NTF: How did you get started in the catering business? Please talk about your schooling and any travel you've done to learn more about various cuisines.
Jenny: I started working in restaurants and French houses in the late 1970s and then moved to work in more of the new, California-style operations, such as the Hayes Street Grill and Chez Panisse. My career led me from restaurants to catering. I also returned to school, graduating from the California Culinary Academy in 1979 and I'm now teaching there. In addition, I'm presently in my last year working toward a food sciences and technology degree at San José State University.

NTF: Do you have a special style or type of cuisine that you favor or enjoy preparing the most?
Jenny: I have several styles actually. I do a lot of country style food, mostly regional American, southern French, northern Italian and northern Spanish. Being in California, a lot of food is related to the country style of those regions.

NTF: What are some of the characteristics that differentiate turkey from other proteins, such as % of food cost, versatility, preparation tips, etc.?
Jenny: You can actually utilize most of the same preparations that you would think to use with other poultry when cooking with turkey. I like cooking with turkey and my clientele like it because of the low-fat content. I also love the ease of preparation because you can use a half a turkey breast, which weighs about five pounds. It doesn't have all the bone and it's easily trimmed, sliced and pounded out, providing a better yield. As far as food cost is concerned, I price everything with the same mark-up. It's 25 percent on the protein. As for versatility, there are a million different ways turkey can be prepared: it can be used in pot pies, in hash and of course, it can always be used as a main course, like the paillard dish. I personally prefer it either roasted or sautéed. That's how I generally like to serve it, especially using southern or Mexican preparations.

NTF: Please describe your business (types of people/businesses/parties you cater to). How does turkey fit into the scheme of your operation?
Jenny: I use turkey mostly for buffets because I can roast a whole 15 to 20 pound turkey and get a great yield. I can easily feed 50 people with one turkey in a buffet if I offer one other protein item as well. Besides, I usually cater to small, private, upscale events, so I don't need a larger than 15 lb bird. The party may be for a corporation, but if it were, it would be for the Board of Trustees. Many times the meeting is a "special" meeting or event, say with the governor or an important figure in a particular industry, especially the political arena. So most of my events are small, high-end events.

NTF: How do you currently offer turkey in your business?
Jenny: I like to make small, French sausage products, like Turkey Crepinettes, which I offer as a breakfast item as well as a first-course option with a Frisee salad using wild mushrooms and sage. I also like the convenience of roasted turkey breasts and enjoy working with the paillard items that are either grilled or sautéed.

NTF: What beverage(s) would you pair with your Turkey Paillard with Pecans? What beverages do you suggest pairing with other turkey dishes you menu?
Jenny: Personally, with the Turkey Paillard with Pecans, I would either serve a lighter red, like a Pinot, or a Chardonnay, as long as it's not too oak tasting. Those are my preferences, but it also depends upon the type of party. Beer also works really well with this dish, but it would need to be a heavy beer, like amber.
NTF: Have you ever heard from your clientele about their favorite turkey dish that you offer?
Jenny: Customers love the Turkey Paillard with Pecans, and I tend to serve it in the fall and winter because of the butter sauce and nuts. In the summer we serve it using a Mexican preparation with a Yucatan marinade, black beans and green rice. My clients seem to like it a lot and I sell quite a bit of it.
NTF: What's your favorite way to eat turkey?
Jenny: There are a couple ways I like turkey. There's a play on a Middle Eastern dish that I really like. It incorporates cracked bulgur wheat with sautéed turkey breast, onions, spices and some herbs. It's almost like a pilaf, but it's made with wheat. I also like Grilled Turkey Paillard because you can put a compound butter or a butter sauce on it over rice and it tastes great.

NTF: How do you use the web as a tool in your work?
Jenny: I use it mostly for research, to look into different historical aspects or to get ideas for preparations. I have an extensive library of cookbooks and food science books, but if I can't find what I'm looking for in those resources, I'll often turn to the web. I often use the abstracts and reference lists from scientific papers to search further for more information.

NTF: Do you use the NTF web site as a resource? If so, how do you use it in your operation? Please describe other benefits of visiting www.eatturkey.com.
Jenny: I use it mostly in my teaching. I turn to www.eatturkey.com to research trade standards that I can pass on to my students and as a tool to discuss what's available. I tend to use whole birds and whole breasts and bone them myself utilizing the bones for stocks, but it's time consuming and a lot of my students are going into a different aspect of the business, which will not allow the time it takes to do this. They will be using pre-cut portions so I turn to the NTF web site to find different cuts of turkey that my students can utilize.