Evergreen wreath is a fragrant welcome.

Invite friends, family and special guests to your home for the Christmas season.  This is a great time to show your hopitality and to show-off your inviting home when it is decorated in all it’s splendor for Christmas.

Entertaining requires a bit of forethought, but not necessarily much extra work.  If you have a quality, reputable baker near by.  If you are handy, an afternoon in your kitchen can provide you with some tasty treats that you can keep on-hand for any drop-by guests.  We recommend serving easy, nastalgic cookies and candies.  They will be a great way to welcome guests, and return them to their yesteryears, if even for a fleeting moment.

Old-faShion sugar cookie are made from a simple shortbread dough, brushed with egg whites and rolled in colored sanding sugar, crushed candycanes, or nuts.

Old-Fashion Sugar Cookies diplayed in a simple cracker tray.

Having apple cider, hot cocoa mix and eggnog on hand is a quick fix when offering your guests something to warm them from the chill out side.  Hot tea and coffee are also safe bets.   A splash of Bailey’s Irish Cream is a festive way to dress either up with some cheer.

Keeping your Christmas cookies displayed and tightly wrapped on a platter, saves you steps when guests have already arrived.  Using a glass dome to cover your platter is also an option, which allows you to sample them, even when guests don’t drop by.

Remember, there are certain treats that will keep fresh longer than others.  This is a good thing to inquire about when purchasing holiday cookies, cakes and candies from your baker.  Most recipes will tell you the best way to store and or serve goodies made at home.  At Caffè Victoria, we recommend certain cookies which have the greatest “shelf life,” such as Old-Fashion Sugar Cookies and Snowballs.  These sell in the Caffè for $4.oo/dozen.  We also have beautiful and whimsical Sugar Cookie Cut-outs that are thick and soft, and colorfully iced and decorated, which are $12/dozen. These keep well if they are stored in air tight containers.

OLD-FASHION SUGAR COOKIES

Dough should be rolled into logs about 12″ long, with 1-1/2″ diameters and refrigerated for 3 hours, before brushing with eeg white and rolled in sanding sugar.

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg + 1 egg white, divided

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups flour

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

sanding sugar

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add 1 egg and vanilla and mix well.  Mix in flour and baking powder.  Dough should come together.  Roll into logs, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 350 ° F.  Remove from refrigerator, brush with egg and roll in sanding sugar.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Cut logs into coins, about 1/4-inch thick.  Place on cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart.  Bake about 8-9 minute until just a hint of golden color shows.  Cool completely before wrapping or storing.

CHEF’S NOTE:  These are also excellent rolled in nuts, such as pecans, walnuts or crushed almonds.  Consider spreading a dalop of chocolate ganache on the bottom of one, and placing the bottom of another on to first one, creating a sandwich.

Simple packaging is an excellent way to display sparkle and creativity of hand-made treats.

Finally, never underestimate the simple elegance of having platters of butter cookies around at a holiday party.  Simple, delicious, and bite-sized that are tempting and inviting to your guests.  If guests are too far away to come for a visit, consider wrapping up a package of cookies to mail to them across the miles.  It is a thoughtful, loving gift.  And this year, when a gift-giving budget is something to consider, it’s a great choice.

BAH Bank of Choice 002

It was mid-August when I received the call… His wife was having a milestone birthday.  He wanted to throw a BIG bash for her with a tropical theme.  Her birthday present was a week in Hawaii.  Is this guy great or what?  By far the nicest couple we had the fortune of working with this summer.  It truly was our pleasure to help him put the details together for a tropical party for his very dear wife.

The event took place on a farm out east, and outdoors.  When I arrived for the site check it was truly an empty canvass to work on.  It definitely did NOT say “beach, tropics or island”…”deserted”, yes.  However, when we arrived with the food, it had been transformed, complete, with a TIKI bar.  Leis were being handed out, and the smell of grilling pork wafed.  But the most important part was the giant lovely smile on the birthday girl.  It was a special day, for a special lady.  Milne Party 007

Once the buffet was set, we put the specialty cake on its pedestal.  How delighted everyone was with the beach-themed cake.  The cake topper was fondant beach towels, with flip-flops and ooops…a bikini top!  It was an immediately stacked two tier cake.  One tier was our wonderful carrot cake filled with cream cheese icing, and the bottome tier was lucious buttermilk chocolate with our famous chocolate buttercream.  It’s a fudgy wonder which is astonishingly good everytime its tasted.Milne Party 005

If you have a special event coming up, we hope you will give us a call and allow us the privilege of helping you realize a life memory.  We have a complete professional staff, and a variety of services we can provide.  We will customize a menu with all your favorite things, all the while keeping your budget in the foremost of our planning.  Milne Party 001

This past summer we catered countless “life celebration” events.  I attribute this to the desire of people to cut back and make the most of what they have.  Our clients were celebrating special birthdays, special anniversaries and new beginnings.  Attendance at these parties and weddings were well above the normal RSVP’s.  Perhaps this is because guests were grouping their travels with social commitments.  Rather than take a vacation and go to their cousin’s wedding, people grouped them and made the destination of the wedding also their vacation.  In any case, it was a great summer for these events, for all concerned. We had the distinct pleasure of helping our clients make the most of their budget while make their guests so glad they attended.    holiday party pic

As we head into the holiday season, (and they will be here before you know it!) we begin thinking of ways to celebrate them.   Holiday celebrations may be humble this year, but they do not need to be ho-hum.   Catering by Victoria offers a full range of services, cuisines and options to help you fulfill a joyous and delicious event.  We are familiar working within budgets of all sizes, and adept at sensationalizing special events to make them memorable.

