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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!

September 12, 2017

Get Your Seats for Our Harvest Pop Up Restaurant!

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As you might have heard, Culinary Crafts announced that our next harvest Pop Up Restaurant will be held on October 6th at the Big Moose Yacht Club!  Every year, we've hosted a 'harvest' pop up to honor the end of summer and celebrate the harvest season!  In case you need a little extra nudge to get you seats to this year's, here is our Pop Up Restaurant from last year.  It was amazing, and I'm sure this year will be even better! Last year's dinner was held at the beautiful Snuck Farm.  Isn't it pretty??? Since this was a harvest celebration, of course our color palette inspiration was full of rich autumn tones!  We LOVED how the florals turned out and fit the feel perfectly! Our very own Mary Crafts-Homer hosted this AMAZING dinner last year, and will be hosting this year's as well!  Of course, that means a lot of mixing and mingling will be happening! Our butler passed hors d'ouevres were a fun nod to local fare of the harvest.  The Beehive Sea Salt and Honey Cheese on a Utah Pear with Slide Ridge Honey and the Sage Honey Apple Crisp with Brown Butter Acorn Squash Mousse garnished with Sea Salt were DELICIOUS! The plated 7 (yes, 7) course dinner was held in this beautiful space.  Such a great venue for an intimate dinner! Hey llama!  They were such a fun addition to the surroundings and the guests loved meeting them!  Meanwhile, inside the barn, the gorgeous tablescapes are all ready for dinner guests to be invited inside.  We couldn't wait! An up close look at the table - We loved the wooden bread boards mixed with metal tones and the vibrant florals! Mary loves to come out and welcome our pop up restaurant guests and give them a little background on the menu and what course is up next!  We love this extra touch to these dinners because we feel like our 'foodies' love learning about the local foods being used, the "Honey & Salt" menu inspiration, and are excited to get a sneak peek into each dish!   For this dinner, our 1st course was a dual 'amuse bouche' of Rosemary Chicken Confit on Crostini with Salted Lime Crema and Pickled Peppers and our Utah Bacon Wrapped Date with Cold Smoked Shepherd's Farm Goat Cheese and Slide ridge Honey.  YUM! We love Snuck Farm and I couldn't help but share how cool this spectacular place is, especially at sunset! Our staff is AWESOME!  Their attention to detail and incredible hard work always makes our events so perfect.  Here they are finishing up the final touches on the 2nd course of Snuck Farm Butter Lettuce, Parmesan and Black Lava Sea Salt with Citrus Vinaigrette and our House-Made Orange Roll with Salted Honey Butter! This was our 3rd course, which was a favorite of mine for sure!  Bangerter Farms Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Basil Chiffonade, and Aged Balsamic with House Rosemary Focaccia with a Parmesan Salt Crust.  Vine-ripened tomatoes are one of my favorite parts of the harvest! The 4th course?  Sauteed Shrimp, Forest Mushrooms, Creminelli, over Smoky Beehive Cheddar Grits.  So good! I know you are probably thinking, oh man, we still have 3 courses to go?  No way!  Well, you bet we do, and here is the 5th course - a Mesquite-Grilled Snake River Skirt Steak, Chimichurri Sauce, Parsley Oil, and Yucca Crisps with Roasted Idaho Fingerling Potatoes served with Redmond Sea Salt Blocks tableside - it was a guest favorite, for sure! Loved the way this venue glows at night!  Such a pretty evening for an AMAZING dinner! Our 6th and 7th courses were on the sweeter side.  The 6th was a Honey and Salt tasting with Utah Apples.  Simple and so delicious!  And, of course, the 7th course was a decadent dessert.  A Chocolate Pot de Creme with Salted Whipped Cream and Pumpkin Ricotta Pound Cake with Honey and Grand Marnier Dried Fruit and our House Made Honey Caramel Gelato!  Such a tasty end to an perfect meal! I love this pic!  Mary made sure to take some snaps of the GORGEOUS dessert, because how could you not?! To all of the staff who helped make this evening so wonderful, we thank you!  And for all of you who want to get your seats for our next Pop Up, make sure you do it quick!  It's sure to sell out and we want you all to be there to experience an amazing night like this.  Happy harvest time, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!  

December 16, 2016

Friday Instagram of the Week!

