A day that sparkled with energy.
There are some days that are electric and this was one. It began with opening educational sessions at the BizBash LA Expo and Event Awards at The LA Mart, continued on to a tradeshow floor packed with industry professionals and awards show and ended with Volt!, the first-ever BizBash after party!
Co-produced by Good Gracious! Events and kool. Party Rentals, the event was held at The Pacific Electric Lofts. The 1905 building, a former utilities company, was our inspiration for the name of the party -- Volt! The event was held in the penthouse of this live-work building that is fast becoming one of LA's hottest new event venues.
You can see why. When our Good Gracious team (led by myself and Dan Smith) and Anthony Griffin and Jack Weiner from kool. Party Rentals first saw the space a mere two weeks from the date of the event we knew it was perfect. Along with the stellar team we assembled (for full list, please see end of this post) Los Angeles itself would be a main player!
The party started at 7, but it in these summer hours, there was still a lot of daylight hours left for guests to fully appreciate the city views from all the windows in this urban-chic space.
The entrance to the party.
In the background is a wall of gobos of sponsors as well. We wanted to have several areas where we could create branding opportunities for all the amazing event professionals who helped make this event a success.
The feasting -- or community -- table.
We used kool's Clearview buffet tables. Aside from being totally clear, they also offer a view box directly under the table's top surface. It gives designers the ability to put anything in it to complement the design -- flowers, props, food items. For this event we placed clear stones in various shades of amber. On top of the tables are kool's new tabletop candelabra and around it, the company's chairs and ottomans.
Guests loved the fact that these weren't just buffets that you walk up to and leave. They were actual community tables where they could indulge in some of our appetizers, have a drink and carry on a conversation.
But of course, we did have several buffet tables as well, such as the main table, which we called "Edison Lights Table" here:
In the background you can see the Red Room (see menu below for more on this bit of decadence!) and also an ice sculpture of ice "beads" from Ice Bulb. And again, the buffet was created a kool. Party Rental creation. See below to see what menu items were featured here.
BizBash Volt After Party
Menu by Good Gracious! Events
TRAY PASSED
Croque Legume Baguette
vegetarian croque legume with roasted red pepper, gruyere cheese sandwiched in petite toasted baguette
Scallops with Bacon Jam
grilled scallops on toast topped with a bacon jam and shaved spring onion
Truffle Fries
crispy fries drizzled with truffle oil and salt served in a small black box
Paper Soy Vegetable Wrap
Soy paper wrapped with fabulous julienne of vegetable including avocado, jicama with a sihara sauce
Wild Salmon with Cilantro
sushi of salmon with coriander pesto and leaves wrapped in rice paper
COMMUNITY TABLE
Drunken Tomatoes
confetti of pear and cherry vine-ripened tomatoes infused with organic vodka and served with zatar and chili spices
Asparagus Encroute and Plain
grilled summer asparagus wrapped in the middle with a golden flakey pastry ribbon with savory blue cheese
Manchego Lavender Honey
crumble manchego cheese accented with a lavender honey
Red Beet Chimichurri
red beets with pickled ginger, jalapeno, miso with parsley chimichurri
Taro Chips
crispy house-made taro chips
Spears of Grilled Toasts
Herbed Parmesan Flatbread Wands
Twisted Cheese Straws
EDISON LIGHTS TABLE
Edamame Wonton Tumbleweed Salad
crisp wonton filled with a chevre edamame cream topped with salad of onion sprouts, daikon, enoki mushroom, sesame dressing
Grilled Australian Chops Plate
carved Australian lamb chops with grilled vegetable salsa and golden cauliflower mash
Curried Chicken Quinoa Salad
poached quinoa salad tossed with peaches, mint, cilantro, cucumber, kohlrah served in a to-go box with reflection spoon
Flat Iron Beef Steak Salad
ribbons of mustard flat iron steak, apple red cabbage, baby frisee, crumbled blue cheese with dressing or red wine mustard
Chilled Cucumber Dill Soup
creamy cucumber dill soup shooter with cucumber spear
Chilled BLT Soup
tomato, lettuce and bacon soup shooter with crouton spoon
INDULGE
Tray-passed toward the end of the evening
Shortbread Shortcake Cookie (in photo above)
strawberry shortbread cookie served on a custom paper napkin
Chocolate Truffle Wafer Cone
wafer cone topped with a dark chocolate praline hazelnut crusted chocolate ganache
Chocolate Fig Toasts
crispy toasts brushed with chocolate and topped with chevre and fresh fig compote
Brittle Two Ways
pumpkin seed chocolate nib bark
and
salted peanut bark served in small cup
Watermelon Soup
watermelon soup with muscat served with lemon swizzle stick
Illuminated Lucite cubes from kool. Party Rentals were the base of the bed
and were also used to construct our dessert buffet seen behind the bed.
