Parties That Cooks Chicago Team Heats Up with a Kitchen Challenge

Its time for a recap from our much loved Chicago team! Were giving you the inside scoop onChannel Prime Alliances corporate team building event last month.Centered Chef, one of our favorite downtown Chicagovenues, created the perfect scene for this Kitchen Challenge. Tense beginnings quickly transitioned to a friendly, though competitive, atmosphere. As usual, the group quickly warmed up as they signed their name tags with goofy, made-up names, and helped themselves to appetizers and drinks at the open bar. A great sign of things to come!

To get things started, the Lead Chef went over some basic cooking techniques and terminology. The group listened intently and mentally prepared for battle the meal they were about to cook. It was clear this group had a sense of humor their favorite part of the demo was the protocol of yelling, Hot behind! when traveling with a hot object or opening the oven. And the jokes were just getting started!

Our guests were then split into teams, and the brainstorming and meal-planning began. Channel Primes event host, Abbie,later reported, The appetizers were very tasty and the pantry was well stocked. I liked how the more difficult portion of the dessert recipe was already done, so we were set up for success!

What they cooked:
Chicken Breast
Orzo Pasta
Asparagus
Mexican Chocolate Souffl

Professional level plating!

Using the ingredients available, teams went in wildly different directions for their main courses, making for an exciting and delicious competition! Abbie added, I loved how much all of our guests enjoyed it! The friendly competition went over great and everyone had an awesome time! This breaking of boundaries illustrates why our corporate cooking parties are so successful. Removal of comfort zones, mixed with a bit of food, is the quickest way to find new ways to work together.BIG thanks to Abbie and her group from Channel Prime Alliance. We really enjoyed working partying cooking with you, and thought your group was energetic and made an awesome team for the event! Every guest is a chef, after all.

Parties That Cooks Food Trend Alert: Beer Jelly and Jalapeo Marmalade

One of the greatest pleasures in life is relaxing with a hot cup of tea while munching on toast and jam. Growing up, my mother was always buying new jellies and marmalades to slather on our bread. Im pretty sure we never had less than four open jars in our kitchen at a time. Berry jellies were always my favorite particularly blueberry and Moms homemade raspberry jam. Still, Im up for trying just about any flavor. I spent this past spring semester studying in the UK, and while wandering the streets of Cardiff I came across a delightful grandfather jelly vendor who made a berry jelly with jalapenos. This find demanded a taste test, and I was not disappointed! I loved the initial sweetness and the subsequent heat of the jalapenos. I couldnt help but buy a jar, and to this day Im on the quest for unique jelly flavors.

When I recently came across Potlickers beer jelly in Scoutmob, I was pretty excited. Beer jelly is becoming quite the trend, particularly in cities with a booming beer industry. How have I not tried this yet?! While in San Francisco, Ill have to see if I can find a jar or eight to sample. In the meantime, a classic Parties That Cook appetizer recipe with Jalapeno Marmalade has piqued my interest, reminding me of my UK days. I can only imagine the kick that this marmalade adds to menus at our summercorporate cooking events!

Mini Arepas with Oaxaca Cheese and Jalapeno Marmalade

Ingredients
Arepas:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cup masa harina
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups Oaxaca cheese, grated, dividedhalf for dough and half for garnish
1/2 cup canola oil

JalapenoMarmalade:
6 largejalapenos, stems and seeds removed
2/3 cup white vinegar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar

Cilantro for garnish

Methods/Steps
Make Arepa Dough: Preheat oven to 300F. In a small sauce pan; melt the butter and the milk over moderately high heat. In a large bowl, mix the masa, sugar, salt, and half of the cheese together. Add the milk mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms. Cover and let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Form Arepas: Roll the dough into little balls about the size of a large marble. Lightly flatten the balls between your palms to about a 1/4-inch thick. The flattened dough should be about the size of a silver dollar. Transfer the rounds to a sheet pan.

Fry Arepas: In a large saut pan, heat canola oil until hot. Working in batches, add arepas to the pan (do not overcrowd pan) and cook over moderate heat until golden on the outside but moist within, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked arepas onto a cooling rack placed over a sheet pan. Place in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat with the remaining dough.

MakeMarmalade: In a food processor, pureejalapenos, vinegar, and salt until smooth. In a small saucepan, heatjalapenomixture on high heat and add sugar. Bring to a boil and let boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow mixture to cool briefly and then transfer to a small bowl.

Assemble: Remove the arepas from the oven. Spoon a dollop ofmarmaladeinto each arepa. Top with a little grated cheese and a tiny sprig of cilantro.

Serves
Makes about 24 arepas

The Kitchen Challenge: A Mix Between Iron Chef and The Apprentice

Being a part of the Parties That Cook family means seeing and participating in the entire event process. Though I will primarily be working in the office this summer, I need to understand exactly what our fabulous chefs, sous chefs, servers, and dishwashers experience every day during our events.

