Resolve.

I resolve to be a better business owner.
I resolve to not leave my baby (my blog) alone for this long again.
I resolve to explore new ingredients.
I resolve to take my cooking to even greater heights.
I resolve to have my clients fall in love with my food with every bite.
I resolve to make Culinary Princess Catering the choice catering company in the Los Angeles Area and beyond.
I resolve to pray over my loves, talents and my business daily.
I resolve to maintain a clear, focused, motivated mindset to achieve my goals.
I resolve to help others become successful.
I resolve to curb my fascination with donuts (this might be the hardest one to keep.)

New Years resolutions are corny, or so I have always said.  Maybe I never made them because I never felt truly resolved to do anything mind-blowingly amazing in the past.  Maybe I was afraid of professing my commitments because I was afraid of the accountability that would naturally follow.  Either way, it feels good to have a purpose that I care about enough to make a resolution about.  I look back and read some of my first posts (Passion. and Purpose.) and am overcome with a feeling of being so blessed that I have come this far in such a short amount of time.  I am extremely interested in seeing where a bit of resolve can take me.

Most people say that their New Years resolutions last for a max of six months.  During the warm summer months their lofty plans are faint memories in the recesses of their minds and by the time the festive New Years hats and champagne are broken out once again, they have forgotten what their last resolution was (or they look down at what are still not washboard abs and just keep drinking with a sense of disappointment tinged with self-pity).  My resolutions are not like that.  I resolve to keep my resolve (Ha!  A double resolution.  Beat that! Hehe).

It is only the sixth day of the New Year and I am already on my way to helping several of my goals come to fruition.  Step 1) I am writing this blog entry and apologizing to all of my readers for having been away for way too long.  Not making excuses, but starting a business while going to school is a bit time consuming IJS.  Step 2) I bought some new marinated goat cheese yesterday.  While it may not be a long-named fruit no one has ever heard of, it is still a new-ish flavor.  Gotta give myself kudos for the little things.  Step 3) Culinary Princess Catering has some great new things in the works that I hope will make you smile, and make you hungry (I am mostly banking on the hungry part).  While I have many more steps to take in the pursuit of my goals, I know that I have no choice but to be successful.

Sorry this post doesn't contain a recipe, witty diatribe on the degradation of our society at the hands of fast food or a tip on how to cook like the pros.  But, I hope that my resolve can be contagious.  I pray that your resolutions are more successful than they were last year and that you have found the purpose that makes you want to make a resolution in the first place.

With that I leave you with the immortal words of Drake and Trey Songz... "I just want to be successful"

Turn your resolve into attainable goals, speak life into your dreams and be blessed.

Myths. #2

Myth #2: 
I am too hungry to cook!  When I walk in the door, I know Marie Callender will satiate my tummy grumblings in 5 1/2 minutes.  Why cook when I have Marie?

If you use this myth as an excuse, I am going to be nice and refrain from calling you "lazy."  I will just simply say that you seem to be motivationally challenged when it comes to cooking (Princesses are nothing if not tactful).  You may just be busy or perhaps you are not that great at planning ahead (just being honest).  I get it. 

When I eat dinner, I have a classically trained chef readily available to cook for me (so what if it is me).  I obviously love to cook and love the experience of both feeding myself and nourishing other people's bodies and souls.  However, I do understand that sometimes you are just plain old hungry and need a quick fix.  I know that almost crack addict like urge to reach for a Wendy's #6 when it feels like your stomach just might implode if you don't put something in it.  Indulging your cravings for food in fingertip reach every once in a while is not bad.  This blog is a safe place and you will not find any shame throwing here (not much at least).  However, if you find yourself eating every meal either out of a box from your fridge or from a drive through window, it is time to enroll in the Princess Eating Academy (PEA for short).  Participation is highly recommended before you start seeing Marie and Wendy show up on your thighs.


Don't pay too much attention to the fact that I just made up PEA on the spot or that you just may be the first participant.  The important part is that you learn how to kick your own lazy booty off the couch and into the kitchen by learning how to cook in a way that fits into your lifestyle.  There are three key areas that will help you into recovery from your slothful fingertip food habit.


P: Prep in Advance
If you chop, marinate, or otherwise prepare your food in advance, you could beat Marie's cooking time and have a healthy, home cooked meal.  For example, if you are planning to make a one pot meal, like the Braised Chicken Legs and Thighs in the Myth #1 blog entry, the mirepoix can be chopped in advanced, refrigerated and then just thrown in when you are ready to cook.

