“The New Blog”

So finally, I think I have figured out the blog feature for this template of a website. Thinking about all the various hats I must juggle to stay active in the business and continue to self promote, makes my head spin at times. Anyhow, I will keep this blog going with recipes, photos, events, details, and more. Enjoy!

September 27th, 2010

“Capturing The Magic”

So many people say to me, ” oh so you cater? Weddings, Birthdays? What kind of food do you cook?” I often feel very troubled by the question. I have attempted to create a resolute answer by which a simple sentence will give them clarity and understanding; but this is far more difficult than anticipated.

I chose to use the tarnished term, “catering” in my business, and must admit it was a risky move. One that has proved greatly rewarding and also detrimental to my business. In business terms, my branding or image has suffered from the use of the word. In essence, I do not cater. I offer a culinary alternative for those people seeking something beyond the chafing dish filled with tarnished product; the elegant and carefully designed buffet table which someone has gone to great lengths to help bring an appealing value to unappealing food.

My service is not for everyone; it is pricey. For there are so many elements involved in the process to create the art which I deem food. Not everyone can afford it, not everyone understands it, and many will not see the value until they experience it. Once we get a client however, they continue to use my service in an ongoing manor without fail.

Considering people were still having trouble understanding, I have decided it was a good idea to just show everyone. So Anani Lawson and I decided to start researching Film makers early in the year. Many intimate interviews with passionate artists, interesting landscapes of common meeting grounds, and days of effort later, we both concluded one was the perfect match.

Introducing, Jessica Ringor, Film maker, artist, passionate foodie and more, of Love Spun Films. When we met her, we both felt her passion and recognized her talents. The energy between us was perfect for a long working relationship, and the rest is history. Her work is recognized on a global level, and she is on the rise, fast.

Our goal was to create a piece that reflected the service we offer. An intermingling of art, science, passion, dedication and finesse in relation to food and wine. That is what we offer. A fine dining experience in your home, like no other. Exceptional service, brilliant cuisine, intelligent wine pairings; all being offered by passionate individuals with great personalities!

After months of planning, we finally got the ball rolling. Our first attempt at the filming we thought went great. Afterwords, deep thought had me questioning if this was my best work, and if this was the image we wanted to portray. One of Jessica’s assets is being able to create a narrative and capture the story with great emotion. Often without a single word. So we met and decided to scratch the first run and came up with a brilliant storyboard for the new film. We scouted out a location at a clients home in Napa, brought in well known stylist and designer Yelena Johnson of The Stylish Soiree, and got busy planning.

What resulted, seemed like magic. An experience I will never forget! The film is in the cutting room with Jessica this month, expected to be done in early winter 2010. Stay tuned, as it will answer all of those questions and make your taste buds salivate with emotion!

“The New Blog”

So finally, I think I have figured out the blog feature for this template of a website. Thinking about all the various hats I must juggle to stay active in the business and continue to self promote, makes my head spin at times. Anyhow, I will keep this blog going with recipes, photos, events, details, and more. Enjoy!

September 27th, 2010

“Capturing The Magic”

So many people say to me, ” oh so you cater? Weddings, Birthdays? What kind of food do you cook?” I often feel very troubled by the question. I have attempted to create a resolute answer by which a simple sentence will give them clarity and understanding; but this is far more difficult than anticipated.

I chose to use the tarnished term, “catering” in my business, and must admit it was a risky move. One that has proved greatly rewarding and also detrimental to my business. In business terms, my branding or image has suffered from the use of the word. In essence, I do not cater. I offer a culinary alternative for those people seeking something beyond the chafing dish filled with tarnished product; the elegant and carefully designed buffet table which someone has gone to great lengths to help bring an appealing value to unappealing food.

My service is not for everyone; it is pricey. For there are so many elements involved in the process to create the art which I deem food. Not everyone can afford it, not everyone understands it, and many will not see the value until they experience it. Once we get a client however, they continue to use my service in an ongoing manor without fail.

Considering people were still having trouble understanding, I have decided it was a good idea to just show everyone. So Anani Lawson and I decided to start researching Film makers early in the year. Many intimate interviews with passionate artists, interesting landscapes of common meeting grounds, and days of effort later, we both concluded one was the perfect match.

Introducing, Jessica Ringor, Film maker, artist, passionate foodie and more, of Love Spun Films. When we met her, we both felt her passion and recognized her talents. The energy between us was perfect for a long working relationship, and the rest is history. Her work is recognized on a global level, and she is on the rise, fast.

Our goal was to create a piece that reflected the service we offer. An intermingling of art, science, passion, dedication and finesse in relation to food and wine. That is what we offer. A fine dining experience in your home, like no other. Exceptional service, brilliant cuisine, intelligent wine pairings; all being offered by passionate individuals with great personalities!

