Recently I received an email from a new client. We had planned and catered a fabulous event for her and she wrote to thank me and to say that she had been a bit nervous during our initial meeting. She was nervous because there was no drama and my approach to catering and event planning is one that was relaxed. That relaxed attitude could be mistaken for something else but fortunately the client trusted that everything would be perfect and it was.

As I reflected on what she wrote, it occurred to me that several things happen when clients make a decision to work with me or any other caterer. The expectations a client has will be colored by the lens of past experiences and their memory of those experiences will create an expectation that they may not be aware of.

For example, if a previous experience required micro managing the caterer or event planner; it could create a concern that will be needed again. If a previous catered function did not meet the client’s expectations; it may be difficult to trust that a the expectations will be met with this engagement.

The truth is that excellence and drama do not have to co-exist! You can have the most amazing event and perfection at every point if you work with someone who is drama free and has the expertise and experience to deliver at a level that meets or exceeds your expectations!

We make it look easy because we listen to you, ask the right questions and deliver what you want, every single time!

Here are my top 5 things to look for when choosing a caterer for your event.

1. Where do they operate from? Do they have a commercial kitchen and where is it? Visit it if possible, find out how long they have been there. If the caterer you are considering is not operating out of a commercial kitchen the quality you experience may be compromised.

2. Ask other event professionals if they recommend this person. Florists for example know who the good caterers are in the area. So do event planners and people who sell event related things like photography and wedding dresses.

3. Check out the caterer’s online presence. Do they have a website, with client comments or testimonials? Do they have a Facebook Page. Does the language they use on their website sound true to you? Are there pictures of events set ups and food on the sites? Are their Facebook posts in alignment with the content on their websites?

4. Ask for references. A great caterer will be able to provide excellent references!

5. Pay attention; is the caterer listening to you? Is she or he asking you appropriate questions? Is the person present to you or multi-tasking? Is the caterer calm and peaceful or is drama happening around him or her? Drama free catering happens only when the person you are working with is drama free!

Clear, clean, communication is essential to a successful event! We make it look easy because we are committed to providing you with a wonderful experience and delicious food! All you have to do is relax and enjoy!

Chef Jen
The Queen of Clean Cuisine

I am often surprised at how a simple recipe can be so delicious and wonder why people do not attempt making simple soups at home. We expect everything quickly but quick is not always the best.

Recently a friend was telling me about her visit to a local organic restaurant.  She ordered a Miso Soup to go and was asked if she wanted it heated.  This led to a discussion of heating method and the discovery that this organic restaurant was “nuking” their Miso Soup!

Purists in the tradition of Miso Soup would never put it in the microwave because they know the damage that happens to food that is subjected to this method of heating.  My friend ended up taking the cold soup home and timing how long it took to heat it up.  Less than a minute later she had soup that was the perfect temperature but had not been subjected to the microwave.

If you would like to know more about the dangers associated with microwave cooking there’s a great post about it; Google this link to read the post: http://relfe.com/microwave.html

Sometimes I wonder if we are just not thinking because heating us something on the stove top can be nearly as quick as a microwave without the danger.  Of course heating any food can change it and decrease the nutritional value but heating it in a microwave is especially harmful.

Who would even think that an organic restaurant would have one? We have one at Jennifer’s Kitchen but rarely use it.  It’s here mainly as a convenience for our staff.  But back to the thing of soup and soup stock for vegetarians and vegans.

A simple vegan soup can be made to appear creamy and will taste delicious when you season it with a complimentary vegetable and add some sea salt and ground pepper. Recently I made a Cauliflower Soup that came out so creamy and delicious.  And it was simple and quick.  20 minutes total time!

Here’s how I did it.

Ingredients;
1 Organic Cauliflower with green leaves and core removed broken into small pieces.
2-3 Cups of Purified water (this depends on the size of the Cauliflower) Cook the Cauliflower in the water until tender then put the cooked cauliflower into the blender with about 2 Cups of the cooking water.  Be careful not to fill the blender too full.  The mixture is very hot.  (If you have a small blender you may need to blend in two batches).
1 Organic Medium Sweet Onion Sauteed in 3 T of Olive Oil Add this to the blender and blend everything together until creamy and smooth.
If the mixture is too thick add a bit more of the cooking water until you have the desired consistency.
Season with the sea salt and pepper.
Enjoy!

