Saying Goodbye to Family: Sausalito Jazz & Blues by the Bay

Parties That Cook believes that the magic of food can and does create connections; it creates family.Not every company is as tightly knit as Parties That Cook. When you join our team, you join our family. Each member is unquestionably valuable, and the Founder & CEO, Bibby Gignilliat, has crafted a really unique culture of support.

So when Chef Jen informed us of her need to move across the country, we were a little heartbroken to say goodbye. To cope with the on-setting depression, we decided to close the office early and head out to Sausalito for their Friday night jazz concert.How better to say goodbye than with a casual company picnic on a sunny afternoon near the water?!

Walking up to the group, this intern was introduced to a number of family members she previously knew only by name. We all settled down on our blankets and devoured Bibbys delicious curried tuna inminipita pockets. (Picnic finger food in true PTC fashion.) Perfectly savory with a slight sweetness, I couldnt get enough of these. But let me tell you, the raspberry bars were even more incredible. The mild tartness of the raspberries and the sweet, crumbly almond crust come togetherto just melt in your mouth. I didnt even realize they were a PTC recipe, but Im still dreaming about these bars.

The big band jazz later serenaded us as we caught up on everyones plans. Laughter rose and a few of our crew stood up and danced. Music creates family in a similar way to food, and I think this was the perfect way to spend a Friday night. Dusk began to fall and the temperature began to drop as I watched everyone in our party embrace Jen and tell her how much her energy, skills, and laughter would be missed. If that isnt family, I dont know what is.

Goodbye Jen! Best of luck on all your ventures and we hope you stay in touch!

Saying Goodbye to Family: Sausalito Jazz & Blues by the Bay

Parties That Cook believes that the magic of food can and does create connections; it creates family.Not every company is as tightly knit as Parties That Cook. When you join our team, you join our family. Each member is unquestionably valuable, and the Founder & CEO, Bibby Gignilliat, has crafted a really unique culture of support.

So when Chef Jen informed us of her need to move across the country, we were a little heartbroken to say goodbye. To cope with the on-setting depression, we decided to close the office early and head out to Sausalito for their Friday night jazz concert.How better to say goodbye than with a casual company picnic on a sunny afternoon near the water?!

Walking up to the group, this intern was introduced to a number of family members she previously knew only by name. We all settled down on our blankets and devoured Bibbys delicious curried tuna inminipita pockets. (Picnic finger food in true PTC fashion.) Perfectly savory with a slight sweetness, I couldnt get enough of these. But let me tell you, the raspberry bars were even more incredible. The mild tartness of the raspberries and the sweet, crumbly almond crust come togetherto just melt in your mouth. I didnt even realize they were a PTC recipe, but Im still dreaming about these bars.

The big band jazz later serenaded us as we caught up on everyones plans. Laughter rose and a few of our crew stood up and danced. Music creates family in a similar way to food, and I think this was the perfect way to spend a Friday night. Dusk began to fall and the temperature began to drop as I watched everyone in our party embrace Jen and tell her how much her energy, skills, and laughter would be missed. If that isnt family, I dont know what is.

Goodbye Jen! Best of luck on all your ventures and we hope you stay in touch!

Stay Classy with our Chefs Table Corporate Dining Experience

Marketing Intern Erin checking in, here. Im really looking forward to this Friday, when Ill get to work my firstChefs Table event. Though this is mainly an opportunity for me to experience another event type first-hand, Im intrigued as to how our more formal gatherings work.

First of all, its important to note that Chefs Table isnt solelya corporateteam buildingevent. Rather, we encourage groups ofcoworkers, clients, family and friends toutilize this event to strengthen bonds.Parties That Cookevents are rather ingenious because they cover such a wide variety of corporate andprivateevent needs.

AtParties That Cook, were about buildingcommunity, providing excellentservice, and initiatingfun interaction. How will this translate in a more formal setting, you say?Lets see how we differentiate Chefs Table from Sumptuous Small Plates while maintaining Parties That Cookscore values!

Upon arrival, attendees grab a name tag and mingle for a bit. Once the guests have settled in with a glass of wine and a bite from our antipasti platters, the lead chef begins a lively cooking demonstration. This is no boring lecture in a room of fidgeting people. Guests are immersed in culinary tips and tricks, and even invited to drop some knowledge on the group, themselves. Bet you didnt expect Bob from accounting to know how to the difference between a bulb and clove of garlic!Now that everyones all warmed up, the chef divides the group into teams to prepare different recipes from the themed, four-courseChefs Table menu.

