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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resurrecting the cocktail party- i’ll drink to that
Remember that old camp song- “make new friends but ke-ee-ep the old, one is silver and the other’s gold”? One of the perks of moving to a new town is that it forces you to make new friends. Thankfully I’ve found some real gems. An added bonus is that one of my favs loves champagne. My cute husband doesn’t care for it- which has left things
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what’s for dinner- cooking for two
The most challenging thing for me about moving is trying to keep on top of my daily grind while packing up 16 years of a former life, and doing all of it long distance. Not only am I boxing up the home where my two daughters grew up, this blog is moving to a new site. Same address www.andshecooks2.com, but soon there will be some exciting changes
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kitchen tenets
Believe it or not entertaining is a lot like curriculum design. If you plan it out thoughtfully there is a high probability that what you want to have happen will actually occur. Think Field of Dreams in an apron. Looking at the stacked files for outgoing consulting projects I wondered if the same rules and theorems that help businesses
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what's for dinner- cooking for two
Some days it’s hard to channel your inner June Cleaver. When I am completely downtrodden. I cheer myself up by pretending to make dinner. We all have our quirks and this is undoubtedly one of mine.
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what’s for dinner- cooking for the fam
What’s worse than having your house sale fall through? Knowing you have to get back into the fray. Being in the real estate market right now is worse than online dating. My” iron-clad” deal fell through. Just as I was recovering another offer came in. It made me feel like an adult dater causality.
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ripped from the headlines... making it work for you
Sometimes you find a great recipe you can’t wait to try. And sometimes (often times) it doesn’t work out as expected. My garbage disposal gets a lot of action. Those glossy promises and good intentions don’t always pan out. And when they don’t it’s down the drain!
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what’s for dinner- cooking for two
Certain times call for a little celebration. Getting a signed contract on a house in a declining market is undoubtedly one of those moments. Making reservations is certainly one option but these next few weeks are going to entail an abundance of dining out and carry out. Tonight calls for a special moment to toast what is sure to be
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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!