Catering Melbourne Blog

Cold Food Platters for corporate catering in Melbourne

GOURMET CANAPÉS PLATTER (COLD)
Choose from an assortment of our gourmet items:
Goats Cheese Tartlet with Caramelised Onion and Spinach
Cajun Spiced Prawn with Yellow Cream
Profiteroles filled with Leek and Cheese
Mini tart with Rustic roasted pumpkin, roasted capsicum, ricotta & black olive
Duck rice paper roll: light and fresh with vegetables and roasted Peking duck
Prosciutto, gruyere cheese and sage tartlet
Roasted sweet potato and caramelised onion in a tartlet bite
Sautéed mushroom & roasted tomato baked with a whole egg & herbs
Parmesan and Pesto stuffed Green Olives Marinated in Mediterranean Olive Oil
Lamb and Pine-nut Kofta
Dates stuffed with Mascarpone, Blue Cheese and Walnut
Mini Peppers Stuffed with Fetta Cheese & Mediterranean Olive Oil
Rice Paper Roll with Prawns (or chicken) and fresh Vegetables
Three delicious mini frittatas - Zucchini, Bacon & Carrot; Corn, Mushroom & Spinach and Pumpkin & Capsicum
Assorted premium sashimi and nigiri

Starts from $58 for a platter of 20 (min. 10 items of a kind)

Australian consumers need not be concerned about contracting so-called ’swine flu’ by eating pork products, says Australian Pork Limited (APL), the national representative body for Australian pork producers.

The global concern with swine flu has been declared as not being a food-borne safety issue by leading world and local health organisations.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say “swine flu viruses are not transmitted by food”.

The World Organisation for Animal Health Director General Bernard Vallat described the virus being dubbed ’swine flu’ as in fact a ‘cocktail’ of four different strains. “There is no proof that this virus, currently circulating among humans, really is of animal origin. There is no element to support this.”

One of the most important aspects of planning a wedding is deciding on your catering services. Your wedding is the most important day of your life, and you want everything to be perfect. You may be asking yourself questions like ג€œShould I do a sit-down dinner or a buffet?ג€ or ג€œWhat costs are included and what costs are additional?ג€ Although cost is no doubt a factor in your decision, it’s also important that you keep quality in mind when hiring a Denver caterer for your special day. In this article, we’ll explore three major considerations you should be aware of when hiring a Denver catering company: experience, quality, and flexibility.

Select a Melbourne Caterer That Offers Experience

If you want your wedding to be just as you planned it, you should choose an experienced caterer that takes the time to get to know you and understand what you are looking for. Seek out a company that has a long history and demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction. It’s okay to ask your caterer for photos of previous events, or ask to speak to former clients for referrals. An experienced Denver caterer will be able to provide all the information you’ll need in order to determine their level of experience.

Select a Melbourne Catering Company That Offers Quality

Caterers with experience will go over every detail of your wedding event, and work with you to adhere to a schedule that will work with the timing of the event, from set-up to take-down. They will also emphasize the quality of the ingredients they use in the food they prepare and serve. Whether your having a sit-down dinner, a buffet, or a combination of the two, you want to feel confident that you, your spouse-to-be, and your guests are receiving the highest quality service and highest quality food. The best caterers believe that the food for an event tastes best when it’s prepared as close to the time it is consumed as possible. If you agree, you should look for a Denver catering company that offers on-site cooking. Caterers that offer on-site cooking will have grills, burners, and ovens, so that that they will be able to set up temporary kitchens at almost any location.

Select a Melbourne Caterer That Offers Flexibility

You’ll want to make sure that the caterer you select offers a wide variety of services to ensure that the vision of your wedding day dream becomes a reality. If you want to create a custom catering menu, you’ll want to find a caterer that offers a variety of cuisines and menu options, such as Spanish, Italian, Mediterranean or Asian Fusion. Some catering companies employ professional and experienced chefs that can even replicate a family recipe for your guests.

