Tomato, tomáto...however you say it, is it safe?
The recent salmonella scare brought the consumption of these potentially tainted fruits to a screeching halt in the restaurant and consumer markets last week. Major chains like McDonald's and Walmart have already pulled tomatoes off their menus and shelves.
As caterers we bear the unusual responsibility of having to make these types of product recall decisions by ourselves with no large corporate guidance - the health of our customers and reputation depends on it!
Here is a little bit of information that might help you out. According to the Food and Drug Administration the following types of tomatoes are deemed to be on the "safe" list:
- Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still
attached and homegrown tomatoes are likely not the source of the
outbreak.
- Also not associated with the outbreak are raw Roma, red plum and
round red tomatoes from these states: Alabama, Arkansas, California,
Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi,
New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
- Imports from Belgium, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands and Puerto Rico have been deemed safe to eat.
- Canada is also on the safe list, consumers can continue to enjoy tomatoes grown in British Columbia.
Stay informed! Plenty of online sources are available with the latest information about the tomato recall, you can start with Google News.
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Just a country girl at heart
First daughter Jenna Bush could have been married in the most memorable venue in the country - the White House. But instead she chose a simple outdoor ceremony and reception at the family ranch. She kicked off that outdoor theme by throwing a down-to-earth country rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding at the Salado Silver Spur Theater in Salado TX.
 The event showcased Jenna's country preference with round tables wrapped in burlap and a pastel ribbon pulling the cloth in tight underneath. Napkins and votive candle holders in Texas wildflower colors complemented the tables. Leather cowboy boots had been wildly painted and were turned into vases containing multicolored Gerber daisies or large sunflowers for centerpieces.
Austin Catering of Austin TX provided the dinner, which began with hors d'oeuvres and included a Southwest Caesar salad, jalapeño-flavored chicken, salmon, roasted potato wedges with chipotle sauce, ice tea and coffee. An avocado bar featured pitted avocado halves with salsa, cheese and other dressings.
Texas brewed Shiner Bock and Dos Equis beers were plentiful, as well as a full complimentary bar. The party guests drank from clear plastic cups with "Jenna and Henry" imprinted on them in burnished gold.
The Silver Spur Theater rocked on Friday night May 9th with "American royalty." Jenna and Henry, who for all a nation's curiosity and attention, simply wanted a memorable party with close friends and family in a small Texas town.
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Let's Blog Food!
Everyone has an opinion about food and thanks to the technology of the blog, we area able to share and exchange those opinions with the entire world. Here are some of the best food blogs on the web according to two sites that devote themselves to public nomination of and voting on blogs from around the world, the Weblog Awards and the Bloggers Choice Awards:
www.mywoodenspoon.com
www.thepioneerwomancooks.com
www.pikkopots.blogspot.com
www.seriouseats.com
www.101cookbooks.com
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Expose yourself
With today's savvy customer utilizing the internet to find the caterers and planners they need for their event, can you afford not to have as much online presence as possible? Probably not! But will the costs of advertising return a profit? They will when the cost is nothing!
There are many online services that can offer you company listings within their search engines that could possibly increase your exposure to potential customers, and many of these services are FREE!
Our Conference partner Event Solutions offers such a service. The Event Solutions Black Book resource directory, the "little black book" of the events industry, is one of the top resources for event and meeting planners and producers. A basic listing will give your company increased web visibility, as it's indexed by all major search engines. Better than the Yellow Pages - this is targeted for and used by event planners with serious budgets and decision-making authority who plan events all over the country. Check it out at event-solutions.com/blackbook.
Another professional online resource is Eventective which similarly puts you in front of event planners looking for your services. Both of these options offer complimentary listings with the option to upgrade to a more detailed listing.
Additional resources
For a little more consumer level exposure, these sites put your company in front of brides and other clients looking for caterers in a specific local area:
www.localcatering.com
www.gatheringguide.com
www.weddingwire.comwww.quotessfromlocalcaterers.comwww.bidgourmet.com
It pays to get as much exposure as
possible - especially for little or no investment! Research some of
these options and pick the one or ones that fit you the best. (Catersource does not support or endorse these additional resources. We are offering them here simply as a guide for you to determine yourself if this type of promotion fits your needs.) |
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More catersource winners
Do you have what it takes to be an ACE? Catersource is now taking nominations for the 2009 Achievement in Catering Excellence Awards. Visit our website for all the details.
2008 ACE Award Winners:
Good Gracious! Events
Los Angeles, CA
Pauline Parry
Catering By Design
Denver, CO
Cade Nagy
Zilli Hospitality Group
Waukesha, WI
Stephen Zilli
Feastivities Events
Philadelphia, PA
Meryl Snow
Walt Disney Swan & Dolphin
Lake Buena Vista, FL
Edward DiAntonio
Gourmet Cuisine
Mississaugua, ON Canada
Deborah MacfeThe 2009 winners will be announced during the Opening session at the annual COnference & Tradeshow:
February 22-26
Las Vegas Hilton
& Convention Center
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Catersource news
Catersource is happy to welcome two new members of the catersource team:
Carl Sacks, catersource Director of Consulting Services, has recently accepted the additional position of Vice President of Business Development. Carl will lend his business expertise in helping create new opportunities as catersource continues to grow while continuing to build on the catersource Consulting Unit brand and offerings.
Cade Nagy of Catering By Design in Colorado has accepted the position of Director of Events with catersource. Cade has helped coordinate events at the annual catersource Conference & Tradeshows for several years and will now take a more hands on, leadership role in making sure catersource events deliver the high standards he is known for.
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Get event news, resources and even more fresh ideas from our partner, Event Solutions. Click here to sign up for their e-mail newsletter.
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Gimme a break
How well seasoned are you? Whether you've been in the business for a few days or a few decades, test your herbs and spices knowledge with this fun quiz!
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Do you know what you're missing?
If you haven't been with us for our first full year of Get Fresh, you can now catch up on back issues of the e-newsletter by visiting our archives page. Some content may be a little 'past fresh', but still worthy - enjoy!
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If you have a story, idea, question or comment for Get Fresh, please email us at newsletter@catersource.com
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