Happy Fall!  Gourmet Caterers, a full service, Orange County caterer,   would like to help you and yours to celebrate fall this year.  We have a special Corporate Holiday menu we would love to share with you.  Our staff gets excited thinking about the food and fun that the holidays bring to every event.

I visited an event at our sister company, Kosher Gourmet LA at Sinai Temple, on Saturday to experience an event.  It was beautiful.  I am proud to say Congratulations to Ruth & Nina for the success they are making of their new venture.

Our Facebook page shows pictures of many of our events.  I’d like to invite you to follow us on Facebook.  Experience our events by looking at pictures of what we’ve done in the past.  Of course pictures never quite express the beauty and wonder of the actual events.

When you think of catering, remember Gourmet Caterers, we want to be a part of your next event.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States, observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, which was first recorded to have been observed by Freedmen (freed enslaved southern blacks) in Charleston, South Carolina in 1865, at the Washington Race Course, to remember the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War. The recognition of the fallen victims was then enacted under the name Memorial Day by an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War. Over time, it was extended after World War I to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Now known as Memorial Day, it is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Memorial Day often marks the start of the summer vacation season, and Labor Day its end.  Now is the time to plan your Summer Picnic.  Gourmet Caterers is an Orange County Caterer, who loves to serve you great BBQ food at your picnic.

Begun as a ritual of remembrance and reconciliation after the Civil War, by the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as ordinary people visited the graves of their deceased relatives, whether they had served in the military or not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping, family get-togethers, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media events such as the Indianapolis 500 auto race, held since 1911 on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend..

Happy Summer to you and yours.

I’d like to share a little history of how and why we celebrate Mother’s Day.

Contrary To popular belief, Mother’s Day was not conceived and fine-tuned in the boardroom of Hallmark. The earliest tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, and to the offerings ancient Romans made to their Great Mother of Gods, Cybele.  Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honor of Mary, mother of Christ. In England this holiday was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday.

In the United States, Mother’s Day started nearly 150 years ago, when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers. She called it “Mother’s Work Day.”

Fifteen years later, Julia Ward Howe, a Boston poet, pacifist, suffragist, and author of the lyrics to the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” organized a day encouraging mothers to rally for peace, since she believed they bore the loss of human life more harshly than anyone else.

In 1905 when Anna Jarvis died, her daughter, also named Anna, began a campaign to memorialize the life work of her mother. Legend has it that young Anna remembered a Sunday school lesson that her mother gave in which she said, “I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother’s day. There are many days for men, but none for mothers.”

Anna began to lobby prominent businessmen like John Wannamaker, and politicians including Presidents Taft and Roosevelt to support her campaign to create a special day to honor mothers. At one of the first services organized to celebrate Anna’s mother in 1908, at her church in West Virginia, Anna handed out her mother’s favorite flower, the white carnation. Five years later, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution calling for officials of the federal government to wear white carnations on Mother’s Day. In 1914 Anna’s hard work paid off when Woodrow Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday.

At first, people observed Mother’s Day by attending church, writing letters to their mothers, and eventually, by sending cards, presents, and flowers. With the increasing gift-giving activity associated with Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis became enraged. She believed that the day’s sentiment was being sacrificed at the expense of greed and profit. In 1923 she filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother’s Day festival, and was even arrested for disturbing the peace at a convention selling carnations for a war mother’s group. Before her death in 1948, Jarvis is said to have confessed that she regretted ever starting the mother’s day tradition.

Despite Jarvis’s misgivings, Mother’s Day has flourished in the United States.  In fact, the second Sunday of May has become the most popular day of the year  to dine out, and telephone lines record their highest traffic, as sons and daughters everywhere take advantage of this day to honor and to express appreciation of their mothers.

Did you know that:

• There are more phone calls made on Mother’s Day than on  any other day of the year. (Pew Research)
• The number of people calling their moms on Mother’s Day  has declined in recent years due to e-mail and other electronic means of
  communication.
• While nearly 80 percent of Americans will buy a card  for mom this year, 83 percent of the cards will be purchased by daughters.
  (American Greetings)
• Mother’s Day is the third-largest card-sending holiday.
• Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for  restaurants.

And now to share some advice I’m sure you’ve heard at one time or another from your Mother:

• Always change your underwear; you never know when you’ll have an accident.
• Don’t make that face or  it’ll freeze in that position.
• Be careful or you’ll put your eye out.
• What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?
• You have enough dirt behind those ears to grow potatoes!
• Close that door! Were you born in a barn?
• If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.
• Don’t put that in your mouth; you don’t know where it’s been!

Did any of that advice sound familiar, if it did, leave us a comment on our facebook page, www.facebook.com/gourmetcaterers

Give your Mom a hug and don’t forget to tell her how much you love her!

Happy Mother’s Day! 

Crevier Classic Cars is located in Costa Mesa, near the Orange County airport.  Close to 100 privately owned classic, exotic, and rare vehicles are on display providing a timeless backdrop and unparalleled setting for your special event. In addition to the main event space, enjoy the beautifully decorated Ladies and Gentlemen’s lounge awarded the prestigious Calibre Award for architectural design.  The event space can hold up to 300 guests.   This is a great place to hold a Wedding or Corporate Event.

Bella Mar is located on the waterfront of Newport Harbor.  This is one of the only venues in Newport Beach on the water and available for Corporate events or Weddings.  The venue can seat up to 170 guests.  What a perfect venue for all events.  Nearby parking is available.  The staff at this venue is professional but willing to work with you to create the event vision you want to produce.

