Oldies but Goldies

April 2, 2018 by Kellee Douglas

As we roll into another new year I find myself thinking about things I can add to the Chairman of the Breadboard repertoire. ‘New’ dishes are all very well and good – they help zhoosh-up a menu and get the creative juices flowing – but I sometimes think that ‘new’ and ‘innovative’ are overrated. This happens when, as each new year come and then goes, I see some old favourites remaining as popular as ever.

As it happens, I glean a great deal of pleasure from preparing and serving these ‘oldies but goldies’ for reasons that are very close to my heart. And what could be closer to a girl’s heart than her mother, right?

It’ll be no surprise to hear that my mum was an entertainer and homestyle cook of some repute. She left me with volumes of recipe books that I dip into all the time for Chairman of the Breadboard catering. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree because Mum was also a chronic over-caterer, a habit I just cannot seem to shake! Some of her best recipes are also the ones I get asked to include on menus for returning customers, such as:

Chicken Cannelloni, a creamy elegant main meal dish that’s a joy for me to make and a staple in my repertoire year in and year out. It’s a great way to use leftover BBQ chicken meat and combined with a luscious French mustard, cream & parmesan laced sauce (weight watchers of course!) it is super easy to make and universally enjoyed.

Spicy Tomato Relish is always a smash-hit particularly when served with the Arancini balls. It’s uses can be varied, from the best salsa for Nachos you have ever tasted, to a sensational base for a chicken pasta – just ask my adult nephews who have independently created this dish! Their grandmother would be proud.

A very Queensland Salad with prawns, mango, macadamias and snow peas. One of my Sydney-based clients (who’s a Brisbane girl) has served this salad at her Christmas functions three years running. Must remind her of home. It certainly reminds me of my dear mum.

Yours in good food and great events,

Kellee

Melbourne Cup Grazing

November 2, 2017 by Kellee Douglas

I’ve always wanted to do a grazing plate that stretches the length of the dinner table – and last year’s Melbourne Cup presented the ideal opportunity to give it a go.

Meet Karon McGrath, partner in boutique advertising agency, Tibet Advertising in Chippendale, Sydney. When Karon commissioned Chairman of the Breadboard to cater a Melbourne Cup lunch for her clients, I suggested a grazing plate as an option – no horsey pun intended!

“Kellee’s suggestion was a good one not only for the horseracing theme but because we wanted to hold the lunch in Tibet’s boardroom which only has one long table,” said Karon. “Apart from looking sumptuous, the grazing plate stretched from one end of the table to the other which meant every guest had easy access to the food.”

That also extends to guests with special dietary needs. We had three vegetarians in the group and they were all within easy reach of delicious fare. In fact, a grazing plate is the ideal way to cater for many different dietary needs without making a big deal out of it.

Karon certainly let me have my head with the whole grazing plate thing and I’m pleased to say that both of us were thrilled with the result.

“Our guests thought it was an innovative idea for a lunch, very well executed, which really fits Tibet Adverting’s business image,” said Karon. “I never worried about the food because when you’re using Kellee, you just don’t need to. The spread was incredible and the lunch, which started just before the big race, kicked on well into the evening. Our clients loved it.”

Seem like my work here is done.

Yours in good food and great events,

Kellee

Call Kellee : 0412 577 323

Email Kellee : kellee@thebreadboard.com.au

Connect with Kellee and Chairman of the Breadboard – LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest.

Tony – Business Christmas Dinner

November 2, 2017 by Kellee Douglas

Kellee’s involvement has taken the panic out of organising our staff Christmas party and helped us keep the costs down while still putting on a lovely celebration. The food’s pretty good too!

A Business Family Christmas

October 18, 2017 by Kellee Douglas

For most small business-people I know, Christmas and what to do about it elicits a groan of roast turkey-sized proportions. But a mate of mine in Sydney seems to have hit a sweet-spot when it comes to doing something understated, elegant yet significant at Christmas time for loyal employees and suppliers.

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Creating the Perfect Sit Down Affair

June 1, 2015 by Kellee Douglas

Our lives are so crazy, mad, busy that few of us are up for entertaining at home the way our parents used to. The very thought of putting on a modest dinner party for friends is too much for most people and I so get that. Cleaning up the house for such an occasion, let alone buying, cooking and serving the food is daunting.

And what if you are planning a special event like a 21st birthday or wedding reception at another venue? That can be daunting too….unless you have a trail of crumbs to help you create that special sit-down event that everyone will enjoy, even the hosts!

If you’re planning a dinner party at home, try to keep the number of people at the table to 10 at most. Any more people and you’ll find the conversation gets fragmented. As the host, I guarantee you’ll enjoy the gathering more and so will your guests.

For larger sit-down affairs, whether at home or elsewhere, try to keep the number of people at each table to 8. I would also suggest round tables, as this makes it easier for people to interact with one another.

If you’re trying to create a friendly, relaxed event you might like to consider a few alternative suggestions:

Serve the entree while everyone’s standing up and mingling. That way they are only sitting at their allotted places for 2 courses and any event formalities like speeches.
A self-serve buffet is a great way to get people moving around and socialising with guests at other tables. Guests can also choose from the buffet selection rather than sticking to what’s put in front of them.
An entree share plate at each table is a great way of breaking the ice at events where you have a number of guests who don’t know each other – well, not yet anyway.
Likewise a shared cheese plate, served with a nice sticky wine, instead of individual desserts can work a treat.

Certainly for larger events you’ll want to hire the crockery, cutlery and glassware so that it matches and only requires a rinse off before packing it up for return to the party hire place. You might also want to think about doing this for your home dinner party too, for the same no-fuss, ease of clean-up. Just make sure you choose a caterer who can supply this service as party hire places only really deal in large numbers.

After years of catering for many in and out of home events I’ve got plenty more suggestions where these came from! I’d be happy to share them with you to help create your ideal sit-down affair.

Yours in good food and great events,

Kellee

Call Kellee : 0412 577 323

Email Kellee : kellee@thebreadboard.com.au

Connect with Kellee and Chairman of the Breadboard – LinkedIn, Facebook and Pinterest.

In the kitchen and now online!

May 25, 2015 by Kellee Douglas

A friend recently introduced me to Pinterest and under the guise of ‘research’ I spent a whole, wonderful afternoon scanning food, entertaining and events boards on this social media site. If I didn’t know it before, I sure do now – I love everything about good food – from planning the menu, buying fresh seasonal produce, preparing it, how it looks on the plate, how it tastes – everything. And I suppose that’s a very good thing given I run a catering company – you’re looking at our new website as we speak!

I’ve been running Chairman of the Breadboard for 12 or so years now and a lot has changed in the catering game in that time with the exception of just one thing – the importance of the food. The fare that’s on offer is the one thing guests always seem to comment on at any shindig they attend – whether it’s a working lunch, a cocktail function or a wedding reception.

Sure, it’s not the only thing that makes for a successful event, but if the food is wrong or the service is too intrusive, it can make your event memorable for all the wrong reasons.

It’s that love of all things food and the smiles on the faces of my clients and guests that keeps me in the kitchen and very involved in every aspect of Chairman of the Breadboard’s catering outfit. And now, I’m delighted to say, we’re online as well as in the kitchen!

So here’s to good food. There are plenty of menus and pictures on this website for you to peruse and see the kind of things we do at Chairman of the Breadboard. Also, check out the testimonials from happy customers – I’d love to hear what you think. Better still, I’d love to help you plan your next event – you can contact now Contact.

Warm regards,

Kellee

Call Kellee : 0412 577 323

Email Kellee : kellee@thebreadboard.com.au

Connect with Kellee and Chairman of the Breadboard