Blog

August 27, 2012

By ACecala

Today, I'd like to share a very special birthday we at Culinary Crafts had the pleasure of working on recently.  Bill Marriott's 80th birthday was an event that BYU, home of the Marriot School of Business (yes, named for Bill Marriott), wanted to celebrate in style - and in style it was!  From the custom cake Culinary Crafts created (yes that stack of gorgeously fashioned books is ACTUALLY the birthday cake!) to the gatherings of students across three tiers that assembled to serenade the birthday boy to the menu of comfort classics - this event was so much fun and a great way to honor a great man!  Check it out! When asked, Bill told Mary that his favorite foods were cold cuts, potato salad, green salad, and carrot cake - quite a stretch from the usual fare Culinary Crafts creates!  In the end though, we were able to make a beautiful menu that was delicious and true to the guest of honor's favorites!  We were so honored to be a party of this very special day.  And best wishes to Bill Marriott!  Happy 80th! Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com!  

August 20, 2012

By ACecala

Today, I'd like to share an AMAZING event we held recently at The Tasting Room - our SMASHING new venue/downtown SL offices, if you hadn't heard.  :)  This event was chock full with gourmet food, learned chefs, foodies, and good conversation, not to mention it was a beautiful event!  Here's a little bit about the event from Kaleb Crafts, " was a 7 course educational chef's dinner.  The chefs were right there, table side, discussing the food, showing techniques and plating, and serving the meal for the guests.  Guests were enthralled as they learned about everything from the importance of local products to how to extract your own vanilla - we even took them on the back patio for a grilling class for the fish course!  Each course had its own bread pairing made fresh from our in house bakery and also had its own wine pairing!  We had our sommelier on site to educate and talk about the pairings he had made - nothing like an $80 bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet to make the bison tenderloin go down smooth!  Whether you are looking to wine and dine your guests, or just looking for fabulous dinner in the most intimate of settings, this is by far my new favorite way to dine!" Check it out! Yum!  I love being able to go and enjoy fantastic food, and then go home and replicate the techniques in my own kitchen!  Well worth it, in my opinion.  We loved this event and hope to host another Chef's Table in the future because it was so much fun!  Happy cooking everyone! Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com! Photos by Kelli Bramble, a Pepper Nix Photographer

July 23, 2012

By ACecala

Our wedding planner extraordinaire, Miss Holly Fowler, who has been with us only 8 months - but is already very much a part of the family - sent over this list and I couldn't resist sharing it with all of you!  Take it away, Holly! THE TOP 10 THINGS I HAVE LEARNED IN THE LAST 8 MONTHS AND WHY I LOVE CULINARY CRAFTS. 1. Catering is a lot of long hours and hard work. 2. The Culinary Crafts Team is a big happy and supportive family. 3. Catering is so much more than long buffets and chaffing dishes. 4. Lunch time is awesome - Thanks kitchen staff for the good laughs and good food. 5. The client comes first, ALWAYS! 6. There are some amazing venues and vendors is this valley.  I have enjoyed touring and meeting everyone, without their support our job would be very challenging. 7. MY favorite thing to eat – Orange Rolls fresh out of the oven.  YUM! 8. Culinary Crafts support FRESH AND LOCAL!!! 9. Culinary Crafts will and does think outside of the box to meet the clients idea and expectations for their event. 10. Mary is simply AMAZING! Thanks for starting Culinary Crafts 27 years ago and allowing me the opportunity to join in the fun. One last thing I'd love to share is this quote, which I think is perfect for Culinary Crafts: “A good dinner is of great importance to good talk.  One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Thank you so much for sharing your insider's view with us, Holly!  We love to call you part of the Culinary Crafts team!  Have a happy Pioneer Day, tomorrow everyone!  We'll be back with more fantastic posts on Wednesday! Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com! Photos by Logan Walker and Pepper Nix Photography

June 11, 2012

By ACecala

Today, I thought it would be fun to share the annual motorcycling trip the Culinary Crafts gents take every spring before the busy wedding season begins!  Culinary Crafts's staff is full of awesome people and we really are more like a family than anything - so it makes sense that even though we work together, we still like to hang out on weekends and go on vacations together!  (I guess that's what makes us at Culinary Crafts such a great team!)  Here's a quick word from Ryan Crafts about the trip! "Four years ago, a group of Culinary Crafts staff all rode our motorcycles together to Moab, Utah to spend the week seeing the National Parks in that area.  The trip was so much fun, it has become a yearly tradition!  Every spring before we get too busy with our wedding season, we take a local camping trip to see some of the beautiful scenery Utah has to offer.  Most of us ride motorcycles on this trip, but we also have others who follow behind in one of the company pickup trucks.  This year we passed our time riding Utah's various scenic byways, shooting clay targets with shotguns, and playing lots of Texas Hold'em.  One of the other fun things that always sets our group apart from other campers wherever we go is the amazing meals we prepare and enjoy while traveling.  Fellow travelers always comment on the unusual sight of a pack of motorcyclists who so easily trade their leather jackets for aprons at meal time.  It may seem odd, but for us it's completely natural to move seamlessly from a conversation about cubic centimeters, power to weight ratios, lean angles in the canyon, and miles to the next fuel stop, to a conversation about julienning the sweet peppers we picked up at the farmers market, when to brine the chicken, who will flambe the peaches, and whether or not to substitute some almond flour in tomorrow morning's blueberry pancakes.  Gourmet food and two wheeled vehicles may not be known for sharing a close relationship, but to us it makes sense!" Happy Monday everyone! For more about Culinary Crafts, check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com!

