entertaining with style- making it work for you
You know how you sometimes take some of the best things for granted? They always seem to be there, so you assume they always will. The other day I had a panic attack as I realized I had just signed a lease for an apartment on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Overlooking Belmont Harbor, it has views of Lake Michigan but no personal outdoor space.
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Each October I travel to Florida to help my dad get settled back into his house after his summer up north. It’s truly a labor of love, filled with a myriad of to-do lists and even more laughs. Don’t get me started on our perennial wrangle over the open condiments he always seems to leave in his refrigerator for five months. That said, I keep my
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food detective
Flipping through an old copy of Bon Appétit I came across an intriguing recipe for salmon burgers. You are going to want to try this fresh take on a classic fishcake. The key to this burger’s success is a food processor. Pulse one third of the salmon into a smooth paste, then add the other two thirds and pulse until coarsely chopped. The smooth
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food detective
My husband’s and my travel schedules have been… crazy! We’ve literally flown over one another. Think of planes, trains and cars passing in the night. Last Wednesday was the only date that could possibly resemble a date. I wanted to slow down, set the table, and make him something special to show him how much I’ve missed him. But with suitcases that
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Just taught an evening class at Dorothy Lane Market’s Culinary Center. The theme was “spring soiree”. While nature is popping up and showing its face, it’s time for us to shake off our winter hibernation and do the same. Spring is the perfect time to reconnect with friends and feature some of the best the season has to offer. The class was a
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food detective
Here’s some real news you can sink your teeth into. Melissa Clark, a food reporter from the New York Times, has created a digital series on the essentials of French cuisine. She takes readers through ten quintessential recipes- from mastering a basic omelet to serving up a soufflé with aplomb. She walks you through why should master the recipe
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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
The other morning I was walking by the TV in my bedroom and caught a snippet of Giada de Laurentiis attempting to show Savanna Guthrie how to devein a shrimp. It was an amusing although futile clip, what really held my attention was the recipe that followed- buffalo grilled shrimp with a goat cheese dipping sauce. Secretly I love wings though
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food detective
My step-daughter and her chef boyfriend gave me the best cookbook for Christmas, Prune by Gabrielle Hamilton. I love the way the book appears to be a copy of her cooking manifest for her restaurant, complete with hand written notes in the margins. Personally I read cookbooks like others read novels. I have a stack of cookbooks on my bedside table.
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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 →