Hugh Groman Catering and Greenleaf Platters
April 2009 Newsletter
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THANK YOU
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We
wanted to express our appreciation to those of you who have positively reviewed
us on local websites such as YELP and the Berkeley Parents Network.
These local sites are crucial to our success, and we notice an increase in business when you add a review.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
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Staff Spotlight
Nicole Hodge
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 We are happy to feature Nicole Hodge in this month's staff spotlight. Nicole has been a huge help over the last few years, both in our prep kitchen and at events . She always comes to work with good energy and a positive attitude. She has been flexible with her schedule, willing to work when we need her most. Above all, Nicole has a great personality and sense of humor, and we love having her around. When not working with us, Nicole's hobbies are traveling, hiking, gardening and making dinners with and for friends. She's a bay area native and an avid reader. She also volunteers at Project Open Hand and loves her dog, named Chicken, who is EXTREMELY cute. On top of all that Nicole finds time to work as a personal chef and substitute teach at a preschool. Nicole recently turned 30, a birthday she celebrated while swimming with sharks in Mozambique. Nicole shares the following about working at HGC GLP: "I've worked in Hugh's kitchen for years and its the best kitchen I've ever worked in. I love the staff, I love being called "lamby" (Hugh's term of endearment for his friends and family), and I was one of the few lucky people to meet President Obama at one of HGC's parties last year." |
Questions or comments?
E-mail us at nina@hughgromancatering.com
or call 510-647-5165.
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Message from Hugh
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It sure is easy to get caught up in fearful thinking these days. I've had phases over the last year where I really let the negativity get to me. It's hard to avoid being afraid when the media is so full of stories about what might happen and people all around us are losing their jobs.
I just want to say to all of you that there is always hope around the corner and that there are silver linings everywhere we look. When the economy was booming, many of us were working so hard we barely had a moment to enjoy ourselves or connect with the people in our lives. I don't want to downplay the hardships some of us our facing. I do know I feel a more profound gratitude for every customer that calls, and a deeper sense of humility in the face of turmoil and uncertainty. My strategy has been to focus on what we have always tried to do, which is to give our customers the most delicious food and the best possible service. So far, our strategy is working, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving our customers, old and new. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Sincerely,
Hugh
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Featured Recipe - Makes 40 cupcakes
Carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Adapted from Linda Goldstone's famous recipe
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 CUPCAKES
22 ounces granulated sugar
15 ounces all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups corn oil
6 large eggs
1 3/4 pounds grated carrot -- carrots should be weighted AFTER peeling and grating
1 cup walnut pieces
1) Whisk dry ingredients together, breaking up any lumps of baking soda or sugar. Grate carrots.
2) Whisk eggs together and slowly whisk oil into eggs.
3) Add in dry ingredients, carrots and walnuts all at once to egg/oil mix and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined.
4) Scoop batter into full sized cupcake cups, filling paper cups about 2/3 full to allow for rising.
5) Bake at 350 degrees around 30 minutes or just until puffed and colored
and the tops just barely spring back when touched gently. Don't
overbake!
6) Frost with cream cheese frosting.
FROSTING
1 pound cream cheese
1.5 sticks unsalted butter, softened
10 ounces confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1) Cream cream cheese and butter together gently in the mixer. To avoid lumpy forsting, have the cream cheese and butter at room temperature.
2) Add vanilla.
3) Add confectioner's sugar gradually until thoroughly combined. If your
frosting is lumpy you can pass it through a fine mesh screen if you
have that kind of tool.
For conversions between weight and measure, click here. |
Quick Tip - Salad Dressing
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Why do some salad dressings hold together and others separate? If you like to make your own salad dressing, we have a few tips for you. First of all, room temperature ingredients work better if you want a good emulsion (a homogenous bond between oil and water.) Secondly, mix all your ingredients except the oil first with a whisk in a bowl, and then SLOWLY whisk in the oil. The key is adding just a drop of oil to start, whisking it in, and then slowly and gradually adding the rest. Adding natural emulsifiers like roasted garlic, dijon mustard or brown sugar before adding the oil help make a more stable emulsion. On a separate but related note, we use a 1 to 4 ratio of vinegar to oil. Many people use too much vinegar in their salad dressing. Finally, don't forget the salt and pepper. Salt makes most things just a bit more delicious. :)
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Environmental Focus
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Looking for more ways to conserve water? Keep a tub near your kitchen sink and anytime you are washing vegetables or fruits, or just waiting for the water to get hot or cold, save the water in the tub instead of letting it run down the drain. Then use the water for your houseplants or in your garden. Every little bit makes a difference!
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Greenleaf Platters Menu - A Celebration Dinner for a UC Student Group
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Salad of baby greens with blue cheese, pecans and sun-dried cranberries
in a red wine shallot vinaigrette
Roasted new potatoes tossed with sweet peppers, goat cheese, basil
and a balsamic dressing
Seasonal vegetable quinoa salad with lemon, olive oil and fresh herbs
Baguette sandwich of roasted Portobello mushroom, fontina, red onion,
baby arugula and pesto aioli
Lemongrass poached salmon with red curry aioli, cucumber, sesame seeds and scallions
Roasted fillet mignon with a sauce of black olives, capers, garlic, pistachios,
fresh herbs, lemon and extra-virgin olive oil
Pumpkin cheese cake squares
Perfect chocolate chip pecan cookies
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Hugh Groman Catering
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Hugh Groman Catering is a full service boutique catering company providing the highest quality food and party planning services for events up to 1000 guests. Our customers want delicious, interesting food, served with warmth in a simple, elegant style, and they want us to make it all easy for them.
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Greenleaf Platters
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 At greenleafplatters.com we provide party platters unlike any others you may have had in the past. We offer the same quality food you've come to expect from Hugh Groman Catering, served on elegant white porcelain platters, delivered and set up at your event. This service is for those who don't need staff party planning services, but want to impress their guests with exceptional food. | |
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