A great caterer will work with you to create a customized menu that considers your individual needs, event theme, and even decorations. In addition to a customized menu, you may benefit from a caterer that offers full wedding planning and coordination. Here are some other services you may want to ask your caterer to provide:

Rehearsal dinner
Post-Wedding Day brunch
Bridal Shower
D©cor
Flower arrangements

You should also inquire about rental equipment such as canopies, tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, and decor.

Regardless of what type of food or what dining arrangement you choose for your wedding, make sure that you select a Denver catering company that can provide the experience, quality, and flexibility you need to create an unforgettable culinary experience at your wedding.

In the modern era, any event whether it would be a traditional, social, corporate, political or any type of celebration, is uncompleted without offering a delicious food. When the food is to be supplied to the mass, it would not be possible for the normal domestic people to arrange the catering. There are many occasions takes place in the life like wedding, corporate parties, cultural functions etc. where large amount of people are being invited and offered quality food to make the event memorable. It becomes highly necessary to look for the services of a professional and highly reputed catering services who is expert in handling various types of food catering like wedding catering, corporate catering, birthday catering etc. A renowned catering agency is not only an expert in supplying the food as per the menu offered but also handles the entire catering event successfully. You can find them either through the reference of other people or through the media advertisement. First of all they would like to know about the number of invitees, budget, venue etc and based on this information, he prepares a suitable menu with the help of the host. The menu should be appropriate to the occasion and the prevailing season, should be able to cater the need of all the invitees. The menu should offer the most likable edible varieties preferred by the mass. The addition of seasonal delicacies would make the menu more acceptable by the guests. It should offer a moderate taste to meet the general requirement of the large amount of invitees. Moreover the expert caterer has to care about the sufficient quantity of quality food that should not face any kind of shortage.

It is also important that the caterer is preparing the food using quality supplies of raw materials. If the vegetable and other food items are not prepared from the fresh supplies, it might spoil the taste of the food. The professional and efficient catering services would always be cautious about the current trend of the food supply into the region so that every visitor could have enjoyed great varieties of food. The best catering service provider would not only supply the food preparation but also handle the entire arrangements for the event inclusive of inviting the guests, to organize the comfortable sitting arrangements for them, food serving by their well trained staff using quality catering equipments and serving accessories, cleaning of the venue and removing the leftover etc. The catering agency offers the complete packaged deal within the stipulate budget so as to save the host from the heavy expenses.

Quality and professional catering agency is the prime requirement to make any social, traditional, cultural, corporate or political event successful as we have a tradition to offer delicious food to all the guests and invitees. A professional catering agency understands the requirement of superior and contemporary menu to make any occasion memorable and perfect. They take great care while designing the menu keeping in mind the budget of the host, the number and types of guests, the current trend of the menu as per the season and demand and to prepare quality edible varieties that suits the taste of everybody. You can find highly reputed and renowned catering services either through the personal contacts or through any media advertisement. Always prefer the catering agency that is nearby the venue so that they can offer the catering supplies in time. A professional catering contractors save lot of time and cost effective catering services when engaged for a particular event. Some catering agencies only provide the food supply and host has to shoulder other responsibilities to make the suitable sitting and serving arrangements for the guests. And some of them are known for their abilities to handle the complete catering event with grace. They involve themselves in every catering activity to make the event memorable and successful. Their main task is to cater every need of various types of guests satisfactorily. They offer excellent serving services with the help of their well trained staff who organizes systematic food servings to everybody. For every food catering event, it is very necessary to serve delicious, fresh and warm food to the guests. The food supply is not appreciated by the invitees if it is not as per the required standard. The catering agency has to employ various modern catering equipments and accessories to offer the most efficient services to the event.

They always prepare sufficient food supplies to ensure there should be no shortage of any edible varieties. Once the catering event is over the catering agency would wind up the event with dismantling all sitting arrangements, cleaning the venue and removing the leftovers. Every catering events are different in nature like wedding catering, birthday celebration catering, anniversary catering, social, cultural, traditional caterings, corporate and political catering and the menu is prepared inclusive of popular food items suitable to the event and current trend. The demand of unique catering services are very high during the wedding catering as everyone wants to make the event memorable and the host is not normally hesitant in spending little extra than the budget to please all the guests with some exceptional edible varieties.

