A Family Affair

Tourshi Catering is on a roll right now! For those who don't know, this is #2 Daughter Ashley's catering company -- until recently. Now, it is a family affair with the addition of her brother (the dessert guy), her Mom (the tablescaper) and her Dad (the financial backer)!

We pooled our talents last Saturday for a dinner party at Bluxome Street Winery.

The event was for "The BNO Wine Group," the wine group that Mr. A belongs to. The wives were included for this particular event. I was a working guest, so to speak, since I was called upon to set the table for the 16 guests.

I rented the tables, chairs, tablecloths, plates and wine glasses, but brought in the wool paisley table topper and charger plates and other tabletop accessories. Since the theme for the dinner was Southern Italy, I tried to give the table a traditional feel, perhaps suggesting that everything used has been in the "family" for generations.

I crumpled up garden burlap in the center, mostly to cover the wax spills and to protect it from more spills! A copper tub filled with hydrangeas served as centerpiece with copper urns and moss balls. I added large wooden candlesticks on each end.

I thought about writing little Italian or Sicilian proverbs on tiny cards, then tying them with twine around the napkins, but ran out of time.

Sayings like "Di guerra, caccia d amuri, pri un gusto milli duluri"

(In war, hunting and love, you suffer a thousand pains for one pleasure!)

next time...

I set up a bar at the entry of the winery. Again, the garden burlap came in handy for a makeshift tablecloth topped with the paisley runner that matches the main table's paisley cloth.

Meanwhile, the Tourshi Catering team was busy preparing the six course dinner with a Southern Italy/Sicily theme.

The table looking very festive at night with all the candles lit.

One of the BNO members brought this 1905 bottle of port to begin the evening. He chose it in honor of Bluxome Street Winery being the first urban winery in over 100 years in San Francisco!

Dinner is served!

The first course was a farro risotto with arancini, a sheeps's milk ricotta, paired with a beautiful rosè from Mt. Etna, Italy

Chef Ashley explaining the next course.

Crispy semolina artichoke hearts with finocchio.

The fifth course: braised goat rillettes, agrodolce, chickpea panella.

I was quite skeptical about the goat, I'll admit, but it was absolutely incredible.

Aaron, the pastry chef, prepared the dessert.

"The Creamcicle"

Buttermilk panna cotta, paige mandarin sorbet, blood orange pudding, pistachio streusel, and vanilla meringue.

Three quarters of the Tourshi team!

Le menu!

A huge thank you to Bluxome Street Winery for hosting this memorable event.

It was amazing exploring both the food and wine from Sicily and Campagna.

This is the second event I have created the table setting for at Bluxome Street Winery.

The winery plans to be open to the public in the spring. Visit their website here for more information.

Tourshi Catering now has a website too. We are working on a link that will include Aaron's desserts and my tablescapes.

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday,

On Friday, I'm joining Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.