Each delicious seasonalmenu distinctly features a particular region of the world, and the exotic flavors that can be found there. Current menus feature recipes reminiscent of Italy, Mexico, and Southeast Asia.I, for one, think its impressive to know how to make authentic tortillas rather than grabbing some off supermarket shelves.And after sitting in on yesterdays staff meeting, I know Chef Tanya is already working on next seasons menus. Dont mind me as I drool in anticipation.

Back to the event: As everyone cooks, chefs are right there with them to provide all the guidance teams might need. And Im not talking about taking-over-the-kitchen help; think more along the lines of providing insider chopping techniques or geniusfix-my-blunder hacks. The experience isYOURS, and our chefs are there to ensure that its a great one. How often do you get to interact with a professional chef, anyway?! Too cool.

Now that the meal has been prepared, its time for my favorite part: Eating. No passing platters for you all guests are invited to sit down and relax while PTC staff takes care of the rest. Our team buzzes around each table, filling glasses and serving the dishes of each course. Enjoy your masterpiece, reflect on the culinary journey that got you here, and bond with your fellow diners. Seems to me like you can have bake your cake, and eat it too!

A Summer Celebration Recipe: Watermelon Gazpacho with Shrimp Ceviche

Courtesy of Vicki Nunn

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, one of my favorite holidays. Some of my favorite Independence Day memories include watching the glittering displays of fireworks against the night sky while lying in a giggling dog-pile with all the neighborhood kids, spending the day strategically eating as much as possible at our giant annual picnic, and of course, munching on crisp watermelon as the juice leaves sticky sweet trails down my arms.
Actually, watermelon is probably one of my all-time favorite components of the 4th of July and summer in general. Watermelon selection is an event in itself. Our run to the grocery store demands a good ten minutes of searching for the biggest and sweetest smelling melon. Then, its back home to slice it into wedges that disappear as fast as theyre cut.

I love how versatile watermelon is, and hearing so much about watermelon flavored drinks lately makes me want to experiment myself. In particular, I hope to try this recipe forLouisa Shafias Watermelon, Mint, and Cider Vinegar Tonicbecause it sounds as crisp and delicious as the fruit itself. If you give it a go at your Fourth of July celebration, please let me know how it went!

Another intriguing watermelon recipe, I found in theParties That Cook recipearchives.One of my summer favorite recipes is gazpacho, a cold Spanish soup that is typically tomato based. This recipe for Watermelon Gazpacho with Shrimp Cevichedefinitely sparked my interest! Im so excited to try it myself, so I thought Id share the recipe with you.

We all have our favorite Independence Day memories and traditions. What are yours? Let us know in the comments!

Ingredients
Gazpacho:
1 large red bell pepper
1 ear corn
3 cups seedlesswatermelon
2 1/2 pounds ripe red heirloom tomatoes
1 pound English cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 chipotle in adobo, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons chipotle adobo sauce
2 scallions, white and green parts only
1 garlic clove
3 Tablespoons lime juice
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt

Shrimp Ceviche:
1/2 lb. baby shrimp (70 count), cleaned and deveined
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro leaves

Methods/Steps
Roast Peppers and Corn:Roast red bell peppers over an open flame until blackened. Put into a paper bag for 5 minutes then peel off charred skin and remove seeds and stem. Roast corn over a flame, turning frequently, until the corn is charred.

Chop and Puree:Roughly chopwatermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, roasted red peppers and jalapeno. Cut corn off cob. Combine. Add chipotle and adobo, scallions, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil and salt. In a food processor or blender, puree the mixture until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher.

Shrimp:Combine shrimp, lime juice, salt and cilantro and allow to sit for 3 hours. Drain off juice.

Additional Tips
To Serve:In center of individual serving bowls place small mound of shrimp ceviche. At the table, pourwatermelongazpacho into the bowls around the shrimp.

Serves/Makes
Serves 10

Happy Fourth of July!

Marketing Intern Turned Guest Participates at Corporate Cooking Competition

Part of my internship this summer involves experiencing the many different kinds of team building activitieswe provide. Last weeks adventure was a Sumptuous Small Plates Challenges, our classic cocktail-style event with a competitive twist. Parties That Cook really knows how to stage successful and entertaining corporate events, so I was excited for this particular event. Taking on the role of a guest, I was assigned to help with the Boston Cream Trifle with Strawberries. YUM.

When the guests strolled in, we promptly started pouring wine, sodas, and large glasses of water. It was a sweltering day, and these guest chefs needed to stay hydrated. We were at the Montclair Womens Clubnear Stanford, and since we had over fifty guests,I really appreciated the shear amount of space!

