Tastebuds: A Taste Catering Blog

A Chef’s Memories from a Sonoma Wedding

It’s hard to take one’s eyes off a beautiful sunset, especially one setting behind successive silhouettes of Healdsburg hills, a graceful bend of the Russian River, bluffs of manzanita, and countless other thriving, verdant living things of which I do not even pretend to know the name.  An impressive pink hue dominates the dusk opposite the sun to the east.  It is heavenly, at worst.




Neglecting that, I find myself staring at the cutting board next to me – more specifically the ruby red juice pooled around the lone chunk of beef.  A blood stained knife rests in the background.  I cure my slackjaw only momentarily to lick my lips in a decidedly Pavlovian fashion---a sort of simple culinary still life notwithstanding the juices still ever so slowly oozing from the 2 inch thick Piedmontese beef ribeye right in front of me.



We have just finished service for a very high end 230 guest wedding this past Saturday night (dessert buffet still to come after dancing).  Only four passed hors d’oeuvres (but rapid fire! – these guests are hungry!); then a plated little gem and grilled artichoke salad that all of a sudden had to be served immediately, fifteen minutes before the scheduled time. 
Family style platters of hot food (81 heaping platters in all) as a main course followed, served simultaneously with 72 plated vegetarian entrees of our housemade English pea ravioli – all in 15 minutes.

And now I allow myself a moment to finally let my mind wander.  I would say 75% of the guests have exited the tent, satiated, in an effort to soak in the aforementioned setting sun and pink clouds.  The other 25% appear to be cut from my mold, utilizing the mass exodus to their advantage by stalking each table in an attempt to grab the remaining prime ribeye chunks from the unattended platters.  “Bravo,” I admire.  “Huh?” the chef next to me asks.  Oops! I guess I said that out loud.  Blame it on the slackjaw.

Food, of course, stirs up poignant memories in us all.  As I stare into the four hot deep fryers of pure duck fat (noble cauldrons of witches brew if ever there were!), 

my mirrored reflection dissolves into memories of past sunsets, my own wedding, and, of course, some of the finest, fattest steaks I can recall eating.  I may not remem
ber to pick up the dry cleaning tomorrow, but I sure can remember that bistecca Fiorentina I ate at Perseus in Florence ten years ago.  Or the sizzling 42 ounce porterhouse I ate at the original Ruth Chris’ in New Orleans some twenty years ago.  Not to mention the thick Kobe steaks I grilled up for myself, my wife, and my three year old only a few weeks back.

More importantly, food not only stirs up the past, it creates new, poignant memories again and again.  Why may you ask did we have 4 fryers full of thousands of dollars of duck fat?  For the decadent duck fat fries that the bride and groom just had to have on arguably the most important day of their lives---the yearning for a taste memory that only food can create and sustain.  I certainly understand.  Ultimately, that is the reason I cook.  And eat.

As more and more people exit the tent to gaze at the ever increasing pinkness of the Sonoma sky, the bride and groom sit by themselves at the head table.  No conversation – just an impressive display of beef and duck fat fry splendor---making memories indeed.

 I will never forget...

 

 