On my second day at PTC, I was the server at a Kitchen Challenge corporate event. What is a Kitchen Challenge, you say? This high energy culinary battle walks the line between Iron Chef and The Apprentice. And let me tell you, if you havent yet been to a Parties That Cook event, get to one. STAT.

Lets break it down.

The Set Up: We loaded the van and headed off along the Coastal Highway (quite the treat for a girl from the middle of the country) to one of the most gorgeous spaces I have ever seen. Our venue was Cypress Meadows, a modern building with stunning views and superior facilities. The patio looks off into a sweeping view of flowers and provides an enticing glimpse of the ocean just beyond the meadow. If this isnt bliss, Im not sure what could possibly measure up. It was soon time to stop smelling the roses, however, as we had a job to do. In the efficient manner of a well-oiled machine, we unloaded and set up for the incoming corporate group with no mishaps beyond a few missing napkins. Even the mystery of the misplaced napkins was quickly resolved by a hasty call to headquarters. Crisis averted. Then the real fun began.

As our guests trickled in, it was obvious who was friends with whom and who didnt know the others as well. Clearly, this was a group that would benefit from being forced out of their comfort zones and into some team building activities. After everyone aproned up, they listened to Heather (our Lead Chef) go over the basics. No throwing knives (this isnt a Ninja exercise), watch out for hot objects, these are the rules Ready Set Go!

The Game: Teams are given sixty minutes to create a delicious meal that includes a specific protein, starch, and a vegetable. (Not to worry, there was a dessert, too. But unlike the other courses, we provide a recipe for the sweet finale.) The real challenge is that teams must work together, utilizing skills, ideas, and ingredients from the pantry to concoct something award-worthy. Final dishes are judged on creativity, taste, and the teamwork observed during the cooking process. With secret ingredients of chicken, green beans, and quinoa, I watched teams play on their favorite tastes and skills to come up with an appetizing menu.

I spent my time floating between stations, mingling, playing my hand at paparazzi, and helping keep the surfaces clear. What impressed me most was how even the shyest members of the group were soon smiling and laughing over mistakes while simultaneously trying to figure out solutions. The rice is boiling over?! You turn down the heat while I remove the pot until the water simmers down a bit. You love bacon?!? Ok, if you cook it up, well figure out a way to work it into the dish as garnish! These are only some of the ways I watched these teams bond and listen to each other.

Both teams made our delectableForbidden Rice Pudding with Mango and Toasted Sesame Praline for dessert. Guests did a spectacular job making sure the Praline was thin and gloriously crispy while the rice puddings deep purple colors and muted sweetness complimented the tart, yellow mango. Team 1 came up with an impressive meal: Quinoa with chopped vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, onions, green beans), which reminded me of fried rice, and grilled chicken with a flavorful rub. Team 2 was not to be outdone: Quinoa with nuts and green onions, chicken cooked in wine with mushrooms and onions, and steamed carrots and green beans.

The Finale: As the two teams sat down to enjoy their meal together, PTC chefs judged the submissions. Guests swelled with pride upon first bite, and there was no shortage of playful teasing. This is exactly what Parties That Cook is all about. So much of positive interaction occurs in and around the kitchen, and by helping companies connect into that space we help them draw out the best of their employees. It was amazing to see PTC in action, and I cannot wait to experience more events!

Parties That Cook Welcomes Summer Intern: Meet our Newest Marketer

This week, the Parties That Cook team is excited to welcome a new Marketing Intern! As with any PTC intern, were showing her the ropes and teaching her what it really means to be a corporate events company. Its only day 2 of her 3-month stint with us, and weve already shipped her out to see our San Francisco team in action. As we tell most folks who are unfamiliar with our hands-on cooking parties, the best way to fully grasp what we do is to experience it, first-hand. Ill let her introduce herself take it away, Erin!

Hey all, I cannot even begin to express how thrilled I am to be working with Parties That Cook for the summer! This is a company that, after only one day, has proven to be even more amazing than it looked on paper err, online. There are many reasons to come to San Francisco, but first and foremost for me is to learn. I first heard about Parties That Cook through my college, Bibby Gignilliats alma mater. I first thought, How could one company manage to take everything I love about life (food and people) and spice it up by making a career out of it?! Luckily, they selected me for the internship, and now I get to spend the summer here.

I have been in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. What began as an excuse to eat cookie dough has morphed into a journal of recipe clippings, Iron Chef parties complete with judges and secret ingredients, and more recently, elaborate and elegant dinner parties with parents and friends. Basically, the kitchen is where the partys at.

