Today, our head pastry chef Jocelyn was kind enough to share her “how-to” on making easy cake pops for any occasion!  Seriously, this is the easiest thing ever and they are DELICIOUS!  Take a look!

Easy, right?  I can’t wait to try these out for my next party or special treat!  Jocelyn even gave me some of her favorite combos:
Red velvet and cream cheese
Chocolate and chocolate
Strawberry and cream cheese
Vanilla and vanilla
Carrot cake and cream cheese
YUM!  Happy baking everyone!!!

Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Today, I’d like to share with you one of the most decadent (and possibly expensive) restaurants in Las Vegas.  Guy Savoy, headed by the much lauded chef of the same name, is French dining at its pinnacle with the finest in quality and in presentation.  Not only can you count on 10 courses of fabulous food, but each of these courses is paired with a gourmet artisan bread, hand sliced table side for your perfectly paired flavor enjoyment!  Mary recently dined at this restaurant and HAD to try this bread pairing to see if it was really all the rage, and let me tell you, it WAS.  Its not just any old wheat bread they are serving up either.  It is artfully crafted breads that are created to blend delightfully with each of the courses specifically.  Crispy Sea Bass with Delicate Spices paired with a Lemon Bread?  Delicately complex and perfect.  Artichoke and Black Truffle soup paired with Mushroom  Brioche?  Divine.  Marinated Lobster with Seaweed Ciabatta Bread?  Unexpected and wonderful.  Attention to detail is definitely a must here!  They even had an artist create specialty serving accoutrement for each course, so even the china is GORGEOUS!  This meal was definitely a one of a kind event (and at about $290 a person for the prestige menu, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea), but we see that all elements of a menu should be taken into consideration to create a symphony of delciousness.  We here at Culinary Crafts definitely take this to heart and have been offering “bread pairings” with our stations before it was so in vogue.  Our passion for detail and perfect orchestration is as apparent in every one of our events just as each course of Guy Savoy’s prestige menu is.  We hope this inspires you to thoughtfully and artfully prepare your next meal – it is SO worth it!  Happy eating everyone!

Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Photos via KevinEats, Crazy White Girl With a Kitchen, and Midwestern Masticatory Musings

Just in time for spring and Easter, we have Mary’s World Famous Carrot Cake Recipe (as declared by Mary)!  Take a look and enjoy!

Hi all!  Today I would like to do a shout out to our very newest pastry chef, Jocelyn Ball!  We are so excited to have Jocelyn and are constantly amazed at her creativity, artistry, and palette!  Her over the top cake bites, breads, cookies, cakes, macarons, parfait shooters, and cupcakes are DIVINE and ensure that we at Culinary Crafts consistently give our clients the tastiest and yummiest offerings in the world!  We are even more thrilled at the new things she’s created like the Salted Caramel Blondies, Cappuccino Browines, and Single Serve Pies in a Jar!  I can’t wait to show these tasty new delights in the events to come!  A giant thank you to you, Jocelyn!  You are amazing and we are so happy to have you be a part of the Culinary Crafts family!  Happy baking everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Photo credit: Logan Walker of CAKE photography

Today, I first want to share with you a guest blog we were happy to compose for Utah Bride & Groom‘s blog!  We focused on one of Culinary Crafts’s favorite new trends, The Art of Deconstruction!  Check it out here.

Secondly, here is an AWESOME free Bridal Expo being held today, March 1, at The Woods on Ninth!  Here’s what Bride Access says:

Thursday March 1, 2012
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
6775 S. 900 E. Midvale UT 84047

Come and view a beautiful reception venue/gardens etc. Meet some of Utah’s best Wedding vendors and taste some amazing food from their Preferred Catering partners-  Prizes and gift bags for everyone who attends! Free Wine and Italian Sodas and Hot chocolate will be served.

Vendors include: Flowers, catering, invitations, custom suits, dresses, reverends, jeweler, photographers, videographers, custom cakes and cupcakes, fitness vendors, real estate, photo booth, Italian soda and wine and hot chocolate bar, and much much more!

Admission is free- Even if you have already booked a reception center, please feel free to come and get some ideas for your special day.

Please RSVP To Patrick at Patrick@thewoodsonninth.com or text 801-915-4331- or just feel free to show up!

And lastly, if you can’t make the Bridal Expo being held today or have time to make it to both, here is another AMAZING Wedding Show that is also free, being held this weekend on Saturday, March 3.  Here’s the lowdown from Bride Access:

Saturday, March 3, 2012
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
4370 South 300 West, Murray  UT  84107

Free Admission!

Visit with some awesome wedding professionals to help you plan your wedding and see the 2012 wedding trends.

Take home a sample bridal bouquet!

Happy planning everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

It’s our last “Best of” Restaurant list for 2012 with Mary’s Top 10 Park City picks!  Take it away, Mary!

I always say if you can make it on Park City’s Main Street, you can make it anywhere.  People expect excellent service with a friendly Utah flare and while they also expect things to cost a bit more, the quality is always worth it!  Always a relaxing atmosphere, never stuffy, and cowboy boots are appropriate dress!  I love it! 

