Dining Details Blog

Dining Details has been catering in a new way this year in order to accomodate clients with the same high quality foods, the same sophisticated service, and the same level of gourmet presentation, but all on a tighter budget. By preparing these foods in our own commercial kitchen, and bringing them ready to assemble and set out as stationary presentations, we are able to reduce our costs to fit the budget of more casual receptions. We can still have a chef and server available through the party, but by going this route of partial service rather than full service, we can do a lot more for a lot less.

Originally developed for corporate events, this type of tended platter service has proven to be perfect for receptions like donor appreciation events, political rallies and fundraisers, corporate employee appreciation events, and other events that are casual but sophisticated, and for a high class group with distinguishing tastes.

Here are a few examples of our party platter presentations…
Signature Cheese Presentation

Ahi Tartare Presentation with Edamame Hummus, Pickled Cucumber Salad, Fried Wontons

Beef Tenderloin Presentation with Horseradish Cream, Port Peppercorn Demi, Melted Brie, and Crispy Leeks

Chicken Salad with Turkish Apricots and Pistachios with Endive and Toasts

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

Fresh Veggie Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Great Quotes from Platter-style Parties
-”I eat catered food all the time. I am always at these types of political events. There is obviously something different about this food. Its as though you can taste… it was made with love!”
-”I have never in my life hired a caterer for a party, but, after tonight, I am seriously going to have to figure out a reason to use this one!”

Call or email for the full menu and a custom quote

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THank you to the wonderful mom bloggers who promoted the contest for mom entrepeneurs on twitter/facebook leading up to the may 1-2 kidsfest weekend. They donated a booth to the most deserving mom in business. The judging panel consisted of local community involved figures, such as the owner of Croce’s restaurant, and one of the board members for “Promises to Children,” among others. Chickpeas was honored to be chosen as the most deserving company to win the booth. With the help of wonderful Maria of Cork and Platter, and her ideas for our very cute booth, we pulled it off without a hitch! We introduced some of our tasty school lunch offerings and baby food samples, and met a ton of great contacts to help us grow our Chickpeas name.
A special thanks to @hip_m0m, @sugarjones, @ooph, @mamamaryshow for your support!

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It was a true honor working with the Brennan family to help host this great benefit. The Brennans lost their 2 month old daughter to a rare degenerative disease several years ago. After their experience in the NICU at UCSD Hillcrest through those 2 long months, they developed an annual fundraising charity named after their daughter, Daisy Miracle Brennan, to raise money for the NICU and the families that are forced to make that their home following their birth. The evening included a silent auction, mingling, and some very powerful speeches. It was a gorgeous event at Diamond View Towers, and a valuable experience for Dining Details. We look forward to helping host this annual event with the Brennans in years to come.

The menu:
Cheese and Tapas Presentation
Sliced Seared Filet on Toast Gorgonzola Demi, Horseradish Cream, Micro Greens
5 Spice Chinese Braised Short Rib Slider with Wasabi Cream
Sliced Pork Tenderloin on Mashed Plantain, Tropical Pineapple Chutney
Andouille Sausage & Shrimp Skewers, Honey Mustard Bourbon Sauce
Roasted Tomato Tartines, Kalamata Tapenade, Fresh Ricotta, Thyme, Truffle Essence
Flatbread Pizzettes Arugula with Pistachio Pesto, Fig, Goat Cheese, Truffle
Mini Chocolate Cakes Stout Chocolate, Toffee Almond Crumble
Butterscotch Pot De Creme with Gingered Cream

If you would like to give on-line to benefit the UCSD Infant Special Care Center please go to http://giving.ucsd.edu. Click on the “give now” button, select the type of gift you would like to make and method of payment; proceed to Gift Designation.  In step number 1, select “Health Sciences & Medical Center”, then
“ Daisy Miracle Brennan Fund (F2380)”

For information on supporting The UC San Diego Infant Special Care Center please contact:
Emily Hernandez
Director of Development
619-543-3609
UCSD Medical Center, 200 West Arbor Dr. #8982, San Diego, CA 92103-8982

