food stall

From the pages of Pauline�s Travel Journal Late last year Joanne Purnell, my daughter and the Chef de Cuisine of Good Gracious and I were invited to Singapore as guests of Kriston Food & Beverage . There were interested in sharing catering trends, food ideas and business strategies with an American company and we were honored to be asked! The trip was in late October and it�s taken until now for me to blog about because as soon as we returned, Good Gracious was knee-deep in holiday events. So, I apologize for the lag time but I really want to share this experience with you. ARRIVAL After 20 hours of flying, Joanne and I were greeted with fabulous smiles and flower leis from Annette and Guin from Kriston Food. They took us to our hotel located in the heart of downtown Singapore , very near the trendy Orchard Street which is similar to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills . Our suite was on the 21 st floor and as we looked out our window it reminded me of looking over Central Park...

by Stacy Failing, CSEP At Good Gracious! we are always looking for new ideas for our brides and we have been focusing on eco-friendly trends over the last few years. Last month we were a presenter at the Soi-Meme eco-bridal salon held at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. This unique bridal salon showcased resources to brides that were creative, inspiring, beautiful and of course, eco-friendly. As a presenter, we provided the catering for the attendees with our tray passed hors d�oeuvres of pearl couscous salad, blonde gazpacho sips, heart shaped apple chevre tartlets, petite chicken pesto panini and Caprese salad skewers. Our food is focused on seasonal, local and sustainable ingredients where our chefs� recipes always have a flare for style and taste. We decided to set up a visiting lounge where we chatted with brides, talked about their ideas and how we could provide that green element to their day. Our quaint lounge featured re-purposed furnishings from our featur...

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...

A night at home can be magical -- an opportunity to cast a spell or two. Here is how inspiration hits me. I had been looking for a good reason to have a party (always am!) and one day while I was out shopping I found The Good Spell book. One of the most important elements of any party for me is that I find a way to connect with my guests and to connect them with one another. So when I saw this book I knew the dinner party would have to allow for all the guests to talk about their dreams then cast a spell for love, happiness or peace. I helped get things on the way by choosing a couple spells I thought everyone would like and filling small bags with all the necessary ingredients for casting them. The spells I chose were for love. This is after all a "good" spell book so no evil hexes would be going on! I set the table with one color in mind -- red. It's such a dynamic color for a party, especially one in which you want a lot of interaction. Drunken Tomatoes...a very fun wa...

Now that we are in the heat of summer, the weather calls for a cool drink. This year, there is nothing cooler than putting a spin on a classic and so for an elegant pool party, we created the... Honeydew Purple Basil Mojito 2 ounces silver rum 3 ounces freshly juiced honeydew melon 2 teaspoons raw sugar 4 purple basil leaves plus one sprig for garnish Basil-infused sugar Put basil leaves and raw sugar in a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add a scoop of ice, rum and honeydew juice. Shake until icy cold. Pour into a sugar rimmed glass. Garnish with sugar cane and basil sprig. Sit back and enjoy!