Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Don't Forget About Mom!



It is not too late to place your order for Mother's Day!


The 2009 Spring Season and Mother's Day Pricing Guide is accessible by visiting our link in the left-hand margin, or click on the link below:



2009 Orenji Spring Season and Mother's Day Pricing Guide



In the pricing guide, you will find wonderful treats inspired by the spring season, as well as perfect gifts to honor mothers on their special day.


Some of these delightful items include:



A selection of hand-crafted chocolates with decadent truffle fillings


Hand-poured chocolate orange slices infused with hand-candied orange peel


Hand-crafted cashew and caramel clusters with milk chocolate


Handmade fruit-scented homemade marshmallows (with or without chocolate drizzle)


Milk chocolate enrobed graham crackers with spring decorations


Flower-shaped chocolate drizzled krispy cereal treat (large) with festive seasonal decorations


Our full line of “Sweet Fortune” fortune cookie-shaped gourmet chocolates


Delicious cupcakes in a variety of spring flavors


Gourmet Caramel Corns


Earl grey-infused madeleines with lemon icing


Hawaiian lavender shortbread tea cookies


Green tea shortcake sandwiches filled with white chocolate-cardamom ganache


Apricot and Almond Shortbread Bars


Bittersweet flower-shaped chocolate truffle brownies


Brown sugar caramel, toasted coconut, milk chocolate, macadamia nut brownies


And much, much more!


To place an order, contact us by email at orenjicatering@hotmail.com, or give us a call at 646.505.9794. We hope to hear from you!


Sunday, April 26, 2009

Gourmet Pizza Party: Sweet Endings...



What better way to end a festive gourmet pizza birthday party than with a selection of delicious orenji cupcakes? We can't think of a better way, and we'll describe them below. But first, just a glance at the four pizza varieties that we didn't review in depth.

The remaining four pizzas range from a traditional margherita to a Spanish seafood pizza to a spectacular and spicey Middle Eastern pie. While we would have loved to review each more fully, these pizzas didn't last long enough to take pictures of, so the "menu cards" will have to suffice until our next gourmet pizza party!





And on to our sweet conclusion...
We created three kinds of birthday cupcakes for our gourmet birthday pizza party:
1) Traditional Red Velvet Cupcakes with Refrigerator Icing (also available on our Mother's Day/ Spring 2009 Pricing Guide);
2) Carrot Cupcakes with Caramelized Golden Raisins, Cream Cheese Frosting, and Toasted Coconut;
and our favorite...
3) Orange Cupcakes with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache and Candied Orange Peel...



Each of the cupcakes was rich and dense, moist and flavorful, topped with smooth creamy icing or whipped ganache. Small in size, it was difficult to eat just one... and in fact, most guests tried one of each before the conclusion of the party!



Orenji speciality cupcakes are available any time... just contact us! (Unfortunately, cupcakes are unable to be shipped at this time, but are available for local pick-up or delivery).
We will turn our attention next to some desserts and cheesecakes recently created. Be sure to check back often for our latest posts!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Gourmet Pizza Party: forest favorite...

The last pizza we are going to fully review (before talking about desserts...) was inspired by the earthy and woody scents and flavors of the forest. It is the sixth (of ten) pizzas prepared and served at our recent Gourmet Pizza birthday party.



This gourmet pie started with a hand-stretched organic white flour crust infused with olive oil, sea salt, and fresh thyme. Baked until light and chewy, the crust was topped with smooth white bean puree seasoned with a hint of Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, and local herbs. A saute of hickory smoked bacon and assorted wild mushrooms was spread liberally over the puree.



To finish off the pizza, and tie it together, freshly grated Parmigiano-Regianno cheese added a needed acid and salt to the dish, melding the earthy flavors of the mushrooms, smoky bacon, and smooth herbal white beans into a pleasing bite.


Rich, melty, and delicious, this pizza disappeared right before our eyes!
Tomorrow, we turn our attention to dessert... and what better way to celebrate a birthday then with birthday cupcakes! Be sure to check back...