After months of planning, we finally got the ball rolling. Our first attempt at the filming we thought went great. Afterwords, deep thought had me questioning if this was my best work, and if this was the image we wanted to portray. One of Jessica’s assets is being able to create a narrative and capture the story with great emotion. Often without a single word. So we met and decided to scratch the first run and came up with a brilliant storyboard for the new film. We scouted out a location at a clients home in Napa, brought in well known stylist and designer Yelena Johnson of The Stylish Soiree, and got busy planning.

What resulted, seemed like magic. An experience I will never forget! The film is in the cutting room with Jessica this month, expected to be done in early winter 2010. Stay tuned, as it will answer all of those questions and make your taste buds salivate with emotion!

Our Chef is proud to bring his expertise into your culinary repertoire. We offer various unique classes, ranging from private lessons, to public classes we host on a monthly basis.  In our classes you will get the following:

• Detailed recipes of all courses
• Hands on learning and cooking
• Execution of prep work, mise en place for service
• Hands on plating of all courses
• A real sense of the entire process, from creating the menu to putting it on the plate!

Below are examples of some of our formats:

• Single session classes focusing on specific techniques or recipes – 4 hour sessions open to the public.
• 2 Day session classes highly focused on specific technique, extensive hands on cooking, a great understanding of menu development, sourcing ingredients, preparing in advance and executing service. 1^st day 6 hours of class – 2^nd day 4 hours of class followed by a 5 course tasting dinner party. Lunch included.
• Interactive classes featuring trips to local farms and farmers markets to explore our local producers and understand cooking local and in season. A focus on particular seasonal ingredients and products that are of the highest quality.
• Beginner classes, with a focus and the fundamentals of cooking required to succeed.
• Modern technological classes, focusing on the application of science and modern equipment in today’s kitchen.

Please sign up for our email list to be notified of all current and future classes being offered.

Current Class & Event Schedule

Epicure & Discoveries in Wine

• Featuring Guest Sommelier Anani Lawson
• March 27th, 5:30 pm
• Located at The Pavillions Clubhouse, Sacramento
• http://epicureanddiscoveriesinwine.eventbrite.com/ to purchase tickets

This event is a demonstration class featuring guest Sommelier Anani Lawson of ATL Consulting and Sommelier at The French Laundry. Join us for a canape and beverage reception at 5:30. At 6pm a formal seating will take place where guests will be engaged by the Chef for a night of cooking, recipe sharing, techniques and more. The guests will get to sample an array of the dishes prepared and take home valuable knowledge. Anani will be on hand to answer any questions and guide you through a truly memorable evening. Contact us for more details.

Epicure & Discoveries in Wine; Part 2

• July 24th

• Featuring Guest Pastry Chef Ginger Elizabeth

• Featuring Guest Sommelier Anani Lawson of The French Laundry

Part 2 in this seried of educational dining will feature two guests! Pastry Chef Ginger Elizabeth, owner of Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates in Midtown Sacramento. After completing her culinary training in pastry, on Julia Child’s recommendation she won the IACP Scholarship—one of the most prestigious scholarships in the industry. She cooked at the James Beard House and also attended the CIA in Hyde Park. She has trained with world-renowned chocolatiers such as Jacques Torres, Daniel Budd (named one of the top ten pastry chefs by Chocolatier and Pastry Arts magazines), and chef En-Ming Hsu (World Pastry Cup 2001 gold medalist).

Anani Lawson is one of the Sommeliers at the famed French Laundry Restaurant in Yountville, Ca. He has spent his career honing his taste for food and wine, developing a fine tuned palate and immense knowledge along the way. Anani has worked for some of the worlds best restaurants, assisting in creating wine programs which enhance the diners experience of diners.

The dinner will be a 5 course event, with a detailed wine pairing. Recipes and techniques used in the creation and execution of the menu will be shared that night. Menu TBD.

This event will be extremely limited and we are requiring that all reservations be made in advance to secure your reservation. Contact us for details or to book your reservation!

$150 PER PERSON

916-532-7178

pajo@pajoscatering.com

Wood Fired Pizza Making Class

• May 15th, 2010
• 9am – 1pm
• $65 per person

In this class you will participate in making your own pizza dough, focusing on a very special old Italian recipe from Italy. We will focus on proper dough hydration, yeast, kneading, resting and finally, tossing the dough to create the perfect crust.

Next we will focus on the keys to making successful and authentic pizza sauce. Two different styles of sauce will be made; one a fresh sauce which will focus on water levels of the sauce and display bright, clean flavors! The second sauce will be a cooked sauce which will have a deep, rich flavor.

