An Elegant Challenge: Catering for a Cause

I’m always trying to push the boundaries of my talents to their furthest possible limits by embracing new challenges with open arms. This weekend was no exception as I chopped, sliced and diced my way through catering a fundraising event for 35 people.

Hosting dinner parties for a small gathering of friends is a very different experience to catering for strangers in an unfamiliar kitchen. People in the past have asked me to cater events before, but I have always respectfully declined because of the amount of time that’s required to pull off such a feat. It was a few weeks ago when I received a request from a friend who is on the board of a local cause I support. He asked if I would be interested in lending my culinary talents for a small fundraiser event. Of course, I quickly accepted. I figured it would be a fun way to give back and have a little fun in the process.

To say I was a little nervous about cooking for 35 people would be the understatement of the century. I was worried about forgetting something, burning the house down, or the dreaded running out of food. The part I had going for me was the host selected most of the menu based on the recipes featured in this blog. For the few curve balls that were thrown into the menu, I turned to my good friend Mary. She owns a food shop and writes a blog called Food o’ del Mundo.  Her recipes have been crazy tested for consistency and I knew I could trust her judgment. Her apple chutney and oatmeal craisin cookies were a huge hit with the guests.

The evening was a huge success, and the food looked and tasted amazing. There would have been no way I could have pulled it off without help from Brent and our friend James. Their support with setting up and serving during the party was a real key to making everything look effortless. Many people asked if I would ever consider catering full time. It was an honor to be asked, but as usual, I respectfully declined. Would I do it all over again if given the chance? Absolutely…but let’s just say…I won’t be quitting my day job anytime soon.

The Menu:

• Mini Roasted Chicken Sandwiches with Apple Chutney
• Tuscan Style Meat Selections
• Classic Cheese Platter
• Warm Artichoke and Spinach Dip with Pretzel Chips
• Roasted Tomatillo Salsa with Corn Chips
• Honey, Pear and Gorgonzola Crostini
• Mango, Papaya and Strawberry Salad
• Roasted Shrimp Cocktail Shots
• Sundried Tomato Dip with Crudités
• Assorted Premium Fruit
• Chocolate Chip Cookies, Snickerdoodles, Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Authors Note: Out of the hundreds of things I could have forgotten that night, the one and only item was my camera. Thankfully I was able to capture some pictures with my iPhone. They aren’t nearly as vibrant as they would have been normally, but still quite pretty. Check out more photos from the event on my Flickr page.

 Print This Recipe  Subscribe to Culinary Cory