Tips for hosting a great event

Holiday entertaining with Galor

In a couple of short months the holiday season will be upon us once again! and you know what that means - celebrations, events, and parties. What better way to impress and celebrate than with your own personal chef cooking and preparing all the festive and traditional comfort foods for you and your guests. Galor can provide friendly and professional waiting staff too or someone to shake up some tasty cocktails to complete the perfect event. So whats left to celebrate before year end? In no particular order: Halloween, Christmas and Pre-Christmas celebrations, Staff parties, Hanukah, Boxing day, Thanks Giving.... and what's New Years Eve without a party!. With Galor you can host an elegant event and be able to enjoy your guests and family at the same time.

Tips for hosting a great event

• Know your guests: find out about their likes and dislikes, making sure everyone feels comfortable with the food. This alone can avoid major complications.
• Buffet: If you're having a large party, then a buffet might work best. It means you don't have to worry about timing as much as with sit down dinners and buffets are great for picky eaters, everyone can create a bespoke plate, and choose for themselves.
• Having the right selection of drinks on offer is essential.
• Think about buying good-quality tableware.

Lastly, but equally as important, remember to enjoy the evening and just let us take care of the rest.

Don't trash our Future

Love Food, Hate Waste

We throw away 7.2 million tons of food every year, it's not just about good food going to waste, it's about saving money, up to £50 per month and helping reduce serious environmental implications. If we stop throwing food that can be eaten, it would have the same carbon impact as taking 1 of 5 cars off the roads.

So lets start doing something about it!!

Some Useful Tips For Making The Most Of The Food You Buy

Stock

When making a soup keep the ends and the skin of the carrots, onions, celery, peppers and the roots of the parsley to make a tasty stock.

Blanching

Before the broccoli, cauliflower, sweet-corn or spinach goes off, blanch them quickly in boiling water and freeze for a later date.

Herbs

You can blend all your herbs with olive oil, garlic and pine nuts, and use it for a sauce for pasta or just to put it in your sandwich.....Delicious

Cocktails anyone?

Galor brings the cocktail bar to you... Are you hosting an event and looking for someone to shake up tasty cocktails? The first step will be to establish exactly what your requirements are, from there we will determine which Bartender will be the perfect match for your event, your bartender will contact you and create a bespoke cocktail menu for you and your guests. You will receive a comprehensive shopping list based on cocktails required. Your barman will arrive in advance to set up and organise the bar area. He/She will make fabulous cocktails while you enjoy your guests. So simple and so lovely Our sophisticated Bartenders are of the highest calibre, always friendly, efficient, and above all professional and understanding of the environment which they are working in... Read More We asked our Bartender Tom what "At-Home Bartenders" do wrong? "You see a lot of people shaking cocktails that should be stirred; like a Manhattan or a Negroni. Simple mistakes, but will make a world of difference when made correctly."

Your BBQ chef with Galor

First make friends with your butcher.

Brilliant news everyone!  Britain is on course for the hottest ever summer, at least that's what they say…. What could be better than a garden BBQ with fabulous food and cold drinks to celebrate with style for a special event, or in fact just to be with friends and family. At galor our Personal BBQ Chef will make sure it's the perfect party. Ahhh we forgot the world cup, another reason to party… At Galor we consider great reliable suppliers key ot our success. We have chosen carefully and we make sure they share the same philosophy as us.

We know that It takes two to tango so.

We would like to introduce a fantastic option for all your meat requirements, Provenance Village Butcher, situated on Kensington Park Road in the heart of Notting Hill. Provenance is a contemporary spin on the very traditional art of butchery. In setting up the shop, the team at Provenance spent 6 months travelling the UK to source the best possible products from farmers who can guarantee the highest standards of ethical and sustainable farming. They have a direct relationship with the farms allowing a very transparent supply chain.

Food and Music

What’s Playing for Dinner?

Have you ever experienced a relationship between the music you hear and the food you taste? Did you know that the right classical music can greatly enhance a dining experience. So now imagine a personal chef and private recital given especially for you and  your guests. Yes a classical music concert In your home. Experience the unparalleled beauty of classical music coupled with fine cuisine. Galor have now teamed up with the multi awards winning soloists La Mer Trio Treat yourself to a special menu that recreates the classical atmosphere of impressionism while listening to the Debussy, Ravel and Faure masterpieces played privately in your home by the Royal Harpist to HRM Prince of Wales and her distinctive La Mer Trio (flute, viola, harp). Get in touch to see how we can help you organise a truly memorable occasion.

Eric Satie a French composer and pianist had strange eating habits...

He said "My only nourishment consists of food that is white”
“I boil my wine and drink it cold mixed with the juice of the Fuchsia. I have a good appetite, but never talk when eating for fear of strangling myself."

So how does white asparagus with poached egg, pecorino and truffle oil sound as a Satie’s inspired starter?

Food is music to the body, music is food to the heart!

Top Tip - How to cook the perfect pasta

Top Tip - How to cook the perfect pasta

The sauce is always waiting for the pasta. To open the sauce you can use a little of the pasta water.

-5 liters of water and 2 spoons of rock salt for 500g pasta.
-put the salt after the first boil and wait again for another boil.
-put the pasta in at one time and mix to prevent the pasta from sticking. The cooking time for the pasta is when it starts to be white and you can easily bite it, the pasta should remain solid, al dente" this means "to the tooth" or to the bite".

Follow these few tips and you will certainly have the perfectly cooked pasta.

Galor Top Tips for the perfect BBQ

Galor Top Tips for the perfect BBQ

Temperature is key, the high heat of the BBQ ensures that the meat is sealed with all the juices inside. During the cook the less playing with the meat the better.

Use a tongs to turn the meat and avoid stabbing the meat with knives or forks.

Avoid putting the meat on the grill until the coals stop smoldering, the best time is when the coals are grey-white in colour.

Good BBQ meat needs to have a layer of fat on it. Lots of marbling helps the meat stay tender. When choosing your fillet of fish the rule is: nothing under 200g.

Never grill cold meet direct from the fridge, the meat should be at room temperature. This prevents shocking the meat.

Don't compromise on the quality of the meat, the roasting enhances the taste so when the meat is not of good quality the roasting will do it no favors!.