Another great option is to purchase a family size package of meat, like chicken breasts, and marinate each breast individually in a ziplock bag overnight in the fridge.  Once they are done marinating, you can toss them in the freezer and then defrost and cook them when you are ready.  Ladies and gentlemen,  you have just created your own frozen meal, no Marie needed.  A great chicken marinade to use is lemon juice, white wine, garlic, cilantro and cayenne pepper.

If you are good with eating leftovers, make food in large batches on the weekend and just eat your readily made food during the course of the week.  Lasagna, casseroles, pot roasts and meat loaf are great things to make in larger quantities that will last well through the week.  As soon as you come in the door, just plate the food, pop it in the microwave and you are ready to go.  I bet you could do that in less that 5 1/2 minutes.  Take that, Marie!

The best part about cooking your own food is that you know exactly what has gone in it.  You don't have to read a package full of ingredients you can't pronounce.  You don't have to pretend you didn't just read that the meal you are about to eat has enough sodium to last you for a month.  You also don't have to feign casual ignorance of the high calorie count of the McDonald's hamburger currently making its way to your mouth.  You can eat healthy food that doesn't have unnecessary hip baggage included as a mandatory side dish.

E: Eat small meals throughout the day
The old school way of eating is three square meals every day.  That worked for many generations.  The problem in our contemporary world is that our sedentary yet hectic lifestyles, combined with easy access to food low in actual nutritional value, has made the old way of eating obsolete.  Many dietary experts recommend breaking up your large meals into smaller meals throughout the day, which means you should snack.  No Mr. Sneaky, I am not talking about snacking on Mike & Ike's (my favorite candy), the McDonald's Dollar Menu or Starbucks Frappuccinos.  Those are all full of empty calories that neither provide much nutrition nor do they give you the energy to tackle your busy day (not to mention the fact that their culinary artistry is so low it isn't even on the scale.)  

Try packing fruit (fresh or dried), nuts, boiled eggs and veggies along with your lunch for work.  You can even take it back to childhood and get creative with fun snacks like ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins).  Snacking will help you stay healthy and should feed the hungry beast in your stomach so you aren't so ravaged when you get home.

A: Accurately manage lifestyle expectations
Let's be realistic.  You aren't going to change your eating habits over night.  Why set yourself up for failure by kicking Marie out of the freezer on Monday and expect to eat only organic, whole grains by Tuesday?  Think of quitting fingertip food like quitting smoking.   People who ditch the cancer sticks cold turkey are usually less successful than those who slowly wean themselves off their addiction.  However, there are multiple ways to slow the fast food hemorrhaging to a trickle.

We aren't talking about cutting down your burger ration from 7 a week to 2 (although that would be a great start).  How about transitioning to healthier burger options and finally cutting back to having fast food be a treat rather than your gastronomic norm?  Not a fast food junkie, but you can't seem to eat anything unless it comes in a plastic dish from your freezer?  Put down the Hungry Man Dinners and pick up healthier options such as Kashi, Amy's, or Trader Joe's frozen meals.  These healthier options are lower in sodium, have better portion control and contain more organic and natural ingredients.  Plus, in my humble opinion, they taste A LOT better.  Keep in mind, even healthier frozen meals should just supplement your growing cooking adventures.


Congratulations on taking the first steps in your PEA program!  I wish you the best of success as you strive to cook more and eat better.

Although not part of the PEA program, there is yet another healthy option: Micro-Catering by Culinary Princess Catering.  You can have a classically trained chef cook your meals for the week and deliver them.  Not only are the meals catered to your specific health and dietary requirements, but the food tastes fantastic.  Micro-Catering is convinient, healthy and scrumpdidlyumptious!

Thanks for working with me to debunk yet another myth and remove a harmful excuse to why you can't cook.

Next Time: Myth #3 "Cooking for myself and family is too expensive!  Don't you know we are in a recession?  Well, if you don't get it, McDonald's understands.  Why else did they invent the Dollar Menu?"

Myths. #1

A wise woman once told me, "Excuses are tools for the incompetent that build monuments of nothingness."  Did you know that some excuses have become so popular, so widely accepted, that they have propagated potentially harmful myths?  Many people have decided to use the same excuses repeatedly about cooking and their actions have have constructed misconceptions that have created monumental barriers for those lay people who want to learn how to cook.  In this blog series, we are going to tear down the myths about cooking.

Myth #1:
Cooking is hard!  It is so arduous and taxing that when I even think about cooking, I can feel the life getting sucked right out of me!

