A Day in the Life

• By Emma Rosenblum
• Published Fall 2005

 

Mark Tessitore of Seasons Distinctive Catering prepares for an affair at the Puck Building.
 

 

Sunday, July 10

1:30 p.m.
"This is when the bride arrived on-site. She was pretty calm, but it's my job to say 'Everything's completely under control'-even if it's not."

 

 

4 p.m.
"They had beautiful menu cards printed with the full four-course menu. We folded them in the napkins and placed them on the dinner plates, just as a nice touch."    

 

 

6:15 p.m.
"This is a prosciutto-and-Asian-pear maki. It's a takeoff on a maki roll. There were Asian elements to the menu, but not overwhelmingly so."

 

 

6:30 p.m.
"These are pork tenderloins with arugula pesto. We put them on top of green marbles, to set off the green of the arugula. It's purely for the visual effect."

   

 

7:15 p.m.
"We have a variety of hors d'oeuvre platters, from traditional silver to bamboo plates. Here are some platters, after all the quesadillas have been eaten off them."

 

 

7:30 p.m.
"This is just before the party entered the dining room. I'm lighting the last of the candles and hoping everyone is going to sit down as planned."    

 

 

 

7:45 p.m.
"I'm usually the last line of defense before a plate goes out on the floor. If there's a little salad dressing on the edge of the plate, I like to be there to wipe it clean."

   

 

9:30 p.m.
"For dessert, we served an individual chocolate-lava cake and added an Asian twist with a lemongrass-infused crème anglaise, instead of a traditional French."