Beyond the Sea with Foodz
When industry leader Melissa Jurcan, the current ILEA President of the Seattle Chapter, called and asked us to cater this year’s Emerald City Applause Awards I was a bit hesitant.
We catered the event the previous year and I wanted to be sure no one else was being overlooked for the opportunity. Melissa assured me, she wanted US to do it. So, I said yes! I mean – its Melissa Jurcan asking! Once I joined this year’s team, I was excited to discover PJ Hummel & Co. was doing decor and Ileigh Reynolds of Animate Objects Physical Theater was doing entertainment.
Talk about an “A” team.
There would never have been any hesitation had I known! ANY chance I get to work with these superstars I am ‘All In’!
Plus, the event took place at one of my favorite venues Fremont Foundry and Cort Party Rentals — full sponsors. Then there was the whole list of amazing sponsors from Crimson Haze to Fun Frames Photobooth to Caren Morris Photography to BPM Entertainment. The stars aligned for a magnificent event. And, so it was!
Catering an event for all your industry peers can be extra pressure, but I feel it is an opportunity for my Chef, Pieter Dijkstra, to shine. I wanted him to have an opportunity to “play” and show off new menu ideas, be out of the box, and enjoy the moment. This was not a situation where our sales team or client is driving the menu, so I thought, “why not?” I know that can be risky, try new things on industry peers, but not only do I trust him, I know if he is driving the menu that he is 110% behind its success.
Consequently, he immediately set to work on a menu and we went back and forth, did some drawings of dishes on whiteboards, and focused on “Food of the Future”. This menu concept was the only direction I gave Chef Pieter at the time. “Food of the Future” is a great current trend and something we have focused on recently. Essentially, this concept is based on food sustainability, for example, using ‘Ugly’ produce, coffee flour and plant-based dishes.
However, the first menu did not coincide with the theme of the event. It wasn’t until we had a team meeting at Fremont Foundry where I learned the theme was to resemble a cruise ship, under the sea styled event. So, we went back to the drawing board on some items. We did keep the general idea of ‘Food of the Future’ but also focused on ‘Under the Sea’ menu items.
Original Menu
Appetizers
Cornmeal Macaron with BBQ Jackfruit
Entree
Bone Broth Braised Organic Rainbow Carrots topped with Brown Sugar Croutons
Gratin of “Ugly” Portobello Mushrooms and Yukon Gold Potato
Sou Vide Lamb with “Ugly Red Onion” Marmalade and Fresh Herb Salad
Dessert
Rhubarb Custard Tart, Basil Sable, Orange Blossom Meringue, Fennel Fond Caramel Sauce
Honey Chamomile Cake, Candied Pistachios, Bee Pollen, Rose Water Berry Honeycomb, Browned Butter Creme Anglaise
Ultimately, the final menu ended up being a collaboration between Chef Pieter and myself. I wanted to be sure we had enough vegan and gluten-free items for all the guests. Also, I added an hors d’oeuvre to the menu as Ileigh, of Animate Objects, created a new costume just for the event that would have a tray to serve food. The style of the tray was not a good fit for the items we had at the time. As a result, I added vegan sushi just for this purpose.
Lastly, I asked for a ‘fun’ way to serve the mini ice cream sandwiches we had planned. Our amazing Pastry Chef, Shannon Lewis, makes fantastic French macarons. Therefore, we decided to make ice cream sandwich macarons using our Anti-Griddle as an interactive element of the event.
Final Menu
Passed Hors D Oeuvres
Vegan Sushi
Sushi Rice | Avocado | Mango | Ginger Pickled Carrots | Cucumber | Sriracha Cashew Mayo
Vegan & GF
Mini Coffee Flour Cone
Maple Carrot Bacon | Micro Lettuce | Cured Tomato | Vegan Aioli
Vegetarian
Calamari Fries
Dynamite Sauce
GF
Brussel Sprout Slider
A beautiful Roasted Brussel Sprout | Beyond Meat Slider Patty | Caramelized Onions | Pickled Mustard Seeds | Served as a Slider. Vegan & GF
Pre-Set at the Table
Sustainably Harvested Charcuterie of the Sea *
Tea Smoked Black Cod, Pickled Mussels,
Pine Cured Salmon, Fresh Horseradish, Monkfish Foie Gras, Crispy Salmon Crackers
*Chef Pieter was super excited about this dish. He loves Charcuterie plates and making them in-house.
24 Hr Sous Vide Octopus*
Thinly Sliced Octopus, Red Leaf Lettuce Cups, Herbs, Pickled Vegetables, Lemongrass Vinaigrette
* I really wanted and Octopus dish – I mean, what better to represent ‘under the sea!”
GF
Vegan “Charcuterie”
Lemon Cashew “Ricotta”| Beet “Pastrami”|Carrot “Corned Beef”| GF Crackers
Vegan & GF
Family Style Dinner
Whole Roasted Fish
Whole Roasted Scarlet Snapper, Sea Beans, Shiitake, Furikake Rice
GF
Black Garlic Chicken
Fried and Roast Chicken | Fermented Black Garlic Sauce | Long Beans
GF
Pan Seared Palm ‘Scallop’
Ginger Carrot Puree | Crispy Leeks | Micro Arugula
Vegan & GF
Pea Salad
English Peas | Snap Pea | Pea Shoots | Hot and Sour Cucumber Ribbons | Burnt Chili Vinaigrette
Vegan & GF
Cauliflower Rice with Togarashi
Vegan & GF
Dessert
Chef’s Choice Dessert
Assorted Mini Desserts
Under the Sea Ice Cream Macaron Sandwiches
ECAA Awards 2018
Thank You, Sponsors!
Venue: Fremont Foundry
Catering: Foodz Catering
Decor: PJ Hummel & Co.
Rentals: CORT Party Rentals
Entertainment: Animate Objects
Graphics/Signage: Sunny Umbrella Design Company
Lighting: Crimson Haze
Master of Ceremonies: Wordspark with Jenni Butz
Shoe Shine: Old Style Shoe Shine
Printer: Print NW
Videography: Crews Creative
Audio Visual/Screens: GOBE Productions
DJ: BPM Entertainment
Photobooth: Fun Frames
Photography: Caren Morris Photography
http://www.ileaseattle.com/ecaa
- Photos By: Emilio Cerrillo (www.emiliocerrillophotography.com)
- Photos By: Emilio Cerrillo (www.emiliocerrillophotography.com)
- Photos By: Emilio Cerrillo (www.emiliocerrillophotography.com)
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