perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
What’s the secret to pulling off a seamless dinner party? Making sure all of your components are prepped and made ahead of time. And what better way to ring in the New Year than with a duck supper in front of the fire? While I adore confit, I certainly don’t relish the idea of rendering and preserving duck legs in my own kitchen. Thankfully with G
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Just had my holiday hors d’oeuvres class at Dorothy Lane Market Culinary Center. It was such fun teaching the full house how they too could impress their guests with little stress. I shared a few tricks of the trade that ensure that absolutely everyone can entertain with ease. Here they are! Every guest loves being greeted with a plate of
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
This time of year almost everyone wants to know what I’m going to make for Thanksgiving. If truth be told I would reply, “reservations”. While I cherish spending time with my family, I am not a huge turkey-day fan. First off there are way too many pots and pans. Everything needs to be simmered and whipped and baked and roasted. There’s the turkey
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
A definite perk to helping my dad move back to Florida each year is that it almost always coincides with the opening day of stone crab season. Last week I almost spilled my coffee when I heard on the local news that fisherman were allowed to set their traps that day in the Gulf of Mexico. When I shared that report with my dad it didn’t take much
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Last week I was the guest chef at Moraine Country Club. We decided on a tasting menu to showcase all the season had to offer. It was such fun working with the staff and being back in a professional kitchen. As I uniformly chopped crates of vegetables for my gazpacho for sixty and wrestled the massive Hobart mixer the memories came flooding back.
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food detective
Last week I was invited to a shindig. Turned out to be a fabulous networking party at the Dorothy Lane Market Culinary Center. The great folks who create the Ohio Valley edition of the Edible magazine were there, along with many of their contributors and local foodies. If you’re not familiar with the magazine series make a point to pick up a copy.
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entertaining with style- making it work for you
Many people don’t entertain because they don’t feel they have what they need to entertain properly. So when it comes to setting the stage what exactly do you need? Well that depends on what type of party you want to have and how many guests you want over. Let’s start with a dinner party for eight. First of all you need to make sure your table will
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food detective
Last month United threw us a curveball. A seven-hour delay in the Denver airport for our connecting flight home. Being held hostage by the airlines is never fun but this time I was carrying special cargo, my little Norwich terrier Willie. We waited for our crew to arrive at the gate for an hour, sat on the plane for 2 ½ hours for mechanics to
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
One of the most fun aspects of entertaining can sometimes be one of the most challenging- the reason to throw a party. Some are obvious such as birthdays, showers, and graduations. But where can you draw inspiration when an event seems elusive? I found myself with just this challenge. My husband and I wanted to have a certain group over for dinner
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Falling head over heels doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when you have crazy good ingredients. Here is a truly decadent dessert that is easy as one, two, three. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth but I make an exception for Pure Madness peppermint bark. It truly is crazy chocolate love. The layers of dark and white chocolate are
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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! read more →