Sometimes the most remarkable of things in this world are right under your nose. That being said, an introduction must be made.
Spokane’s private catering scene has been sitting on a secret for far too long—so it was only a matter of time before the glutinous press swooped in for exposure. Once upon a time there was a little blue kitchen in a little white house on a quiet little street in the Gonzaga neighborhood where at nearly any hour of the day can be found the private caterer Colleen Fuchs mixing batters and stirring onions; basting chicken and sculpting cakes; slicing fruit and whipping mousses for afternoon tea tarts. Fuchs unofficially began her catering career ten years ago as the go-to foodie among her friends and family—a clientèle that lacks naught in number, as the Fuchs’s extended family members are to be found scattered all over Spokane. It was at the family’s urging she made the decision to branch out professionally, and in July 2008 Colleen Caters went public to the Spokane community, revealing that every city is bound to get lucky every now and then.
A mother of four, Fuchs has sculpted cooking for a crowd into a perfectly timed art form; juggling cooking for clients alongside cooking for the family on a daily basis without fail. Though if the Jones’s evening party calls for chicken carbonara Tuesday night, chances are the the family dinner table calls for a helping as well. Rough life being the offspring of a chef eh? Though Fuchs, like many chefs I have had the great opportunity to meet in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area, never attended culinary school; leading one to begin to believe that the greats in this trade are made through immersion and trial. A painter learns through repetition and experimentation, a cake maker likewise. The same could be said of an auto mechanic, but let us keep with the romantic note shall we. Art is anything with a bit of soul in it, and Fuchs is without a doubt one of Spokane’s local artists.
A truer local could not be found in Spokane, both Fuchs and her husband are Gonzaga Alumni, with grandma and grandpa, aunts, uncles and cousins scattered up and down the road. “We really are as Spokane as it gets,” remarked Fuchs as she plated a few of the myriad muffins that emerge from the oven every Tuesday and Thursday for the dining hall of Gonzaga Preparatory school where the family has held a long record of attendance. Forget the muffin man on Drury lane—East Sinto is where it’s at. Aside from the weekly muffins, Fuchs finds herself at the gastronomic center of attention for private gatherings such as in home dinner parties, company luncheons, board meeting breakfasts birthday parties, graduation parties, weddings and wedding cakes, baby showers, and any and all events that call for edible intervention. “Unless the client knows exactly what they want, what I usually do is offer a mock menu containing choices in various categories such as proteins and sides, usually options that will coincide with the event’s expected budget.” Whether appetizers or a full sit down dinner, the quality of ingredients and attention to gourmet are never sacrificed.
The most commonly overused question in the food journalist’s repertoire: what is your best seller? Your “signature” dish? I am beginning to learn that chefs and restaurant owners love that question almost as much as foreigners love hearing the request to say something in— . But I am graciously awarded with a smile, “Believe it or not,” she begins as she dusts a multi-layered chocolate mousse cake covered with Chantilly cream, “what I am requested the most for are my plain old chocolate chip cookies.” Cookies? A tray of freshly baked cookies sits cooling on the counter accompanied by little mounded macaroons, steam still rising from their fresh chocolate glaze. Well, must be one hell of a secret recipe. What is certain, however, is that this is a profession of passion. Catering is freelance (coming from a journalist) like all art forms, it is only possible if there is a true love for the exercise. Passion is one of those things that is painfully obvious when it is present and when it is lacking. One either has it or they don’t; a mark as visible as eyes, ears, and nose. Colleen Fuchs has it. But don’t believe me until you chew and swallow your own food first.
The list of menu items ranging from fish, pasta, and salad, to cheese and fruit platters can be found at the Colleen Caters Web site, menu planning and consultation can also be done by phone. So before you head over to Costco for the platter of wilted salad sandwich wraps, or pick up the rubbery rainbow cheese plate at Safeway, think about who it is you are trying to impress or celebrate. Food is a language, and to speak it correctly strikes as much differentiation as between poetry and a telephone manual. Professionals are all around us, find them, use them, and you and your next party guests will notice the difference.
Find out more about Colleen Caters click here and Colleen Fuchs can be reached at her Web site @ ColleenCaters.com or by telephone: (509) 710-7651.
Story and Photography by Mallory Ferland