If you were living in 18th century France during the time of Marie-Antoine Carême, or you happened to be Laura from The Little House on the Prairie, this wouldn't be be a myth, it would be a reality.  I may love to cook, but I am not trying to churn my own butter either.  However, in the age of electricity, one pot cooking, and easy access to quality food (for most Americans...don't get me started on the lack of of American nutrition), cooking is much easier than you think.  The problem is in the misconceptions created by overworked home cooks.  For most would-be novice cooks, the image of slaving away over a hot stove for hours while the life drains out of you, puddles on the floor and mixes in with your own sweat and tears keeps you as far away from the kitchen as possible.  While that image does ring a bit true when you speak about professional cooking (gotta keep it real), everyday culinary expression doesn't involve nearly as much melodrama.  In fact, it can be quite pleasurable (don't give me that snarky look.  Yes, I said you can have FUN while you cook). 


Start simply.  When you first begin to cook, you may not have perfect knife cuts or intricately layered flavor profiles, but making yummy, nutritous meals is as easy as 1, 2, 3:


1. Embrace one pot cooking.  One pot cooking not only makes the cooking process easier, but it minimizes the amount of clean up required.  Starting off by making casseroles, lasagna, stews and braised meats will help you gain confidence in your own culinary skills and spark ideas that will help you continue to improve.  These meals tend to be quickly prepared on the stove top and then popped in the oven, which means that you can spend your dramatic slaving away over the stove time on better things, like drinking a glass of wine and dancing around in your underwear to your favorite Beyoncé song (please set a timer so you don't burn the food, you dancing machine you). 


A quick one pot recipe to get you going: Braised Chicken Legs & Thighs (Serves 4) 
Ingredients:

• Chicken Legs & Thighs (attached (4 pcs), or detached (8 pcs).  Skin on)
• Mirepoix: 2 cups onion, 1 cup celery, 1 cup carrot (all rough chopped)
• Herbs: Bay Leaf, Parsley Sprig, Thyme
• White Wine (1/2 c)
• Chicken Stock (enough to cover meat 2/3 up)
• Garlic Cloves (2, rough chopped)
• Cayenne Pepper
• Neutral Oil (enough to coat bottom of pan/pot)
• Salt

Method:

1. Heat a saute pan with oil
2. Season Chicken on both sides with Cayenne Pepper and Salt
3. Place chicken skin side down in the oil and cook until skin is golden brown.
4. Flip the chicken over so that it is skin side up
5. Add Mirepoix, Herbs and Garlic
6. Add White Wine and reduce
7. Add Chicken Stock 2/3 of the way up the Chicken
8. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 40 minutes, or until chicken is done
1. *Note: Chicken is done when it is firm to the touch, 165 degrees F internally, the juices run clear, the joints are loose and the meat pulls away from the bone.
9. Serve the chicken with or without the Mirepoix
10. Enjoy!

2. Educate yourself.  We all know the now cliche adage "knowledge is power."  However corny that may sound, it is very true.  Cooking is about flavor and pleasure, but you cannot evoke an emotional response (the ultimate goal in my opinion), from your diners unless you first understand cooking and its proper techniques.  Only when you move away from being a strict recipe thumper and into the realm of flavor connoisseur, can you truly begin to fall in love with cooking.  


The most traditional way to learn anything is by taking a class.  While I think Culinary School is awesome, the average person just wanting to learn how to make better dinners for their family may not want to devote that kind of time to food.  Luckily, many culinary schools, such as Le Cordon Bleu, offer one-time Master Chef Classes that teach you techniques and new dishes.  Not only will you get to learn from the pros, but you will feel pretty spiffy in a working professional style kitchen.  Culinary School classes too heavy for you?  How about some light and fun ones instead?  There are many different classes, such as HipCooks, that will teach you how to make some great meals in a light and friendly atmosphere.  


If you are more of a bookworm, one of my favorite new books is The Flavor Bible.  While it does not focus on how to cook, it will tell you about various flavor combinations and affinities so that you can walk away from the recipes on the back of the Campbell's Soup cans and start creating your own signature dishes.  Other must haves in your collection are Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Escoffier by Auguste Escoffier, and The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher.  


3. Get a cooking buddy.  Try out your new recipes on a willing participant.  You get to spend quality time with one of your closest friends while cooking for someone who is intently interested in the speedy improvement of your culinary abilities.  You can bounce ideas off of each other while growing as partners in your passion for food.  Cook for each other once a week, alternating weeks.  Step out of your comfort zones and encourage each other when things turn out a little "Cajun" (or burnt for those of you who have never used that excuse).  You can even go grocery shopping and farmer's market hopping together to see what new ingredients you can play with.  Never offering advice I haven't tried myself, my friend John N. and I started doing this when we were neighbors in college.  Not only did we grow closer as friends, but our food got better too!  

