Category News & Events

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

Taste & Technique

It’s been an exciting few weeks at Parties That Cook, and the San Francisco office has been humming with activity. Ever since our super successful customer appreciation events in San Francisco and Chicago, we’ve been on a mission to create something similar — and spectacular! Now, we’re happy to introduce a BRAND NEW corporate event format called Taste and Technique! This event is unique in that it’s 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.

Taste & TechniqueIt 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!Taste & Technique

Each cooking station will be prepped with all the necessary ingredients and manned by professional chef! No, our chefs won’t do all the work, of course, but they’ll be able to help your group create culinary masterpieces. In addition to cooking stations, you’ll also have your choice of our interactive exploration stations. 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, we’ll make it happen. Once the details have been determined, we take care of the rest!

Taste & TechniqueJump 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 passport for 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.

Taste & TechniqueSound 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

Nike fun!It’s been a while since we heard from our Portland team, so let’s check in with them, shall we? There’s 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, there’s 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 can’t escape the competitive spirit! Before revealing the secret protein, starch and vegetable, Portland Lead Chef Laura 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!

Nike Kitchen Challenge Team 1Both 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!

Nike cooking competition team 2Ruby, 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, I’d say our PDX team scored a perfect 10 on providing the framework for another great event. Good job team!