We are back and more committed to enjoying Guilty Pleasures and Great Hospitality

So much has changed at Provence Catering since we last blogged. We have pushed the envelop and grown as a company. Our catering commissary, warehouse and Executive offices have expanded from 4,000 sq. feet to over 10,000 sq. feet. With our Wedding business growing every month, we have built two new Tasting Salons. Their grandeur and elegance have been very well-received. It's the perfect setting to sample our exceptional cuisine and plan your upcoming event.

Not all our exciting news is coming from within Pennsylvania. We have opened a beautiful office, Tasting Salon and English garden in downtown Princeton on Nassau St. The community has welcomed us with open arms and Princeton brides are really excited about Provence.

The Guilty Pleasures blog will now focus on exceptional food, great hospitality and personal Guilty Pleasures.

Movie Theatre Popcorn

I am not too focused on the guilts of the world. Just my own. When guilt calls, I run to the phone and listen. I'm ready for it. Some might even say I train for it.

Movie theatre popcorn is one of my greatest guilts. I like food I can see my reflection in, it is so greasy. Food that practically screams "don't eat me! I'm terrible for you!" as you're cramming it in your mouth. It has come to the point where the movie-viewing process is completely backward: I start craving the popcorn, then I decide which movie I want to go see. Or at least, which movie I can get some enjoyment from as I indulge in the main spectacle: the popcorn.



Even the atmosphere in which you eat this popcorn screams of guilty pleasure: you take this giant tub of overpriced butter, salt, and popcorn into a dark room where anonymity rules, and then you indulge. You can't even see what you're eating, just adding to the indulgence (If I can't see it, the calories don't count, right?).

Greasy, salty, buttery deliciousness. The satisfying crunch and the explosion of guilty flavors. Movie theatre popcorn should be in the guilty pleasure hall of fame.

A Sugar Rush for the Ears

I love terrible music. It's true. Every bad dance pop song you hear on the radio is gold to me. How am I supposed to say no to those irrepressible dance beats, simplistic lyrics, and perfectly packaged pop songs? They are designed much the way a shot of espresso is - a sugar rush that's supposed to wear off very quickly...but not until you've purchased it from iTunes.

I relish the chance to cave in to my most simplistic love, to roll up my windows and turn up the dance music. I'm the kid whose hand is in the cookie jar and has just gotten a fistful of warm chocolate chip cookies. Success is immediate and satisfying. I wonder if I look as guilty as I feel.


Don't get me wrong, I love good music as well. I'll argue with anyone over the best Beatles songs, the best Led Zeppelin live footage, or which Michael Jackson album reigns supreme. But when those dancey pop songs come on the radio, I can't help reveling in the moment and not even thinking about when that sugar rush is going to wear out.

It's Summer Somewhere

Whomever decided that some foods can only be enjoyed at certain times of the year should be put out of their misery. Because misery is what I, personally, experience when the first few days of winter arrive and announce, “we’re here!” with bracing winds and bouncing sleet. I should be allowed to turn up the heat to 80 degrees, mix a margarita, and enjoy summer foods in December if I like. Really, is there anything inherently wrong with a crisp lemon water ice when the snow is coming down outside? Or, slicing open that watermelon I just purchased in January while playoff football is on screen? Of course not – it’s summer somewhere, right? Just because I happen to be living on the far side of the sun five months out of the year doesn’t mean I can’t be allowed to join in on some of the fun in the sun…even if the sun does disappear at 5 p.m. sharp every day. Summer isn’t a privilege in my world: it’s a right, and a right I want to enjoy even when Old Man Winter comes over for a long-term stay.

My guilty pleasure is remembering that it's only winter outside.

The top of the mountain

Some may say it’s the easy way out, but I know exactly when to trust my instincts. I know when I have a lucky streak going, and just when to walk away from the proverbial tables. I can feel the beginning of a good day in my toes when I get out of bed in the morning. By the same token, I know a good thing when I see it. I know when my hard work is going to pay off, much like a surfer knows when the perfect wave is about to form. Call it luck or call it practice, I just know when something is going to be right. It may even be my eternal optimism, but I know when I am on the cusp of something great.

When I am climbing up the side of the mountain and I can see the peak, you better believe I am going to give 100% to get there in record time. That’s one of the perks of getting to know yourself…you can make your own magic happen just by trusting your instincts.

My guilty pleasure is trusting my gut and knowing sensational things are just around the corner.

The Solace of Late Autumn

The holiday season is upon us again. This is a sweet potato’s favorite time of the year. The warm aromas of the season are subtle and familiar, ready to wrap you in a warm coat before pushing you into winter’s icy grip. It’s not quite Thanksgiving, not quite the brisk days of early fall. Wedding season is fading, and the holiday party season is just starting to kick into high gear. It is that brief solace where everyone takes a deep breath before plunging into the hectic celebrations of the holidays. These moments are the ones to savor before diving headfirst into the non-stop holidays.

My guilty pleasure is indulging in the final moments of peace before the joyous holiday season springs its full force upon us.

Bag Fries

Everyone knows that unexpected food is the best tasting (and most celebrated!) food. One of the most common occurrences of unexpected food occurs every time you get fast food, although you may never have taken the time to appreciate it. I am of course referring to bag fries.


You know what I mean by that: those delicious extra fries that you find greasing up the bottom of the paper bag that your Big Mac/Whopper/Chicken nuggets and fries just came in. You've already enjoyed your burger and indulged in those delicious salty fried potatoes and you're just about to throw out the bag when you look in and discover, much to your delight, that your adventure into Guiltland is not yet over. There are still bag fries to enjoy, thus extending your dietary lapse in judgment another few seconds. Those are the fries that are the most delicious, mostly because you had already come to terms with your meal being over.

My guilty pleasure is enjoying the unexpected extras in life.

John Lennon at 70

One guilty pleasure that is accessible and easy to enjoy is music. And one of the greatest songwriters of all time would have celebrated his 70th birthday this past weekend. I am, of course, referring to John Lennon.

No matter where you stand on the musical or political spectrum, John Lennon wrote songs that give you pause. Lennon's ability to reach out and touch your soul, make you stop whatever you happen to be doing at that moment, is unparalleled. Anyone that can do that in today's "go go go" non-stop world is worth celebrating.

Great music is a guilty pleasure that can be enjoyed by all.

It's Spice Season

Those long-fabled, long-fantasized about crisp and cool days of fall are here again. Here in the Northeast, we've been thrown straight from the sultry days of late August into the often harsh days of November without so much of a fall break in between. The past few days have been the kind of days to chill the bones.

Thankfully, it's also spice season....pumpkin and apple spice, that is. Traditional staples designed to cut through these bitterly cold days and warm you from the inside out. Spice season is the time of year that says, "I'm ready for fall, but not quite ready for winter and hot chocolate just yet."


When I'm feeling particularly guilty, I indulge in Chaddsford Winery's Spiced Apple Wine, mulled and served hot with cinnamon sticks. Savored fireside while the football season heats up and the temperatures drop, this savory treat officially kicks off the start of fall.

This guilty pleasure is about savoring the early days of fall before they become the snowy days of winter.

Hankering for the Blues