Photos:  Kate Webber Photography

Life as a Tastebud: 1 Year and 10 Pounds

I joined the Taste team about a year ago and I was warned on my first day of the “Taste Ten”.  The “Taste Ten” are the inevitable pounds gained from working with talented chefs and being around fabulous food.   Most of my day is spent talking to brides and grooms about their dream menu; getting to know their favorite foods, family recipes, talking about wonderful meals they’ve had and plotting one of the most important dinners of their life.  On occasion, my day has been spent in the kitchen mixing cocktails to come up with a tasty recipe that looks exactly like the picture torn out of the last issue of Martha Stewart – Margarita’s at 11am, Manhattan’s at noon, by 2pm the Peach Bellini is the most perfect hue of dusty champagne and peachy pink – a process that very much helped contribute to the “Taste Ten”.  Also not helpful for the waistline…Lunchtime, which is served daily at 12noon and, unlike most offices, is eaten family style with everyone in the office.  No skipping meals around here. Then there is usually an afternoon visit from the Sugar Fairy (a.k.a. Executive Pastry Chef, Yigit Pura), who totes around irresistible sugary concoctions – Taste testing is mandatory here and on my second day of work I learned you never say “no thank you” to a Yigit treat.  Around 5pm – when most are headed to the gym for a post work sweat, we Tastebuds are moving to the dinner table for a tasting, or to the bar for happy hour cocktail with a client or out-the-door to an event – where again, Taste testing is part of the job.  So here it is – a glimpse (in iPhone Photos) of the past year as a Tastebud.

    


     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Kind of Bride Are You?

Design Sample: Casual Garden Bistro

An easy-on-the-budget sample design concept for a bride who is looking for a wedding with outdoor casual ease.   Table with simple white linens, rustic wood-slat chairs and centerpieces of glass jam jars filled with old-fashioned garden flowers lend a romantic open-air ambience. 


Buffets could be propped with more contemporary wooden risers and clean glass tiles for a more sleek edge, and then accented with vintage bottles filled with an eclectic mix of  heirloom blossoms and botanicals.  A hand-written chalkboard menu adds a personalized touch, reminiscent of a menu du jour posted in a garden bistro in Sonoma County, Spain or the south of France.

Bridal Bliss

Fashion Journalist and former Fashion Editor at 7 x 7 Magazine, Nerissa Pacio Itchon, has written a wonderful piece on the wedding of our Wedding Designer, Hayley Seed.  I thought that I would share it here with you.  The photography by Tanja Lippert is simply gorgeous.  It makes me want to get married all over again.  What do you think Bruce?

Bridal Bliss: Hayley and Lindon tie the knot in St. Helena

Sticky Situation: How to handle Children at Your Wedding Reception

Kids or No Kids. That is the question.  A question that can cause brides and grooms hours of painful debate over questions like: Do you invite family members to bring their kids?  Do you allow only the kids that are in the wedding party, or kids of parents in the wedding party?  What if you allow one of your friends to bring their kid and not your other friend?  Not only is it tough to find a diplomatic way to address this situation, there is the added pressure of the financial impact of allowing everyone to bring their children. Think about it:  10, 20 or even more kids picking at their dinner, on your dime, at $175 (or more) per person(!).  But not to worry, everything will be OK because Taste has your back. After lots of research in the best known etiquette books and some creative thinking, we have developed the following list of tips to help you avoid these Sticky Situations.

1.    Make a decision and stick to it, No exceptions.  If you choose to exclude children at your wedding, Emily Post says "It would be most unfriendly and in the poorest of taste to write "No children" on the invitations."  Outside of your own children, "you must refrain from inviting one child under your age limit, or the hurt feelings will far outweigh the money saved".  To get the word out, rely on your bridesmaids and family to politely spread the word.

 
2.  Have a Kids Menu.  If you decide to include children at your wedding, then come one, come all.  Oftentimes kids don't want to eat what their parents are eating anyway.  Taste will create a separate kids menu at a much lower price point.  A Kid-friendly Menu might include: Chicken Fingers, Macaroni and Cheese, Baby Vegetables with Butter and a Chocolate Chip Cookie.  When having a separate kids menu, we suggest serving kids over the age of 4 at a separate "Kids-Only" table; it is more fun for the kids (and for the parents).  Kids 3 and under will most likely share a plate with mom or dad and you won't need to account for them in your guest count.

  3. Ask for Help:  Let someone else handle fielding these questions for you.  Taste has an exclusive list of preferred wedding planners who are all seasoned professionals with hundreds of weddings under their belt and years of experience.  They are experts in the wedding industry and skilled at negotiating the proverbial wedding "battlefield".  They are armed with etiquette and an artillery of contacts and resources that ensure you make it to and through your wedding day looking like a Princess Bride rather than a Bridezilla!

