I was having a conversation with someone yesterday about where brussel sprouts come from. He commented-”well Michelle… most likely… Brussels”. Of course my reply for those of you who know me was..unknown. One of the most interesteing courses I took in cooking school was The History of Food. Things are never quite what they seem. The brussel sprout as it turns out has origins in Ancient Rome (of course!) and the Southern Netherlands well before reaching it’s namesake in Belgium.
Today I had intended to write a post about a recent field trip to a cheesemonger in Massachusetts. I would give my life for a good cheese. Could be one of my firing squad meals with an excellent bottle of wine in fact. So I did a little reading this morning before tapping out my thoughts and found a fascinating article about the French and cheese as an aspect of their national identity. It’s a good read for all you foodies.
LE FROMAGE AS LIFE: FRENCH ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR TOWARD CHEESE
http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/display.asp?id=7925
At Michelle Rago Destinations the act of cultual immersion is a must. I believe it creates integral shifts in perspective and we are often first-hand witness to crazy passion about something like … cheese. Our world education is through the pursuit of the best olives, ice or chocolate and trust…it is serious business. These discoveries not only deepen our knowledge base about the world but through food influence our unique sell and ultimately our clients experience.
Here is what I believe. When is comes to food…simple is the new black. Overdoing it… is overdone. From the earth and of the earth are hip. “Hand-made by a local”…. matters. Furthermore…what you pair food or drink with is as equally important as the item itself. Get the words specialty cocktail out of your vocabulary…unless it makes sense with something specific you are serving. Worry about what types of salts are accompanying the french fries in paper cones not what kind of garnish is on the tray. Make sure there is sigange with the cheeses you are serving and a passionate cheese lover assisting the guest as they select. These small touches will fundemenatlly change your guests experience.
Now believe me simple is not easy or cheap necessarily. It requires research, confidence and patience with people and not everybody gets it. Try convincing your client they need 3 types of ice cubes for a successful bar set up! Food has always been my personal passion and frankly one of the largest spends for the client. So why not truly help them shape a delicious experience from start to finish!
Buon Appetito!
Michelle
You will see a lot from me on the food front this year. It is an integral part of my business and a personal passion. My pursuit of good food and specifically integrating that into my business makes for not only delicious parties but truly unique experiences.
For me … whenever possible… local farmers… fresh food and simple dining. Today I went on a field trip to Great Barrington and had lunch and a bit of a shop at The Meat Market…one of my FAVORITE SPOTS!! If I didn’t love Jeremy Stanton, the proprietor, I wouldn’t share…
Feast your eyes on the best burger and steak sandwich I have had in forever! I came home with farm fresh eggs, pork chops, potatoes dug up yesterday and hot italain sausages! I am not going to mention the cheese shop run on the way home… that’s another blog post!
Enjoy the deliciousness and make sure you get to know Jeremy…he is special!
Yummy!
Michelle
Rehearsal dinners are so much to plan and design because they tend to be less formal and very playful! This bride and groom loved movies, Legos and architecture. After a little noodling we decided architecture and movies were the way to go for the concept.
After some scouting we found the perfect venue… the 39th floor of the Hotel 71 in Chicago where coincidentally scenes from the film The Dark Knight were filmed. The guests were mostly from out of town so we decided to educate them about the architecture they were viewing. We had clear decals with the history of some of the historical buildings made and applied them to the windows so guests could feel part of their surroundings. We also went to the Lego store and had replicas of the same buildings made to add to the cocktail tables. We also filled the gift bags for the kids with lots of Legos to keep them busy.
For food we went fun all the way… newspaper lined sandwich containers with french fries, vintage Coca Cola bottles and Southern fried chicken to represent a bit of family heritage. One of my signature touches is to have huge sheet pans of warm chocolate chip cookies butler passed straight out of the oven onto the dancefloor with cold milk!
Chicago has to be one of my all time favorite cities and I can’t wait to do another wedding there!
Michelle
I admit Spring is my most favorite season… I love the first full, full blooms of pale pink peonies and TWEEDIA! As winter draws near and of course the anticipation of planning spring weddings…I chose this sweet springy story to illustrate great use of color from papery throughout cake.
This couple wanted to literally replicate the identical hues both in the flowers and papery. The Invitation is very oversized as is the cake-which also adds to the dramatic effect.
As my family and I prepare for the treelighting extravaganza in Palmer Square, Christmas carolers and all…remember, Mother Nature is simply in repose and eagerly awaiting to delight you with her bounty in a few short months.
Enjoy!
Michelle
