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!

Looking Forward to a Prosperous 2010

It’s been a tough year. The economic roller coaster has affected everyone in one way or another. Job loss, wage reductions, hour cuts have blanketed the corporate world. We here at Puff 'n Stuff Catering have also been affected, but I truly feel blessed.

Our management and staff pulled together and we weathered the slow summer months. Of course the last quarter of the year is always busy for catering, but we are continuing to stick together as a team and make the end of this year better than ever!

I would like to thank my clients who have been with me for a long time and my new clients I am so enjoying getting to know and work with. My boss, the owner of Puff ‘n Stuff Catering who has encouraged us all with his passion and drive this past year. The wonderful co-workers, vendors and friends that I have had the opportunity to partner with over the years. And all of the great brides and grooms I had the opportunity to work with in 2009.

I for one am looking to the future and it looks good! If we stick together and stay positive anything is possible.

I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday and a very prosperous 2010!

Mary Brumley, Special Event Planner

407.398.6304 | mary@puffnstuff.com

New Twist on Traditional Catering Favorites

Many of our clients want to know how to create a unique event without the custom price. Here are a few cost-effective ideas to make your next event seem tailor-made for you.

Un-Traditional Brownie
Presentation can make a huge difference. Take a simple, traditional item, such as a brownie – why does it have to be square cut from a large baking pan? Using an individual-sized baking dish in a different shape adds dimension and a sense of customization. It’s the same cost as a regular brownie, but it looks like an expensive, gourmet dessert.

Creative Comfort

The craze is still comfort food with a twist. Sliders are hugely popular, but they don’t have to be boring. Simply switch the cheddar with manchego and replace traditional ketchup with chipotle-flavored ketchup, and you’ve now got a fun, creative slider without impacting your budget.

Big Taste Beef
We've noticed a big shift toward high flavor, low cost proteins. In the past year, we’ve created some unique dishes made with short ribs or beef brisket to accommodate clients who can’t afford the tenderloin. Our espresso-glazed short rib on hazelnut mashed potatoes is just one of many examples. Chefs plate the item and present it to the guests.

Even in this economy, quality is still key. The parties are less elaborate than they used to be, but they’re much more personalized. You can have a great party on a budget ... and you don't have to stick to the chicken fingers!

Chef Paul Lorraine, Executive Chef

407.629.7833 | paul@puffnstuff.com

A Great Start to the Holiday Season!

As I thought about what I would write for this blog I reflected back on my last posting in October as a reference that would serve as a "common thread" or theme for this months posting. Last time I wrote we were in the process of getting ready for the holiday season and with a blink on an eye we find ourselves "in season"!

It is an exciting time of the year to be catering. All the holiday preparations that have been made over the last several months to "Passionately Perfect Life's Celebrations" are in full swing. The Ballroom at Church Street will be decorated for the holiday season this coming Monday and we are busy getting ready to add that special touch to all of our clients events for their holiday parties.

Along with getting ready for the season we have been busy all over greater Central Florida helping clients host events while also creating new market and venue opportunities. In October we had the pleasure of working with Shands Gainesville on their gala that designated the opening of the newest facility on their campus. We also traveled to the TPepin's Centre a couple of weeks ago to help host Brides.com Vendor Party. We are now a preferred cater at the TPepin's Centre serving the greater Tampa area so if anyone in the Tampa area needs a great caterer....we travel!

I wish everyone a happy, healthy and joyous holiday season!

At your service,

Kevin Kulikowski

Director of Business Operations

A Trip Down Memory Lane

On September 30th, Kristine F. called The Ballroom at Church Street with a request like none other. She wanted to surprise her husband for their anniversary with an intimate dinner for two at they place they had originally celebrated marital bliss 14 years prior…and we had 1 week to make her dream into a reality!

With very little time to plan, Kristine and I discreetly exchanged phone calls (a shared email account created a slight obstacle) and a secret rendezvous at our offices to quickly come up with a plan of action: a table for two in an otherwise empty 11,000 square foot ballroom.

Of course it didn’t stop there. Kristine selected her husband’s favorite salad, Classic Caprese, and Marinated Tomato and Artichoke for her. They were to dine on Pepper & Rosemary Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Seared Scallop Brochette Surf ‘n Turf, while sipping Champagne from their original inscribed champagne flutes circa 1995. To complete this meal, our pastry chef, Greg Smitka, created his infamous Passion Fruit Mousse Cake.

