Photos worth a thousand words...

Barn setup, originally uploaded by Main Course California.

During the month of May, we've been blessed with the opportunity to partner with photographer Lesley Bryce on a few of our events. Not only is she great to work with, but Lesley also has a knack for capturing the essence of a moment with her camera lens.

If you take a peek at the Flickr album from this wedding we catered on May 8th in Santa Paula, surely you'll be wowed by Lesley's pictures. There are color photos of the tablescapes, closeups that capture the freshness of the food, black and whites of the barn where the reception was held, and festive shots of the whimsical wedding cake.

Farmer of the week: Tom Shepherd

Roasted veggie crudite, originally uploaded by Main Course California.

We have a thing for farmers. And there's nothing like having a relationship with the person who grows your food (except maybe growing it yourself, of course). Anyway, one of our longtime loves is Tom Shepherd, an organic farmer up in Carpinteria. He's been farming organically in the Santa Barbara area since the 1970's. He grows his bounty on a 40-acre piece of land at the base of Shepherd Mesa in Carpinteria, and has another space in the Santa Ynez Valley.

And boy does he believe in the power of eating locally. As he said in an interview with the Santa Barbara Independent, "Food loses vitality when it sits around for a few days...And when it comes from Mexico or Argentina, it's just dead. It's filler. It's like chips." Currently, we are getting our white beans (for our house made hummus) and Tahitian squash (which you see in our roasted veggie sandwich and salad) from Shepherd. And co-owner, Robert Jacobi, is a member of Shepherd Farms CSA, where you buy a share of the bounty and get a box overflowing with fresh fruit, veggies, and herbs every week.

Table talk

Artisan Cheese display, originally uploaded by Main Course California.

Everyone has their own style. Maybe yours is crisp and modern; or maybe its earthy and organic. When helping you plan your event - whether big or small, indoors or out, night or day -we'll take the time to pinpoint your style and build the vision around that.

One of the ways we articulate your style and brand your event is through the table displays, including how we lay out the food, garnish it, and present it. Every little detail, all the way down to the platters and serving utensils is an opportunity to make your event more personal and more perfect.

Above you'll see one of our most favorite displays... a bounty of artisan cheese surrounded by fresh homemade breads and fresh, local fruits and vegetables. If you want to see more of our table displays, you can browse through the set on our Flickr page.

Tempt your sweet tooth with this

Chocolate dipped dessert display, originally uploaded by Main Course California.

Tired of the same old cookie and brownie platter? Then why not try one of these for your next party? We can do chocolate dipped strawberries and our one of a kind truffle pops in a variety of flavors. Ventura Limoncello, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate & Champagne, Strawberries & Cream, Pistachio & Rose....and that's just the beginning.

And if chocolate's not your thing, we also offer individual fruit tarts with a lemon mascarpone filling, cheesecakes (key lime on macadamia nut crust), traditional French pastries (cream puffs, napoleons, and petit fours), and a variety of cookie bars (lemon, pecan, and more).

Perfectly Pairing Your Beer with Your Food

In case you missed our Flights of Fancy beer and fine food pairing event this week, here's a peek at the menu:

Radish & Butter on Pretzel Bread with Sea salt
Grilled Cheese and Candied Walnut Panini with Manchego, Goat, Swiss and White Cheddar
Hot Italian, Mild Italian and Habanero Sausage with Sauerkraut & Pretzel Bread
Light Potato Salad-Celery, Chives, Sour Cream & Shallot Vinaigrette
Super Spicy Rice Noodles in Peanut sauce with Shrimps, Shaved Carrots Basil Julienne
Butter Lettuce, Crab, Orange & Radish Sprout Roll Pistachio Dipping Sauce
Vanilla & Orange Flan with Stout Caramel

And if you couldn't make it, we thought we'd share some pointers. Are you wondering what kind of beer to serve with a spicy meal or what goes best with dessert? Well, here are a few starting points, based on many of the beers and foods we served at our event:

1. Spice goes with spicy. Hoppy Beers such as brew pub ales, Samuel Smith, or black Bavarian lagers go well with dishes like spicy peanut noodles. India Pale Ales, Island Brewing Company Blond Ale, and Telegraph Brewing Company Wheat Ale are all great with BBQ chicken wings with either a spicy or tangy sauce.

2. Mild lagers such as Einhorn, Weltenburger Urtyp, and Rieder Maerzen go well with bratwurst and sauerkraut, manchego cheese with pretzels, and even a Reuben Sandwich. Ayinger wheat beer pairs well with Schnitzel- either pork or chicken - and potatoes.

3. Bock (like Weltenburger Wintertrau), Doppel Bock (like Einhorn Unikator) and Oktoberfest Beers (like Innstadt Stadlbeer) go well with seafoods like crab salad and shrimp cocktail; but they also work well with tacos and burritos because they are a bit spicier but not too bold.

4. Dark beers go with dessert. Think Ayinger Celebrator, Islands Bluebird Porter, Samuel Smith Imperial Stout, and Guinness and you're on the right track. Try these with flan, sachertorte (a dense dark chocolate cake that hails from Austria), and even with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And if you're not afraid to mix your beer with liquor, sweet shots like Wild Turkey and Jaegermeister go well with stouts and bitters.