Finding Your Sparkle: How to Shine When Hosting at Home

September 20, 2016September 20, 2016Leave a comment

Years ago, when my hostessing merely twinkled and had not yet developed into a full on sparkle, I read an article on entertaining in one of my favorite lifestyle magazines. I’m sure it was full to the brim with helpful tips and tricks, but the one that has stuck with me was a reminder to leave time in the planning and preparation for an event to pull yourself together. The article cautioned budding hosts and hostesses that guests didn’t want to arrive to a stressed and disheveled host unable to greet them and issued a firm reminder that people are there, first and foremost, for their host.

Armed with this sage wisdom and a deep love of entertaining, I set out to dazzle friends and family at dinners, barbeques, brunches and holidays. Any gathering was a chance for an occasion. A girl’s night in was a chance to try out sangria and martini recipes. A jewelry party was an opportunity for themed door prizes and fondue bars. A barbeque was not a just barbeque…it was a red gingham themed picnic, a luau or a Rutgers football rally. Slowly but surely, I found my own hostessing style and developed my philosophy of generous hospitality and creative theming. I also learned the value of setting a few hours aside before the guests were set to arrive to clean up, change and make myself feel like a participant in the party. That doesn’t mean that I sweep aside the hard work of hosting the minute my guests began to arrive. What it does mean is that I strive for my guests to find me dressed and ready to greet them as I pull together any finishing touches and set about making them feel at home.

When it comes to developing your own entertaining skills, remember that as the host you set the tone for every event you hold. A big part of that tone is, of course, the planning and preparation that occurs before the party. The organization, décor, entertainment and menu are critical components in creating an enjoyable event for your guests. However, as I mentioned at the end of The Dazzle is in The Details, a happy host is the most important décor a party can have.

The ultimate goal of hosting is to ensure your guests feel engaged in the event and well attended to. That means planning a gathering that you can be a proper host to. If you’re inexperienced with entertaining or uncomfortable in the kitchen, the most elegant approach to take is to simplify. Prepare a straightforward plan for your affair and create a layout and timeline for putting it into action. Find a basic color palate that can be easily coordinated. Choose appetizers that can be laid out in advance that combine style, substance and simplicity. Think of elegant antipasto, charcuterie & crudité platters. Cater your main courses or rely on tried and true recipes you feel comfortable with. A selection of wine and seasonal beer are appropriate for any occasion and won’t require your attention at the bar. If you want to add some visual and palate pleasing pizazz you can plan a simple build your own food bar or beverage bar to engage your guests. Once you’ve set a simple and stunning stage, focus on being present and attentive to your guests.

As you develop a comfort level, you may start to plan more elaborate events. However, throwing large and intricate parties isn’t for everyone. You may choose to stick with a simple hosting style on your own and to call in a professional when the planning and coordination get beyond you. No matter which path you choose, a dazzling at home affair is never unattainable as long as you remember that you are the sparkle that lets your event shine.

Raising the Bar: Food

August 12, 2016September 13, 2016Leave a comment

Growing up, Christmas Eve consisted of friends who felt like family gathering in my parent’s home. Though there was ample seating throughout the house, everyone spent their fair share of time crowded in the kitchen. They congregated around a countertop teaming with appetizers and the stove which held a pot of my mother’s famous soup and a pot of acini di pepe (or ‘dots’ as we affectionately referred to the tiny pasta) which each guest mixed to their own specifications before topping it with grated parmesan. Perhaps it’s these fond memories of guests deciding what their personal ‘mix’ of the famed broth, meatballs and noodles would be which led to my general love of any type of a “build your own” bar at gatherings.

As a hostess I always seek to offer both comfort and sparkle at the same time. Food, beverage and sweet bars fulfill these goals and resonate beautifully with the philosophies of generous hospitality and creative theming. The notion of a bountiful food display centered on a single idea which welcomes guests in to not only be nourished but be creative strikes right at the heart of everything I believe in both as an event planner and as a hostess. In this first of three installments of my “Raising the Bar” series we’re going to talk about the meat and potatoes, quite literally, of a party and discuss how everything from an appetizer to a side dish can be made to shine with a well-designed food bar.

Not long ago, I discussed the art of the antipasto and how to turn an initial food offering into an appetizer display that will delight all your guests. However, there are other ways you can take the appetizer offering a step further. For instance, by including a delightful crudités bar. Consider arranging vegetable sticks in vases of different shapes and heights with cherry tomatoes in the bottom for a bright and vibrant display. Serve dips in hollowed out bell peppers of different colors.

A fondue bar is also a delicious appetizer offering. Traditional fondue pots themselves can make quite an attractive display. In the alternative, there are slow cookers with multiple compartments that will keep your fondue and hot dips warm. Pair a few different fondue recipes or hot dips with a selection of crusty breads and vegetables, display skewers in a tall vase or glass and let your guests get to dipping.

