Crystal Lake Catering Company

01/08/2024

Well the weather outside is frightfull! And we think the best thing is fill the tummy with some amazing food. Try our Chili for 2

Carriedawaygourmet.com

11/16/2023

Orders must be in by 6pm Friday! Last chance to get this offer! Pre orders only! This will not be available for walk in service.

Carriedawaygourmet.com

11/14/2023

10/26/2023

As we are coming to a close to our 2023 season, it so fun to look back at all memories! Being able to serve clients at the beginning of a new chapter in life will always be one of our favorite aspects of the service industry!

09/21/2022

We love doing events at The Elberta Life Saving Station 😍😍

04/26/2021

Saffron; a little goes a long way. Yes it’s true, it’s pricier than gold, but it’s certainly worth its weight! Use a small pinch in your Paella or other rice dish, for a floral note and punch of vibrant color!

Contact [email protected] to book your next event!

04/19/2021

We know you can’t beat a classic Paella, featuring mussels, squid and prawns… but what’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen in Paella or Jambalaya?

Contact [email protected] to book your next event!

04/12/2021

What is your favorite type of pan to use and what do you use it for? We just love our oversized Paella pan, perfect for weddings, social gatherings and community events. Remember folks, sharing is caring!

Contact [email protected] to book your next event!

04/05/2021

“Jambalaya vs. Paella… It’s all in the Pan!”

These two tantalizing dishes strike up an interesting conversation. Both dishes look quite similar, using a base of rice with a myriad of ingredients and from the untrained eye, might look the same, and although they share some qualities, there are some major differences.

Jambalaya’s etymology is somewhat of a jumbled culinary quest into Creole-Cajun culture in the South of the US. It’s known to have originated in Louisiana during the 18th century. Some suspect its name is influenced by the Spanish word for ham, “jamon”, mixed with its potential influencer of Paella, which is also from Spain. Or perhaps it’s inspiration comes from a Provencal word “jambalaia”, meaning a mixture of rice and other ingredients, which makes sense given the French influence for that region. A collision of culture one might say. Could it be that it’s title reflects not just its contents, but also it’s varied origins? Whatever the case, we sure love the taste!

Paella’s history has been far less controversial, with it’s recognition worldwide and its homestake deeply rooted in Valencia, Spain. The name for this ancient dish most likely originated from the latin word “patella”, meaning pan, which makes sense when you see the vessel it is cooked in. In actuality, Paella is the name of the pan, “frying pan”, but the dish of leftovers soon became widely known by the same name in the mid-19th century. This superb dish actually was originally known as a farm labourers food, cooked with rice and other ingredients over an open fire at lunchtime. On special occasions, meats like rabbit or duck would be added to elevate this hearty dish, with a touch of saffron for an extra special flavor and undeniable brilliant color. Valencia offered amazing fresh seafood, which eventually made its way into more modern renditions of the recipe and still today you will see large families gathered around the paella pan, sharing and enjoying their own take on this Spanish staple. There is no denying that if you want to impress your guests at a party, this dish is the way to do it!

One thing that brings these two dishes together, perhaps the most important, is the pan in which all the fresh ingredients are brought together with rice and served community style, boasting bold flavors and a visually stunning display. Fortune favors the bold and the bold flavors favor these fortunate dishes indeed. And they are surprisingly simple to make, a one pot wonder with maximum impact without totally breaking the budget. While Paella requires some more distinct ingredients, pricier seafood and saffron (which is worth more than gold by its weight), Jambalaya can offer the same satisfying display of deliciousness, without the need for specialist ingredients at a prime price.

Different dishes, from different corners of the world, with different flavors, but both a fantastic delight to impress the best. Whether a plentiful Paella or jubilant Jambalaya, we suggest you try them both, and just remember that it’s all in the pan!

Contact [email protected] to book your next event!

04/04/2021

Now Hiring high paid, intelligent, ambitious and well balanced food service professionals

Despite this pandemic storm, The Crystal Lake Catering Co. has a full Calendar of Events for 2021. We expect few cancellations and anticipate adding several more events over the next few of months!

Since 1999, The Crystal Lake Catering Company has built its respect serving hand crafted beers, regional wines, creative cocktails, well prepared, fresh, flavorful and seasonal foods on beautiful lake shores across Benzie, Leelanau, Grand Traverse and Manistee counties making authentic Northern Michigan experiences. Please join us to produce genuine, meaningful and memorable life experiences.

