A Visual Teaser of the Tastes

Invention of Glory

The Invention of Glory with Dr. John Marciari will feature the finest surviving Gothic tapestries, The Pastrana Tapestries, depicting the conquests of Afonso V such as the Moroccan city of Tangiers. Our culinary conquest will transport guests back to the 12th century with a sampling of Tangier street food and cocktail pairing, served on wooden shingles.

BLUE NOTE AFTER RIVERA

Dynamic: Blue Note After Rivera with Dr. Ariel Plotek will display 12 paintings by Mexico City artist Roberto Cortázar that respond to Diego Rivera’s The Hands of Dr. Moore. Served from a wooden donkey cart, we invite guests to explore a tequila grapefruit cocktail and food pairings that reflect Cortázar’s paintings.

IMAGINED AS THE TRUTH

Imagined as the Truth with Alexander Jarman explores the notion of historical authenticity as well as colonialism and its lasting impacts as viewed by British-born, Nigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare. Complete the experience with injera bread “tea” sandwiches and a gin cocktail served from a tea samovar at our British tea station.

Benefitting the San Diego Museum of Art

ArtMix will take place on August 16 at 7pm. Proceeds from this event will benefit The San Diego Museum of Art. You can Purchase Tickets Online for $75 for museum members and $100 for nonmembers. Come experience an incredible night of cultural fusion between art and culinary flavors.

Their 66th annual Jewel Ball is titled, Passeggiata!, a beautiful Italian term meaning “to stroll” or “promenade,” (typically during the evening through the fantastic piazzas of Rome). And for the first time in 47 years they will be holding a private party for their VIP’s right before the Jewel Ball at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. We are incredibly honored to announce that Campine has been selected to bring our delectable eats and cocktails to this VIP Pre-Party Reception! And because we are so excited for this event, we couldn’t resist giving you a sneak peek of what we will be serving up!

Sneak Peek VIP Reception

Crudo-
mano de león diver scallop, vanilla sea salt, micro arugula, orange zests and oil, rosemary, and extra virgin olive oil

Una Passeggiata in Giardino-
rusticella d’ ambruzzo tochio pasta, suzie’s farm’s yellow squash, sungold tomatoes, sorrento lemon zest, fresh mint, house-made ricotta, shaved parmesan, squash blossoms, and wild arugula; with a croccante of broccolli rabe, sunchoke pesto, and walnut oil.

Balti-
carpano, vanilla, grapefruit, and soda

We hope your mouths are already watering. We cannot wait for this fabulous fête in just few days!

The benefit, hosted at the estate of Joan Waitt, will feature a private concert by Grammy Award Nominated artist Jewel, who at one time was one of San Diego’s homeless women, living out of a van and playing at Inner Change Cafe to survive. 100% of ticket sales will go directly to Rachel’s Women’s Center.

Sunday September 9, 2012
11 AM – 2 PM
Estate of Joan Waitt

Refreshments and Opportunity Drawing
Brunch and Live Auction
Live Concert by Jewel

Table for 10 $4,250
Individual Ticket $425

Beach Formal · Hats Encouraged · Valet on site

Purchase tickets online

Contact Casey Blatt at info@ehgrp.com or 619.704.1733 for more information. If you are unable to attend the event, you may still make a donation online.

The Look and Sound of Your Party

Decorations:

There are so many 4th of July decorations out there that it would be a shame not to have a little of the red, white and blue glory make an appearance at your party. Whether you decide on some stars and stripes from the store or make a few American pinwheels at home, either way is perfect for getting your guest in the mood to celebrate Independence Day. If you want to keep it simple you can also focus on color blocking with the 3 main colors; whether it be in napkins, plates, tablecloths, adding some red, white, and blue is sure to add the right amount of pop to your 4th celebration.

Plates/Silverware:

You may choose to use your own plates and silverware, but for an added bonus of less cleanup we suggest going to disposables. There are so many options out there for adorable, affordable, and even biodegradable, disposables, just make sure you get plates that are sturdy enough to hold up all the delicious food you will be serving!

Lighting/Music:

Music should be planned ahead of time either with a playlist long enough to cover the whole party or one of the many online radio stations.Make sure you test the sound outside and inside to make sure the noise level works for conversing as well as enjoying the tunes throughout your whole party. When the sun starts to set it can get difficult to figure out outdoor lighting so we suggest tiki torches or string lanterns. Another idea is to cover the bottom of tall glass jars or vases with sand and place in candles or tealights so the wind does not blow out your lighting and your guests can continue to enjoy your outdoor party.

