Pan Fried

My husband and I, like many newlyweds, received a beautiful high-end set of pots and pans as a wedding gift. We received a set a of Calphalon stainless steel pots and pans. Excited about all the culinary masterpieces I would create I jumped in and found out stainless steel requires different cooking techniques than non-stick. All these new shiny pans and my husband was actually upset I gave away his old non-stick fry pan because he was burning his morning egg whites. No matter what he did they would stick to the pan. Thank goodness for the internet! I found my new online cooking best friend. Rouxbe cooking school has amazing step by step tutorials. The trick is to determine the heat of a pan by performing a simple water test, making sure your oil has legs and then you let the sizzle lead you to success.

Learn how to pan fry like a pro:

http://rouxbe.com/cooking-school/lessons/170-pan-frying

Kind Words from Michelle

"My wedding planning process was whirlwind, as we planned the event in 5 months while I was simultaneously working full-time, taking classes at city college, and applying for grad school. It was a crazy time! I am not what you would call a "planner", instead I put in the minimum amount of work in the hopes that everything will work itself out in the end. While most things turned out as planned, there are still nagging details that have to be taken care of such as oh, the actual day of the wedding. While everything may look perfectly planned in spreadsheet form, that does not automatically translate to real life. The thing that really stressed me out the most was sticking to the timeline. Thank goodness for Stacie! From the moment the bridal party started getting ready, Stacie took charge and made sure the photographer stuck to the timeline. She coordinated with the groomsmen to ensure that me and my future husband did not see each other before the ceremony. She got me through the pictures, into the limo, and off to the ceremony right on time! This was great because I'm not a very detail-oriented person, so having Stacie there to efficiently manage the photographer and the other bridesmaids was awesome. There were so many little details I had not thought of, such as grass stains on my white shoes (and the bridesmaids' shoes). Upon arriving to the reception, Stacie whipped out a "bridal kit" including grass stain remover and went to work on my heels. Thanks to her, my shoes were gleaming white for all my reception pictures. However, Stacie's real shining moment came when someone stepped on my dress and broke the bustle! I ran to Stacie in a panic, and she calmly pulled out her sewing kit and sewed my bustle back on in a matter of minutes. Amazing! I didn't miss a beat and continued to groove on the dance floor the rest of the night. Stacie also organized an after-party and made sure everyone got taxis to the location."

"Overall, I can't thank Stacie enough for helping plan my special day. I literally couldn't have done it without her. A word to all the future brides out there: hire a day-of planner to worry about all the details so you can enjoy your special day."

-Michelle

Married: June 5, 2010

Photos taken by Adam of Embrace Life Photography http://www.embracelifephoto.com/

Kind Words from Amanda

"I don't really do details. While wedding planning, I used this mantra to be 'the laid-back bride", and, for the most part, it worked out well for me. Until my wedding day. At 8am on the day of, my sister comes knocking to whisk me off to go do pre-wedding beauty regimen, and I'm frantically listing all of the things... we'll call them 'details'... that hadn't yet been done. Or, in some cases, thought about. The list easily took up a whole page, and I had less than a minute to myself. I'm talking about centerpieces (very simple, one type of flower in a mason jar), stringing lights (who knew it'd be such an issue to hang paper lanterns) and finding something so that my heels wouldn't sink into the ground (extra damp from the rain the previous night). Panic was in the neighborhood.
Enter Stacie Smith. She took one look at me, and my list and went to work. She started by looking at the list and telling me not to worry. She made me hand over my telephone, took down my sisters number to get a hold of me if she needed and sent us off for the pampering that, at that point, I desperately needed. And then she went to work. When I returned a few hours later, the centerpieces were done and set out-- and she used extra flowers to decorate other places in the venue. The paper lanterns were hung, complete with beautiful colored fabrics to hide the lines and extension cords. There was a small platform for me to stand on, also decorated with flowers. Furthermore, she'd been answering my phone all morning, giving directions to guests, talking with caterer and photographer, even making sure the groom was staying with the timeline. By the time I returned, the place looked far more amazing than I could have imagined. Stacie, looking fabulous herself, handed me a glass of champagne and sent me on to the man of my dreams and the rest of my life.
I can't imagine stress I would have been fending off had Stacie not been there to step in save me from myself and allow me to enjoy one of the most wonderful days of my life."

- Amanda

Married August 27, 2010

Chalk Another One Up

I love using chalkboards to announce the evening’s menu, provide directions or just to welcome your guests. It’s a more whimsical way to convey a message.

Science Fact: Chalk is actually sticks of calcium sulfate or calcium carbonate. Chalkboards were originally made of smooth, thin sheets of black or dark grey slate stone.

DIY: Reinvent old frames by turning them into chalkboards. Any frame size will work because you can never have enough cute little signs.

Things you will need:
1)Desired color spray paint for the frame (I like white because it matches everything and creates great contrast)
2)Staple gun (craft one is fine)to attach your painted “chalkboard” to your frame
3)Chalkboard spray paint
4)Plywood or thin smooth wood. Have them cut it to the size you need at the home improvement store.

Friends of Smith & Co. : Island View Catering

Island View Catering provides unique culinary diversity and presentation – ranging from simple gourmet twists to old favorites, like macaroni and cheese, to cutting edge signatures, such as their passion fruit salad dressing and boysenberry, chipotle glazed tri-tip. Not only does this company offer compelling food, but provides a personable staff the will pull out all the stops. No Kitchen? Not a problem for Island View with their 30ft commercial kitchen trailer they can bring culinary delicacies to even remote locations. I have had the pleasure of working several events with IVC and highly recommend them to all of my clients. Especially those clients who want out of this world grilled meats.

http://www.ivcatering.com/

Perfect Pasta

Pasta maybe the world's easiest food to make, but it is also an indication of a good cook. Pasta takes roughly seven minutes to cook (depending on pasta type and elevation). While pasta is the go to for large groups it must be enticing and imaginative. Have your caterer cook a pasta dish, even if you don't intend to serve pasta. You can gauge their creativity and ability to use flavors and colors this way. A drab soggy pasta is my worst nightmare, but time and time again I see lifeless pasta in the buffet line.

The choice of pasta speaks about the chef as well. Angel hair is delicate, but must be served promptly or it clumps. Rigatoni is playful and reminds me of the pasta necklaces I made when I was a kid. In my opinion Farfalle is the ultimate pasta. It’s elegant, it’s bow-tie pasta after all. It has attractive cut edges and a great surface-area to volume ratio. Go farfalle!

Reduce and Reuse: The New Wedding Mantra

Why is it that brides feel like everything has to be new? The typical wedding mantra is; something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue (and for those diehards a ten pence in your shoe). Shouldn't there be more of the borrowing and reusing of those old things at weddings. Since I specialize in shabby chic, vintage or rustic type events I find beauty in the old. I love reusing mason jars as vases, candle holders or as favors. How about reusing old wine boxes as for those centerpieces? Boxes with character! To give it even more character consider purchasing a custom branding iron and really leaving your mark. While we are reusing and reducing don't forget about the recycling part. Ask your vendors what they do to be more green. Does your site or caterer recycle?

Get your own branding iron: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/monogram-steak-brand-and-carving-board/?pkey=e|branding%2Biron|2|best|0|1|24||2&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-