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ContactSummer Entertaining in Texas
Summer entertaining in Texas can be a thing of joy… if you don’t have to spend a hot day in the kitchen just to have some people around. Entertaining should be as relaxing and enjoyable for you as it is for your guests. Inviting people into your home and feeding them is a thing of joy and an act of nurturing. This should be a thing of pride and pleasure!
We want you to feel the delight of enjoying beautiful food and company without the stress.
Our services range anywhere from a simple delivery of delicious food ready to go on platters… easy and affordable or we take care of every detail, from event planning, bar tending, to creating a menu of elegant simplicity that suits your event perfectly.
So go on invite a bunch of people over and give us a call !
512 912 6784
info@spoonandco.com
Revelry Abounds
Realtor Gifts (or just a wonderful treat for someone special!)
At Spoon & Co, we pride ourselves on being thoughtful and caring.
We came up with these ideas for hand prepared closing gifts, by thinking about what we would have most appreciated, after moving into our own new homes. Take a look at what we came up with, people love them !
To take advantage of these offerings or to inquire about any other gifts or catering services contact us at
info@spoonandco.com
or call
512 912 6784
and the Dish ran away with the Spoon…
That’s right cats, break out your fiddles and help us welcome the newest addition to the Spoon & Co. family!
We are proud to announce that S&C and Dishalicious are coming together to continue giving you fresh and convenient meals delivered right to your doorstep or office.
Our goal is to fill your fridge with wholesome, easily prepared food and take the guesswork out of dinner. We’ll take the time to craft square meals using local and seasonal ingredients; you spend your time at the table with family and friends.
Each week, we’ll plan five days worth of complete dinners for you to choose from. Select full “Square Meal Deals” at 15% discount, or choose entrees, sides and desserts a la carte for delivery the following week. Our chilled meals freeze well and come with detailed reheating instructions so you can have a stress-free dinner any night of the week.
Thank you all for your continued support, and look out for a new menu headed your way soon!
The Youngest One in Curls
Ah, Petroselenum Crispum. I remember you. You and orange twist double-dating with my chicken fried steak and gravy. Or nested underneath plates at the buffet.
Wait, you can eat that stuff?
Therein lies the problem. If you grew up like me, curly parsley was always the ‘fancy’ green sprig on your plate that let you know you were eating out, destined to take its place on the table, under your plate. Oh I’d eat the orange, but not that green stuff. It was the ubiquitous garnish for the eyes, not the mouth. Even as I got older and educated myself about cooking, it took a backseat to its better, more pungent, more flavorful sibling: Flat-leaf. Why can’t you be more like your brother?? Trust me, Curly, I know how you feel.
Out of empathy, I used to try and find clever uses for our neglected friend. It’s dense, green leaves are great to brighten up and stretch out basil pesto, and it actually passes well in salsas, standing in for cilantro. But I never fully harnessed its specialness until I made gremolata, the classic Italian condiment used to cut the richness of Osso Bucco. Usually, gremolata is simply minced parsley, lemon zest and a little garlic. Some even say that classically, there is no garlic. But we love to make it a little more saucy, adding lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. Try it both ways over steamed fish, braised meats, or roasted root vegetables. Anything you could imagine really, I even use it as a spread for sandwiches like grilled mozzarella, tomato and gremolata paninis. Instant stomach rumbler. And either parsley will work perfectly, but give our old friend Curly a shot. He’s inexpensive, always easy to find, and he’s got a great personality.
Spoon & Co. Gremolata
3 Cups Clean Curly Leaf Parsley (usually 1 bunch)
1 Lemon (Juice and Zest)
1-2 Garlic Cloves
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Rough chop the parsley, stems and all, and add it and remaining ingredients into a food processor. Blend it together, stopping every 30 seconds to scrape down the sides of the workbowl and to keep things from heating up too much, which could make your gremolata bitter. While blending, slowly add more oil, if needed, to reach a smooth, pesto-like consistency. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.
Without a food processor: Mince the parsley with a sharp knife and add it to a bowl with the remaining indgredients. Stir to combine, adding more oil if necessary to reach desired consistency.
Stores beautifully for a week in the fridge. If it gets a little thick, just stir in a bit more oil to loosen things up.
The Weekend ahead
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.~Harriet van Horne
It is with this thought in mind, that we enter a busy weekend of cooking and parties.
We wouldn’t have it any other way!
This weekend is also a great time to start planning a spring vegetable garden. I know I am thinking about getting my soil ready. Unfortunately I probably won’t make it to this on Saturday myself, but thought it may be worth mentioning this seminar by Travis County Master Gardener Association.
‘Spring Vegetable Gardening’ - 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 2.
Patty Leander teaches how to plant and maintain a spring vegetable garden, and Bill Boytim demonstrates tool-sharpening methods.
It happens at West Rural Community Center,
8656 Texas 71 West, Building A. It is Free.
Call 854-9600 for more information.
There is no greater joy than being able to enjoy vegetable straight from your own garden! Why not give it a try!
the Great Oyster Challenge
I ate my first raw oyster only just 6 short years ago. I was in Virginia with my family on a vacation, and I knew I would miss out on some sort of adult rite of passage if I refused. Obviously it turned out well, because nothing has created such a gustatory frenzy in me since (except for chocolate).
Almost all of the oysters I’ve eaten have been from the Pacific or Atlantic coasts. Ask someone in NYC about a Gulf Coast oyster and they’ll sneer in disgust. I think I’ve had it programmed into me that Gulf Coast = Dirty fish, so deciding which oysters to serve raw at a party presented a bit of a problem. The East and West Coasts are attractive, but prohibitively expensive because of freight costs. Gulf Coast are practically free by comparison, but I was more concerned about quality over price. We needed to taste for ourselves.
Turns out those Third Coasters are pretty tasty. They’re a bit smaller right now than I’ve seen (not necessarily a bad thing), but in a side-by-side comparison, they beat the Islanders and Watch Hills in both briny-ness and allover flavor punch. Now, I know there are some spectacular choices out there, but for our party dollar, the Gulf Coast is offering up a pretty good deal. At least for this season.
A work in progress…..
We’re still working through the details of our site and plan to have up-to-date in no time. Please check back often to see the latest. Thank you!
Spoon & Co. is 2 and 1/2 months old!
We are fortunate to say, what a busy two and a half months it has been! Thank you to everyone who let us been a part of all the memorable holiday parties, cocktail celebrations, wondrous birthdays, delicious business lunches, fundraisers, lovely family dinners and even piano recitals (Yea Elizabeth!). We are anxious to uncover what 2008 will bring.
We officially launched Spoon & Co. on November 1, 2007 and buckled in. Without a doubt, an interesting trek to this point! We’ve met so many diverse people in so many distinct catering situations and are stunned at the support and enthusiasm from this city.
To all our friends, both old and new…laugh and eat, smile and drink. Here’s to creating some wonderful memories in ‘08.