RED ROOM INDULGENCE
Bowls of strawberries, Chantilly cream, sour cream and brown sugar
Lollipops of cheese with port wine crusted with nuts
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Thank you to everyone who made this event happen!
First Tip: When cooking, a smile is always your secret ingredient. Why?
Because you're doing something you love!
As a followup to our cooking class post, I thought I'd share with you some of the most common cooking mistakes and how to make some simple corrections that will lead to success!
#1 Not Shocking Your Green Vegetables
Greens continue to cook even after you have boiled or par-boiled them. If you are going to serve greens immediately after cooking, perfect. But most recipes have another stage which means that the greens will overcook if they aren't shocked to stop the cooking process. To do this, after you have boiled your greens in salted water for three to seven minutes, immediately plunge them into iced water. This prevents them from turning that ugly army green color. This can also be done a day in advance. Refrigerate the vegetables and use when needed. When cooking a complex meal, this step will take away some pressure and you will find that the veggies will have a toothsome crunch and bright color and that remains even after a short warm-up in the microwave.
#2 Overcrowding the Pan
Overcrowding a pan results in soggy food that doesn't brown well. Because food releases its moisture as it cooks, you need to leave room for steam to escape. It is easy to overcrowd a pan, but the brown, crusty bits are crucial for flavor, especially with lower fat cooking. This browning principle applies equally to quick-cook foods like crab cakes and longer cooking items such as chicken breasts. If you need to speed things up, use two pans at once.
#3 Mishandling Egg Whites
If egg whites are beaten or roughly handled, they won't whip up, producing flat cake layers or souffles. Properly beaten egg whites are voluminous, creamy and glossy. To achieve this, take care when separating the whites from the yolks -- let the whites slip through your fingers, keeping the yolk intact. Even a speck of yolk in the whites may prevent them from fully whipping. Another secret is to let the whites stand for a few minutes until room temperature (better than cold). Using clean, dry beaters at high speed just until stiff peaks form -- that is until a peak forms when you lift the beater out of the bowl. Don't over beat the eggs. That could cause them to separate or become grainy and dry.
#4 Turning the Food Too Often
Learning to leave food alone is one of the hardest lessons in cooking. It's so tempting to turn, poke and flip. But when you turn food too often, you interfere with the sear. Breaded chicken or steak will not develop a nice crust unless you allow it to cook, undisturbed, for the specified time. One sign that it is too early to turn -- you can't slide the spatula cleanly under the crust. When ready, whatever you are searing will release from the pan on its own.
#5 Not Carving Beef Correctly
Carving beef seems pretty straight forward but there are a few tricks that will help you get the result you want. First, with tougher cuts such as flank steak and skirt steak, carve against the grain. Second, rest meat once it's cook. All the delicious juices will leave the meat if it's carved too quickly. Third, let the meat stand to room temperature before cooking. Otherwise it will cook unevenly or the outside will be over done, leaving the inside rare. Finally, use a thermometer. This is one way to achieve a perfect roast because looks can deceive but temperature never lies.
Bonus Tip: Butter is your friend. Never fear it.
That said, go back in your kitchen armed with these professional tips, butter and a big smile!!
Cheers!
Tru is the first certified organic vodka made from American wheat AND made in Los Angeles by Modern Spirits, an acclaimed artisan vodka maker. From field to bottle TRU is free of chemicals that can contaminate the land and leech into ground water. The makers limit ecological impact in a variety of ways. They also, and this is our fave, plant a tree for every bottle sold working through organizations such as Sustainable Harvest International. What we can tell from the Volt event, event professionals are now responsible for an entire new forest!
In a short period of time, ONEHope Wine has become one of the most recognizable "cause brands" in the United States. In three years, it's become the socially conscious wine of choice for such high-profile events as the Grammys, The American Red Cross Gala and the Sundance Film Festival.
With all that is going on in the world today, Good Gracious! Events feels strongly about giving back anyway we can. We love the message these companies send and are always proud to serve and use them and share their story.
Tru is the first certified organic vodka made from American wheat AND made in Los Angeles by Modern Spirits, an acclaimed artisan vodka maker. From field to bottle TRU is free of chemicals that can contaminate the land and leech into ground water. The makers limit ecological impact in a variety of ways. They also, and this is our fave, plant a tree for every bottle sold working through organizations such as Sustainable Harvest International. What we can tell from the Volt event, event professionals are now responsible for an entire new forest!
In a short period of time, ONEHope Wine has become one of the most recognizable "cause brands" in the United States. In three years, it's become the socially conscious wine of choice for such high-profile events as the Grammys, The American Red Cross Gala and the Sundance Film Festival.
