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Holiday Parties

November 16, 2023

Miracle Turkey

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by Meagan Price

Director of Marketing and Kitchen Sorceress

Meagan Crafts, staff, team, throwing flour, kitchen sorceress, Culinary Crafts, miracle turkey blog, flour scoop, black apron, Utah caterer, high end catering

Growing up at Culinary Crafts and working events from a young age, I learned the art of putting out fires. I don’t mean literal ones (well, sometimes literal ones), but being a full-service caterer means constantly dealing with problems on the fly, from changing a tire to repairing a bride’s dress to figuring out how to cook the entrée when the venue’s oven breaks. My childhood gave me an unshakable sense of “I can figure that out.” I’m grateful for the confidence I developed, but sometimes it got me into trouble, like it did on the year of the Miracle Turkey.

During my junior year in college, I worked as a resident advisor in the dorms at SUU . I thought of the students in my charge as “my kids” and loved surprising them with pies, cakes, and fresh-made cinnamon rolls. (When did I ever get any studying done?) As Thanksgiving approached, I worried about my residents who would be stuck in their rooms instead of visiting family, so I decided I would take it on myself to make them a full-blown Thanksgiving meal. I hadn’t done anything like that before, but I was sure I could figure it out. How hard could it be?

The Miracle Turkey

Anyone who knows me will not be shocked to hear that I went all out. Twenty pies, three types of stuffing, seven sides, and dozens of homemade rolls. The pièce de résistance was a frozen twenty-two-pound turkey.

I had never baked a turkey, and attempting it in the tiny oven in my tiny apartment was…well…probably a bit crazy, to be honest. After about forty calls to my mom and dad, three batches of burnt Stove Top, and seven hours of cooking a turkey, I finally had my first ever Thanksgiving meal! It was glorious.

None of us knew how to carve a turkey correctly, so we hacked away at it like maniacs. My dorm didn’t have a dining room, so people were lined up and down both sides of the hallway, on beds and couches, or standing in doorways with plates in hand. As more and more guests arrived, I began to worry that we would run out of food. I had planned on about forty guests, but when 150 showed up, I was freaking out! Then something strange happened. As if by magic, the meal seemed to keep multiplying itself. Somehow, we all got fed. It was the miracle of the Thanksgiving turkey.

With a few more years of experience, I realized that it shouldn’t have taken me seven hours to cook a turkey; I could have done it in one or two hours. How? You can find step-by-step directions here for how to save yourself hours in the kitchen and have your turkey come out perfect every time!

April 13, 2023

Pink Popcorn

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by Kate Morrow

Wedding and Event Specialist

Kate Morrow, pink popcorn, grandma's recipe, Culinary Crafts, Utah catering, Utah wedding and event specialist, wedding and event planner

Growing up, I always loved the treats Grandma LaDawn made. Whenever my extended family got together, my grandma would always bring a tasty treat. It’s hard to choose a favorite of her desserts, but the one that brings back the most memories is her pink popcorn.

This recipe is really simple. It’s basically sugary popcorn dyed pink! Grandma would also change up the color of the popcorn for special occasions and holidays. For St. Patrick’s Day she would dye it green, and if it was your birthday you got to choose whatever color you wanted the popcorn! This recipe is such a simple treat that is perfect for any holiday or celebration.

PINK POPCORN

Ingredients

  • large bowl of popcorn
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • a few drops of food coloring

Directions

  1. Pop the popcorn using an air popper or the stove.
  2. Pour out onto a flour sack towel and allow unpopped kernels to fall to the bottom. Scoop popcorn (minus unpopped kernels) back into large bowl. Set aside.
  3. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  4. Pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn and mix until all the popcorn is coated.
  5. Spread out the popcorn on wax paper and allow to cool. Enjoy!

December 22, 2021

December Recipe of the Month: Chocolate Reindeer Donuts

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chocolate donuts, doughnuts, cake donuts, baked donuts, christmas, holiday, reindeer, cranberry, pretzel, pinecone, winter, cinnamonThese chocolate reindeer donuts are as delicious as they are adorable. Be sure to save one for yourself before they fly away "like the down of a thistle!"

