layer up

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Soups, Supper, Dinner Party, Lunch, Fête Fact, Posted on January 31, 2016 by Sandy Bergsten
What’s the secret to staying warm during the winter weather? Dress in layers. The same holds true when making soup. Start with your base- stir and sauté, and another layer of ingredients- stir and sauté, add your liquids- stir and simmer. Something truly magical happens when you compose a soup with care and stir and simmer with love. And the best
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ladies’ lunch

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Soups, Supper, Dinner Party, Lunch, Eating Out, Fête Fact, Posted on September 26, 2015 by Sandy Bergsten
Last Wednesday I invited Carrie Walters, from the DLM Culinary Center, Liz Valenti, from Wheat Penny, and Wiley, from Meadowlark, over for lunch. I knew I wanted to serve something seasonal, but also something with a bit of flair. Let’s be honest how often do these three top Dayton chefs get to sit down to a midday meal that is reminiscent of days
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taste of summer

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Appetizers, Soups, Fish and Seafood, Meat, Veggies and Sides, Desserts, Dinner Party, Sources, Wine Line, Posted on August 28, 2015 by Sandy Bergsten
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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summer’s bounty

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Soups, Dinner for Two, Supper, Dinner Party, Posted on June 20, 2015 by Sandy Bergsten
Is there anything better than waking up on a summer Saturday, grabbing a big cup of coffee and heading off to the local farmer’s market? That scenario is tops in my book. Second on the list- the cascading menu that tumbles out of my orange collapsible picnic tote. What better way to mark the summer solstice than with a cool gazpacho highlighting
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party line

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Appetizers, Soups, Meat, Grains and Pasta, Cocktail Party, Dinner Party, Setting the Stage, Posted on July 21, 2014 by Sandy Bergsten
How do you pull a party off in a matter of minutes? The answer is by planning and prepping everything weeks, months and hours ahead of time. The secret to successful entering is in the pre-work. There is actually a direct correlation between the amount of time you put into planning and the ease with which your party comes off. Knowing we wanted to
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spring forward

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Soups, Dinner Party, Posted on March 17, 2014 by Sandy Bergsten
It’s time we set our clocks an hour ahead in anticipation of spring. And while the weather may not be cooperating there’s no reason our entertaining menus can’t oblige. Last Monday I hosted a dinner to welcome our national judges for my garden club’s photography show “Through the Seasons”. Despite the fact the Weather Channel’s ten-day line up
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a super bowl

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Soups, Supper, Sources, Posted on January 22, 2014 by Sandy Bergsten
Dayton Daily News asked if I would be an entertaining expert on a column about throwing the best Super Bowl Party. I had to laugh- me providing insight to the mother of all football gatherings. In all my years of entertaining I don’t think I’ve ever had a Super Bowl party. I don’t even really watch that much TV let alone have a man-cave setup with
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the show must go on

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Appetizers, Soups, Grains and Pasta, Cocktail Party, Posted on August 19, 2013 by Sandy Bergsten
Entertaining is all about planning an event ahead of time. So when life throws you a curveball or even a cannon ball what’s a hostess to do? The answer often lies in the reason you were having folks over in the first place. If tragedy hits there’s no shame in canceling, your guests will certainly understand. But most of the time we entertain so we
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vertical dinner party

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Appetizers, Soups, Meat, Grains and Pasta, Desserts, Cocktail Party, Dinner Party, Sources, Posted on June 22, 2013 by Sandy Bergsten
Just taught my first class at DLM’s Cooking School. What a blast! The theme was a “vertical dinner party”. Many of the students arrived wondering what that term actually meant. Truth is I made it up, but it’s my go-to version of a pumped up cocktail party. When you want to entertain a crowd but are pinched for space, time or money instead of a
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skiing in thailand

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Categories: Soups, Dinner for Two, Supper, Posted on February 10, 2013 by Sandy Bergsten
Watch out for those blue diamonds. Cooking can be like skiing the back bowls of Vail. Pay close attention to the ski report. Tonight I’m making a chicken Thai soup. Simple and fresh. Just the punch of color needed to hopefully kick us into spring. But recipes like this one can be the culinary equivalent to skiing moguls. Easier done when you are
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