Hailing from Denver, Colorado,Im already impressed with the San Francisco food scene. There are so many restaurants to experience and enjoy. And so much SUSHI! It actually reminds me of Boulder, CO. Walking down Pearl Street, you can satisfy just about any craving you can think of delicious and exciting! Still, my favorite eateries are the local hole-in-the-walls.

If you ever find yourself in the Denver area, I recommend checking out El Tejado,a local go-to for Mexican fare (IF you are in the know, that is). They might just make the best Carne Asada Ive ever tasted. Im drooling just thinking about it! And their Tomatillo Sauce YUM. One great thing about tomatillo sauce is that it goes with practically everything: scrambled eggs, tamales and especially quesadillas, a college girls best friend. In fact, whileI was browsing through the PTC recipe library, I came across this gem of a Quesadilla Recipe: Cheddar, Bacon and Leek Quesadillas with Tomatilla Sauce. If you need me, Ill be in the kitchen!

Parties That Cook Hosts Passport to Cook: A Customer Appreciation Event

When we set out to give a BIG thanks to our fabulous event hosts in San Francisco, we decided to try something different. Not only had many hosts already attended a Parties That Cook event, but we wanted a way to showcase a few of our great vendors as well. The brainstorming began, and several lengthy meetings later, a new event format was born! This event was sure to be a blast, and wewere all excited to see if how all the pieces would come together.

How it went down: On the big day, San Franciscos Ferry Building was buzzing with Parties That Cook chefs, servers, and office staff. Yes, it was all hands on deck for our Customer Appreciation Eventappropriatelydubbed Passport to Cook! Upon checking in, guests were each handed an apron and a passport. The goal was to get a sticker from each of 10 unique interactive stations set up throughout the venue. (BIG thanks to Abbey Party Rentals for their generous rental donations.)

Stations run by PTC staff included pasta making, knife skills, home-made ricotta, sushi-rolling, pizza-making, and hand-made tortillas. Passports were rounded out by stations from outside vendors. We had honey tasting by Marshall Farms Honey, wine tasting withDomenico Winery, more wine tasting by Brix26, and latte art withRitual Coffee Roasters. In addition to our passport participants,our good friends at Mumm Winery and Thomas Fogarty Winery were kind enough to donate wine.

Guests, vendors and staff were all encouraged to sample the delicacies at every station, though only guests were allowed to enter our raffle. Thats right if guests completed all 10 stations, they were then eligible to receive an awesome prize! I could tell everyone was vying for the prizes by the amount of bribes, hints, and pleas put forth as guests submitted their completed passports. A couple of lucky guests won an apron, wine, coffee, honey or a gift certificate.At the end of the event, one name was picked from the basket overflowing with entries, and one woman walked away with a brand new Le Creuset pot among other things!

After having such a great time throughout the event, you could tell the loss was more sweet than bitter for the other guests. They graciously applauded the winner, and many congratulated her on thecovetedwin. We allowed guests a bit more time for mingling and chatting with vendors. Even as the food disappeared, our coffee and wine vendors remained popular. It wasnt until the last guest left that we had our team powow and we reflected on just how successful this event was.

The next steps: We now have the fun task (no sarcasm here!) of turning this one-time celebration into a regular offering for our clients! We love how customizable the stations were, and how free-flowing the format was. Keep an eye out for more information on our newest event type!

Parties That Cooks Chicago Team Bonds in the Kitchen: Cookbook Club Recap

Today were bringing you a post from our favorite Chicagoans! Its been a while since weve checked in on PTCs Chicago team (and made sure theyre behaving in the Windy City). As it turns out, theyve been busy bonding in the kitchen and hosing awesome corporate events and private cooking parties, of course.Chicago Manager, Brandy, was kind enough to whip up this blog post recapping the latest Cookbook Club meeting. LateBlog

For our first Cookbook Club of the year, we met at Chef Heidis house. The featured cookbook was Vietnamese Home Cooking, a delightful book of recipes by Charles Phan of the great San Francisco restaurant: The Slanted Door.

When the wine glasses were filled, my fellow chefs nibbled on some cheese and we each pulled out containers of prepped recipes to finish on location. Unfortunately for me, I was on day 8 of a 10 day detox. I was left to nibble on plantain chips and drink sparkling water as the cooking aromas filled the house.

First up: the first course. I prepared the Green Papaya Salad with Rau Ram, Peanuts and Crispy Shallots. I quicklyfound that this cookbook read like Julia Childs. Recipes like my papaya salad seem simple at first glance, yet it takes 6 pages of recipes to complete the dish!

Recipes for pickled carrots, flavored fish sauce and crispy shallots each had their own pages throughout the book. The group loved the dish for its beauty as well as its taste. One downside: the crispy shallots were supposed to be double-fried, but when put in the hot oil for round two, were instantly burned! They went straight in the garbage, but the salad was delicious nonetheless. Liz also made a Spicy Mango Salad with stir-fried mango, a variety of spices and a similar fish sauce, that was simple and delicious!