The 4th of July Inspired Drinks

Quantity:

For every person that you invite to your party you should plan to have 1 or 2 non-alcoholic beverages available for them per hour. For every adult you should have 1 alcoholic drink for them per hour. Additionally, if you are storing your drinks outside in coolers or buckets in heat, you should have about 2 lbs of ice per person for both keeping the drinks cool and putting in their beverages. Be sure to have your ice in two separate containers with labels on which is cooling drinks and which is perfect for going in the drinks. Place the non-alcoholic and alcoholic stations apart from each other, as well as the food tables, so you can avoid everyone at your party being huddled around one table.

Variety:

Rather than offering as many types of drinks that you can think of, focus on a few interesting options.

For non-alcoholic beverages we suggest having about 3 or 4 different options. One should be a large batch of something refreshing, like strawberry lemonade and frozen blueberries to serve the dual purpose of keeping the batch cool and matching the red, white and blue theme. And don’t forget lots of water!

For alcoholic beverages stick to one large batch of your favorite summer drink, like margaritas or white wine sangria with blueberries and strawberries (our favorite!). Beyond that, offer 2-3 options for beers and wines. For beers, select one lighter style and one that is fuller in body. Or you could pick a local craft brew for an additional element of interest for your guests, particularly if it is something they haven’t tried before.

Planning Ahead for the Fireworks

Location

Whether you are in your own backyard or going to a show, place enough chairs and blankets for your guests to use off to the side of your party ahead of time. If you are traveling to the a park, make sure to get there 30 minutes before the excitement starts to find a good place for all of your guest to get settled in. If you know your guests are going to be using a blanket on grass, a great way to avoid bugs or moisture is to lay down a plastic drop cloth underneath your blankets.

Comfort and Ambiance:

For added comfort bring pillows and double layers of blankets to soften the hard ground. Additionally it can be fun to bring hot cocoa or coffee with you if it isn’t too warm as a nice way to finish out your meal. An added bonus for your firework viewing is to bring along a radio so everyone can listen to the patriotic music while watching the 4th of July spectacular!

And the Most Important Part of a 4th of July BBQ… The Food!

After putting together this amazing party, who has time to cook? If you want to enjoy the company of your guests instead of standing at the grill all day, let Campine take care of this part of your celebration. We have prepared the ultimate “BBQ Smackdown” menu that even our Founding Fathers would be proud of. If interested, please call Bay at 619.704.7035.

Our very own Chef Antonio Friscia won first place for the Nontraditional, or “Any Kine” category with his dish that included local yellowtail, bay scallops and octopus with preserved chili yuzu, uni, and micro shiso. The UT San Diego did a feature on Antonio in honor of his win, which highlighted his family’s history in the seafood business in San Francisco, showcasing where his love of seafood came from.

Guests got to enjoy more than just full bellies, while Tati from Jammin Z90 radio and Tati emceed the competition and and live musical guests Tini Grey and Anuhea performed. Part of the proceeds from each ticket benefited the Kona-California Scholarship, which is given to to students who graduate from Big Island high schools to attend schools in California.

Did you get a chance to attend the I Love Poke Competition? Share what you thought of Antonio’s award winning Poke!

San Diegans didn’t let the unseasonal cold weather stop them from layering up in their white and coming out to experience the inaugural event. Musicians walked around the elaborately decorated tables, playing guitar and string instruments. We spotted one table with a large fish bowl (and yes, betta fish were swimming inside)! Guests brought more than just cheese and wine. We saw everything from trays of roasted vegetables to sushi platters.

Our picnic baskets, which were pre-ordered by guests who wanted to skip the hassle of bringing their own food, included the following:

|UN|
san diego charcuterie | house made pâté . local charcuterie . ground mustard . “OSDG” deviled eggs .
cornichons . olive baguette . house made pickles

|DEUX|
spring quinoa salad | asparagus . spring peas . red quinoa . dates . mint . preserved lemon zest . olive oil

|TROIS|
rosemary brined + roasted whole jidori chicken | artichoke
aïoli . caramelized cauliflower .
maitake mushrooms . lentils . carrot top pesto

|QUATRE|
selection of california cheeses | temecula honey . apricot mamalata . toasted red walnuts

|CINQ|
blondies . caramel corn . moon pies

Our mixologists had a bar set up near the tables, serving up speciality cocktails, including one made just for the event (a white cocktail, obviously!). “Le Dîner à SD Blanc” was a mixture of rum, coconut milk, key lime, curry, and mint.

