Giving Back to KC

Over the past year, times have been especially tough for charitable organizations throughout the city and the country. When people are not making enough money, it's tough for them to donate to the charities that rely on it most. Over the past year, though, Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions is proud to have have given over $100,000 in donations and discounts over to charities and organizations.
We are fortunate enough to have a wonderful client base, and many of the events we cater are patron's parties and civic events. These charities do DO MUCH for the Kansas City community, we're proud to be able to contribute back to them and help make their organization better.
For fundraisers which we are fortunate enough to cater, we very often get feedback from the organizers that if Lon Lane or Inspired Occasions is listed on the invitation, turn out is higher than past years. People are more willing to pay admission to the event to see what Inspired Occasions are going to do next. Plus, they know they will be treated to a delicious dinner, drinks, and a flawless event.
In addition to our donations and discounts, we also offer numerous gift certificates for silent auctions. Some of these are a French-inspired picnic basket, some are for a cocktail party for 25, and a few are for a plated dinner at our Kitchen or even our personal house. In the past, these gift certificates have brought in a couple hundred dollars for the picnic baskets to over $10,000 for a dinner for 12! In fact, demand was SO HIGH at the Wayside Waifs Fur Ball that Inspired Occasions offered a SECOND dinner for 12 so they could get another couple thousand dollars! Inspired Occasions also donates day-old food to Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral's community kitchen to help feed those not fortunate enough to feed themselves and donates supplies like paper towels, toilet paper, and other house-hold goods to the City Union Mission.
Unfortunately, there are always some organizations we are not able to help. Each week, a number of requests come in for donations. Churches, civic clubs, high schools, and more are all trying to raise funds. We try to cover as many areas as possible, and try to incorporate new organizations each year.
Below is a list of organizations Inspired Occasions has given to in the past year:

• Children's Center for Visually Impaired
• Temple B'nai Jehudah
• Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
• Pembroke Hill School
• Women's Foundation of Kansas City
• City Union Mission
• Morningside Home's Association
• American Red Cross
• Francis Family Foundation
• Kansas City Free Health Clinic
• Genesis School
• Plaza Breakfast Club
• DIFFA
• KC Heart Foundation
• University of Kansas Hospital
• Gordon Parks Elementary School
• Greater Kansas City Chef's Association
• Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
• Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City
• MS 150 Bike Ride
• Shawnee Mission Medical Center
• The Fox 4 Love Fund
• The United Way
• Crested Butte Center for the Arts
• Boy Scouts of America
• KC Chorale
• Jewish Community Relations Bureau
• Alliance on Again
• Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
• St. Paul's Day School
• Rockhurst High School
• Operation Breakthrough
• United Cerebral Palsy
• American Heart Association
• Avila College
• First Downs for Down Syndrome
• And many more...

Dessert Presentation in Las Vegas

Continuing where we left off with our Las Vegas Catersource presentations, I wanted to take just a little time and go over last year’s presentation about desserts. Unfortunately, many caterers and restaurants just think of dessert as an afterthought. However, it is the last thing that most people will eat at an event. Putting a piece of chocolate cake on a plate may taste delicious, but can come off as very plain - especially when a ton of time and energy was spent preparing hors d’ oeuvres and the entrée. We believe guests should leave thinking WOW, that was amazing.
Of course, the dessert needs to taste great, but there are a number of ways to add that extra factor into your dessert presentation.
Our simple brownie sundae dessert is delicious. We serve fresh-baked decadent brownies, vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate sauce, and homemade whipped cream. However, we offer some luxurious upgrades such as a Godiva White Chocolate sauce, strawberries splashed with Gran Marnier, Cointreau-soaked maraschino cherries dipped in chocolate, crushed pistachios, fresh berries, or homemade ice creams like coffee or chocolate jalapeno. Our “Martini Curtain” is another popular option where martini glasses are hung from a coat rack giving the impression of a glass “wall.”
Another way to make a dessert station memorable is by having a chef-attended station. Having a uniformed chef present really adds a big impact for many guests. They can ask questions, interact with the chef, and if they want their food prepared a specific way, the chef can accommodate the order. Examples of action stations for dessert include cherries jubilee, sautéed pound cake (with different toppings), any flambé dessert, or a crepe station.
If you’re looking for a more traditional, plated dessert, there are still a number of ways to make them memorable. We really believe two is better than one, and three is better than two. While a lemon curd tart is delicious, it is even better when paired with fresh raspberries or a blueberry-tarragon compote. When served with some homemade chocolate soufflé cookies, the combination of all three flavors is unbeatable. Another great add on is to add a complimentary beverage pairing to the course. This can range from a small sample of a good champagne to a shot of liqueur or even an Italian soda or smoothie. They are just so unexpected, guests always remember them.

