Turkish islands to Greece. And, she occasionally plans events for wealthy friends in Napa and Hawaii. After she left, we looked at each other and wondered aloud if we could picture her unloading our truck of catering supplies. We decided we couldn't; I decided that I wanted her life.

We narrowed the field down to four, particularly qualified, very personable, and seemingly intelligent women (Yes, they're all women, but so are almost all of our clients so I guess it makes sense.). Instead of grabbing the darts and making a random decision, we decided to give the finalists a short assignment to test their writing skills, food knowledge (or ability to research), and style (I'm also contacting references which I've learned from past bosses is probably a good thing to do since seemingly normal people are often crazy.). Sure, it gives us a little more work, but eventually we'll find the perfect FIG addition.

It Is Easy Being Green #7

2009-06-08T15:30:00.001-05:00

Each American household averages 70 gallons of water per day as determined by the AWWA. There are several way you can decrease your own personal usage. The easiest and most helpful is to simply take a "California Shower". An average shower consumes 11.6 gallons of water. If you cut your water off while you scrub down you can easily cut that # in half. And if your someone who is not quite ready of the eventual reality of cutting back simply change your shower head to a lower flow and you can cut your usage by 3 gallons. Not bad. Cutting back at home is a easy first step to reducing your overall usage.

The Search, Part 1

2009-05-26T11:43:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago we finally decided we needed help. Okay, we've known this for a while, but we couldn't decide what kind of help we needed. A salesperson? A chef? A dishwasher? A psychiatrist (probably that too)? Ultimately we determined, with the help of a friend, that a part time office assistant was our best bet. Someone well rounded with mad organization skills, the ability to get along with all of our crazy (and sane) clients/vendors, and great writing skills. Marketing background, love of food, and strong personality were pluses. A cover letter was required.

After posting the position on Craigslist and the Chicago Reader, we received over 650 responses. That's right, 650! We needed to hire someone just to sort through the resumes. My friend, Tricia, was called in to do the dirty work. Unfortunately although Tricia's currently looking for work, we can't afford her full time.

Anyone without a cover letter or at least an introductory sentence was tossed into the Bad Folder - it may be unfair, but with so many applicants I was not going to comb through resumes for the reason someone was applying for the job (Hint: Your cover letter should tell people that.). Any applicant who claimed to have "good writing skilz" was tossed (not all of the mistakes were that blatant, but you get the point). Any applicant who met the requirements was put into a folder we labeled 'Okay,' but only applicants we felt showed personality and went above and beyond the needed requirements were put into the 'Good' category. Good hardly describes these applicants - many possessed multiple degrees, had 10+ years in foodservice management, had planned events for upwards or 200 guests, or had worked for major marketing or event planning companies. These were the cream of the crop...we hoped.

Crash, Bang, Boom

2009-05-21T17:10:00.000-05:00

Some days in the catering business (or any business, most likely) seem doomed. Or at least a little bit jinxed. That was the case of yesterday.

We had a 5 pm arrival time for a job in the Loop. A repeat client, an easy menu, piece of cake. We also had a 1 pm wedding tasting at the kitchen. No problem. The wedding tasting was for a wonderful couple that already fell in love with us online (particularly Justin's Top Chef video) and said they were ready to sign a contract before they even tasted our food (it's not usually this easy). All we had to do was not f**k up too bad and in the end it was flawless (to our clients' eyes), but we made a lot of noise on the way there.

I was baking mini cookies up until the moment we needed to run out of the door (4:45 pm). The cookies were the last thing I threw in the back of the truck then I slammed the side door and crammed my way in between Justin and Shacana, our intern, for the short ride. We rolled down Roosevelt and made a left turn on Morgan to avoid the Roosevelt back-up. The loudest crash, followed by sounds of shattering, ensued and we all cringed. Sure enough, I had failed to lock the side door and it opened sending the contents of the truck hurling out on to Roosevelt Avenue. Ceramic shards of platters lay over the road and sidewalk. Quickly determining that A. We needed to clean up the shards so no one punctured their tires, and B. We needed more platters, I left Justin and Shacana to clean up and sped back down Blue Island (past the firehouse) to the kitchen.

We managed to get to the job unscathed on the second go-round, but we were 18 minutes late. Luckily our bartender had arrived before us and was ready to lend a helping hand unloading and setting up (Thanks, Danielle!). Since we knew the location and had an easy menu, we were ready to go when guests started arriving (this is why we give ourselves an hour, even when it's not needed).

Unfortunately, the breakage had only begun. At the end of the job, while putting away a wine bucket, Danielle accidently pushed a bowl off of the client's fridge. Small bowl, small crash, but somehow we knew that wouldn't be the end. Moments later, Justin moved a box and sent 3 glass votive holders off the edge of the counter. The small slivers of glass were quickly swept up, but we warned Shacana that she was next. She insisted that she would be ultra careful, that she hated breaking things, that she wouldn't fall victim to the accursed day.