Friday, April 24, 2009

Gourmet Pizza Party: Northern Italian autumn...




One of our favorite pizzas of the evening-- first made popular at the Celebration of Orange (a few years ago)-- is an orenji classic: a sweet potato and apple pizza hailing from Northern Italy. This pizza has all the autumn flavors one could ever hope for, is visually appealing, and prominently features our favorite color!

Starting with a hand-stretched organic honey and wheat crust, baked to crispy perfection, we build this pizza with a foundation of classic creamy white bechamel sauce (with just a traditional hint of shallot and nutmeg), which we infuse with the sweet and earthy flavors of freshly roasted garlic and the sharp bite of Parmesan. Atop this bubbly sauce, layers of slow roasted thinly sliced sweet potatoes (infused with herbal pungent rosemary), and pan braised Granny Smith apples are placed-- the deep flavors of the potatoes perfectly contrasting the acidity of the apples.




Smooth Italian Fontina cheese (a cow's milk cheese produced in the Italian Alps) lends a creamy pungency to the pie, masking the strong flavors of the rosemary and garlic on the tongue, but letting them settle on the palate. A healthy sprinkling of freshly grated tellicherry pepper and smoked sea salt add the finishing high notes to this masterpiece of a pizza!


Warm, comforting, bubbling-- this is the perfect pizza for a cold autumn evening... but we bet you won't be able to wait until then to try it! Tomorrow, more pizza... this one inspired by the fruits of the forest! Be sure to check back...

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Gourmet Pizza Party: pizza bleu

Another pizza, you ask? Of course there is-- there can never be enough pizza!

We are reviewing the gourmet pizzas created for a recent birthday party-- each beginning with handcrafted crust and topped with the finest organic and locally-produced ingredients. The party guests "ordered" pizzas using the cards depicted below, and happily shared with each other to taste the wide variety of ten pizzas created.



Today's pizza pairs classic ingredients-- pears, blue cheese, and walnuts-- and combines them with a light and crispy honey wheat crust, smokey applewood bacon, and sweet roasted leeks. Rich and sweet, you only needed a small piece of this pizza to feel satisfied... and yet, half of the pizza was gone before we could even take a picture of it!



Indeed, this was a popular pizza choice during the evening, some guests treating it as a "dessert pizza" as well. And with the nutty toasted walnuts and sweet pears, it was a perfect way to end the pizza eating...

Of course, we're not yet done reviewing our pizza creations, so be sure to check back tomorrow to see more of the specialty gourmet pies we created here at orenji!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Gourmet Pizza Party: smokey and sweet...



We continue our review of the gourmet pizza birthday party with a complexly flavored pizza highlighting sweet and smokey flavors. This pizza started with a hand-stretched honey wheat crust, which we topped with a thin layer of locally produced wildflower honey and sage.




A layer of slow-caramelized red onions added additional sweetness to the pizza, which was nicely balanced with the smooth, creamy, and tangy flavors of double cream goat cheese. This goat cheese was semi-soft and mold ripened, similar to classic French cheese preparations like Brie or Camembert. The acid from the cheese reduced the sweetness of the honey, setting the stage for additional toppings.


Finishing the pizza was rustically sliced duck breast, which we first smoked over Earl Grey Tea. The smokiness of the cooking process, coupled with the spice of the tea mixture blended to create the perfect foil to our oven-roasted locally grown black mission figs. Texturally, the crispness of the crust, chewiness of the duck, and melting quality of the figs created a perfect gustatory experience!

This is a pizza we would eat again and again, and certainly plan to incorporate (in some fashion) into future dinners we host. Check back tomorrow for yet another pizza variety created for this fantastic birthday party!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Gourmet Pizza Party: Greek delight...

We continue our exploration of the 10 gourmet pizzas we created for a recent birthday party by turning our attention to the Mediterranean... specifically to the Greek Isles. This pizza was inspired by the ingredients common to that region, with on orenji twist!



We started with a hand-tossed pizza dough, mixed with organic whole wheat flour, honey, and thyme-- the most commonly used herb in Greece.



