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Chef's
Corner
Recipes, menus,
advice
Trends in
Catering
What's hot,
what's not!
Hosting a
Party
Where & when?
What's
Happening
Upcoming Events &
Announcements
Contact
Us
Proud members
of:
International Caterers
Association
SPRING SPECIAL
Host an event
between now and April 6 and receive a
15% discount off food and beverage (excluding
alcohol).
Q & A
If
you have a question about catering or event
planning, email it to: info@thomascaterers.com
Q: How far in advance
should you contact a caterer to book your
event
?
A: As soon as
you know the date of your event. It's never
to early to contact the caterer to: 1)
check on their availability for that date
and 2) request they put a hold on the date for
your event, especially since most events are
booked a year in advance.
The caterer should be one of the first
vendors you contact. At Thomas Caterers, we have
four Certified Special Event Planners on staff,
who, in addition to designing a perfect menu for
your event, can assist with all your
event planning needs such as rentals, linens,
centerpieces, tenting, AV, permits, etc. and can
even recommend venues and other reputable
vendors for additional services you may
require.
You can relax and be a guest at your own
event while allowing your caterer to handle all
the details for you. This is one of the many
reasons why you should not select a caterer
based on just price alone. Ask about additional
services offered and what their skills
qualifications are. The caterer should be the
most important vendor you choose to insure you
have a perfect event and, once you've found
them, book them as soon as you
can.
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Don't Let
March Madness®
Drive You
Crazy!
by Jennifer
McKinney-Seet, CSEP
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Indiana in the
springtime means only one thing - Basketball!
Get ready to rumble with some great indoor tailgating
partiesto watch all your
favorite teams compete for the NCAA
championship. However, as much as you love
having your friends over, the last thing you
want is to be distracted from the games by
having to worry about entertaining your guests.
Here are some great ideas on how you can relax
and enjoy the games while somebody else does all
the work.
When you want a
variety of delicious food, no hassle
entertaining, and money savings, drop-off catering is a
perfect solution. Your food, beverages and
serving items are delivered and setup for you in
convenient, sturdy and attractive disposable
containers: an instant buffet! Clean up is a
cinch and you can use the containers for storing
leftovers.
 Thomas Caterers of
Distinction now offers drop-off
catering services in addition to our
full-service style. Our Drop Off Catering
Menu offers a diverse
selection of gourmet salads, upscale
entrées and homemade desserts that will delight
your guests and win you the MVPH (Most Valuable
Party Host) Award. With our new insulated
carrying boxes, your fresh food items will
remain temperature controlled and can be
displayed right in their decorative cases. You
won't have to worry about using sternos (open
flame) and messy chafing dishes. All you do is
pop open the lid and you're ready to
serve.
Of course, if you
really want to pamper your guests and yourself,
opt for full service catering where our
staff will tend to the food and your guests
needs (and even decor if requested) while you
are left free to watch the games and can
enjoy being a guest at your
own event-insuring that you
don't miss a minute of the game!
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Chef's
Corner
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Recipe(s) of the
Month
Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate
Chip Cookies
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c.
granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1
egg
1/2 c. Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur
1
tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. cake flour
1/2 tsp.
salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 (6 oz.) pkg.
semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 c.
coconut
1/2 c. chopped nuts
Cream butter, sugars, and egg
until fluffy. Add vanilla and Bailey's. Mix dry
ingredients and blend into creamed mixture. Add
coconut, nuts, and chips. Drop onto ungreased
baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10
minutes. Cool and serve.
Irish
Dream Frozen Cocktail
1/2 oz Hazelnut Liqueur
1/2 oz
Irish Cream
3/4 oz Brown Creme de Cacao
1
Scoop Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup Ice
1 tbsp
Chocolate Sprinkles
Blend until smooth. Top with
whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
Irish
Toast
"May your thoughts be as glad as
the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a
song. May each day bring you bright happy hours,
that stay with you all year
long."
