Art's cooking

Artscooking Thanksgiving: A Night of Good Food and Warm Reunion

AL SAFA, JEDDAH, January 7, 2010 - Twenty seven varieties of food menu, including 13 main course, 2 types of rice, 5 sweets & 7 kakanin were bursting in an L-shape table that served as the buffet feast of the night.

It was a night of good food, warm ambiance, and sweet reunion to some old friends whom we have not seen for a while. It was virtually a fiesta - Jeddah style!

But this time, we let the pictures, and of course, our guests do the talking:

The Place:

Our friends/guests (apologies to those whose pictures we weren't able to take)

"Grabe! Eto na yata ang pinaka-maraming handa na napuntahan ko. Di ko nga alam kung saan ako magsisimula."

- Mark Cruz

HR Coordinator, ALJ Co.

"Wala ako masabi sa dami ng food. Di ko nga alam kung ano uunahin ko. I really enjoy that kainan. Sana mag-expand na talaga kayo."

- Boyet Guevarra

Merchandiser, Coca-Cola Co.

"Sarap to the max ang food. At ang daming choices."

- Joel Ellescas

AutoCAD Designer, IBS

"The food is so amazing."

- Jun de Guzman

Accountant, Woodworld Trading

Grabe naman. Ang ganda-ganda ng place. At ang sarap ng food - ang dami! Very impressive. This deserves to be featured both in TFC and PinoyTV."

-Pablo Nesperos

Decorator, Radwa Trading Co.

"Thank you so much for the sumptuous and delicious food treat to us. Superb and excellent ang service. Wala pa akong masabi sa kabaitan nyo. Anyway, whatever occassion that might come along the way, you are highly recommended. More power!"

-Arnel of AIC

The Food

Roast beef with cinnamon

Mixed veggies

Fish fillet in sweet & sour sauce

Chicken lollipops

Chicken fillet mignon

Beef callos

Calamares

Beef steak Tagalog style

Lumpiang shanghai

Almond chicken

Beef menudo

Relyenong bangus

Chicken rolls with cheese

The desserts

Puto espesyal

Pichi-pichi

Kuchinta

Fruit salad

Sapin-sapin

Empanada

Boat tarts

Buko pandan

Our sponsor:

KAPENG ARABO, THE RE-FILL IS COMING OUT SOON!

http://kapengarabo.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday Mavey!

Wow! Life really comes around. This is the second time we catered to the Cristobal family. The first was in 2008 during Matt's birthday.

We are so grateful. We already feel like we're part of the family. For every important occasion of their lives in Jeddah, they always invite us and manage to give us the role of providing heartful meals for their guests.

We also acknowledge Mike and Rhea for entrusting us this very important role. First birthday celebrations of their two consecutive kids...oohhh! what an honor!

So for Mavey, just enjoy growing up kid! And rest assured you are being raised by good hands.

It is very important that we take a real good care of a kid's birthday celebration. While it may appear that the parents were the ones so 'aligaga' during the occasion, it is really that kid who is the most excited person in party, and he would like to see that all of his friends and those who are dear to him show him utmost attention. That's why we have to make it extra special.

This event is also significant not only to the child, but also to the parents as well. As the kid grows up, the parents would have something to look back and treasure happy and fun memories on the very important day of their kid's life. This is why we are setting up the bar....hmmm...just a little notch higher!

It is the first day of the year, so what a better way to start it is by letting our fountains - juice and choco - out and pop their ways in the real open. We set-up the buffet table at ALJ Recreation. A garden set-up may not be be really the ideal location (for wind blows the juice out more often) but they nevertheless brought so much fun among kids (and kids alike). Yup! The moment we switched them on, kids really went crazy!

Thanks to Rhea for providing the pix.

Here's Artscooking menu during the occasion: Fish Fillet in Sweet & Sour Sauce, Chicken Pastel, Chicken Lollipops, Beef Asado & Mixed Pansit Canton/Bihon.

This table buffet set-up is completed with Juice and Choco Fountains as centerpieces.

Fish fillet in sweet & sour sauce

Mixed pansit canton/bihon

Chicken pastel

Chicken lollipops

Beef Asado

Our sponsor:

KAPENG ARABO, Book 2: The Re-fill is coming out!

http://kapengarabo.blogspot.com

2010: Insights and Tips

It's 2010 and this is the perfect time of the year to get a headstart and straighten things out. These are some of the learnings based on almost 3 years in the catering business in Jeddah. You may also treat these insights as tips in planning your own future events.