We’re convinced the “pop up picnic” is a trend that is not going away and that San Diegans will embrace the tradition with new innovative locations and treats. We were so grateful to be a part of this event, and look forward to attending the next Le Dîner à San Diego (with that Sunny Southern California weather we all know and love)!

Did you get a chance to attend Le Dîner à San Diego’s inaugural event? Make sure to let us know what you thought of the baskets and cocktails on our Yelp!

If you ask the right questions to your caterer, you’ll have ea better event. Truth be told, if you’re in the process of selecting a company to conjure up an event for you, it’s actually the event stylist whom you are working with who needs to be asking YOU the right questions.

Let’s take a few moments and delve into the mechanics of what you can do to make sure you’re working with the right company and the right event stylist at that company to ensure you’re getting exactly the event you deserve.

I realized many a year ago that often times the process of designing an event can be convoluted, unfocused and, quite frankly, so all over the board that I would sometimes sit there listening, scratching my head and saying to myself, “I really don’t think they know what it is that they want!” It was then that I realized to build a great building one needs firm bedrock, and that bedrock is data.

So I developed a simple FUN process. Utilizing this process, you can create an event that has you and your guests written all over it. This is what your event stylist should be asking you.

Four Exercises for Success:

1. The List of Ten
2. Demographics
3. I Like, I Don’t Like
4. Party Statement

The List of Ten – What are the Important Questions to Ask a Caterer

Make a list of everything that lives at a party – venue, invitations, cuisine, beverages, flowers, décor, photography, entertainment, linens, valet, live flamingos, etc., you get the idea. Then list them in their sequential order of importance to you. With this list in hand, you can see right in front of you exactly where your priorities lie. If Items 9 or 10 are costing you money, time and effort and you don’t care about them, then just stop. Currency comes in many a form, whether cash, time or effort. Refocus back and spend your money, time and effort on what IS important to you.

Demographics – Who are you Catering to?

Diet Coke knows who’s watching NBC at 7:00pm on Thursday nights, that’s why they play that commercial. So you, too, should “know thy audience”, and quite frankly play to them.

You’re already the belle of the ball. Your guests are coming to see you and celebrate with you and/or your firm, so leave good enough alone. Entertain your guests. Events flop because it was all about the host. It actually isn’t, it’s all about the guests. If you “Wine and Dine” them and make them feel special, they will remember what a great party YOU threw. And if there’s one thing that everyone wants, it’s a great party!

Let’s take a wedding, for instance. One side of the family—well heeled, well monied, well traveled, over educated, live in “The City”. Other side of the family–nicest, warmest people you’ll ever meet, salt of the earth, meat and potatoes, live in the Midwest. Now add the relatives and the contingent of guests coming from Romania—some speak English, sort of, and the rest don’t and have never been to the U.S. before.

So you have some really odd bedfellows, right? What do you do? Look and find a common thread. It is essential that everyone feels comfortable.

If I consulted with you, listened and did my homework then proceeded to fit you for a size 12 yellow dress, but you dislike yellow and wear a size four (lucky you), I did not do my job and here is what will happen: You’re going to be uncomfortable, tug at the dress all night, not have a good time, wait for the cake to be cut and leave (if not before). I refer to this as “the party where I didn’t know which fork to use, I was embarrassed and it wasn’t fun.” It HAS to be fun, otherwise everyone loses. Follow these steps and win!

I Like, I Don’t Like – It’s Your Party!

Of all these “exercises”, this is the one that is not only telling, but it’s actually one of the best things you can do to capture the direction you feel like going for your event and MAY not know it. It is a mini profile of you and your tastes–all things that help me.

Grab a pen and piece of paper. If you’re getting married, grab two. Oh, and you’ll need your fiancé for this as well.

Make two columns. Label one “I Like” and one “I Don’t Like.” Have part of the list all culinary, part all beverage. The rest of the list is completely random and abstract. Write down all that you like on the left side and all you aren’t so keen on on the right. Examples–I Like: Oysters. I Don’t Like: Tripe. I Like: Hummingbirds. I Don’t Like: Rattlesnakes. I Like: Pantone Tangerine Tango*.∗ I Don’t Like: Mauve.

