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Recipe Friday: Meet Paul Buchanan
Catersource
March 17, 2023
3 Min Read
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Chef Paul Buchanan and his wife Dana are leaders in Sustainability. They founded their catering business over 20 years ago on the ethos of seasonal, sustainable, and local. They buy directly from local farms and ranches whenever possible. When they say ‘Farm to Table’ they mean it. Zero waste events are always the goal for their team. Because of their reputation, they have attracted clients with like minds; The TED Conference, Greenpeace, Quicksilver, United States Green Building Council, The Green Port of Long Beach as well as couples looking for ‘green’ weddings. They bring their passion for the environment into their business every day.
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You can hear the Buchanans' take on sustainability first-hand when they present Talkin' Trash: A Candid Conversation about Zero Waste (March 28th at 2:30 p.m.) and Leading the Scene by Keeping It Green in 2023 (March 29th at 3:30 p.m.) during Catersource + The Special Event.
Chef Paul will also be demonstrating his prowess in the kitchen when he participates in Art of Catering Food's Lunch & Learn.
Tacos: Deconstructed, Reimagined and Elevated for Wow Experiences!
Tacos have definitely evolved from a deep-fried hard corn shell filled with ground beef and shredded lettuce. Moderated by Roy Porter, join three skilled chefs (Paul Buchanan, Phuoc Vo, and Keyon Hammond) as they broaden your approach to tortillas, fillings, and toppings! First, the tortilla: a canvas gently holding your composition together—where flavors, fillings, and toppings coverage. Next, pointers on different proteins; lamb, chicken, fish, pork, vegetables, tofu, and more. Finally, explore options of fillers plus preparation and technique including several cultural influences from around the world which have propelled tacos to new levels and bragging rights! But wait, there's more—this isn't just a "learn"—this is a Lunch and Learn, so grab a plate, build your new favorite taco (or three) and enjoy lunch with your colleagues.
Check out these recipes from Chef Paul for a taste of what to expect!
Universal Swedish 1-2-3 pickling solution
Ingredients
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 ea. carrot, peeled and sliced
1 ea. shallot, sliced
5 white peppercorns
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
2 allspice berries
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat.
Stir until all the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.
Pour the cooled vinegar into a jar, seal and refrigerate.
Allow to marinate six hours or overnight.
Use to pickle sliced cabbage, baby carrots, cucumber slices, radish slices, or anything you like.
Pickled product must be clean and free of any stems.
Item pickled must be refrigerated in the liquid until use.
Salsa Quemada
Ingredients
2 ½ lbs roma tomatoes, fresh and halved
1 lb red onions, sliced
3 oz jalapenos chiles, stems removed and seeded
1 T canola oil
1 oz Guajillo chile, pureed
1 T cilantro, chopped
½ tsp freseh garlic, chopped
1 T kosher salt
Method
Grill or roast onions, tomatoes, and chiles until blackened in a 450° F oven.
Place on a large cutting board and chop with remaining ingredients.
Check seasoning, place in a deli container, label, date, and store.
Jicama Roasted Poblano Slaw
Ingredients
1 ea. large jicama, peeled and julienned
6 ea. poblano chiles, roasted and seeded
2 ea. medium red onions, fine julienne
1 ea. red bell pepper, fine julienne
1 rib celery, julienne
⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
2 T mint, chiffonade
1 splash olive oil
3 oz sweet relish pickle
1 ea. lemon, juiced
Salt, to taste
White ground pepper, to taste
Method
For poblanos: season, roast or grill, clean off skin, remove seeds and stems. Julienne into strips
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and adjust salt, white pepper, and honey to taste.
