Saturday, April 24, 2010

a celebration of life - Santa Cruz California Style



http://www.sonsofthebeach-santacruz.com/  photo cory hansen


 
Bill Geisreiter Memorial Santa Cruz
Lighthouse Ice Sculpture
photo Lisa Teiger


hot rock martini - grilled filet mignon
over truffled smashed potato 
sauced with bearnaise
photo cory hansen




photo credit: Lisa Teiger





Santa Cruz, California, sunny skies, gorgeous beaches, a view of the very lighthouse that  Bill Geisreiter, a prominent Santa Cruz philanthropist, long time Santa Cruz Port Commisioner, and founder of the Sons of the Beach Ukelele Group, who's memorial was being CELEBRATED on Saturday April 24th was a major force in building.  


Mr. Geisreiter left instructions with his sons that he wanted them to throw a party to celebrate his life and to spare no expense, and so Kim Hansen of Kimberley's Catering, a boutique high end Santa Cruz caterer got the call 2 weeks ago from one of her corporate clients, Reed Geisreiter, Bill's son, and thus the mad rush to pull together the special touches and details, as well as design a menu befitting the celebration began.  The  Bill Geisreiter Memorial 
became the talk of the town in Santa Cruz, California and turned into event that will not be forgotten.

Emails and posts to various catering forums were flying back and forth across the country and around the world even, as Kim reached out to catering buddies for ideas and inspiration.  Kimberley's Catering, Santa Cruz, California, pulled together an outstanding celebration that did justice to the generous, gregarious spirit of Bill Geisreiter, as well as the natural beauty of the location.

A catering buddy and a local "competitor" actually was generous enough to recommend his award winning ice carving artist, Shinichi Sawamura, who in turn created an amazing replica in ice of the very lighthouse Mr. Geisreiter was so instrumental in building, visible from the deck of his home, overlooking the magnificant Pacific ocean, with its crashing waves and stunning deep blue color stratas.

The ice sculpture arrived and instantly became a magnet for those of us taking photos as it was assembled on the long 8 foot table overlooking the crashing waves with it's true to life real model, just off to the right in the background.



photo Lisa Teiger

photos Lisa Teiger


    ice sculpture by Shinichi Sawamura











Hi, I'm Lisa Teiger, co-founder of caterBuzz, owner of CuisinEtc Catering and Special Events,  a boutique NYC catering concern, a food stylist, culinary fashionista and roving caterBuzz catering reporter, coming to you from NYC but always going beyond !!!  

We hope that you will consider Caterbuzz as your traveling eye for the inquisitive professional catering guys and gals around the globe.  Sharing and learning from each others as only like minded professional caterers can do, through pictures, stories, questions and answers, available here on caterbuzz.blogspot.com and also on our facebook caterBuzz group page, a private forum for the catering community.

Today caterBuzz is coming to you from Santa Cruz, California, where Kim Hansen and her culinary crew at Kimberley’s Catering produced an outstanding no holds bar memorial and seafood extravaganza as a tribute to a prominent Santa Cruz citizen, Bill Geisreiter, who recently passed away,  in a breathtaking venue overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  



Kim’s mandate was to serve a delicious repertoire of local culinary delights including some of the honorees favorite seafood d’oeuvres.  Guests were instructed to bring their positive disposition, perhaps an instrument (many brought and played ukeleles) and to have fun!! and for over 350 guests that's just what  they did...


Menu for Bill Geisreiter Memorial, 
Santa Cruz, California

delectable tray passed temptations
that were as lovely as 
the view was spectacular 
and the weather perfect
..soup sippers
         maine lobster bisque
         potato leek sippers with chive straw

..french laundry butter poached lobster  spoonful resting 
on a pool of ruby red essence of beet

..vietnamese carmelized shrimp atop endive boats

..west coast dungeness crab cakes 
drizzled with  roasted garlic aioli
resting on wonton flower

..thai peanut noodle slaw
displayed in white asian boxes
with fresh basil, cilantro, mint and chili jam lime

..grand marnier crème brulee spoons



Hot Rock Martini Station
hot rock grilled filet mignon napped with béarnaise
on truffled smashed Yukon gold potatoes

hot rock grilled rosemary lamb with herbed demiglasse
on truffled smashed Yukon gold potatoes

hot rock grilled tarragon grilled chicken tenders 
napped with béarnaise
on truffled smashed Yukon gold potatoes

all elegantly served in petit martini 
cocktail glasses with cocktail forks

Raw Bar and Seafood Extravaganza
blue point oysters
jumbo shrimp display
with mignonette and cocktail sauce
the crows nest smoked salmon with wasabi sauce
snapper ceviche shooters garnished with plantain chips