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May 28th at the Prado
Chef PJ does Pesto, Perfect Pairings with John Alonge
www.balboafoodwine.com/classinfo
Menu:
Tomato Salad with classic Genoa pesto and Fresh Mozzarella
Grilled Shrimp with Marcona Almond Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Pesto
Grilled Rosemary and Lavender Lamb pops with Mint and Basil Pistachio Yogurt Pesto
White Chocolate Cake with Strawberry and candied Pecan Pesto

May 28-29, 11:00-12:30, Drop-in
Toddler time at the New Children’s museum
Chickpeas Owner/Founder Julie Frans will lead toddlers in making their own healthy snacks. Parents will take home important toddler nutrition information and snack suggestions.

June 15th, 2:00-3:00 pm, at the Del Mar Fair in the San Diego Pavilion
Healthy Kid’s cooking with Chickpeas Chef Shannon Hunefeld
Veggie Purees and how to incorporate them into your family’s fare to make home-cooked meals healthier and more acceptable to your kids.
Menu to include: White puree, orange puree, and green puree, and their uses in pesto, pasta sauce, mashed potatoes, and more!

June 17th-2:00-3:00 pm, at the Del Mar Fair in the San Diego Pavilion
Using summer farm produce with Chef PJ Watkins
Learn new gourmet techniques like grilling prosciutto wrapped watermelon, or making grilled red pepper vinaigrette for a summer bean salad. The menu is open and dependent on what Chef PJ finds at the farm that morning.

June 19th, 2:00-3:00 pm, at the Del Mar Fair in the San Diego Pavilion
Cooking for your family using your CSA box
Learn more about Community Supported Agriculture, and how to make full use of your weekly box of local, organic produce. Chef Phil will show you how to prepare 3 make-ahead meals that will freeze or last 3-4 days in your fridge to serve your family through the week. Easy, healthy, cost effective, and eco-conscious cooking- it’s cooking the Chickpeas way!

June 22nd, 2:00-3:00 pm, at the Del Mar Fair in the San Diego Pavilion
Grilling and Chilling with Chef PJ Watkins
Learn summertime rubs, marinades, and salsas to dress up your summer grilling repertoir, from latin mojo chicken to orange miso salmon, caribbean pork, and more.

June 24th, 6:00-7:30 pm, at Babies by the Sea Boutique, Cardiff
Baby Food Making and Nutrition Information with Chef Shannon
For more info, see http://babiesbytheseaboutique.com/AnnouncementRetrieve.aspx?ID=41583

July 22, at the Prado
Wild Mushrooms with Chef PJ, Perfect Pairings with John Alonge
balboafoodwine.com/classinfo
Menu
Grilled Portabello Salad with Hericot Verts and Burratta Frisee Herb Vinaigrette
Savory Crepe With Goat Cheese Basil Creme Fraiche and Wild Mushroom Duxelle
Dried Porcini Scented Halibut with Tomato and Shitake Confit
Truffle Butter Rubbed NY With Sauteed Chantrelles

August 30th at Great News; Corn “off” the cob with Chef PJ
“Innovative ideas for New Corn Dishes”
www.great-news.com
Grilled Corn and Watermelon Salad with Goat Cheese and Arugula with basil vinaigrette
Roasted Corn and Jalapeno Chowder with Avocado Crema and Cilantro
Seared Scallop with Corn Hash
Grilled NY with corn and shitake puree with crispy leeks

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My timeline tonight (as I remember it…)

6:00 pm
Got home from work
Grabbed Johnny and headed to the nearby market, Windmill Farms (similar to a Henry’s or Sprouts)
I Bought:
1 bag Delallo Organic Whole Wheat Fusilli ($2.69)
2 portabello mushrooms ($3.25)
1 fennel bulb ($1.49)
1 eggplant ($1.39)
1 zucchini ($0.21)
Muir Organic Garlic Marinara ($4.59)
shredded parmesan cheese ($5.12)
(I already had at home….)
1 can organic kidney beans
1 head of garlic
1 onion
organic Ian’s Italian bread crumbs

