Bringing Gourmet Kosher Catering to Orlando

Since October of 2009 Puff ‘n Stuff Catering has had a revolving door of Rabbis and Mashgiachs with one goal in mind – to offer the Jewish community of Central Florida kosher catering at a gourmet level.

It began with a drive to offer another option to Orlando Jewry; it progressed with a fateful phone call to Amira Cohen after she had to close the doors to her own kosher catering company and restaurant.

With the combination of Amira’s matriarch-like reputation in the Jewish community and Puff ‘n Stuff’s 30 years of experience in perfecting events there’s no telling what we can do with Kosher. After a little elbow grease, hours of meetings and a lot of research, we were approved for certification under the Great Orlando Board of Rabbis to provide Orlando with dairy or meat kosher catering at a Conservative or Orthodox level.

Shira Smith, Special Event Planner

407.478.5820 | shira@puffnstuff.com

Cooking for Food Allergies

This week, we ran across a lovely compliment for one of our clients on her blog. Nicolle writes tips on cooking for food allergies, specifically egg & dairy. She came to us recently to come up with a menu for her wedding that does not include any of the offending foods, and our team gladly obliged.

We only choose the best chefs here at Puff 'n Stuff Catering, so our staff is experienced in creating food for all kinds of needs, including kosher, vegan, and the gamut of food allergies.

Thank you to Nicolle Avery for the kind words on your blog! We here at Puff 'n Stuff Catering love flexing our creative muscles when it comes to developing unique food solutions for all of our clients' needs.

You can read her blog here.

Mary Brumley, Special Event Planner

407.398.6304 | mary@puffnstuff.com

Puff 'n Stuff Catering at Catersource Conference

As I write, four of our team members are attending the annual Catersource Conference & Tradeshow in Las Vegas! The best and the brightest of the industry come together each year to collaborate and learn from each other so that we can continually perfect our business for you, our clients!

Puff 'n Stuff Catering owner, Warren Dietel, is sharing his knowledge with 3 different presentations this year!

1. Incentive Programs that Drive Accountability
   
2. The Operations Toolbox (presented with Kevin Kulikowski, Director of Business Operations)
3. Creating a Loyalty Program for Your Business

Every year, our team comes back inspired with a wealth of new and innovative ideas. So stay tuned - there will be many new things to come! We can't wait to see what they come back with.

Vegan Wedding at Orlando Science Center

The best part about what I do is work with new people everyday, and help them plan one of the most exciting days of their lives. I find it even more interesting when I am approached by a couple that wants to plan something different, a step out of the box. Celeste and Jason where very up front when they first met me. They were quick to tell me they were Geeky, and had specific ideas about their reception. Of course, the food was our largest discussion, they were vegan and wanted their guests to all learn more about vegan food.

My main concern was making sure the guests that were used to eating meat would be not only comfortable with the food – but thrilled! So after discussing with our Chefs and finding out some of Celeste and Jason’s favorite foods, this is what we came up with:

Butler Passed Hors d'Oeuvres

Avocado Sushi & Asparagus Rolls

Sweet Potato Fries

Eggplant & Roasted Pepper Tapenade
on grilled Tuscan rounds

Dinner Buffet

Field Greens Salad

Fruits of the Season

Oak Grilled Vegetable Display

Crispy Breaded Eggplant
with garlic and basil marinara

Stuffed Portabello
with spinach, chopped onion and mushrooms

Penne Aglio e Olio
e.v.o.o., whole roasted garlic cloves, sun-dried tomatoes and broccolini

Yukon Gold & Parsnip Mashed Potatoes
topped with sage

Fresh Green Beans Almondine

Thanks Celeste and Jason for choosing us to help you create such a fantastic vegan catered event for your family and friends! Celeste wrote a blog about the wedding as well. Read her blog here.