We arrived back at the kitchen to a stack of dishes and Shacana rolled up her sleeves. Even though Justin threatened to make her wash all of our wine glasses, in reality most of what she was washing was baking sheets and mixing bowls (stainless steel, phew). Then we heard it, glass shattering and Shacana exclaiming "No" (I think that's way she said, but it could have been more expressive.). She moved the other glass away from harms way and continued to set the dishes to dry. Then another smash...a plate. It was definitely time to end this day. Pronto.

So, we headed out of the kitchen, carefully avoiding anything else that was breakable. No wonder everyone likes plastic so much.

La La La La La La Casa..... del Pueblo

2009-05-13T18:56:00.000-05:00

Fifty paces or so north of the FIG Catering kitchen you will find one of the city's food gems, La Casa del Pueblo. A neighborhood supermarket, or supermercado, La Casa is truly super and has something to offer everyone. From dried chilies and pumpkin seeds, great, inexpensive cuts of beef, some of the best fruit in Chicago, and anything you need to make mole. La Casa will also surprise you with random (non-Mexican) items including a large selection of mustard, salt packed capers, and quinoa pasta. If you look hard enough you might just catch a glimpse of Rick Bayless shopping or filming, like Molly did last week.

This may be the only store that I can consistently walk out of spending under $20 with a basket full of great stuff. It's a great neighborhood spot and the staff is the friendliest around (even if they do look askance and chuckle when you bring your own bags or carry your milk out by the handle and not in a double bag). Personally, my favorite part about LC is the fresh FIGs. Yes, during FIG season you can find some of the firmest and juiciest little guys here for $2 less, per pint, than anywhere else in the city. That is how Molly and I knew this was the place for us. If you have not been, stop by and check out the selection. And if you have time, stop by the La Casa restaurant (on the south side of the parking lot) and grab some of the best tamales in town (they only sell them by the dozen so if you have leftovers come down and say hi to Molly and I just a few doors down).

A Day in Pilsen, Mole de Mayo

2009-05-07T17:02:00.001-05:00

Although Justin and I live and work in Pilsen, we haven't made ourselves widely known to the Pilsen community. We're generally holed up in our kitchen or driving to some location on the northside or, worse yet, in the suburbs. Currently we're on a mission to change that.

Pilsen gets a bad rap which is not wholey undeserved; there is some violence (mostly young gangbangers) and lots of trash, but on the other hand, Pilsen is a great place. The strong sense of family is apparent, the food is delicious, and it's a vibrant part of the city with parades, festivals, and block parties galore. The Eighteenth Street Development Corporation is doing it's part to attract visitors to Pilsen by creating some great events including Buen Provecho! (a walking restaurant tour held last September) and Mole de Mayo (the first annual mole cook off and festival held last weekend in celebration of Cinco de Mayo). We had the extreme pleasure of participating in this year's event and this is how it went...(please note: not all activities are listed)

1 1/2 months prior...Meet with ESDC to discuss event and our participation. Fill out application, pay fee, develop menu to serve that day (your menu has to be specific and include prices or the health inspector might shut you down).

1 month prior...Change menu, decide to make horchata ice cream, contemplate buying a commercial ice cream maker but don't.

3 weeks prior...Recruit volunteers. Since we don't have a regular full time staff and I'm pretty sure we won't be making enough to pay catering staff $25 per hour, we ask friends and fellow foodies to help in our tent.

2 weeks prior...Attend an outdoor sanitation class where they tell me to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, thanks. (Here you go, City of Chicago, here's my $30.)

1 week prior...Since our health inspector has ignored us for the last year, but we need a health inspection within 6 months in order to participate in the event, they have to be called in. Molly handles this one solo and learns exactly how weird health inspectors are (make sure you ask about his Nutri-System diet).

5 days prior...Make shopping lists, call in orders, send Justin out shopping.

2 days prior...Start mole (toasting spices, blistering chiles), make ice cream base.

1 day prior...Realize that my two small ice cream cores are never going to freeze this much ice cream. Give up after 8 batches and freeze the rest directly in the freezer.

5 hours prior...Blend, smash, and mix ice cream to remove crystals which have formed due to improper freezing. Some still not totally frozen (Curse invisible ice cream maker), put it back in the freezer.

2 hours prior...Run to Restaurant Depot for ice.

1 1/2 hours prior...Assemble enchiladas (only 8 pans), run out of cheese, decide that may be enough.

1 hour prior...Drive to location (two loads) and set up. We keep some food at the kitchen so we can control temperature and heat it as needed.

12noon (1 hour into event)...Plate food for judges. Realize that we're going through enchiladas quickly. Send Justin to get back-ups.

1p...Realize that we're going to need more enchiladas. Send Justin to store to buy more cheese, assemble enchiladas. Run out briefly.

2:30p...Realize that we're going to need more enchiladas and sparkling limeade. Send Molly to squeeze limes. Run out briefly.

3p...Cambro (large insulated container for serving beverages) gets clogged with mint and lime, serve with tiny ladle out of the top of the cooler.

4p...Tired of moving the car/looking for parking, Molly runs the 3/4 mi. back to store for back-ups (coleslaw, ice cream and enchiladas).