This formula works with many veggies so have fun experiment and try some of your own combinations.

Vegan Soup Stock
If you would like to make a vegetable stock that you can use in soups and risotto recipes it’s very simple.  Save the parts of vegetables that you do not use, carrot tops, cut edges, onion skins, potato peelings, (I always use organic veggies for this), onion, a couple of carrots and celery stalks chopped and place all of these in a soup pot. Add 6-8 cups of water, (you should have at least 2 Cups of veggies) and simmer for an hour or two.  Add a teaspoon of sea salt to taste, strain and cool.  You can use this immediately with your recipe or freeze it to use in the future.

Again there are no rules for how to make this stock. Just throw in whatever you have at home.  It will be a delicious basis for your soups and it’s much less expensive than buying veggie stock at the grocery store.

Chef Jen
The Queen of Clean Cuisine

Times are certainly changing! It makes me feel good to know that people are becoming more focused on healthy food choices. Locally sourced organic and sustainably produced food is available now at four or more Farmer’s Markets in the desert.

Seems with all the food scares of 2011 and the revelations about factory farming and animal welfare that we are waking up to the hazards of the Standard American Diet (SAD). Many of the people who come to us now for catering are looking for healthier organic options too!

So what does all this have to do with golf?

Recently, I was invited to be one of the food vendors for the former Bob Hope Classic which is now the Humana Challenge PGA Tour.  It’s exciting because Humana in partnership with the William J. Clinton Foundation, is featuring a theme of lifelong well-being. This is right up my alley because making healthy, delicious food is my passion!

One focus of the William J. Clinton foundation is the prevention of childhood obesity in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, (CDC); “Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.”

Approximately one-third of the adults in the U.S. (33.8%) are obese as well according to the CDC statistics. We have been a nation that is unconscious about what we eat and the health consequences of our food choices.

Every one involved in the Humana Challenge, from the players, to the spectators and public in general is being challenged to improve their health by making changes in exercise and diet that will positively impact their well being.

The event is happening January 16-22, 2012 and I will be there with my team making delicious healthy food for everyone to enjoy.

We will be on site at Bob Hope Square which is located at the Palmer Private Course at PGA West from the 18th of January through the 22nd of January.

We are also serving and selling a great selection of organic and/or bio-dynamic wines during the Challenge. A certain amount of wine can be good for you!

If you are attending the Humana Challenge please stop by Hope Square, say hi, and enjoy our healthy and delicious selection of food! Say good by to the Standard American Diet for a few days and try something different!

Chef Jen
The Queen of Cuisine

This is the busiest holiday season I remember in a long time!  It’s exciting to me to have clients booking large dinner parties and intimate weddings too.  The end of year holidays are always a great time for a special event and this year was no different.

We had the Melekelikimaka Party- that’s Merry Christmas in Hawaiian and the Happy Chrishanakwansa Party and several more Happy Holiday and New Year’s Parties too!

All in all it’s been a busy and fun season so far! I mentioned in my last post that I was starting new traditions for the holidays.  This year my mom and I went to the Mission Inn in Riverside to see the lights – literally millions of them and to experience the Inn.  We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed the food selections that were available there too!

My mom’s birthday is Christmas Day so this was a good way to treat the woman who has everything.  When I booked it I was thinking we would get away to the Mission Inn annually as a new tradition.  But given the crowds; (there were a lot of people there) my sense is the tradition will become an annual get away with my mom but not to the Mission Inn!

If you haven’t been into the cafe lately you may not know that Cathy Serif, the Desert Fit Chef is now under our roof with smoothies and The Desert Detox Diet. Sister’s Cupcakes is now located at Jennifer’s too!

I love that we can all share space and that you can now get a wider variety of options at Jennifer’s.  We will be having another wine tasting towards the end of January and hope to see you there as we sample some of the best organic and sustainable produced wines available.

See you soon!

