Events - Thomas Preti Events to Savor

2017 TPC Kids In the Kitchen!

preti — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 19:56:12 +0000

This February we kicked off Winter Break with one of the BEST events we’ve ever had in the new TPC Kitchen! We invited all of our employees kids for a fun-filled Friday night with Chef Peter & Chef Paul. The kids learned how to make fresh pasta and meatballs from scratch with Chef Peter, and got a lesson in Cookie & Cupcake decorating with Chef Paul! First we had all the kids gather around our table for an introduction of what to expect. Then, we brought them all into the kitchen and got them fitted into their aprons and chef hats! Next, they got their first pasta lesson. They learned how pasta is made from scratch, and rolled out in the pasta machine. Then, Chef Peter taught them a few different shapes and sizes of pasta and the kids got to work cutting away. They were so enthusiastic, it was amazing to watch them! After they were done with their pasta, they got to work on the meatballs. The best part was watching their faces as they stuck their hands into the bowl to mix everything up and form their meatballs! While the chefs in the kitchen got to work cooking their pasta and meatballs, the kids were sent over to Chef Paul for Cookie & Cupcake Decorating! Chef Paul made cookies in all different shapes and baked Chocolate & Vanilla Cupcakes for the kids to let their creativity run wild, and it sure did! When they were finished we had all the kids gather back around the table while our chef’s plated their Pasta & Meatballs. We served the kids “Red & White” (Cherry or White Grape Juice), to go with their masterpieces! Overall, this was such a fantastic and rewarding experience and we hope to call this the FIRST ANNUAL Kids in the Kitchen Night at TPC!

Thank you to Chef Peter & Chef Paul for all of your hard work and dedication!

Here’s our recipe for Chef Ron’s World Famous Meatballs, so you too can get in the kitchen with the kids and whip up some memories!

CHEF RON’S WORLD FAMOUS MEATBALL’S

INGREDIENTS
• 4 oz Ground veal
• 4 oz Ground beef (or Pork)
• 2 oz, sautéed mirepoix (puree of onion, carrot, celery and garlic)
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• ¼ cup grated romano cheese
• 2 oz. panada (1 oz heavy cream mixed with 1 oz fresh bread crumbs)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup dry bread crumbs

TO MAKE:
1- Place both the ground beef and veal in a bowl
2- Add the mirepoix, parsley and cheese
3- Mix well with your hands
4- Add the egg and the panada
5- Mix into meat mixture
6- Add the bread crumbs a bit at a time until the mix tightens
7- Season with salt and pepper
8- Scoop and roll into balls

A silly joke in passing turned into one of the best night's in TPC history! We invited our TPC Family's Kids into our…

Posted by Thomas Preti Events to Savor on Friday, February 17, 2017

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TPC Annual Softball Game & Beer Garden Celebration!

preti — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 19:26:56 +0000

Every July, just before everyone hits the road for Fourth of July weekend, TPC celebrates with an Annual Softball Game and after party at the Beer Garden for all of our employees. The Softball Game tradition comes complete with a Front of House vs. Back of House Rivalry, team names, t-shirts and a whole lot of competition!!!

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A Culinary Journey | Italy

preti — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 18:22:08 +0000

For the past 10 years, biannually, Tom is fortunate enough to join a group of incredibly talented caterers who immerse themselves in the local cuisines of a chosen region. It’s an exciting time for the members, who come from all over North America, to get to spend this time together. It’s a privilege for Tom, as a board member for the education foundation of the ICA, to help select and assist in the planning of these magnificent journeys. Each journey provides so much inspiration and knowledge that gets incorporated right into our TPC menus. Tom wanted to share this journey with you, as they visited the Venetto and Emilia Romagno regions of Italy, including Sant’Erasmo, known for violet colored artichokes and asparagus, Burano, Morano, Torcello, and in Verona, the home of Juliet, Mantua, Bologna and Parma. Tom tells us his story, like only he can!

It’s a busy Thursday afternoon at the Thomas Preti kitchen; the chefs are gearing up for the first busy weekend of the autumn season, our event directors are zipping from walkthroughs to tastings, and the operations crew are in full event pack out mode. The past few days have been aimed at tying loose ends for upcoming events, as Tom anticipates what’s to come. As he is wrapping up one of the last conference calls of the day before he jets off for a 10-day Culinary Learning Journey with the International Caterers Association, he gets a call from an old friend from Mississippi who wants to swing by the kitchen before catching their flight to Italy, and Tom couldn’t be more excited to share our TPC home with him!

Our first stop was in Venice, which kicked off our food and wine consumption for 10 days! We started the day at Osteria Dal Riccio Peoco, a local Bacaro. Bacaros are Italy’s equivalent to Spain’s Tapas Bars. We enjoyed popping in and out of Bacaros for local cicchetti, which is Venetian style tapas and ombre, which are small glasses of local wine. No two places were alike, and the varieties and combinations were endless and delicious.

Sampling Menu

Smoked Salmon on baguette with rocket butter
Shrimp with Cippolini butter baguette
Sardines, onions, raisins, on white polenta
Mozzarella en Carozza with and without prosciutto
Polpetta
Lomi
Baccala spread

After two more days and eating our way through Venice, it was off to the mainland with a quick bus trip to the most romantic city, Verona, the home of Juliet. In Verona we visited two of the most remarkable wineries in Valpolicella and Amarone country. The first winery was La Foresteria, the ancestral home of Dante Alighieri, still owned and operated by his descendant Serego Alighieri. The second winery was Villa delle Torre, owned by Allegrini, one of Italy’s benchmark producers of Amarone wines.

After the winery tours, we spent the afternoon with Chef Alberto Masotti making pasta. We made all different shape pasta like Spaghetti ala Chitarra, which is pushed through guitar strings to get a very thin string of pasta, served with Bolognese sauce. And Garganelli, which is a handmade version of Penne, but with ridges, and rolled into a tubular shape, and this was served with a cherry tomato, shallot and garlic sauce.

With a few more days of eating in the most exquisite and notable restaurants in region, and a lot of wine, we finally came to the last day of the trip, which for me was the most memorable. It began with a beautiful ride through the mountains into Parma to the Caseificio San Lucio, a dairy farm, specializing in Parmigiano Reggiano. Seeing the process of making wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano from scratch gives me such an appreciation for the product.

What goes better with parmigiano than prosciutto? We began at the black pig farm and walked our way through the entire process of curing prosciutto. It was unforgettable to see the artistry put into some of the most delicious and beautiful artisanal products made.

Below are some more photos from our trip! We had such a fantastic time and are already planning our April 2016 journey in the Carolinas! Stay tuned!

Photo of Tom with the Chef & Owner of Giuseppe Giuta.

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