Mary’s Top 10 Park City Restaurants

Bill White‘s legendary restaurants still dominate Main Street and are still on my Top 10 list year after year. Starting with:

Best Italian – Grappa

Best Southwest – Chimayo

Best Asian – Wahso

There are several great Asian restaurants that I love, however.  Shabu, who you may have heard about (they get tons of press!) and Yuki Arashi, which is less known, but chock full of fabulous creative cuisine!

Best Steak On The Street – Riverhorse (A Park City Icon)

Best Casual Without Spending Your Cash Roll – Zoom

Best Chef in Park City – Jean Louis (Who is opening his own restaurant on Main Street!  So exciting!)

Best Stray Off Main Street – Chez Betty

Best New Kid on the Block – J&G Grill at the St. Regis (The food is incredible, but the tram ride and view are amazing!)

Happy dining everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Today, its my pleasure to bring to you Mary Crafts-Homer’s Top 5 Salt Lake City Restaurant Picks for Lunch!  As you know, there are plenty of FANTASTIC Salt Lake City restaurants to lunch at, but Mary’s picks are the creme de la creme!  Check it out!

TOP 5 SALT LAKE CITY LUNCH SPOTS:

1. Best Farm to to Table: Pago This restaurant boasts a fantastic location, delicious food and seasonal menus.  As part of the ‘slow food’ movement, they only serve foods that are in season and locally sourced – and what a delectable meal it makes!

2.  Best Chef: The Copper Onion Another restaurant who uses locally sourced farms (which we love), this restaurant has an ‘open kitchen’ concept so you can see your food being prepared.  We love the exquisite flavors of this restaurant’s menu – definitely a must for any person desiring a fabulous meal!

3. Best Casual Lunch: The Wild Grape Bistro This American Bistro is fantastic for a laid-back, yet scrumptious, lunch.  With casual dining and a gorgeous interior space, this is a great place to grab lunch while enjoying the views of downtown Salt Lake City!

4.  Best Pizza: Settebello Settebello’s wood fired pizza is the best in Salt Lake, and they have the credentials to prove it.  Utah’s first and only Vera Pizza Napoletana certified pizzeria, they are held to the highest degree of quality – and you can taste it in their superb pizza!

5.  Best Business Lunch: Bambara This chic and stylish restaurant calls the Hotel Monaco home and boasts fine dining and gourmet dishes.  A perfect downtown location for any business meeting, this locale is sure to impress and provide a gorgeously appointed dining room that will help any business meeting feel less like a chore – plus the food is divine!

Honorable Mentions: Trio and Faustina These iconic restaurants are staples in the Salt Lake Restaurant scene and consistently deliver delicious and delightful dishes!  Plus their patios are amazing in the warm summer months!

Special Note: One restaurant that I’d like to mention, but didn’t make the list is Forage.  I couldn’t list it as a lunch spot because, sadly, they currently only serve dinner.  The chefs at Forage are easily the most creative anywhere and if they served lunch, I would be there every day!

Thank you Mary!  All of these restaurants are to die for and I can’t wait to make some lunch plans in the near future so I can remind myself of all their delicious offerings!  Next Thursday, we’ll have Mary’s Park City Restaurant picks, so make sure to check it out!  Happy lunching everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

We have a new series for Food Theory Thursday that I am THRILLED to announce!  Mary Crafts-Homer has been kind enough to share her Top 10 Restaurant Picks for Utah County, Salt Lake City, and Park City!  Mary, I’m sure you know, loves frequenting the local fare to see whats new, what delicious, and where you can have the best meal EVER.  Luckily, Utah is brimming with restaurants that are simply divine!  (I would also like to note that the ever fabulous Mary writes the restaurant reviews for UV Mag, where you can also find this first Top 10 list!)  So, without further ado, take a look at Mary’s first Top 10:  Utah County!

Mary’s Top Ten Restarants of Utah County! (You might even catch at any one of these fine establishments!)

Best Fine Dining – Sundance Tree Room
Best Pizza – Pizzeria 712
Best Hamburger and Fries – Spark
Best Mid-priced Value – La Jolla Groves
Best Healthy Cuisine – Blue Lemon
Best Secret Indulgence – J Dawgs
Best Asian – Shoga
Best New Concept – Communal
Best Mexican Burrito – Mountain West Burrito
Best Desserts – The Chocolate Dessert Cafe

Happy dining!!!  Remember to stay tuned for the Salt Lake City and Park City picks!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

One of the most delicious and awesome stations that Culinary Crafts offers is the Grilled Ciabatta Station!  This station (pictured above from Mary Crafts-Homer’s wedding reception) is always a hit and provides guests with a myriad of choices to pair with these delicious breads.  From silky goat cheese, to savory sun dried tomato chutney, to sweet balsamic fig chutney, and a selection of  gourmet Beehive Cheeses, you have a mouth-watering array of delightful choices for your guests to nosh on!  Not to mention, we grill our homemade ciabatta bread on site, over mesquite wood chips for optimum flavor and smell!  Yum!  This is also an option that pairs well with nearly ANY menu (and the pairings can be changed to suit your tastes).  Plus, its a relatively inexpensive way to add something extra to your wedding or event food offerings!  It is seriously one of my favorite stations and I think a great option to please the palette of many people!  Happy planning everyone!

Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

Photos courtesy of Pepper Nix Photography and Logan Walker with ZumaPhoto