All From Florida Dinner Event Menu

This is a great time of year to live in Florida, with the summer heat and steady rains comes wonderful produce.  Our farmers are plentiful and talented, bringing us the chance to create phenomenal dishes, all from within the state.  As Chefs, we strive to use local sourcing and organic when we can, we want to educate our guests as well as feeding them.  

We had a young, hip group in a few weeks ago, and were asked to produce a menu to WOW this well-traveled group.  When it comes down to it, the beautiful produce and meats we can get, really stand on their own, simple speaks loudly here.  That was the focus we drove toward, keep an organic, local and sustainable menu, featuring creative presentation and simplified, screamingly good flavors.

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It is a pleasure to feed people interested in food, in what we do- like any profession, when you come across someone interested in what you do, it is very reaffirming. 

The group loved it all, the food, the lighting, the lounge feel, and the entertainment was amazing.  If you ever get a chance to see, meet or hear Anita Goodstory- you will not regret, I had belly cramps from holding in my giggles.  What a personality! 

Cheers to eating local, supporting small farmers and having the tastiest, freshest ingrediants available!

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Orlando Food Blogger Forum-

One of my favorite things since I’ve started in the catering business is when I actually get to be a guest at an event! This weekend I am attending my first blogger conference right in my own backyard!  Work backyard that is- The conference is being held right at Epcot.

I took a walk early one morning to grab a shot of the Food Blogger Forum venue in the break of dawn.

The unique part is that I while I was signing up for this talent loaded conference put together by amazing bloggers, I have also have been working on planning the events from an operational stand point.  And I have been getting sooo excited because our teams are really pushing boundaries to give the bloggers an awesome experience.  We, as chefs and caterers love when our guests are equally as passionate about food and beverage, and never want to disappoint!

Inside these doors is where the Magic happens!

Our teams spend weeks planning events, looking at guest flow, station designs and looks, as well as the food presentations, and that’s just some of the details.  We dream big- and consider what a right fit for each event and what we can do operationally.  Our teams are numerous and it is quite a feat to keep everyone on the same beat.  

Logistics!

 

Creativity is quite important!

My favorite events to help plan are the functions with high detail- whether it’s a dinner for 5000 people in a theme park with numerous action stations, off premise kitchens and only an hour to set, or a more intimate dinner with a highly creative menu and room set up.  The adrenaline rush that comes from pulling off these events is what I love about catering.

Mornings at Epcot are so gorgeous!

Planning events are pretty awesome, it is great having the ability to sit down with such a creative team and bounce ideas until something sticks. Those planning meeting are definitely my favorite!  They certainly can go on for hours, and sometimes we have to walk away because we have hit a brick wall.  I told a friend recently, that it is embarassing how much I love my job, but it is true.

What great timing -The Flower and Garden Festival is going on too!

And now, after weeks of planning the events of the food blogger conference, I am hanging up my chef hat and putting on my guest hat!  I am definitely going to soak it all in and I can’t wait to experience the magic first hand!

SOOOO Glad I am on my "Lent Mulligan" this weekend- these desserts and pastries are going to be awesome!

In a few minutes the quiet of the day will be gone- So pretty!