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cc_igoftw91 Today's Instagram of the Week comes from our friend, Kelli Bramble Photography!  We LOVE this pic of our DELICIOUS house made breads with our gourmet flavored butters.  It's one of our favorite ways to add a little something extra to our guests's dinner plate!  Plus, we love re-visiting the gorgeous ranch weddings we had this summer and can't wait for next year's.  Thank you so much, Kelli, for sharing!  Remember, for your chance to be next week's Instagram of the Week, tag us at @culinarycrafts or add the hashtag #culinarycrafts to your posts and check back for next week's pick.  Happy weekend, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

September 12, 2016

Shrimp & Grits (& Honey ? & Salt)

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Shrimp & Grits & Salt & Honey! Yummm!

I’m so excited to share this ultimate Shrimp and Grits recipe with you! It’s one of the 7 courses I’ll be serving at our "Honey and Salt" Pop-up Restaurant this month. This recipe calls for mushrooms, which add a delicious richness to the classic southern dish. And, I’ll be topping it off with a dash of Utah Real Salt and a drizzle of local honey, which takes this dish to whole new level of scrumptious! This is just a sample of the incredible food we'll be serving at the Pop-up. To experience the entire evening, please join us at Snuck Farm, Friday September 30th. Seating is limited, so make your reservations soon.
Enjoy!  Mary

SEPTEMBER RECIPE OF THE MONTH 

Shrimp with Smokey Grits and Mushrooms
Serves 10
Ingredients for the Grits 2 T olive oil 1 onion 3 cups stone ground grits 8 oz. grated smoked gouda 9 cups chicken stock 2 cups heavy cream Redmond Real salt and pepper to taste
Method
Finely dice onion and saute in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add the grits and stir until they are evenly coated in the oil. Add the water & chicken base and cook the grits simmering until tender and water is almost absorbed. Add the cream and stir. Add the grated cheese and stir until every thing is fully mixed. Serve immediately for best result. Ingredients for the Shrimp, Sausage, and Bacon 8 oz of Creminelli sausage, finely chopped (or any hard salami of your choice) 8 oz of smoked bacon, chopped 2 lb. of mushrooms, sliced 2 bunches of green onion 2 T garlic, chopped 3 lb. of shrimp, peeled and deveined (20-24 count size) 1 T shrimp or lobster base 2 t. Old Bay seasoning 1 t. paprika 4 cups water 6 oz. butter, cut in pieces Redmond Real salt and pepper to taste. Diced red bell pepper and chives to garnish Method Saute the sausage, bacon, mushrooms, and garlic until the mushrooms are cooked and bacon is crispy. Add a bit of olive oil, if needed. Add water and spices. Bring to a boil and add the shrimp and green onions. Cook until shrimp are pink and cooked. Slowly add the butter, constantly whisking until it is incorporated.
Spoon the grits into the bottom of a bowl and ladle the shrimp mixture over the top. Drizzle with a touch of honey and Redmond Real Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped chive and red bell pepper.

June 14, 2016

A Culinary Crafts’s Pop Up Dinner with a BBQ Flare!