4:30p...Decide it's time to start drinking. Beer, margaritas, and tequila are consumed. Start dishing now firmly frozen ice cream into containers for selling.

5p...We have one more pan of pork at store and might be able to serve it. Slightly buzzed, it's time for Molly to run once more.

5:15p...Find out we didn't win either the Judge or People's Choice award for our mole. Sad, but still buzzed and excited to be selling food.

6:45p...Very little food left...yay. Lots of tickets to count.

7:20p...End counting tickets, have them recounted and get paid (We didn't lose money! Mostly due to our volunteer labor so thanks to Mike, Sandra, Shacana, Cindy, Bart, and My-Hien.)

8p...Unload truck. Decide kitchen mess can wait until the morning. Go have a beer and burger at Skylark.

So, even though we didn't win, I hope you can tell that we had a great time. We'll be back next year and hopefully I'll have an ice cream maker by then (or choose not to make ice cream).

The Mysteries of Wine Pairing

2009-04-27T14:00:00.000-05:00

Justin and I are not wine experts. We love wine. We love food. We've tasted a lot of the two together. We generally have well developed palates and can make suggestions based on past experience, knowledge of ingredients, and "what we like." Still sometimes wine pairing is a mystery. And I, for one, sometimes think it should stay that way.

Let me explain. It's not that I don't want to learn more about wine. I do. I wish I had time to attend the classes I've been eyeing by Southern Wine & Spirits or read through my massive wine tome by Andre Domine. Alas, I don't have time to take time out to learn so I'm relegated to learning as I go. I taste appreciatively at wine stores. I listen intently as wine distributors and makers explain the complexities of their grapes, soil, and final product. I read and taste, smell and taste, listen and taste. Sometimes I come up with a pairing that surprises even the experts and I'm elated that I've fudged my way through another of life's tasks (It's just like the time I made up someone to interview for high school algebra class. I couldn't envision actually talking to a person with a job that related to math - boring - so I made up the person, the job, the interview- both sides, and scored at A+. Best "interview" ever.)

For example: Last week we were asked to pair food with delighful wines from Peterson Winery . Justin and I are big fans of the Zero Manipulation and generally appreciate Fred's philosophy toward wine growing and making. So, we were excited to pair courses with four different wines from Peterson and share them with Fred who would be in Chicago for the event.

Generally not a huge fan of whites, I cringe when I have to pair them with food. Peterson's Sauvignon Blanc was oakier than most making the task even more difficult. I had suggested either a vanilla cured salmon with melted leeks or a chayote salad with toasted pepitas for the first course; Fred liked the idea of salmon, Andrew, my wine distributor, liked the idea of toasted pepitas. After re-tasting the wine, I picked up some banana notes, a little mineral, and a whole lot of toast. We decided to add a little spice to the salad and play up banana with the addition of tostones - eliminating the sweetness that may clash. First Course: Peterson Sauvignon Blanc/Chayote Salad with spiced pepitas, queso anejo, and tostones

Zero Manipulation is Rhone-style wine with a majority Carignane. It is cloudy with fruit forward flavors and aromas. I wanted fish and took advantage of our accessible grill to suggest a fish taco. Justin decided to try two different salsas - a cooked tomatillo and fresh mango salsa - figured that sometimes you can learn as much about pairing wines with food from "unmatches" as "matches." These two options allowed guests to taste and decide what didn't go with the wine versus what did (the smokiness from the roasted tomatillos went well, but the acidicy was overplayed). Second Course: Peterson Zero Manipulation/ Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos with two salsas

Next up: the big Cab. I always think of California Cabs with cheese, but in this case I was all wrong. After tasting the Cabernet Sauvignon with blue cheese, goat cheese, and emmethaler, it was obvious it didn't pair at all. The wine was much more tart than I expected and while it was great with meat, it needed something tart to play nicely. We ended up choosing chimichurri, an Argentinian sauce made of parsley, garlic, and chiles, and reduced the wine to make a simple sauce. Third Course: Peterson 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Ribeye with red wine reduction (and, yes, we used the same wine we'd be drinking), chimichurri, and yuca frites

While all of our food pairings worked, the standout of the evening was pairing Peterson's Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandel with Shredded Pork Sopes with Raspberry Mole. Even Fred, who doesn't usually like his zinfandels with food, approved. And, that's what I mean, sometimes you can know a wine inside and out and still be surprised by a food pairing. Oh, wonderful mystery.

(Unfortunately, we don't have any good pictures from this event. Can I hire a photographer just to follow us to every event? For free?)

Sometimes things don't go as planned...

2009-04-18T13:32:00.000-05:00

We planned to get to the Green City Market early for our 11am Chef Demo. We planned to purchase great local eggs, butter, bread, bacon and honey to create fabulous dishes. We planned to set-up, smile, and patiently answer questions.

Well, after an early morning breakfast drop-off (lawyers sometimes have to work on Saturdays too!), battling a fierce cold, Chicago traffic, an unfortunate moving violation, and a serious lack of parking, we were able to successfully entertain and serve the 30+ people gathered, but not without a little craziness (We get by with a little help from our friends. Thanks REB & RAB). Today the theme was Bacon and Eggs and we prepared French Toast with Candied Bacon Butter & FIG Jam and an Elvis Smoothie with peanut butter, bananas, and bacon. I want to say "Thank You" to our great audience for hanging tight and asking some great questions. I think we covered all of the questions, but below are some more details on our discussion and the recipes we promised.

