MM Event Services

Let a Southern Girl Loose in Your Kitchen

marianworley — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 13:32:21 +0000

Summer time and produce abounds, ripe for the picking and ready to prepare. In the South, there are so many wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables, and the season is long. Never am I more excited about cooking, than when a client lets me do what I love to do best, pick a menu from local farm fresh produce, dairy, and eggs, and prepare it old school, from scratch with traditional recipes, and a little added kick. Our cornbread is made in my grandmother’s and my husband’s grandmother’s iron skillets and it is loaded with berries or okra or jalapenos,or fresh corn, whatever is fresh and strikes our fancy. Biscuits are served with Amish butter and our own preserves, and local honey. Baskets of my mother’s rolls are always on the menu. Platters of tomatoes are peeled, and piled high. Vegetables are grilled and sweet tea with mint, often brewed in the sun are also menu staples. And then there are the cobblers, served warm with ice cream. We grill all the meats slathered in herbs, rubs, and feature an array of sauces on the side. It is simply a great time to enjoy Southern fare.

Camp Mimi’s Cupcake Class

marianworley — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:25:23 +0000

While the garden continues to produce, and canning and preserving is front and center here at MM, I find the long, slow days of summer to be a great time for special projects, my favorite of which is Camp Mimi. Bella, my 6 year old granddaughter spends the summers with me and we love to swim, cook, read, and have fun with her friends. This summer her buddies from the neighborhood attended a summer camp in the neighborhood run by a couple of enterprising 12 year olds (supervised by the mom’s, of course). Camp Councilors Bailey and Margaret Ann had so many activities planned and graciously allowed me to conduct Cupcake Class one of the mornings. So we decided to use a cake mix for the cupcakes, but to make the most important part, the icing from scratch using a pastry bag. Then of course loads and loads of sprinkles. In about one and a half hours, we produced 28 cupcakes with about a pound of rich chocolate buttercream. I will be sweeping sprinkles off the floor for the rest of the summer, but fun was had by all. You are never too young to cook. Bella has been cooking with me since she was two. And she has a true understanding of what homemade from scratch means. I cannot wait to taste her dishes as she grows and learns her own passions for cooking. I encourage you to always take time out to cook with the youngest members of your family and friends.

June Garden Talk

marianworley — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 17:15:25 +0000

With the right balance of sun, rain, temperatures, and a little luck, the June garden has burst into production. Fortunately the bees have returned, and are being encouraged by companion planting marigolds, purple coneflower, lillies, hostas, and petunias planted around the garden beds. Letting the yard clover bloom before each lawn cutting has helped as well. The bees are doing their jobs by pollinating the beans and squash, the wind does the rest. Very little help from me this year. I learned a lot about garden pests from previous gardens, so hand picking them off each day has become an early morning coffee ritual, and the population seems a little more under control. The end result will be more fresh garden products for us all. I am hopeful for a very prolific tomato production, and will dry and preserve all I can as well as herbs, pesto, beans and squash for the year. This year we made it all the way through without purchasing basil, oregano, mint, rosemary, jalapenos, sun dried tomatoes, tomatoes, pesto, and sage. With the purchase of my CSA and produce from local sources put by, the blueberries, blackberries, peaches,figs, pears and strawberries, pumpkin, squash, and zucchini made it through the year as well. I will make more figs for you, and will be making many of the preserves using local honey and organic cane sugar as well. Any ‘druthers? I am open to suggestion.

When a Man Picks a Menu

marianworley — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:26:39 +0000

My client and friend, Susie planned a graduation party for her son and let him pick his favorite foods for the menu. Who knew? It was a huge hit and the winner of the night was his favorite dessert, old fashioned banana pudding with whipped cream. I will definitely suggest this menu again and forever it will be called “Collin’s Menu”. It made me realize that while there is an awful lot of specialized upscale cuisine out there, often the simplest food that reminds us of our roots is the most important. Local in season strawberries, southern peaches, chocolate brownies with marshmallows, fried chicken, cheesy mashed potatoes, among other choices, reminded Collin of what was important to him, home. So what is Collin’s menu to you? Pick the food you love, ask me to make it and enjoy.

Here’s what all the fuss is about.

marianworley — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:24:09 +0000

So why do we bother with all the trouble to find the best local, fresh, and natural products? The answer is that it simply tastes so much better. Not to mention there is less impact on our environment, that we are supporting local individuals, and that we are looking to provide the best quality of food we can find for YOU, our clients. About two weeks ago, I met a beautiful young woman and two of her children who were selling honey outside of Whole Foods. I am a honey snob, and am constantly looking for local sources, different flavors, and colors. When Rhianna showed me her wares, I noticed the honey had crystalized, so I sort of stammered a bit and she informed me that raw unfiltered natural unprocessed honey would crystalize as it had not been heated. And of course, in heating, all the natural goodness honey has to offer is destroyed. She told me to simply set the jar out in the sun and let it warm before serving. So I did. And oh my goodness, warmed honey drizzled over fruit, or biscuits is just something you must experience. I emailed her immediately, ordered a case to share with you all year, and also bought her farm fresh eggs and some delicious yogurt, which I had with local strawberries and some of the honey. It is one big life, and we are all in it together. Mine just got a little better.
Enjoy!

