FOOD SAFETY! SANITATION! REGULATIONS!!!

As off-premises caterers who work in field kitchens ie. tents, landing strips, trucks, garages, closets - hardly ever in a real kitchen, we are always concerned about safe food practices. The state of CT requires there be at least one "Serve Safe Certified" staff person at each event and ATTC policy is that in addition to chefs, all managers, must have a full understanding of this information and become certified as well. So instead of Sunday being the proverbial "day of rest" we came to class!

Our own Rachael LaPort, a certified instructor held our own (private) "Serve Save" Certification class for 25 members of our team. She was great making it relevant to catering. Tho I have taken lots of these courses before, I always learn something new. Being a nurse, I thought I was interested in bacteria but Rachael takes it a step further and managed to energize everyone in cockroaches (NOT in North Stonington!) as well as Listeria, Giardiasis, Anisakiasis and the knowing the sweet taste of the bacteria when milk goes sour - she gets into it!!!

A few of the key points we covered: Changing food gloves after each task; the importance of establishing REAL hand washing stations in cooktents; utilizing "time/temp" principals (very important as we transport raw food items from our cookery to the venue for on site cooking); the importance of avoiding cross contamination - and tons more!

I guess my point in telling you all this is that at ATTC take we take our responsibility of preparing and serving food quite seriously. Staff training is a priority with us and over the next few months we will be conducting our "refresher" courses in various subjects for seasoned staff as well as our intensive program for new team members.

Along with you, we all enjoy a great party - but always know your "gut" is our priority!!!

The All-Mighty Paper Clip

Who doesn't love office supplies? Our A Thyme to Cook office definitely does. Just the thought of opening a 4 door/2 drawer cabinet, a closet or our own desk drawers looking for just the note pad, sticky note, pen, pencil, eraser, stapler, tape, staple remover, white out, calculator, highlighter, sharpie, push pin, ruler, and of course our all time favorite... the paper clip. The paper clip is a love hate relationship here in our office. How many of us had a document slide ever so quietly under a paper clip and become attached to a file or proposal it doesn't any right being involved in? So, last week Linda had a meeting with her good friend and financial advisor and they got on the subject of this very thing. Alex banished paper clips from his office and Linda loved the idea so much she said never is a paper clip to be used again! So the binder clip is now the #1 most used office product at A Thyme to Cook - well besides the bottomless 75 count bottle of Advil...

How Do Caterers Get Fired Up???

They go to Catersource!


Held annually in Vegas, I returned a few weeks ago and am still recovering. Part of my delay recovering is due to flight issues involving Cleveland. No offense to those of you who live there but I do not want to ever connect through Hopkins International Airport Hell again in my lifetime! OK - am done venting... let me tell you about Vegas!


Catersource is an annual gathering of ~6000 caterers from all over the world. This 4 day symposium involves seminars and presentations that range from the latest food trends, hands on culinary experiences, management issues, 24/7 cater-talk and of course a few parties, (or extravaganzas) that are mind blowing! (Try emptying out your swimming pool and have a party in it). As it is held in conjunction with Event Solutions, there is also an entire program of courses dealing with the latest style, event design and execution.


The International Caterers Association provides much of the high-level education at this conference and produces the annual CATIE Award ceremony. Most of you know we were nominated for a CATIE for our Mad Hatter Cake. To be nominated (for these catering Oscars) alone is the thrill of a lifetime as recognition from our peers is such an honor. To date, we have had 15 nominations and two awards (just call me the Susan Lucci of the CATIES!). For me the best part of the conference is the camaraderie, exchange of ideas, sharing and generous support among catering professionals of all kinds. Developing relationships with others who have the same passion for our industry is invaluable and gets our creative juices flowing. I am grateful to be on the ICA board and thankful for this annual dose of inspiration and recognition.

Too Much of a Good Thing

I love cake--especially good cake. To me, the best breafast is a slice of leftover wedding cake and a strong cup of coffee. I always feel that way--until cake week...

Cake week is a 7 day non-stop cake tasting extravaganza where our brides come in (just about every hour of every day) to sample cake flavors, fillings, etc.

Our cake bakers are phenomenal and their creations never cease to amaze me:

*Red Velvet that knocks your socks off
*Snickerdoodle--a legit suprising blend of creamy cinnamon
*Amaretto/Kahula with a chocolate ganache that melts in your mouth
*Coconut & Key Lime is a tropical dream

Cake week is over now, and I personally do not want to see cake for quite a while...except maybe if June wants to make her amazing Cherry Nut cake..?!

