Lisa's Celebration Tips

With the holiday season right around the corner, many of us will be planning parties and get-togethers with our friends and family.  I especially love celebrating at our home- recently we had a fabulous party to celebrate two of our dearest friends and "family" who have been apart of our catering team since the 80s. I want to share some of what I've learned over the years as a hostess- I'd love to hear any of y'alls experiences too!

Remember: All special events are made memorable by the attitude of the hosts and the tone they set for their guests!

• ·        When planning your celebration, remember it’s a party, not world peace!
• ·        One or Two of your dishes “dialed in” will be talked about and enjoyed more than 12 items that are mediocre.
• ·        Plan something that gets all of your guests engaged together as a group:

~ Each guest bring a bottle of wine with a story to tell about it

~ Have each guest tell something no one knows about them

• Plan a small “take-away” so guests are reminded of the celebration, especially if it has special meaning culturally or with your family:
  
  ~ Homemade limoncello from the Italian family as gifts at their daughter's wedding
  ~ Apple butter made from apples in your yard for the Holiday party

• ·        You are more important to your guests than your food, so plan your menu so you are not a slave to the stove during your party.  (Or hire a caterer!)
• ·        Plan your toast in advance of the celebration. Make it touching or humorous, but memorable! Keep it short and sweet.
• ·        Food is community. Have guests bring a special dish such as “Mom’s famous dessert” or “The dish that best represents my heritage”
• ·        Invite a “secret special guest” that might make it special for your guests. A local winemaker to talk about wine, a dance instructor to teach salsa, an author to talk about her book topic or a local musician to just sit at the piano and take requests.
• ·        Engage and involve people in the celebration~ they will have vivid memories of the day!
• ·        If people don’t know each other, create a fun Icebreaker. A friend of mine has a huge bowl of retro candy. Choose your favorite piece and share with others why you chose it.
• ·        Have an interactive table for guests: roll sushi with the chef, shake a martini with the bartender or ice and decorate cookies to take home.

• ·        If you have hired a valet, have them place a little goodie or special note in the car when the guest is leaving.

Cheers!

Lisa

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Summer has been a fleeting thing this year here in the Pacific NW, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day any less!  Lisa's Redmond Crisp Cookies make oh so delightful sandwich ends - we love Tillamook Oregon Strawberry Ice Cream as a filling!

Redmond Crisp Cookies

1 cup flour

1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon chopped pecans, toasted

1/3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup and 3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons sweetened coconut

1 cup cornflakes

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread pecans on sheet pan and toast at 350°F for about 4 minutes; cool and set aside.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the paddle attachment, and whip the butter, brown sugar, and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the flour mixture and mix until evenly incorporated. Stir in oats, pecans, coconut, and cornflakes at low speed or by hand until well incorporated. Let cookie batter sit for at least 5 minutes in the refrigerator. Scoop into golf-ball-size balls (using an ice cream scoop works well), and arrange on prepared baking sheet, allowing ample space between cookies. Dip a metal spatula in water and press the cookies flat, but leave some height, about 1/2 inch. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, but watch them and don’t let them get too brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.

Makes about 13 large cookies

WithinSodo Open House

We have the pleasure of welcoming a brand new (and very gorgeous) events venue - WithinSodo - at their August 11th open house!  Enjoy champagne & hors d'oeuvres provided by Lisa Dupar Catering while taking in the view from the deck; this new space caters to any event you can imagine and we're sure you'll be planning something of your own by the end of the evening!

Tom Douglas Summer Camp 2011

Oh my Gosh does Tom Douglas and his team know how to have fun! Showing up early for my demo of  recipes from Fried Chicken and Champagne at Tom’s summer camp was a fun surprise. Morning breakfast of Eggs & Bacon with Manhattans was being cleared away and Prosecco was being popped for Chef Brock Johnson’s (of Dalia Lounge) demo of amazing pates and rillettes. On the 4^th day of the campers Food and Beverage Marathon, I was certain the campers would be dozing off before “lunch”. No heads hitting the desk in this classroom! These campers were serious about their food & libation tasting. Maker’s Mark was the choice for the Peach Julep starting the sampling of Southern dishes prepared by Tom’s team that were perfectly executed. Campers commented most on the Watermelon Chutney with the corn fritters and the Frogmore Stew as their favorites, though the Fried Peach Pie plates were cleaned also. Both recipes from the cookbook! After the southern mid-morning bites, they headed across the street for lunch at Palace Kitchen with Josh Henderson from Skillet (one of my new favorite spots).