Finally, coffee service is one of those areas where if don't offer it, people may get upset. However, coffee is often an afterthough. There's usually just regular OR decaf, rarely both. Sweetners may or may not be available, and once you get your glass, a refill is often hard to get. Inspired Occasions likes doing a coffee bar, where regular, decaf, and hot water (for tea) are available. Then we offer an assortment of tea bags, chocolate shavings, cinnamon, whipped cream, warm cream, orange peel, and other gourmet condiments. We often serve Irish Cream or Whiskey with the bar, if the client likes. This just shows that all the details are taken care of, and guests can get what they want, when they want.
We’ve included a few pictures of our desserts, so please enjoy. If you have any questions, feel free to email me any time at lon@inspiredoccasionskc.com, or just post your question on our Facebook Fan page, and I’ll be sure to get back to you. Thanks so much!!!

European Comfort Foods and more

We last discussed traditional comfort foods in the US and UK, and how to make them more interesting. By making simple foods a bit more complex and preparing them to order, an everyday food like mac and cheese can become the hit of a party.

In Europe, cheeses are much more plentiful than here in the Midwest. Our Central Europe station features Raclette cheese, pate, soups, and even fondue. Raclette can really be a show stopper when served traditionally under a raclette broiler. A half-wheel of cheese is slowly melted under a heating element, and served with sliced baguette, cornichon pickles, assorted mustards, and pickled vegetables. To complete the station, we include a liver pate decoratively wrapped in puffed pastry, as well as grapes and strawberries. During the cooler, winter months, we'll also suggest a hot soup like a red onion soup made with beef stock and apple cider. Paired with a calvados shot, this station alone is sufficient for a cocktail party.

A little further south, there's Italy. This is where Stewart spend a semester, and he is always showing us tips and tricks he picked up while studying there. Risotto has always been an action station. It's a traditional dish with rice, stock, and butter that takes time to cook. It needs to be stirred constantly, and stock needs to be added in intervals so it is smooth and creamy when ready.
Well, we did our own little twist on this savory dish and are now making dessert risottos. Some of our flavors include apple and pear risotto with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and cognac - served with calvados shots, peach and amaretto risotto served with Amaretto shots, and cappuccino risotto served with chocolate shavings and cinnamon whipped cream. We also do a delicious strawberry risotto that can be prepared with a balsamic syrup and basil or with a chocolate sauce and Godiva Liqueur shots. To really add a surprise, we can top it with traditional or a flavored cotton candy. For a more traditional accompaniment, an almond cookie sugar cookie, or Biscotti pairs great with all these risottos.
As we head east, we encounter Russia. Of course, potatoes, vodka, and caviar come to mind. We created a frosted fingerling potato bar with assorted toppings. This is so much more elegant than a baked potato bar, but incorporates the same elements. However, these bite-size potatoes are perfect for a cocktail party and not as big and filling as a baked potato.
Fingerling potatoes are cooked and dipped in a concentrated salt water. As the water evaporates, it leaves a frosted coating on the potatoes (but not too salty). These are then served warm with options such as caviar, sour cream, chives, bacon, and cheese. Of course, iced vodka shots are always an option.

Another great region for a food station is the Middle East. We do a whole spread of different salads (with and without protein), bread stucks, Lavosh, and hummus. Some of the salads we incorporate are:

• White bean salad with tri-color peppers and oil-poached tuna
• Tossed Greek salad
• Cous Cous with tomato and currants
• Tri-color melon salad with date honey and mint

When served with bread sticks, traditional and homemade peppered lavosh, and assorted hummus choices such as red pepper, cilantro, and roasted garlic, it mades a beautiful and filling station.

