A Word from our Chef
Wow!!! Is it already July??! Thinking back a year…this time last year I was introducing my then fiance’s parents to my parents for the very first time, planning a wedding from across the country, building Bite’s first website, searching for a kitchen to house my little business and finishing up a demanding internship at one of the most prestigious cake decorating shops in the country! We have come so amazingly far astonishingly fast – Los Angeles has been so kind and supportive to me and my business as we have taken these first few steps together – and those first steps turned into leaps faster than I could have ever imagined in my wildest of entrepreneurial dreams! So, let me start by saying, in this, Bite’s first newsletter – thank you! Thank you to all those who have expressed interest in Bite and thank you especially to all of you who have trusted my team with the most important of events in your life this past year – it has been an honor and a pleasure serving you thus far! I hope that many of the relationships I have built with many of you will carry on for a long time to come. In this first newsletter, we decided to focus on everything summer and summer entertaining – simple recipes and tips to make all of your events more enjoyable. We hope you enjoy them! This August we have a whole lot to look forward to – the launch of our new and improved website and our being featured on an episode of Food Network Challenge: Big Bash Caterer’s Challenge! We did great! Once we have a definite date for the show’s airing, we will be sending out another note so you can watch along with us. Next month’s issue will also include some of our recipes from the competition – so lots to look forward to! In the mean time, my team and I wish you a safe, happy, sunny and delicious summer! Warmly, Elizabeth
News from Bite
Food Network Appearance! Well the biggest piece of news from us is that we will be featured on the Food Network in August! Our Executive Chef, Elizabeth Goel was recently invited by the Food Network to compete in a caterer's challenge! While we can't reveal the results yet, we were very proud to be one of only four caterers chosen by the Food Network from thousands of possible contenders from across the country! New Website coming soon! It’s coming soon with more information and new services added to our roster! Please check it out in the coming weeks – we would love your feedback! The Pour: White Wine Sangria Planning a cocktail party and need a cool signature cocktail? How about a sexy white sangria? More refreshing and light than its traditional red wine-based counterpart, white sangria is a perfect accompaniment to light summer foods and a great excuse to make use of the beautiful fruit that is available this time of year! Sangria makes for easy entertaining as it can be batched out ahead of time leaving you plenty of time to enjoy your guests! Remember two rules: always use fresh juice/ingredients and always make a non-alcoholic version to include everyone in on the fun. White Wine Sangria 
1 bottle white wine (Spanish table wine or a fruity Riesling work great)) 3 ounces brandy 2 ounces triple sec 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 ounces simple syrup Peach nectar to taste (Ceres brand is great) Fresh sliced peaches, oranges, and apples sliced Club soda to top off Place all ingredients in a pitcher and stir to mix. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or up to 48 hours. Serve over ice with fresh fruit to garnish. The Scoop on Dessert: Ice Cream By Chef Gavin Grabe “We all scream for ice cream!!!” Of all the desserts, ice cream gets everyone’s vote. According to gastronomic historians, it was the Chinese who first discovered the art of making iced sweets; the Italians followed suit in the 17th century and brought the vogue of ice cream across to France and the rest of Europe. Nowadays, ice cream lovers do not have to rely on the professionals-they whip up their own confections as easily as they would a cocktail and churn them in a domestic ice cream maker. Besides the traditional cone, another fun use for your ice cream is to bake off some fresh cookies and make your own ice cream sandwich – yum! Here are some tips when making frozen products: - Churn ice cream only a short time before eating it; it will have a softer creamier texture and more subtle flavor
- Over freezing can adversely affect the flavor and consistency, while insufficient freezing yields a thick heavy ice cream, which is low in volume.
- Before putting ice cream in freezer, be sure to cover the top with plastic to prevent freezer burn
Here are two of Chef Gavin’s favorite recipes Chocolate Sorbet Makes about 1/2 litre (2 cups)
275 ml water
100 g sugar
40 g cocoa
95 g chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
1/2 tsp Good vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Mix sugar, water and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Finely chop the chocolate and add it, as well as vanilla and salt. Cool completely, preferably overnight or at least for a few hours in the fridge. Churn in your ice-cream machine, and eat immediately with a dash of your favorite liqueur or chocolate sauce. 
Watermelon Granita with Fresh Ripe Mango 4 Cups Watermelon, deseeded and cut into chunks 1/2 cup Sugar Juice of 1 Lemon or Lime 1 ripe mango Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Puree until Smooth. Pour into a shallow pan and freeze for about 1 hour. Rake the mixture with a fork and freeze for another hour. Rake and freeze again and then once last rake before you serve. Pre-freeze 4 ice cream glasses. Divide the mixture between the four glasses and then arrange slices of mango on top. Serve or for and extra touch, splash with Vodka. 
Bite of the Month: Mission Figs
Every month we will share a recipe for a simple bite-sized creation for your next event. With figs in season, we thought it would be the perfect time for this delicious treat. We recommend a trip to your local farmer’s market to find the perfect ingredients: 
Fresh figs marinated in port served with blue cheese and wrapped in prosciutto di parma - 8 Black Mission figs
- 1/2 cup blue cheese, cut into cubes
- 12 slices prosciutto di parma (thinly sliced, cut in half lengthwise)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slice figs in quarters – place in non-reactive bowl and drizzle with port wine – allow to marinate while preparing the rest of your ingredients
Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place a piece of blue cheese on each fig quarter. Wrap prosciutto around each fig half, covering the cheese. The ends of the prosciutto should overlap. Grill each piece until the prosciutto begins to color and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from grill, lightly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Serve warm. Cooking Tips: The Burger You know it isn’t really summer until you have sunk your teeth into a nice juicy burger! Here at Bite we pride ourselves on our mini burgers but sometimes you have to go bigger. Here are our tips for the perfect summertime grilled burger: - More fat = more flavor – 80/20 hamburger (80% lean, 20% fat) works great for a juicy, flavorful burger (and a lot of the extra fat will cook off)
- How big? Plan for 1/3 lb. of meat for each guest.
- Season the patties – Add good sea salt and freshly ground pepper before shaping into patties.
- Shape the patties – Make all patties the same thickness but do not overwork. Put a slight thumbprint on the top of each patty – this prevents the meat from balling up.
- Prevent sticking – Brush a little oil on each patty (not the grill) just prior to grilling.
- Only flip that burger once!
- Don't press the juices out – That's what gives it flavor.
- When is it done? The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 160°F – use a meat thermometer to be sure.
- Have perfectly melted cheese – Add a slice to the top of each burger while it's still on the grill. And switch your toppings up! Flavorful smoked gouda, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, brie and feta are some of our favorites.
- Veggie-friendly option – Keep everyone happy at the barbecue by also offering Grilled Portobello Burgers.
©2008 Bite Catering Couture, LLC | 
Party Planning tips 
