Spring Dinner Party

An elegant setting for a perfect Spring Dinner Party!

Fresh Tarragon Pea Soup with Crab Cheddar Toast

Butter Lettuce Salad with Pear Champagne Vinaigrette

Game Hen with Wildflower Honey & Orange with Buttermilk mashed Red Skinned Potatoes & Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze & Shaved Parmesan

Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake with Raspberry Sauce

I catered a wonderful party in Atherton last night for my new clients' Kelly & David. The weather yesterday was a beautiful spring day, a perfect backdrop for this dinner party. Fantastic views into the garden from the elegantly set dining table would set the mood for the evening.

As guests arrived we served them cocktails and butler passed hor d'ouevres of a delicious Korean spiced Tuna Tartare on wonton with Edammame Wasabi puree and a flaky Artichoke Phyllo tartlet with a mixture of creamy ricotta cheese and Parmesan.

After guests were seated in the dining room, we served the first course of fresh Pea Tarragon soup topped with a Crab & Cheddar toast, followed by a salad of tender Butter lettuce dressed in a a Champagne Pear vinaigrette with grapefruit, avocado, goat cheese and sunflower seeds.

We temped the party guests enough with small morsels, so we then presented them with the main course of roasted Cornish game hen with wildflower honey & orange, buttermilk chive mashed red skinned potatoes, asparagus with balsamic glaze and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. A sweet ending to a fantastic dinner party was a triple chocolate truffle cake with raspberry sauce, made with three different kinds of chocolate-it was rich, creamy and fudge like...YUM!

Going Away Party

Going Away Party Hor D'Ouevres Buffet
Shrimp & Guacamole Tostadas

Beef & Artichoke Puree on Rye Toasts with Horseradish Cream

Gingered Cilantro Salmon Cakes with Chili Aioli

Baked Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry

I catered a going away party a few weeks ago in Burlingame. It's always a sad note to say goodbye to your fellow workers, but there will be new adventures ahead! If we don't try new things in life, we don't grow and we stop striving to be better. Saying goodbye in style with great friends and delicious food, it was a proper send off.

Menu

Beef & Artichoke Puree on Rye Toasts w/Horseradish Cream

Gingered Cilantro Salmon Cakes w/Chili Lime Aioli

Saffron Risotto w/Butternut Squash & Peas Served in "Spoons"

Almond Stuffed Dates wrapped w/Bacon

Baked Raspberry Brie in Puff Pastry

Mini Individual Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Shrimp & Guacamole Tostadas

Tuna Tartare onWonton

Easter Holiday Brunch

A Delicious Easter Brunch Buffet

Shrimp Louie Shell Pasa Salad

Chicken Apple Sausage Rolls

Sweet Endings of Maple Pot De Creme

I always enjoy looking forward to catering my parties. I have catered many events for Peter and Cheri; and today's Easter Brunch was another successful event that I helped create. I enjoy clients' that feed my creativity with their optimism of what I LOVE to do! It really makes me want to try even harder. Boy, the weather was so different out here in the San Francisco Bay Area this Eater Holiday! Rain, wind and cold threatened the festivities, but that didn't stop the party guests today from enjoying a delicioius meal...in style, of course!

Holidays, especially Easter always bring back good memories from growing up. Special foods during the holidays were something I always looked forward too. My mother is a wonderful cook and I was always in ahh of her while she was in the kitchen when I was a little boy. I can remember, I was really young; say...like five years old and I begged her to help her out in the kitchen, no matter what it was. Licking a spoonful of cake batter or watching her create magic with her hands with lots of love with everything she touched. Cookies, Pasta or a bowl of soup...every meal was a gourmet show for me! Holiday ham was one of her specialities; I remember one year she made a ham that was enrobed with some type of pastry or something like it with a floral design on it. My mom was the Queen...according to me! The ham that I serve at my Easter catering parties may not be as special or unique as my mom's but everyone still enjoyed it! Cheers to you mom for always inspiring me to cook the best that I can for my client's and their guests!

Inspiration for me comes from many things, great clients, chefs on t.v., many good friends, but my mom inspired me to become what I am today...a great cook and someone that really enjoyes helping people entertain with an approach that is from the heart.

Menu

Apricot Mustard Glazed Smoked Ham

Roasted Red Potatoes with Peppers & Onions

Plain Biscuits & Cheddar Chive Biscuits

Chicken Apple Sausage Rolls

Petite Spinach & Gruyere Quiche

Fresh Fruit Salad

Endive Leaves stuffed with Goat cheese, Mandarin Orange, Balsamic Glaze & Pistachios

Shell Pasta Shrimp Louie Salad with Hearts of Palm, Peas, Cherry Tomato Halves, Green Onion, Celery & Louie Dressing

Assorted Mini Cheesecakes

Petite Maple Pot De Creme with Pecans