Chef Jen
The Queen of Cuisine

This time of year makes me think about the holiday traditions I grew up with. It’s fun to remember sledding at my Grandparent’s home in the mountains of California, (yes we do get snow in the mountains) or being at the beach over the holidays, also in Southern California.

Putting up a Christmas tree and decorating it was also something I looked forward to every year.  Each year we added an ornament to our growing collection of Christmas bling for the tree!  I tend to like the vintage ornaments even today as they bring back fond memories of past holidays.

While I enjoy Christmas music in small doses; caroling was never something that appealed to me as an activity. Now it seems that Christmas music is playing as early as Halloween and somehow that makes it less special now.

Shopping for the perfect gift and finding the perfect paper and ribbons to go with it was also a big part of my family’s holiday traditions. My preference however was to be creating great food instead!  Shopping has never been high on my list of fun things to do!

One of my earlier holiday traditions was making cookies!  
There are certain recipes that showed up once a year at this time and then were put away for another year.  My favorite holiday cookies are the sugar cookies you can frost and decorate!  It’s a great creative outlet to make them look as good as they taste.

But, I don’t eat like that anymore so it’s time for some new traditions!

This year I am celebrating Christmas quietly with my family here in the desert.  We will have a traditional holiday dinner with some twists. The turkey is sustainably produced and the veggies and sides are organic!

I learned earlier this year that I am intolerant to gluten. Many people are and this is a growing issue in our culture. So we are having a gluten free Christmas which means wheat will be absent from the holiday table.

Fortunately as a chef I have learned to create magical food without using ingredients that have gluten. This gives way to new traditions too as I discover cookie and desert recipes that don’t require flour or can be made with gluten free flour.

What do you buy a mom who has everything and who’s birthday falls on Christmas Day?  This year I am starting what I hope will be a great new tradition.  I am taking mom to the Mission Inn in Riverside the day after Christmas and we are staying over night, and sampling some great food.

Every year the Inn decorates and creates a magical wonderland with lights and holiday images.  I know we will enjoy seeing the millions of lights they have woven into their holiday displays.

Stay tuned for more in my next blog post and until then Happy Holidays!

Chef Jen
The Queen of Clean Cuisine

Bottled and pre-packaged dressings are something I avoid personally and never use at Jennifer’s Kitchen in the cafe or for our catering jobs.  The reason is the chemicals and preservatives that most of these pre-made options have and the quality of the oils
used in them.

My customers and clients rave about the salad dressings I make from “scratch” and I am often asked how I make these salad dressings.  So I thought that would be a great topic for a blog post! Most often I create vinaigrette using delicious organic or sustainable oils and wonderful vinegars.  One day at the farmer’s market I used the local Malibu Olive Oil which we have
at the Cafe and some wonderful Pomegranate Vinegar. This combination got rave reviews!

My basic recipe for a great vinaigrette is:

3:1 Oil to Vinegar

So if you take a Cup of very good Olive Oil like Malibu Olive Oil, you would add a 1/3 Cup of the Vinegar you have selected.  We have a wonderful selection of fruit vinegars at the Cafe and honestly when you start with great ingredients you get great results!

(Personally I like a bit more vinegar so if I am making dressing for myself I might use 1/2 Cup of Vinegar to 1 Cup of good Olive Oil. If you like less of a tang you could reduce the Vinegar and use 1/4 Cup to a Cup of Olive Oil).

The other staples you will find in my dressings are good Dijon Mustard; about 1 teaspoon or a bit more to taste- Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt to taste and fresh ground pepper.

Whisk all of the ingredients together and you have a simple delicious salad dressing that will be better than any of the chemical laden products you can buy at the grocery store.  If the dressing is a bit tart for you simply add a teaspoon of agave nectar, I like
to use raw and organic agave or you can add a little honey. Always taste and adjust to your palate. You can store these home made Vinaigrettes in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks!

My new favorite fruit vinegars are Apple and Orange and we have both available at the Cafe!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Healthy Thanksgiving!  

Have you ever wondered if holiday meals like Thanksgiving can be traditional and healthy too?  It is possible, making clean cuisine is important to me and many of my clients want their Thanksgiving meal to be healthier and traditional at the same time.