Ingredients

Donuts

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  •  1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 8 ounces local dark chocolate: our favorites are Ritual's Mid Mountain Blend, Amano's Dos Rios, or Solstice's Madagascar. You can pick these up from your local Harmons.

Decorations

  • 12 cranberries
  • 12 pretzels
  • 24 candy eyes

Equipment

  • donut pan
  • 2 piping bags
  • cooling rack

Directions

  1. To make donuts: Preheat oven to 350°. Grease pan and set aside.
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together sour cream, melted butter, and sugars until combined. Stir in vanilla and one egg at a time.
  4. Gently fold the flour mixture into wet ingredients and mix by hand just until combined.
  5. Fill a piping bag with batter and fill donut pan 2/3 of the way full.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 3-5 minutes, then remove from pan.
  7. To make the ganache: In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir until smooth. Set aside for 15-20 minutes until ganache has cooled and thickened a bit.
  8. To make the buttercream for decoration: In a mixing bowl, mix together butter and sugar, add milk and vanilla. Mix on high for 3 minutes. Put into a piping bag and cut a very small hole at the end. Set aside.
  9. To assemble chocolate reindeer donuts: Dip donuts into the ganache, then place on a cooling rack until ganache sets.
  10. Place eyes, and cranberry in the center as the nose.
  11. Break/cut pretzels in half, length-wise for antlers.
Enjoy! Happy Holidays!

March 8, 2019

Host an Olive Oil Tasting!

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Of course we never tire of hosting wine, cheese, charcuterie, whiskey, and chocolate tastings. Less common, but just as fun, we also love to sample a line up up fabulous olive oils.  It's a super fun experience to kick off a dinner party!  Moreover, slowing down to sample different high end oils will also improve your larger cooking experience as you find your favorite oils and use them in all your dishes.   What you'll need:
  • Extra virgin olive oils. Start with 3-6 oils. Pick premium selections. And look to achieve as much variety as possible - oils of varying itensity, of different colors, and from multiple locales.
  • Wine Glasses.
  • Small Plates.
  • Bread. Something with a great crust. Simple breads sans any flavors or accoutrements (the bread is simply to deliver the oil, not compete or contrast with it).
  • Palate Cleanser(s). We suggest fresh fruit (apples, oranges, berries, etc.) and sparkling water.
Photo Credit: Olive Oil Source
  1. First, pour about a tablespoon of the first olive oil into your wineglass.
  2. Swirl the olive oil in the glass.  Cup the glass in one of your hands and cover the top of the glass with the other.  Swirl gently to release aromas.  The warmth from your hands with help the aromas release as well.
  3. Uncover the glass and smell the oil deeply.  Take mental notes of what you smell.  Is it peppery? Fruity?  Buttery?
  4. Next, take a sip of the oil almost in a 'soup-slurping' fashion.  Allow the oil to run across the palate. Breathe in through your nose. Try to smell the oil again before swallowing.
  5. As you exhale, swallow the oil and concentrate on the flavor.  Think about some general categories such as fruitiness, pungency, bitterness, earthiness, pepperyness, etc.  Write down your observations and then compare them with your fellow tasters!  You can also re-taste the oil by pouring it on a small plate and dipping the bread in the oil and seeing how that affects the taste.
  6. When you are ready to move on to the next oil, cleanse your palate with plain bread, a slice of apple, and/or sparkling water.
  7. Repeat the process for the oils.
Taking notes helps. Putting your impressions into words and discussing them with others will help them take form and become more specific. It also helps to recall your thoughts later on when shopping for oils for unique purposes. Below is a great card that's fun to give each guest to help them take notes.Eat well!

