Crowd Please Catering Secrets

Hosting large parties and catering events can be big opportunities for operators, but with it comes challenges. Panache Fine Catering Chef and McCormick alumnus Adam Walker is one of the best, executing some of the most unforgettable events in the Baltimore/DC area. Chef Adam Walker came back to his old stomping ground at McCormick to join Associate Research Chef, Rachel Gooding in kitchen to talk about how spices influence his legendary menus and spill his secrets for please large crowds with memorable fare.

You began your career with McCormick. How has that influenced how you view spices?

Some chefs see spice as an accent but undersell it. I believe spices are the little things that make everything come together. When placing orders, we tend to focus on the meat, vegetables, carbs; these are what fill up the plates, but the magic comes from a store room well-stocked with spices, sauces, and bases. They’re completely transformative.

So, you believe spices are somethings underappreciated?

They can be. It’s so easy to look at spices as just another ingredient on your list and to underestimate how important their freshness and quality are. If you use an old or lower quality cinnamon versus a nice, fresh, high quality cinnamon, the differences are huge.

Any challenges when scaling-up recipes for larger groups?

Because you can’t just multiply a recipe times-twenty, and say “it’s done,” you have to check by tasting it. Ingredients like salt and spice can gain on you while a teaspoon of cayenne can season a gallon of chili or three gallons of chili.

What other common challenges do you face?

My business is all about customization, we don’t have a set menu. We listen and enable each client’s vision but we also know not to promise something we can’t deliver. We never say “we can do anything,” knowing there are very real limitations in the catering world.

A customer may be expecting the same exact food they’ve eaten in your restaurant but it may be impossible to execute those things or maintain the same quality outside of a fully equipped commercial kitchen. With catering, it’s so easy to think that it’s just about the food but that’s just a third of it, there is also transporting it and then executing it onsite.

Any fun hacks for dealing with these challenges?

If the budget seems a little low, buffets are always easier to execute.

Is there an event you and your partner are most proud of?

There is longtime client of ours who has four daughters and likes to joke that’s an annuity for a caterer. They’ve called twice and now their third is getting married. Anyway, they’ve built their dream where we’ve done these beautiful weddings and we’re not just cooking for them, we’re creating a whole experience for people with our business.