Culinary's "Concepts"

Watching a bare venue transform from a plain backdrop into the vision you've imagined can be nerve-wracking!  But when the final results come out this good, you can breathe a sigh of relief!  3 things that were abundantly clear after this event:

1. The San Diego Natural History Museum, with it's immense 4-story-high open atrium, never fails as the perfect backdrop for events that REALLY impress.
2. Imagination Entertainment, providers of awe-inspiring theatrical performances and aerial acrobatic displays, are the best in the business!
3. The very handsome man that performed an aerialist routine at our event on Monday night (unfortunately not pictured below!) had the most amazing physique (muscles on top of his muscles!), and actually inspired members of our team to hit the gym today.  Ha!

So lucky were the NACE members & friends who were able to experience one of the most aesthetically pleasing and mouthwatering desserts ever at the June 2009 NACE event!  Held at Specialty Produce, Sweet Cheeks Baking was kind enough to donate the amazing, picturesque cake pictured below.   Oh, you thought it was a salad?  That's the idea!

The cake, vanilla chiffon with a cinnamon infusion, filled with freshly sliced local peaches & cream, and frosted in italian butter cream, was designed to look like a fresh, colorful salad to go along with the theme of the night--using seasonal, local produce to create delicious dishes.  The vegetables, each handcrafted with sweet fondant, were intricately detailed.

Sweet Cheeks' philosophy is to use create decadant baked goods, using wholesome ingredients:  NO transfats or artificial ingredients, but the best of fresh eggs, whole wheat flour, flaxseed & wheat germ, fruits & nuts, and top quality purees & chocolates.   And--you know their cakes are good when the guests most excited about dessert are the ones who made it!  (not saying who, but one of the Sweet Cheek-ers pictured below even went in for seconds!!) Then next time you are in the market for an uncompromising bakery, contact Donna Cellere & Elaine Ardizzone at Sweet Cheeks!

Put on by the Tijuana National Chamber of Restaurants, the City of Tijuana, and Tijuana's Convention and Visitors Bureau, the celebration honored the birth of a Tijuana legend: the Caesar Salad.  An added perk: Guest were able to view a full-sized replica of one of the greatest works of Diego Rivera: "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park."

Caesar Salad (despite most people believing it's from Italy), was first enjoyed over 85 years ago on Avenida Revolucion.  The Salad was created in 1924 by Caesar Cardini, an Italian Restaurateur, living in San Diego and working in Tijuana to avoid the restrictions of prohibition.  According to legend, he invented the dish when a 4th of July rush depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, and added dramatic flair by tossing table-side!  In 2007, Tijuana set a Guinness World Record for the largest Caesar Salad ever (weighing in at 7,246 pounds)!!   

A new study shows that 98% of "Eco-Friendly" Products make misleading claims!  IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN!

A study of 4,000 "eco-friendly" consumer products found on supermarket shelves found that 98% of them make false or misleading claims. The study, presented to Congress earlier this month by the environmental consulting firm TerraChoice, found rampant greenwashing in every product category.  22% of products it evaluated featured an environmental badge, or "green label," that was actually meaningless.

Congress is now debating better ways clamp down on greenwashing. The Federal Trade Commission, although intended to prevent the practice of greenwashing, has taken almost no enforcement action over the past decade. Senator Dianne Feinstein is contemplating introducing a bill to increase federal mandating of eco-marketing, including product labels.  While 1/3 of consumers rely on labels to decide if a product is environmentally friendly, there is over 300 competing environmental certification programs that bombard and confuse them with competing and misleading claims. 

BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!  Download a handy wallet card here to help you make educated, greener purchases

Not to toot our own horn, but "TOOOT, TOOT!"   The following display hors d'ouvres tables, mainly taken at an event a few weeks back at the Burnham Institute, looked pretty amazing!  

Here's what our client (Cat Virca, an EXPERT local Exhibit and Event Planner) had to say:  "Culinary Concepts hit it out of the park with a high-level attendee networking evening reception event for us! On a tight schedule and budget, they provided not only an excellent proposal which blew the competition out, but also provided the necessary bells and whistles along with fabulous tasting foods! CC raised the bar on outdoor reception taste, decor and service. They executed like clock-work and blended seamlessly with the our whole production set up. Our attendees literally raved! Thank you!"

All the credit goes to Cheri Gerzabek, our resident decor specialist.  From the wheatgrass, to the funky marble tiles, and the cool natural-fiber spheres, this look really impressed! Contact Cheri if you'd like tips on how to create this look at your next party!

Discovered something very new and different at Von's yesterday:  Rachel's Essense Yogurt.  While searching the shelves for my standard breakfast fare, my eyes were drawn to their sleek and colorful packaging.  With names like CALM (Plum Honey Lavendar), VITALITY (Pomegranite Acai), REFRESH (Pink Grapefruit Lychee), REVIVE (Peach Green Tea), and RELAX (Vanilla Chai), these are not your standard yogurts! Take REFRESH for example, Rachel has done her research--aromatherapists value the bright smell of grapefruit for its refreshing qualities, while the lychee is a wonderful source of vitamin C.  I felt refreshed and rejuvenated after enjoying one this morning!

The delicious and creamy yogurts have unique flavors, are free of artificial flavors, preservatives or sweeteners (including no high fructose corn syrup), and are made using milk from cows not given artificial growth hormones (rbST-free).  They also contain a boatload of probiotics to aid in healthy digestion and help maintain overall intestinal vitality.  Check them out, only slightly costlier than the other store brands, available at Von's, Ralph's, Albertson's, and Whole Foods.