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Culinary Crafts Pop Up Restaurants are one of our favorite things to plan for because we get to be so creative and over the top and really go wild with food.  (Speaking of which, you still can get tickets for our next Pop Up Restaurant on June 18th - but you should hurry!  Click here for tickets.)  Even on the wildest of menus, we still love to break out our BBQ and grill up some dishes for our guests!  Continuing on our theme of barbecues, we are going to show you that even a elevated dining experience can have BBQ inspiration.  Check it out! CC_PopUpSnuckFarm We love Snuck Farm so much!  Not only do they have top notch quality produce, but it's a lovely venue too!  Perfect for this Farm-to-Table Culinary Crafts Pop Up Restaurant. CC_PopUpSnuckFarm2 For this dinner tablescape, we wanted to keep the palette natural and tie in rustic elements that marry the tables with the beautiful space we were in.  It turned out perfectly, don't you think?! CC_PopUpSnuckFarm3 For our Pop Ups, we go ALL OUT and this was no exception.  Our Hors D'oeuvres were a casual favorite you might serve at a barbecue that we brought to the next level - Gourmet Deviled Eggs (which were sourced from 3 Chicks Eggs) with a selection of toppings including Wasabi, Caviar, and Sundried Tomatoes.  Yum!  We also took one of the iconic barbecue staples, beautiful tomatoes from Snuck Farm, and we served a Tomato Quartet showcasing their tomatoes 4 ways!  Firstly, Roasted Heirloom Roma Tomatoes with Martino's Roma and Russian Big Red Roma tomatoes.  Next, a Tomato Aspic with Sweet Cherry Tomatoes.  Third, a Tomato Confit with a Rosemary & Sundried Tomato Cracker.  And last, but not least, Fresh Slices of Heirloom Tomato with a simple garnish of Sea Salt.  So delicious! CC_PopUpSnuckFarm4 Of course, one of the main attractions of these dinners is watching the Culinary Crafts team prep the meal in front of your eyes!  So, with this in mind, we served house made Flat Breads that we fired in the on-site Wood Burning Oven and served them with Utah Sea Salt Butter and Snuck Farm Sugar Pumpkin Spread.  We love showcasing the freshness and skill we bring to every element of our menus! CC_PopUpSnuckFarm6 The Snuck Farm Baby Butterheads Salad was a symphony of garden varietals.  Butter Lettuce topped with Sliced Yellow Beets, Dragon Tongue Purple Beans from One Seed Garden AND Basil Wrapped Nori Sushi with Cucumber, Carrot, and Wasabi with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette.  So yummy!  The soup was another creative tour de force!  Chilled Snuck Farm Cucumber Pea Soup with Basil Creme Fraiche, Snow Pea, and Snuck Farm Beet Mousse.  Such a colorful and delicious pair! CC_PopUpSnuckFarm5 Isn't the venue SOOOO pretty?  Our guests LOVED the setting and the food (of course)! CC_PopUpSnuckFarm8 Now, with Culinary Crafts hosting this Pop Up Restaurant, you might expect 1 show stopping entree, but you'd be wrong.  We had 2 AMAZING entrees!  Number 1, our Sous Vide Pinwheel Chicken Roulade with Peach Cashew Butter Filling, Whipped Cashew Creme, and Couscous with Lavender.  A light and earthy plate! CC_PopUpSnuckFarm7 Like I said, even in our highest end menus, we love offering a barbecued element.  So, our 2nd entree was Grilled Angus Strip Steak with Cremini Mushroom Bearnaise, Snuck Farm Kale Sauteed with Shallots, and Reduced Carrot Juice.  Gorgeous! CC_PopUpSnuckFarm9 Lastly, we rounded out the decadent dinner with a lovely, local cheese course and then a fresh and decadent dessert - that was grilled too!  The cheese flight was a trio of Beehive Cheese's Promontory, Deer Valley's Triple Creme Umbrian Truffle, and Gold Creek's Smoked Parmesan paired with Rosemary Crostini and Black Pepper Lavoche garnished with Fresh Cherries.  After that yummy plate, we finished with Grilled Utah County Peaches and Chocolate Chip Shortcake with Rosehill Dairy Chocolate Whipped Cream.  SO beyond delicious! We hope this inspires you to get creative and barbecue some delicious eats of your own!  Also, if you were left wishing you'd attended this Pop Up Restaurant, never fear!  You can still get tickets for our next one this weekend on the 18th!  (Click here for tickets.)  Plus, we will be releasing even more dates for upcoming Pop Up Restaurants and you don't want to miss out!  Happy barbecuing, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

June 9, 2016

Pop-Up News and Great Grilled Corn

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If you haven’t indulged your tastebuds in a Culinary Crafts event lately, you are in luck! We have a delicious pop-up open to the public coming up on June 18th in Park City! And, you'll love making this Elote corn at your next grilling party.

JUNE RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Elote! (Mexican Grilled Corn)

Summer is here and so is corn on the cob! It’s a favorite at our barbecue events, and, when grilled in the style of Mexican street food, “Elote" is absolutely sensational! You don’t know delicious until you’ve experienced corn on the cob grilled and dressed this way. Get out your grill and give this a try, you will be very, very glad you did!

