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The more color, the more nutrients!

From book: Eating on the Wild Side
By Jo Robinson

Tomatoes: Here is what you need to know. 

“Raw tomatoes are good for you but cooked tomatoes are akin to medicine. “
Cooking develops the lycopene.  Just 30 minutes of cooking doubles lycopene.

I know you want to know how to choose the right tomatoes as it is the season, & I will get to that.  Meanwhile, some really good news:

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Client Comments

What our clients say about us . . .

Reviews on Google+:
williambronx
“Grace is an excellent and innovative cook and everything she prepares is simply delicious. Her presentation is also wonderful: nothing is ever heavy-handed. She uses plants and flowers to enhance the visuals of her presentations. The result is always festive and inviting. Grace has catered several events that I attended and if I didn’t know she was the caterer, I would easily recognize her cooking and presentation. They are both winners.”

Barbara C
“Grace catered our outdoor summer wedding. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Grace made the planning process easy and fun. I would love to use Lighten Up Caterers again!”

Amanda Beckwith
“I love the food, I love the service. Will do business again.”

Joyce Calvitti
“Much to the delight of my guests and myself, I had Grace of Lighten Up Caterering prepare the food for my annual outdoor event two years in a row. What a wonderful day her food and presence created. Her marinated portabella mushrooms and rice salad, which was made with some unique and delicious ingredients, were such a hit the first time there was a special request by several guest for an encore! Her food suggestions before hand worked perfectly into the mood and style I wanted to convey. She had no problem accommodating different palates and was sensitive to meeting the needs of those attending. Her casual yet elegant presentation was the cherry on top. I’ll soon be deciding on a date for this year and Grace will be the first call I make!”

Francesca Zambello
“I’ve been using Grace and Lighten Up Catering for years. They are dependable, and their food is wonderful. I highly recommend them for any kind of event!”

More client comments . . .

“Thank you for delivering such a wonderful culinary experience. All the guests raved about the wonderful tastes and presentation. You are truly a talent whom I would love to learn from if ever given the opportunity.” Elizabeth Ngonzi, authentic African wedding for 225 guests.

“Thank you for the wonderful effort you made for our wedding. Every part was excellent and exceeded our expectations.”

“Thank you so much for your hard work and obvious talent for creating a wonderful reception. So many guests remarked how delicious the food was [most saying it was the best they’d ever had at a wedding reception]. The flowers, the cake were gorgeous. I could go on and on……”

“You are wonderful at what you do and our wedding clearly reflected that. The food looked and tasted great. I can not tell you how many compliments we received. Thank you so much for all your hard work.”

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NY Times Magazine

Deliciously Unexpected Beginnings …The eggplant dip and seviche are the results of experiments by the owners of Remember Basil [now Lighten Up Caterers], an esteemed Brooklyn-based catering firm … Each of these dishes will make a lasting impression, whether it is a forerunner to a grand meal or the main culinary event of an evening’s

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Women’s Wear Daily

Remember Basil [now Lighten Up Caterers] Steps Into The Season With Bloomingdales’s Flamenco Fling New York – With Gaudi-inspired arches, roving minstrels and a out 800 guests along the B-way, Bloomingdale’s was transformed into a festive Spanish villa Wednesday night to mark the opening of it’s annual fall import event. This year’s is called “Spain:

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New York Newsday

“…Clearsen went from preparing platters for thousands of guests there to cooking gourmet meals for more intimate dinners given, she said, by the Mellon family in their New York and Cape Cod homes, and for Jacqueline Onassis. ‘Jackie liked to eat anything that had no fat at all,’ she recalled. ‘She took me on because

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Crain’s New York Business

“…She’ll walk into trading rooms unannounced – ‘at lunchtime, when they’re in a receptive mood’ – slip back the lid of her basket and start distributing samples. ‘I look like Little Red Riding hood,’ she says, ‘but I want to get my food into people’s mouths anyway I can. Once they taste my product, I

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On The Town With Rex Reed

New York Observer No sooner had I recovered from the joy of receiving, from CBS/FOX Home Video, the complete collection of every Sherlock Holmes movie ever made with Basil Rathbone (all available at $19.95 each) than what should appear in my mail but an invitation to a delectable party thrown by Basil Rathbone’s beautiful granddaughter

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News From The Beard House

Special Event Halloween Party Dounia Rathbone, Remember Basil, Brooklyn Heights, NY Friday, October 30th, 7:00 pm It’s impossible to imagine a caterer better qualified to create a fabulous Halloween party for us than Dounia Rathbone and her celebrated company, Remember Basil. After all, these are the folks famous for the 6 am airport buffet for

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On the Avenue

Entertaining Fish
Recipes for the ultimate summer fish fest

GraceWhether it’s dinner at eight or dinner for eight hundred, Dounia Rathbone of Remember Basil, Ltd. can handle it with aplomb. Known for her delicious imagination, this top caterer has blazed culinary pathways on the party circuit with themed dinners that emphasize taste, service, and dramatic presentation. Of course, a flair for theatrics runs in the Rathbones: Her grandfather was the great actor Basil Rathbone, known equally for his Sherlock Holmes films and his Shakespeare. Fish is always delightful in summer, and Rathbone has created this Hamptons seafood buffet menu especially for On The Avenue. She suggests creating a touch of drama by serving the food an a buffet table with different levels-inve rt a wine crate, cover it with a tablecloth and use it to raise certain items off the buffet. French country tiles, good wicker baskets, copper pots, and white pottery WM also add sparkle to the table. “I use food to create or match an environment”, says Rathbone. “Each party is a statement. Getting the message across depends on the bringing together of lots of different talents to produce something unique and beautiful.”

