Can any food truck cater your wedding?

The food at a wedding is as important as, well, almost anything.
Let's be honest here, weddings are judged on the food, how the bride looks in her dress,
and the beer selection - For the most part.

So many couples tell us the hardest two things in planning a wedding is booking the caterer and picking out invites.
We are here to help with one side of the equation - Picking the caterer.
In this case, we are going to assume one thing - The couple is going to use a food truck.
Food trucks are like bras, finding the perfect fit is not that easy.

There are several factors that come into play at the very start.
We are going to walk through each piece of the puzzle to help you select the best
crew for the job.

1. Cost - No need to beat around the bush
At the end of the day, we almost all have a budget for whatever we do.
Weddings are often times no different. A good way to start the process is to decide on a ballpark budget for your meal. Most good food trucks will have a wedding menu for you to look at. A good rule of thumb, if the food trucker doesn't have a wedding menu, they may be the right person for the job. When you get some menus/estimates you will get a chance to compare between trucks. What you are comparing is way more than food - Which leads up to the next factor.

2. Service Styles - Who doesn't love some good food trucks eats. There is just something really cool about getting your grub from a food truck. What you need to decide at this point is if you want that for your wedding party. Some people say yes, hands down - Truckside is the way to go! Just know there are other options - Buffets, family style, passed appetizers, and then maybe having truckside as one of the courses.
Ask your food trucker about their styles of service - If you want more than a truckside element to your wedding service, some truckers might not be a good fit.
More and more couples are choosing food trucks because of the added "Cool" factor.
What they are also finding out is that they can still have all the luxuries of a traditional wedding, just with a food truck as part of the service.

3. Stations - The station setup has taken over the wedding world. From traditional grilling setups, to flatbread pizza, to cool build your own dessert bars.
Sadly, a lot of food truckers don't take part in this trend. The interactive experience that your guests can have truly make the wedding meal unforgettable.
A great example, our grilled flatbread station is one of our most popular appetizers.
Could we easily grill the flatbread in the truck - Absolutely. By adding an outdoor grill, the guests can see the work being done. They take in the sights, smells, and know that the food did not come out of a warmer. If you want this experience, just look for it and you can find it. If you find the right truck, lots of these options are available as part of the service, not as an added cost.

4. Staff - This is where the right trucks really shine.
Each truck is only as good as the staff. Food is just one piece of the puzzle. These are your guests, attending your big event, how do you want them to feel?
You don't have to do a full plated meal with someone placing the napkin on the guests laps to have great service. When the guests are done with their food, no matter what style of service, what happens? Who throws the plates away? These people can relax and enjoy some dancing and visiting with a little TLC - Have some staff included to at least handle the garbage. Just ask what the prices include? This is your wedding, these people came to relax, and there are some food truckers that plan for every piece of the service.
This part is the hospitality side of catering, which is more about people than food.

5. The Good Stuff - The Bar!
If you want some great craft beer or maybe some sangria, you can find trucks that will take of all of that stuff. What style of food goes great with a cold craft beer? Any style of food. We hear this all the time, my mom is going to handle the beer and wine. We understand that cost thing, that is why it was #1. Some trucks put together really great bar packages - Rustic old wine barrels with a wooden bar, professional bartenders, and the cost is not that much different than mom going to BJ's. The X Factor is letting mom and the family relax and enjoy the night. The right food trucker will have a bar that is a great addition and also a professional feel.

If you do your homework and ask the right questions, you will have no problem finding the right food truck to cater your wedding. At the end of the day, there is a truck for everyone! Happy Hunting and if you have any questions, please shoot me an email and I will do my best to help - info@wanderingdago.com or leave a message here on the blog.

Food Truck Weddings and Barn Venues - A true perfect marriage

The Great Northeast is known for many things - One is magnificent wedding venues.
From historic mansions to waterfront landings to extravagant ballrooms, there are more
fantastic venues than I could ever list. We are lucky to get to cater weddings all over the northeast
and most of the venues are great for food truck weddings.
One venue style in particular is at the top of our list for places to work - The Barn Venue.

To start, almost every venue works for a food truck wedding - That is important to note.
We typically don't play favorites, but this is one case where I am a little partial.
I am sure that some of my love is from my roots growing up on a ranch in Montana.

