food stall

By Joanne Purnell I�m stepping out from the kitchen today to talk about, well, cooking! Specifically, the people who do the cooking at catered events. As chairperson of the Culinary Council for the International Caterers Association , together with my co-chair Ken Barrett, I've spent the past year putting together the ICA's CaterArts Conference. This event is for and by the top catering chefs from all over the world and will take place July 31 to August 3 in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme this year is �Relighting Your Passion,� and for me, nothing helps energize me than meeting other chefs. I thought you might want to meet them too! Just a little background on catering chefs in general: it�s a profession that takes a special type of person. Think about it. We might prep in our own kitchens, but we then move all that food, set up again and cook a perfect meal in a different kitchen every night. And I use the word �kitchen� very loosely! It could be a garage, a parking lot, or a...

By Pauline Parry Catering chefs are truly the unsung heroes of the culinary world. They can create eight-course gourmet meals in a closet. They are just as comfortable with Sterno as a heat source as they are a Wolf oven. They have been known to carry food into exotic locales on foot, cook a memorable romantic meal for two, then pack it back out. And they do it all happily, for the food, the fun and the love of it! An Example of Catered Food Art: Yellow Beet Basil Stack Created by Chef Joanne Purnell Every year many of the world's top catering chefs come together at CaterArts , a conference produced by the International Caterers Association (ICA). From August 8 to 11 they'll be at Sullivan University (a large culinary institution) in Louisville, Kentucky, and will attend classes taught by the best in the business. They will get demonstrations of new techniques, get hands-on experience working side by side and most important, continue to elevate the profession as they forge new...

How beautiful is this? Rrivre Davies of Rrivre Works in Los Angeles took part in the International Caterers Association Regional Education Day that Good Gracious put together at Jay's Catering in Garden Grove. And, as you can see, Rrivre does nothing by half! He went all out to create this luscious tent decor for the evening cocktail hour. I love it because it is summer and beachy without all the cliches that go with that type of theme. The seashell chandeliers were fabulous and the furniture (which he custom made for this event) was covered in a heavy woven fabric in a cream tone. And the ceiling! Instead of swagging, he created a contemporary, clever approach to a tent ceiling that transformed the environment. This effect, along with the white billowy fabrics on the side and the fact that he boxed the tent poles with white enameled architectural elements finished the tent and lent it a graceful elegance. Sitting in this tent felt as refreshing as if we were by the ocean. Accompan...