Tom’s reputation for generosity spills over into everything he does and this camp experience was no different. I just wanted to take the rest of the week off and join the campers in their Fabulous Food Week. Rumor has it, next year’s class is already sold out!! 

Cheers!

Lisa

Lions, Tigers, a Zoo, and a Wedding, Oh My!

This weekend was quite the wild ride!  Lisa Dupar Catering had two very special events - the Jungle Party for the Woodland Park Zoo and a lavish island wedding in Friday Harbor, WA.  There's usually a hustle when two big events are back-to-back, but our Woodland Park Zoo event was a four course seated dinner for 1,000!  This was our biggest event to date, and we had been prepping for weeks; to see it all come together was a truly remarkable!

Some unexpected "help" in the catering area!

The next day, our incredible staff made the long trip to Friday Harbor Island bright and early after working deep into the night at Woodland Park.  With the clouds looking ominous, we were worried the rain would put a damper on the evening - but that wasn't the case in the least!  Everything looked gorgeous and in true romantic fashion, only after the bride and groom made their way under the wedding tent did the rain come down!

Custom Design by LDC

 It was truly a fairy tale wedding and we were so excited to be apart of it!

Congratulations to the catering staff for an amazing job done!

NW Meetings & Events Magazine Awards - Best Catering Company 2011!

We are so thankful and humbled to have received the Best of 2011 Award for Best Catering Company at the NW Meetings & Events Magazine awards last night!

Because this award was voted for by the readers, it carries even more significance to us.  Thank you to all who voted this year and we look forward to continually bringing our best to the table at each event we are a part of!

From the NW M & E Magazine website:

>>Best Catering CompanyTHE WINNER IS: Lisa Dupar Catering 

RUNNERS UP: Foodz Catering, Salty’s on Alki

It’s a given that one of the top caterers in the Northwest serves spectacular cuisine. What sets Lisa Dupar Catering apart is outstanding attention to detail. “After 28 years of catering, we also have developed triple-check systems that we religiously stick to,” says Owner Lisa Dupar. If something does happen, “we have back-up plans to our back-up plan. We could have written the Worst Case Scenario book series!” As for service, she says, “we have a joke that if it’s legal, we’ll try our best to make it happen.” Servers have valeted cars, lifted a wheelchair-bound pastor down a rocky path to perform a service and accommodated 12 different diet restrictions in one dinner.

IACP Conference 2011

What an exciting week it has been!  I had the pleasure of experiencing Austin, TX for this year's International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference.  You know you have arrived in Texas when you are greeted by a Long horn steer and an invite to “race” armadillos!  Which then was followed by a Texas sponsored Republic Tequila and Texas Dripping Springs Vodka bar.  Cocktails were not mixed for the faint of heart!

Local Chefs served up tastes from their restaurants that left us wanting to book a reservation.

As a caterer, I absolutely LOVED the “FRITO PIE” (only in Texas) How about this for your next company picnic! Open a bag a Fritos, ladle in a hearty spoon of Texas Chili and topped with shredded Jack and Cheddar cheese. Insert plastic fork and serve! Fun Stuff!

I've got to tell you - Fonda San Miguel has the most AMAZING Zucchini and Squash Blossom Gazpacho, served up with Serrano chili oil.  1st course...and my favorite dish. Sublime.

If this soup is in their cookbook, it would be worth the purchase just for this recipe!

I was kidnapped by my favorite Seattle Gal Chefs - Kathy Casey of Kathy Casey Food Studios - Liquid Kitchen and Danielle Custer, director at SAM TASTE - for a HOT whirlwind Street Food Tour of ATX!

Street Food Tour Stops - The Grackle, The Local Yolk, Fried Chicken & Waffle Truck, Japanese Love Balls, Bits & Druthers, Pig Vicious Taco, The Vegan Yacht and...

Last but not LEAST...GORDOUGHS BIG. FAT. DONUTS.

Such a blast!  After being immersed in Texas sized foodie delights, I had an Awards Gala to attend...where Fried Chicken & Champagne was up for an Oscar of the cookbook world - First Book-The Julia Child award!  All the details on the ceremony and our exciting win (YEA!) will be served up next!