Entry 012......When Pigs Fly Catering

We have always had a secret name for our company. To the unsuspecting public the shingle says As You Like It Catering. It's also had the façade of Local Flavor years ago.  But the real mother ship is named When Pigs Fly Catering. (See explanation below.)
So I decided to come out of the closet with the real name this weekend. You know, caterers are invited to the best parties. Mostly we come in the more casual back entrance and are there to make sure the hosts can be guests at their own events. We probably get 2 or more requests for donations every week. We are courted by most every non-profit in town at one time or another. Very popular, we caterers. If they are new they usually say "well, we are non-profit!" I always think to myself, "ya, sweetheart, but I'm designed to be for-profit."

But occasionally we are invited to volunteer our goods and services but then we are treated as guests as well. We enjoy donating to the Taste of the GSBA, a fundraiser for their scholarship fund. I am proud to say this is my 15th year of working for this cause. The face of the event has really changed from its inception. It has started from an awkward room at a community center to the big ballroom at the Sheraton downtown. The event raised over $345,000.00  this year, a significant and powerful amount of discretionary dollars. All the proceeds go to the GSBA Scholarship fund which has awarded over a million dollars in grants to LBGT kids and allies. I think they will be giving even more away soon.

But the other reason I like doing this event is that the staff of the GSBA is savvy about how to handle it's Taste providers. This year they convinced 10 caterers and restaurants into helping out. We provide the hors d'oeuvres during the live auction portion of the evening. The GSBA gives back in return. They provide ample space to unload, even volunteers to help you cart it in if needed. We get free valet parking which has a value of 40 bucks, we get drink tickets and we get invited to join in the sit-down portion of the evening, with a ticket value of $175 per person.My chef and I both went. So if I was a guest at the event I would pay about $425.00 for these items. They thank us all evening long, they provide space in all print-ad material and generally make sure we have everything we need. So kudos to the GSBA staff. There is April who is sort of like the fraternity house-mother, nurturing and herding, there is Rachael, calm and efficient and loving , Cole who runs around with with clipboards, smiles, earphones, telephones and probably duct tape and safety pins in his pockets for the inevitable crisis. Then there is Louise. She is the GSBA. She is the ED and is the driving force behind the incredible growth I have seen the GSBA go through over the years. I think I got her thank-you note before I even got home. She is big on thank-yous. I appreciate that. There are at least 100 other people who volunteered with hands-on and so shouts out to them as well.
Getting back to the task at hand, each of the 10 food providers give out about 400 or more bites of food to the excited, drinking guests as they bid on all the silent auction items. Its fun to see our fellow caterers present their best sides and take note of their clever ideas and of course taste their wares. (None for me this year) Usually I am wandering around bidding and eating and drinking with all the other guests. This year I stayed at my own table and networked, hugged, kissed and gave away hundreds of pieces of food.
Now the theme for the evening was Come Fly With Us.  These things always have a theme.........Hmmmmm. Let's see. Come fly with us.......Airline food? There isn't any served anymore and when there used to be food service nobody was too thrilled about it. So no hook there. We are affiliated with the Swedish Cultural Center so Scandinavian Airlines would be a natural tie in, but guess what. They left Seattle. Who knew? There is Icelandic Air but the stretch was just too much.  So how can we connect with Come Fly With Us?....of course. The secret name...When Pigs Fly Catering. I printed up signs, I took part of my extensive flying pig collection and we were on a roll. What to serve? I hand that over to Chef Pidor and she mulls it over. How does Chinese 5 Spice Pulled Pork on a toasted pita square with  water chestnut cream sauce on top. I dub it Flying Pig Pork. (I do love nicknames, right D?) I stand with a cast iron flying pig cradled in one arm and hawk our wares to the throngs. I hugged a couple hundred of my friends, fed them and generally played the maitre d'.  I had a ball.

We also served rosemary white bean mousse on crostini for the vegetarians. (all of us and I mean everybody in the food business suspects all vegetarian and all vegans of being bacontarians, (a person who claims to be a true vegetarian but knowingly supplements their diet with small amounts of bacon, bacon bits, and bacon fat.)

Let me tie this back in to the diet part of this blog.
I have reached another milestone on the Dukan Diet. Thirty five pounds gone!! Using my sugar analogy, that is 7 bags of sugar I no longer am lugging around.

this times 7

So on this night, I decided to eat dinner and splurge with a glass of red wine! (not on the list of food items, rest assured) . The starter is served in a porcelain canoe and is seafood including crab leg sections, roasted sunchoke, mushrooms, roasted tomato and a slice of black truffle. Very nice

So far, all things allowed on the diet. Dinner turns out to be all OK too. Very nice piece of tenderloin of beef with white  and green asparagus. I gave away the gnocci and skipped the bread. With no tears. The celebration came in a glass. I had 2 glasses of red wine. Be told you can't have something and wow, the whole craving factor climbs exponentially. I really enjoyed that wine. I can go another 5 bags of sugar before I will have another.

Had a lot of fun with the little Flying Pig sign. People I don't know would come and say, "Flying Pig? I've heard of you." It was all great fun.
The guests have all the food they want, the vodka has run out at some of the bars, its time for the main event. Soon it just us mice in the lobby. Oh yes, and all the hungry, eager volunteer youth. They flocked to us and happily scarfed up the remainders.
Chef Pidor leaps over the table to change into her evening dress and I pack up the dog and pony show. I park it all in coatcheck and we stroll into dinner just as the starter was being placed. Dinner proves to be enjoyable and relaxing. Its fun to eat with someone who takes food as seriously as Pidor. We both love the dinner.  We forgo the chocolate creme de pot and fun coffee service and jet out. The neon is going out. When Pigs Fly is closing for the night.

We text her husband this shot.

A little glamor before we pull up stakes and head back. Speaking of stakes, see our glowing red eyes?

.Forget clogs.This is what real chefs wear for loading out.

 We pack panache at the Pig.

Back Story
"when pigs fly" comes from a line in The Lion in Winter. First a play then brilliantly, a film with Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn. He plays a famous Plantagenet King, and she his imprisoned famous land rich Queen.  they are surrounded by their not-so-loving full grown trio of princes All are battling for succession of the crown. Throw in the very young King of France and his princess sister and you have better than a royal flush for dinner. Put the movie in your cue. The comeback line to "when pig's fly" is so good it is actually the secret-secret name of our company