Take Home Chef: for your Holiday Parties

Our good friends at Tulips and Maple recently launched a 'Gourmet to Go' menu option on their regular menu and as event planers, we love the idea. Events are often structured around food: sit down dinners, tasting parties, live food stations etc. So if you can have the food portion of your party taken care of by professional caterers, you can focus on the other details: set up, drinks, decor, music, games etc.

The Cocktail Party to Go makes party planning a snap and is perfect for cozy gatherings of 20-30 people. The menu is already designed for you with cold and warm hors d'oeuvres, savoury platters and sweets. You get amazing tastes, creativity and options for main dietary restrictions. Our friend Kris from Tulips and Maple loves the Duck Mole - Mayan chocolate cured duck breast on a chili infused shortbread with an apricot glaze! All you have to do is order in advance and enjoy the kudos!  They also offer a delivery service if you are really strapped for time.

Keep in mind that this service has been quite the hit with Tulips and Maple and they are already fully booked for certain dates so it is best to order as soon as you know the date of your party.

The Holiday Dinner to Go Kit is a God-send to those busy Mums and Christmas dinner hosts. Tulips and Maple have two full festive menus available for pick-up Dec 22nd - 1pm on Dec 24th - a delicious 'Turkey with all the Trimmings' menu or 'Have a Hammy Holiday' menu. Take a look at them and you'll be convinced this will be your best Christmas gift! Each menu serves 10 and comes with easy re-heating instructions. You may never cook a turkey again!  We honestly can't choose between the two menus.
 
Little tidbit; the Holiday Dinner To Go Kits must be ordered by Monday, Dec 17th 5pm to allow sufficient time for preparations. 
 
We hope that spreading this 'menu cheer' creates stress-free holiday entertaining this season!

Tell us what unique ideas you are planning for your holiday party this year.....

Guest Blog Post - From Tulips and Maple

As our regular blog followers know, we like to feature guest posts from wedding/event industry experts.

Today's is a real treat because one of the most important elements at your wedding is your food. Today's blog post is from Karinne Di Sanza-Baker, a senior catering consultant with one of our favourite caterers in the city: Tulips and Maple. Tulips and Maple are always on the cutting edge of catering foods and catering trends. They often send their staff off on catering conferences all over North America to learn all they can to make your wedding/event's catering unfortgettable.

In today's blog post, Karinne speaks about "Catertaining" for your wedding and using your catering to involve your guests, add decor and mix food and drink in one. Really inspiring. Thanks again Karinne !

Guest Post by Tulips and Maple:

Not only are we in the middle of a very busy wedding season, but this is also the time that future brides start planning their 2013 weddings. Having returned from an international catering conference in the spring which inspired the release our new “Catertaining” menu, we would like to share some fun ways to upgrade your catering at your wedding reception. We have had the pleasure of catering many Marry Me weddings so we know you are always out looking for the newest and greatest ideas for your special day!

Welcome Drink

Give your guests a chance to create their own signature drink at cocktail hour.  These photos capture the “drink wall” concept. Guests help themselves to a variety of creative garnishes to customize their drinks, such as fresh berries, flavoured jelly cubes, or candied citrus fruits; the possibilities are endless!

Shake up your Reception

Don’t just serve food at your cocktail hour, serve Fooze! We have combined hors d’oeuvres with a complimentary drink to add a twist to traditional cocktail fare. Our two favourites are the Caesar paired with bacon swizzle sticks and the whisky-based Algonquin served with a jerk-marinated beef skewer. Creative brides and grooms can even come up with their own combinations for this crowd-pleasing presentation!

Scrap the Plate, Use a Bubble

Why not find new ways to present the food your guests will be enjoying on your wedding night? Instead of servers passing hors d'oeuvres, why not display them on a food wall ! You can even pick your own background to match your wedding colours.

Or what about serving your salad in a bubble? Our signature "Bubble Bar" is a perfect alternative to the typical salad bar. Watch your guests giggle while they shake up their salad! A whole new meaning for "tossed salad".

There are endless ways to add "catertainment" to your wedding reception. We are excited to share our ideas with our Tulips and Maple couples.

Here's to a great wedding season....and more to follow !