Fifty people produce a lot of body heat, so we threw open the doors and windows and settled down to listen to Chef Heather present the preliminary demonstration and safety tips. She was full of witty one-liners like Hot behind! or Hot item coming through! These are two of our signature signals for moving hot objects. (In case you missed it: The first is a compliment, and the second compliments yourself.) Our guests found the demo very amusing and was visibly excited to get to work.

As my dessert team assembled around our cooking station, we surveyed the recipe. There were three parts to cover: cake, ganache, and custard. This wasnt going to be easy, but having tasted other PTC recipes, I knew itd be well worth the effort. We divided ourselves into three mini teams before heading off for the all-important hand washing.

Back at the station, a few of the guys began cracking the 24 eggs going into the cake, and it became apparent that a few people on my team had never baked before. Not a problem! Between the four of them, they figured out how to separate the yolks from the whites, all the while jokingly rating each other and rearranging their assembly line for efficiency. This was teamwork at its finest: Figure out what each persons strength is, and use it to get the best results. Seeing that they had everything under control, I turned my attention to the custard.

Now, I love making pie. Last summer was essentially the Summer of Pie in my house. My parents gracefully put up with an endless troupe of teenagers coming through to eat the 3-4 pies Id baked that week.Remembering that even I had quite a bit of difficulty with my first couple of attempts at custard, I was prepared for this group to run into the same issue: namely, getting the custard to thicken properly.

With measured ingredients in hand, we began to heat the cream and sugar as other teammates separated yolks from whites. We tempered the eggs, adding a bit of the cream before stirring it all back into the the cream mixture. This was all very new for my team, and I was excited to be part of it.

Of course, the ovens were being hogged by another group, so I ran off to the kitchen for some space and temperaturenegotiating. After a few minutes, we realized wed forgotten to add the cornstarch. For those of you that dont know, cornstarch is a thickening agent. We consulted Heather, and she said the eggs had done all the thickening on their own. First time, and this group was already having more success than I had!Hooray!!!

Aside from the cake baking s-l-o-w-l-y, everything went off without a hitch. We began assembling our dish in itty-bitty dessert cups withtiny tasting spoons youd find at ice creameries. The presentation was cute, but we were rushing to get our dish onto the judging table before the clock ran out! Though we submitted our main platter to the judges in the nick of time, we were still assembling as teams began sampling the other dishes. The pressure was on!

And thats when something really amazing happened. Folks from other teams came over and joined our assembly line until every last cup had been filled. This group of amazing people wouldnt let anyone in their company fall behind.

I enjoy serving at Parties That Cook events, but I really loved being a participant. It was fun and exciting to watch people who had never baked, used an oven, cracked an egg, etc. be so willing to immerse themselves in the process. We laughed, worked together to fix mistakes, and even had a fun slam dunking egg shells into the trash. Cooking brings out a special joy, and this girl enjoyed every second of it.

Silicon Valley Beer Week Celebrates Changing Tastes

Silicon Valley Beer Week is already underway! Having started on Sunday, July 28th, this festival highlights the best craft beers in the region. Delicious brews and bites can be found through Saturday, August 3rd. Cant you already hear the contented sighs? Actually, craft beer is becoming quite the trend. In recent years, beer sales have been dropping as craft beer and hard cider sales are steadily growing. This consumer trend suggests that the market of drinkers are willing to pay a little more for their booze if it has better flavor and quality. The New Yorker published an article and their interactive craft beer map last month about the amazing boom in the craft beer industry that is country-wide. Although California, and particularly Northern California boasts the number one spot for craft beer production, other regions are beginning to jump on board this trend.

What does this mean for the beer drinkers out there? Time Magazine claims that the dramatic increase in craft brewers is stimulating variety and competition. This means, better beer. The brews that make it have to be good because the consumer is too knowledgeable to accept anything mediocre. Instead, the new brewers have to explore new tastes and varieties, and we get to be the lucky tasters!

So what about those that dont like beer, craft or otherwise? What I find particularly interesting is that the growth in craft beer sales is lumped together with cider sales. As if they were the same thing. Ha. Even though craft beer is growing rapidly, it seems like cider may be the next big drink in the USA.In 2005, CC Mangers cider made its big debut in European markets and began the movement towards a larger demand for more premium alcohol like craft beer and even ciders. Reuterssuggests that the tiny cider industry may soon be a contender even for the wine industry. World-wide! Although rather small at the moment, the cider industry is having a profound effect with its various flavors that range from dry to sweet, clean to peaty. Such a range makes it a great substitute for wine when you are out at a bar with a bunch of beer drinkers. Plus, depending on what you like, there is a cider for you.