Don’t you just love a wedding?

marianworley — Mon, 16 May 2011 00:34:12 +0000

I love all parties. But there is something very special about being a part of a wedding. From meeting the family, visiting the wedding venue, planning the special day, it all brings forth such a special intimate feeling. I am very grateful to be a part of such a momentous event, from rehearsal dinners, bridesmaid brunches, and of course, the wedding reception. No matter how big or small the guest list, each wedding has a very important place in our planning and preparation, and I thank every bride and groom, and all of the parents for trusting me with the special day.

Growing your own produce: a note on bugs and dirt.

marianworley — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:21:34 +0000

Once a web designer friend of mine, who was consulting with me on picture choices for my web site referred to some of my original photos as “sort of dirty looking”. I was shocked. He suggested we use animated perfect looking pictures of fruits and vegetables instead of my real time, home grown, or locally purchased offerings.
After about a year of pondering, asking questions , researching, I have come to the conclusion that the produce we purchase from stores, neatly lined up in rows, and packaged, or photos we imagine as the images of perfect produce are manufactured for “curb appeal” and are not reflective of really fresh, naturally grown produce. I, personally am skeptical of any produce without blemishes, and yes, a little dirt. Much less produce that has a shelf life of much more than a few days. I want my garden vegetables to come from THE GARDEN, and I want them free of food enhancers, except for maybe a blemish or two. Those imperfections mean they are natural. It is bad enough that we feel the need to alter our own selves to fit an image of unattainable perfection in order to be accepted, but now we do it to the food that sustains us. Every moth, caterpillar, bee, and yes, cicada, is part of the great food chain and sustains some other creature that God has put forth in nature. Dirt is the foundation upon which we all stand. And any evidence that your food has come through a natural process is desirable and should be cherished. Proper handling, preparation, and preservation is vital, and there are procedures for that, but believe me, after a good wash, a little prep, nothing is better than farm to table eating.

Happy Valentines Day!

marianworley — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:32:30 +0000

What a great way to celebrate an engagement, a party for Valentines. You do not have to ask me twice, my husband and I celebrated our 27th anniversary on February 14th. The party was a success for the couple, but I just have to share the thank you note I got two days later. And enjoy the pictures.

Hi Marian,
Thank you SO MUCH for the party the other night!!!!!

Everything on the menu was just delicious. The pizzas were a huge hit, and I loved every single item, the brie & fruit, the sliders, the spinach dip, the DESSERTS! So, so good. I could taste the ‘homemade’ in everything. The pizza crust was perfection.

I know it was hectic, but you did such a great job from start to finish with putting things out, cleaning up, and keeping us on schedule. I loved it when I wandered into the kitchen at one point and all the boys were gathered around the island and you were feeding them pizzas right off the board )))). They had a great time.

I appreciate so much your hard work, your professionalism, and your talent. You are amazing, and I couldn’t do what you do in a million years.

Thanks so much, and I’m looking forward to working together again on the garden club dinner in July.

Happy Valentine’s Day ))
Linda

Welcome 2011

marianworley — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 14:15:10 +0000

After a very busy summer and holiday season it is a wonderful time to begin planning new garden ideas, more menu items and collect interesting display pieces, all of which I am doing during these snowy days. So far we have added to the menu the most wonderful in house fried flavored flour tortilla chips and corn tortilla chips. I have invested in a press, and am working with masa flour and natural beet, spinach and jalapeno flavors and colors to make our own tortillas. The in season blood oranges and Meyers lemons available make wonderful marmalade, and I have in fact begun to cultivate my first Meyers lemon tree for local produce for next winter. Wish me luck there!. New sweets are handmade and white and dark chocolate dipped salt caramels, coconut cupcakes, chocolate mint buttercream brownies, and tiny chess, fudge , and lemon pies, all bite size. There has been enough fresh summer peaches, blueberries and blackberries put back from the summer for pies and cobblers. I have homegrown pumpkin puree and zucchini for some delicious sweet brunch breads. And there are still plenty of homegrown dried herbs, tomatoes, figs, peppers, and preserved tomatoes, fruit preserves, chutneys, local honeys, and relishes for preparing delicious meals for your next event! So settle in for the rest of the winter, call us for spring and summer bookings, and stay warm!

Holiday Season

marianworley — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 16:02:10 +0000

With the Holiday Season upon us, comes baking, baking, baking. At the kitchen can be found various pots of bubbling candy, pans of sweets, and cookies by the hundreds. It is also a time where the bounty put by during the growing season comes back out of the pantry and freezers and is put to work flavoring and enhancing winter meals. While I am a huge advocate of comfort foods traditionally prepared for this time of year, I have noticed a few of my clothes seem to have “shrunk” in the dryer, so there will be every effort made to use the more flavorful dried herbs, vegetables, preserves and to always focus on the foods we can still find abundantly in season and regionally to add flavor and nutrition, and always to eliminate as many preservatives, and additives as possible. A focus on sustainability is always in season.
How much fudge you eat is up to you.