Party Statement – Ask Yourself What you Want your Guests to Takeaway

Okay, so you’ve gotten all that done, but why did you do it? What do you want your guests to take away with them? There are many ideas that you can put into place to make people remember your event. To get those, you’ll have to call me. In the meantime, however, write down a party statement, which is like a mission statement. Believe me, if you are branding a product (which essentially you are, it’s your event), you need to do this. If a company doesn’t have one for its event, consider it money wasted!

In Closing

If you complete these exercises you WILL have a great event, your guests WILL have a great time and you WILL be happier for it! Basically, I have given you a secret code that is like a piece of paper with holes cut out which you lay over a page of text. What is revealed is: THIS – IS – THE – PARTY – YOU – SHOULD – BE – DOING.

Good luck and here’s to your great event!

* For the record, Pantone Tangerine Tango is the 2012 Color of the Year. I’m not convinced of that particular orange. I do, however, love orange. It’s a really great and interesting color:

• Black boxes on airplanes are orange so they are more visible to the human eye.
• Studies show orange is an energizing color which stimulates appetite, activity and socialization.
• “There is no blue without yellow and without orange.” – Vincent Van Gogh.
• Orange generally elicits a stronger “love it” or “hate it” response than other colors.
• Native American Indians associated the color orange with kinship.
• The message you send by driving an orange vehicle: Fun-loving, talkative, fickle, and trendy.

Who knew?

Providing Mother’s Day Ideas for the Perfect Breakfast in Bed.

THE HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY

While many attribute the origin of Mother’s Day to a “Hallmark Moment” or the capitalization of the floral industry, which clearly IS one of their busiest days, the truth is actually far more interesting, and far older… The ancient Egyptians celebrated the Mother Deity Isis. Similar celebrations were also held for Cybele, the major Mother Goddess of the Greeks, who lauded her by eating honey cakes and sharing flowers in the morning. The Roman Magna Mater (Great Mother) celebration fell between March 15 and March 22, the same approximate dates of the Greek festival honoring another goddess, Rhea, the Titinas Mother of the Gods.

In the 1600s a clerical decree in England announced “Mothering Day,” a compassionate holiday dedicated to the working classes of England. During this Lenten Sunday, servants and trade workers were allowed to travel back to their towns of origin to visit their families.

Mother’s Day arrived in America under the guise of Julia Ward Howe’s “Mother’s Day Proclamation” of 1870. Despite having penned “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on mothers everywhere to come together to protest what she saw as the futility of their sons killing the sons of other mothers (sound familiar?). Although Howe’s Mother’s Day had its moment in history, it eventually ceased to be celebrated as such. However we have Ms. Ward Howe amongst others to thank for what we know as Mother’s Day today.

Fast forward to 1908. Nebraskan Senator Elmer Burkett proposes making Mother’s Day a national holiday, as requested by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA). The proposal was defeated, but by 1909 forty-six states were holding Mother’s Day services. Four years later West Virginia became the first state to officially recognize Mother’s Day, and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance, declaring the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is celebrated in some form on virtually every country on the planet; that in and of itself is a testament to how much we owe and love our mothers. Whether they are with us still or not, Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate them!

So, what is a Mother’s Day idea you can do for your mom? How about making her a lovely breakfast in bed? Here’s how…

Source only the best for your mother, she deserves it. We have suggested some of our personal favorites for the produce, protein and fruits. Much but not all are available from the following locations:

• The Little Italy Farmers’ Market
• Specialty Produce
• Hillcrest Farmers’ Market
• Whole Foods Market

|BRIOCHE FRENCH TOAST SOUFFLÉ|

• 1 – pastured hen egg – Womach Ranch Farms
• 1 tbsp– organic raw milk cream – Claravale Creamery
• good pinch – freshly ground organic cinnamon
• good pinch – freshly ground organic star anise
• good pinch – freshly ground organic nutmeg
• good pinch – organic powdered ginger
• good pinch – zest of cara cara orange, minced (reserve orange) – Rancho Del Sol Organics
• ½ mexican vanilla bean, scrape the seeds* **



