January 20, 2022
Getting Married in the Middle of a Pandemic? Innovative Ways to Make Your 2022 Wedding Spectacular and Safe
March 29, 2019
The Top 15 places to eat lunch in Utah County
- Pizzeria 712 - 320 State St #185, Orem, UT - This has been a Crafts family favorite since it opened. 712's approach shares many of our own philosophies and values regarding food - simple yet creative, ingredient driven, and house-made. Always delicious!
- Asahi - 1470 N State St, Orem, UT - Great sushi at a great price. Conveniently located. We go here a lot!
- Tsunami Restaurant & Sushi Bar - 1616 W Traverse Parkway, Lehi, UT - Not only is the sushi fabulous, there are lots of delicious options to satisfy even the sushi averse, including an impressive sake list.
- Oteo - 139 S State St, Lindon, UT - Tacos, sopes, and empanadas after our own hearts! Innovative and trendy, yet still simple and without fuss. Don't miss the avocado tacos.
- Black Sheep Cafe - 19 N University Ave, Provo, UT - Southwestern Native American cooking with full bar selections. Upscale and full service, but still casual. Ryan recommends the hog jowl tacos!
- Cravings Bistro - 25 W Center St, Pleasant Grove, UT - A modern take on classic comfort dishes (grilled cheese and soup). It's impossible to pick the wrong sandwich, but if you're undecided opt for the ABC (apples, bacon, and cheddar). And it's just a few blocks away from our own office!
- The Foundry Grill - 8841 N Alpine Loop Rd, Sundance, UT - Ryan spends a lot of time skiing the slopes at Sundance, and drops in here often for an elegant dinner of modern American cuisine. The Tree Room, and Owl Bar are excellent too!
- Peace On Earth - 35 N 300 W #200, Provo, UT - Let's be honest, it's not easy to find a great cup of Joe of Utah County. We're so happy to see more places like this coming to town. Great sandwiches and beautiful digs as well!
- Taqueria 27 - 1688 W Traverse Pkwy, Lehi, UT - Great food at great prices. Fun for groups. Also featuring an array of specials updated daily.
- 180 Tacos - 3368 N University Ave, Provo, UT - Too many taco places you say? There's no such thing! Great to dine in or take. The daily specials are always fun!
- Bam Bams BBQ - 1708 State St, Orem, UT - Delicious Texas-style BBQ. And just like in Texas, the best thing is the brisket!
- Yamato - 1074 State St, Orem, UT - As much as we like to see new comers in our local restaurant scene, we're also ecstatic that places like Yamato stand the test of time. Excellent sushi as well as other classic Japanese dishes.
- CHOM Burger - 45 300 N, Provo, UT - Just because you've ditched fast food for good, doesn't mean you can't find a tasty burger out there. We love CHOM. And the milkshakes are killer too (especially the rotating seasonal selection)!
- Sidecar Cafe - 1715 W 500 S, Springville, UT - In addition to the great breakfast and lunch menus, you can check out the Legend's Motorcycle Museum while you're there.
- Straptank - 1750 West 596 South, Springville, UT - Across the parking lot from Sidecar, this brewery (yep, you read that right) features pub grub to satisfy all comers.
November 29, 2018
Top picks for the kitchen! Holiday gift ideas from our chefs.
September 17, 2018
September Recipe of the Month: The Perfect Dipping Caramel
Candy making can seem daunting especially if you’ve tried and failed in the past. Whether this is your first time making caramel apples or if you’re ready to try again, you’ll love Meagan Crafts-Price’s tips and tricks to making the perfect caramel apple this fall season!
Caramel Apples
INGREDIENTS
2 cups light corn syrup 1/2 cup water 2 cups sugar pinch of baking soda 1/2 cup butter- cut into 1" cubes 1 12oz. can evaporated milk
Directions, Tips & TechniquesHaving your thermometer correctly calibrated is more important than the particular candy thermometer you use because having your caramel at the perfect temperature for dipping is the key to success.
Calibrating your candy thermometerStart by boiling a cup of water in a 1 quart sauce pan. Clip your candy thermometer to the side. If your thermometer reads 212ºF when the water starts to boil, congratulations that was pretty easy! If it doesn’t, don’t despair. The reading could be off because you aren’t at sea level or your thermometer isn’t calibrated - or probably a bit of both. Here are two ways you can compensate for any discrepancy in the calibration. My favorite way is to slide the glass tube up or down accordingly until it reads 212ºF in boiling water. If you can’t figure out how to move the glass tube, you can make the adjustment mathematically. To account for the discrepancy in your temperature reading when the water started boiling, simply calculate a new goal temperature in your recipe. For example, if you need to cook your candy to 242ºF, and your thermometer read 210ºF when the water boiled, you know your calibration is off by 2 degrees. So lower the goal temperature in the instructions by 2 degrees, from 242º to 240ºF.