My Most Memorable Meal

Hands down, my most memorable meal is my own wedding dinner.  My husband (Lindon) and I spent hours pondering our favorite foods and reminiscing on our most poignant food experiences.  This was an especially lengthy and difficult task because we like everything and most of our memories are tied to food in some way.   But we wanted our wedding menu to speak about us and our experiences, so we pressed on...Growing up, my dad and brother would go quail hunting every fall.  At the end of the day, they would return, birds in hand, and my mom would grill the quail for dinner.  We would eat for hours, nibbling on every mini drumstick, licking our fingers and laughing about the days hunt.  Inevitably, the dinner would end with a showdown between my dad and me over the last quail breast.  For the wedding dinner, we incorporated the quail during our cocktail hour with hors d'ouevres of a Grilled Breast of Quail with Pomegranate Glaze.   The quail had their wing bone attached that made for a delicate and perfect (mess free) bite.  It was a grown-up twist on my memories of grilled quail as a child.

When we were seated for dinner on this most magical evening a mariachi band played in the  background to set the festive tone.   Our dinner table was 120 feet long and had seats for 125 of our family and dearest friends.  Lindon and I sat in the middle and I remember being blissfully awed by the beauty of seeing all the people we love surrounding us.  We started with Dungeness Crab and Avocado Timbale Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette and Greystone Garden Basil Oil Microgreens.  The presentation was spectacular- the crab meat, avocados and tomatoes piled high.  Lindon chose the next course; while spending 6 months climbing in the Himalaya's with no access to beef, he spent most of his time dreaming of a prime rib dinner.  And, although this trip was more than 5 years ago, his hunger for a great prime rib dinner is never satiated.  So our entrée was Prime Rib that served with Braised Tuscan Black Kale, Shallots and Garlic, Sautéed Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Beets with Hazelnuts, all drizzled with a Cabernet Sauvignon Reduction and a side of Fresh Horseradish.   And, served family style, a heap of Pommes Frites infused with Truffle Oil.  I am dangerously in love with French Fries so they were a must on the table…
 
The meal concluded with a tribute to my mom and her wedding.  We used the recipe from her wedding cake, a Mexican Wedding Cake.  It is a very sweet and dense Almond cake kissed with a delicate layer of marzipan and frosted with almond butter cream.   At my mom’s wedding, held at our then home in Sun Valley, ID, guests returned the next day looking to have just one more bite of the wedding cake.  The same thing happened at my wedding, although this time we were prepared with an additional tier.  We pulled it out at breakfast the following morning and everyone dug in.  I can't think of a breakfast more divine than wedding cake and a cup of coffee the morning after a GREAT party!

The meal was not only magical because the menu painted a picture of who we are, but it also celebrated our family and friends.  Thinking back, I can taste the flavors, hear the music, smell the roses and smile at my most memorable meal.  I hope that all you new Brides out there have a similar experience with their wedding dinner and as the Wedding Designer for Taste, I am here to help create YOUR most memorable meal.

Photographs by Tanja Lippert Photography

The Wedding is over…now what?

I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about “Life after a wedding”.  These past months have been so exciting, stressful and constantly filled with meetings, questions and events.  Now what? 

The answer is…enjoy the silence.  Enjoy having time with your husband, family and friends.  Enjoy looking through the pictures of the wedding and anticipating the videos to come.  Enjoy all of the memories of the wedding that your family and friends have been talking about. 

There are so many exciting elements to a wedding, but also some exciting elements when it is all over.  Why do you have to stop pampering yourself?  Why do you have to stop having some alone time?  You should continue to do all of this, even if you don’t have the “excuse” of a wedding to plan. 

My favorite part of this time, is getting to spend the time with my husband.  Getting to have actual conversations, that don’t have to do with linen color or invitation look.  We can talk about our life together and what we want as the next step.  This is very exciting.  So, enjoy “Life after a wedding”.  I am here to say it is nice…really nice!!!

