perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
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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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Growing accustom to my southern environs I find myself leaning into their creature comforts. While dressing for the grocery store continues to throw me for a loop, the prospect of grits on the menu has been a delight. In Minnesota you were lucky if your cream of wheat had a sparse sprinkling of brown sugar and perhaps a dab of oleo. In contrast
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the hostess with the mostest hotel
Can’t believe my baby is turning twenty. To celebrate we are having a houseful in our desert home. Family tradition dictates that the birthday girl picks the meal- or in this case meals. Tonight the request is pistachio pesto with grilled shrimp. One of the challenges of a vacation home is that it isn’t quite equipped like our more permanent one
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perfecting the “done before they arrive” dinner party- a work in progress
When faced with a big event it’s best to break it down into manageable pieces. Hosting a large party can be daunting, if it’s for business the stakes can feel higher. There are certain expectations for a work-related affair such as a prompt schedule, accommodating a range of diets, and providing a format that is conducive to the business at hand.
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perfecting the “done before the arrive” dinner party- a work in progress
The other night we had some dear friends over for dinner that have some significant dietary restrictions. When I first surveyed the list Billy Preston’s “nothing from nothing” ran through my head. Then I spied this past Sunday’s New York Times Week in Review on the kitchen table. Mark Bittman’s lead article broke my abstraction
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perfecting the “done before the arrive” dinner party- a work in progress
Entertaining you want to take some risks but also hedge a few bets. Old wines are a wild card. You can dust them off, stand them up, but until you uncork them what they hold is an unknown- could be a home run or has-been. Most often there is little in between.
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what's for dinner- cooking for the fam
My oldest is flying home today, which is officially now Dayton.A weegie board would have come in handy in booking everyone’s return flights. With home a moving target for the last few months I did my best to guestimate where to pick up my travelers. But with plummeting stocks and falling house values what’s a couple airline tickets.
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Drinks were a hit. Almost like train schedules of yore- right on track. Guests arrived at 6:05 and the tracks were clear by 7:09. My new friends and folks loved meeting one another, and the short time frame left everyone wanting more (always a plus). While I knew I didn’t have to worry about this capable group of meeters and greeters
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perfecting the done before they arrive dinner party- a work in progress
Here’s a secret. If you find yourself having back-to-back parties consider doing the same dinner twice. Tonight we are having a couple over for dinner… and another couple Saturday night. One way to cut the stress in half is to duplicate the menu. Believe it or not most of the work in entertaining comes from planning and prep.
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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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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!