Hiring:
Professional Bartenders
Professional Servers
Chefs
Chef Assistants
With the exception our culinary team, who prep cook, dish wash load & unload food service equipment, most positions are just one or two shifts a week. The culinary team can expect four to five shifts per week.

Earn high wages in a safe working environment:
Wages range from $20/hr to $12/hr
Our Covid-19 Operating Procedures approved by our local Health Department will ensure that we are employing best practices and a safe working environment.

Please call or email Jim to schedule an interview(see contact information below). Then and there we can discuss your resume and share our:
Calendar of Events,
Employee Policy
Covid-19 Operating Procedures

We look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers!
Jim Barnes
The Crystal Lake Catering Co.
231.651.9834
[email protected]

May be an image of text that says 'NOW Hiring! CALL 383-5156'

03/29/2021

Our little sister company just down the street looks like it hiring for another operating season in Northern Michigan. They do a great job...check them out!

Now Hiring high paid, intelligent, ambitious and well balanced food service professionals

Despite this pandemic storm, The Crystal Lake Catering Co. has a full Calendar of Events for 2021. We expect few cancellations and anticipate adding several more events over the next few of months!

Since 1999, The Crystal Lake Catering Company has built its respect serving hand crafted beers, regional wines, creative cocktails, well prepared, fresh, flavorful and seasonal foods on beautiful lake shores across Benzie, Leelanau, Grand Traverse and Manistee counties making authentic Northern Michigan experiences. Please join us to produce genuine, meaningful and memorable life experiences.

Hiring:
Professional Bartenders
Professional Servers
Chefs
Chef Assistants
With the exception our culinary team, who prep cook, dish wash load & unload food service equipment, most positions are just one or two shifts a week. The culinary team can expect four to five shifts per week.

Earn high wages in a safe working environment:
Wages range from $20/hr to $12/hr
Our Covid-19 Operating Procedures approved by our local Health Department will ensure that we are employing best practices and a safe working environment.

Please call or email Jim to schedule an interview(see contact information below). Then and there we can discuss your resume and share our:
Calendar of Events,
Employee Policy
Covid-19 Operating Procedures

We look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers!
Jim Barnes
The Crystal Lake Catering Co.
231.651.9834
[email protected]

03/29/2021

Now Hiring high paid, intelligent, ambitious and well balanced food service professionals

Despite this pandemic storm, The Crystal Lake Catering Co. has a full Calendar of Events for 2021. We expect few cancellations and anticipate adding several more events over the next few of months!

Since 1999, The Crystal Lake Catering Company has built its respect serving hand crafted beers, regional wines, creative cocktails, well prepared, fresh, flavorful and seasonal foods on beautiful lake shores across Benzie, Leelanau, Grand Traverse and Manistee counties making authentic Northern Michigan experiences. Please join us to produce genuine, meaningful and memorable life experiences.

Hiring:
Professional Bartenders
Professional Servers
Chefs
Chef Assistants
With the exception our culinary team, who prep cook, dish wash load & unload food service equipment, most positions are just one or two shifts a week. The culinary team can expect four to five shifts per week.

Earn high wages in a safe working environment:
Wages range from $20/hr to $12/hr
Our Covid-19 Operating Procedures approved by our local Health Department will ensure that we are employing best practices and a safe working environment.

Please call or email Jim to schedule an interview(see contact information below). Then and there we can discuss your resume and share our:
Calendar of Events,
Employee Policy
Covid-19 Operating Procedures

We look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers!
Jim Barnes
The Crystal Lake Catering Co.
231.651.9834
[email protected]

03/22/2021

Make sure you ALWAYS salt your pasta water, you want it to taste like ocean water. The great debate, to add olive oil or not? Some say it keeps the pasta from sticking together, others say it prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta. What do you think?

Contact [email protected] to book your next event!

03/15/2021

Here’s our favorite Spring pasta dish, Pasta Primavera! Assorted Pasta cooked al dente, tossed with grilled primavera vegetables then slathered in chipotle chile cream sauce. YUM!

What's yours?

Contact [email protected] to book your next event!

03/08/2021

What’s your favorite pasta dish? Post your pics, we want to see lots a’ pasta!

Contact [email protected] to book your next event!

03/01/2021

Pasta Puttanesca... What's the Story!?

A taboo tale about a risqué sauce, a true culinary delight. But first, what is it? "Pu***na" translates to Pr******te in italian, so it literally translates to “Pr******tes Sauce”. Can it be true?

