Tag team building ideas

Parties That Cook’s 2011 Corporate Holiday Events Wrap-Up: Part II

0 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Entertaining, News & Events Tagged with , , , , , , January 30th, 2012 @ 7:25 pm

We’ve finally reached the home stretch. This blog features some of the final corporate team building events and private cooking parties of 2011! There’s still a bit to cover, so hold tight and power through these fun event recaps with us. Oh, the memories…

Kicking off this corporate event recap is a Chicago event for Sedona. We know it’s going to be a fun group when employees are willing to come cook with us on a Saturday! They even used our favorite Chicago venue for public cooking classes: Charlie Baggs. Sedona host, Guy N., selected the perfect type of event for his group that “loves to compete in unique areas.” After this Kitchen Challenge, Guy raved, “The chef’s were terrific – they were the highlight of the event. Even with this lively of a group, they handled things warmly and encouraged trying new things. They were fun, helpful and kept things on track while teaching and encouraging the interaction. The event offered a wonderful interaction and experience, and the knowledge gains were terrific.” Nicely done, Chicago team!

Skip forward about a week, and we’ll hit Encore Consumer Capital‘s Chef’s Table with a competitive twist. Host Shanna B. is no stranger to Parties That Cook, having used us twice before. “The customer service was amazing! A hands-on cooking party is a really great idea for team bonding and bringing everyone together. We are all very competitive people and the competition factor helped make it a memorable and successful night for everyone.”

Menu items included Soft Pretzel Bites with Spicy Mustard Dipping Sauce, Broccoli Chive Soup with Lemon Cream, and Carved New York Strip Steaks – YUM! Shanna added, “This event was also successful because we all thoroughly enjoyed our meal! The chefs were extremely helpful and were always there to lend a hand when needed. Everyone was able to join in and cook a little bit of each dish, and we were all able to sit together and enjoy dinner as a team.” Shanna mentioned that she thought an all appetizer or all dessert party would be fun to try. You’re in luck, Shanna! Check out our Sumptuous Small Plates event (available with a competitive add-on) and our newer event: Cupcake Wars!

That very same day, our crew brought the Parties That Cook mobile kitchen to a private home in Los Gatos, CA. XL Construction Group hosted a Chef’s Table event with a mouthwatering menu featuring Canapes of Camembert Olive Tapenade, Crab and Red Pepper Beignets, and Parmesan and Herb-Crusted Filet Mignon.

Repeat host, Kate P., came to us after having seen us in action with her previous company! About her experience this time around, she said, “As usual, the event was great! Everyone loved both the cooking experience and the eating. The staff was excellent. Our chefs – Heather and Amy – were terrific, as was our server Elizabeth and our dishwasher, Dana. It was a great menu — fun to cook but not too challenging (just right!) — and the food was delicious. Love you guys! Easy, good, entertaining! We’ll definitely do it again.” Wow. We just love when repeat clients…continue to repeat!

After a week of twenty events, the week of SDG‘s 55-person Chef’s Table was like a walk in the park (13 events). Still, we had to bring our A-game. It was great to hear that the SDG host, Sharon S., thought we hit it out of the park!

“Great event! We knew they did a great job at our partner event so no need to look for another company. Everyone had a good time and it was a wonderful way for people to mingle.” Their crave-inducing menu included Puree of Pear and Champagne Soup, Steamed Salmon Papillotes, and Warm Chocolate Soufflé Cake. I’m getting jealous just typing this! Sharon didn’t need to say anything other than, “We didn’t leave much on our plates…” Still she sums up her experience very nicely with, “Very organized, fun staff, and a good team building event.”

Big thanks to all our corporate event hosts who allowed us to use their comments and wanted to be featured in one of our blogs! We’ve received a lot of feedback over the years, including recipe notes, venue comments and ideas for new events (barbeque, sushi, and pasta from scratch, just to name a few)! You never know, your next suggestion could end up being our next hit event (Ahem, Cupcake Wars..), so keep ’em coming!

Next up: 2012 Corporate Team Building Events and Private Cooking Parties!

Parties That Cook Survives Eleven Corporate Team Building Events in Three Days

2 comments By The Kitchen Whisperer Filed in Entertaining, General, News & Events Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , July 29th, 2011 @ 2:47 pm

One week ago today, Parties That Cook was powering through the last corporate team building events of a crazy week. With 11 events in just 3 days, we were running like a well-oiled machine! Hosting groups included the Council of Business Advisors, PRTM and RTI, checking in with as many as 86 guests!

RTI hosted a lunch-time Kitchen Challenge event, with all 86 guests participating in this heated cooking competition! Our team of professional chefs, lead by seasoned Executive Chef Tanya, was all over it – remaining calm and collected through the madness. Guests broke into teams, creating a variety of delicious, well-presented dishes. There was even a tie for Best Protein, which was later decided by crowd applause. The dessert team went above and beyond, adding the letters RTI to the Seasonal Fruit Potpies! (A+, guys!) According to Samantha, the RTI host, “As a planner, the best part was that Chef Tanya and the staff really took over and completely handled our group when it was time to begin. I’m not used to that, and it made it so I could really enjoy myself and participate as well. From a participant perspective, the best part was being able to see another side of the people I work with. I learned something new about everyone! It was definitely a bonding experience.” After talking to a few male guests, she later reported that even the skeptics of the group admitted they loved it!


The Council of Business Advisors opted for a Sumptuous Small Plates event – a great choice for their goal of getting to know each other better! The crave-inducing menu included client favorites such as Ahi Tuna Tartar in Toasted Won Ton Cups, Mini Gyros (Pita pockets filled with Grilled Lamb), Shiitake-Scallion Pot Stickers and Savory Plum & Thyme Bruschetta (featured in yesterday’s blog post!). They ended the evening on a sweet note, serving Double Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Tartlets. Yum! Throughout the event, guests were mingling with fellow organization members and meeting members they had never met before. Guest s loved Chef Mick! Joe, our point of contact for the event, stated, “Everyone had a great time… Chef Mick was great… Plenty of great conversation and fun, and the energy was high from beginning to end.” We love to hear that!


To round things out, PRTM chose a Chef’s Table event for their summer associates. Sitting down to enjoy 4 courses prepared by your co-workers/fellow event guests is a great way to build camaraderie! According to Chef Scott, the group, which included a number of foodies, really enjoyed the food. A menu including Savory Plum & Thyme Bruschetta, Flash Fried Cornmeal Calamari, Balsamic-Marinated Grilled Skirt Steak and Warm Chocolate Budino with Raspberry Sauce sounds good to me! PRTM’s Recruiting Program Manager (and event host), Kerri, thought “the team collaboration, venue, the tips from the chef, recipes and wine pairing –every part of the event was GREAT!!” The perfect ending PTC’s action-packed week!

Now, after a SECOND week of 11 events in 3 days, we are officially in recovery mode…
Until Monday, when start another run of 11 events. Hope to see you in the kitchen (or out on a farm) soon!