Two of the standard sides for Thanksgiving are Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow.  This year I made over each of these sides to be healthier yet they still have that traditional flavor of the primary ingredient.

Our organic green beans are prepared with slivered red pepper, toasted almonds, and lemon butter.  At about one third the calories and fat these are a great option to the heavier version you find at most Thanksgiving dinners!

I love sweet potatoes and honestly melting marshmallows on them just does not do it for me!  This year our organic mashed sweet potato sides are prepared with agave nectar and topped with candied pecans.  They are delicious while being healthy too!

Using organic produce for the sides insures higher nutritional value of the vegetables and better flavor too so they do not need to be disguised with lots of unhealthy ingredients!

I am often asked what wines to pair with Thanksgiving dinner and we have a great selection of organic and/or bio-dynamic wines at the cafe.  This year I am recommending a fabulous wine for the starter course which is a 2009 Grgich Hills Estate Napa Fume Blanc.  This pairs well with the Hors D’oeuvres we are making and at $27.99 is a delicious way to start your Thanksgiving celebration!

For the main course and sides I am recommending 3 wines that pair well with turkey and traditional sides.  There’s a lot of confusion about red and white wines and which one works best.  The good news is that with the right choice of wine you can have white if you prefer or red.

This year for my white wine drinkers, I am recommending the Calera 2010 Chardonnay, it’s buttery and delicious with Turkey and will work well with Ham too if that’s what you have chosen to serve.  It’s priced at $19.99!

Red wine lovers have two choices that pair well with our menu and any traditional Thanksgiving meal.  I love the 2008 Williamette Valley Pinot Noir.  This is a great wine and well priced at $23.99.

For those who like something bigger than Pinot Noir I recommend the Predator 2010 Old Vine Zinfandel.  It’s a delicious choice and is only $15.99!

All of our recommended wines are available at the cafe so be sure to stop in and pick up the perfect wine for your Thanksgiving!

From all of us at Jennifer’s Kitchen Happy, Healthy, Thanksgiving!

Chef Jen
The Queen of Clean Cuisine!

Wedding planning is such an important piece of the dream wedding puzzle and as a person who does both catering and event planning I have seen a lot of things go wrong for brides at the last hour.  We are often called to rescue an event when another caterer has not done what was promised.  So I thought I would share some of the insight that I have from years of being in this business so that you can avoid these pitfalls.

Here are my top 5 Mistakes to Avoid but first let’s agree to something . . .

You Get What You Pay For and Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20!

You can be on a budget and still have a wonderful wedding but it’s important to know where to save money and where not to.  I have had brides call me 2-3 weeks before a wedding to rescue the wedding because the caterer they chose either did not get back to them with a written contract or has bagged the job for a more lucrative one.  It’s sad but true this can happen in an industry that has lots of competition and little regulation.

So what’s a bride to be to do?