Everyone knows how hip and trendy barn weddings have become. However, I think there is
more to this partnership than trendiness. Many of the barn venues in the northeast have embraced the true heritage of the properties. From rustic redesigns to repurposed woods for tables, lots of the properties have really stayed true to the eras they were built in.
That being said, many of the barns have retro-fitted their property to be a wedding wonderland
of sorts. From theme lighting to outdoor pavilions, and even guest cottages for the wedding party,
many of these places are like a resort.
Whether the barn is rustic or whether the barn has air conditioning, they will all have one thing in common - Food Truck Friendliness.

Here are some reasons we think a barn venue and a food truck are the perfect marriage.

1.  Food trucks are great for any kind of outdoor wedding - Barn Venues are usually situated on
a larger piece of property. Imagine having a grilling station outside in the beautiful weather. Lots of open air pavilions like this one at Owls Hoot Barn are perfect for cocktail hour stations or even some buffet style setups. This wedding had a mix of passed appetizers, grilled appetizers at a station, and one table with plated appetizers in the middle. The sun was shining and the day was absolutely perfect.

2. Barn venues often do not have a full kitchen - A wedding equipped food truck is a mobile kitchen with all the equipment on board. Do your homework, tour the truck, and you can choose a barn venue that has all the old charm and still have a full catered meal that your guests will love.

3. Photos - Don't get me wrong, some of the ballrooms in the area are amazing for backdrops.
If you are someone that wants some character and charm in your wedding photos, a barn venue is right up your alley. Your wedding photographer will love the natural light for starters. On a lighter note, having an old barn in your photos is pretty cool. Many of these venues have lots of old buildings, trees, and all kinds of places to take pictures that nobody could ever duplicate.

This wedding was near and dear to my heart. I enjoyed every minute of the experience and I think the guests had a wonderful time. Congratulations to Tom and Lisa.
If you have any questions about how a food truck would fit into your wedding, please contact us through our website - www.wanderingdago.com

Buffet Style Service - Tired or Necessary?

I say this over and over that the best part of my job is meeting the couples.
Each and every one is so full of joy, excitement, and ideas.
Their stories are unique, yet very similar in many ways. We talk location, we talk appetizers, desserts, favorite dishes for the main entree, what types of craft beer they are going to have, but one
of the hottest topics during the meeting is this - Style of Service.

One word is mentioned and many of the young brides make what I call the "Icky" Face.
The same face a baby makes when they don't want the food in the spoon you put in front of them.
Nose wrinkled up, etc, etc..... That word is "buffet."

Couples don't call on their favorite food trucker to put on a buffet style service.
Food trucks are so hip and trendy, while buffet service is often viewed in the same category
as Scrabble - acceptable, but no fun.
There are actually many factors to a successful wedding meal, believe it or not.
By success, I do not mean getting the people fed.
My personal nemesis - I am at a wedding, stuck in assigned seating (Insert Icky Face),
and like usual, my table is one of the last to get their meals. The meat has been under a warmer for what tastes like 2 weeks, the veggies are now cold and chewy like bubble gum, while the mashed
potatoes now have butter that has seperated back into a cube.

This is one example of a wedding meal that failed in many people's opinions, mine included.

Obviously buffets were born of necessity, not glamour.
Which brings us back to initial problem - Hip and trendy is part of the draw for these young whipper snappers. Let's insert some cool to your wedding service.