Next time: Myth #2: I am too hungry to cook!

Until we meet again, treat the kitchen as your friend, take baby steps to master your food and stay blessed! 

Party. (Catering. Part 2)

In my last post, Catering, I promised to let you in on the top 5 At-Home Catering Secrets you can use to throw a remarkable dinner party.  Always true to my promises, here you go...

Secret #1: Hire Culinary Princess Catering

Yes, this is a shameless plug, but can you blame me?  Since this blog so happens to be written by the owner of Culinary Princess Catering, I have it on good authority that their food is awesome!  Culinary Princess Catering currently offers hot and cold entrees and hors d'oeuvres cooked on site and/or delivered within the Greater Los Angeles Area.  Not limited to just at-home gatherings, we offer culinary and serving options for large and small parties and events as well.  Want great food everyday, but don't want to cook? We also offer personal meal planning and preparation, including recipes that account for special dietary concerns (weight loss, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, just a picky eater etc.).  We will work with your budget and your vision of a desired outcome to produce quality, scrumptious food that you and your guests will love.  For more information, please contact Aleya at Aleya@CulinaryPrincessCatering.com.  I look forward to taking care of your culinary needs in true princess style!

Secret #2: Plan, Double-Check and Re-Plan

A flawless event is not only one where the guests enjoy themselves, but is one where you as the planner enjoys yourself.  One of the ways to minimize time in the kitchen, running to the store or crying in the cupboard is to plan ahead.  Two weeks before the event, plan your menu and create your ingredients list (see Secret #2).  Be sure to take any special dietary restrictions of your guests into account.  One way to avoid your friend's new boyfriend (who she really hopes is "the one") from blowing up like Will Smith in Hitch is to ask on the response card (or e-vite) for your guests to include any food allergies.  This may seem a bit much, but you would be surprised at the things people claim to be allergic to nowadays (allergic to all meat, chocolate and dairy?  Are you allergic to fun too?).

Pre-shop using your ingredient list to determine prices and quantities.  Current ingredient prices may come as a shock and cause you to adjust your menu or recipes according to your budget.  It is better to adjust two weeks out rather than the night before.  Don't get discouraged or try to buy outside of your means.  Keep it simple and you and your pocket-book will be happier.  Besides physically going to the store, one great way to pre-shop is online.  For example, if you sign up for Vons.com online shopping, you can see realistic prices without having to get out of your jammies.  Remember, buying in bulk will save you money, but only if you have a sufficient number of guests to consume the food you buy.  Don't buy 25 lbs of steak because it is a deal at Costco if you only have 4 people coming over (unless they are NFL players or something).  Contrary to popular belief, some "healthy" stores actually have better prices than your normal grocery store and would be worth checking out first.  I am not talking about Whole Foods (better known as Whole Paycheck) or Gelson's.  Think more like Trader Joe's and Sprouts.  Another great place to get inexpensive, but good food is your local Farmers Market.  

Don't forget to include beverages, cooking tools, disposable items and garnish in your budget.  It is the little things that can add up and bite you in your you-know-what when it comes time to actually make the purchase.  Come prepared to the grocery store with a list that has everything you need and use the will power I know you have to avoid picking up anything that is not on the list (yes, even that chocolate.  Go on, put it down). 

Secret #3: Have an "Ohh-Ahh" Menu

People can eat chicken with peas and mashed potatoes any day of the week.  Why not make Braised Chicken with a Chimichurri Sauce, Pommes Duchess and Légumes Glacés?  Sounds better, doesn't it?  It will taste better too.  All you did was add a simple sauce, pipe your mashed potatoes into little flowers (super easy) and toss your veggies in butter and a bit of sugar.  Getting your guests excited about the food you prepare doesn't have to be a difficult task.  Don't try to duplicate the most complicated Julia Child recipe you can find so that your sister-in-law will finally concede that your cooking is better than hers.  First of all, that is just plain petty and you two should find a more constructive way to deal with your differences.  Second of all, over extending yourself will probably blow up in your face (possibly in a quite literal fashion) and leave you the one with the feigned look of indifference at your sister-in-law's next flawless dinner party.  Keep it simple, but add small variations that provide enough of a kick to wipe that smug look off of a certain family member's face.

Your menu should include:

• Appetizers (even if just a cheese and fruit plate or Plateau de Fromages if you wanna get fancy)
• A main protein with a sauce (Ex would be the lovely Braised Chicken with a Chimichurri Sauce that you were getting ready to google)
  
• A starch (Pommes Duchesse, Rice Pilaf, Risotto, Polenta...)
• Veggies
• Garnish (Don't go crazy, just make it look pretty.  Try to stay away from boring parsley.  Not a rule, just a personal request).