Now that you have a calibrated thermometer, keep your pot of boiling water on the stove; you will use it later on.In a heavy 4 quart sauce pan combine corn syrup, water and sugar over medium heat. Stirring occasionally with a spatula until mixture comes to a boil. Add in the pinch of soda. The mixture will start to bubble rapidly. This will leave bits of crystalized sugar on the side of the pan. Take a pastry brush and dip it into your pan of boiling water and wash down the sides of the pan so you don’t get gritty caramel. Clip your calibrated thermometer to your pan of caramel, add butter and stir until incorporated. Then stir constantly while adding the evaporated milk. You will want to keep the mixture moving so the caramel doesn’t scorch. Continue stirring until your mixture reaches 242ºF (or the adjusted temp for your thermometer).
Remove from heat and cool until the mixture is 220ºF. This is a key step for dipping! If your caramel is too hot it will just slide off your apples. If it is too cold you won’t be able to get your apples completely coated because the caramel is too thick. While the caramel is cooling, wash 8 apples and insert wooden skewer or popsicle stick about 2” into the apple. Tilt the pan to give you a nice pool of caramel to start dipping. Dip apples into your caramel and turn to coat thoroughly. Drag across the lip of your pan to get off excess caramel, then turn upside down and hold it upside down for about 30 seconds. This helps minimize the foot of caramel that appears at the bottom of the apple when cooling. Place on a piece of parchment paper to cool. You can then dip your apples in chocolate and roll in nuts or candy pieces as desired!
Once you have gotten your 8 apples dipped you might notice there is still caramel in your pan sticking to the sides and such. Don't scrap down your pan with a spatula and continue dipping. The caramel that is sticking to the sides of your pan have still been cooking quite a bit as you have dipped and will be a different consistency than the caramel in the mass. This extra caramel is great to scrap right onto your counter and eat as a snack while you are waiting for your delicious apples to be done!!
April 10, 2017
How Much Alcohol Should You Plan For Your Event?
March 23, 2017
Setting the Perfect Table
The Linen
The right tablecloth or linen is the first thing down on the table. A clean, crisp, white, linen that hangs just to the floor can be a great fit for any event, but get creative. Bring some colors in, use some unique patterns or fabrics. Don't hesitate to get out the sewing machine and quickly hem or surge an edge on your favorite fabric. Add a pop of color with a runner or additional cloth overlay. Be mindful of textures and how they go together. Consider renting your linens. BBJ Linen is one of our favorite places to get cutting edge linens!The Centerpiece
Get creative with your arrangements. Fresh florals can be used in almost any situation of Setting the Perfect Table and tailored to fit the feel of the party. However, don't be tied down to florals alone, add in votive candles, tiles, mirrors, beads, etc. For themed parties, use anything from sports caps to wood boxes to tiki torches. One thing to keep in mind is that while a tall and wide centerpiece will certainly be breathtaking at first glance, it can detract from table conversation once guests are seated. If it blocks the view of guests who are opposite one another, it can be bothersome. Here are some of our favorite experts to get centerpieces!- Artisan Bloom
- Orchid Dynasty
- Decoration Inc
- Five Penny Floral
- In the Event
- SceneMakers - A Modern Display Company
The Serviceware
Pick a china pattern that fits the event. If you have space and budget, add a charger or service plate to the place setting. The flatware should look cohesive with the china and be set according to common etiquette. An entire book could be written about place setting etiquette, so I won't go into too much detail. But keep the flatware half an inch from the edge of the table and work outside in, meaning that the flatware should be placed in the order it will be used throughout dinner service working from the outside towards the plate. I love this picture from rootedinfoods.com that shows a traditional formal setting. In most circumstances, you won't have all of these pieces set and you won't set more than 3 pieces of flatware to left and right of the plate at a time, but this shows where the appropriate location for pretty much anything you could think of would go. If you wish to rent china for Setting the Perfect Table check out one of our favorite places to rent here.The Accouterments
It is always helpful to think through the evening and plan the additional needs on the table accordingly. Salt and pepper shakers, water pitchers, place cards, table numbers, etc. Keep in mind that the additional items placed on the table may clutter the clutter and detract from the rest of the table. I hope these quick tips help you at your next big event and remember, life is too short to eat bad food. Check out more Salt Lake City, Park City, and Utah County catering at www.culinarycrafts.com!February 7, 2017
Delectable Food Photography Tips for Mouth-Watering Images
It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to gain more followers on Instagram or another social platform, upgrade your cooking website by refreshing it with new images, or perhaps publish a cookbook – whatever your reasons are, photos sell your product!