1.  Be sure you have a written contract that spells out everything the caterer/event
   planner is providing for you.  Everything must be in writing.  If it is not in writing there’s no guarantee that your caterer will show up for your wedding, and that there will be enough food for all of your guests.  An experienced caterer with lots of wedding experience and event planning expertise is really your best option even though at first glance it may seem more expensive.  Make sure that written contract comes from a person who operates out of a commercial kitchen and visit that kitchen.  Is it clean, and well organized?  Is there chaos or peace?  Trust me you do not want your wedding catered by someone who is not operating in a clean, well organized commercial kitchen.  And if you experience chaos when you visit – how do you think your wedding will be?
2. Compare Apples to Apples!  Get 3 bids from reputable caterers and be sure you compare the details of these bids.  What is included?  What is the food being served and for how many guests?  How many staff and how many hours will they be there for you?  Will the tables, linens, flatware china and glasses be  included or will you need to get those from someone else.  I remember years ago a bride I was working with insisted on using someone for these items and when the guy pulled up in a dirty pick up truck with dirty glasses, plates, flatware, everything had to be washed by my staff which added to the bride’s cost for our services.  She ended up spending more by insisting that her guy provide these things.
3. Ask for references and do not just get other brides but get references from other industry professionals.  The professionals who provide the best services and make beautiful weddings happen often work within a network of other professionals in the industry.  Phone a local florist and ask who they like to work with when doing weddings.  Check out photographers in the area and ask the same question?  Do talk with at least 2 brides that have used the caterer you are considering and ask them what they liked best about working with this person and what they liked least.  Also ask them when they worked with the person you are considering.  Recent references are the best references because life happens and someone who was great 5 years ago may not be so great today!
4. If you are having any kind of resistance or struggle getting menus, pricing, or follow through from the caterer you are considering this is a big RED flag.  We work with our brides and we love to collaborate.  That said we also know what works and doesn’t work and we want you to be able to relax and enjoy your special day!  We are known for stress free events because when we handle all the details for you, you can focus on you!  Recently we received a call from a woman who was to be married on 11/11/2011.  It was 3 weeks before the wedding and she did not have menus, pricing, or a contract from the caterer she was working with.  She was nervous and worried and with good reason.  By the end of the day she had all of this from us and we are catering her special day!
5. Someone needs to be managing your special day for you.  Brides often try to save money by not having enough staff on site to manage their event.  There’s a lot to do to make a beautiful wedding beautiful, and effortless for the bride.   This is your special day.  An experienced caterer/event planner knows how many people need to be on site to make your event a success.  Ask when they will arrive for your wedding.  A good 90 minutes to 2 hours prior is the rule for most events and if they are not going to be onsite at 4PM for a 6PM wedding you have another big RED flag.  I talked with one bride recently who had a terrible experience; her caterer arrived at the location for the reception 30 minutes before it was to begin.  That’s just not enough time to set up for a wedding.  This is not the place to save money!

At Jennifer’s Kitchen we have planned and catered hundreds of weddings and we would love to talk with you about yours!  Give us a call today!  I would also love to have your feedback on this post.  Has it been helpful for you?  While it’s focused on weddings; you can apply the ideas to any event that you are planning!

I love weddings and love working with couples to create their perfect wedding! There are so many lovely venues available in the Palm Springs area and also throughout the valley. One of the perks of my business is getting to experience the amazing variety of venue options available here.

We have exquisite private homes and estates that are available and many times for these destination weddings things start on Friday night with the rehearsal dinner, continue to the wedding and receptions on Saturday, and then a brunch on Sunday morning.

We just did a wonderful event at the Elrod House in Palm Springs. The Elrod house was designed by John Lautner, an architect that studied with Frank Lloyd Wright and it is an amazing property. Here’s a photo of it and you can see more of it if you Google the Elrod House. The views from this location are stunning and it was a perfect day for a wedding in Paradise!

One of our brides has chosen the O’Donnell house in Palm Springs for her wedding. This house is on the hill side and overlooks the entire valley. It is one of the better known wedding venues in the area.

We have another spring wedding scheduled for the Cree Estate in Cathedral City. This is truly beautiful with lots of space and many options for the ceremony and reception that follows. The Cree Estate is also fairly well known.

And then there are the hidden treasures that I know about because I have lived and worked in the valley for years. Some of these while not as well known as the Cree, O’Donnell or Elrod homes are equally impressive architecturally and beautiful too.

There are also Boutique Hotel venues that are great for weddings. We just catered a wedding at the Movie Colony Hotel in Palm Springs. A couple of my other favorite hotel venues are the Mohave Resort in Palm Desert and the Horizon Hotel in Palm Springs. The Korakia Pension is a fun boutique hotel which is a wonderful wedding venue too!

November 11, 2011 is a popular date for weddings. Spiritually it is a day that represents unity so a perfect choice for a wedding! We have two weddings that day. Both will be at lovely locations in the Coachella Valley. One is in a gorgeous private home in La Quinta and the other a luxurious private estate in Rancho Mirage.

Trust me there is a perfect venue for your perfect wedding and you can find it here! Just share with me what you are looking for in terms of venue and I will share with you my top spots that fit your vision. Then together we can plan the rest of your day from soup to nuts!

Happy Weddings!
Chef Jen