Catering by Victoria offers traditional menus for office parties, or your family get togethers.  They can be pre-ordered and they will take the worry and hassle out of entertaining.  Our holiday pies are a fine way to finish the home meal.  We also offer trays of dedcadent desserts for the corporate parties.  Consider holding a private Food+Wine=Art event at our caffe with a menu completely tailored to your wishes and wine expertly paired with the gourmet fare.  To take your event to the next level, call us to schedule a personal consultation.  You’ll receive specific information, tailored menus and supreme ideas to make it a wonderful time, at no additional cost or obligation.  vic_pairing_0005

Life’s special moments, the memories we hold on to, they are found in the heart of our celebrations.

The menu was chosen.  A site visit occurred.  The details were discussed and decided upon.  A very special party was going to take place in two weeks.  Oh, and shhhhhhhhhh, it’s going to be a surprise!

We arrived on time with our gear and finely prepared foods. Tonight we delivered and set up a wonderful spread of appetizers and a personalized two tiered, immediately stacked, specialty cake.  As we unloaded and set up, I checked with the hostess.  Checking about the arrival time of her husband and his best friend, and  inquiring if we should move the delivery vehicle from the driveway, we were told not too worry about it.  They weren’t exactly sure on the precise arrival time, but all the guests would venture out into the driveway to greet them as they drove up.

Meanwhile, the band in the backyard was tuning up.  The cake was in place on the dining room table, with plates, forks and napkins.  A two-tiered cake that was a blissful carrot cake with cream cheese icing, and dark buttermilk chocolate cake with fudgey buttercream. Two wonderful tastes, because it was too tought to decide on just one flavor.  A sentimental inscription had been piped on the outside of the cake in burgundy and forest green icing,  favorite colors of the man of the night.

Meanwhile…it the kitchen we completed plating the crispy potato cakes with creme fraiche and smoked salmon, and the house was rather quiet.   A few people came in from the backyard and commented on how “yummy” it smelled “in here.”   Thanking them, they were told that everyone else had made their way out to the front drive to await their arrival.  They moved-it-on-out, not wanting to miss the arrival.  All the food was now in place.  The marinated lamb chops with cherry port reduction sauce, the Alsatian onion tarts, the creamy chicken marsala with rustic bread, black olive and sweet tomato bruschetta,  and Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms, all had been served and awaited the hungry guests.

A few minutes later, we heard a thump, thump, thumping overhead.  Was that a helicopter?  It sounded like it was flying rather low….was it getting closer?  Was it going to land in the backyard? It sounded like it might.  What a surprise! Yes,  in fact, the helicopter was landing adjacent to the rented vinyl tent where the band made their final sound checks.  The crowd that had gathered in the driveway had witnessed the arrival of the helicopter and made their way toward it to greet the birthday man.  Everyone was surprised, everyone, except for this man’s best buddy who had orchestrated the cleverly sly helicopter ride.  A surprise for everyone, everyone, including this man’s wife who had planned and prepared for this party.

These are the times of our lives, the special life memories that we recall.  Those days and nights that define us and hold special places in our hearts.  Catering by Victoria has assisted and participated in many, many of these types of special events, all summer long.  It’s what we do.  We help people celebrate their lives.  If you haven’t had the opportunity lately, find an occasion, call us, and let the party begin!

On Valentine’s Day, we catered a special event for a couple hoping to honor and celebrate the marriage of one of their three sons.  There were about 75 guests in attendance.  It was a very loving gesture.

For the menu we chose crowd pleasing, hearty appetizers, such as scalloped artichoke hearts, tender meatballs in marinara, beautiful fresh fruit, varietal cheese tray, and crispy potato cakes with crème fraîche and smoked salmon.  The dessert buffet was stunning.  Mini mousse, in four luscious flavors, mini cheesecakes with raspberry coulis, dark, rich chocolate torte with soft whipped cream, dark and white chocolate~dipped strawberries, and heart~shaped pink sugar cookies.

Both the appetizer buffet and the dessert buffet were decorated in red satin,  pink sequinzed hearts and red votives. Beautiful clusters of red rose bouquets were placed around the kitchen, dining and living areas of the home.  Guests really seemed to have a wonderful time, enjoy the food, dessert and beverages.  Love was definitely in-the-air!