Crushed Ice Catering

Louisville catering

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Crushed Ice Catering’s Wedding Feature: Emily + Kyle

On October 27, 2018, Emily and Kyle Vaughn’s forever began on the Ice House Louisville’s downtown rooftop in Louisville, KY. Surrounded by loving family and friends, these two entered into their marriage in full celebration. It was an honor to be a part of their big day and had a great time serving them and their guests. We’ve asked Emily and Kyle for thoughts and advice they would share with other couples in the midst of their own wedding planning journey.

CIC: Start us off with a few pieces of advice that y’all would share with someone who is in the midst of planning a wedding.

E+K: Don’t sweat the small things! Slow down to ENJOY the planning and your big day because it’s going to go by fast! You won’t remember the tiny details years from now, but you will remember how happy you were and the memories you made with your family and friends.

CIC: How would you describe what it was like working with the Crushed Ice Catering and Ice House staff?

E+K: We had our wedding at The Ice House in Downtown Louisville and had THE BEST experience. Lindsay and the entire Crushed Ice Catering team were very accommodating, organized, and on top of everything! She was a huge help to our planning and we couldn’t have done it without her. We highly recommend finding a venue that will provide a coordinator to help you along the way. Lindsay brought creative thinking and an experienced perspective to each of our planning sessions while ensuring we were staying on top of our timeline and within our budget.

CIC: What specifically stood out to you about your coordinator?

E+K: Lindsay coordinated everything with our vendors from the drop offs, to setup’s, pick ups, and more. It was a relief to know that everything was taken care of the day of. She even provided us and the bridal party with a timeline for the day to help to keep things running smoothly. The Ice House allowed us to drop our things off a few days before the wedding and set up the decorations we provided for us. Everything was arranged exactly as we had planned and the space was so beautiful. The day went by without a hitch!

CIC: Tell us your thoughts on your menu selection and how the culinary aspect impacted your wedding.

E+K: The food from Crushed Ice Catering was AMAZING! We loved the KY and BBQ themed stations. The food, prepared by Chef Laurence Agnew,  was different from any food that we’ve had at a wedding before. The Hot Brown Casserole is a must! The food was laid out so beautifully and complemented our centerpieces surrounding it. The Ice House Catering team put a lot of thought and creativity into every detail. We are still getting compliments from people about the food! Being able to coordinate the venue, food ,and alcohol all in one place, rather than bringing in all separate vendors, made planning so easy.

CIC: What do you think uniquely set y’all’s wedding apart from others?

E+K: Our favorite part of The Ice House was the cocktail space. The outside bar, fire pit, and large light up L.O.V.E. letters made for a unique, convenient, elegant space for us to mingle with our family and friends between the ceremony and reception. There were garage doors that opened to the dining and dancing area allowing people to float in and out of the space throughout the night. It was set up perfectly for people to visit and dance the night away!

CIC: Any last details that y’all would like to share?

E+K: The Ice House has so much to offer – a beautiful venue, fun add ons to the space (lighting, decorations, fire pits, etc.), great food, accommodating staff and a book full of recommendations for vendors they have worked with before to help make your planning less stressful. We can’t thank Lindsay and her team enough and will definitely be recommending The Ice House to our friends and family.

List of Emily + Kyle’s Wedding Vendors:

Florist: J. Elizabeth Designs

Photographer: Firm Anchor

Planner: Lindsay Brough – Crushed Ice Catering

Videographer: Paper Crane Cinema Co.

Dress/Shoes: Maggie Sottero/Gianni Bini

Hair: Echo Salon – Dakota and Mandy

Makeup: Sara Colvin

Bridesmaids Dresses: Rebecca’s Wedding Boutique

Music: DJ Mike Franklin

Officiant: Bob Cunningham

Cake: Stir Crazy Cakes

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Louisville Recipe of the Month: Bourbon Bacon Jam

bourbon bacon jam recipe
By an act of Congress in 2007, September was declared National Bourbon Heritage Month, but for us Kentuckians, this is a celebration practiced year round. To pay our respects to our state’s coveted spirit, we asked Crushed Ice Catering‘s executive chef, Laurence Agnew, to serve up a creative bourbon inspired recipe. Much to our delight, his solution was a sweet and savory creation that will most certainly earn a place in your arsenal of culinary staples Bourbon Bacon Jam.
This Bourbon Bacon Jam recipe is a perfect addition to keep in the fridge. It makes for a flavorful addition to morning waffles, gives a tasteful twist to the classic grilled cheese, and makes as a great topping for beef, chicken, or pork!

Bourbon Bacon Jam

Ingredients
  • 3/4 pound bacon cut into inch slices then cut in half
  • 1 large shallot minced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
  • 4 Tablespoon Kentucky Sorghum
  • 1/2 cup bourbon 
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt depending on your bacon
Instructions
  1. In a medium skillet, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until done and on the verge of crispy, approximately 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
  2. Add garlic and shallot directly to the same skillet with rendered bacon fat. Soften for approximately 4-5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a medium sauce pan. Add drained bacon and remaining ingredients, stir well. Simmer on low heat for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Liquids should evaporate leaving you with a sticky bacon jam fit for any dish.

