Cookology, a cooking school in northern Virginia, has partnered its catering division with leading chefs, caterers, and restaurants in the Washington, D.C.-metro area to roll out farm fresh catering menus.
Partnerships include former White House Chef Patrick Gassion, The Blues BBQ Co., Bluewater Kitchen, and Yummers Kitchen.
Launching this month to coincide with the holiday season, the venture is aligned with Cookology's initiative to partner with leading metro-area culinary entities to provide a wide spectrum of nutritious and diverse meal options for its clients. The new menus include choices ranging from Indian cuisine and barbecue to meatless and vegan options.
"We're always looking for opportunities to expand our catering selections, and why reinvent the wheel when we can team up with some of the best and brightest culinary minds in the area; we're really excited," says Maria Kopsidas, founder and owner of Cookology.
Patrick Gassion, former White House chef, will work with Cookology on using farm fresh and organic ingredients to roll out a Thanksgiving meal menu as well as gourmet breakfasts and lunches over the holidays. A native of France, Chef Patrick has served in several U.S. Embassies, five-star hotels, and restaurants from London to Washington, D.C., for more than 15 years.
"I'm honored to work with Maria and her team … such a talented group of culinary minds," says Chef Gassion.
The Blues BBQ Co. is a barbecue restaurant in Maryland, Virginia ,and now Illinois by way of Chicago. Founded by brothers Chris and Patrick Maggi, it specializes in authentic barbecue and home-style cuisines.
Virginia-based catering company Bluewater Kitchen is led by Executive Chef Michael Kozich and promotes the use of unprocessed foods through partnerships with hyper-local farmers and ranchers within a 20-mile radius of its headquarters in Upperville, Virginia.
Archana Mahajan owns Yummers Kitchen, an authentic Indian catering company for corporate and personal events. Each was asked to create 10-15 menu items exclusively for Cookology's catering clients.
"It's great teaming [up] with a company that shares our passion for quality food," says Chef Kozich of Bluewater Kitchen.
Cookology's catering division services diverse industries, including government contracting, retail, hospitality, healthcare and even professional sports. The new menus will be offered solely to Cookology's catering clients, and will provide them access to different meal alternatives over the holiday season and going forward.
"Indian food is good in any season, but we're particularly happy about this venture because it will allow people to experience foods other than those traditionally eaten during the holidays," says Mahajan, master chef at Yummers Kitchen.
"Having launched the company with only 20 grand and a truck, we're thrilled at the idea of our food being catered throughout the [DC-Metro] area… Cookology is a great brand, and we're happy to be partnering with Maria and her team," says Patrick Maggi of The Blues BBQ Co.
