She’s Catering To Party Crowd
Let’s pretend you’re throwing a cocktail party for 100. What feelings does that scenario prompt? Anxiety? Panic? The overwhelming urge to flee?
For Cathy Tarducci, that kind of undertaking is a piece of cake.
Tarducci is the chef at Catered For You, one of Spokane’s most successful purveyors of party food. Along with her partner Sheila Collins and their staff, Tarducci has become a whiz at turning out moveable feasts.
Her vast repertoire includes everything from elegant finger food to formal sit-down dinners.
The ever-changing menu is what first attracted Tarducci to the catering business. That, and a bad experience with the archaic way some kitchens are run.
In the ‘80s, she attended culinary school in Los Angeles and worked full-time at the Huntington Sheraton in Pasadena. Like most novices, Tarducci had started out making salads, but she quickly advanced to the position of line cook, an important promotion for a cooking student. However, when a new German chef was hired, she was bucked down because he didn’t approve of women working the line.
“You have to remember it wasn’t that common for women to be in kitchens then, especially with European-trained chefs,” Tarducci said.
However, she hooked up with a successful catering company and her career took off.
For the past five years, she has been working with Collins. The pair recently opened a gourmet takeout shop in the front of their catering operation.
Tarducci is a strong believer in making food look as good as it tastes. She uses lots of flavored oils, marinades and fresh herbs to infuse the food with vibrant taste. And when it comes to presentation, she offers a few hints:
Puff pastry is easy to work with - all sorts of fillings complement the flaky pastry. It comes out of the oven with an inviting golden glow.
Use flowers and fruit to decorate serving plates.
Keep serving plates replenished throughout a party.
Busy folks shouldn’t deny themselves the pleasure of entertaining friends and family. The trick, Tarducci said, is to do as much in advance as possible.
“Keep your menu simple, get your recipes together, make a shopping list and do as much preparation as possible,” she said. A party isn’t the best time to try a new recipe, she added.
Being organized frees up the hosts to relax and enjoy their guests.
These days, Tarducci is much too busy cooking for other folks to entertain. But if she could throw a dream dinner party, where she could invite anyone (living or dead), Tarducci’s guest list would include noted chef Alice Waters, wisecracking writer Dorothy Parker, President John F. Kennedy, Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo Caravaggio - and her cousin, Jack.
“For his encouragement and support through my first years of cooking,” she said.
Cheese Strudel With Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil
This savory finger food is easy to make and looks great.
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 pound cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup softened sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package Pepperidge Farm puff pastry (2 sheets)
Thaw puff pastry sheets a day ahead in refrigerator. Mix the cheeses and egg. Fold in the remaining ingredients.
To assemble, lay out pastry sheets and cut in half lengthwise, giving you 4 long strips. Fill a pastry bag with cheese and sun-dried tomato mixture, or use a spoon, and place a 1-inch-thick row of filling about 1 inch from bottom of pastry.
Brush edges with water, fold pastry in half and press edges together with a fork to seal and make a decorative edge.
Place strudels on foil-lined baking sheet and place in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly and slice with a serrated knife.
Yield: About 10 servings.
Chef du Jour is a monthly feature of IN Food that profiles area chefs and provides one of their recipes for readers to try at home.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo