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Scratch Event Catering

Welcome Back Disco Era Cocktails!

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Pina Colada in a pineapple

You like Pina Coladas, right?

The 1970’s and 80’s were not good for cocktails. The primary drinkers of the time were trying to distance themselves from the cocktails of their parents, meaning that vermouth and bourbon were out and sweet liqueurs and vodka were in. The balance that classic cocktails enjoyed started to tilt to the sweet side and chemical side. Fresh herbs and squeezed juices were replaced by schnapps of all flavors and hues and juice from concentrate.

Bartending in that era took a nose dive as well. Instead of a career in hospitality, it was seen as a quick fix between “real” jobs. This is still true today, but the perception is changing as hospitality workers see a career path in the industry. The bartenders were not looking to create new cocktails, they were looking to pump out drinks as fast as they could, maybe juggle some bottles while they did it. The craft of making cocktails disappeared into a sea of blue curacao and bottled sour mix.

Fortunately, modern mixologists took the time to brush off some of these discarded cocktails and give them new life. The art of making your own sour elements and syrups have come back into fashion, and there is a class that can teach you how to make these cocktails taste much better than their disco-era counerparts. This class will teach updated recipes for:

  • Stinger Cocktail

    The Stinger is back!

    The Stinger – Brandy has a lovely flavor all of its own. Burying it with something artificial and syrupy like Crème de Menthe does not showcase its nuances. We will remake this cocktail with simple syrup and freshly muddled mint.

  • Pina Colada – It is very easy to head out and buy some premade Pina Colada mix. It is almost as easy, and better tasting, to use the original Coco Lopez and fresh pineapple juice to make one yourself!
  • Tequila Sunrise – Not a difficult one to make, but there are elements you can make on your own to enhance the flavor! No cheap tequila here and juice from concentrate here. We’ll use fresh squeezed orange juice and homemade grenadine to enhance this 80’s staple.
  • Appletini 2.0 – Will it be neon green? No. But neon colors have not been popular for a long time. You can still make a delightful apple cocktail with all-American Applejack, fresh pressed apple juice, and a little sour mix.

“Re Imagining the Cocktails of the 70’s and 80’s”, taking place at Scratch Event Catering on September 29th, will help you make all four of these cocktails, plus give you the recipes to take home for your next cocktail party! There will be some time appropriate snacks to munch on while we make drinks to sample and learn how simple it is to make some popular ingredients. Space is limited, so get your tickets soon!

Make a Date for the Academy Awards: Dessert with Oscar

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Oscar Watch Party Film StripDayton LOVES the movies! Art houses, local theaters, megaplexes and drive-ins all across the region guarantee you can see all the nominated pictures. Plus – beyond watching the movies, we’ve got a great collection of professional and aspiring filmmakers working and living right here. We’ve got the connections to the movies, and on Hollywood’s biggest night – Oscar Night – we’ve got the parties, too!

One of those parties is Dessert with Oscar – a fundraiser for local nonprofit, FilmDayton. FilmDayton hosts the annual FilmDayton Festival (scheduled for August 23-25, 2013), offers professional development for filmmakers, networking and educational opportunities, and acts as the regional film commission – supporting indie and commercial film projects that want to use the backdrop of the Miami Valley for their project.

This Oscar watch party puts the emphasis on party. Instead of seeing the action on the big screen in stadium seating, they welcome guests to The Venue on Third (905 E. Third Street) where multiple TVs will broadcast the show, allowing you to watch the action while enjoying the party. What’s included?

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Local chefs from great places such as Ovations, Baked, Scratch Event Catering, Carmen’s Deli, J. Gumbo’s UD, and the Sinclair Culinary Competition Team create tasty desserts themed after the Best Picture Nominees. You might get some authentic bread pudding out of Louisiana for Beasts of the Southern Wild or perhaps enjoy a twist on some ‘white cake’ for Django Unchained. Come and see what kind of creativity connects the desserts to their films!