For those curious about sous vide cooking, here is information and here is the hardware.

Agave syrup, or nectar, was used in the smoothie instead of honey. Agave is slightly sweeter than clover honey, but can be substituted for equal parts in the recipe (taste to see what you think). Agave syrup is mostly produced in Mexico from the same plant as tequila. It is a good substitute for vegans who cannot eat honey.

What is clafouti? For one of my favorite summer desserts, try this recipe. I love it with vanilla ice cream, or creme fraiche. Below are today's recipes, hope to see everyone again for FIG's demo in the summer (date TBD).

French Toast with Candied Bacon Butter & FIG Syrup

1 loaf of bread cut into ¼ inch slices (challah, French bread or brioche)

Slice bread into ½” slices and lay it out on a cooling rack or staggered on a baking sheet for 4 hours or overnight. As I explained, this will dry the bread out a little and allow it to soak up even more of the custard.

Custard Mixture
4 eggs
1 cup 2% milk
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tsp. freshly ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt

Place a large skillet on medium heat. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together until incorporated. Dip the bread into the custard, letting each side sit for 30 second to soak up the liquid. Wipe off any extra mixture and place the slices face down into a buttered skillet. Let each side cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown. For thicker slices of toast (1"), brown each side and place French Toast on a baking sheet into a preheated 325 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Candied Bacon Butter
4 strips bacon
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 350˚. Then coat the bacon with the sugar, cinnamon and pepper and lay evenly on a parchment lined sheet pan. Place the bacon in the oven and let it bake for 15 minutes or until the sugar begins to caramelize. Then remove the bacon and let it cool. Once cool, chop the bacon into fine pieces and place it into a mixing bowl. Then add the butter and salt to the bowl and with a hand blender whip the butter for 1 minute or until fluffy.

FIG Jam
2 cups dried FIGs
2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise pods
Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. fruit pectin

In a medium sauce pot combine FIGs, water, salt, cinnamon stick, star anise, and lemon juice & zest. Set on stove and let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes or until the FIGs have absorbed half of the liquid. In a cup, combine the pectin and sugar. Slowly add 1 spoonful at a time to the simmering FIGs, stirring after each addition. Continue until the entire mixture is incorporated. Remove from the pan and place into a bowl. Let cool slightly and serve over French Toast.

Elvis Smoothies

2 frozen bananas
½ cup ice
½ cup soy milk
½ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
¼ cup plain yogurt
1 tsp. honey (or agave syrup)
½ strip bacon, cooked until crispy

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pulse to crush ice, then blend on medium speed until smooth.

It is easy being green #6

2009-04-13T18:35:00.001-05:00

This month's tip is inspired by spring cleaning. As you shake out your rugs & vacuum under the couch cushions, take this opportunity to declutter. Gather up all of those items that are hiding in your closet or crawl space and decide what you need. My rule of thumb is if I haven't used it in a year, I don't need it. So gather up all your old clothes, baseball mitts, and playing cards and head down to your nearest Salvation Army, Goodwill, YMCA or shelter. And if you are not one to just give things away, get a permit from the city and have yourself a good old fashioned yard sale. It is a good excuse to have a beer with the neighbors and enjoy some sun.
At this time, any donation can help. We all know someone who has lost their job or is struggling to purchase the things they need and asking for things we need is much harder than giving away things you don't. Help make asking a bit easier.

The Good, The Bad, and The Bunny

2009-04-10T15:51:00.000-05:00

Last year during our short stint with a PR agency, I came up with what I thought was a great idea for an Easter pitch. An Evil Easter menu. I thought this was such a creative and different idea and so did they, BUT they found it a little too dark to pitch to mainstream media and we ended up going with a more fluffy traditional piece that got us a spot on CBS. Still, the bad bunny wouldn't die.

This year as Easter approached again, I mentioned the idea to an equally twisted friend of FIG who has a contact at WGN. She thought it was great and her friend bit on her short description so she sent him the whole pitch, including a deliciously devilish menu. And then we waited. And waited. So, now it's Easter and I assume that I'm too dark for WGN too. However, if you enjoy a little dark humor to mix up the family traditions try this menu at your Easter lunch:

Deviled Eggs with Braised Rabbit

Sunday Bloody Sunday Salad
with roasted beets, raspberries, rhubarb, and red cabbage

Curried "Chick" Salad Sandwiches
with dried apricots, jicama, and curry powder

Red Devil Bunny Cake
with cream cheese frosting and red hot eyes

I guess it's time to bust out my yellow frilly dress and color eggs, and maybe tune into this site for a fun, not-quite-evil twist on Easter that involves no real rabbits or chickens.

