don’t let the sunshine fool you

the hostess with the mostest hotel
Categories: Fish and Seafood, Veggies and Sides, Dinner Party, Wine Line, Posted on May 3, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten
Loaded into the Mercury Grand Marquis, armed with water and sunglasses we headed west to Joshua Tree Park. Past the alien-like windmills of Whitewater and north toward the national park the temperature readout on our dash the size of a park bench dropped with each mile. A quick pit stop greeted us with 35 mile winds and plunging 51 degree temps
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cheering from the sideline

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Meat, Grains and Pasta, Veggies and Sides, Dinner Party, Posted on April 20, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten
Time to sing the Italian praises of Marcella Hazan once again. Not only does she hold your hand though each intricate step of Italian prep, she walks you through the entire menu offering suitable sides for each dish. When you have lovingly basted and braised for half a day (as with ossobuco) the last thing you want are complicated accompaniments.
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merci buco

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Meat, Grains and Pasta, Veggies and Sides, Dinner Party, Well Equipped, Wine Line, Posted on April 13, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten
With a momentary chill in the air and foodies on the calendar this might be the last possible weekend to serve up ossobuco. Big note- the following is not for the faint of heart. These braised veal shanks take most of the day to prepare. But while you will spend more hours in the kitchen then out the beauty of these tender cuts is that they can
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dine in

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Appetizers, Soups, Fish and Seafood, Veggies and Sides, Desserts, Dinner Party, Posted on March 8, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten
Living in a smaller town has certain limitations; one is a wide selection of restaurants. Thankfully Dayton has a profusion of purveyors with top-notch butchers, fishmongers and an abundance of specialty food items. Making business entertaining at home a more than viable option. Such weeknight dinners need to have a minimum of muss and fuss.
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perfectly aligned

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Soups, Fish and Seafood, Veggies and Sides, Desserts, Dinner Party, Posted on March 1, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten
Sometimes things just come together. The right people. The perfect meal. The planets. This past Saturday was one of those cosmically aligned nights. At twilight our guests arrived and with drinks in hand we ventured out to see the crescent moon forming a perfect triangle with Venus and Jupiter. Easy to enjoy this stellar company because all of the
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tie one on

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Fish and Seafood, Veggies and Sides, Desserts, Dinner Party, Posted on February 20, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten
One of the best things about our place in the desert (and there are many) is our local market. The produce, meat, and seafood at Jensen’s are all superior. Out west my hubby and I share a car and easily slip into our future roles as retirees. Each morning I go for a mountain view hike while he slips into town for his usual Venti Bold.
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if it looks like a duck

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Poultry, Grains and Pasta, Veggies and Sides, Cocktail Party, Sources, Posted on January 27, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten
Weeknight business dinners call for quick thinking and definite pre-prepping. The key is finding something impressive that won’t wreak havoc on your kitchen or midweek schedule. Duck confit is one of my all time favorites. Before we moved it was my go-to comfort food at Fire, our standing Friday night dinner reservation in Cleveland.
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new year old favorites

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Veggies and Sides, Sauces and Such, Dinner Party, Posted on January 20, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten
What’s better than having a bestie who shares your same culinary craving? One of my favs is equally obsessed with eggplant. The deep fried version can’t be beat. But with people like Paula falling from grace with her fat laden fryer it was time to try to lighten up this classic. On my recent stint in CA I experimented with modernizing this favorite
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leg up

perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Categories: Poultry, Veggies and Sides, Desserts, Dinner Party, Posted on December 16, 2011 by Sandy Bergsten
Here’s one to wrap up and put under your tree. A scrumptious supper where the prep is practically done the night before. Having family friends over to take in the lights and exchange a gift or two. The best present for the hostess is spending time in front of the fire rather than with her head in the oven.
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that elusive date

perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Categories: Meat, Veggies and Sides, Desserts, Dinner Party, Posted on November 18, 2011 by Sandy Bergsten
We’ve all said it, “would love to have you over for dinner- let’s get a date on the calendar”. With each additional couple the improbability of finding an open night increases exponentially. Instead of settling on a common weekend in a month, we find ourselves flipping through the seasons. Last night’s dinner was supposed to occur in July.
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