perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Yesterday fall finally arrived. I was so excited to pull on one of my favorite sweaters and take Wille for a brisk walk along the lake. That cool fresh air roused my appetite for something equally cozy. Is there anything more comforting than homemade chicken pot pie? Just the other day that dish popped up in a conversation with friends. We all
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Isn’t it fun going to those upscale gourmet grocers and walking past their cases filled with amazing prepared fare? While tempting, picking up an entire dinner party that way can cost a small fortune. So, what should you do when you want the convenience of having everything made well in advance but you either want to showcase your own cooking and
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Now’s the time to harvest all that basil and make some fabulous pesto. Those near and dear who know my busy schedule might be saying- you made this today? Heck no! I made this (and wrote this) weeks ago and stowed it in my freezer. Because even when you’re really busy you still need to eat. And if you plan ahead, you can eat, really well. Here's
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food detective
The apartment we just moved into has structural damage and we need to move… again. While the mere thought of packing everything up again has brought me to the brink of tears (several times), I’ve decided to set my mind on the positives. First, we are renting, so in essence this is not our problem. Second, there is another unit in our building that
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a moment in time
Sitting down to write about soup seems surreal given last week’s tragic events. My heart breaks for everyone in Dayton, El Paso, and Gilroy. Given the overwhelming senselessness, sometimes the only thing to do is to try to focus on something positive you can control. It’s summer, and that means farmer’s markets. One of my favorite things to do on
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Baby it’s hot outside. Our prewar apartment on Lake Michigan has so much charm, but no central air or personal outdoor space. We do have a few strategically placed portable air conditioner units, but with endless days in the in high 90’s it’s a little warm inside. So, what’s a girl to do when she planned a party a month ago? Time to put her menu
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food detective
The other night we stopped by my cousin’s in Lincoln Park for a glass of wine before heading out to dinner. She had a wonderful spread of cured meats and the most amazing fresh ricotta. My husband and I couldn’t wait to find out where she got it. Turns out there is an Eataly in Chicago. It’s a 12-minute drive from my apartment. And if you spend
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entertaining with style- making it work for you
How fun that my daughter and her husband were going to be in town for a wedding the weekend of their first anniversary. Turns out the ceremony they were coming in for was uptown at three and the reception downtown at six, leaving a bit of a gap. Lucky me that our new apartment happens to lie right in between. So my daughter and I decided to have
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entertaining with style- making it work for you
So excited for my first Chicago party. My youngest, who is in business school at Northwestern, wanted to invite some of her classmates over to meet me and see the apartment before they took off for their summer internships. With my husband and I driving back across the country the week before, time was going to be too tight to pull off a proper
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entertaining with style- making it work for you
In my last post I mentioned how important it is to have a handful of go-to recipes that always work for you. With those up your sleeve you will never shy away from having people over. So many times people think they need to cook up something new or extravagant when they entertain. The truth is when you have a party it’s the guest list that most
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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 →