Euromasters Special Events Center is located in Fountain Valley, right off of the 405 freeway.  It has a contemporary atmosphere.  The venue will hold up to 1200 guests.  This venue is versatile and can be arranged to fit any event you bring to the venue.  From small Corporate meetings to large events, Euromasters can assist with your event.

Every time Gourmet Caterers goes out in to the community to visit venues, we find such versatile venues to share with our clients.  Call us today, 949-293-4688, for additional information on any of these venues.

Gourmet Caterers wishes you a Happy Cinco de Mayo!  What are you going to do to celebrate?  How about some fresh chips and salsa?  A refreshing Margarita? or treat your family and friends to Gourmet Caterers Taco/Tostada Bar or our Sizzling Steak or Chicken Fajitas?  It all sounds good to me!

Cinco de Mayo is literally the fith of May.  It is a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.  It commemorates the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862,  under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín. It is celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla and in the United States.    ”Cinco de Mayo is not a Mexican holiday—it is an American Civil War holiday, created spontaneously by Mexicans and Latinos living in California who supported the fragile cause of defending freedom and democracy during the first years of that bloody war between the states.” Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s Independence Day,  the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico.

Like most holidays the United States celebrates, Cinco de Mayo is an occasion to enjoy eating and drinking.  Gourmet Caterers would like to help you celebrate.  When you place your order, mention this blog and you will receive a complimentary appetizer of chips and salsa  to enjoy with your guests.

Gourmet Caterers say Happy Cinco de Mayo to you and yours!

While surfing today, I came upon this recipe.  It sounded good to me so I thought I’d see if anybody else thinks it tastes good.

The ultimate taco recipe: a double-decker taco with a soft flour tortilla wrapped around a crispy corn taco shell, giving them a crazy texture.

My Oh Maui Fish Tacos

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the jalapeño, chopped red onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. In a small bowl, mash the black beans with the cumin and season with salt and pepper; cover.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil with the honey, hot sauce and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Add the sliced onion, cabbage and cilantro; toss.
3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium. Coat the fish with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the lime peel. Cover and grill the fish, turning once, for 8 minutes.
4. Warm the taco shells and tortillas on the grill. Spread a few spoonfuls of mashed beans (stir 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water into the beans if too thick) on the outside of the tacos, and wrap a tortilla around each one, pressing to adhere.
5. Flake half a piece of fish into each taco shell and top with some cabbage slaw. Serve 2 tacos per person, with the crème fraîche and extra slaw on the side.

Gourmet Caterers would love for you to submit your favorite recipe to share with our readers.  Do you have anything?

It’s that time of year again.  Time to thank the person that is always there for you at work.  They can almost finish your sentences because they know you so well.  Gourmet Caterers wants to make it easy for you to thank all of the administrative employees at your company.  We have put together a menu for you to choose  the way you want to honor your admins.  Please see link below:

Administrative Professional’s Day Menu Special

I think sometimes being an admin is a thankless job.  They feel unappreciated and you need to show them some love.  Just a little encouragement from a boss can make an employees day, week or even year.  Human beings are quick to judge and let others know when something is wrong nut we too often forget to say thank you and you are doing a good job.  So why don’t you join in with the rest of the country and salute your assistant on their special day.

Call Gourmet Caterers to set up your event today before it is too late!

Recipe of the week-

Win A Coffee Break for Your Office!

 Everyone in your office works hard. Administrative Professionals’ Day is April 27, and we want to help you show your staff how much you appreciate them. We’re giving away a coffee break to one lucky office!

You’ll get bagels & muffins and coffee for up to 20 people, delivered to your office on the morning of April 27!

How do you win?

Just ‘like’ us!

We’ll be drawing one lucky winner out of our list of Facebook fans on April 26. That person will win a coffee break for his/her office the next day, to celebrate Administrative Professionals’ Day.

To be in the drawing, simply follow this link and click the ‘like’ button at the top of the page.

http://www.facebook.com/GourmetCaterers

Already a fan? Then you’re already entered!

Remember, the more of your co-workers that enter, the more chance we’re coming to YOUR office!

Thanks for your support – and good luck!

One of the locations we loved was Giracci Winery.  They are located in Silverado Canyon.  This is such a romantic spot to get married.  The venue features a Wine Tasting Room and Oak Tree Court which is located outside the tasting room, and is nestled under oak trees.  This area is large enough for 200 guests.

This venue also would be perfect for a Corporate event such as a picnic or team building event.  The event could start with team building events and finish up with wine Tasting.  Doesn’t that sound like the perfect way to spend the day away from the office?

Next we visited the White House Event Center.  It is located in Anaheim and is the perfect venue for large scale events.  They can host up to 800 guests at this venue which also includes the West Wing Room.  The West Wing Room has a more intimate Night Club feel.  

As a bride can you imagine being dropped off in the limo in front of the White House?  What great pictures and memories this would create.  The interiors of both sections of the venue lend themselves to both weddings and corporate events. 

Call us to discuss your next event and Gourmet Caterers will help you find the perfect venue

Do you have a favorite recipe to share? Send it to nancy@gourmetcaterers.net and we’ll feature it on our blog. Have you made one of our suggested recipes? Let us know what you thought!

Here are a few suggestions:  An Asian Noodle Salad,

Tarragon-Rubbed Salmon Salad, consisting of Salmon, Lettuce, Red Onion and Mandarins, with Nectarine Dressing.  That sure sounds refreshing to me, how about you?

Cool, crisp and refreshing, salads are the answer to your Summer eating needs.