what’s for dinner- cooking for two
The programmers for the Today show are a sly group. They purposely put a guilty pleasure hook to transfix their 7:30 AM viewers. Many a morning I’ve caught my cute hubby loitering in the kitchen catching the latest tidbit in the ongoing sagas of Charlie Sheen, Casey Anthony, Arnold Schwarzenegger…This morning the hook-du-jour was Michael Jackson’s
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perfecting the “done before the arrive” dinner party- a work in progress
The other night we had some dear friends over for dinner that have some significant dietary restrictions. When I first surveyed the list Billy Preston’s “nothing from nothing” ran through my head. Then I spied this past Sunday’s New York Times Week in Review on the kitchen table. Mark Bittman’s lead article broke my abstraction
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what’s for dinner- cooking for the fam
Maybe it’s because the Wolverines trounced the Fighting Irish in the last two minutes in the Big House or perhaps it’s the snap in the weather but lately I’ve had a hankering for chili. Nothing says fall (or winter) like a steamy, meaty bowl.
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Many dinner guests ask if they can bring something. Don’t be shy- take them up on their kind offer. Consider your weak suit (or as I say to my consulting clients your “growth edge”). Personally I love when a guest brings dessert or an appetizer. With those bookends out of the way
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Tomorrow night is essentially a soup and salad supper with a few embellishments. One of the best things about serving gazpacho is that it really should be made in advance. It needs about a day in the frig for all the flavors to properly meld. Thank goodness for Trader Joe’s. They have so many components that allow you to compose a beautiful dish
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Sometimes it’s easier to plan a spur of the moment party than trying to get one on the books weeks or months in advance. More often than not the busiest of folks can find a last minute opening in an otherwise over-scheduled calendar. Happily one of these synergetic moments is happening for us this Sunday night.
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what’s for dinner- cooking for two
What’s a girl to do? It’s nearly impossible to preplan a season menu given the way these temps are fluctuating. What was I thinking roasting a dinner last night? I literally melted in front of my 450 degree oven, the outside mercury reaching 98. Who would have guessed, given the morning walk called for mittens.
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out and about
A new factoid about my new hometown- we have civil defense sirens. I had no idea. Obviously I had heard them but didn’t know what they hailed. Last night turns out- hail. This weather has been relentless. It’s hard to complain given what’s happened in Joplin and along the Mississippi but at some point the big guy upstairs has got to take it down
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Wherever I find myself, I’m happiest with a full dining room table. As a former professional chef and caterer I want to share what I’ve learned over the past three decades of entertaining. On this site you’ll find tricks of the trade to help even the most harried of you pull off a seemingly seamless fête. Come join the conversation!