Following a liberal brushing with extra virgin olive oil, we topped this most delightful of pizzas with fire grilled locally grown eggplant, artichoke hearts, and bell peppers, fresh locally produced organic feta cheese, kalamata olives, and a sprinkling of dill. A dusting of freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt finished this creation, ranked as the favorite of the evening by more than one guest!




Not only delicious, this pizza was visually beautiful as well, the earthy colors of the peppers, olives, eggplant, and artichokes contrasting with the white creamy feta cheese and bright green sprigs of fresh dill. Light and fragrant, this was a pizza that was difficult to stop eating!

Tomorrow we turn our gaze towards another region of the world, and another gourmet pizza. Come back and visit us here at orenji!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Gourmet Pizza Party: taste of Hawai'i


We recently had the opportunity to host a gourmet pizza birthday party, for which we created ten speciality gourmet pizzas. Guests "ordered" their pizzas from a selection of printed menu cards listing the ingredients for each freshly baked pie. In the next few posts, we will highlight a number of these ten creations, focusing on the fresh ingredients used in their preparation.


The first of the ten pizzas was influenced by ingredients and cooking techniques used in the Hawaiian islands... and was aptly named, "a taste of Hawai'i..."
We started with a freshly made organic white flour pizza dough, rich in olive oil and sea salt. Baked on our pizza stone, the crust was crispy on the outside, and perfectly chewy around the edges. Rolled thin, in a "New York" pizza style, the crust is the perfect vehicle for the gourmet ingredients added.


Topping the pizza was a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, infused with the juice of fresh Maui pineapple. With a hint of spice to balance the sweetness, this sauce set the stage for the remainder of the pizza toppings. We chose fresh smooth and creamy mild Gouda cheese (unsmoked) to complement the robust sauce. Freshly shucked local yellow corn, roasted with chili and cumin, grilled red onions, and grilled fresh pineapple chunks were liberally added. Lastly, shredded Kālua pork, slow roasted with sea salt and ti leaves until tender and flavorful. While we were unable to build a traditional Hawaiian imu (underground "oven" lined with hot rocks and banana leaves), our orenji kitchens version is moist and delicious just the same. The smokiness and saltiness of the meat mingled perfectly with the other pizza toppings to create a rich and flavorful slice of pizza.



For us, and for many of the guests at the party, this was a highlight of the evening... but it is also just the tip of the pizza ice burg! Check back, as we review some of the other wonderful pizza creations from the gourmet pizza birthday party!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Orenji 2009 Mother's Day & Spring Pricing Guide Available!



We are pleased to announce that the 2009 Spring Season and Mother's Day Pricing Guide is now available! To access the pricing guide, visit our link in the left-hand margin, or click on the link below:

2009 Orenji Spring Season and Mother's Day Pricing Guide

In the pricing guide, you will find wonderful treats inspired by the spring season, as well as perfect gifts to honor mothers on their special day. Some of these delightful items include:

A selection of hand-crafted chocolates with decadent truffle fillings

Hand-poured chocolate orange slices infused with hand-candied orange peel

Hand-crafted cashew and caramel clusters with milk chocolate

Handmade fruit-scented homemade marshmallows (with or without chocolate drizzle)

milk chocolate enrobed graham crackers with spring decorations

Flower-shaped chocolate drizzled krispy cereal treat (large) with festive seasonal decorations

Our full line of “Sweet Fortune” fortune cookie-shaped gourmet chocolates

Delicious cupcakes in a variety of spring flavors

Gourmet Caramel Corns

Earl grey-infused madeleines with lemon icing

Hawaiian lavender shortbread tea cookies

Green tea shortcake sandwiches filled with white chocolate-cardamom ganache

Apricot and Almond Shortbread Bars

Bittersweet flower-shaped chocolate truffle brownies

Brown sugar caramel, toasted coconut, milk chocolate, macadamia nut brownies

And much, much more!

To place an order, contact us by email at orenjicatering@hotmail.com, or give us a call at 646.505.9794. We hope to hear from you!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Easter Hot Cross Buns...


Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One ha' penny,
two ha' penny,
Hot cross buns!
If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons.
One ha' penny,
Two ha' penny,
Hot Cross Buns!

Traditional Hot Cross Buns are baked on Good Friday, in preparation for Easter. Redolent with currants, golden raisins, and candied citrus, these spicy yeast-leavened rolls are finished with a piped icing cross. Dense and flavorful, these buns are the perfect way in which to recognize the solemnity of Easter!


Many beliefs surround Hot Cross Buns. Our favorite is: Sharing a hot cross bun with another is supposed to ensure friendship throughout the coming year, particularly if "Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be" is said at the time.

We finished our Hot Cross Buns with candied violets, the beauty of the flower on the cross symbolic.
Thanks to all our friends and clients for sticking with us during this difficult economic times. We wish you all a happy spring, and look forward to collaborating with each of you during the coming months!
Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be...

Monday, April 06, 2009

Easter Chocolates...




Easter 2009 presented us with the opportunity to create a grand variety of hand-molded and filled chocolates. We had so much fun, we wish that every holiday required chocolates... in fact, we are already expanding our handcrafted chocolate line for Mother's Day 2009 (because orenji chocolates are the perfect gift for your mother!)

The majority of our chocolates were packaged as "assortments" (as pictured above), but some clients know exactly what they like, and order accordingly. For example, Belgian chocolate enrobed graham crackers-- a childhood favorite which has been upgraded with high quality chocolate to an adult indulgence! Smooth bittersweet and milk chocolate and crispy deep graham crackers with just a hint of cinnamon are the perfect combination. Finished with Easter and springtime decorations, they are a festive gift tied with satin ribbon.



Another orenji classic-- perhaps our signature chocolate (for obvious reasons)-- was a popular item at Easter this year. We start by hand-candying delicate orange peel, a process which can take all day! The peel is washed and then gently boiled repeatedly (up to 12 times!) to remove the bitterness from the peel, leaving only the clean citrus sweetness. Then, the peel is sliced and gently cooked with sugar to crystallize and seal in the flavors. Once cool, we finely chop the peel, stirring it into the smoothest Belgian bittersweet and milk chocolates, hand-molding the result into chocolate orange slices. The orange peel creates a subtle flavor and textural contrast to the perfectly balanced chocolate. Packaged by the dozen, with our signature orenji foil, these are a perfect gift year round!


We now turn our attention to orenji's selection of chocolate truffle filled eggs. The first, and most popular filled egg this year, was a bittersweet chocolate shell streaked with white chocolate, and filled with bittersweet-cappuccino truffle filling. Deep and strong in flavor, these eggs were not for those with subtle taste buds! Also pictured below, milk chocolate eggs filled with a milk chocolate truffle filling infused with our hand-made sea salt caramel. Smooth and sweet, these eggs were rich and satisfying, although nearly impossible to stop eating!





Smooth milk chocolate eggs filled with our peanut butter truffle filling and decorated with salted peanut halves, as well as white chocolate eggs filled with bittersweet chocolate and candied orange peel rounded out our selection of hand-poured chocolate eggs. Also pictured below, caramel and toasted coconut eggs, formed by hand, enrobed in milk chocolate and finished with toasted coconut flakes and a drizzle of bittersweet chocolate. Crunchy and sweet, these are the perfect gift for a coconut lover!


Our selections of Easter chocolates were packaged in two ways, depending on the order. Some assortments were packaged in flat windowed boxes with satin ribbons and Easter decorations.



In other cases, items were individually packaged, and assortments were shipped in pastel-colored take out containers, also finished with satin ribbon and festive Easter decorations!


However packaged, the contents were beautiful and delicious-- the perfect Easter gift for friends or family. When next we blog, a look at the Hot Cross Buns we created for Easter this year. Be sure to check back!

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Afternoon Tea Baby Shower: a trio of truffles...



