Blog-TOWER OF BABEL

I attended a catering round table in Teterburo NJ at Flight Safety, which was put together by Marianne Pruner. It started at 10 ended with stuffed stomach by 230. The caterers this time were executive suites-NJ, Divine Catering-NJ and Executive catering on Elm-CT. Flight Safety would like to offer this free sessions every 6  weeks with new caterers highlighted.

It was not a bitch session as if it were, i would have driven to NYC and had lunch. I do not like to listen to people castigate one another. It ran pretty well. Caterers and flight attendants are working along together quite well in these hard economic times and it is great to see. They  will work with us, delivery charges are a thing of the past  on the most part. The food was very good, and if you have a recipe , they will make it for you. 

I used to be afraid of caterers, if I did not act right, I thought they would spit in my food or give me stale bagels. Not true. We are got on like we were at a good wedding. If you have a caterer you want highlighted, email me at bdwyer07@aol.com or if there is a topic that you want discussed, tell me.  It also is a good way to network and se who is working for whom, and what you should do if you are unemployed Only good things happened that day.   

This weeks blog is a continuation of the ELEGANT YET ECONOMICAL CLASS performed by Executive Catering on Elm, Owner Molly Sprong, New Milford CT. I must say that all of Molly’s chefs are very well schooled and very happy to work there.

Here are the highlights: (you will get very hungry) It is the winter menu.

Garlic Braised Short Ribs (cheaper than meat) served with pea spaetzle with tomatoes and mint, great for winter.

Polenta crusted chicken breast with balsamic caper pan sauce - holds well in the oven, super tasty

My favorite is the west african vegetable cobbler , a medley of sweet potato, pepper , yukon jack potato, cumin, red pepper. great for vegans and vegetarians. would make a really great side with jerk chicken or bbq.

Desserts. my favorite!
You can make this one on the aircraft. 6 oz ramekin. put tab of butter in bottom. tear up a croissant, blueberries, more croissant, sugar brown or white, bake called a blueberry croissant puff.

White chocolate strawberry tiramisu
 
The best one was Mango Napolean (you can cut phyllo dough into triangles, mango jam, caramel topping and whipped cream, stack and serve). Yum!
 
Strawberry , banana and chocolate bundles, cut pie crust into 4 inch squares, take a dove chocolate, cut banana, strawberry, fold the crust closed, bake 350 for 10 minutes 

Here are some winter dishes on the menu.

Roasted butternut squash and apple with clove Crème Fraiche Soup.
Grilled pork chop with caramelized pear brandy sauce.
Lobster pot pie
Beef wellington with gorgonzola sauce
Curried couscous with pine nuts and raisins
Cranberry crumb pie

What do you do if your catering companies are not true? What do you do if they go to the wrong airport? Deliver to the wrong plane?

 

Have you ever flown down to the Masters Golf tournament? Done trips to super bowl? Go somewhere where you know it will be so busy that maybe you should get your catering from a local deli or restaurant?

 

When you land and see over 50 corporate jets, do not think that the catering will make it, that is will be correct or that line service will get you the right box, or do you find another venue to avoid mistakes?

 

I had a caterer deliver to TEB instead of HPN. I always order my food 3 hours prior, (I ALWAYS TAKEOFF EARLY), I bring my own lemons, limes and milk. With the TEB incident, I canceled and did not pay for the order and I used Skytop restraint and paid ASAP fee of 25.00. The passengers never knew.

 

If a caterer makes a mistake, shame on them, if they make a mistake a second time, shame on me. We pay a lot of money to them for the right order. Fax, call, go over, and recall the day of the flight 6 hours prior.

Today I attended a catering class with “Executive Catering On Elm”. This catering company is owned by Molly Sprong, an all too talented ex-corporate flight attendant. Their phone number is 860-350-4884 fax is 860-354-0106, and website: www.executivecuisinect.com.

 

They were featuring new and exciting food selection to order for spring and summer. I think I died and went to flight attendant food heaven. We were fed and waited on for 4 full hours; the only aspect that was amiss was the absence of a chardonnay (too early in the day). The class was 10-2, and was a mere $100.00. The teaching and the cuisine was well worth 5 times that!

 

My personal favorites were truffle risotto in philo, spring vegetable soup, mango and radicchio Caprese salad, fig glazed beef kabobs, spiced salmon with glazed fennel, halibut with roasted beet greens and for dessert, I was torn between the sweet watermelon salsa served with sugar spice tortilla chips or the delirious coconut cream with fresh berries and chocolate. The class was taught by Phil and sandy, 2 very innovative chefs who truly love food and have infuse their own unique style from apps to entrees. I have used Executive Catering on Elm religiously fro the last 4 years, and I always get compliments, empty plates, second helping are always common on my jet. This was surely a day well spent.

This is something that I do not understand about myself as a corporate flight attendant, that I do over and over again. Sometimes, not very often, I get catering that totally (excuse my American) plain downright sucks. I fax, I call, and I discuss, I describe, sometimes plead and beg (especially if it is short notice).....To no avail, no apparent reason, they failed me BAD and BIGTIME.

I ordered Cole slaw, the American side and solution to a sandwich, I got cut cabbage. I ordered beef filets, it was pot roast (you know, that stuff your parents would give you on wed, because the money ran out). I needed jell-o, I got boxes of jell-o, (do I have 8 hours to make this red stuff and place it in my refrigerator)? I ordered dinner rolls and got hard rolls, I ordered roast beef on wheat, no condiments, and I got luncheon loaf on WONDER BREAD (ALABAMA). I ordered fresh cold seafood platter and got canned baby shrimp and canned salmon. Am I talking to the frigging walls here? Radio now here?

But what I do is get mad and disappointed, and I get so speechless, I cannot even call them back because I think they are just so clueless, I cannot teach the blind men to see. So I take them off my list, and move on.

I never say a word I think, because in the beginning of corporate flying 15 years ago (I would call, and get excuses or a big DUH). So I “86” them from my roster. I guess I do not like to discuss a huge mistake over the phone. I like the face to face. Do not get me wrong, the corporate catering I see out there now is brilliant, especially in the New York area, competition to outdo one another works in our favor. But, the smaller towns like Addison TX, Montgomery AL, Pahokee FL, so buyer beware!