We hope that by now you’ve gotten rid of the dust from that barbeque grill, but aren’t yet ready to stow it away either. Summer isn’t over just yet, which means it’s still grilling season.

The versatility of grilling is one of its greatest features. While you can always opt for a classic, homemade actual grilled cheese (we recommend getting creative with your cheese selections), feel free to also spice up your dishes. In the mood for Asian flavors? Mix together peanut butter, soy sauce, and some chili sauce to top anything from chicken kabobs to pineapple. If you’re longing for the bites served in the vineyards of northern Italy, brush some pesto on grilled chicken and accompany it with ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.

Don’t despair if you feel you’ve had your fair share of hot dogs, hamburgers, and the like; there’s plenty else to grill, from appetizers to desserts! Grilled fruit serves as a delicious appetizer, side dish, and dessert. For example, wouldn’t you like some of Indiana’s grilled apricots and figs that are stuffed with gorgonzola mousse and spiced pecans?

Yeah…that’s what we thought.

Remember when you were younger and your parents tried to get you to try a new dish? They swore it was delicious, but you shrieked and locked yourself in a closet because it looked akin to a lagoon monster.

That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it still holds true when you’re entertaining guests. Imagine the feeling of spending money on something that you know is delicious, only to have your guests shy away from it because it looks unappetizing.

When serving food at an event, the appearance of the dish is just as important as the taste. We’re constantly thinking of new ways to present our food…we’ve gotten so good at it that we can’t re-fill fast enough! Below, check out some of our aesthetic and palate pleasing treats!

A delicious White Bean, Salmon and Caviar Canape.

Popcorn Soup. You read that right…Popcorn Soup!

Something as simple as an Art Deco tray gives these Mussels a little more pazazz.

Something as simple as a spoon not only looks more elegant than a toothpick, but allows a little more freedom with the food (For example, the Basil infused Oil you see at the bottom)

When guests arrive to your event, the first thing that crosses their mind should not be “I hope this doesn’t last long”. Instead, you want them to think how perfect the venue is. However, finding this ideal space is not always easy. If you think picking a venue yourself is too difficult, read on to discover some tips to make it a little easier. We understand that there are important aspects to the perfect venue, and would like to share with you some of our favorite locations where we’ve had the pleasure of catering.

· ACCESSIBILITY

o A good venue is easily accessible for your guests. Your guests should not have to travel 5 hours to make it to your 2 hour event. It should be in close proximity to where your guests live or work. It is also important for the guests to be able to find parking close to the event. If parking is not available, the venue should be in a short distance of public transportation. The Altman Building is located by 6 parking lots and accessible by various trains with little walking distance.

The Altman Building

· SIZE

o Size definitely matters when it comes to events! If a space is too large, your event can end up looking empty and feeling dull. Conversely, if your space is too small, your guest can feel cramped and annoyed. Estimate a REALISTIC number of guests that will be attending before you pick your venue.

o 101 Riverviews has rooms that can be used for large scale events, such as the Grand Room…

o …And rooms that can be used for smaller events, like The Terrace Room.

· AGENDA

o It is a must that you know what types of activities you will be hosting at your event before you pick a space. For example, if part of your event includes your guests stepping outside, it’s best to have a venue that has easy access to outside. You don’t want your guest having to crowd on to an elevator or march up stairs. The Terrace at 101 Riverviews has an outside are that over looks the SoHo area.

If you keep these points in mind, you’re guaranteed to have not only the perfect venue, but the perfect party!

Need some ideas to pull off this summer trend at your next gathering? Below, you can find some of the tasty little bites we offer on our catering menus to get the party planner in you inspired. Re-create or re-invent one of our dishes and it’s an absolute hit at your party? Drop us a line and send us a picture…we’d love to hear about it and feature it on our blog!

-Smoked Salmon Rosettes in a Crispy Savory Cone

-Cherry Tomatoes filled with a Scallop Ceviche and Avocado Puree

-Miniature Tea Sandwiches of Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Mozzarella and Pesto on Focaccia

-Coconut Crusted Chicken with Passion-Fruit Guava dipping sauce

-Chilled Watercress Soup, served in shot glasses and garnished with slow-roasted Vidalia onions

-Lobster “Rolls” with Tarragon Mayo, served on Buttery Brioche Crisps

-Pork Brisket Po Boys

*Host your event outdoors for the best natural lighting there is! “What about at night?” We hear you cry; Invest or Rent an eco-friendly Tiki torch for a larger party or candles for a smaller one. Martha Stewart has a great idea for re-using eggshells as dainty candle holders. You can find the steps for that craft here: http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/eggshell-votives

*Really reap the benefits of your hard work! Don’t know what harsh pesticides might be used on your produce? Nothing tastes better than drinks and dishes prepared using herbs and produce you grew yourself. One of the members of our Indiana family is currently growing her own herb garden, and already has plans to use them during her summer entertaining. Of course, she has to bring in some fresh mint for us to taste test with our specialty cocktails!

*Plan a picnic with a Green friendly twist. You can turn an old, abused sheet into a fun activity for friends and family! Have the whole crew pitch in (or hog the fun for yourself!) and tye-dye, finger paint or creatively patch up minor tears or stains on that old sheet for a beautiful place for guests to sit. Don’t forget to bring reusable plates. Don’t have enough plates for all your guests? Ask guests to bring their own non-disposable plate and offer a reward for the best one! We’ll let you be the judge of what makes it the best.