Chef Action Barcelona Paella Station
manila clams, rock shrimp, boneless chicken, spanish chorizo sausage, 
roasted piquillo peppers, bomba Rice

Med-Rim Table of Artisan Cheeses and More
...kimberley's catering signature frosted 
gorgonzola cheese cake on pistacho crust
topped with cabernet poached pears
...triple creme brie with fig jam encroute
...blueberry goat cheese log
...marinated feta with extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs
and various other local artisan and imported cheeses, fruits, berries and more

....hummous sunflower with pita petals 
and broccoli floret garnish
... architectural marinated and fresh crudite, 
olives and cheeses with spring onion dip

Delightful Dessert Nibbles 
river of imported belgium dark chocolate with strawberries + fresh kumquats
orange scented  creme brulee spoonfuls






kim hansen - kimberley's catering, santa cruz setting up seafood station
photo- cory hansen


wooden Japanese boats completed the look and were used to display jumbo prowns with pacific coast horseradish red sauce, smoked Crows Nest (a local institution) salmon with wasabi remoulade and Kim's own snapper lime ceviche with plaintain chips.
                                                                        photo: Lisa Teiger

    photo: cory hansen  bill geisreiter memorial santa cruz


ceviche shooters



photo: lisa teiger  oyster raw bar

limin' the day away margarita bar
photo: Lisa Teiger
bill geisreiter memorial santa cruz

photos: Lisa Teiger

Kimberley's catering staff 
sunny smiles to match the sunny day!
photo: Lisa Teiger


photo: lisa teiger
refreshing housemade lemonade 
and blossoming water station


Pelican Ranch Wine, Santa Cruz 
and Corona Beer Bar
photo: Lisa Teiger

Go Local and Sustainable Santa Cruz...
Pelican Ranch Winery, a Local Santa Cruz Winery
was featured at the wine bar station.
 Kimberley's Catering Bartenders were busy pouring
Pelican Ranch Chardonnay and Reserve Pinot Noir

flowering water and housemade refreshing lemonade 
photo Lisa Teiger

photo: lisa teiger
bill geisreiter memorial santa cruz
HOT ROCKS MARTINI STATION
                      
                                                          photo: lisa teiger

hot rock station:
grilled filet mignon, rosemary lamb and tarragon chicken
served in mini martini or cocktail glasses
over decadent truffled mashed yukon gold potatoes
sauced with a choice of bearnaise or demiglace 

bill geisreiter memorial santa cruz


 




artisan cheese display
pistachio gorgonzola cheese
chicken artichoke sausage + peppers
pinenut + roasted garlic hummous sunflower
mango corn black bean salsa with blue + golden chips
architectural fresh + marinated crudite offerings




    photo: Cory Hansen

Chef Action Station:   
Spanish Paella with saffron, 
roasted piquillo peppers, 
chorizo, chicken, shrimp + clams
                  photo: Cory Hansen

bill geisreiter memorial santa cruz

making the paella - chicken cooking and spanish chorizo.jpg
photo: Lisa Teiger
 
photo: Lisa Teiger
paella station set up


      photo: Cory Hansen
  Chef Adam cooking the Paella
  on the patio overlooking the Pacific







passed hors d'oeuvres
included
...french laundry lobster spoonfuls
floating on ruby red essence of farm stand beet 
soup sippers:
...maine lobster bisque 
...potato leek sippers with chive straws 
..vietnamese caramelized shrimp floating in endive boats
...creme brulee spoonfuls
...asian takeout boxes with thai lime infused peanut noodle slaw
...west coast dungeness crab cakes 
drizzled with roasted garlic aioli and resting in wonton cups




photo cory hansen




chef david and chef matt prepping dungeness crab cakes
 





delightful dessert offerings
rivers of chocolate
with huge displays of 
fresh california farmers markets strawberries



witches brew - chocolate ganache
for rivers of chocolate and berries
culinary fashionista lisa teiger, 
cuisinEtc catering + special events, NYC


piles of local santa cruz market strawberries



  
jay stone, santa cruz
enjoying kimberly's catering  
decadent creme brulee spoonful

faye stone and friend bridgett simpkins toasting 
william geisreiter with creme brulee spoonfuls 
by kimberleys catering, santa cruz


creme brulee spoonful


singing and playing the ukulele 
in tribute to bill geisreiter
 William Geisreiter Memorial
April 24, 1010
santa cruz, california





photo cory hansen




photo lisa teiger
 
                                              photos lisa teiger


photo: lisa teiger


photo: lisa teiger


the day was perfect for the (Bill) William Geisreiter Memorial