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Ethnic Menu

Ethnic Menus Available On Request … Our experience includes: African Indian Middle Eastern Caribbean Persian South American … And, Yes … We have had your Grandmothers in our kitchen to share their family recipes with us, and to show us how to “Do It Right”! Call 201-209-9325 or email: lightenupnj@aol.com

Passed & stationary hors d’oeuvre

Chicken Tandoori:Bite sized pieces of chicken cutlet soaked in Tandoori marinade, grilled & skewered with fresh Mango & Avocado. Served with Yogurt-Mint Chutney Chicken Satay in our award winning Thai Peanut Sauce Scallop Seviche; marinated with lime, cilantro, red & green peppers, onions Indian Eggplant Spread (spiced & mixed with tomatoes & onions) Served with our

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Main Course Action Buffets

Carving Buffet: Chefs will carve & serve Indian Butterflied Leg of Lamb, marinated with ginger, garlic, cumin & cardamom In a yogurt base; served with authentic Marcouk Shepherd’s Bread or Naan Sesame-Ginger Asian Flank Steak, grilled rare & sliced Roast Pork Calypso: glazed with Rum, Brown Sugar, Cloves & Lime

Table of Exotic Stews & Curries

Shrimp Penang: Thai vegetarian sauce of coconut milk, spices & vegetables over rice or rice noodles Pad Thai: Traditional dish of Rice Noodles,Broccoli, Scallions, Snow Peas & Satay sc. withThai Coconut Milk Sauce Biriyani: Indian Wedding dish: Saffron Rice, Yogurt marinated Chicken, Served with Fried Onions, Cauliflower with ginger & coriander Jamaican Curried Lamb with

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Garden of Salads, Sambal, Raita & Chutney

West African Fish Imojo: Fish Salad with Hot Peppers & Lime Lentil Salad with Shallots & Chillies Condiments: Tomato Ginger Chutney, Cucumber Mint Raita, Yogurt & Potatoes, Mango Chutney, Apricot Chutney, Date Chutney Breads: Fried Papadum, Pita, Naan, Marcouk Shepherds & Banana or Pumpkin One of a kind buffet table decorations will be created using

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Special Wraps

“Big Apple”: Chunky Chicken Salad, low fat mayo, apples, cranberries “The Brooklyn”: Ham, Turkey, Cheese, Coleslaw, Russian Dressing on Dagwood Ciabatta “Taj Mahal”: Apricot Curry Chicken Salad, crisp Apples, Raisins in a black bean wrap “The Acropolis”: Greek Salad with Blackened Chicken, Cucumber Sc. In wheat wrap “The Pagoda”: Thai grilled Steak, crispy Asian Vegies,

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Salads and Side Dishes

$4-$8 per person Wild Rice and Wheatberry Salad, Cranberries, Sweet Onions Pasta Pesto with grilled Plum Tomato, Roasted Peppers New Potatoes in Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, celery, scallions Orzo Bruschetta with seasonal local vegetables, often organic Bow Tie Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Broccoli, Basil and Garlic Grilled Seasonal Vegetables:  Eggplant, Zucchini, Peppers, Corn, Sweet Potato, etc.

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Selections from our Hot Menu

Selections from our Hot Menu   $8-$16 per person Chicken Francese in our light lemony sauce with grilled Crimini Pecan & Panko Crusted Chicken Cutlet with Honey Mustard Sauce Chardonnay Poached Atlantic Salmon, fresh Tartar Sauce & Dill Herb Crusted Beef Filet, Green Peppercorn Sauce Chicken Marsala with grilled Portobella & fresh herbs BBQ Meatloaf, a taste

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Selection of hot and cold hors d’oeuvre

Shumai: crisp Chinese Dumplings with Ginger Terriyaki Dipping Sauce Wild Mushroom Tartlets; topped with Fresh Thyme and grilled Shitake Mushroom Artichoke and Cheese Fritata, moist and creamy Shrimp Gremolata; jumbo shrimp grilled with Rosemary, Garlic, Lemon and Cracked Pepper Spanikopita; flaky Filo pastry filled with Feta, Spinach and caramelized Onions Herb Crusted Beef Filet on

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A Few Main Course Suggestions

Herb Crusted Roast Beef, roasted rare, with Tomato Ginger Chutney or Green Peppercorn Sauce served with Potatoes Dauphinoise, Emerald Green Beans with grilled Red Pepper and Portabella Thai grilled Atlantic Salmon with our very special Spicy Peanut Sauce served with Rosemary Roasted New Potatoes, Fresh Asparagus Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Sour Cream and

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First Course Selections

Antipasto Plate: Fresh Mozzarella, Roasted Red and Yellow Peppers, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Grilled Eggplant Served on Baby Greens with Fresh Basil and Balsamic-Olive Oil Vinaigrette Harlequin Soup:Roasted Red Pepper Soup and Cream of Corn Soup, side by side in the same bowl married with a swirl of Creme Fraiche and a sprig of Mint Blackened

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Dessert Suggestions

Iced Lemon Souffle; light and tart, beautifully garnished with Fresh Strawberries, Rosettes of Whipped Cream, Candied Lemon Shreds and Bouquets of Fresh Mint Apple Cranberry Crisp with Cinnamon Whipped Cream (also available with Rhubarb) Fallen Double Chocolate Souffle cake with fresh Berries and Whipped Cream Triple Fruit Shortcake on Traditional Biscuit with Whipped Cream Ginger

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Hors d’oeuvre suggestions

Crudite; antique basket of 15 hand carved vegetables Arranged to look like a basket of flowers, served with Chipotle dip Bruschetta; Red & Yellow Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic & Olive Oil On Herbed Crostini Toasts Chicken Sate (spicy Thai Peanut Sauce) skewered Tabbouleh Salad on iced Endive Mediterranean Eggplant Spread with Herbed Pita Crisps