Most people who love specialty coffee drinks eventually purchase an espresso maker. With a good one, you can make all your favourite drinks in the comfort of your own kitchen and try out a new recipe or two. Since this is a large investment, you should spend some time learning about these machines before you buy. Learn about the features available and then read some reviews to find the best machine for your home.
?
Common Types of Espresso Maker
?
Manual Espresso Makers
Manual machines require you to do all the work. You measure and grind the beans, tamp the grounds and brew the coffee. These are the least expensive machines. Some avid espresso drinkers will only use a manual machine.

Semi Automatic Machines
Semi automatics do some of the work for you. You adjust the water temperature and pressure. Grind and tamp the beans and the machine will do the rest. They are more expensive than a manual machine, but much more affordable than a fully automatic model. These machines are a good first cappuccino maker.

Automatic Machines
Automatic machines do the whole job for you. All you need to do is add the water and the beans. With the touch of one button, you will have a great cup of your favourite java drink.

Super Automatic Machines
Super automatics do everything from grinding and tamping the beans to the finished product. They pre infuse the beans with water for more flavour than other machines. The entire process is faster than regular automatics. These machines are often found in restaurants and coffee bars.
?
Great Espresso Maker Features
The features vary from machine to machine. When comparing two models, look at the features included with each to determine which will suit your needs better.

Bean Grinder
More expensive machines often have a built in grinder. The beans are ground for each individual cup. This results in more flavour from the oils inside the beans. The drink will taste fresh with this feature.

Milk Frother
For cappuccino or latte drinks, you will need a frother. This can either be a frothing wand or a separate milk container. More expensive models have a container.

Pod Compatible
Pods are small packets that consist of a filter material on the outside and ground beans on the inside. The pods are pre measured for one cup. Just put the pod in the machine and brew your coffee. Most people either love the pods for the convenience or hate them and lament the bitter taste.

Water Filter
Some of the more expensive machines have a built in water filter to remove chlorine or other chemicals from the water prior to brewing. These are mostly carbon filters. If your water is heavily chlorinated, you will notice the difference with a built in filter.

Cup Warmer
A cup warmer keeps the cup warm before brewing. This results in a hotter drink. This feature is usually located on the top of the machine.

Hot Water Dispenser
Some machines have a separate valve for dispensing hot water. This feature is great for making tea or hot chocolate. Most machines used in commercial establishments have this feature.

Some Other Things to Consider

o Steel or brass machines are best. Some people detect an aftertaste with aluminium machines.
o Look at the pump pressure on home coffee makers. More powerful pumps work will with finer grounds. You should have a minimum of 14 bars or more for pump pressure.
o Look for a removable water tank. This is easier for cleaning or emptying and will prevent stagnant water from collecting at the bottom of the tank.

To someone who is just learning to cook, this topic may seem like one of the hardest meals you will ever have to prepare. Needless to say, if youג€™re having a turkey thereג€™s usually company involved which means a number of hungry people are relying on you to prepare a great meal. This can be very intimidating. Luckily we have all the information you need, in order to ensure a great meal for you, your friends and your family. In order to successfully carve a turkey, you will need to have the following pieces of equipment: One warm serving platter A pair of kitchen scissors An electric knife or a large slicing knife (you may want to choose a manual knife since they provide more control than electric ones) A small carving knife or fork for arranging and serving the meat Now that you have the equipment you need to carve the turkey, follow these steps in order to become a turkey carving expert: Leave the turkey to sit 20-30 minutes after roasting and before carving. This will make the meat moister and easier to cut. After the turkey has sat for the time indicated above, transfer the turkey onto a cutting board; this is where you will begin carving the turkey. Remove the Leg: To do this, hold the drumstick firmly with your fingers and gently pull the meat away from the body of the turkey. While doing this, cut through the skin between the leg and the body. Next, cut through the joint joining the leg to the backbone. Then separate the drumstick and thigh by cutting downwards through the joint, until the knife hits the cutting board. Slicing the Drumstick (Leg) Meat: Once you have detached the leg from the rest of the body, you will want to slice the meat. Hold the drumstick in an upright position and turn the drumstick in a circular motion while cutting downwards. This will produce tasty slices of meat which are approximately equal size. Slicing the Thigh Meat: When slicing thigh meat, you want to hold it close to the plate and secure it so it does not move. For best results when cutting thigh meat, make sure your knife is parallel to the bone and cut downwards towards the plate in slow, steady motions. Slicing the Breast Meat: Make a deep cut into the breast of the turkey towards the body frame, as close to the wing as you can. Starting at the front of the turkey (about halfway up the breast) start cutting downwards, parallel to the cut you made to the wing. Only cut enough meat as you think necessary for the amount of people. Uncut meat will stay fresher longer. Serve the Turkey: place all the slices of meat in an attractive manner on a large platter and serve to your guests. * Note: Remove stuffing from the turkey either by taking it out of the hole made where the leg was removed or by making a new hole in the neck and taking it out from there. Mike Lansing contributes as an editor for CookingSchools101.com which offers information on Culinary Schools and obtaining a Culinary Degree for those wishing to enter the trade.