Serves 6
INGREDIENTS 6 ears of corn, husks intact 1 cup mayo 1 T. Cholula brand hot sauce 2 T. fresh lime juice 1 t. kosher salt 1 t. fresh ground pepper 1 t. sugar 1/4 chicken stock 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled, for garnish 2 T. chopped cilantro for garmish Smoked Paprika Plus tortilla chips for garnish and dipping, if you are taking it off the cob.
METHOD • Mix together the mayo, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper, sugar, and chicken stock. • Over medium hot grill, roast the corn until the husks are well charred, about 5 minutes. Turn occasionally so as not to burn. If serving on the cob, remove from grill and roll back the husks and roll in mayo mixture and sprinkle with garnishes and serve. • If serving off the cob, let the corn cool and then cut kernels off cob. Heat the mayo mixture and toss in the corn. Put garnishes over the top of the corn kernels and serve with tortilla chips. • Be sure to have some fresh lime wedges for those who want a squeeze of lime to add a citrus tang.

May 27, 2016

Friday Instagram of the Week!

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CC_IGofTW72 Today's Instagram of the Week comes from PUREfourhundred, who happens to be on of our Partners for our June 18th Pop Up Restaurant at Old Town Cellars in Park City!  This post also happens to show one of our favorite spring dishes - and you can get the recipe on PUREfourhundred's blog here.  We are SO excited to join forces for this one-of-a-kind culinary experiences and thank you to PUREfourhundred for sharing this post!  Remember, for your chance to be next week's Instagram of the Week, just add the hashtag #culinarycrafts or tag us at @culinarycrafts!  Enjoy this recipe and please join us for this AMAZING Pop Up Restaurant!  Happy weekend, everyone! Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!

May 23, 2016

Mint Infused Lemonade & 3 Events To Attend

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If you haven’t indulged your tastebuds in Culinary Crafts' cooking lately, you are in luck! We have 3 delicious public events coming up in June! June 2nd and 3rd - Culinary Crafts will have a booth at the “Tastemakers Event” in Salt Lake City at the Gallivan Center from 5:00 to 10 PM. We’ll be serving some of our authentic Italian zabaglione gelato with orange supremes in a vanilla mint marjoram light treacle.June 4th  -  Our “The Scenic Route” Pop-up Restaurant at Snuck Farms in Pleasant Groves. This promises to be the ultimate epicurean backyard barbecue with the feel of slow and easy scenic drive. The 6-course menu, set by Ryan Crafts, features what we like to call, "The Scenic Route Burger" - a burger that took no shortcuts on its way to your plate. TICKETS: To attend any of the three events, you will need to purchase tickets! For Tastemakers tickets and more information click here.   For tickets and more information for either of our Pop-up Restaurants go here.
MAY RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Mint Infused Lemonade
Mint infused Lemonade, is THE perfect thirst quencher to launch summer festivities. Using all fresh ingredients makes all the difference, and yes!, squeezing your own lemons is worth the trouble. To serve, we recommend using ice cubes, rather than crushed ice, as cubes melt slower than crushed ice. Or, you can make ice cubes out of your lemonade, and it’s even better! Have a wonderful kick-off to your summer, and we hope to see you at one of our June events!
Hugs, Mary
Serves 6
Ingredients 5 cups cold water 3 lemons juiced and zested 1 cup granulated sugar 2 cups fresh mint leaves
Muddle mint leaves with lemon juice, zest and sugar in a glass pitcher. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, strain the lemonade to remove the mint. Garnish with fresh mint.

May 13, 2016

“Savor Park City” Pop-up Restaurant

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Savor the Summit crew

PUREFOURHUNDRED presents “Savor Park City” in partnership with Culinary Crafts and Old Town Cellars. Indulge in a multi-course Modernist Mountain West dining event, in comfort, at Park City’s acclaimed Old Town Cellars. Culinary Craft’s Executive Chef, Greg Reith, has set a menu featuring Old Town Cellars wines that beautifully melds the nuances of each wine with a tantalizing culinary presentation. Wonderful surprises await you at this unique pop-up restaurant.

Savor the Summit

$200/person includes dinner and wine pairings as well as tax and gratuity. Seating is limited.

Chef Greg at Valentines

Get your tickets here: https://www.culinarycrafts.com/pop-up-restaurants-4/ 

27x winner Utah’s Best of State

24x Best of State Caterer

3x Best of the Best / Hospitality

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