Here it is, my Top Chef casting video

2009-04-10T12:43:00.000-05:00

The Gossip is True

2009-04-07T18:15:00.000-05:00

Like, a few weeks ago, like, a friend of FIG told Molly and me that, like, a friend of hers who totaly knew Graham Elliot Bolles said he was going to be out of town for the month of April.

Being slightly paranoid, I immediately suspected that he would be going on Bravo's Top Chef. Sure, GEB had never so much as made an appearance on past seasons of Top Chef and there are any number of things that he could have been doing in April (like getting away for this god-awful weather we're having). I suspected it because I had recently stumbled across the casting information for the newest season and was busy recording my own application video. The funny thing was that the casting information was only up for 3days! Originaly I considered this was a good thing, indicating that Bravo wanted a smaller pool to select from and I was one of the lucky few to pick up the scent. However, once I got word of GEB leaving, I got suspicious. Following in the footsteps of The Celebrity Apprentice, I just knew that they planned to retool the show with celebrity cheftestants. And, lo and behold, I was right.

Next season Top Chef Masters will consist of well-known culinary experts competeing for the charity of their choice. Man, this is bull$4!t! If someone would have just told me I had to become a celebrity chef in order to get on TV I would have just done it. I guess I'll just keep my knives unpacked until next time.

(Molly may secretly root for Rick Bayless, but I'm boycotting. In fact, my cable's already been cancelled.)

Restaurant Depoh-oh-oh, just shoot me

2009-03-30T14:51:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard of Restaurant Depot (RD), consider yourself lucky. For the lucky ones: RD is a wholesale warehouse full of everything you could possibly need to run a mediocre food service establishment (from prepared frozen appetizers to large size condiments to cleaning supplies to generic plateware to...well you get the point). For the unlucky ones: let me expound on what you already may have guessed, RD is my version of hell of earth.

WHY DO I HATE RESTAURANT DEPOT?
Let's start at the parking lot. As you enter this chaos of commercial vehicles (each with its own over sized blind spot), you must be agile and aggressive as you search for your space. Like Costco, but instead of $50K SUVs, these drivers have trucks and vans that they do not care about. And they drive like they don't care about them.

You must enter with a strategy, and follow without abandon. Grab your goods as fast as you can, making sure not to get run over by any forklifts or those same drivers now "driving" flatbed carts that they don't care about. If you can't find something, get ready to be passed from one employee to another as you move up a chain of English comprehension. You'll get there, but sometimes it's a bumpy ride.

As at any grocery store, now comes the really fun part. Choosing a line. Against all rules of logic, I find the most harried lines often go the fastest and those with only one or two customers have unforeseen problems (see below: unreadable bar codes, check writers). Then wait, just smile and wait.

RD has the worst computer system I have ever seen. The bar code reader has trouble reading forcing employees yell over the general din of conversations, carts, and other employees' yells, to get the attention of a manager who is usually busy flirting with other employees or customers. Then they're asked (yelled at) to repeat the information and eventually the number is read off (yelled) back to them. Hopefully the register employee has mastered the art of listening selectively and remembering a succession of numbers quickly and accurately. If not, get ready to repeat. Invariably one or two items will have been missed and the register employee and you will have to count your items again and again until the count matches the number of items on the receipt.

When all of your items are finally scanned, the payment process begins. Cash will get you out the quickest, followed by plastic (separate machines are needed for cards as RD's system was apparently built before credit and debit cards were de rigueur), and finally the dreaded check. Just don't pay by check...anywhere. Get a debit card and you will make society as a whole function better.

You're paid up and ready to hightail it out of there. Not so fast! The manager at the door has to count your items again making sure they match the receipt. Regardless of how many times this was done at the register, the count doesn't always match. If the count is off you have to get back into line and do the whole thing over again.

SO, WHY I DO I CONTINUE TO SHOP AT RESTAURANT DEPOT?
Being a small event caterer, sometimes we have small needs. Often, I can't order what I need through my purveyors because I won't meet the minimum purchase. When this is the case, I will hesitantly head over to RD for random items like pop, butane for portable burners, or ice.

And, I'm not alone, other people shop there; people you know, people you respect, people you would never expect to find in a place such as this. In past visits I've spotted Stephanie Izard, local Top Chef winner, employees from nearly every high end caterer in the city (including one billing itself as Chicago's green caterer), and Dean Zanella, former 312 Chicago chef and ex-co-worker of mine.

At first I was a bit embarrassed to approach Dean, not wanting to be outed as an RD shopper. Then, I reasoned, well he's here too. As we talked about industry goings-on, including his possible new project (currently on-hold), I couldn't help but notice that he looked at lot like I felt (drained and nearly defeated). That's what RD will do to you.

Now run. Run fast and don't tell anyone where you were! If everyone in the industry shops here, I think it helps explain the rampant alcohol and drug abuse. If you are unable to sleep that night, just treat yourself to a Corralejo, neat. You deserve it.

New (to us) Venue: Black Walnut Gallery

2009-03-30T13:23:00.000-05:00

It's unusual for us to work at the same venue two weekends in a row, but that's just what happened the past two weekends. The venue was the Black Walnut Gallery in the meatpacking/warehouse district (increasingly the upscale boutique, gallery, fancy restaurant district).

