 |
The April showers that have rolled in during the past few weeks have graciously left behind greener hills, bundles of gorgeous flowers all along the Coast as well as incredible locale produce such as Artichokes, Vine-Ripened Tomatoes and Asparagus that our team loves shopping for at the many Farmers Market’s we’re all so lucky to have easy access to!
AN IMPORTANT ADDITION TO OUR TEAM HAS SPROUTED!
April also marks the very exciting introduction of our new Executive Chef, Steven Hazell
 ANNOUNCEMENT: We are excited to announce the appointment of Steven Hazell, CEC as CateringUnlimited.com and Epic Weddings Executive Chef. We went on an extensive search for the right individual to grow our business. In Steven, we are confident we have found the right man for the job. We are excited for our clients and vendors to meet Steven.
Chef Steven is a master of well prepared, beautifully presented foods with over 20 years experience. His resume includes posts at Citrus, Sun Valley Resort, Rubicon and Trotters in Chicago. Steven was the chef/owner of Mosaics in SLO, which was awarded best new Central Coast restaurant by Gourmet Magazine and he was honored as Best New Chef in 2000. He graduated with honors from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco in 1988, attended the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and instructed at the Paso Robles Culinary Academy. He has participated in the Aspen food and wine show, the Monterey wine festival, the Central Coast Wine Classic, and the Bite of Los Angeles and San Francisco. He is a Certified Executive Chef awarded by the American Culinary Federation and a Maitre Rotisseur in the Chaine de Rotisseurs. Chef Steven looks forward to meeting you for a tasting at our bridal showroom.
Welcome Steven!
Ryan Comerford, President/CEO
- - -
SPANISH WINE PAIRING CHALLENGE FOR OUR NEW CHEF
To better introduce Steven to our very tight knit team (including our partners at Broad Street Events Group) we planned a Wine and Food Tasting (imagine that!) to put his skills to the test and also allow Fine Wine Specialist, Nikki Pallesen of THWG to bring it up a notch with a fun and educational flight of wines. The theme we decided on for this event was SPAIN! The wines were chosen and very limited information about the wines, other than general tasting notes were submitted to Steven… He without hesitation and beyond expectation stepped up the challenge! The pairings were heavenly and edible proof of what our team and our clients can now expect from us! This Chef can bring it to the table literally and we have already had requests to do in-home Food and Wine Pairings!! What a killer way to celebrate a special event or birthday?
Since you couldn’t be there, we thought it would be very kind of us to include you in on the tasting though this issue with some great pictures, recipes, pairings and more info on the wines of Spain and why they are THE bargain of Spring to seek out at local restaurants or wine shops! Plus what to TOUCH, SEE and HEAR this Spring! Enjoy! |
| Our Spanish Tasting…
Chef Steven brings an exceptional amount of experience to the team. When asked to contribute to our wine tasting - he thought for a moment and said, "tell me the wines and I will create the compliments". Here is one of his offerings:
Chilled Tomato Soup with Melon
by Executive Chef, Steven Hazell
The flavor of this smooth tomato soup is reminiscent of gazpacho—until you get to the melon garnish, which takes its inspiration from Asia. |
|
| Ingredients: |
| 2 |
Pounds tomatoes, coarsely chopped (see Hints) |
| ¼ |
Cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil |
| 6 |
Basil leaves, plus small sprigs, for garnish |
| 2 |
Garlic cloves, minced |
| 2 |
Tablespoons red wine vinegar |
| ¼ |
Teaspoon sugar |
| - |
Salt and freshly ground pepper |
| ½ |
European seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise |
| ½ |
Of a seeded fresh red pepper |
| ¼ |
Teaspoon of cayenne pepper |
| ½ |
Small melon, such as cantaloupe or honeydew, plus a wedge of seedless watermelon |
| Directions: |
| 1. |
Place all ingredients into a food processor for 1 minute. Pass the soup through the fine disk of a food mill into a medium bowl to remove the tomato seeds and skin. Chill the soup in the refrigerator or quick-chill it by setting the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water. |
| 2. |
Using a small melon baller, scoop a total of 20 balls from the cucumber and melons. Alternatively, cut the cucumber and melons into 1/2-inch dice. Pour the soup into bowls. Garnish with the melon and cucumber balls and the basil sprigs and serve. |
Make Ahead : |
| The tomato soup can be refrigerated for 1 day. It gets better on the second day. |
| Hints: |
| In winter, when most tomatoes are not very flavorful, plum tomatoes will still be good in this recipe |
Epic Weddings @ CateringUnlimited.Com has created a blog! Please hit the image above to link to our site. The blog is an opportunity to share with our clients and friends what we have been up to. Check it out! |
| by Ryan Comerford |
The Savings in Spanish Wines!
by Nikki Pallesen |
Wow! The wines from our recent tasting were such rock stars and most weighed in around $10-15 per bottle retail! Here are a few blurps about the team’s favorite wines we tasted and the inside scoop on where you can find the wine locally (in addition of course, to booking an event with us).
