Northern Hospitality Presents Intimate Bites

As with working with anyone...you 1st determine what skills the person you're cooking with has AND most importantly to make them not feel overwhelmed by the task infront of them. I assure them that with good preparation and focus they can prepare restaurant worthy dishes.

I have been successfully running my own catering company since 2017 but I've been cooking in professional kitchens and feeding people since I was a teenager. 

Part of working in a kitchen is being a student and a teacher from time to time. I would say that about 9 years ago, I started working with my most challenging student, my fiance. Her kitchen skill was minimal, she'd place an order first, hands down before going in a kitchen. Over time, she got interested in being able to match my energy and asked me to help her become more kitchen literate. By the time I opened my business,  her skill was good enough for me to not only trust her without me over her shoulder BUT clients can't tell when she makes certain dishes, they think it was my cooking. 

I get a kick out of working with teenagers, they are SO taken by some of the processes that lead to the meals that they eat. It never fails that while I'm out in the market, that I end up sharing cooking ideas, tips and recipes with the people I interact with in the store. I love seeing peoples faces light up with the idea of trying something new out in the kitchen.

On July 3rd of this year I just caterer a surprise birthday party with about 80 people in attendance.. I was told that the venue space had a working kitchen yet to my surprise when I got there, the oven ONLY went as high as 115 degrees AND it didn't have any racks in it!! I was SO upset and distraught by this BUT the people were willing to wait for the food to be warmed appropriately and even though it took some ingenuity,they were more then pleased in the end....OR...I have a friend who's a photographer. I've done a house warming, a birthday and her daughter's trunk party for her over the years. While setting up her daughter's event, a guest walked over to me with the biggest smile and asked, "aren't you the lady that made the food for the housewarming?" This event was 15 years ago easy...I smiled and said yes, yes I am. Her response was, I have never forgotten that rice dish you made, it was SO tasty! That's my favorite story. One more that stands out is an event at church. Our pastor decided to service breakfast while have service. I was put in charge of making the eggs AND preparing the grits. I made my FAMOUS cheese grits, a whole large crockpot. Well, the news of breakfast with service got us a larger then usual turn out that morning..about 75 people. I was totally worried that I wouldn't have enough grits to go around. We not only did I stretch it well enough to feed just about everyone..my pastor's mother, a very picky but lovely 75 year old, firmly walked over to me and said.."I don't normally eat grits, but you made some of THE BEST ones I have ever eaten!" Mrs. Joanne's words touched me. She brings them up everytime I see her and this happend at least 6 years ago. I just made her some with shrimp for her last birthday...they sent me a video of her doing a happy dance when she opened up the container. 

I would say....not to worry if you don't have a lot of cooking skill. It's no different then learning how to tie your sneakers. It may look a little complicated when you first try to do it AND it may even take you a few times trying it to get it right BUT with practice and keeping a calm head, you can bang it out with no problem.  Just remember, YOU GOT THIS!

How simple the dish is to make? Will the recipe work if you have to substitute out some ingredients? Will the meal take long to prepare? Would they be able to do any of the steps before hand? Can I make this meal in short time? To cook like this more often, will I have to buy a lot of new things for my kitchen?