6:30
Got home from market
Turned on the oven to 375 degrees
Started a pot of water to boil
Turned on Yo-Gabba Gabba for Johnny (he was way more interested in what I was doing though)
Washed and cubed all the veggies and put on baking sheet
(I made sure to get most of the gills out of the mushroom with a spoon)
Smashed and peeled all the garlic cloves and added those to the veggies
Tossed veggies with olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper
6:35
Put the pasta (about 2/3s of the bag) in to boil
6:45
Put the veggies in to roast
6:50
Drained the pasta and the kidney beans
Checked the veggies- lookin’ good!
7:00
Put Johnny in the bath, bathed him
7:15
took out the veggies and tossed them in a big bowl with the pasta, beans, 2/3s of the parmesan cheese, and the whole jar of sauce.
Put the whole mixture in a casserole dish, and covered with bread crumbs and remaining parmesan cheese. (Could have actually used a little more parm, but it did the job).
By this time JOhnny was running back and forth between the bathroom and his bedroom, throwing everything he could find into the draining bathtub- various shoes, sweat pants, tooth brush, puzzle pieces. I caught him just before he threw “the very hungry caterpillar” in to the wet tub.
He then decided to vacuum the whole living room with the dust buster, and I video’ed him, laughing at his determination.
7:30
We put the casserole in the oven.
I got Johnny’s “jammies” on, rocked him and read 3 short books as he drank his milk, and I put him to bed with his silkie and pacifyer.
Thank goodness he went right down-
Robbie had meanwhile gotten home from a swim in the stormy ocean at La Jolla Cove, and was ravenous!
7:45
Took the pasta bake out, and served up 2 big bowls, adding fresh arugula and lots of red chili flakes. (Had to keep the big one mild for Johnny to eat over next few days)
Of course we both went back for seconds… we are big eaters! And yet… there is still enough for us to each have it for lunch tomorrow, and Johnny to eat for several meals.

Delish! I'm hungry!

This proves… you CAN cook and EASY, healthy and CHEAP meal- despite demands of kids, and being tired after a long day at work. I have only a few dishes to wash- the cutting board, the baking sheet, pasta pot, colander, large bowl, knife, and the dishes we ate out of. The meal itself, can be left in the glass dish and saved till tomorrow at lunch.

You can mix and match the veggies, using whatever is seasonal, on special, or that you are craving. In the winter- try this with butternut squash, carrots, and other winter veggies, in the summer make it with summer squashes, tomatoes, red peppers. Use your favorite pasta sauce and add fresh herbs from your garden like basil and thyme. Try mixing in shredded mozzerella or ricotta cheese in the mix, or sauteed italian sausage or shredded chicken to make it more meaty.

The point is… you TOO can make this at home, easy and healthy!

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With her intense passion for fine food and taste for eccentric cuisine, Betty Ann was led to Dining Details to help her create her best birthday dinner ever.
She rented a beach house on Neptune Ave in Encinitas, and invited her 18 best friends from around the country. She worked intently on her menu selections with Chef Julie for several months, and had the wines paired perfectly by her expert sommelier friends.
Chef PJ turned out to be an ideal match for what Betty Ann was looking for- the food exceeded her wildest dreams and expectations. She loved having her friends oohing and awing over the flavors and artistry all night. the black cod was the best thing anyone had ever tasted (thanks to Tommy @ Catalina Offshore Products/ @fishforsale)
Here are the photos, see menu below.

To see all the photos from the evening, see our facebook fan page photos
http://www.facebook.com/diningdetails?v=photos#!/album.php?aid=195239&id=56812467462
The menu was:

Cocktail Hour Hors ‘D ‘Hoerves
Chorizo and Roasted Chicken Empanadas with Olives and Raisins, Paprika Aoli

Plated Appetizer
Braised Short Rib Bite with Rutabaga Puree and Spanish Rojo Reduction, Stilton and Glazed Heirloom Carrots

Salad
Fennel dusted Diver Scallop with Grapefruit Vinaigrette Mâché Salad with Avocado and Fresh Citrus and Asparagus

Entree
Seared Black Cod in Harissa Broth, Warm Jicama and Watermelon Radish Relish with Micro Cilantro

Dessert
Dulce de Leche Filled Chocolate Lava Cakes with White Chocolate Mousse and Fresh Berries

Happy Birthday, Betty Ann!