Celebrate Spring with these incredible wines! |
| Juve y Camps | Brut Cava '04 | $20 |
 Founded in 1847, this is one of the oldest cava houses in Spain. The grapes used in the blend are Macabeo 40%, Xarel-lo 20%, Parellada 40%. Straw yellow with a golden sparkle., this wine has a chalky/stony aroma and tart apple fruit with a bone dry finish. Made JUST like Champagne and for a ¼ of the price!!! FIND @ : Head to 15c Wine Shop & Bar located in Templeton (off Vineyard, next to Trader Joe’s to) grab a few bottles ASAP!! |
| Vina Silas Naia | Verdejo '07 | $12 |
| From the oldest vines of its kind on earth!! A gorgeously aromatic white made from 100% Verdejo. From the region of Rueda, and “Summer in a Glass”, this wine has pretty lemon and honeysuckle notes. Crisp and refreshing. FIND @: Monterey Street Wine Company in downtown SLO or in North County at 15c Wine Shop & Bar. |
| A Borja Borsao | Garnacha '07 | $9 |
 From Campo de Borja this is what we call “Spanish Party Wine!”, “BBQ Wine!” and “A Wicked Good Deal!” How do they do it? Harsh climate, poor soils and 100% |
|
| A Borja Borsao | Garnacha '07 | $9 |
| Old Vine Garnacha – aka: Grenache! You will pick up fun Cherry, Orange Skin and Mocha flavors. FIND @: Monterey Street Wine Company in downtown SLO or in North County at 15c Wine Shop & Bar. |
Finca Luzon Luzon
Monastrall & Syrah | $10 |
65% Monastrall (mon-uh-strawl) and 35% Syrah, this wine is from Jumilla (hoo-me-uh) and another ridiculous value! Blueberry, spicebox and just a straight forward, clean juiciness. FIND @: Sip on this by the ½ Glass or Full Glass at Novo or to enjoy at home, pick up a bottle (or a case!) at Monterey Street Wine Company in downtown SLO or in North County at 15c Wine Shop & Bar. |
Alto Moncayo “Moncayo”
Garnacha '06 | $60 |
 Back to Campo de Borja, home of the Borsao, this is a very culty and hard to find wine!! From Vines over 90 years old and made with every luxury possible, this wine is super layered and soooo good! Berry preserves, graphite (think pencil lead), with smoky Indian spices and plum… 93 pts Stephen Tanzer and 93 pts from Robert Parker!! FIND @: If you can hunt down the teeny tiny wine bar on Morro St that is opening in a matter of days – do it! Granada Bistro is offering this CULT wine on their list for FAR less than restaurants in LA that charge twice as much! Also reach out to the wine shops listed above to special order the wine for you. VERY LIMITED! |
| Wild Flowers… |
 |
Wild Flowers on Highway 58 East (Santa Margarita).
~ Rolling Hills covered in nothing but wild flowers.
Photo by Mike Larson Photography
Great for Engagement Photos!!! |
| by Claire Adler |
Spring Concerts
by Gayle Powers
What better way to get through your week or end it for that matter than to relax with family and friends. A nice option is listening to live music at the local concerts in the park. Almost every day of the week starting in June there are concerts in parks all throughout the County. Best of all - they’re FREE! You should find a good excuse to enjoy a picnic, sip some vino and enjoy the groovy tunes of local artists. For many reasons, this is undoubtedly my favorite time of the year. It is a time to relax when you think your week is crammed full with appointments. All of the concerts have food and beverages (non-alcohol & Beer and Wine) for purchase. At some locations, you can bring your own. The great thing is that they’re at a park, usually with a playground, making this a family affair. Here are the days and locations of what’s out there:
Tuesday:
Atascadero Lake Park - "Tuesdays in the Park" BBQ 5-7, Music 7-8 PM
Wednesday:
Gazebo at the downtown Templeton City Park - 6:30 - 9:30 PM
Thursday:
Mitchell Park, Osos & Buchon St (near downtown) 7 - 8 PM
Friday:
San Luis Obispo - Downtown "Concerts in the Plaza-2009" - 5:30 - 7:30 PM Concert Information Page |
|
| Paso Robles - Downtown "Twilight Concerts in the Park" - 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Avila Beach (part of their Farmers Market) Beach Promenade 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Saturday:
Atascadero Lake Park - "Saturday Concerts in the Park" 6:30 - 8:30 PM
Avila Beach Promenade- "Afternoons in Avila-2009" 1 - 5 PM (From 6/7 - 7/12
Sunday:
Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach usually hold them on alternating weekends
Arroyo Grande - Downtown Gazebo Park selected afternoons
Avila Beach - Salisbury Vineyards offers a free concert every other
Grover Beach - Ramona Garden Park - "Sizzlin Summer" selected afternoons
Templeton - Castoro Winery - free monthly "Lazy Locals" concert once a month (May bring food. Must purchase any alcohol on site.)
My favorite is the Templeton Park on Wednesdays, just the mid week break I need. These Concerts are “jammed-packed", so make sure you claim your spot early! Hope to see you all there! |
|
REMINDER FOR BRIDES AND GROOMS ON THE BIG DAY:
Don't forget to eat in the morning, mid-day and in the evening. Even if you only snack a little. Be sure to stay hydrated. Not just with Champagne!!!
Here at Epic Weddings @ CateringUnlimited.com we have been offering a Complimentary Breakfast for the Bride and Groom the morning of the wedding. We will deliver it to them where ever they are staying to help assure they eat and drink a little something to keep them healthy and strong on this very special day. We also have been offering a Complimentary Hors Oeuvre tray for the Bride and Groom following the ceremony. This is an aspect of the wedding the bride and groom usually miss because they are busy taking photos. So, not only do we want to keep our Bride and Groom feed, we do not want them to miss out on any special features of their wedding. |
 Raw & BBQ Oysters that Steven put together to pair with Spanish Wines. |
Mike Larson, Beau Kramer and
Ryan Comerford. |
 Aromatic Examples prepared by Nikki Pellesen. |
Executive Chef Steven Hazell talks to the Kramer's about his choice in food selection for the event. |
| Photo's by Mike Larson |
|