The gallery is an open space with two floors, decoration provided (they keep the artwork on the walls), and a nice outdoor space. The space is budget friendly and Robert, the owner/artist, is very laid back and accomodating.

Although both of our events were primarily standing affairs (a wedding hors d'oeuvre buffet for 90 guests and a casual graduation snack buffet for 100 guests), a small dinner party would work wonderfully in the space. The downstairs has a nook for a DJ (and you'll still be able to hear the music upstairs) and a great floor for dancing. The upstairs has a built-in bar. Robert has a few casual chairs that can be used. The outside has a fire pit which is great for those not-quite-warm-enough nights. All in all, another perfect FIG venue accomodating small groups in a unique, casual space.

Painting by Robert Wayner. All rights retained by Robert Wayner.

Too cool for school

2009-03-17T19:23:00.000-05:00

I am a culinary school drop-out. After attending the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC) for a year I decided I was done. I was sure the $20K I was making was a great starting salary and CHIC had nothing left to offer me. Who would have guessed that at 19 I could have made a bad decision? The only thing is, I don't consider dropping out to be the mistake. I think that going to culinary school in the first place was where I made a wrong turn. It has become an opinion of mine that culinary school, for the most part, is a complete waste of money.

Cooking is a trade, and like most trades you will learn much more by doing than studying (and get paid for it). The main difference between cooking schools and other trade schools is the cost. If you want to be an auto mechanic, school will run you $9k. If you dream of being a hair stylist, you will be out $10-12K at a beauty school (Molly is tempted to sing "Beauty School Drop-out," from Grease). But, if you want to go to the sexiest trade school of them all - cooking school - you're going to pay. Here are some examples: CHIC= $38,250 Kendall= $21,450 J&W=30,350 AI=$32,000 CIA= $90,000.

If you are thinking "well chefs make much more money than auto mechanics," you would be wrong. They certainly "can" make more, but on average they don't. On average a mechanic makes $36K per year, a barber makes $30K per year, hell a tattoo artist makes $32K per year and there isn't a high demand to get into ink school. On average a cook makes $22K a year and pays 2-4 times more for school than your local barber. Now if you make it to head chef (2% of the industry) you will make an average of $75K. In fact, the following graph (from StarChefs.com) shows that school has very little affect on how much a chef makes, at any level. And, in fact, "some school" increases your salary about as much as staying in school for an associates, bachelors, or Masters degree(maybe I didn't make a mistake).

So, what do I suggest? Go to business school and work for free. Spend your days cramming for a degree that you can use anywhere, and spend your nights sweating, bleeding and cooking in a good restaurant. Find a place where you love to eat, or a chef that is interesting and ask him (or her) to mentor you. You will learn more about cooking in a month than a year of culinary school. If you are the type of person who needs to learn at school, go for it. Just make sure you weigh your options first.

I'm a Mess!

2009-03-15T07:35:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I find myself coming to the kitchen in a condition in which I previously would have never left the house. This morning I woke up early with a sneaking suspicion that the doughnuts I placed in the refrigerator to proof overnight did not rise. (I actually had this thought last night when the dough seemed lifeless, but I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.) I splashed my face with some water, threw on the same clothes I wore yesterday, and trudged over (one of the advantages of living less than a block from the kitchen) hoping that it would be a quick round trip back to bed. Alas, they hadn't risen, as suspected, so I set about making a new batch.

First, gather ingredients and equipment. Warm milk (not too hot...that may have been my culprit last time). Bloom the yeast (Still not the action I was hoping for, figure yeast is old/dead, start anew with fresh yeast. Repeat steps one and two.). Melt butter. Mix eggs, flour, sugar, butter, nutmeg into yeast mixture. Knead. Let rise (1 hour). Roll out. Punch out. Let rise again. Pre-heat oven (Yes, these are BAKED doughnuts. Healthier and easier.). Bake. Dust with sugar. Dip in chocolate. Sleep?

Those who are doing it right

2009-03-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

On Devon Ave., just west of Broadway is a restaurant that is focusing on business in a eco-friendly and responsible way. Molly and I recently met Helen and Michael, the owners of Uncommon Ground. We are both members of the Chicago Green Restaurant Co-op a Chicago buyers co-op that focuses on making green products affordable. She told me about some of the things going on at her place.

They have the country's first certified organic rooftop garden, use solar power, and offer a "tree"tini, a delicious libation that gets you tipsy and plants a tree in your honor. They also focus reusing and reducing by printing on the back side of their menus and composting. They are also members of the Slow Food movement, a non-profit member supported group that focuses on recognizing where your food comes from and its impact on the environment. And if that isn't enough to get you to try a treetini, the food is great and they have a warm fireplace that will warm you to the bone. Good food, good drinks and they do it with a conscience.

In This Instance: A Client's Blog

2009-03-05T22:36:00.000-06:00

We know a lot of people who write blogs - fellow foodies, food professionals, event planners, and friends - but it's always fun when we hear about a client's blog that we were previously unaware of. Such was the case when our client, Tara, invited us to write for her blog, In This Instance.

