I am an Olympic junkie. Trying to watch every moment on television, and last night was no exception. I watched as the Canadian figure skater took to the ice after losing her mother earlier to a heart attack. As I watched, I thought to myself; didn’t she know that she had a heart condition? Did she not get screened properly (if at all)?
All of this emotion brought me back to last Wednesday during the annual Woman’s Day Red Dress Awards held at The Allen Room in Frederick P. Rose Hall Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. This event was created by Woman’s Day to honor those who are leading the fight against heart disease, the number one killer of women. Aside from this being a star studded celebrity event (everyone dressed in red, of course), we tried to do more than just cater the event. We worked to help them link all the aspects of their event to highlight their cause. After learning about their new sponsor, Coty Halle Berry’s Pure Orchid Fragrance, we delved deeper into this opportunity and matched our food and drink with some of the “notes” in the fragrance. Here are some of the items we came up for great pairings, while also keeping in mind that our food needed to be “heart healthy”:
“Subtly sweet Star Anise completes the Orchid accent”
Star Anise Braised BBQ Braised Short Ribs
Stone Ground Grit Cakes
On Carmelized Lemon Wheels
“Papaya Nectar Fizz and Jungle Cactus Flower incite the senses”
Crispy Rock Shrimp Tempura
On Beet Chip with Cactus Relish
“The Signature Masdevallia Orchid, a Rare and Exotic Flower”
Stilton Cheese Toasts
With Lavender Honey and Orchid Sprinkles
“Top notes of Crisp Italian Lemon”
Lemon Drop Martini
Citron Vodka, Limoncello Lemon Liquer, Sweet and Sour Mix, Fresh Lemon Juice, Sugar
“A touch of decadent Blackberry Creme Concentre”
Blackberry Crème
Baileys, Cream, Blackberry Puree, Cacao and Carmel
Our part in catering the event may have seemed small in comparison to the work that Woman’s Day is doing; making women aware of their risk and educating them on how to be heart-healty. But an event of this magnitude can have an impact on many levels, and we hope in some way, we helped make a small difference.
The 2010 Red Dress Award honorees will be featured in the March issue of Woman's Day, on newsstands February 9th. For more information on Woman's Day, click Here.
Catering: Great Performances
Venue: Jazz at Lincoln Center
Design: Ed Libby and Company