Meet our Kitchen Manager, Gary Hart! Gary makes sure everything, and everyone, runs efficiently in the kitchen and that they are consistently pumping out great food. He oversees, works, and runs the cold kitchen at Boston Catering & Events, but he also oversees our entire operation as the right-hand man to the Executive Chef. He is one of the first people in the kitchen in the morning, prepping and cooking food. Managing employees, taking deliveries directly to clients, and even working catered events such as cocktail parties and weddings as a trusted event chef, are part of his job description too. He truly does it all. Without Gary, everybody’s job would be a lot harder on a daily basis. He is well appreciated here at Boston Catering & Events!
Gary’s insights into how a kitchen should run comes from a lifetime of experience. Born and raised in Lynn, MA (he still resides there with his wife, kids, and dog, Rocky), he has always been in the food industry. His father ran restaurants, so Gary grew up around food, cooking, and the food service industry. He acquired his kitchen skills with hands-on learning starting when he was a teenager. He started working in kitchens at 13, eventually landing at Boston Catering & Events 20 years ago.
What Gary has to say about his time at BCE:
“My career in the food industry started at the age of 13. By the time I was 17, I was running the kitchen at one of my dad’s restaurants. I’ve been with Boston Catering since 1999. Being here for 20 years, I’ve put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, which is why I take great pride in our daily operations, and the product that we send out to our valued clientele. I love that every day and Boston Catering presents new challenges, keeping things fresh and keeping us on our toes. More so than anything, I love the fact that our company works not only as a team, but also as a family.”
We are so grateful to have Gary as part of our “family” for the last 20 years! His expertise in running a smooth and efficient kitchen is key to our operations and makes it possible for us to provide consistent, high quality, delicious food to our clients.
Try one of Gary’s most popular recipes at home. Asian cuisine is his favorite!
Pad Thai Pasta Salad (Serves 6-8 people)
Pad Thai rice stick noodles-14 oz package
Edamame, shelled-1 c
Red bell pepper, julienne-1 ea
Carrots, shredded-1/2 c
Cilantro, chopped-2 T
Scallions, sliced-1/4 c
Hearts of palm, chopped-1/2 c
Peanuts, chopped-1/4 c
Salt and black pepper-as needed or to taste
Chili Thai-peanut dressing
Fresh ginger, minced-1 tsp
Garlic, minced-1 tsp
Creamy peanut butter-1/2 c
Soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free)-2 T
Fresh squeezed lime juice-1 T
Light brown sugar-1 tsp
Thai bird chile, minced-1-2 ea (1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes is a good substitute)
Sweet chili sauce-1/4 c
Rice wine or rice wine vinegar-2 T
Salt and black pepper-as needed or to taste
For the pasta salad:
1. Cook noodles according to the directions on the package, but 3-5 minutes in just simmering water is generally more than enough. Refrigerate noodles until they are completely cool and reserve.
2. Combine all ingredients for the peanut dressing in a small food processor and use the “pulse” setting until a homogeneous mixture forms. Reserve.
3. Very gently (because the noodles can be delicate) toss the noodles with the finished dressing. Place dressed noodles in serving bowl and fill halfway.
4. Garnish the top of the dressed noodles with the bell pepper, carrot, scallions, cilantro, hearts of palm, and peanuts, evenly. Top the garnished salad with more dressed noodles to fill the bowl, and repeat this step to finish garnishing the pasta salad. Serve cold.
Contact Us to book your next event with Boston Catering and Events and let our team create an amazing menu and experience for you!