As a fundraiser for the organization, we’re keeping ticket prices affordable, but bringing the bling with an exciting film-themed silent auction! See the pictures of some of the great prizes. Everything for the practical bidder (you have to go to dinner anyway) to the film lover (autographed photos, DVDs, pilot scripts and more) to the Dayton Connoisseur (tickets to great local experiences) to the true adventurer with a Specialty Background Role on a hit TV comedy with extra casting by Calltime Casting. You never know what stars may show up when you’re on set at the reality-TV spoof The Real Husbands of Hollywood – see the clip below to get an idea!

IMG_0093Food, prizes, and so much more. If you know your movies, you can submit a ballot and make your predictions on who is taking Oscar home. If you just want to follow the action for fun – play Oscar Bingo! As we watch the events unfold, you’ll watch who cries, thanks God or forgets to mention their agent – and hopefully they’ll line up to win you BINGO!

Be our guest for a champagne toast then the bar will be pouring all night. Come as you are, but ‘sparkly and fun’ attire is welcome!

 

 

How to Go:

Get tickets in advance at filmdayton.ticketleap.com

Cost: $25 general, $20 FilmDayton member, $50 VIP

When: Sunday, February 24. Doors open 7 PM

Where: The Venue on Third (905 E. Third Street, Dayton)

 

Bid it to win it – you could have a specialty background role on The Real Husbands of Hollywood! Check it out:

Food Trucks Lead the Way at Downtown Dayton Revival

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Music may fill the souls of the thousands expected downtown for this weekend music festival, but there will also be plenty of choices to fill the belly, too!  With 3 stages over  5 city blocks, there’s no doubt you’ll be tempted by the sights and smells of cuisine from all over the world.  We hear there will be over 20 food vendors  on hand and we’ve got a sneak peak of the menu’s for you:

 

First the Food Trucks:

Caribbancanas – Caribbean and American foods
Fressa– their famous grilled cheese, Tahi PB & P, corn on the cob and gzapacho
G’s Cue BBQ– ribs, chicken and other fair food
Kona Ice – a variety of shaved ice products
Red Wagon Cafe – wraps, sandwiches and quesadillas
Burrito Bus – a variety of burrito’s

Local Eateries:

Dublin Pub – pub fries and other Irish fare

Jim Teal from Smokin' knows how to smoke some meat!

Frickers– chicken wings and sandwiches
Taquiria Mixteca – authentic Mexican cuisine
Smokin’ BBQ – pulled pork, brisket, chicken, burgers and hot dogs
Ritter’s – ice cream sundaes and gelatos

And the Rest:

Bessie’s Homemade Noodles– noodles, halushka and cabbage
Bolasko’s Concession– kettle corn, shaved ice and frozen leomonade
Bourbon Chicken – bourbon/spicy chicken, beans and rice
Brock Masterson’s- pork chops, fish, and other delights
D Fish D Chicken– grilled chicken, shrimp and a variety of fish
Enrique’s Place– chicken, paella, arepas, kabobs,
Greek Tavern – gyros, greek salad, cheesesteak, sausage
Shade Tree Concessions- crushed fruit smoothies, blended frappes, sno -ball

And while they aren’t exactly food, we know our friends from Ghostlight Coffee will be onsite with your favorite  caffeinated brews and goodies from Thistle Confections.  Tickets for the fest are still available– so get your tickets  right here !

A special shout out to Scratch Event Catering who will be  feeding the hungry bands of Dayton Revival with some of the best local/sustainable products that the county has to offer.  So thanks be to the forward thinking committee of Downtown Dayton Revival for support Local/Sustainable  and special thanks be to Patchwork Gardens, Flying Mouse Farms, Keener Farms and Cook’s Garden for providing the local bounty that will certainly enhance the quality, taste and nutrition of our humble eats. What do superstars like John Legend, Train, Guster, Rusted Root eat you ask ? In short, they eat pretty well – some of the menu items include Apple Cornbread Stuffed Chicken Breast with a Bourbon Orange Cream Sauce, Cinnamon Dulce Carrots, Ratatouille, Green Papaya Thai Salad, Cous Cous with Lemongrass and Sweet Potatoes, Local Egg Omelets with Mexican Cotija Cheese, Fresh Salsa, Local Sausage, Berry Cobbler, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bread Pudding, Braised Kale, Roasted Local Tomato Bisque, and so on.