Here are 3 things to help your service be effective, tasty, and amazeballs cool.
 1. Mix it up - Do a different style of service for every course. We do a lot of these weddings.
Cocktail Hour/ Appetizers - Family Style for 2 of the appetizers. They are arranged on plates at the table for your guests to pick and choose as they like. This is a great place for apps that require a fork or that have sauce. Passed for the other 1 or 2 Appetizers.
Guests that are walking around looking for future dance partners can also nosh on hand held bites.
Great place for skewers and one biters.
Main Course - Great place for a station - Perhaps a grill style setup - pick 3 meats and let your guests choose from freshly grilled meats. Toppings are also very effective here - Grilled flank steak and the guest adds some bruschetta on top. Another hugely popular station is a build your own anything - Insert taco bar. No Taco Bell, we are talking nicely done fried tilapia, smoked pork belly, fresh qucamole, and all the fixins. Guests can take as much as they like and all the food is super fresh.
Your food trucker can make smaller batches as the service goes on, so the food is perfect.
Sides - We also see a lot of family style sides, or even a....buffet table or two.
Guests can get their food in a timely manner, no waiting and no fuss.
Dessert - Truckside!!!! Let the guests go get their dessert on their time.
Pie Holes (Bite Size Pies) with a milkshake station is the perfect end to any meal. If someone wants to make three trips, let them - That is the fun of a food truck style service.
2. Really go over the flow of the service with your food trucker. Waiting kills a service like nothing else. We shoot for 75 people max at any one station. If you have 180 people at your wedding, you would need 3 stations. That way nobody ever waits very long. And let's be honest, stations are so much fun - The more variety, the better.
3. Be realistic. A wedding service with 125 people ordering from the truck for every course is not a good idea. Make sure you are talking to the right crew to handle your wedding. If a food trucker tells you otherwise, they are not being realistic. There are a lot of factors, like the crazy summer humidity that make a 15 min wait seem like 3 hours. Nobody wants crabby pants at the reception.

If you don't want your wedding dinner to have the same feel as a church pot luck, just follow
these three steps. If you have any quesitons, please leave a comment or email us at
info@wanderingdago.com. If you get a chance, please sign up to follow this blog or share
on your Facebook Page.
Thank You -

Brandon - Chef/Owner
Wandering Dago Catering Co. & Food Truck

Can a venue tell you who can cater your wedding?

As you all know, this blog is about all things food truck wedding related.
Most of my info is shared to help couples in the planning process or to help
bust some myths.
Today will be a little different - The topic is all about venues.

I hear a lot about the most time consuming parts of planning a wedding reception.
Lots of couples mention finding a venue and booking a caterer as the two hardest
things to get ironed out.
So, I started asking couples what made these tasks so darned complicated.
Talk about a pandora's box of sorts - Granted, the catering thing was a lot of what I
imagined, however, the venue part threw me for a complete curveball.

Almost every couple has told me about the struggle to do business with venues
that will not let them bring in the vendors they choose.
Now, my distaste for the good old boy clubs runs deep beyond words. Good, healthy
competition is the foundation for any industry to stay sharp and be successful.
I have come across a lot of venues who won't let an outside vendor come to the party,
unless they are on the "Preferred" Vendor List.
So, to clarify - These venues want you to write them a check for a lot of money, like new car
amount of money, then feel like they need to tell you who you can have for other vendors?
So, their photographers, their caterers, basically the people they are in close with - The old deal of
who shines their shoes.

With total disregard for the fact that you are, in fact, the people getting married, who in the world
is arrogant enough to feel like they have any right to tell someone what they can and cannot do is
ludicrous to me.
I totally understand if the venue has a restaurant and handles the catering onsite - That makes sense.
However, most of the venues we work with don't have a restaurant.

How do all of you feel about this?
If I was engaged and someone told me what I had to do for my wedding, besides my fiance (Insert Wink), I have a feeling I would not be writing them a check for anything.

Today I got an email that made me smile - A couple told their favorite venue whose name I won't
mention, they were bringing us to cater the party or they weren't getting booked.
Guess what happened ....
Maybe the time has come to tell these venues that the world doesn't revolve around them.
Your Wedding = Your Vendors.
Plain and simple in my book.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Agree, disagree, other points of view, etc.
Please leave a comment here or email me if you feel more comfortable - info@wanderingdago.com

I really do want to thank everyone for the great feedback from this blog.
The support for this industry and where food truck wedding catering is heading, we need input and advice on best practices. The best way to do that is get good, honest feedback from everyone.

Thank you again everyone -

Brandon - Chef/Owner
Wandering Dago Catering Co. & Food Truck

Is the Food Truck Wedding Craze just a trend?

Every spring some things happen.

The snow melts, the ground thaws and the cycle of the life begins yet again.
How does that translate to the wedding world? Substitute "life" with "trends" and you
have the newest hot topic in the wedding industry.
Granted, we are in the middle of a phase where going old school is retro and hipster.
From old wood frames, burlap and chalkboard menus to  rustic barn venues with food trucks.
How long do the trends last? Who really knows.

