Hodge Podge of Topics
Well I missed my first weekday blog yesterday, I'll try to do two today to make up for it. I was trying to get more information on the big change at Max & Me Catering (Guest Counts, Culinary Concepts, etc.) but was unsuccessful in finding anything substantial that I felt was of interest. The only additional information at this time is that Jan DeMarzo starts with Max & Me in mid-July and she will be in charge of Culinary Concepts and off-premise catering produced at the Culinary Concepts kitchen under the Max & Me Catering and Gourmetro brands.
Another lame excuse for not posting yesterday was I was busy in my garden jury-rigging a trellis for my very vigorous cucumber plants. I'm really enjoying gardening again after a 36 year hiatus. I was really into organic gardening from ages 12-16 when we lived in Northern Bucks County, but then I discovered girls, got my driver's license and gardening lost it's allure. I live in an area of Ambler that is in a flood plain which also means very fertile river bottom soil. I could not resist planting a little 60 square foot plot with cukes, tomatoes, zucchini, basil, parsley, cilantro, bell and habanero peppers. Looking good so far, I have already harvested 2 cukes, little green tomatoes are setting and the basil is getting very bushy. Here is the catering tie-in, I plan to talk to some caterers and see who is riding the farm to table tide and either buying direct, growing their own, or using organic and/or local small farm raised produce and other food products. I am actually exploring the possibility of going direct to farmers and buying as a group for my catering and restaurant clients.
Monday night I went with Jim Cohn, everybody's favorite event/hospitality person, to the Taste of the Nation event at the Loew's Hotel. Another great gathering of chefs and restaurants serving their best food. Jennifer Carroll chaired the event and the quality of establishments and what they were serving was excellent. Some of the culinary highlights were the fried skate wings from Little Fish/Fish, dusted with Parmesan and garlic, the Khyber Pass's bacon grease popcorn and Jen's pate on a crouton with what I believe was a sliver of grilled peach. My personal favorite was Oyster House and the shucked oysters and clams, nothing better than when they are well sourced, icy chilled and perfectly shucked. I ate at least 2 dozen with only a lemon squeeze. Great job Sam Mink.
Tonight I will be on the Battleship New Jersey with one of my clients, Feast Your Eyes Catering. They are showing off the event spaces on the boat to prospective clients, we still have space for a couple event planners if you would like to come, email me by 3pm, harryspivak@gmail.com.
This weekend, Welcome America holds it's Taste of Philadelphia event at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, I will be there most of the weekend with three of my clients, come visit! Saturday night is a huge fireworks display and Aaron Neville is the headline performer. It's free to enter, and all the restaurants and caterers participating are selling very reasonably priced tasting portions of their food. I am actually off to go pick up some rental items that one of my clients needs for this event.
Love & Harmony,
Harry 6/22/11
Another lame excuse for not posting yesterday was I was busy in my garden jury-rigging a trellis for my very vigorous cucumber plants. I'm really enjoying gardening again after a 36 year hiatus. I was really into organic gardening from ages 12-16 when we lived in Northern Bucks County, but then I discovered girls, got my driver's license and gardening lost it's allure. I live in an area of Ambler that is in a flood plain which also means very fertile river bottom soil. I could not resist planting a little 60 square foot plot with cukes, tomatoes, zucchini, basil, parsley, cilantro, bell and habanero peppers. Looking good so far, I have already harvested 2 cukes, little green tomatoes are setting and the basil is getting very bushy. Here is the catering tie-in, I plan to talk to some caterers and see who is riding the farm to table tide and either buying direct, growing their own, or using organic and/or local small farm raised produce and other food products. I am actually exploring the possibility of going direct to farmers and buying as a group for my catering and restaurant clients.
Monday night I went with Jim Cohn, everybody's favorite event/hospitality person, to the Taste of the Nation event at the Loew's Hotel. Another great gathering of chefs and restaurants serving their best food. Jennifer Carroll chaired the event and the quality of establishments and what they were serving was excellent. Some of the culinary highlights were the fried skate wings from Little Fish/Fish, dusted with Parmesan and garlic, the Khyber Pass's bacon grease popcorn and Jen's pate on a crouton with what I believe was a sliver of grilled peach. My personal favorite was Oyster House and the shucked oysters and clams, nothing better than when they are well sourced, icy chilled and perfectly shucked. I ate at least 2 dozen with only a lemon squeeze. Great job Sam Mink.
Tonight I will be on the Battleship New Jersey with one of my clients, Feast Your Eyes Catering. They are showing off the event spaces on the boat to prospective clients, we still have space for a couple event planners if you would like to come, email me by 3pm, harryspivak@gmail.com.
This weekend, Welcome America holds it's Taste of Philadelphia event at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, I will be there most of the weekend with three of my clients, come visit! Saturday night is a huge fireworks display and Aaron Neville is the headline performer. It's free to enter, and all the restaurants and caterers participating are selling very reasonably priced tasting portions of their food. I am actually off to go pick up some rental items that one of my clients needs for this event.
Love & Harmony,
Harry 6/22/11
Congrats on gardening again. Nothing tastes sweeter and more satisfying than your own produce. Good luck on developing that farm-to-table connection. It's healthier and cuts down on fuel consumption. I know this is old news, but have you seen "No Impact Man"? Interesting pot in a pot idea for storing perishable veggies. Have fun tonight on the Battleship New Jersey. Feast Your Eyes is one of my favorite caterers - so creative!
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