Linda's "Thyme for Wine" Thoughts

Most of you know I am a full-fledge ‘wino’. I love enjoying a great food-friendly, drinkable wine as well as slowly savoring a rare, special bottle that often accompanies a significant event—
So here are some random wine thoughts---

Love the local?---doesn’t get any better than being next-door to the Jonathan Edwards Winery! http://www.jedwardswinery.com/ Beautiful venue, great people and wonderful wines. Their stone tables red is one of the BEST values around—if you don’t know the story of the stone table, just ask Jonathon. I love ALL their wines, but what really gets me going—especially during this time of the year, is their DARK (formerly called Port). Run, don’t walk to get this to savor with the last bite of fabulous single origin chocolate you have left from Valentine’s day.

Love the far away? Constantia Uitsig of South Africa----Memories of sipping their lemony, rounded-honey-like sauvignon blanc while enjoying a stay at this amazing (natural, relaxing, tranquil vineyard/hotel) in Cape Town, SA, are just as fresh as they were a few years ago. And the cuisine was parallel to the wine---wish I had some now!

Gotta love the "ups and downs" – the "good and the bad". Another flavor coming to mind is that of Chateau D’Yquem. My former husband and I had an appreciable wine cellar. And as was our tradition to celebrate memorable(good or bittersweet) occasions with great wines, we “enjoyed”—(enjoy may not quite be the right word!) a bottle of it after we got divorced. It is truly the Nectar of the Gods—and everyone really needs to have at least a taste of it in their lifetime. It is not for the faint of heart---or budget—this is royal wine and should be treated accordingly.
I think I need some wine now!!!

What is a caterer..?

The definition varies between the vision of what one saw on the old TV show, with food being delivered out of a house kitchen and dropped off in the neighborhood as well as the local deli preparing platters of cold cuts and seran wraps them up and is available for pick up. This is not to say anything negative about either one, as they each have shaped catering history.

However, the history of ATTC's 27 years of catering is absolutely the opposite of those.

We provide an EXPERIENCE--not just the food--and in order to do so, we have to adhere to very strict regulations, sanitation and insurance guidelines. Before we even get out the door, we are inspected by the health department regularly. Our kitchen is not a house kitchen, but a separate 8,000 sq ft building comprised of cod ---(impervious walls), we are fully licensed, insured (up the wazoo---remember LS was a former NO and is VERY liability conscious); our employees are all on payroll and are trained not only by us (in several seasonal seminars), but also TIPS certified (BT) and serve safe certified (kitchen and managers). Being on the board of ICA, LS regularly sends employees to major educational opportunities throughout the country.

We also do not cook food at our cookery and bring it in warming ovens to serve 6 hours later. Our chefs prepare everything from scratch--yes--everything. Bill makes all our own breads, fresh pasta, etc. and we prepare/marinet, etc. food here and then bring enough equipment to set up a field kitchen wherever we go. Even if the event site has a full kitchen, we generally just use the power and water as we don't like taking chances on ovens that may not be cleaned or calibrated properly. So we lug in 8 burner stoves, grills, induction units, convection ovens, steamers, you name it--we bring it--in addition to all the behind the scene items that no one ever thinks about--tray stands, coffee servers, salt and pepper shakers, wine-away for those emergency red wine disasters, foam pads to protect wooden floors from scratch, rental chairs, sewing kits, even epi pens!

On the day of the event, we are responsible for--the weather (we wish!!!), parking issues, rentals, portolets, septic system drainage, power and safety supply, coordination with site staff, vendors! We are control freaks who do not like suprises but also thrive in being able to rise above them. Caterers are crazy!

We Are SOOOO Spoiled!!!

How spoiled are we at A Thyme to Cook? VERY! Each week or two, our chefs come up with an idea for a new menu to add to our sample menus, or just an idea for a new way to do a single food item. Today Bill and Joe made a few scrumptious yummies for us to try. The scallops are (always) from our friends at Stonington Seafood Harvesters - aka "Bomsters".

They are so amazingly sweet and succulent! Today they were marinated with whiskey and vanilla and topped with spicy chocolate panko crumbs

Then we enjoyed honey marinated beef short ribs braised with sherry and soy. And how soft and tender and delicious! The sides were a cool smoked paprika slaw (napa, cabbage, zucchini and carrots) along with three cauliflower "couscous" recipes...it's so amazing and we know you all will see this idea popping up but if you whir up cauliflower florets in a food processor (not the stems) to a consistancy of couscous it really looks like couscous but - no starch! And flavor it like you would a couscous dish and its a really simple veggie side. We tasted curry cashew cauliflower couscous; currant, cashew and caper & the fresh and always wonderful mixed herbs.

And then dessert - A S'more cake...good graceous it looks like a marshmallow right off of the cammpfire! Bill came up with a recipe that encompased all of the elements into the 3 layer cake...sorry didn't get a shot of the inside of the cake - we devoured it too fast!