What really stands the test of time are the "trends" that are deeper and much more purposeful.
There will always be people that are drawn to outdoor weddings where the bridesmaids wear
sun dresses. Those people seem to love the beauty and feel of sunshine on their backs and the rustic feel an outdoor venue brings to the equation. To others, a barn venue is totally hipster with paper flowers and all the guests wearing black Ray Ban Glasses and skinny jeans.

Lots of people send us emails about having a food truck cater their wedding.
Most are familiar with the cupcake trucks and the street food trucks.
They have either eaten at one in the city or saw one serving cupcakes at the end of a wedding service.
Some have even been to a late party after the wedding where the menus seem to gravitate
towards burgers, pizza and fries loaded with all manners of deliciousness.
We hear about the food truck trend that is really starting to surface in their areas.
The younger crowd wants a food truck or two at the wedding to show social status and be in the
loop for the trends that season.

For a food trucker in the great northeast that specializes in wedding catering, all these points are good. On the other hand, I do not wear skinny jeans and have big black glasses because I have a fat head. We also wonder if the food truck trend is far from being a trend.
Lots of hardcore foodies want to learn more about the important stuff regarding a food truck -
The Food.

The Hudson Valley, Westchester, Vermont and the capital region of New York is filled with foodies.
These people want to know where their food was grown, how the food was harvested and whether we offer vegetarian, vegan and gluten free choices.
That makes my heart smile.

When these foodies find out that we source most of the ingredients locally and make our food from scratch, they smile back.
Then comes the X Factor - We bring our kitchen to your wedding venue.
Translation - The food is cooked that day at your wedding.
When you see a catering van pull up with huge warmers, you can know that the food has been
cooked for quite some time. The word day fresh is for old bagels, not wedding food.

This trend is changing how the wedding industry will look at the food that is served.
Farm to table is a very catchy phrase, that is for sure.
On the wedding front, how does truck to table sound?
If you want the freshest food, prepared the right way, look into having a food trucker at your wedding. You may never see me in skinny jeans, but you will see me smiling when the trend has passed and people are shocked when a food truck is not serving the food at the wedding they attend.

If you have any questions or just feel like adding something to the conversation,
please feel free to email me -
info@wanderingdago.com or just leave a comment here on the blog.

Thanks -

Brandon - Chef/Owner
Wandering Dago Catering Co & Food Truck







 

Food Truck Weddings Q & A Session 2 - Who brings the beer?

Easily the most popular question our catering team gets asked these days involves
one very important phase of the wedding - Who brings the beer?

Forget the love and cherish, til death do you part - We need to get the beer selection ironed out.
And what about Aunt Claire? She only drinks Zinfandel and Syrah, but we need to have a couple white wines since the wedding is in July.

How can we break bread with all of our friends and relatives with no vino?

You will hear me talk often about the new era of food truckers - This Q & A Session is no different.
There was a time when food trucks at weddings involved a cupcake truck.
Having a truck come for late night eats like pizza or sliders was the next generation.
Both of those circumstances still exist and most likely always will at weddings.
There is always a place for cupcakes and pizza.

On the other hand, you can hire the right food trucker to handle the appetizers, the main entrees
and the sides, the desserts, the late night bites and the liquid courage.

Planning your wedding is hard work, there are tons of items to cross off the list.
Finding the right food trucker can actually make your job easier.
All the pieces in the puzzle apply to that statement - From the 1st consultation to the tasting, make
sure that you are working with the right crew for the job. Ironing out the menu can take a few
revisions, this is one of the biggest days of your life to date. Part of that menu is the beer and wine selections.
Whether you like a wine from a local vineyard or a great wheat beer from Colorado, just be sure to tell your food trucker what styles of beer/ wine that you like.
I tell all of our brides and grooms to bring their favorites to the tasting. There is no better way to
iron out the drink selection than seeing what goes best with the food on the menu.
Look around and see who has deals on catering and drink packages - Booking one crew to
handle everything can give you peace of mind.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comment box or shoot me an email through our website - www.wanderindago.com

Keep the questions coming, no matter what the topic. I will be doing Q & A Sessions once or twice monthly. I think our next topic will be wedding planners - We are getting lots of questions on how food trucks work together with wedding planners.
Let us know your thoughts on planners.

Have a great day -

Brandon
Chef/ Owner - Wandering Dago Catering Company & Food Truck

What is Traditional Wedding Fare?

After meeting some brides and grooms to be, I think I may have a different outlook
on this topic than I had even one year ago.

Imagine if you got a piece of paper that had one single question written on it.
The question said, "Write down what you consider traditional wedding fare."

This is a question that I ask almost every couple we meet with - So far the answers are almost all different. Endless amounts of bad pasta is a popular answer, as is carved prime rib.
Most of these people have to stop and truly think about the question before answering.
That pause led me to wonder if there is such a thing as classic wedding fare.
Ironically, many of the brides and grooms seem to be extremely open to menu options.
Most have one or two "Musts" that need to make the menu in some capacity.
One major influence is parents and grandparents - I am told often that they need to have some traditional "______________." - Insert the family favorite or ethnic staple.
For that reason alone, I am in love with wedding consultations and tastings.
Getting to know a couple is one of the best parts of this whole process.

Many of the crews we meet have such an amazing appreciation for fusion style cuisine, for which I am eternally thankful. A great example - meeting a young couple that loves all styles of food and wants their favorites combined into a theme for the wedding menu actually makes my job much more fun.
Creating these menus from dishes they have tasted or even imagined often involves some classic cooking techniques paired with one or two genres of food. From these wedding consultations we are seeing all kinds of menu item ideas surface - take Prime Rib on a Build Your Own Taco Bar or even a smoked pork belly corndog appetizer.
We have booked weddings with pig roasts and weddings with prime rib carving stations.

 

I am starting to wonder if traditional wedding fare is starting be nothing more than a starting point for the imagination.

To many, starting a food truck already puts us in the "Rogue" Category, among other labels....
Our grand plan to make wedding catering more fun for the people involved is starting to take place.

Make sure that you keep some tradition, no matter what that means to you, just remember to make the wedding menu all yours.
If our catering team can ever help with ideas in any way, please let me know.
You can always ask us questions here - catering@wanderingdago.com

If you just feel like cruising the wedding menu, check it out here - www.wanderindago.com 


Brandon
Chef/Owner - Wandering Dago Food Truck & Catering

Tastings - A forgotten piece of the puzzle

We need to clear the air on this subject ASAP

People are sending us emails saying that caterers won't do a tasting unless they book the wedding.
Insert a video of me shaking my head....

We all know how competitive the wedding catering market is on many levels.
Our team has always believed that competition is the best way to keep things moving forward.
As a food trucker, we compete against all the traditional caterers, but also against a stigma -
Food trucks only serve street food.

In hearing that not only some traditional caterers, but also some of my fellow food truckers won't do a tasting makes me wonder a lot of things - None good.
Here is my honest opinion.

Absolutely do not do business with those people.
You are a number,  a spoke in a wheel, nothing more than a dollar amount to them.
We are in the business of serving food to people - We love it, that brings us joy and happiness.
Apparently the joy is not shared by all. Perhaps some are just too busy to hear all about your big day and what you would like the food setup to entail.

When you reach out to a wedding caterer, don't ask if they will do a tasting - Insist.
Our catering team shoots for 2 proteins, 2 sides and an appetizer - Switch the appetizer and side count if you are planning a heavy cocktail hour setup.

This is just like meeting your potential partner - This is a date as well as an interview.
The tasting is a great time to go over service styles, the options for the appetizer course and how changes will affect pricing. We all know that most caterers love to do the old bait and switch setup-
If you change from a Non Premium to a Premium Appetizer, get your wallet out.
What the hell is a premium appetizer? Did it go to graduate school?

If you are going to spend more money, you better be able to taste and decide.
Don't get me wrong, I understand spending some more money for a higher end product.
I could drive a Mercedes and tell you pretty quick that I love my Subaru, but there is a difference.
Without driving, the cars look pretty well the same.

As a food trucker, I want to meet the clients personally. We invite them to our house to break bread, to hear their story and to learn more about them as a couple. We eat, drink, they even meet our Great Dane - If Roxy doesn't approve, the deal is off.
Last week we had a couple come up from Brooklyn with their wedding planners. We shared recipes on braising chicken thighs, I heard all about the amazing fishmonger they prefer to use for the seafood on the menu and we made some great friends.  This is the human element that cannot be achieved via email or by looking at a brochure.

If a wedding caterer will not do a tasting because that is their policy, I am sure they have a reason.
None of the potential reasons make a damn bit of sense to me, but I am sure they have a reason.
When we decided to write a blog about food trucks and weddings, I wanted to make sure that people could use it as a resource.