Wedding One Month Countdown

As many of you readers know, I am getting married on June 27th.  It is now the one month countdown.  As a bride and professional wedding planner, I wanted to take this opportunity to blog about the important things to remember during this time and top priorities to keep in mind. 

1. Confirm and re-confirm all vendors.  Even though you may think you have gone through all of the key points, there are always more.  Don’t hesitate to call or, better yet, email them with the details just one more time.  Something could have changed on your end or theirs.
2. Begin delegating small tasks to friends, family and fiancé.  Trust me, you can’t do it all.  No matter how much you want to, you can’t take it all on.  Have your brother be in charge of directional signage, your friend help put together the favors and your fiancé deal with the groomsmen responsibilities.  You will thank yourself for letting go…just a little. 
3. Pamper yourself.  You can really break yourself down during this time, being no good to yourself or others.  Remember to take one day at a time…one issue at a time.  Go to the spa, go to lunch with a friend, get an extra mani/ pedi, whatever you need to do to relax, do it now.  It’s the most important time.  

Always remember, that it will all work out.  All of the issues that have probably already come up and the many that still will, will be fine.  The day will come and go and you will be left with many wonderful memories with family and friends.  Enjoy and take care!

A Wedding Planners Wedding

 My name is Christina Cerri and I am a Wedding Designer at Taste Catering.  I, as many women, have loved weddings since the day I was born.  I was always looking at magazines,

staring in bridal store windows, looking at diamonds and looking over my shoulder for Mr. Right.  I have always felt that a woman’s wedding day is the best day of her life.  I have always wanted to know the story behind the wedding…the way they met, how he proposed, how many wedding dresses did she try on and much, much more.  I knew I had found my niche when I was offered the Wedding Designer position here at Taste.  “I really get to talk about all of these things with brides as my job.  How exciting!” 

Well, my life has just become even more exciting.  I, now, am a "Bride To Be".  I became engaged in September and plan for a June Wedding. 

The reason I share this with you is to hopefully give you an understanding from both a professional standpoint and a personal one.  I have worked with many brides and let me say that no one understands the stress, the analyzing, the questions, the moody moments, until you are a bride yourself.  Through this blog, I want to share with you both professionally and personally.  I want to share my stories and my advice with you.  In each post I will have a different topic to discuss.  I hope you find these entries both helpful and fun.  Next post is... “Have the wedding YOU want to have”.  Till next time! 

Northern California, Does it Get Any Better?

I was recently at the Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito where I took a cooking class from Judy Witts Francini. She was visiting from her wonderful Florence cooking school, Divina Cucina. Judy is an ex-pat who visited Italy in 1984 and never came back. She now lives in a small town right outside of Florence with her husband. Being 100% Italian myself, it was wonderful listening to her stories about how the Italians value food, wine, and family. I couldn’t help but compare the Italian passion for food to that of San Franciscans.

I truly believe that we are the luckiest people in the world to be surrounded with such good food and wine! I have noticed that many of the brides I work with also have a passion for great food and wine. They are interested in food which is organic and sustainably produced. They are excited about using fresh ingredients supplied by local farmers who they can then incorporate into the biggest day of their lives. Ultimately they want their guests to enjoy and be spoiled by our wonderful “Northern California Cuisine”. Learning about the relationships we nurture with local farmers heightens the pleasure they take in planning their fabulous day.

Growing up in a farming family, I understand the hard work and many seemingly uncontrollable factors that go into growing healthy, delicious food. It has been so wonderful to talk to my brides and hear them get so excited in their support of our local farmers. For me there is nothing more fun than helping brides design wedding menus that incorporate the glorious local and seasonal foods that are a part of what is available to us in Northern California. What a really exciting time to live in this area. I really can’t think of a better place to be for food than in San Francisco (unless maybe in a small town right outside Florence)!!!