Tag corporate team building events

Competitive Corporate Event Recap: Yahoo! at Jeld-Wen Field

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in News & Events Tagged with Competitive Corporate Event, corporate event ideas, corporate events portland, corporate team building events, event recap, Jeld-Wen Field event, team building activities, Yahoo corporate event April 12th, 2013 @ 2:42 pm

What do you get when you combine gorgeous weather, a world-class soccer stadium, and a PTC cooking competition? One awesome corporate cooking event! The event recap below was submitted by our Portland city manager, Carolyn. It’s been a while since our last guest post, so let’s just jump right in.

We were very excited to host this corporate group from Yahoo! at one of our favorite Portland venues: Jeld-Wen Field, the stadium where our beloved Portland Timbers play. (Then again, how could you not love cooking with a view of the Timbers field?) We were lucky enough to have the sun shining brightly as PTC team members Chris, Lauren, and I set up in the Key Bank Club. Oh, the perks of being a completely mobile cooking party company. I love working in new venues, transforming event spaces into the perfect Parties That Cook “kitchen”. Have I mentioned that all we need is a sink?!

Yahoo! guests arrived on schedule for an informative tour of Jeld-Wen Field. The tour ended at the Key Bank Club, where we welcomed everyone with an apron, name tag, beverages and antipasti platters. We kicked off the event with our favorite question: “When you’re at a party, where does everyone like to congregate?” Answer: “The Kitchen!!!” We gathered everyone around the same cooking station, and Lauren demonstrated a number of culinary tips and tricks that would help during the cooking — both at the event and at home. As soon as I explained how the competition works and covered key safety tips, the group was ready to cook!

Yahoo! host, Kevin, had organized a Sumptuous Small Plates Challenge, so we knew we had a pretty competitive group on our hands. Kevin also told us that this event was meant to celebrate the team’s achievements — how fun! Despite being under the pressure of a timed competition, each team had a great time cooking together, adding their own creative twists to our recipes, and bonding over a hot stove.

The group prepared a mouthwatering menu including Crostini of Smashed Cannellini Beans and Feta Salsa Verde, Hosomaki Spicy Tuna Spiral Rolls, and Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Porter Frosting and Chocolate Bubbles – YUM! We chefs circulated to see how the teams were doing and give them further guidance along the way. After 60 minutes, we called for teams to present their plated creations. Each team picked a representative to tell us why their dish should win – in just 1 minute! After a few laughs and a few more theatrics, guests enjoyed the fruits of their labor, sampling each others’ dishes while the chefs tasted and judged the submissions.

The winner was decided based on taste, presentation, creativity, and display of teamwork during the cooking. It was tough to make a decision, as usual, because all the food turned out great. We loved the creativity of the Sweet, Sour and Spicy Chicken in Won Ton Cups team, who used Sriracha sauce to draw a picture of a car and wrote “Vroom!” on their platter (a representation of their Auto team back at Yahoo!). It was the Mini Skewers of Roasted Lamb with Indian Makhani Dipping Sauce, however, who pulled ahead for first place! Congratulations!! They did a fantastic job cooking the lamb so it was still juicy. And the Makhani sauce they made was to die for! We chefs wanted more – how did they make it so good??

We awarded the winning team with bright green garlic grippers, and congratulated everyone on a job well-done. Guests continued to mingle, enjoying their food and drinks while listening to rad 80’s music and even watching the Timbers practice out on the field! Bonus!! We ended the day with a lovely group photo with the soccer field in the background.

Thank you, Kevin, for a fun day with your Yahoo! team. We hope to host your group again soon — and really hope it’s at Jeld-Wen Field!

Parties That Cook’s Corporate Team Building Event Round-Up: Hello, 2012

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in News & Events Tagged with corporate team building, corporate team building events, event recap, parties that cook, sumptuous small plates, team building activity March 12th, 2012 @ 3:15 pm

Hey there, cool kids! We’re back with another installation of our cooking party recaps. These posts give you an inside look at what makes our culinary events so fun, and why hosts keep coming back for more. Now where did we leave off? Oh, that’s right: January.

Let’s kick things off with a Sumptuous Small Plates event with Nomis Solutions Software. Thanks to “great Yelp reviews” and “better food options”, host Valerie G. decided to give Parties That Cook a try. The group of about 30 came together under the guidance of lead chef, Irfan, in one of our favorite venues, Dacor Kitchen! After the event, Valerie seemed very pleased with her decision! “Everything was amazing — from working with [event planner] Christina to menu options, great on-site staff and organization,” she said. “Everything was perfect!” We’re so glad we were able to make everything work, Valerie!

That same day, in Chicago, OMSNIC hosted it’s very own Small Plates event (emphasis on the small). This group of 9 may have had doubts about their cooking abilities, but in the end, found THEIR food “delicious and perfect”! According to the host, Leslee H., “Everyone was pleased with themselves and their co-workers. It was a great way to unite our group and start our training session off right – showing them that often times projects look more challenging than they actually are, particularly if you are working together.” We couldn’t have asked for a better take-away from a corporate event! These team building activities are all about building camaraderie while overcoming challenges together. The fact that groups get to enjoy a gourmet meal at the end of the event is just the cherry on top!

Let’s check out another Chicago event, shall we? About one week later, SKF USA Inc. hosted a Sumptuous Small Plates event for 15 guests. Host Stacy R. selected a scrumptious menu including some popular skewered items: Spice Crusted Salmon Skewers with Harissa Yogurt Dipping Sauce and Whole Grain Mustard and Garlic Beef Brochettes with Kumquat Aioli. The verdict? “The food was delicious!!” Stacy was pleased to report that everyone gave positive feedback on the evening. “I thought the best part was having our leadership team work together in small groups and build bonding relationships in a relaxed atmosphere,” she said. That’s why we love our Sumptuous Small Plates event! If you’re looking for a relaxed evening of mingling and getting to interact with friends and coworkers, Small Plates is the way to go!

Closing out the month, well, as far as this blog is concerned, is a PricewaterhouseCoopers Small Plates event for 50 guests! To keep the group down south, host Paula F. opted for the beautiful Dolce Hayes Mansion in San Jose. Lead chef Jed did a great job, as usual. “Jed was wonderful; very accommodating and great when working with the group,” according to Paula. The menu, which included such favorites as Canapés of Camembert with Olive Tapenade, Porcini Mushroom Tartlets, and Savory Cupcakes Lobster Macaroni Cheese, was a hit. Paula even confessed that she’s already looking forward to trying the recipes out at home! To sum it up, Paula added, “The food was great and working in teams to cook appetizers was a great opportunity to network with people we hadn’t met in person. Well organized, well run, accommodating and fun!” Thanks Paula! Now that all guests have received copies of the evening’s recipes, we hope everyone will continue whipping up tasty dishes!