Parties That Cook Introduces a New Corporate Event Format: Taste & Technique

Its been an exciting few weeks atParties That Cook,and the San Francisco office has been humming with activity. Ever since our super successfulcustomer appreciation events in San Francisco and Chicago, weve been on a mission to create something similar and spectacular! Now, were happy to introduce a BRAND NEW corporate event format called Taste and Technique! This event is unique in that its geared towards large groups and allows each individual guest to mold their own event experience. You may be asking how such independence is even possible for a corporate cooking party. Well, let us break it down for you.

It all begins with our lovely event managers and you! As the event host, you decide which food stations and recipes you want to work with. This means that rather than sticking with a particular themed menu, you can be as culturally diverse or technique driven as you want to be!

Each cooking station will be prepped with all the necessary ingredients and manned by professional chef! No, our chefs wont do all the work, of course, but theyll be able to help your group create culinary masterpieces.In addition to cooking stations, youll also have your choice of our interactiveexplorationstations. Activities like food trivia, spice blending, or skills tests offer a break from the hands-on cooking. Oh yea, and if you want something a little more out-of-the-box like wine tasting (not boxed wine) or latte art, well make it happen. Once the details have been determined, we take care of the rest!

Jump to the big day: your team is excited and ready to go. For the next 2.5 hours, the only thing you have to worry about is having fun. Upon arrival, we hand everyone a passportfor collecting stamps at all the stations. Fun Fact:Those who collect a stamp from every station are eligible to enter to win a raffle prize!

Each guest designs their own route through the cooking and exploration stations at their own pace. Participants are invited to taste the dish prepared at each cooking station before moving on to the next one. (Passersby are encouraged to snag a bite, too!) Tastes are constantly being created by new groups, so there is plenty of food to enjoy. As the cooking draws to a close, guests are free to relax, chat with co-workers, and enjoy the remaining appetizers being passed, reception-style.

Sound like fun? Contact us and start planning your event today! Taste & Technique is perfect for large groups, networkers, early adopters, and groups looking to blaze their own trails!

Parties That Cook Runs with the Best: Nike Corporate Kitchen Challenge

Its been a while since we heard from our Portland team, so lets check in with them, shall we? Theres been a flurry of exciting activity up there, but luckily Carolyn was able to give us the scoop on a recent Kitchen Challenge! As you may recall from the blog a couple weeks ago, the Parties That Cook Kitchen Challenge is a distinctive mix of The Apprentice and Iron Chef. Fast-paced and competitive, the event never fails to get the creative juices flowing while bringing out the fun inner chefs of our guests. Our latest international corporate group from Nike was no exception!

In Portland, theres no better place to host a Kitchen Challenge than at one of our favorite venues, Jeld-Wen Field, home of the MLS Portland Timbers Soccer Team. You cant escape the competitive spirit!Before revealing the secret protein, starch and vegetable, Portland Lead ChefLaura began this cooking competition by presenting entertaining cooking tips and tricks. Teams would be working with flank steak, orzo pasta, and green beans. Preparation, techniques, and additional ingredients would be up to the team members. As usual, the only recipe we provided was for dessert: Boston Cream Pie Trifle with Strawberries. Yum! As Laura counted down to the start of the timed hour of cooking, anticipation built, and then the hustle and bustle began!

Both teams came up with dishes that represented its members one team had an Asian influence from four of their teammates, and the other team added an Italian flair to their orzo pasta by making it orzo risotto. All the food was very creative and delicious!

Ruby, our Nike host, graciously told Laura that the Kitchen Challenge was fun and engaging because it offered both structure and the opportunity to think creatively and play. High compliments indeed! Seeing as the food was delicious and the guests had a marvelous time, Id say our PDX team scored a perfect 10 on providing the framework for another great event. Good job team!

Parties That Cooks Intern Turned Guest 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.