Cafe fires off waste for taste

Newcastle’s latest inner-city coffee house offers lattes that do not weigh heavily on one’s conscience. Behind Sprocket Roasters’ funky face its owners use innovative green technology to roast organic coffee beans on site, at the corner of Watt and Hunter streets. The rugged appearance of the furnace is in stark contrast to the chic fit-out of the cafe’s front of house with its retro furniture and prints to create an intimate escape from the city. There is also a record player for customers to play DJ. “We roast the beans on site using a combustor to burn waste from the cafe and surrounding offices. The heat from it is used to roast the beans,” one of four business partners, Nick Ciavarella, said. Their patented technology is believed to be a first for the Hunter and attracted a lot of interest at the Royal Easter Show where their beans won a bronze medal. The company, originally called Precision Roasting and Drying, attracted $64,000 government funding to help commercialise its product. Newcastle Herald, April 27

Zen offerings in sleepy suburbia

Sydney has some amazing Japanese restaurants, but who would have thought that one of the best would turn up deep in suburbia, in sleepy Woolwich. It’s hard not to be impressed by Koi. From the moment you ring to make a booking and encounter the silky accent of the French matre d’, until the time when you pay the bill, the experience is entirely elegant and impressive. Indeed, partly because the restaurant is enclosed, with no view of the outside world, and partly because the dining room - with its water features, sushi bar, lacquer work and exposed wooden beams - looks so authentically Japanese, you feel as if you have been transported magically to Japan. The mains aren’t enormous, but they are enticing. They include wagyu with sesame reloute, pear and shiitake and miso duck breast with roasted beetroot and grilled silver cod with ginger zucchini flowers and caramel-dressed watercress. A “coral” sushi roll - comprising crab, scallops, salmon and cucumber ($21), from a huge list of sushi combinations - is certainly not cheap, but generous and perfectly executed. The wine list is good and there are several Japanese beer options at fair prices. Sunday Telegraph, April 19

Wine front

When the 2004 vintage of Penfolds Grange Shiraz is released on Friday, expect it to fly out the door—even when priced from $549 per bottle (from major liquor outlets). It isn’t the most expensive new release (Chris Ringland Shiraz is almost twice the price) and Grange wines aren’t quite the profitable investment they once were but, when it comes to big-price Aussie bottles, nothing matches the label’s pulling power. It has immense flavour and character, and manages to blend ultra-smoothness with a distinct sturdiness. Wine lovers will be marvelling at it in 50 years. Of course, Australia is lucky Grange exists at all. A few years after winemaker Max Schubert created the first vintage (in the early 1950s), Penfolds management ordered him to stop. They thought its flavour was so concentrated, no one would want to drink it. Incredibly, Schubert and his team disobeyed the order, hiding its production behind fake walls in the cellars. Schubert knew what he was doing—creating a wine that needed to be aged to become magnificent. It’s a fair guess he’d have loved the 2004. Sunday Telegraph magazine, April 26