Keep in mind that many caterers can do a great job of preparing and serving the food at your wedding. Just imagine how much peace you will find when you see the equipment to be used, meet the catering team and taste the food that will be on your wedding menu.
There are times for settling, this is not one of them.

If you have any other questions about tastings, please reply on the blog or email me here -
www.wanderingdago.com

Thanks -

Brandon
Chef/ Owner - Wandering Dago Food Truck & Catering

Foodie Friday - Pastotto

Welcome Back to Foodie Friday -

I am going to start each Foodie Friday Post with the grades on the previous week's recipe.
Chic Pea Meatballs from our friend up in Saratoga, the Toga Food Fanatic - Ashley Dingeman.
Check her out on Twitter @TogaFoodFanatic or check out her FB Page - https://www.facebook.com/SaratogaFoodFanatic

Ashley has a great point of view when it comes to reviews - She is a foodie, of course she would be perfect for doing restaurant reviews.
Come to find out, she is also quite the cook as well.
I made her meatballs following the recipe and here is my take -

Overall Grade - B+
Why not higher-

• Seems to be little tiny bit bland, could have used more salt 
• More fresh basil would have brightened up the end product
• Some garlic would have really solidified the Italian Flavor Profile

Why so high -

• This little gem has endless uses - swap out a couple ingredients and have a totally different flavor profile - go Mediterranean, go Asian, go Southern.
•  I love how she baked them and did not fry
• Vegetarian and vegan options are so important to have a complete recipe box.

The People's Vote - Each recipe is also voted on by the readers.
Overall Grade - A-

People loved the simplicity, the baked side and also the vegan/ vegetarian/ gluten free options with this recipe.
Thanks so much Ashley, we will always love when you stop by and share a recipe.


Now, to the recipe this week..... Cue Orchestra

This week I asked our good friend Linnea to share a recipe from her blog - Borealis Kitchen
If you love food and are tired of the same old, same old - Check out her blog
http://borealis-kitchen.blogspot.com/2014/01/pastotto.html

Very rarely would I consider a pasta recipe on this blog - Until now.
Please sit down. Take your Italian Grandmother into another room. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Here is what Linnea has to say - 

pastotto

This, friends, is a post you need to pay attention to. I am about to do you all a massive favor. It will involve yelling at you, but I yell because I care.

STOP COOKING YOUR PASTA IN PLAIN, BORING WATER AND STOP EATING PLAIN, BORING PASTA. THERE IS NO REASONABLE EXCUSE FOR THIS BEHAVIOR. JUST STOP IT.

Let's face it: pasta is dull. Unless you find authentic, homemade stuff, pasta is bland as can be, and even finding homemade doesn't guarantee it's going to be flavorful. Plus, half the time the sauce is too thin and just rolls off the noodles, and what you end up with is a forgettable, disappointing meal, which is why people end up just dumping mass amounts of cheese on top, or even worse, that "Parmesan" dust that doesn't even need to be refrigerated.

Never again! Now your pasta can actually taste like things!

There is one simple rule for pasta to be rich and flavorful: cook it like risotto. Start off like you're making the sauce (saute some onion/shallots/garlic/tomatoes/whathaveyou), then add oil and dry noodles, then broth in half-cup increments til the pasta has absorbed it all, then finish it like you're finishing the sauce (with "cream," a thickener, etc) and that's all. Since the pasta is cooking with  the sauce ingredients and stock rather than water, it's infused with all that flavor. Delish.

Here's one I messed around with to bring to my holiday potluck party on Friday. It's lovely as is, but next time I may also finish it with a bechemel, just to give it even more lushness.

Mushroom Leek Pastotto

Earth Balance butter and olive oil for sauteing
1/2 lb pasta (gemelli is a classic, but I quite like to use orecchiette or campanelle)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 to 1 cup leeks, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1 tbsp minced garlic (I use jarred, minced garlic because I like how much mellower it is than fresh)
1/2 cup white wine
2.5-3 cups vegetable stock (I never use tomato-based stocks since mostly they make things taste like tomato paste, and here it's especially important to avoid them because you don't want to overpower the delicate flavors of the mushrooms and leeks)

 Heat a heavy and deep skillet over medium heat and melt 2 tbsp Earth Balance in it. Add the shallot, garlic and leeks and saute for a minute or two, then add mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms brown. Add the pasta and a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and stir and toss the pasta until it's evenly coated and glossy. Add the white wine and simmer, stirring frequently, until the wine is mostly absorbed. Add 1/2 a cup of stock and repeat the process. Once absorbed, add another 1/2 cup, and so on, until the stock is absorbed and the pasta is tender. Serve piping hot, and you just try not to eat 3 helpings, I dare you.