February 13, 2019

Ryan’s Valentine’s Day Menu

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Ryan is at it again, making a special night for his stunning wife. Perhaps this will offer some inspiration for your meal.  Apertif & Appetizer 14 Day Rose & Cherry Infused Valentine 75 Rose & Cherry cupcake Amuse American Ossetra caviar, french toast, creme fraiche, and buttermilk syrup Soup wild mushroom bisque with black garlic crouton and mascarpone Entree tuna, gooseberries, and shaved foie gras Entree chili pepper fried chicken with radish, kumquat and ginger salad Salad winter squash and citrus salad with shaved fennel, local greens, and sorrel rhubarb dressing Intermezzo pomegranate, grapefruit, and herb granita Dessert olive oil cake with poached pear, zabaglione, and warm granola Cheese and Honey local raw unfiltered honey and artisan cheese selections Chocolate flourless chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache, and chocolate cookie crumble, finished with edible gold flake Wishing you a romantic and delicious Valentine's Day!

February 12, 2018

February Recipe of the Month: White Chocolate Panna Cotta

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Raspberry Gelée

  • 3 sheets gelatin (available in specialty stores)*
  • 1 cup water (to soak the gelatin)
  • 1¾ cups Chambord liqueur (for a no-alcohol substitute, melt equal amount of seedless raspberry jam)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 to 2 baskets of raspberries, some are for garnish
Soak the gelatin sheets in water in a small bowl and set aside. Boil the Chambord liqueur and sugar in a pot until sugar dissolves, about five minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the melted gelatin. Prepare individual serving bowls by placing the desired amount of raspberries in the bottom of each bowl. Pour the gelatin over the raspberries and fill to about ¼ inch full, approximately 3 tablespoons for each dish. Place in the refrigerator and chill for five hours. * Gelatin sheets work best but you can substitute one packet of gelatin rehydrated for each sheet of gelatin.

White Chocolate Panna Cotta

  • 5 sheets gelatin (available in specialty stores)
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 3 ½ ounces chopped white chocolate
Place the five sheets of gelatin in a small bowl, add the milk and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Put the cream, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the gelatin mixture and whisk until it is dissolved. Add the chocolate and stir until it is melted and the mixture is smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve. Take the bowls of the raspberry gelatin out of the refrigerator and pour the panna cotta mixture over the raspberry gelatin to fill the bowls. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or until set.

Raspberry Coulis

Makes ½ cup
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup Chambord liqueur (for a no-alcohol substitute, melt equal amount of seedless raspberry jam)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
Boil the water, Chambord liqueur and sugar in a small pot, stirring occasionally, and cooking until syrupy and reduced to about a ½ cup. This should take about 10 to 12 minutes. Set the syrup aside to chill.

TO ASSEMBLE

Dip the bowls of panna cotta into hot water to loosen them. Then flip them over and out onto a plate. Drizzle the raspberry coulis around the panna cotta. Place a cookie and a biscotti next to the panna cotta layered on top of each other. Spoon some syrup onto the plate and sprinkle with some loose berries. You can use a rosemary stem as a skewer for some fresh raspberries to add an interesting twist.

December 27, 2017

NYE Pop Up Sneak Peek: Dry Aged Beef

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Well, as you know, everyone here at Culinary Crafts LOVES the holiday season (I mean, who doesn't?)!  We especially love that this time of year really inspires friends and family to gather together over great food!  Another reason why we are especially excited for the upcoming holidays?  You might have heard that our New Year's Eve pop up is coming up and, oh man, the menu is going to be OUT OF THIS WORLD!  Chef Ryan Crafts has spent months putting together a decadent over-the-top menu that is a foodie's dream.  And one of the AMAZING elements he's bringing to your plate is fantastic Dry Aged Beef.  *queue the drooling* So, what's so special about Dry Aged Beef? you might ask.  As Ryan Crafts puts it, "This is the epitome of beef."  Well, I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty darn good! Basically, the beef is kept in a temperature, wind, and light controlled room for anywhere from 28 to 200 days. Over time, the water in the beef evaporates which concentrates the flavor just like reducing a sauce would. With prime cuts of beef this flavor is even more amazing the longer the beef ages (like a good cheese or a great wine).  It also allows for enzymes to start working on breaking down the muscle so the meat gets more and more tender with each passing day. After the desired amount of time (60 days for Ryan Crafts) the beef is butchered and trimmed away of all the jerky-like outer edges and you are left with, perhaps, some of the best tasting steak that money can buy. This process takes a lot of know-how and time to make sure you end up with something truly special - which is why it's such a special menu item!  Plus another fun fact?  We started aging the beef for our Pop Up in October in a facility in Vegas who also ages beef for the likes of top chefs like Guy Savoy and Jose Andres. We are SO excited to spend New Year's Eve with our foodie friends and can't wait to dazzle your taste buds with ALL of the amazing courses.  If you haven't gotten your tickets yet though, make sure you get them soon!  They are going fast!  Plus, wouldn't this make the perfect gift for someone special in your life?  (Hint: The answer is yes!)  Happy eating, everyone!   For tickets to the pop-up, check out the pop-up page on our website. First two photos from Fine Cooking, last photo from Pat LaFrieda Home Delivery.