Finally, many people are wanting an Asian-influenced station. Stir-fry stations, woks topped with steamers and dumplings, and little Chinese to-go boxes are popular, but they all have been around for a while. We are having much success with our Tom Kha Gai soup, a traditional Thai soup. It starts with a coconut milk broth and includes poached chicken, mushrooms, bean sprouts, cilanto, opal and thai basil, poached shrimp, and jalapeno peppers. This can be served for large groups of people, or presented very elegantly for smaller gatherings.

USA & UK Comfort Foods

As I mentioned in the last post, Stewart and I were fortunate enough to be presenters at the Catersource Conference in Las Vegas. We had an audience of several hundred people and we spoke about making Comfort Foods from Around the World. With many of our clients not wanting to or able to spend as much on their functions, we found that traditional comfort foods are always a guest favorite, but we wanted a way to make the Unique and Unforgettable.
We explored foods from the USA, the UK, Italy, Central Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and The Orient. Foods such as pot pies and potatoes can be turned into show-stopping action stations that will leave guests talking about it for days after the event.
Starting with America, Inspired Occasions has taken Mac and Cheese and Pot Pies and has given them an Inspired twist. Instead of a traditional chicken pot pie, we are doing beef and venison versions as well as gourmet seafood potpies including shrimp, crab, and even lobster. Of course, we can’t forget about our vegetarian guests… vegetable pot pies can be a great entrée for vegetarians, or a side dish for everyone.
We have had a lot of great feedback with these when made at action stations. We have a few varieties of the protein and then different “crusts.” Toppings such as sweet potato or herbed biscuits, or puff pastry circles fit perfectly atop a ramekin full of pot pie.

On our mac and cheese station, we are doing several varieties of the classic version. For example, we do a Leek Macaroni with Manchego Cheese and a Lobster Mac with Mascarpone cheese and Sherry. Even our tried and true dishes like our Carmelized Onion and Goat Cheese Macaroni work great with this set up. Bowls of macaroni are on display, and then the cheese sauce is kept warm in a chafing dish. Chefs continuously heat the sauce and cheese and add macaroni to order, so it is always hot and fresh.
Gourmet toppings like frizzled leeks, bacon bits, diced tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, green onions, shaved fennel, and fried shallot rings not only make the action station look beautiful and plentiful, but also enhance the flavors of the dishes.

Across the pond, England is known for its cheddars and Bangers (sausages). For buffets or stations, Inspired Occasions does a beautiful cheese spread of white, yellow, sharp, mild, smoked, and goat cheddar cheese. These are paired with various fruit and vegetable chutneys. (For you long-time Inspired Occasions fans, you know how wonderful our Cheddar and Chutney Savory Cheesecake is… We incorporate all those flavors into this display)
In addition to the cheeses, grilled Bangers and flavored mustards are served, rounding out the comfort foods. The mustards can be flavored to match the rest of the menu. For example, we incorporate spicy mustard, Guinness mustard, honey mustard, raspberry mustard, etc. Also served with the meats and cheese are assorted breads, flat breads, and crackers. One additional way to enhance the station is by pairing the food with English beers and beers that pair well with the selected cheeses.

Making Comfort Foods Exciting

Each year, 1000's of caterers converge in Las Vegas for the annual Catersource Convention. Over 8,000 industry professionals attended this past year - event planners, designers, chefs, owners, and more. Attendees get to attend some of the most cutting edge parties and sample the newest trends in the catering and event industry.
With so many people, there are many break-out sessions to attend. These range from sales tactics to legal matters, and from hors d' oeuvres to desserts... and everything in between. Inspired Occasions was honored to present on several topics. Both sessions - "Comfort Foods From Around the World” and “The Strategy of Event and Menu Design” - were filled to the brim. People who attended our seminar Desserts at the 2009 Conference couldn't wait to see us again (more on last years' seminar later). Stewart also conducted some demonstrations during the Tradeshow about how to prepare some of Inspired Occasions' signature items.



Over the next couple of blog enteries, I will go over the details of our Comfort Food presentation as well as the Dessert Presentation from last year. Please feel free to post any questions or comments, and we will be sure to get back to you soon.