The folklore of puttanesca depends on who you ask. Romans claim it is from Rome. While Napolitanos claim it is from Naples, which is well documented. Regardless of where it comes from, Italians all agree that the women who created puttanesca sauce were professionals, working the late shift as “Ladies of the night”. They conjured up this light, briny, and spicy aphrodisiac of pasta puttanesca.

Some claim that prostitutes would come and beg restaurants after an evening in the night and would take whatever scraps were given to them. Anything they would have thrown away, going rotten or had excess of, would be thrown into a pot and simmered into the early hours of the morning. It is claimed that the pungent smell of the puttanesca simmering away would permeate through the streets, the alluring aroma was like turning on a red light with a loud siren, leading men to these "ladies of pleasure."

Others believe that the origin of this sauce was actually something quick and easy, packed full of flavour and little fuss, that these women could make in between their appointments. Utilizing whatever ingredients they had to hand in their pantry, a lady of the evening would have enough time to cook the sauce, engage with their client and have a delicious meal after a long night's work. You can be sure that the men picked up the bill!

But not everyone agrees that this seedy story is the true origin of the sauce. According to a food historian named Jeremy Parzen,it’s down to the practical use of puttanesca in Italian not a literal definition: Italians use pu***na in the way we use sh*t, so pasta alla puttanesca could’ve just been someone saying, “Throw in a bunch of sh*t from the pantry.” In fact, there are several stories of restaurants claiming just that, they invented this pasta by accident, using whatever they had left around to feed hungry customers. The world may never know...

And of course, now you’re wondering, “How do I make it?!”.

Look no further than what you have in your pantry, that is, if your pantry is that of a feisty Italian woman! It is one of those great sauces that can really take anything you want to put into it, but there are a few staples that give it that perfectly pungent smell to attract a special visitor to your door. Garlic, Onion, Olives, Capers and Anchovies give you just the right amount of briny bite, then add in some chilli for a spicy kick, finish with some fresh or canned tomatoes and cook it for as little or as long as you like. Boom. Pasta Puttanesca anyone?

We loved the story so much, so we decided to give the recipe a try in our Director’s very own kitchen. And instead of going to the store to pick up a list of ingredients, we did it in proper Putanna style; a pantry pick and mix.

Although we didn’t have any anchovies, we got an extra punch from a few different types of olives and capers, but if you have anchovies, we suggest you don’t leave them out! Their salinity pairs perfectly with the rest of the ingredients and you won’t taste anything fishy. We also had some dried figs laying around, as you do, which gave a nice sweet and nutty balance to the sauce. And just because we had some fresh spinach on the verge of going bad, we tossed that in at the last minute for a vibrant green pop and a healthy dose of iron. We spooned this delicious fresh sauce over a seared filet of salmon atop a bed of spaghetti and “Perfecto! Buon appetito!”

Although we may not all agree on the origins of this sordid little story of a sassy sauce, we can agree that it is super delicious, simple to make and will certainly fill the air with that special aroma, bringing you to a late night on the streets of Italy. Don’t be surprised if you have a knock on your door, this Pasta Puttanesca is perfect for a pair to share.

Contact [email protected] to book your next event!

02/24/2021

Food Truck Chef/Manager Job Description

Full-time position from mid-May through mid-October. You are expected to prepare and manage the preparation of food for the Food Truck. This includes the prep cooking in our commercial kitchen as well as the line cooking in the Taqueria and in the Taco Truck.

As a management team, you set the standard of quality, not only, in the food, but in the working environment as well. We expect top quality food as well as kind, courteous and professional interaction with employees and customers alike. You must be proactive, whenever possible, and reactive in a way that is positive and productive. You must perform professionally, swiftly and accurately as you manage a number of daily responsibilities and tasks with limited errors.

Responsibilities, but not limited to:

Recruiting, hiring, training, scheduling and managing food preparation, line cooks and cashier
Planning, preparing and directing the preparation of food
Line cooking and cashiering at Taqueria and/or Food Truck
Cash register control and daily deposits
Creating new and modifying current menus
Determining food costs and food prices
Striving to achieve profitable food and labor costs
Maintaining clean and functional culinary equipment, commercial kitchen and food truck
Prepare and store food that complies with the Michigan Health Dept.
Applying for, and contracting food truck activities at farmer’s market, festivals and private events

Expectations, but not limited to:
Develop and maintain a professional and positive working environment
Maintain food and labor costs at roughly 25% -to- 35% of gross sales
Properly label and store food so that it is served in its optimal condition
Keep up with ever changing food trends and best practices
Write the employee schedule including yourself. You must be present a lot during while operating but not all of the time
Compensation Package

Rate of Pay

Commensurate with experience and skill level

Profit Share

An open book policy. Monthly share of the profit paid in the second pay period of each month
Bonuses based upon empirical data from monthly profit and loss statements
Food costs
Labor Costs
Gross Sales
Employee retention
Paperwork

Stock Option

20% of each paycheck can be converted to stock in the Company.

