Eat Well, Travel Often

We often get asked by our clients to send a list of all the entrees or appetizers we can offer, and we explain that we are simply unable to do such a thing. If we were to compile a list of all the items we’ve created and prepared over the 12 years of STF’s history it would take ages. That’s because we love to learn and cook new dishes, and we’re constantly adding to our repertoire. We don’t want to serve the same food over and over. That’s so boring and it loses all its originality and excitement. We are enthusiastic about our menus, and we want our clients to get excited about them as well! So we are constantly creating new dishes and treats in the kitchen.

Developing and creating new menu items takes a lot of time and a lot of ideas. The inspiration for our ideas comes from a lot of places: our favorite restaurants, dishes we remember from when we were little, and most importantly from our travels. We love to travel! Sometimes it’s difficult to discern if we travel to cook or cook to travel. We just know that one passion encourages the other and vise-versa. Our sojourns allow us to be tasters instead of preparers. We try everything we can, but with a particular interest in the local cuisine and flavors. We question the chefs and restaurant owners who serve us about what they cook and what ingredients they use. Honestly, we pretty much travel to eat new foods; the sights and adventures are just perks. The meals we eat while traveling become an integral part of our trip experience and STF’s menus.

After all, it wouldn’t be very fun to just taste these amazing dishes from all over the world. Once we return home we set to work at recreating these items and adding our own twists. Then we want to find ways we can integrate these items in to our clients’ menus, so that they can enjoy the tastes of the Caribbean, Spain, Morocco, and others as much as we do!

Our most recent trip was to Costa Rica! After enjoying the beaches, vistas, and even managing to do a little hiking through the rainforest, we made sure to sit down to some truly amazing meals full of local dishes and flavors. Every morning we ate gallo pinto- rice and beans.  And every morning it was amazing.  This is the traditional way to start the day and surprisingly we did not get sick of eating it. It’s often served with fried plantains or tortillas and meat can be added as well.  It’s best served with Salsa Lizano. This amazing brown sauce is actually good on every single thing known to man. We had a private transfer to the airport, and our driver, Eugenia (who owns Maleku Tours and is awesome!) said she cooks dinner for her family every night-even after working all day.  She said Costa Ricans always have a big pot of beans on the stove so they are ready to eat at all times.  So rice and beans can be enjoyed any time of day.  It’s delicious, nutritious, and easy on the wallet.

We were able to travel to CR during rainy season so everything was green and lush and the fruit was all in season and so sweet and wonderful!

Only a few days after we returned home to Tennessee, we were lucky enough to be part of the Taste of Rutherford event. We knew instantly we wanted to try our hand at some Costa Rican flavors and created an appetizer we knew folks would love! Everyone who visited our table got to sample Gallo Pinto Risotto Fritter Con Cerdo, or Rice, Bean, and Shredded Pork Fritter with Pickled Watermelon Salad. We used some Salsa Lizano we brought back and made a creamy Tomatillo Salsa as the dipping sauces.  It was a hit! We had lots of guests come back for seconds, and most were amazed that we had never made that dish prior to that evening.  As always, we were so glad we got to share our latest travel via food.

We’d love to share our travel-inspired dishes with you! If you’re a travel-lover, adventurous eater, or just ready to shake things up, send us an email at events@stfcatering.com. We’d love to give you a unique and personalize menu with inspiration from around the world.