Category General

Parties That Cook Gets Scientific in the Kitchen with BMRN and Genentech

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Entertaining, News & Events Tagged with , , , , , , August 15th, 2011 @ 12:17 pm

In the last couple of weeks, we have seen no lull in our busy streak. On Friday, August 5th, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (BMRN) hosted a fun Sumptuous Small Plates corporate team building event. Lead Chef, Laura, reported that the event ran smoothly and she thought it was a really nice group. She added that the guests were “excited about what the event had to offer and were proud of their work.” As they should be!

The mouthwatering menu consisted of such delicious items as Lettuce Cups Filled with Gingery Pork, Shiitake Mushrooms and Hoisin Sauce, Ground Sirloin Sliders with Smoky Cheddar Cheese, Little Fish Tacos with Tomato Salad and Chipotle-Lime Crema, Crostini of Homemade Ricotta and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Jam and Banana and Mango Spring Rolls with Caramel-Rum Sauce. I’m getting hungry already!

Chef Laura’s words were mirrored by the BMRN host, Paul F., who commented that, “It was just overall fun, with a great atmosphere.” This is not hard to believe, since Paul had selected, Zephyr, a beautiful San Francisco showroom, as the venue!

The following Monday, August 8th, repeat client Genentech hosted a high-energy Kitchen Challenge team building event at Thomas Fogarty Winery. Linda B., the Genentech host, best described the atmosphere as “controlled chaos”. Linda also reported, “Everyone told me it was great fun and they loved this activity,” – a fun way to end a morning of meetings! She found that the best part was “the opportunity to work with people on our team that we typically don’t have the chance to interact with on a fun task. I got to know some people better from a different perspective.” Mission accomplished!

Lead Chef, Scott, hit another one out of the park! It’s no easy task to engage people just out of a 3-hr meeting. Chef Scott and the rest of the PTC team guided guests through an event with NO recipes (the norm for a Kitchen Challenge). Linda commented that the guests created some terrific dishes, “everything the participants wanted or needed was provided… The staff was very responsive and right there when we had questions or needed help — good direction and handy preparation tips.” Nicely done, PTC team!

What a great sign of things to come as we slowly approach the busy Holiday Season!
We love hearing about all the fun in the field! If you would like to see your Parties That Cook event featured in our blog, just let us know!

Parties That Cook Gears Up for Cooking Farm to Table: Classic Crostini Recipe

1 comment By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in General, Go Green, Menus & Recipes Tagged with , , , , , , , , , August 11th, 2011 @ 6:01 pm

As we gear up for our first Cooking Farm to Table Class this weekend, I think it’s time we give everyone a “taste” of what’s in store. No, we cannot send you a care package of ingredients used! (Though Canvas Ranch, the family-run farm where we are hosting this class, offers a Summer Season CSA program.) What we can do is open your eyes to one of our classic recipes to be featured this Saturday: Crostini of Goat Cheese and Tomato Jam – YUM. You can find this recipe in our Appetizer Recipe Library, and can find the tomatoes at Canvas Ranch this weekend!

Crostini of Goat Cheese and Tomato Jam

Ingredients
Tomato Jam:
1 1/2 pounds ripe beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes, peeled and chopped, reserving any juice
3/4 cups sugar
1 orange, peeled and sectioned, roughly chopped, reserving any juice
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon (or regular) thyme, chopped

Crostini:
1 baguette, sliced diagonally into slices 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
7 ounces goat cheese at room temperature

Thyme sprigs for garnish

Methods/Steps
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Make Jam: Place tomatoes, sugar, orange, lemon zest/juice (including tomato and orange juices) and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth. Pour tomato mixture into a large-sized sauté pan over moderate-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until a jam-like thickness is achieved, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and add thyme. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until it is cool to the touch, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, place bowl in freezer for 5-10 minutes.

Make Crostini: Brush the bread slices on one side with olive oil. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and cook until the slices are golden around the edges and crisp, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Rub one side of each crostini with a clove of garlic.

Assembly: Spread 1 Tablespoon of the goat cheese evenly over the toasts. Top with a dollop of tomato jam on the goat cheese. Garnish with a sprig of thyme. Serve immediately.

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