Give your taste buds my best,

Morgan Blake

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Employee Spotlight: William Szenay

Employee Spotlight for Crushed Ice Catering is our incredibly talented Sous Chef William Szenay. William has been with us since December 2017 and has continued to prove just how truly gifted he is as a chef. We take a beat to sit down with Chef William to learn what his daily motivation is, why he chose this career and what inspires him to give his best in the kitchen.

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Sous Chef William Szenay creating a masterpiece.

Q: Lets get to it. What inspired you to become a Chef?
A: My Swedish grandma, she lived with us when I was a child growing up. Her life, actions, and words had a deep impact on me and stay with me even today.
Q: What do you love most about being a Chef?
A:  You are part of a lot of people’s favorite memories. Whether it be a wedding, Birthday or memorable celebration, you were a part of creating something memorable.
Q: What are your favorite dishes to create?
A: Ones that everyone can enjoy, of course!
Q: Where are you from?
A:  St.Paul, Minnesota.
Q: How did you get started in this industry?
A: I worked part-time at a Vietnamese restaurant in high school washing dishes.
Q: If you could choose anywhere in the world to be a Chef where would it be? And why?
A:  Australia.. good surfing and great local product to work with.
Q: Describe your cooking philosophy in 3 words.
A: Keep it simple.
Q: What would you say to other aspiring Chef’s?
A: Take care of both your physical and mental health. Both are crucial to maintain in order to bring your very best to the kitchen each day.
Q: Do you have any culinary hero’s?
A: Ferran Adrià. He ran the best restaurant in the world for several years.
Q: Do you have foods that take you back to your childhood?
A: I definitely have several and most of them are Swedish baked goods. Like , Toscakaka an almond and Carmel cake. Butterkaka, which is like cinnamon buns stuffed with almond paste and baked in vanilla custard.
Q: What’s playing on your kitchen soundtrack?
A: My recently played list top five is as follows. The best of all time. No contest.
  • J.S. Bach
  • Old Crow medicine show
  • Taj Mahal
  • Frozen soundtrack
  • Warren Zevon

 

Regardless of the career you choose, everyone needs a motivation that gets them out of bed in the morning and inspires them to pursue excellence in their career field. If you are an aspiring Chef, take his words of wisdom and let them fuel your culinary dreams. For those pursuing other dreams, remember to maintain physical and mental health, be ready to take inspiration from anywhere, and to turn up the soundtrack of your day.

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Recipe of the Month: Mardi Gras King Cake

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Mardi Gras King Cake

Crushed Ice Catering‘s February Recipe of the Month is near and dear to our Chef’s heart. Before landing in Louisville, Executive Chef Laurence Agnew was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, just a short ways away from New Orleans. When he was 20 years old, he decided to move to the Big Easy – and held culinary positions at both the Ritz Carlton New Orleans Victor’s Restaurant , and John Besh’s Restaurant August.

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Executive Chef, Laurence Agnew

With Mardi Gras just right around the corner, it only seemed appropriate for Chef to tie in his Cajun roots with the greatest “free show” on Earth. Pour yourself a Hurricane, throw on some jazz and whip up Chef Agnew’s King Cake for a true Mardi Gras celebration! Interested in the history and tradition behind the King Cake? Check it out here.

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The Big Easy

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

  • 1 cup lukewarm milk, about 110°F
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dry yeast
  • 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup melted butter
  • 5 egg yolks, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest
  • 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  • Several gratings of fresh nutmeg

For the icing:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Purple, green, and gold decorative sugars
  • 1 fava bean or plastic baby to hide in the cake after baking

PREPARATION

  1. For the cake, pour the warm milk into a large bowl. Whisk in the granulated sugar, yeast, and a heaping tablespoon of the flour, mixing until both the sugar and the yeast have dissolved.
  2. Once bubbles have developed on the surface of the milk and it begins to foam, whisk in the butter, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the remaining flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a large rubber spatula. After the dough comes together, pulling away from the sides of the bowl, shape it into a large ball. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a draft-free place to let it proof, or rise, for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough has doubled in volume.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough between your palms into a long strip, making 3 ropes of equal length. Braid the 3 ropes around one another and then form the braided loaf into a circle, pinching ends together to seal. Gently lay the braided dough on a nonstick cookie sheet and let it rise until it doubles in size, about 30 minutes.
  4.  Once it’s doubled in size, place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake until the braid is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
  5.  For the icing, while the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, condensed milk, and lemon juice in a bowl until the icing is smooth and very spreadable. If the icing is too thick, add a bit more condensed milk; if it’s a touch too loose, add a little more powdered sugar.
  6.  Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing over the top of the cake and sprinkle with purple, green, and gold decorative sugars while the icing is still wet. Tuck the fava or plastic baby into the underside of the cake and, using a spatula, slide the cake onto a platter.