Parties That Cooks Perfect Pretzel Bites and Tangy Honey Mustard Beer Sauce

Even just thinking of buttery, perfectly flaky croissants, my mouth waters. A great croissant dissolves on your tongue, not unlike cotton candy (but maybe not quitelikeit, either). In my book, however, thefirm exterior, soft interior, and potentially crunchy accents of salted pretzelstrump croissants.Theyre the ultimate walking-the-street, exploring-the-city, hiking-up-that-really-big-hill food.

While browsing through my arsenal of San Francisco foodie websites, hopingto beat the Monday blues,I came across an innovative food idea: The Pretzel Croissant. Let me just say, YUM. This must be the perfect breakfast sandwich bread why has it taken so long for someone to get it right?!Yes, they exist in New York, but rumor has it that Bill Corbett has created a masterpiece. Check them out for yourself atArlequinin San Francisco.

Ahem, back to pretzels.Pretzels are even better when slathered in a sweet mustard sauce. And no pretzel experience is complete without slightly sweet, very tangy,and even mildly spicy flavors. Delicious!My German friends always had a particularly soft spot for pretzels when the beer came out. Putting beer IN the mustard sauce? Genius. PTC Executive Chef, Tanya, knew what she was doing when she came up with this recipe for pretzel bites with honey mustard and beer dipping sauce. Its the perfect party food!

Pretzel Bites with Spicy House Made Honey Mustard and Beer Dipping Sauce
Similar recipes can be found in our Appetizer Recipe Library.

Ingredients
Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup ground mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup dark beer
3 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt

SoftPretzelPoppers:
Butter to grease sheet pans
1/2 cup baking soda
2 quarts cold water
2 Tablespoons warm water plus 1 1/3 cups
1 envelope active dry yeast (have extra on hand in case yeast dies)
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 cups AP flour plus more for bench flour
Kosher orpretzelsalt

Methods/Steps
Preheat oven to 475F.

Bloom Mustard:In a small saucepan, combine mustard and vinegar; let stand for at least 30 minutes up to an hour.

Make Sauce:To the mustard mixture, whisk in the sugar, egg yolks and beer until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture just begins to simmer and is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; whisk in the honey and salt. Let cool slightly and transfer sauce into a serving dish.

Prepare Pans:Lightly butter 2 or more sheet pans. Set aside. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water and baking soda to a boil over high heat.

Dissolve Yeast:In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons warm water with the yeast to dissolve it. Then stir in the remaining 1 1/3 cups warm water and brown sugar.

Mix Dough:Place the flour into a bowl of a large food processor. Pulse the flour to gently mix. Turn food processor on and gradually start pouring the yeast mixture into the flour. Continue mixing until it forms a ball. Turn it out onto a work surface and knead the dough to make it smooth. Use enough flour on your work surface so the dough is not sticky.

FormPretzelBites:Cut dough up into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into 1/2-inch thick ropes. Cut the ropes into 1 inch pieces (about 10-12 pieces per rope). Working in batches, drop the pieces into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Using a spider, remove the poppers and place them onto the buttered sheet pans. Sprinkle with kosher orpretzelsalt while still damp.

BakePretzelBites:Place sheet pans into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve:Placepretzelpoppers onto a serving plate with the mustard sauce.

Serves/Makes
Serves 24

Unwrap Parties That Cooks Recipe of the Month: Tamales filled with Black Beans and Jack Cheese

Tamales, Tamales, Tamales! This July, Parties That Cook is featuring delectable and deliciousTamales filled with Black Beans and Jack Cheese as our recipe of the month! Not only is this one of our favorite summer recipes, but these surprisingly mild bites can be found on menus at our San Francisco Cooking classes.

Honestly, the first time I saw a tamale, I thought I was supposed to eat the corn husk as well. Regrettably, this misconception kept me from the ranks of tamale lovers for a few years. Fast-forward to the present, where I know NOT to eat the husk, and I cant get enough of these delicious masa creations.