1. Apart from the caterer, having an event organizer is a good idea, especially during all-out party with all the lights and sounds, games, etc. It doesn't have to be a professional, but who's got organizational tank above his shoulder, as the least of qualifications. A friend or a relative can do the job. This is a sure way to get things done.

2. One of the causes of food getting stale (tama ba? what we mean is pagkapanis) is the customers' inability to give the exact time as to when the food will be served. In the past, our clients asked us to deliver the food at a certain time only to be served to their guests at a much later time. Imagine if the client asks us to deliver and set-up the buffet table at 5PM, that means, the food is being cooked at least 3 hours earlier (with 1 hr travelling time allowance). Tapos, magsimula ang party by 7PM; then they will have to finish all their programs first before serving. Hala! siguro around 10 or 11PM na yon. So if the quality of food deteriorates, we get all the blame...haay!

3. It is never nice to let the guests really go hungry (gutumin ba ng husto! wink! wink!) before serving the food. We notice that people fail to appreciate the food if their principal goal is to fill up their stomach first. We just have the feeling that some orgs officers underestimate their own members; that people cannot focus on the event while eating. This is such an old school!

We don't find anything wrong with doing program while the guests can freely take their meal. The most fun-filled and relaxed events we attended even have their guests eat first before proceeding with the programs. That way, people have more energy to participate in activities. Plus, it's healthier that way.

4. There are only a handful of Filipino groups that provide party needs for Pinoy in Jeddah. This is why when we are asked for referrals such as for lights & sounds, or party clown or magician, we have no choice but to give the name of what we have ready at hand. Minsan lang, we become identified with our 'referees', that when lapses happen, again... we get the blame. Pero ok lang yon. We are not complaining, we just want you to understand.

5. For more than 2 years of blogging with primary purpose of documenting our gigs, the most prevalent comment so it seems is that 'we don't serve other food variances.' We have a four page A4 size menu list (download). In it you will find that we offer 22 selections on beef; 24 on chicken; 19 on seafood; 16 on veggies. We even have 15 japanese selections, 9 pasta, 6 soup varieties, apart from kakanin & salad. We also do customized menu preparations.

Our guess is that people usually choose what they are familiar with, and they would generally rather be safe than experimental.

Our sponsor:

KAPENG ARABO, Book 2: The Re-fill is coming out!

http://kapengarabo.blogspot.com

300

BAHARAH, JEDDAH - Around 300 able-bodied, somewhat sombre looking men, others wearing shorts and sandos, while some even barefooted, greeted the first day of our 2010. We had the impression that our first catering salvo of the year would be rowdy as we witnessed how these men fought hard to emerge as winners in their group-sponsored games.

But you can never really tell the inner character by looking outside. In fact, we were blown away by how organized and disciplined these men are. When they were told that it was dinner time, slowly a long single line formed before our buffet table. And we swear, they were so mild-mannered, we finished serving in less than an hour without any hassle at all.

After dinner, we stayed for awhile, and enjoyed some of the programs. It was one of the merriest and fun-filled parties we ever catered in Jeddah.

Here's Artscooking menu during the event: Beef Menudo, Lumpiang Shanghai, Fish Fillet in Sweet & Sour Sauce, Steam Rice.

Lumpiang shanghai

Beef menudo

Fish fillet in sweet & sour sauce

Our sponsor:
KAPENG ARABO, Book 2: The Re-fill is coming out!

http://kapengarabo.blogspot.com

New Year's Eve at Saudia

All over the world people celebrate New Year's Day with hope and enthusiasm. With great joy, they bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new. Even in the very restricted atmosphere here in Jeddah, we found that people generally find ways to welcome the coming of another year.

We found ourselves during New Year's eve catering to one our good friends and a special colleague inside their humble abode in Saudia compound. While this is not the first time we cater to Mr. Rene Perrard & family, this event is extra-ordinary as we personally witness how people (including the nationals promise!) impose their strategies (kanya-kanya talagang palusot... wink! wink!) to celebrate New Year, at least in the way that we Filipinos and other Christian expats know how.

And look whom we found enjoying amidst the typical Pinoy celebration... it's Mishall (don't really know if I spell it right). He is a next door Palestinian boy running around as we set-up and light the fountain. Here's the story: After we left, we learned that thru constant interactions with Filipino kids inside the compound, Mishall can actually speak Tagalog. Damn! Nagkadaubos-ubos baon namin English para kausapin sya, marunong naman pala mag-Tagalog. Hmmm!

Here's Artscooking menu during the occasion: Chicken with cashew nuts, Beef Menudo, Shrimp Rolls with Cheese, Lumpiang Shanghai, Pansit Malabon, Fried Rice & Corn Soup.

Chicken with cashew nuts