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Trends in
Catering
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Specialty Drinks:
More than Just Green
Beer
by Vince Early, CSEP
One
hot trend everyone is talking about in 2007 is
the custom specialty drink. Whether you
are celebrating a wedding reception or a
corporate milestone, a personalized potable will
certainly put a stamp on the guests'
memories.
 If you want
something traditional, such as a "Lemon Drop" or
"Mojito", there are thousands of recipes on
the internet where you are sure to find
something that fits your taste. However, if
you're looking for something a little more
adventurous and unique, try creating your own
concoction. Here are a few tips on how to
get started.
The
best rule to use is what I call the "Reese's Cup
Rule" with thinking of two great tastes that
taste great together, like the famous peanut
butter and chocolate combination. For example,
this last holiday season ...
Click here to
read more
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Hosting a
Party
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Choice
Days to Host a Party or
Gathering 
SPRING SPECIAL! Host an
event between now and
April 6 and receive 15%
off your food and beverage (excluding
alcohol).
| St.
Patrick's Day Party |
Mar.
17 |
| First Day of Spring |
March 21 |
| NCAA Tournament |
Mar. 31
& Apr. 3 |
| Easter |
April 8 |
| Tax Day
(Poor Party) |
April
15 |
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Where to Host a Party -
Hot Spot Feature
Indianapolis Art
Center
820
E. 67th Street
Indianapolis,
IN 46220
www.indplsartcenter.org
The Indianapolis
Art Center is a not-for-profit community arts
organization which strives to make art
accessible to all people and enhance people's
lives through art. The Art Center also
provides space for public, corporate and
not-for-profit organizations to host events such
as workshops, seminars, business meetings,
conferences, receptions, dinners, weddings and
other events deemed acceptable to the Art
Center.
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| What's
Happening |
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TCOD Tasting 2007! - May
9th
Scottish Rite
Cathedral
Cocktails and Hors D'ouevres -
6pm
Sit Down Dinner -
7pm
This
spring, let Thomas Caterers of Distinction
tantalize your taste buds at our annual menu
tasting event where we will introduce a number
of new menu items, discuss the
latest catering trends (such as "no more
silver trays"), and get feedback from attendees
to see which items are hot and which are not.
This free event has previously been held only
for area event professionals. However, this
year, we are offering our clients a chance to
score the hottest ticket in town.
Attendance is limited and participation is by
invitation only. To get put on this
exclusive invitation list, email us at info@thomascaterers.com
before
April 15,
2007.
Meet Our Sales
Staff!
Our talented and certified Event
Designers can help you with all your event
planning needs. There are only seven total
Certified Special Event Professionals (CSEP) in the state
of Indiana and four of them are at Thomas
Caterers of Distinction. The CSEP
certification is the hallmark of professional
achievement in the special events industry. It
is earned through education, performance,
experience, and service to the industry and
reflects a commitment to
professional conduct and ethics. You can
relax knowing that we will handle every detail
with care to allow you to be a guest at your own
event. 
(counterclockwise from
front, center)
Kelly Early,
CSEP
-Co- Owner
& General Manager
Dee Haddad, CSEP-
Event Designer
Vince Early, CSEP-
Event Designer
Jennifer McKinney-Seet,
CSEP
-
Event Designer & Marketing
Director
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Contact
Us
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Thomas Caterers of
Distinction
4440 North
Keystone Ave
Indianapolis,
Indiana 46205
Phone:
317-542-8333
Fax:
317-545-0683
Email: Info@thomascaterers.com
About
Us
We are a full service off-premise
catering and event planning company
specializing in award winning gourmet cuisine
for over 23 years. We custom tailor each
event, from corporate receptions to weddings,
fund-raisers to backyard barbecues, to fit the
client's personality and style, making each
occasion a unique and memorable
experience.
Our highly qualified Event Designers
are certified and trained to assist each
client with every detail of planning their
event, from creative menu design and elegant
décor to entertainment, tenting,
AV, travel, and other needs. You
can relax knowing that our Certified
Special Event Professionals will handle every
detail with care to allow you to be a guest
at your own event.
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