It's so easy to vary this recipe, and use whatever herbs, spices and vegetables to different effects, plus the whole shebang takes less than 1/2 an hour, so it's a nice last minute meal idea.

Enjoy!

As a huge backer of the No Carb Left Behind Movement, this was out of this world good.
There was a silkiness to that pasta that Scott Conant would marvel at.
The Pasta Gods were smiling today.

The depth of flavor in this pasta is like a good braised beef dish or a perfectly done pork ragout.
The leeks were a fantastic flavor in this dish, this coming from someone who is not in love with leeks.
I think Linnea is spot on in saying you could take this dish to any part of Italy and beyond with flavor profiles.
I would be a huge fan of giving your favorite red sauce the day off this Sunday.
Take this recipe for a ride and let me know what you think.
Email your reviews to - info@wanderingdago.com or leave a comment here.

See everyone next Friday -

Brandon
Chef/ Owner - Wandering Dago Food Truck & Catering

Foodie Friday - Chic Pea Meatballs

I want to start this post by saying that I am a meatball fanatic - I Love em, absolutely love em.

Seems like so many cultures have some form of meatball.
From lamb to a mix of pork, beef and veal, meatballs are all over the culinary map.
If you are a traditionalist, you may want to stop reading right now.
Growing up on a cattle ranch, vegetarian food was not in very high demand at our house.
Now that probably 1/4 of our customers are vegetarians, I am always looking for a great
recipe that meets 3 requirements -

1. Tastes Fantastic
2. Is not a sell out - having vegetarian options and catering to vegetarians are two totally different things. 
3. Requires no processed ingredients

When I tried these meatballs, I knew we had a winner. 

Our good friend, The Saratoga Food Fanatic, was kind enough to share this recipe.
Drum Roll..... Chic Pea Meatballs

Here is the recipe -

For the Chickpea Meatballs

• Cooking Spray
• 1-15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4-5 leafs of fresh basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the Sandwiches

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 hoagie rolls
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°. Prepare your baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray and setting aside.
2. In a food processor or kitchen aid mixer, combine all chickpea meatball ingredients. Pulse or mix until the chickpeas are mashed and the mixture has enough texture to be formed into balls.
3. Divide your mixture into 10-12 meatballs. After placing the chickpea meatballs on your prepared baking sheet, spray the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs have a crunchy and golden-brown color.
4. Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a saucepan. This can be homemade or store bought. Cook until sauce is just warmed through—between 3-5 minutes, then remove from heat.
5. When chickpea meatballs are complete, remove from oven and turn on the broiler. Gently place the chickpea meatballs into the already heated marinara sauce.
6. Slice a slit into each hoagie roll and place on a baking sheet. Spoon three-four chickpea meatballs into each roll.
7. Top each sandwich with an even amount of mozzarella cheese. Broil in over for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted, browned and looking like they’re ready to eat

 
We made the meatballs and I have to say that the texture is fantastic. We also added 2 cloves of chopped garlic to go with the Italian Flavor Profile. While we were in the test kitchen, we also made a few with a Mediterranean feel. We added some chopped kalamata olives, feta and substituted basil with cilantro. One word - Amazeballs.
This is the perfect addition to any party menu - The vegetarians will love you as will your heart for cutting out tons of saturated fats. 

Here is a link to Ashley's Blog - http://saratogafoodfanatic.com/
This is one of those blogs we highly recommend signing up to follow. Great reviews on places to eat in Saratoga and also some fantastic recipes. 

Each Friday we will post a recipe - Some will be ours and some will be from local food bloggers and chefs. We will make the recipe, give some feedback and then let the readers rate it.
The rating system will be just like school,  A+ to D-
Next Friday I will post the readers ratings along with my rating.

Have a Great Weekend -

Brandon
Chef/ Owner - Wandering Dago Food Truck & Catering