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April 6, 2016
At Home with Friends

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What’s On My Table: New Year’s Day Brunch

I have a passion for collecting antique copper and love using it for a brunch buffet. The sun came streaming through the French doors, in my dining room, illuminating the copper with a radiant glow. The inherent warmth in copper was welcoming and inviting and made the food even more enticing. I mixed copper pieces […]

GAME PLAN: NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH

January 1, 2016

12:30 P.M.

4 Weeks Before

  • Invite guests.
  • Think about menu (if it’s elaborate like mine, you will need help in the kitchen and a bartender).
  • Book kitchen staff and bartender now!
  • Make a detailed shopping list.
  • Buy all non-perishables including alcohol.

3 Weeks Before

2 Weeks Before

  • Confirm guest list.
  • Organize all dishes, serving pieces and table linens.
  • Prepare Homemade Granola and store in an airtight container.

1 Week Before

  • Finalize menu and shopping list.
  • Prepare glaze for Baked Ham and store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
  • Buy croissants. (Stale croissants are better for this recipe.)

5 Days Before

  • Do all grocery shopping.
  • Wash all the fresh fruit and vegetables.
  • Buy flowers.

4 Days Before

  • Arrange flowers.
  • Set table, organize all platters and bar.

2 Days Before

Day Before

New Year’s Day

February 8, 2016

February 4, 2016
At Home with Friends

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New Year’s Day Brunch

Welcome to 2016! My friends and I started the New Year with a glorious feast at my house. The invitation was for Brunch and Bloody Marys. We started at 12:30 and were still eating at 5:00 in the afternoon. Some people make New Year’s resolutions. I don’t believe in resolutions. I believe in setting intent […]

January 28, 2016
At Home with Friends

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What’s On My Table: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the one time of year I pull out all the sterling silver flatware, serving pieces and candlesticks, polish it up and use it. I love the rich luster of well used and well loved sterling silver. It catches the light and is especially striking when used with beautiful linens. Sterling silver requires elbow […]

January 25, 2016
At Home with Friends

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How to Dress Your Tabletop

Once you’ve decided that you’re going to have a party, chosen the menu and guest list, it’s time to design the tabletop. The table design and setting is just as important as the food because it adds another element to the event and the overall experience. I always start with one thing as my main […]

December 28, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Baked Ham with Bourbon Pecan Glaze

My dear friend Dano requested a ham for Thanksgiving. I said what I usually say, “Of course, I’ll make ham for Thanksgiving, in addition to the turkey.” I didn’t tell him that until this Thanksgiving I had never baked a ham. My only memories of my mother baking a ham involved a canned ham decorated […]

GAME PLAN: THANKSGIVING

Thursday Night

6:00 P.M.

4 Weeks Before

  • Invite guests.
  • Think about Menu and style of Thanksgiving. (Will you be doing most of the preparation on your own or is yours a group effort? Do you want to do most of the meal and ask people to bring a dessert or salad, or their favorite Thanksgiving dish?)
  • Buy all non-perishables including alcohol.
  • Decide logistics: Where to set up bar, buffet, etc. Do you need extra tables and chairs?

3 Weeks Before

2 Weeks Before

1 Week Before

  • Finalize menu and confirm guest list.
  • Set table: If you’re doing a formal sit-down dinner, it’s not too early to set the table. Traditional Thanksgiving involves a lot of last minute food preparation, so set the table now!

Sunday Before

  • Do all grocery shopping.
  • Wash all the vegetables and fruit.
  • Buy and arrange flowers. If your house isn’t too hot, flowers will keep if you replenish water, or wait until Monday to arrange flowers.

Monday Before

Tuesday Before

Wednesday Evening

Thursday

December 3, 2015

November 19, 2015
At Home with Friends

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The Ultimate Cheese Platter

If you slice up some generic Swiss and put a hunk of orange cheddar on a plate, odds are no one will eat it and you’ll be eating lots of cheese omelettes and baking cheese bread to use up the leftovers. Nothing wrong with cheese omelettes or cheese bread, but wouldn’t you rather present a […]

October 26, 2015
At Home with Friends

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Cauliflower Fritters with Cumin & Raita

If you’re planning a party of all appetizers and alcohol, you need at least one fried appetizer. Somewhere there is a written rule about this. Alcohol and fried food are a natural combination. But fried food doesn’t have to be greasy or heavy. You need a combination of the right batter, the correct oil and […]