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To see all the photos from the evening, check out facebook fan page photos!
http://www.facebook.com/diningdetails?v=photos#!/album.php?aid=195122&id=56812467462

Pfizer put together a fun and exciting team building event with Dining Details at the San Diego Culinary Wine and Culinary Center. The group split into 5 teams to compete against each other on the bases of presentation, taste, and over all culinary skill.
Chef PJ introduced each course, demo’ed how to prepare it, then sent the teams back to their tables to cook. Each course was judged by the selected judges and Chef Julie, then the cooks got to sit and eat that course that they had just created before moving on to the following course.
The menu was:
Salad
Spinach Salad with Roasted Grapes, Shaved Fennel, Feta Cheese, Sliced Almonds, and Honey Mustard Sherry Vinaigrette

Entree
Seared Prawns (or Portabella Mushrooms for non-shrimp eaters) with White Wine Sauce, Olives, Fresh Tomatoes, and Capers
Served with Olive Oil and Parmesan Tossed Fresh Fettuccine,
Roasted Asparagus

Dessert
Grand Marnier Creme Brulee

Corporate team building events like hands-on culinary competitions, iron chef competitions, and other culinary experiences are available through Dining Details and the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center.

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Chef Shannon led this 5th grade class in a Valentines inspired cooking class- complete with cupcake making and decorating, and pizza designing and eating! The kids loved making their own food, talking ingredients, and finding out that their own home made pizzas and cupcakes tasted even better than their favorite restaurant or store bought brands. (Go figure!)

Call on Chickpeas for fun, entertaining, educational experiences for kiddos. We can teach them in our kitchen or yours… please call us for more info!

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Every Tuesday PJ makes magic in the beautiful RSF kitchen of one of our favorite regular clients. Seeing his menus each week does no justice to what actually transpires in this kitchen! Healthy, light creations of one sort or another to last the couple the whole week- full of color, flavor, fresh from the farm and straight to their fridge. I had the opportunity to shadow PJ last week in order to help hi cut his time down (he had agreed to doing a class at the Prado for me so I could take the evening off)- and we joked that it was “take your boss to work” day at Dining Details!
Some of this weeks selections included: Roasted Cauliflower and Fennel Salad with Jicima and Cilantro Vinaigrette, acorn squash soup, quinoa salad with heirloom tomatoes and cucumber, zucchini wrapped chicken breasts, Sauteed giant prawns fresh from El Pescador… and much more.
Those LUCK LUCKY people! (I must admit… I was a bit jealous!)

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Babies by the Sea is not just another baby boutique. It was created with a purpose!

The concept of the Babies by the Sea Boutique was conceived by pure synchronicity. San Diego Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Dr. Robert Biter, has been a proponent of natural women’s and babies’ health care for years. Witnessing the advent of the growing business of birth, Dr. Biter decided to establish a private birthing center where women and babies would not be subject to the pressure of revenue generating business practices and the lobbying of the pharmaceutical industry. Instead, he would offer his patients the ability to birth their babies in a natural, healthy setting with the convenience of having all the necessary surgical and medical back-up in the event of crisis situations.

Having years of experience familiarizing himself with the best and healthiest maternity products available, Dr. Biter decided that a natural fit for the birthing center would be a retail store where he could use his extensive background and expertise to make information and high-quality products available to the public.

Dining Details/Chickpeas is honored to be the sole provider of baby food and family dinners at Babies by the Sea Boutique. It was a blast being a part of the grand opening!

Quite a party!!

A sampling of seasonal CHICKPEAS baby food (see www.eatchickpeas.com)- parents and kids alike loved the fresh flavors!

Dr. Biter with the featured guest- he has sort of an obsession with monkeys! Don't worry, animal lovers- this monkey is WELL taken care of!

As the sun went down, the next element of entertainment! An AWESOME fire dancer!!!

Check out Babies by the Sea Boutique at www.babiesbytheseaboutique.com
Join the “I love Dr. Biter” Fan Page on Facebook, follow @babiesbythesea on twitter, or just pop in and say hi! For all moms, moms to be, and fans of babies and moms!

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