Happy July 4th Weekend to all! All of us here at Indiana hope you have an exciting holiday.

Simple party fare need not be boring or unsophisticated.

The next time you’re planning a cocktail party, consider whipping up one of our all-time favorite crowd pleasers. You’ll be surprised how quick and easy it is to prepare, which will leave you with more time to spend with your guests – the reason you planned the party in the first place!

Classic, pared-down flavors straight out of Sardinia shine through our homemade Artichoke and Roasted Pepper Crostini with a Basil Aioli:

Ingredients:

One Ficelle

Olive oil and salt to taste

8 small roasted artichoke hearts (bottled is fine)

¼ pint roasted red peppers (bottled is fine)

8 basil leaves

½ cup high-quality mayonnaise

½ clove of fresh garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For the crostini:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice a Ficelle crosswise to desired thickness (we usually aim for about ¼ of an inch), brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.

Place the slices of Ficelle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in the oven and cook until the first side is slightly toasted, flip and toast the second side.

Remove from the oven and set aside until ready for use.

Cut 8 small roasted artichoke hearts into quarters

¼ pint roasted red pepper, sliced into thin strips

For the basil aioli:

In a food processer, blend 8 cleaned basil leaves, ½ clove of minced garlic and ½ cup of high-quality mayonnaise. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To assemble:

Spread a layer of the basil aioli on the crostini and garnish with a ¼ of an artichoke heart and a thin slice of red pepper.

Serve and enjoy!

When it comes to hiring a “bargain” caterer and event planner you run a significant risk of getting exactly what you paid for. And in the end, who cares how much of a deal you scored if the food isn’t properly prepared or beautifully presented, the décor is unimaginative or tacky, the serving equipment is unsightly or the service is inexperienced and mismanaged? Memories of your cocktail reception, gallery opening, wedding or bat mitzvah will be irretrievably marred by the shoddy package your wonderful day was wrapped in. As we all have learned the hard way, sometimes the cheapest things we purchase end up being the most costly.

That’s why at Indiana Market & Catering, we focus on providing our clients with fantastic value – dependability, integrity, quality and service, at a reasonable price. While we are always talking to our vendors and staff to figure out ways in which we can trim costs, we never cut essential elements of our overall package to save a few bucks for ourselves or our clients. We know that this economic climate is tough for everyone – please let us know if Indiana Market & Catering ever fails to offer you the value we pride ourselves in giving to our clients with every event we produce.

Nothing can ruin an otherwise perfect catered event – delicious food, gorgeous décor and inspired entertainment – than lousy service. And more often than not, subpar service isn’t the result of inexperience. It’s due to the gradual deterioration of standards.

Some of our pet service peeves at Indiana: staffers who show up without the proper equipment to get the job done, an incorrect or unsightly and stained uniform, surly ’tudes. Talk about leaving a bad taste in your customer’s mouth.

But unlike many others in the biz, we’re committed to nurturing a pool of staffers; we’ve found that working with a consistent A-Team not only builds confidence and camaraderie within the ranks, but it ultimately gives our clients more reliable and superior service. When our A-Team starts to look more like a D-Team, we take aggressive steps to pull them back up to where we know they can be.

This year we have begun:

·         Re-designing our Catering Curriculum to ensure our floor and kitchen staff are prepared to communicate with each other effectively, serve beautifully prepared food seamlessly and set up and load out events as carefully and quickly as possible.

·         Sending out bi-weekly tips to our floor staff to make sure they are up to date on our latest uniform/skill/and equipment requirements.

·         Organizing bi-monthly brainstorming sessions with our planners, captains and chefs to see what has worked at recent parties and what hasn’t, so that events run from conception to execution in one smooth arc.

If you ever see our team slipping – let us know!

 At Indiana Market & Catering, we’re always whipping something up. We tweak our recipes until they’re just right, develop new ones and revisit old favorites. Lately, we’ve been obsessing over our dips. It may sound like a ridiculously minor detail, but considering the sheer number and variety of items we pair them with (farm fresh crudités; artisanal flatbreads and crackers; chicken, beef and pork skewers, to name a few), we want to make sure they’re perfectly delicious.

We recently held a “dip-off”, testing out a variety of dips at our office, and several new dips made the cut, including: Kalamata Olive Aioli, Miso Dip (made especially for those with peanut allergies, but great for even the most dedicated nut aficionado as well), Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut, White Bean Pesto and Pimento Cheese.

But we just can’t get enough of our all-time classic peanut sauce. Give it a whirl yourself, and you’ll see why (recipe below).

Indiana Spicy Peanut Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/8 Cup Cooled Tea

1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

1/8 Cup Soy Sauce

¾ Cup Smooth Peanut Butter

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1.5 Cups Mayonnaise

1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 Tablespoon Siracha (or to taste)

Directions:

Combine the tea, vinegar and soy sauce.  Slowly mix with the peanut butter until smooth.  Drizzle the sesame oil into the peanut butter mixture.  Add the mayonnaise, mustard and cayenne.  Blend in the chili paste slowly.  Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Sauce will keep up to two weeks, tightly covered.

We are in the process of developing menus exclusively devoted to local, organic, sustainable food, finding the best sources for recycled paper and plastic-ware and using the best sources for organic produce, beef, seafood and poultry we can find. We’ll post details on Indiana’s greening process throughout the year – please let us know if you have any suggestions for how Indiana can serve the world, and our customers, better.

Kermit said it best: “Green can be big like an ocean, or important, like a mountain, or tall like a tree.”