Monday, December 12, 2016

The Altamira Pastry Competition

Chef Mariana Ramirez, Winner of the Altamira Pastry Competition


We love to support our local clientele and vendors, and this years Altamira Pastry Competition was no exception, especially since the theme was “Falling for Chocolate”, Valrhona chocolate, to be exact.
Held at one of our Vail favorites, the Marriott Resort Vail Mountain was host to Altamira’s high-end food show of the Rockies on November 7th and 8th. The 6th annual Pastry Competition was held on day two and 10 Strawberry Street donated 5 different platters and bowls for each pastry chef to plate their creations for the the panel of judges. 

Each Chef had to prepare a plated dessert, a 55 piece bon bon offering, and a petit four display show piece at least one foot tall in a 2 hour window on stage with the help of an assistant. The plated dessert and show piece could be finished 80% in advance.

After 6 hours of molding, casting, melting, spraying, gluing, and tasting all things sugar and chocolate, the winning trio was awarded to Chef Mariana Ramirez from the Colorado Convention Center.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Top Three Must Have Sides for the Holidays!



The debate over exactly what sides are going to be served for the Holidays isn't always a passive one. There are so many perfect options, but sometimes one or two of them have to go. Feelings and hungry stomachs may be disappointed in the process but here are 3 sides you simply cannot forget when serving up that special meal!




We're going to put our money on the table and call it. Brussel Sprouts! It's no surprise, just about every body has some type of vegetable out for the holidays. We feel like this year Brussel Sprouts has been an unsung hero of the food pyramid. 




We definitely recommend using bowls from our Dimple Porcelain Serveware collection. The Dimple Collection is a welcomed departure from smooth surfaces, adding some texture and interest to your tabletop with a new collection of hammered porcelain aesthetics!




This one is a wild card of sorts. It could be switched out with a million other sides and you probably wouldn’t be wrong. However, we still think Mashed Potatoes is your best bet. You’re guaranteed to have a bird, and stuffing but… where’s that creamy starchy goodness? How you prepare the Potatoes is a whole other top three list (insert Tolkien reference), but regardless of how you make it, Mashed Potatoes just feels like a necessary component in any major Holiday meal!



And you’re going to need a lot! We recommend serving up that piping hot, gooey delight in our Whittier Square Rim Bowl! Embodying the distinction between placing and presenting, our Whittier bowls showcase their contents with soft, flowing shapes that project a progressive elegance, delighting chefs and guests alike. A necessity for any buffet or table, and perfect for some Holiday Mashed Potatoes!


Lastly, we have rolls and biscuits. When it comes to special dinner, you can have as little or as much as you want but you have to have the rolls. Now, rolls and biscuits can be interchangeable here depending on what you’re working with, but there’s nothing better that scooping up every thing on your plate in a nice buttery roll, dipping it in some gravy and taking in all the flavors of the Holidays at once. We all do it, we all love it, biscuits are our edible shovels that get us through piles of food and once the turkey and mashed potatoes & gravy are set you gotta have rolls on deck!




To be honest, you could probably cart out the biscuits in an old wheel barrel you find outside and people would still go mad over them. However, you might violate a couple of health codes doing that! So we recommend our 12” Whittier Serving Bowls. Embodying the distinction between placing and presenting, our Whittier bowls showcase their contents with soft, flowing shapes that project a progressive elegance, delighting chefs and guests alike. A necessity for any buffet or table. And hey, if your establishment is hosting big parties this is the perfect bowl to pass around and guarantee the entire table gets a roll!