• ¼ tsp grand marnier cordon rouge
• pinch Maldon Sea Salt
• 1 thick slice of brioche (at least an inch), halved – Bread & Cie
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp + 1 pad – Spring Hill jersey cheese, organic butter
• real maple syrup, warmed. Who’s to say how much is enough?
• 4 strawberries halved – J. R. Organics

Preheat the oven to 350ºf. Beat egg well, add all ingredients except brioche and strawberries. Mix custard well, pour ½ the custard in a flat bottomed dish, place brioche on top, pour over the remaining custard and soak for 15 minutes, turning several times so the brioche is well soaked and uniformly covered.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a warm pan. Drain and cook brioche all sides until light golden brown, pop in oven for ten minutes. Remove from oven, top with butter and warmed maple syrup and the mascarpone date cream. Dust through fine sieve with powdered sugar serve with the strawberries, bacon, blueberry smoothie and naturally some champagne worthy of note, I suggest a nice billecart–salmon rosé for your mother, you can sneak a glass, after all you deserve it too!

* Pack the vanilla bean in a cup or two of sugar and reserve for a couple weeks or until you need it, you’ll have some great vanilla-infused sugar.
** Know your beans, some mexican vanilla beans contain coumarin. It can cause liver/kidney damage in high doses and has been banned by the FDA since 1954.

•••

|MASCARPONE DATE CREAM|

• 2 tbsp mascarpone
• 1 tbsp crème fraîche – Bellwether Farms
• ¼ tsp cara cara orange zest, minced (reserve orange)– orange zest
• ½ date, minced – Morocco Gold Date

Mix well and allow to rest. Save the extra and spread on a crisp english muffin!

•••

|BACON|

• 3 rashers of bacon – La Quercia Tamworth Country Cured bacon or Vande Rose Farms artisan dry-cured bacon

In the UK, an individual slice of bacon is a rasher, so three good pieces of US bacon. For the perfect bacon, bake on sheet pan at 350ªF until crisp, drain, and pop on paper towel to soak up excess fat

•••

|BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE|

• 1 pint blueberries – Pudwill Farms
• juice of one cara cara orange
• small pinch of freshly ground organic cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Reserve in fridge or freezer until well chilled. Blend with ice if so desired.

•••

And one final hint: Clean up the kitchen spic and span… She’ll be proud of you for it!

The Key Ingredient to an Outdoor Party’s Success

Proper Previous Planning is a must, We are firm believers in lists, check them twice and check them off. A compelling invitation is always well received. As are thank you for coming handwritten notes afterward, that IS a dying breed, your be noticed and loved the more for it!

Pick the Perfect Location

Our perfect summer party theme is this (you can actually do this with a grand host of friends). Go to a lake and rent a row boat(s), bring lots of blankets and pillows. Turn you row boat into the envy of Cleopatra. Pack a picnic with what ever your favorite food is… Truffled Mousse, country pâté, roasted chicken, dijon mustard and celeriac salad and lots of rosé please! This can be a great experience, anchor your fleet together and exchange tasty comestibles and tall stories!

Outdoor Party Decorations

Long lovely tables, irish hemstick linens, fresh herbs in little pots down the middle of the table with guests name tags made from pickling jar tags tied to them (yes you can take it home). Building a community atmosphere that reflects on the guests companionship is also promoted by establishing a sharing “Family” Style” of event, pass the fried chicken please. Remember décor isn’t just about the look, it’s about the guests look too, ask them to come to your summer party in all white, and/or ladies please wear a hat. When an event is comprehensive your guests will have a much better experience.

The Right Food for an Outdoor Summer Experience

If it’s summer keep it cool and keep it easy. Glass dispensers with plenty iced water with sliced oranges and a hint of orange blossom water. Another with rosemary and lemons. Peaches, burrata and basil salad. Heirloom tomatoes with black cerignola olives, torn rosemary bread croutons, wild arugula and pickled sweet onions. Cold fried chicken is ALWAYS a hit. Fergola with really good olive oil, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and meyer lemon zest. Think blueberry galettes with vanilla cream for dessert. Plenty of Champagne to keep the spirit lively!

Consider Everything

Keep an eye on the weather, plan for the hot = shade, and plan for the cold = heat. Do as much ahead of time as possible. Get friends and family to assist, delegate! If in a part of the US that has mosquitos, plan accordingly. Don’t forget a place to wash you hands if throwing a party away from civilization. And don’t forget the camera!