We conclude our review of the Afternoon Tea Baby Shower we recently created with a look at truffles and tea cookies. For this festive event, we created three varieties of chocolate truffles, each using the finest Belgian chocolate! Our first truffle-- and probably our favorite due to it's deep rich flavors-- starts with bittersweet chocolate which we infuse with Mexican cinnamon, Ancho chili, and smoked sea salt. Sweet, smoky, and a bit salty, these are the perfect truffles to enjoy with a bold red wine or a cup of coffee! The second truffle we created began with smooth milk chocolate, which we infused with juicy fresh raspberries and Chambord liqueur. Finally, one of our signature truffles was created- white chocolate infused with Japanese matcha green tea and a hint of cardamom. These truffles are both sweet and herbal, with just a touch of spice!


This concludes our review of the Afternoon Tea Baby Shower. It was a wonderful event, and we wish the guest of honor all the best! As always, here at orenji, we were flattered and proud to be involved in creating a special afternoon for such an important moment.
Check back soon to see some of the Easter 2009 treats we created this year. You don't want to miss this!

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Afternoon Tea Baby Shower: Tea Cookies...

As we continue our review of the recently created Afternoon Tea Party baby shower, we pause to ask, "What is a tea party without tea cookies?" To answer that question, we created six varieties of bite-sized and flavor-rich tea cookies. Small and beautiful, we guarantee it is difficult to eat just one of each!

Our first cookie began with a classic Italian Anginetti cooked cookie dough, which we infused with Meyer lemon and Tahitian vanilla. Once piped and baked, these cookies puff into a light and airy citrus confection that melts in the mouth. We glazed each cookie with a simple cooked Italian frosting, rich with citrus flavors.




The second of our tea cookies is an orenji classic, and one of our most frequently ordered cookies-- Hawaiian Lavender Shortbread. This light and crumbly shortbreads are full of the essence of culinary Lavender grown on the volcanic slopes of Maui. Herbal and sweet, with the perfect shortbread texture, these cookies are both simple and complex. Rolled in lavender sugar, they are also quite eye-catching!


Linzer Tortes (or Linzertorte) are Austrian confections (named after the Austrian city of Linz) which combine a crumbly brown sugar and almond dough with the sweet/tart flavors of fruit-- typically raspberry or apricot. While traditionally a Linzer Torte can be made as a cake or cookies, we opted for the smaller version, filling ours with a raspberry filling made from juicy fresh raspberries, lemons, and vanilla. A top layer, with traditional heart-shaped window, completed these delectable treats!



Some of our loyal readers may recognize the next cookie as a favorite from our 3 dozen varieties of winter holiday cookies created every year. Here at orenji, we like to refer to them as "log jams," given that they are baked in logs, filled with fruit preserves, and sliced only after they receive their festive glaze and decorations. Of course, these might be more aptly named "Vanilla shortbread fingers with fruit filling..." but where's the fun in that?

In this case, we created a number of flavors: apricot, lilikoi (passion fruit), mango, and guava, to name a few. Each was finished with a vanilla glaze and festive pastel decorations-- perfect for a baby shower!





A cookie first created for Valentine's Day a few years back returned for the Afternoon Tea baby shower event-- heart-shaped vanilla shortbread with Belgian milk chocolate and toasted coconut. Crunchy, smooth, and delicious-- with just a hint of the tropics-- these cookies are the perfect bite-sized snack to satisfy any sweet tooth!



The last of our six tea cookies is an Earl Grey Tea infused Madeleine with lemon glaze. Madeleines-- really more of a "cake" than a cookie-- are a French creation, baked in a classic shell-shaped pan. Our Madeleine batter was infused with the essence of Earl Grey Tea and lemon zest prior to baking, resulting in a deep, rich spicy flavor. The lemon glaze brought both acid and sweetness to the light "cakes," creating a perfectly balanced accompaniment for coffee or tea.




All in all, the focus of a tea party should be on the tea cookies. In this case, we think the selection of six that we created was a perfect focal point for a festive afternoon shower. In our next post, we'll discuss our trio of truffles created for the same event! Be sure to check back.