    10?’s with Chef Matt Hayden of Scratch Event

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    Chef Matthew Hayden

    Chef Matthew Hayden credits his mom as being his first mentor in the kitchen.  Being a “sick kid” Matt missed many days of school and spent a great deal of time with his mother. She taught him to cook and how to channel his creativity into other useful skills. Matthew’s father Phillip travelled the world extensively and introduced Matthew to the cultures, customs, and cuisines of many different countries. His father instilled in him a strong work ethic, a sense of pride in his community, and an entrepreneurial spirit.

    He graduated from Ohio University with a psychology degree, worked as a “smoke tester,” climbing smoke stacks and performing technical services for the EPA and local Engineering firms. He then spent time as a studio musician, and still writes and performs original music, in his spare time.  In the late 90’s Matt and his family purchased and operated the Centerville Pourhaus Tavern. Hayden’s next venture took him to Miamisburg, buying the old TW’s and reinvented it as The Chimney’s Inn.  Matt spent  eight years building his catering business while running the restaurant.  Last year he sold that building  to the Anticoli family, who now run Giuliano’s Tavern there.  This allowed Matt to open his next venture, which he calls his dream business: Scratch Event Catering.

     In the short time since he founded Scratch, Matt has earned a reputation in Dayton as a creative, forward-thinking chef and business-owner. He proudly offers his talents to his native city and devotes a great amount of time to his community. He serves in numerous non-profit capacities in Montgomery County: he is a trustee on the board of Dayton Opera, a member of Centerville Noon Day Optimists and Generation Dayton, and acts as a foodservice consultant for Aids Resource Center Ohio and numerous other non-profit organizations.  Matt is optimistic for Dayton’s future and will continue to offer his talents and creativity to the city that gave him the opportunity to succeed.

     

    What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
    At this moment, a common Indian spice blend called garam masala. For a chef that is compelled to explore new flavors continuously, a spice mix such as garam masala represents a stepping stone to endless possibilities. Because it contains numerous spices that are considered both savory and sweet to a western tastes, it can be substituted for cinnamon, traditional curry, clove or even cumin to tremendous effect. Imagine a apple with hints of cardamom and cumin or chicken salad with hints cinnamon and star anise….

    What ingredient do you dread?
    Im not sure I can say that I dread any ingredient. But if I did, I imagine it would be the ingredient that could only be prepared one way.

    Seafood Gumbo with Crab Claws, Mussels, Shrimp, Chicken & Andouille Sausage!

    What’s your favorite dish to make? Probably Seafood Soups and Stews – They are festive in nature and are indigenous to nearly every culture. E.g. New Orleans Gumbo, Ciopinno, Brazilian Moqueca, She Crab Soup, Clam Chowder, Bermuda Fish Chowder…. They all make my mouth water, and are an occasion in and of themselves.

    What’s your favorite pig out food?
    Chicago Hot Dogs and Pizza to name a few

    What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
    Real Mexican at Taqueria Mixteca, Un Poco de Todos at Las Piramides, Numerous Slices from Flying Pizza, Massaman Curry and Rangoon Sticks at Bahn Mai Thai, Brie Flatbread Pizza and Gnocchi at Savona’s , Whole Wheat Calzone at Ha Ha Pizza, Anything with Submarine House Pepper Relish on it, Tapas until I am blue in the face at El Meson and Anything that has been touched by Elizabeth Wiley, Jenn Disanto, Anne Kearney or my Mother in Law.

    What’s your best advice for home chefs?
    No one has a monopoly on good food, so get crackin !

    If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?

    dressed up deviled eggs


    Led Zeppelin – background music whilst I cook.

    Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
    Anthony Bourdain for telling it like it is; Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adria for thinking way-ass outside the box; Alton Brown for unearthing so much information and Rachel Ray for irritating me.

    What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
    Be with my wife!

     

    You’ll be able to sample Scratch Catering at the upcoming Fleurs et Vin Festival on Sun, May 20th  at Carillon Park!