If you are plating for your guests, don't be afraid to get creative!  For a reminder of plating tips, check out one of my past blog entries, Sexy.  (Note, the blog entry is called Sexy.  I was not referring to you, although I am sure you look fabulous!)

Secret #4: Prep & Cook in Advance
I know you were probably really looking forward to slaving over that hot stove and then crying to your fairy godmother about it later in true Cinderella fashion, but that drama is not necessary (sorry to ruin your moment).  Most things can be prepared the day before and simply reheated when it is time to serve.  You can just chop the veggies ahead of time and fire everything on the day of, or you can even sear meats in advance.  Please make sure to properly refrigerate and store all items that are prepared ahead of time.  Food poisoning will not get you a gold star as dinner party host, no matter how elegant you think your place cards are. 


Cooking in advance also allows you to look cute, calm and collected when your guests arrive.  Would you rather be poised like Bree from Desperate Housewives or frazzled and overwhelmed like Miranda from Sex and the City?  For this situation, Bree would be a wise choice.  Remember, a dinner party is more than just about the food; it is about an experience.  You want to have the time to enjoy the experience with your guests and avoid stressing out in a kitchen.  Cleaning as you go will also allow you more time laughing about college memories in the dining room and less time cursing out baked-on food in the kitchen. 

Secret #5: Don't Go with the Flow, Have the Flow Go with You
Wouldn't it be a shame to have a gorgeous menu planned out, break out your highly-coveted Louboutins, sear your meat to perfection and then realize that you don't have enough plates to serve the sit-down meal you had planned?  I think I just shed a little tear for you in that unfortunate hypothetical situation.  The good news is that you can avoid mishaps like that by realizing you are in control of the flow of food at your dinner party.  Although you may not like the idea of a steam table buffet line, self-service may be a wise choice if you don't have enough plates for all courses.  If your heart is set on showing off the presentations skills you learned from my blog (hehe), there are several places that will rent plates at a reasonable price.

Besides making sure to have the necessary supplies, timing is critical to your successful party.  Make sure to strategically time and position appetizers, salad, main course and dessert so that they work with the space you have available and don't leave guests wanting.  If you are a planning to be a one person show, be sure that the food is kept at the proper temperature during courses.  Setting a tentative schedule guideline may also be effective in keeping your party running smoothly.


I wish you the best of success at your future dinner party!  Yes, I do expect an invite ;-)

Show your guests what you got, make it look easy and stay blessed TCP Friends!

Catering.

The first of anything is usually a momentous occasion that incites celebration (if it is a good first, that is.  We aren't talking about your first broken arm or your first car crash.  Think positive people).  The first time I learned how to tie my shoe, I remember the high five my mom gave me and there were smiles all around.  The first time I brought home a bonafide paycheck, I placed the stub on my wall and strutted proudly around my room in the new shoes my short-lived earnings gained me.  My first kiss required an initial quizzical look followed by a big-toothed smile and three-way calls to my best friends.  Out of all the firsts in my life, the one currently reigning on the recent Proud Moment Throne is the first official event of my catering company, Culinary Princess Catering.

On Saturday, August 13, Culinary Princess Catering provided the food for my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Eta Lambda Omega Chapter's Mentor-Mentee dinner.  Despite the nerves me and my Sous Chef, Veronica R (A.K.A. Ms. Fabulous) had, the event was a smash hit!  I cannot thank my Sorors enough for attending the event and for all of the loving support you continuously provide.  Not only did the ladies return for seconds and thirds, but many asked for to-go containers.  If that isn't a huge compliment for a chef, I don't know what is!

The menu included Bourguignon d'Agneau (Braised Lamb), Salmon with Mango Salsa and Sweet Honey Sauce, Rice Pilaf aux Champignons (Rice Pilaf with Mushrooms), Haricot Verts with Garlic and Bell Peppers (Green Beans), Plateau de Fromages (Cheese Plate), Spring Salad with Carrots, Apples and Strawberries in a Strawberry Mint Vinaigrette and an Oreo Cookie Cheesecake decorated with Pink Rose Petals and Chocolate Leaves.  Check out the slide show at the bottom of the post for pictures.

While the catering industry would be overjoyed if everyone used a caterer for each event they held, I realize that is not realistic.  So, out of the goodness of my heart, I will let you in on a few secrets to planning a stellar dinner party at your own home...

....in my next post :-)  Stay tuned for the Top 5 At-Home Catering Secrets you can use to throw a remarkable dinner party.  In the meantime, eat well, celebrate your "firsts" and stay blessed!