Heidi Brice, Senior Special Event Planner

407.398.6301 | heidi@puffnstuff.com

A Single Entree For All

Most of our clients, when choosing a menu for their event, find themselves in a dilemma. How do I please the majority of my guests with just one entrée? You'll always have the vegetarians and vegans or, those with a gluten allergy or other dietary restrictions, and we are more than happy to accommodate those guests. But if you'd like to stray away from the confusion that inevitably comes along with allowing your guests to choose what plated entree they'd like, we've created some plates that are sure to please any palette.

Play it Safe:
Turkish coffee-rubbed braised boneless short ribs, served with hazelnut-infused mashed potatoes, sautéed broccolini, caramelized pearl onions, and an espresso demi glace.

This dish may sound fancy, but it’s a homey, ‘comfort food’ dish with very familiar flavors—think: Mom’s mouthwatering pot roast. If your guests love meat, filet mignon is a standard choice, so short ribs will be unexpected, but very familiar and appreciated.


Wow the Crowd:
Roasted pork tenderloin en croute, served with an Italian sausage, shallot, and mascarpone cheese pâté, fennel risotto cake, and roasted broccoli rabe with garlic.

This is essentially an updated take on classic beef Wellington. Pork is an unexpected ingredient, so guests will be intrigued, but the flavors are still familiar. The fennel risotto cake accompaniment is more unusual than a standard rice pilaf or roasted potatoes, but the flavor and texture will appeal to everyone.

Paul Lorrain, Executive Chef
407.629.7833 | paul@puffnstuff.com

Catering the Time Away

It's happened again. It seems like we were just preparing for the 2009 Holiday Season, and "pow," today is already February 1st, 2010 - amazing. People often say time can "stand still" or they need to "save time," but time keeps moving. In the catering business, it is amazing how it passes so quickly.

From an operations perspective, we're already beginning to focus on summer and holiday business. We're busy inventorying linens, purchasing new color offerings, looking at new and stylish serviceware, and adding fresh menu items while also focusing on creatively reinventing some traditional ones.

In just over a month, I will be speaking at the Catersource Conference in Las Vegas with Puff 'n Stuff Catering's Owner, Warren Dietel. We'll be showcasing our process for executing the perfect event. Every year, we attend to see the upcoming catering trends first-hand so we can continually "wow" our clients, whether the event is big or small.

This year is off to a busy start and we are looking forward to the challenges that brings! I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year and look forward to the opportunity to assist in creating your special event!

At Your Service,
Kevin Kulikowski, Director of Business Operations

Celebrating 30 Years Serving Central Florida!

This year will mark the Puff 'n Stuff Catering 30-year Anniversary. Since 1980, we have been Orlando's premier catering and full-service event planning company and are now the largest of our kind in Florida. We've achieved this status largely in part to one word: Innovation. It’s what drives our business and our team members—evidenced in everything from our Special Event Planners and expert Chefs to our state-of-the-art facility.

But if you've ever wondered where it all began, and a more commonly asked question--how we got our name, here's a short history:

In 1971, Puff 'N' Stuff (sans Catering) opened as a puff pastry shop in San Fernando, Trinidad, owned by three friends who thought they'd put their baking skills to good use: Yuklan Laing, Gwyneth Pogson, and Susie Dietel. Because they specialized in puff pastries, and created some other "stuff" too (cakes & breads), the name Puff 'N' Stuff was a natural fit.

When Susie and her husband, Glenn, moved to Florida in 1978, they wanted to bring a piece of home with them. So in 1980, they opened Puff 'N' Stuff here in Orlando, Florida. The pastry shop quickly grew into something more, and they were cooking up full meals and providing catering services in no time.

In 2003, their son, Warren Dietel, had a vision for the company, so he purchased the company from his parents and immediately set out to grow Central Florida’s premier catering operation into a full-service event planning company. He updated the brand, added "Catering" to the company name, and grew the business over 250% in 3 years. Puff 'n Stuff Catering is now recognized as a national leader in our industry.

So for you, "Puff 'n Stuff" may invoke thoughts of a TV show or a head shop. But for us, it is a legacy, an evolution, and an inspiration.

Passionately Perfecting Life's Celebrations for 30 years!