We catered Tara and Dan's wedding last summer and from the initial meeting to wedding day, Tara was the epitome of an organized bride. She had an immediate idea of the kind of food and style of wedding she wanted, but she was never bossy or overbearing about it (We have a sign on the front door reading: "No bridezillas allowed"). She found so many little ways to add personality to her wedding, from making coloring books for the kids to sewing her own linens. I knew that Tara was probably this way about everything, not just her wedding. And, her blog proves it. It's not just about weddings, it's about decorating, style, and crafts. If you're a girly girl, it's definitely for you. If you sometimes wish you were a girly girl, but have no aptitude for it (raising my hand) it's fun to check out.

Photo courtesy of Brian Kinyon Photography

We wrote a blog about menu planning for her segment "Tips from the Pros," it was fun to write and great to be included. We love our clients and are glad to get the love back. If any other clients have blogs I don't know about, let me know.

It is easy being green #5

2009-02-26T16:09:00.000-06:00

This month's green tip is inspired by trees. With March comes the nirvanic idea of spring, warmer weather, the thawing of snow, and the first signs of the greening of trees. I recently heard a story on Chicago Public Radio about a NASA satellite scanned and estimated the number of trees on our planet. The number was 20 kagillion or something; it seemed high until they divided it by the number of people on the planet and came up with a number of 17 trees per person. How many trees have you used in your lifetime? Paper, cardboard, your house, your desk, or, perhaps, even childhood toys (if you are a bit older) are made from trees. Hmmmm...probably a few.

Should you stop using wood and make everything out of plastic? Absolutely not. Wood is a great renewable resource and gives us many opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle. It can be as easy as not printing out that email unless you need it and making others aware not to print your emails (by your signature add a line that says "don't print this email unless you absolutely have to"). Or how about using thinner paper or printing on the reverse side of the paper you use; it will give it a second life. And, make sure to recycle all of your paper and use paper that is made from recycled product.

On a larger scale, you can reuse wood too. Instead of throwing out an old desk or chair, think of who may be able to use it. Construction projects with reclaimed wood and growing in popularity. If you choose to buy new, maybe someone else wants your old wood. So before you use that paper cup or order out for pizza just keep in mind how many trees you have left. And, the best part is you don't even have to use them.

Animals in the Kitchen

2009-02-24T20:46:00.000-06:00

Most chefs don't have to worry about live animals in their kitchens. Other than the occasional lobster, most animals in the kitchen are not with us anymore. Commercial kitchens are clean and sanitized.

But, we go into peoples' homes, where there are animals. Cats and dogs mostly. I love cats and dogs, but let me just expound on the problems they can present when you're cooking (especially in a kitchen that's not your own for more guests than have probably ever been served out of that kitchen):

1. They're too cute and friendly that I want to pet them all of the time. After each time I pet them, I have to stop what I'm doing and go wash my hands before I do anything else. It's okay if YOU get your dog's hair in your own food, but if I get your dog's hair in your food (or worse, your guests) that's just not cool. My hands are dry enough from all the dishwashing I do.

2. They like people food and shouldn't have it (owners have warned us of accidents happening if any food should cross their lips). Or it's okay that they have it and they know it so they beg and beg and beg.

3. They get in our way (especially Justin's - he's not a small man and he's often working in a small space). If they're small, we're likely to step on them. Unfortunately their food and water is usually in the kitchen, compounding this situation.

And, let's be fair folks, the cats we run into generally hide and leave us alone. It's the dogs that stay to beg and act as obstacles. I shouldn't complain since we have yet to run into a mean dog, the dredded mailman's nightmare - I guess our clients hide those ones before we get there.

Any other cooking with dog stories out there?

Private FIG dinner: Valentine's Day

2009-02-21T16:21:00.000-06:00

On Valentine's Day, we hosted a private dinner in our FIG kitchen. Previously a taqueria, the kitchen has plenty of space to accomodate diners, but other than a few social occasions we've never done so. For about a year, Justin and I have been discussing hosting private dinners. It's a trend with "underground restaurants", progressive dinner parties, and farm dinners giving diners a unique way to enjoy food in a non-traditional setting.

Setting up a communal table for 10 diners in our space, we kept the event intimate and friendly. Some people prefer to be alone with their loved ones on Valentine's Day, but our guests relished in the opportunity to share a unique experience and meet new people.

Somewhere between a fine dining experience and a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, we dressed the table with simple white linens and embraced our yellow floors with yellow centerpieces (made with lemons, yellow peppers, and Golden Delicious apples) and votive holders (actually yellow striped glasses we used as votive holders). Guests brought their own wine and we shared a little bubbly of our own. Guests had their choice of four courses and we offered a few surprise courses too.

