Tag holiday parties

Parties That Cook Holiday Season Recap: December 2010

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Cookbook Club, For Fun, General, News & Events Tagged with , , , , , , December 22nd, 2010 @ 2:13 pm

Hello again, my long lost friends!

I realize it has been a couple of weeks that our blog posts have been MIA, but I promise it was for a good reason! We’ve been busy incorporating feedback, perfecting our events, and putting fail-proof systems in place in anticipation for the madness of the holiday season. Here at Parties That Cook, the final few weeks leading up to Christmas are easily the busiest (and craziest) of the year! With some days packed with as many as 10 events, much preparation is needed to ensure smooth sailing. On the busiest of days, it is truly amazing to see all the moving parts that go into pulling off a successful event working together!

Aside from all our events in the field, the PTC office staff was busy in the kitchen! This December we squeezed in a cookie exchange AND a cookbook club meeting! As expected, there wasn’t a cookie I didn’t like. A self-proclaimed cookie fiend, I was surprised to find myself all cookied out by the end of the day. In my defense, after trading for over 3 dozen cookies, who wouldn’t be? Details on the cookies made for the exchange coming soon!

The featured cookbook for December’s cookbook club was Tyler Florence Family Meal. The recipes made for a diverse and delicious meal! There was an abundance of food, and no clear choice for a group favorite –trust me, that’s a good thing. The dish on the evening’s dishes as well as the Parties That Cook Holiday White Elephant Gift Exchange Bonanza –or as it’s fondly referred to: the PTCHWEGEB –coming soon as well!

We REALLY appreciate our clients and vendors who have helped make this a busy and fruitful December. And we are SO grateful for all our wonderful chefs, servers and dishwashers who worked so hard to make each and every event a success! Happy Holidays from the Parties That Cook Team –but don’t worry, there will be another blog this week…

The Secret to Surviving (and Spiking) the Office Holiday Party

1 comment By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Entertaining, General, Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , November 30th, 2010 @ 2:59 pm

It’s December, and you know what that means: decorated trees, holiday lights, and so many sweets you actually start to crave vegetables. There is another nearly inevitable event to expect in December –the Office Holiday Party. (Cue intense, high-pitched music). While some people may live for these events (Ahem, Parties That Cook team members who shall remain nameless), others might feel a bit uneasy about interacting with coworkers after work.

For those of you in the second group –heck, even for those who work from home –you’re in luck! Alcohol-infused treats are becoming increasingly popular these days. Not to worry, 60-75 percent of the alcohol is lost when the alcohol is stirred into the batter. And supposedly, depending on the baking time, only 25 percent of the alcohol remains after baking. I know some of you out there are a little bummed by those facts! Still, spiking your baked goods and other sweets with alcohol adds another dimension to the flavor, and puts a nice twist on the usual holiday goodies (without making the room spin).

A couple of years ago, the hip thing to drink was any cocktail made to mimic dessert. With the recently published Krystina Castella and Terry Lee Stone’s Booze Cakes and Lucy Baker’s The Boozy Baker, it is clear that the roles have been flipped. Desserts are not invading your drink as prominently as in previous years, but now alcohol is invading… pretty much everything.

Enter, Tipsy Truffles, Humphry Slocombe ice cream, and the rising star The Baking Lab. Located in Las Vegas, Tipsy Truffles is a family owned business that focuses on Tipsy Truffle Cakes and Tipsy Truffle Drops (meant for dissolving into drinks like hot chocolate). San Francisco’s Humphry Slocombe might just have a cult following for its Jesus Juice (Sorbet of Red Wine and Coke) and Secret Breakfast (Bourbon and Corn Flakes) flavors. In Chicago, you select the alcohol, and The Baking Lab’s Labettes get to work on creating the perfect dessert.  Rebecca Denton and her Labettes cater events and can even pass around their baked goods for you (might as well just bring them to the party, too)!

Now you are armed and ready for your holiday office party with a new weapon of choice. Show up with any of the items mentioned in this blog and you’re sure to be a smash(ed) hit! To check out some Holiday Parties that are guaranteed to be blast -with or without the alcohol -go to the Parties That Cook Cooking Parties page! Desserts like our Spicy Gingerbread Cakes with Warm Brandy Sauce and Mexican Chocolate Pudding with Kahlua Caramel Sauce keep Parties That Cook a step ahead of the next big thing.

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