Lastly, you will learn all about the array of choices for toppings. From homemade cheese and sausage, to our garden fresh heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. We will have a lot of options.

Each student will make their own pizzas from scratch, from the dough to the toppings, stretch them out and bake them on their own! With a little guidance of course!

Call or email to reserve your space today!

916-532-7178   pajo@pajoscatering.com

Media -

Video of “Epicure & Discoveries in Wine”

Sacramento Bee & Epicure

Sacbee and Pork Belly

Sacbee and artfull plating techniques

Sacramento Magazine

Lincoln Newsmessenger

Style Magazine

CBS13 News

Our Chef is fanatic about pleasing the senses, both visually and tastefully, and to achieve that he is constantly blending creativity with modern techniques to provide exciting experiences with a single bite. This unique blend of science and art enables our Chef to produce amazing results in his food, offering new textural and flavor variations on food never before experienced. Every dish from our Chef represents a passion for perfection and his desire to create. From creating “caviar pearls” of balsamic vinegar or green grape puree, to the most delicate shaped roulades of chicken or beef, the use of science in our kitchen lends itself to very creative results.  As our Chef develops a new dish, he thinks about the purpose of the dish. The purpose of a dish leads to varying end results in a final product. Modern equipment helps our Chef attain extraordinary results. Without the use of such equipment the exact results in the finished product would be difficult if not impossible to achieve. Below is a short list of some of the exclusive, modern equipment used in our cuisine at Pajo’s Boutique Catering.

Immersion Thermal Circulator – A thermal heating unit used to regulate extremely specific temperatures in a water bath, enabling our Chef to cook foods at extraordinarily low temperatures for very long periods of time. Short ribs cooked sous-vide at 130 degrees for 72 hours result in a meltingly soft texture, a perfect pink center and a pure beef flavor not lost by traditional methods. The low temperature ensures the products retain their natural flavors, juices, vitamins and appearance.

Chamber Vacuum Sealer – An enclosure from which air and gasses are removed by a vacuum pump, resulting in extremely low pressure. With this machine we are able to do many things beyond the norm. We are able to remove 100% of the oxygen out of food while under vacuum, and upon pressure returning to the chamber we are able to force a specific liquid into the food where the air was. The results are amazing, from flash pickling, marinating, infusing flavors and compressing to affect texture, this machine is very unique. It is also used to vacuum the food for sous vide applications.

Paco Jet –A revolutionary machine, which purees deep frozen food to produce a natural tasting product of extremely fine consistency. Used for ice creams and sorbets primarily, you can add whole fruit pieces and process, resulting in the retention of natural flavors and vitamins of raw fruits and veggies. The process produces particles much smaller than a thread of silk, creating a truly unique textural experience.

Anti-Griddle – A griddle cook top surface which does the exact opposite of a hot grill; deep-freezes products instantly. Our Chef creates purees and is able to use this machine to achieve a unique textural result; frozen, crunchy exterior paired with a creamy soft interior.

Enjoy these recipes!

Filet Mignon Roast, Chantrelles & Sauce Bordelaise

Rouelle of Organic Chicken

Roasted Chicken with Wild Mushroom Risotto

Soup & Salad – An Interpretation of Bright Spring Flavors

Mixed Green Salad with Pomegranite Vinaigrette & Truffled Goat Cheese

Kurobuta Pork Belly

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

Pickled Tomatoes

Gazpacho Salad

Agnolotti

Tiramisu

We work individually with each client to custom design a special menu for their specific event.  With our desire to be unique and fresh, we do not have prepared menus. We see this as an opportunity to be continuously evolving and creating new dishes. Customization is essential and is what we specialize in.

The process starts with a meeting with our Chef to get acquainted. During this time our Chef will gather the essential information needed to meet your specific event needs and desires. Within a week, our Chef will customize a menu based on your parameters, that will act as the starting point. Adjustments will then be made if necessary, and the menu will be further fine-tuned in order to deliver the best food possible. Additionally, our Chef is well versed in creating magical food offerings for vegetarians, vegans and people with food allergies, so that they may experience the same level of quality as the rest of your guests.

We will next discuss the appropriate services to fit your occasion. From wine pairings with our guest Sommelier Anani Lawson of ATL Consulting and Sommelier for The French Laundry, to optional event photography by Beth Daane Photography, and finally the required numbers of staff members needed to create the appropriate atmosphere.

At the end of the day, it is food which brings us all together at a common table. Let us make that experience one to remember and cherish.  To kick start the process, we have included some past successful menus that we have done for clients. Feel free to browse and get some ideas.

Menu 1

Menu 2

Menu 3

Canapes