Last night we enjoyed grilled pizzas made with some fresh mozzarella cheese which Chef Victoria made from whole, un-homogenized milk.   It took a little over an hour from start to finish.  The results of the cheese were “udderly” delicious!

Scott opened his first batch of home-brewed pale ale.  It was “hoppy” to oblige.  It went wonderfully with our grilled pizza and made for a tasty summer evening dinner, accompanied with Kirsten’s mixed green salad with avocados, red onion and simple dressing of red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.  

OK – all that took place July 3rd…so what is on the menu for today, the 4th????

CAKES BY VICTORIA periodically hosts Cake Tasting Events. Upcoming Dates at Caffè Victoria: Saturday, June 26th Saturday, July 24th Sunday, August 15th Tastings held:  3 – 5p.m. Join us to sample a variety of delicious cakes, meet our cake artists, and view our extensive portfolios and cake gallery. Reservations are $5 per person and include samples of the following flavors: Traditional White Cake filled with Vanilla Buttercream & Fresh Straw … Read More

via Catering By Victoria’s Blog

The catering industry is competitive, and this market is filled with many “wanna bes,” how will your clients pick a great caterer, or how do you set your company apart from the others?  I’ll share some insight into our experiences.

We have been in the catering industry for over 8 years, but professionally for over 4 years.  Every year we see a growing number of repeat customers, and every year, despite a challenging economy, we have witness double digit growth in our catering sales and services.  Why?  What are we doing right?  Here is a four step process.

1.  Prioritize.  Every catering job, no matter its size, scope or menu is our top priority.  We want that customer to be satisfied yes, but truly, we want more than that.  We align our staff, services and menu in such a way for our client to give them what they seek.  Sometimes, it is helping them recognize just exactly what that is.  Our clients come to us for our expertise, and we seek never to fail them.  So we look at every catering job as an opportunity to showcase our talents, to market our company.

2.  Plan.  We work within a budget.  Whether or not our customers admit it, they have a budget.  Whether or not they fully realize what that is, they eventually pinpoint it.  The bottom line on budget is our client will at some point evaluate what they spent and what they received in exchange.  Our “product” MUST be viewed as valuable.  Did our customer get his money’s worth?

Here’s the rub.  It is our job to identify their budget.  Sometimes a customer will come straight out with their budget in dollars.  A lot of times they won’t.  Regardless, we must have a realm to work within, or all is lost.  Either the extra expense comes off our profit, or the client overspends, and they are never happy if that is their lot.  Asking questions is the quickest and most efficient manner to determine a budget.  I like to clarify what is most important to our clients.  Do they desire ease and convenience?  Is the quality and deliciousness of the food most important?  Those two areas of service are the most important aspects of identifying their budget.  Keep in mind, just because a client “wants” something, it does not mean that they  “get” it.  Be honest with them about the expenses associated with the services, and let them be the boss when it comes to expanding their bottom line.

3. Perform.  Be on time.  Be prepared.  Look sharp. Give them EVERYTHING you promised and even a few sparkles more.  Because I guaranty that if they have worked with caterers before, this will be a new, and delightful difference.  Not only will they notice it in stark contrast, they will tell their inner circle.

4. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Cream of Wheat was something that my mom made for me on occasion.  She liked to serve it steaming hot, with a bit of sugar and creamy half and half.  There is something very satisfying about it’s texture and the creamy smoothness.  On a cold, rainy day, it warms you from the inside out.  Wonderful to grab a good book at this point and enjoy them both immensely.

My take on this classic, comes from the directions on the box, with a bit of enhancement.  I bring 1/2 water, 1/2 milk to a simmer.  I add a dash of vanilla extract, and a pinch of ground nutmeg.  The trick to a creamy finished cereal is to whisk the dry cereal vigorously into the simmering liquid.  This will prevent lumps and bumps in its texture.

Cream of Wheat cooks quickly, and you can expect to have it ready inside of 5 minutes, start to finish.  I like to finish mine with a generous spoonful of brown sugar and some cold milk.  Adding the sugar to the hot cereal melts it rapidly, and the cold milk stirred into the cereal cools it slightly to an edible temperature.  It’s raining outside…I think that makes for a perfect day to have a hot bowl of comfort.