June 4, 2012

By ACecala

We at Culinary Crafts were so thrilled to cater the KUER book party for the fantastic How to Eat Weekends by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift!  Lynne Rossetto Kasper (host of The Splendid Table) was in attendance and signing copies of this fabulous book as well as joined in a Q & A panel with esteemed local food critics, all making for a seriously stellar event.  Held on Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican Comida meal was created by Culinary Crafts with inspiration and recipes straight from the pages of How to Eat Weekends, of course!  We served Beehive Cheese Co.'s fresh cheeses with tomatillo salsa,  mango and jicama sticks with chile and lime (CAUTION!  These were HOT!), yucatan pork in banana leaves, black beans and rice, house made corn tortillas, and chile-spiked Mexican wedding cookies (these were the crowd favorite).  Take a look! It was amazing to meet Lynne and be a part of this event!  This cookbook is a great addition to any home cook or foodie's collection and we at Culinary Crafts were so honored to be able to work with Lynne and KUER to create these very special dishes for this AMAZING party!  Happy cooking everyone! Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com! Photos via KUER, taken by Louise K Pollard

May 21, 2012

By ACecala

Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com! To help us win Utah's Most Admired Company, 'like' us here!

May 7, 2012

By ACecala

Today I'd like to share an event that we did recently that was amazing and for an even more AMAZING foundation!  We are were so thrilled to be able to work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and help give back by making their theme, "Wishes take Flight", one to remember!  Take a look! We had such a good time at this gala and our very own Mary Crafts-Homer got into a bit of a bidding war at the silent auction - all in good fun though!  We are happy to report that Mary did win her prize and all of the proceeds went to help a worthwhile cause.  :)  Happy Monday everyone! Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com! Photos by Logan Walker of Pepper Nix Photographers

April 16, 2012

By ACecala

April 2, 2012

By ACecala

We are always honored to be asked to share our expertise and advice with our readers, vendors, and their blog readers as well.  Today, we are doubly thrilled to share 2 guest post about town!  Firstly, we were thrilled to be asked to write our best advice for Utah Bride Blog, which you can see here. Secondly, we were equally ecstatic to be featured on Utah Bride and Groom's e-newsletter, The Scoop!  Our guest post from earlier this month is still buzzing and we love it! (You can check it out here.)  Thank you so much to both Utah Bride Blog and Utah Bride and Groom for the chance to add our voice to their AMAZING blogs!  Utah brides are lucky to have such wonderful resources at their fingertips - and I know we are equally lucky to be able to work with them!  Happy reading everyone! Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com! Photo credit: Pepper Nix Photography  

March 26, 2012

By ACecala

Today, I am happy to have Miss Holly Fowler, Culinary Crafts's wedding planner extraordinaire, sharing some really great advice for tipping your wedding vendors!  Many people are often confused or unsure of how to, when to, and if you should tip your vendors.  It has long been customary to tip your vendors as a way of showing them that you appreciate the fantastic job they have done for you, but Holly breaks it down so you can easily figure out how to do it!  Take it away, Holly! Wedding Vendors: Tipping Cheat Sheet When you’re already dipping deep into your (or your parent’s) pockets for so many wedding expenses, shelling out gratuities on top of that can be hard to handle. Tipping is another way of saying “THANK YOU” to those vendors who have helped you create your special day. Tip vendors who have offered exceptional service; thank-you notes are always appreciated; and assign the responsibility to a trusted individual, such as your wedding planner, a parent or the best man. Here is a breakdown of what’s customary for each vendor. Wedding Planner Protocol: Optional The Standard: Up to $500.00, or a nice gift When to tip: The bride should hand off the envelope at the end of the reception, or, she should send a thank-you note with photos or a check after the honeymoon. Wedding Hair Stylist and Makeup- Artist Tip between 15-20% just as you would in a hair-salon. Wedding Delivery and Set-up Staff Slip a few dollars to anyone delivering important items to the site (wedding cake, flowers, tents, chairs, etc.) The Standard: $5- $10 per person Wedding Photographer You’re not expected to give your shutterbugs beyond their normal fees.  Yet if the photographer doesn’t own the studio, consider tipping each person. The Standard: $50 - $200 per person When to tip: At the end of the reception Wedding Musicians Protocol: Optional, yet preferred The Standard: $20 - $25 per musician; $50 – $150 for DJs When to tip: At the end of the reception Wedding Transportation Check your contract, as gratuity is usually included. If it isn’t, then: Protocol: Expected The Standard: 15-20 percent of the bill When to tip: At the end of the night or after the last ride. Congratulations to you Brides and Happy Planning! Thank you, Holly!  Such great advice and such an important and appreciated gift to people who helped make your wedding AMAZING!  It is important to note that every bride is different and may have more or less people involved to make her day special.  Just remember tipping is a way to show thanks to the people who made your day great!  And as Holly said, Happy Planning everyone and congrats! Check out our NEW website at www.culinarycrafts.com!