Optional business deductions from salary can include and not limited to:

Monthly expense account for dining out under Research & Development
Mileage expense under Mileage
Housing expense under Housing

Benefits

Meal Plan: Each shift you work you are eligible for a free meal.
Optional Research & Development expense account
Optional Mileage expense account

To Apply:
Email [email protected] with Resume and Cover Letter by March 15th, 2021.

02/24/2021

Company Chef Job Description

Full-time position from mid- May through mid-October. You are expected to assist in the creation of, or simply create menus from scratch, the preparation and the service of the food for all special events.

As chef of the catering company, you are expected to prepare and manage the preparation of food for our special events. This includes the prep cooking in our commercial kitchen as well as the on-site cooking necessary for each menu.

As the chef of Crystal Lake Catering Co., you set the standard of quality, not only, in the food, but in the working environment as well. We expect top quality food as well as kind, courteous and professional interaction with employees and customers alike. You must be proactive, whenever possible, and reactive in a way that is positive and productive. You must perform professionally, swiftly and accurately as you manage a number of daily responsibilities and tasks with limited errors.

Responsibilities, but not limited to:

Recruiting, hiring, training, scheduling and managing culinary staff
Planning, preparing and directing the preparation of food
Creating and modifying new and current menus
Determining food costs and food prices
Striving to achieve profitable food and labor costs
Maintaining clean and functional culinary equipment and kitchen
Prepare and store food that complies with the Michigan Health Dept.

Expectations, but not limited to:

Develop and maintain a professional and positive working environment
Maintain food and labor costs at roughly 24% -to- 32% of gross sales
Properly label and store food so that it is served in its optimal condition
Keep up with ever changing food trends and best practices

Compensation Package

Rate of Pay
Commensurate with experience and skill level

Profit Share
An open book policy. Monthly share of the profit paid in the second pay period of each month

Bonuses based upon empirical data from monthly profit and loss statements
Food costs
Labor Costs
Gross Sales
Employee retention
Paperwork
Stock Option
20% of each paycheck can be converted to stock in The Crystal Lake Catering Co.

Optional business deductions from salary can include and not limited to:

Monthly expense account for dining out under Research & Development
Mileage expense under Mileage
Housing expense under Housing
Benefits
Meal Plan: Each shift you work you are eligible for a free meal.
Optional Research & Development expense account
Optional Mileage expense account

To Apply:
Email [Email hidden] with Resume and Cover Letter by March 15th, 2021.

02/24/2021

We are delighted to announce that we are RECRUITING for 2 key positions at Crystal Lake Catering!

Catering Company Chef:
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=6a6f7f44b3accc30&tk=1evafh0et3ods000

Food Truck Cook/Manager:
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=aee710d91518d46a&tk=1evafh0et3ods000

***Top Reasons to Choose a Career in Catering***

-CLEAR CAREER PATH & GOALS

-HIGH CUSTOMER INTERACTION & APPRECIATION

-OPPORTUNITIES TO BE CREATIVE

-JOB VARIETY & FLEXIBILITY

-MORE FREE TIME & GREAT PAY

To apply, email [email protected] with your Resume and Cover Letter by March 15th, 2021.

02/22/2021

We want to know, what's your favorite dish to impress?

One of ours is....

Beef Tenderloin: Rubbed with black pepper and garlic, pan seared and finished medium rare. Served with a horseradish cream, buttery mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans.

Email [email protected] to try it for yourself!

02/19/2021

What an exciting few weeks it's been, welcoming Event Specialist Andel ​ to owner Jim Barnes' private kitchen for some R&D on a few delectable new dishes. We can't wait to share more with you, so watch this space! For now, here is a sneak peak behind the scenes...

Book your next event by emailing [email protected]

01/29/2021

We've enjoyed working with Jason and Emmily at 1801 Farm in the past. Check out this story, which mentions us, back when we were making cajun food at Grow Benzie's "Bayou in the Barn fundraising event at St. Ambrose Cellars a few years ago!
http://bit.ly/36G8LbV