The Menu:
First Course:
Tuna-Tangerine-Sesame on Jicama (bonus)

Second Course:
Shrimp-Yuca-Pineapple-Pesto OR
Grilled Polenta Hearts with Sun-dried Tomato Jam & Roasted Clamshell Mushrooms

Third Course:
Deviled Egg with Candied Bacon (bonus)

Fourth Course:
Yukon Gold Potato Soup with chorizo and cilantro oil OR
Roasted Beet & Apple Salad with radicchio, toasted walnuts, and bleu cheese croquette

Fifth Course:
Grilled Lamb Loin with curried cauliflower & black quinoa OR
Buttered Escarole Risotto with Seared Scallops

Sixth Course:
Spiced Molten Chocolate Cake with Banana Ice Cream OR
Fresh Goat Cheesecake with candied kumquats

Mignardises of Coffee
Coffee Marshmallows, Espresso Dusted Chocolate Truffles, & Mini Mocha Mousse with coffee gelee (bonus)

We hope to host dinners every month, inviting different groups to join us, as a way to experiment with new menu options, promote FIG, and have a little fun. Hope you can make it next time!

Academy of Global Citizenship

2009-02-16T17:00:00.000-06:00

A friend recently introduced me to Sarah Elizabeth Ippel, the founder and executive director of the Academy of Global Citizenship. The AGC program offers its students a different and interesting curriculum. Students learn about the world and studies through sustainability and responsible practices.
I met up with Sarah at the school around 8:30am and we went directly to the cafeteria. Here was the thing that made me fall in love with this school right away. Organic, healthy foods served 3 times per day to the kids. I had pancakes with real maple syrup, bacon and a glass of soy milk. All organic and delish. The kids actually start there day with breakfast before school, this is the way it should be.
Other cool things going on at this school are in class room red worm composting and the building is partially solar powered (and they hope completely powered soon). They also have a compost tumbler for bigger items and a garden out back that is not only there to help the kids learn, but will also yield some yummy food for the kids.
I have made it a personal goal to help these guys out in 2009, so if this school sounds interesting to you and you may be willing to contribute just shoot Sarah an email and I'm sure she will help you out. info@chicagoglobalcitizens.org

A Time of Love

2009-02-11T17:25:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling especially romantic this week because last weekend FIG catered a proposal dinner. The proposee contacted me a week and a half before the date, on the recommendation of a friend who insisted a caterer was in order, and requested a vegetarian dinner be prepared for the special occasion. After consulting with his friend to choose a menu, he signed a contract a mere two days before the big day.

When I arrived, two of his friends were setting up candles, flowers, an Ipod soundtrack, and a display made up of his and her grandmothers' jewelry that they were using to "create" a ring. Some more friends came to take the dog away and I busied myself cooking a Mexican influenced meal including pureed black bean soup with cumin crema, jicama and citrus salad, chile rellenos with smoky tomato sauce and green rice, and spiced flourless chocolate cake with roasted banana ice cream. I am always kind of hesitant to leave our food without proper supervision, but after being assured that the couple was on their way, I took off. The soup was dished up and set on the table (covered), the salads were plated and ready for course two, the chiles were in a warm oven awaiting the sauce that simmered on the stove, and the cakes were ready for the ice cream to be scooped on top. I think he managed to pop the question and still finish the meal. I think she said yes. A successful event!

Because Justin and I live and work together, we sometimes forget to celebrate the events couples often do. We acknowledge our anniversary and try to make birthdays special, but Valentine's Day rarely enters our sphere of recognition. We know it's coming and often get calls about cooking classes or to book two-person intimate dinners so others can celebrate, but we don't celebrate ourselves. This year will be slightly different. We're holding a private dinner in our kitchen for some friends, close clients, and other special invitees. Although we'll technically be working, we always enjoy working more when it's for friends so it should be a fun event. After our 8pm dinner seating, we plan to sit down with our guests and enjoy a glass of champagne. Here's to V-Day!

Jicama & Citrus Salad
Serves four

1 medium bulb jicama
1 grapefruit
2 oranges
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 cup mixed greens
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. guajillo chile powder
pinch of salt and pepper

Peel the jicama and slice it thinly (use a mandoline for even, thin slices), cut in
1" wide strips. Cut peel and pith off of the grapefruit and oranges, segment fruit into a small bowl. In another bowl, juice interior of oranges to yield about 2 Tbsp. of juice, add honey, chile pepper, salt and pepper, and mix well. Add mixed greens and toss to coat. Place greens on a small plate. Arrange jicama is a wheel like pattern atop the greens and top with citrus segments. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

It is easy being green #4

2009-02-04T12:57:00.001-06:00

Your favorite carry out restaurant may not be in the green stream of things. If this is the case there are a few easy steps to making your next stop to the greasy spoon a bit better for mother nature.
If you are ordering over the phone and plan on eating at home just tell the person on the phone to skip the plastic fork and leave out the paper napkin. Besides the forks are flimsy and the napkins transparent.
Next, if the place has really nice, thick containers, save them. This can become your new container for leftovers. And if you don't mind looking really crazy you can have them refill it with your next order. Sometime taking steps to reduce landfill waste can look crazy, but some day it will just be common practice.
If they pack your food in a paper bag and then in a plastic bag just give them back the plastic bag. Do you need it? I didn't think so.

Finally, skip the condiments. Fill up your fridge with the mustard, soy sauce or plum sauce. I know that some places give me more than I could use after eating there 3 or 4 times.