You need to learn how to take photos visitors on your website or your followers and friends online will cry over. It’s not as difficult as it sounds and you’ll need to stick to a couple of rules.Use Natural Lighting
If you want to get the right color and make it clear to everyone looking at the photo that you were in the presence of a culinary master-piece, my suggestion is to use natural lighting and take your photos in daylight. The flash of your camera, along with other forms of artificial lights will change the natural shade of the meal in front of you, and you want everything to look natural and tasty.Choose Your Pieces with Care
Before you take a photo, it’s important that you select only the most representable pieces of food you want to capture on camera. So, you need to spend some time making that selection in order to end up with a photo that’s absolutely perfect.Find Just the Right Angle
This one will take time and you must endure in your persistence – probably the most difficult thing about catching the yumminess of a certain meal and transferring it into a photo is finding the right angle. You'll need to move around and experiment.Have a Tripod with You
Photo shoots require precision and you don’t want something like your hands shaking due to tiredness to stand in the way of you making the perfect photo. You can easily solve this problem if you carry your tripod with you, so make it an essential piece of your equipment.Experiment with Your Composition
Photographing food is a time-sensitive process – either it will get cold or it will melt before your eyes. So, if you don’t see things working out in the very beginning, change the table right away and move that composition in front of you around until you make it look as delicious as it tastes. Naturally, you’ll need a good photo editing job done afterwards so you can accent those crumbling layers and emphasize colors.If you plan on doing this in the future, my suggestion is to learn about setting the table and decorating it with the use of various ornaments. This can come in handy when you’re on the set and trying to get the perfect photo, because you will be able to spot if anything is wrong with the composition in front of you, so you can fix it right away and prevent the food from getting ruined right before your eyes. There’s a lot to be learned here and you can only become better with practice, so make sure to get lots of it.
Guest post: written by Isabella Foreman
June 15, 2016
How To Make A Simple Chantilly Cream (Only 3 Ingredients!)
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Strawberries
- Ground pistachios
- Black berries
- Mint
- Petite key lime pies
- Spatula
- Piping bag
- Stand mixer with whip attachment
June 1, 2016
How to make a potato rose wrapped in bacon
- Potato
- Apple smoked bacon
- Salt
- Pepper
- Vegetable peeler
- Chefs knife
- Mandaline slicer
- Cutting board
November 16, 2011
Wednesday Wisdom: Top 5 Tips on Planning A Stellar Birthday Party!
We at Culinary Crafts love all types of events, from weddings to corporate events and everything in between. But we will always have a special place in our hearts for Birthday Parties!!! Today, I'd like to give our top 5 tips to take any birthday party you are planning over the top! Check it out!
1. Know Your Crowd. For any birthday party, it is always a good idea to know your crowd. If you are just going to be having a party for a 16 year old and all the guests are about that age as well, you can easily gear the party and entertainment for the teenager set. If you are having a birthday party for a 50 year old, however, and families and friends are invited, it becomes a bit more tricky. You'll want some of the food and entertainment to gear towards the adults, but also, to make sure the kids aren't bored by the 'grown-up' fun, provide kid friendly activities and food selections too! Everyone will leave totally happy and talking about the party of the year!
2. Details make the party. If you've read this blog for any period of time, you know I'm a sucker for details. I love, love, love the way details can make a party go from regular to EXTRAORDINARY! Birthday parties are an excellent time to have fun with details and themes. A whimsical cake, an over the top theme, a candy table to die for - all excellent details to consider. And since its a birthday party, you can really go all out and have fun with it.
3. Use the venue to your advantage. As with any event, make sure you take the venue into consideration. Good use of space can make sure that your guests have plenty to see, plenty to do, and tons of yummy food to eat!
4. Provide entertainment. Whether you want to make your party a carnival theme or a laid-back, elegant, "hoe-down", you should make sure to entertain your guests. I'm not saying everyone needs to hire the Oakridge Boys (like the birthday party above) but having something to entertain your guests will make it the party they won't soon forget!
5. Make it all about the Birthday Girl or Boy. At the end of the day, it's YOUR birthday and your birthday party. Make sure you choose to do things you like and serve food that you love. You can still make sure that all your guests have a blast and also make sure that you have the party you want!
Happy planning everyone!
Check out our website at www.culinarycrafts.com!
Photo credits: ZumaPhoto and Keith Westerberg