December 7, 2017

Culinary Crafts’s Annual NYE Pop Up Preview: Our new Cocktails!

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Today, we are going to be showing you a little preview of some of the AMAZING things you can expect from Culinary Crafts's New Years's Eve Pop Up!  Every year, we make sure to showcase unforgettable eats and drinks to ring in a New Year and create a one-of-a-kind celebration for all of our guests - and this year is no exception.  Ryan Crafts has been creating this stellar menu for months (yes, months) and it incorporates quite a few specially aged elements.  One such offering?  The cocktails!  Check it out! The cocktail menu consists of a Barrel-Aged Blood Orange High West Old Fashioned, a Barrel-Aged Key Lime Beehive Gimlet, and a non-alcoholic Barrel-Aged Meyer Lemon and Cherry Soda.  Who else is intrigued?  I know I am! We LOVE our local distilleries and High West's American Prairie Bourbon was a perfect addition to Barrel-Aged Blood Orange High West Old Fashioned.  The proprietary blend of bourbons are aged from 2 to 13 years, creating a complex taste - which really added something special. Another interesting element?  Ryan Crafts decided to incorporate oak chips to every drink! Another fantastic local distillery is Beehive Distilling and we were so THRILLED to use it in the Barrel-Aged Key Lime Beehive Gimlet.  They use a blend of 7 botanicals that create a really unique profile.  Couple that with Key Lime?  A whole lotta awesome going on. Bing Cherries will serve as one of the garnishes and adds a touch of sweetness that is just perfect - especially for winter cocktails! As you can see, something really amazing is being put together for our NYE menu!  We hope you will join us for this extraordinary event - but hurry quick!  Tickets are going fast!  (Get them here.)  Happy dreaming, everyone! Check our more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

December 4, 2017

Instagram of the Week!

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Today's Instagram of the Week comes from M + B Events, who posted this BEAUTIFUL detail shot of an inspiration shoot we were a part of this year!  We LOVE this photo and think its perfect for the season, plus, pomegranates and gold leafed pears as table decor?  Yes, please!  Thank you so much, M + B Events for sharing!  And remember, for your chance to be next week's pick tag us at @culinarycrafts or add the hashtag #culinarycrafts to your post and check back to see who gets picked next!  Happy Monday, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

November 15, 2017

Culinary Crafts Thanksgiving Game Plan!

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As promised, here is the tried-and-true Culinary Crafts's Thankgiving Game Plan!  Our very own Mary Crafts-Homer wrote this awesome timeline for those who are looking for a well planned, less stressful, and fabulous Thanksgiving - and don't we ALLLL want that?!  Yes, yes we do! We LOVE this plan because it really does make planning SOOO easy - but let's be honest too...  It's no fun for just one person to do this all by themselves!  You need your family (or friends) to join together to help make this a perfect holiday.  So, being the super smart woman Mary is, she wrote this plan with different tasks in mind to delegate out.  And believe me, when everyone lends a hand, that's when the best memories are made.  Happy planning everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

27x winner Utah’s Best of State

24x Best of State Caterer

3x Best of the Best / Hospitality

1x Entrepreneur of the Year