Seriously, its like opening a little present every time you unwrap one. Who knows what is inside that corn husk?! It could be piquant pork, savory chicken, or a tasty vegetarian variety. All are scrumptious. If they come with a thick red or green chile sauce (Im not picky), even better! Though it does take some time to make this party fiesta food, the tasty results are worth every minute! If you have some time to create an exceptional dish, try your hand at this delicious tamale recipe and let us know how it worked for you!

Tamales filled with Black Beans and Jack Cheese
Similar recipes can be found in our Appetizer Recipe Library.

Ingredients
Husks:
2 ounces corn husk (about 24)

Masa:
3 cups dried masa harina, mixed with 2 cups hot water
10 ounces solid vegetable shortening
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups vegetable stock

Filling:
4 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 cups black bean, cooked and drained
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

Methods/Steps
Prepare Husks:Place husks into a bowl of very hot water and let soak for at least 20 minutes, or until the husk become somewhat translucent. Separate leaves and place back into the water until tender and pliable. Rinse each husk and check to remove any corn silk. Stand husks upright in colander to drain before applying the masa.

Make Masa:Mix dry harina masa with hot water until it forms a thick paste (like a dough ball). Put shortening, salt and baking powder in a food processor and pulse until fluffy. Add 1/3 of the masa mixture and pulse to combine. Repeat with the next two thirds, in two separate batches. Scrape down the sides then process. Add the vegetable stock, in a slow stream.

Make Filling:Roast the chilies over an open flame until blackened. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic to let steam for 3 minutes. Peel off the charred outer skin and remove the stem and seeds. Dice into small cubes. Combine beans and cumin, salt and pepper. Mash slightly. Grate the cheese.

Assemble Tamales:Spread each corn husk flat on a cutting board, with the pointed end away from you. With a small spoon, spread 1-2 Tablespoons of masa over the bottom 2/3 of the husk. Place 1 Tablespoon of the filling in the center and fold the sides over to cover the filling. Fold over the top half (pointed end) of the husk to seal. Use ribbon of the husk to tie up the tamale or just place the folded side down in a steamer. Repeat the process with remaining husks.

Steam Tamales:Steam tamales in steamer basket for 20 minutes, or until the masa easily pulls away from the husk.

Serve:Let cool for 5 minutes and arrange on a serving platter.

Serves/Makes
Makes 24 Tamales

Parties That Cook 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!

A Parties That Cook Summer Recipe: Goat Cheese Crostini Inspired by Local Goats

Courtesy of Scott Bauer

As summer begins, we welcome the long days of sunshine, beach weather, and gorgeous produce. I love the camaraderie of backyard gatherings and grilling adventures.Summer brings a lot of great things like smores, bonfires,and the permeating aromas of barbecue, but it also brings major threats like forest fires. Every summer for as long as I can remember, the evening news has reported on yet another fire burning out of control and destroying thousands of acres of trees. Granted, fires are actually good for our forests because they promote new growth. Fun fact: There are species of Pine that need the heat of a forest fire in order to release seeds for new trees. Still, I think we can all agree that a wild fire burning beyond control is terrifying. So when a few of the lovely ladies in the office started talking about a herd of goats being led across San Francisco to help prevent such fires, I was engulfed in curiosity.

These goats are the latest innovation in preserving endangered species in environmentally sensitive areas. City Grazing reports that these animals munch up all the weeds and maintain vegetation growth without threatening the environment. Furthermore, a little research quickly showed that these herds are often hired to eat dry debris on the forest floors and lower the destructiveness of a forest fire. Cheers to an environmentally friendly way of managing vegetation! As an official B Corp, this is music to our ears.

To celebrate, we thought this recipe for Goat Cheese Crostini would be the perfect light appetizer to any summergathering. The slightly tangygoat cheese pairs surprisingly well with the mildly sweet tomato jam, and the flavors of each compliment each other for a savory treat!