Having spent the last six months in the British Isles, I can safely say that cider is easily obtainable there and it is easily a drink of choice. Almost every pub I went into had at least two varieties of cider on tap. Personally, I prefer the Irish Bulmers or Swedish Rekorderlig varieties. The crisp dry flavor of a Bulmers Original does not hint at the idea of grown-up apple juice. This is a drink for an adult despite its popularity among a younger crowd. It is much harder to find these brands here, however, the USA has a number of cider brewers that are carving out their own place in the cider market. Food and Wine highlights a number of the top cider crafters right here in the states including Argus Cidery in Texas. This particular cidery specializes in sparkling hard ciders similar to sparkling wine.

Also exciting to note is the emergence of cider bars. If you happen to be in Seattle this weekend, you might want to check out Capitol Cider, the newest cider bar. One of the highlights of this bar is that it is completely gluten free! As cider frequently contains no gluten, it is a great alternative to beer for those with a gluten intolerance. What do you think, are craft beer and cider just fads? Or are they here to stay? In the meantime, if craft beer is not your thing, why not go out and try a cider this weekend? Otherwise, bring on Silicon Valley Beer Week!

Avocado: More Than Just Guacamole. Parties That Cooks Chalupa Recipe

The produce in California is incredible. Between the stone fruit at farmers markets and the stands of vegetables outside almost every neighborhood market, Im in produce heaven. The smells and colors tease me with all their possibilities; especially when it comes to avocados. I love the creamy texture of avocados so much, that anything, and I mean anything, with avocado vanishes when Im around. Its a no-brainer for me to incorporate this fruit into as many dishes as I can. Ive even turned to replacing dressingin salads (a new idea from Erica, our warehouse manager!) and mayo or pesto insandwiches. Its just that good.

Of course, theseChalupas with Smashed Avocadoare coming highly recommended. As a Parties That Cookfavorite, weve made them at many Sumptuous Small Platescorporateevents. The perfect appetizer, each little chalupa packs quite the flavor punch while offering a medley of textures. From spicy chorizo to pucker-inducing lime;from firm yet flaky crust to smooth avocado and sour cream. Are you drooling yet? I sure hope Im not the only one. Its been difficult sitting here, and not rushing into the kitchen to whip up a batch!

Chalupas with Smashed Avocado, Chorizo, and Lime Sour Cream

Similar recipes can be found in our Appetizer Recipe Library!

Ingredients
Crust:
Vegetable spray, for greasing pans
1 cup masa harina
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
6 Tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
6 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon warm water
Mini Muffin Tins

Filling:
6 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, casing removed
1 large shallot, finely diced
4 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 large red jalapeno, minced
2 large avocados, halved and pitted
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Lime Sour Cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 red jalapeno, minced
48 cilantro leaves

Methods/Steps
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Prepare Pans:Using the vegetable spray, lightly grease the insides of 2 24-cup mini muffin pans to make 48.

Make Crust:Combine the masa, flour, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture to combine. Add the butter and shortening and pulse again just until the mixture forms a coarse meal. Add warm water and process until moist clumps form, adding more water by the tablespoon if the mixture is dry. Transfer the dough to a flour-dusted work surface and divide it into quarters. Roll each quarter into a rope and cut the ropes into 12 pieces to yield 48 1/2-inch pieces (the size of a marble). Using your fingers, press each piece into a muffin cup, keeping the top edge of the dough inside the cup. Continue until all the cups are full. Use any extra dough to fill holes.

Bake Crust:Bake the cups until dry to the touch, and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove them from the muffin tins and cool the cups on racks.

Cook Chorizo:Heat a medium saut pan over medium heat. Add the chorizo, crumble with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Chop into bits if necessary.

Make Filling:Finely dice the shallot, cilantro and red jalapeno. Place into a medium bowl.

Make Filling Continued:Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Use a large spoon to scoop out the avocado flesh. Add the avocado to the bowl and gently mash with a fork. Stir the mixture well and add in the lime juice and salt. Taste and re-season with salt and lime juice if needed.

Prepare Garnishes:Mix the sour cream, lime juice and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Finely mince the jalapeno and pick cilantro leaves.

Assemble Chalupas:Spoon some of the avocado mixture into each of the cooled cups and top with a small dollop of sour cream then pieces of chorizo. Top with a sprig of cilantro and remaining jalapeno. Serve right away.

Serves/Makes:
Makes 48 Chalupas