SpringThe Culinary Year BeginsWith Spring, the culinary year begins and our appetites emerge from hibernation seeking fresh and tender flavors. Spring’s delicate tastes require a gentle hand, steaming, blanching and sautéing. The earliest harbingers of spring include fiddlehead ferns, morels, asparagus, ramps, spinach and other salad greens. As the weather warms, the flavors become increasingly intense teasing us with the promise of more to come. Soft shell crabs and King salmon arrive at our markets, as do juicy orb-like strawberries brimming with flavor. Other ingredients at their best in Spring include sorrel, Vidalia onions, endive, English peas, sugar snap peas, snow peas, new potatoes, and watercress. SummerSummer’s BountySummer’s bounty requires little coaxing to shine. The flavors of summer are assertive, even lusty. In terms of fruit, the gem-like berries appear first, next come the cherries ranging from the yellow tinged Ranier to the black hued Bing, and then finally the stone fruits, including intoxicatingly perfumed apricots, luscious peaches and jammy plums. Numbering among the vegetables of Summer are peppers of all colors, eggplants, beans, summer squash, and then the long awaited burst of tomatoes. When the blackberries, apples and winter squash finally arrive at the market, a cook can breath a bittersweet sigh of relief for the nearing end to the season’s almost overwhelming bounty. Other ingredients that are at their zenith in Summer include zucchini, summer squash, corn, figs, herbs, cucumbers and melons. FallA Return to the HearthThe first crisp afternoons in late September signify a time to return to the hearth to celebrate the depth of flavor accomplished by slow cooking, such as braising, roasting and baking. Our appetites become primal and are satisfied with the simple pleasures of game, apples, pears, pumpkins and other hard skinned squashes. We crave the sweet smells of baking, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and mace, which herald the nearing holiday season. Ingredients that peak in the fall also include figs, grapes, nuts, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, fennel, cranberries, persimmons and cauliflower. WinterThe Season of ContrastWinter is the season of contrast. We begin with the abundance of the holidays indulging in luxuries like caviar, oysters, truffles and foie gras, and then move quickly and starkly into the scarcity of the mid Winter months. Stews and roasts are characteristic of Winter cooking using the most typical of Winter ingredients, root vegetables. Winter fruits are either dried or flown in from warmer climes with the promise of the sun’s return. Ingredients that are typically associated with Winter include cabbage, swiss chard, rutabaga, kohlrabi, celery root, salsify, leeks, cod, oxtails, blood oranges, Meyer lemons, pink grapefruit, goose and dried beans. About Monogramme Events & CateringMonogramme is the alliance of two perfectionists. Both former professionals, Melissa Graham and Michelle Goecke Wake founded Monogramme with the intent of providing the finest ingredients and the best techniques. Mongramme uses predominantly organic ingredients in their season, locally produced or grown when possible. For example, its pastries are made by hand with the finest Wisconsin butter, the breads baked using artisanal methods, and the jams, jellies and preserves produced in house from local fruits and vegetables. Monogramme's mission is to conceive, plan and execute distinctive and elegant events that both our clients and their guests can enjoy. And as a result, we approach a back yard pig roast with the same professionalism as we do the most lavish wedding. Every Monogramme event is unique and designed specifically for a particular client. Accordingly, Monogramme has no set menus, choosing instead to work closely with each client to ensure that the event is as personal as a monogram. Monogramme operates out of a shared use kitchen, Kitchen Chicago LLC, www.kitchenchicago.com and can cater events up to 100 people. About Melissa GrahamMelissa Graham inherited her love of cooking and hospitality from her parents. A couple who loved to entertain with entertaining friends, their home was gracious and comfortable and more often than not filled with guests. Through them, Melissa was exposed to good food, both in fine restaurants and in clam shacks. Growing up near the bounty of the Atlantic on Long Island instilled in Melissa a respect for local and sustainable products. One of her family’s specialties was a chowder made with clams harvested from the Great South Bay only hours before. Although she attended the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Melissa is predominantly self taught. Her cooking education began at four when her parents charged her with planning for and preparing dinner one night each week. Although some of the earlier dinners were quite Spartan, including PB&J on Ritz Crackers, her expertise grew. Over the years, cooking moved from chore to passion and then obsession driving her to finally leave behind her first career as a partner at McDermott Will & Emery to co-found Monogramme Events & Catering LLC. Melissa is also President of Purple Asparagus, an educational organization dedicated to bringing families back to the table that plans and promotes activities enabling the entire family to learn about and enjoy every aspect of local and global food culture. www.purpleasparagus.com . She was formerly associated with Slow Food Chicago as a member of the Advisory Board and as a contributing editor to the Slow Food Guide to Chicago’s Bars, Restaurants and Markets. Melissa is currently a member of the marketing board of Chicago’s Green City Market www.chicagogreencitymarket.org and is a moderator of LTHForum www.lthforum.com . Melissa lives in a Roscoe Village rowhouse built in 1896 with her husband, Michael, her son, Thor, and dog, Sam. About Michelle Goecke WakeMichelle Goecke Wake loves people. An only child from Dayton, Ohio, she was an entertaining little adult from the time she could speak. But it is her ability to listen and understand what people want that makes her so valuable to customers and friends alike. Michelle also loves when a plan comes together. For much of her professional career, Michelle was in project management in automotive engineering - working for Delphi and General Electric. She revels in the cool efficiency of complex project planning – a necessary trait for planning a successful event. In her new home, Hinsdale, she regularly plans and hosts events for dozens to hundreds of guests. Practice does make perfect fun. Michelle has a degree in Materials Engineering from the University of Illinois, a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Dayton, and an MBA from the DeVos Graduate School at Northwood University. Contact Monogramme Events & Catering15 East Ayres Hinsdale, IL 60521 Phone: 773.991.1920 Fax: 773.755.9945
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