Heidi made a Crispy Whole Branzino for the entre. It was a spectacle to watch, especially flipping the fish in the hot oil which turned out to be a 2-man job. As the host, she gladly took the help and knife skills of David, who brunoised mango for the sauce. The finished dish was a beast, nearly overwhelming Heidi as she proudly displayed her (and Davids) final product.

Molly arrived withPork Steamed Buns and said they were easy. Then again, anything is easy for Molly. These beautiful little dumplings werefilled with slow cooked pork shoulder YUM. They looked perfect despite molly not having a photo to go by. When we finally found the photo in the book at dinner, we realized she had made them upside-down! **Please note that the editor of this blog is now drooling over her keyboard and does NOT care if the steamed buns were made upside-down or inside-out. Please send all defective buns to San Francisco. Thanks!**

Lemongrass Marinated Pork was prepared by David. Inlieuof chops, he made a filling and stuffed a loin. It was beautifully tied, seared and roasted. The sauce was similar to the marinade heavy on lemongrass, shallots, garlic and, of course, chilies.

Alissa made Chinese Doughnuts this is where my detox was really hard to stick to. The warm, sugared doughnuts hit the spot and calmed cravings for a sweet conclusion. The book called for rather large donuts, but Alissa cut them down to little do-nuggets (Get it?!). The perfect end to a fun night with friends, colleagues and Vietnamese home cooking!

If youd like to get cooking with our Chicago team, contact us! We can help you plan the best corporate event your companys ever seen! (Sound like big words? Its what clients are saying!) You can also see these chefs in action at one of our public cooking classes in Chicago!

Parties That Cook Inspires Corporate Teamwork with Family Style Dining

Early this month we brought you an event recap from a sunny Seattle corporate cooking party. Now, its on to Portland we go. Funny enough, our gal Carolyn experienced and wrote about both of these events thats what you get when youre the Northwest Manager! Take it away, Carolyn.

One of the reasons why I love working with Parties That Cook is the variety of culinary experiences we offer. I can trust that, as a chef, my experience at each event will be just as varied as that of our guests.

For the longest time, our Sumptuous Small Plates format was my favorite. Guests not only cook together, but also mix and mingle like at a cocktail party! And whodoesntlove a good cocktail party?? Another favorite of mine has been the intense Kitchen Challenge. This high energy eventbrings out the competitive edge in our guests, testing their creativity as they come up with their own recipes using our pantry of ingredients.

Recently, a new Family Style twist to our classic Chefs Table event has caused a shift in my list of favorites. The words Family Style evoke nostalgic memories of everyone gathered around the dinner table, enjoying each others company. The magic of cooking together continues at the dining table when the platters of food come around. You see one guest holding the platter while a neighbor serves both of their plates. Its a great display of sharing, teamwork, and complimenting colleagues on a job well done isntthat what team bonding is all about?

Up in Portland, a group from Intel recentlyexperienced the magic of our Chefs Table, Family Style. Intel host, Cari Williams, had told us that her group was going to be in back-to-back corporate meetings, and our cooking event was a natural team building extension. What better way to strengthen connections and unwind than at one of our cooking parties? We knew our Family Style format would be perfect for this group.

The group arrived at one of our favorite venues, In Good Taste, where we had all the cooking stations set up. We greeted guests with a beverage and bites from our antipasti platter. After a brief skills demonstration, the cooking began. Guests commented on how much fun it was, and seemed to really enjoy spending time together. Kari later commented, It was great team work. The event was successful because the PTC team did a fantastic job setting expectations ahead of time. Want to know what they cooked? Ready, Set, Drool!

First Course: Risotto-Style Pasta Primavera with Sweet Peas, Leeks and Mint
Main Course: Chicken Cooked Under a Brick with Artichokes, Capers, Shallots and Pecorino
Side: Sauteed Green Beans with Hazelnut Picada
Dessert: Goat Cheesecake with Glazed Seasonal Berries and Almond Crust

The food was exceptional and everyone was so proud of what they had created!We heard lots of Oohs and Aahhs, How beautiful, This smells so good!, Looks delicious!.

Guests also took home a brand-new PTC apron. According to Cari, Having the aprons was a hit. We took them back to our team meeting and signed them so each member has an apron with all of our signaturesmakes for a nice memento.A few guests wanted to continue honing their culinary skills at home, so our Small Plates Recipe Deck was the perfect take home for them. What nice souvenirs!

Big thanks to Cari and her Intel team! We loved cooking with you and are so glad you experienced the magic of our Chefs Table, Family Style. Hope to see you in the kitchen again soon!