To make this day even more special, we created a play list of love songs from the ‘90s to include their first dance song by Bryan Adams, Everything I Do, I Do it for You!

In catering, it's not the size that a matter….it is the emotion that is evoked from making a dream into a reality!

Happy 14th Anniversary, Kristine and Patrick!

Darby Poole, Special Event Planner

407.398.6309 | darby@puffnstuff.com

The Ultimate DIY Bride

Wedding styles are forever changing, and many of us love nothing better than watching trends change season after season. The DIY Bride is still around and I continue to be impressed by the things they can do!

I had the pleasure working with Jennifer Case on her wedding in October. Many times my clients share that they are making their own centerpieces, arranging their own favors, and printing menu cards themselves as an effort to save money. Jennifer’s ideas and finished product were grander than the average DIY Bride, and I name her my Ultimate DIY Bride of the year!

Monograms are a great item for DIY brides to work with, and to incorporate patterns along with them adds extra creativity and style. Escort cards were printed with an individual scroll, then calligraphed on white card stock. These cards were then posted on a board of fabric matching the scroll pattern. Runners were sewn in the scroll fabric, for each guest table. Decorative trees were even wrapped with corresponding fabric. Menu cards were prepared with the pattern and monogram. Table names were created around different places the bride and groom had visited. Donation cards at each placesetting were produced to tie to a lemon candy. The floral centerpieces were designed and arranged by the bride as well, which incorporated yellow roses and orchids.

So to all of the DIY Brides in Orlando, I task you to ultimate creativity, to make your Wedding Celebration a snapshot of your style just as this one!

Heidi Brice, Senior Special Event Planner

407.398.6301 | heidi@puffnstuff.com

"Beyond Pasta" - Creative Vegetarianism

Poor vegetarians. Always left by the wayside, picking and poking their plate of pasta, wanting for more. They rsvp'd vegetarian, they made themselves known, and they hoped beyond hopes that their plate would consist of more than an elaborate version of the side dishes or a slab of vegetarian lasagna. Is it too much to ask for a little creativity, a little pizzaz?

Your wait is over vegetarians! For those of you selecting the menu for your cornicopia of guests and their varied dietary needs, we've made things a little easier for you. Puff 'n Stuff Catering offers an array of vegetarian stations, plated, buffet and butler passed options to not only satisfy all of your guests but make you forget you’re eating vegetarian in the first place.

Our new "Faux Pear" makes an excellent plated vegetarian option as well as a unique side dish for those meat-eaters. Delicious mashed potatoes are hand formed around spinach and sundried tomatoes into a pear shape and then fried to a golden brown. Fun and scrumptious.

Butler pass some of your favorite veggie items in a unique way with our cornets. We fill these fun little cones with baba ghanouj, tomato mozzarella caprese, roasted red pepper hummus, kalamata olive tapenade, and more.

If you're looking for something a bit more interactive, try out one of our unique Vegetarian Chef Attended Stations. A personal favorite is the Risotto station. Creamy risotto is flavored with different fresh purees, including cauliflower and corn, pesto, and truffle oil, then finished off with guests' choice of vegetables to include mushrooms, fresh asparagus tips, and more.

Our Shabu-Shabu Station is a fun option for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Your guests will fill a soup bowl with their choice of asian vegetables and hand it to the chef. The chef simmers the ingredients in a soy-sarachi miso broth and finishes the bowl with noodles, guest-selected sauce and garnish. This is one of many Asian-inspired stations that are offered with your choice of beef, chicken, pork or shrimp but still a fantastic option for those who prefer the meatless way of life.

Our Create Your Own Pita Station can be offered as a self-serve option or chef attended. Hand-formed falafel patties are served with a variety of mediterranean delights including hummus, tabouleh, tzatziki, greek olives, and more. Guests choose their ingredients for a fantastic vegetarian pita.

The list of creative vegetarian options goes on and on. No more will a vegetarian guest be subjected to a plain plate of pasta. Be sure to ask your special event planner to suggest one of these fantastic and unique vegetarian delights for your next event.

Shira Smith, Special Event Planner

407.478.5820 | shira@puffnstuff.com