You don’t have to leave the fun of a food bar behind after the appetizer course, there are a number of ways to turn your main course into a creative adventure for your guests. My favorite is a taco bar. There are so many ways to please guests with this classic “build your own” bar. I would suggest including two to three filling options such as seasoned ground beef, ground turkey, sliced chicken breast, sliced steak, or shredded chicken or pork. If you have vegetarian guests you can substitute one of your meat fillings with seasoned cauliflower rice, diced mushrooms, quinoa or tofu. The fun really begins with the toppings. I like to include a variety of shredded cheeses, thinly sliced red cabbage, diced tomato, black olives, lettuce, pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Finally, offer a selection of ‘vessels’ for your tacos such as hard shells, flour and corn tortillas and tortilla chips. This type of bar can range from a simple table top spread to an elaborate display and can be modified to create the most basic tacos to something truly gourmet. You can also modify this theme to a burrito bowl bar and include rice, beans and corn.

Taco bars may be near and dear to me, but there are so many lunch and dinner food bar options you can experiment with. A simple approach to a food bar is a sandwich bar with a variety of meats, cheeses, breads and spreads. Include interesting vegetable options such as roasted peppers and pickled items along with more standard tomatoes, lettuce and onions. You can get as creative as you want with your meat and spread offerings by including anything from the simplest cold cuts with mayo to seared tuna or steak with chimichurri sauce. You can also dress this bar up or down with your bread selections offering anything from the basic hard roll and sliced bread to loaves of artisanal bakery bread. When I have a larger variety of offerings on my sandwich bar, I like to offer sliced French bread or crostini in the event guests want to have multiple smaller sandwiches.

A chili bar is always a warm and inviting treat on a cool day. Serve a meat and a vegetarian chili along with toppings such as rice, cheese, scallions, cilantro, onions, sour cream and tortilla chips. You might also consider including French fries so your guests can create their own chili cheese fries. If you’re feeling fancy you can check out Paula Dean’s recipe for corn meal waffles to include in your chili bar. I think they make for a really beautiful plate.

Main courses always have a chance to shine, but a side dish can become the star at a gathering by featuring it in an attractive and delicious bar. A mashed potato bar with martini glasses for serving and a variety of toppings is a favorite. Baked potato bars are also a popular variation as are macaroni and cheese bars. The toppings you include can make the offering more or less substantial. You can go from the simplest sour cream and cheeses for a potato bar to gravy with chucks of pot roast. On a macaroni and cheese bar the options are equally as broad, from bacon and bread crumbs to pancetta and lobster.

While the most well known and popular food bars are often geared toward lunch and dinner events, I have a special place in my heart for brunch. There are a number of ways to incorporate a food bar into your brunch event. A yogurt bar with fresh fruits and oats for your guests to create individual parfaits is an elegant option. An oatmeal bar is a healthy way to get creative. Switching gears from fitter options to more decadent, what about a waffle bar? Whipped cream, fruits, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, nuts and syrup will satisfy every guest’s sweet tooth. A more sophisticated variation of this idea is a crepe bar. Consider lemon curd, mousse, nutella in addition to a variety of fruits to bring this bar to life. If you want a savory and high end feature you can offer smoked salmon and capers or caviar and sour cream.

Now, of course, no brunch is complete without its drinks, and this Sparkling Hostess has some dazzling ideas for your beverage bars. That, however, is a story for another entry. Stay tuned for “Raising the Bar II: Beverages” and until then remember…no matter what you do, always bring your sparkle.

Let Them Be Little

August 11, 2016September 13, 2016Leave a comment

Thinking back to family parties and holidays as a child I can’t help but recall the timeless tradition of the “kid’s table”. The kid’s table wasn’t necessarily an institution in my family; oftentimes we all mixed around one large table for holidays. However, there were several yearly events where the adults cloistered themselves off with fancy food and drink while the younger generation laughed, played and ate less sophisticated fare in the next room. While I did sometimes look longingly at the fancy adult room and aspire to one day sit with the grown ups, I have wonderful memories of the kid’s table.

It’s probably true that the adults often just wanted to be able to have a civilized dinner without endless cries of “he’s touching me” and “she’s kicking me”; however, there is some sound logic behind creating a separate space for children at gatherings. Children and adults don’t eat or drink the same things, they don’t have the same kinds of conversations and they certainly don’t have the same activity level and attention span. Oftentimes at events when children and adults are trying to occupy the same space, the adults become frustrated by the children’s behavior and the children become frustrated by being required to behave like adults. So whenever possible in planning an event, I like to approach the presence of children with the “let them be little” philosophy.

At a gathering designed for both children and adults I like to create a separate space for the children where they can mix and mingle and play. In a perfect situation this space should be removed from, but visible to the space occupied by adults. Consider including coloring books or other activities for children, toys like hula-hoops for outdoor gatherings and child friendly favors. Set up games like bean bag tosses outside and perhaps some puzzles or board games indoors. At one event I painted large pieces of wood with chalkboard paint, propped them against the fence and set buckets of side walk chalk in between them. You’d be surprised how many adults will end up hula-hooping, bean bag tossing, and leave their own artwork behind!

It’s also important to consider children when you’re designing your menu for an event. If your overall menu is something that will appeal to everyone, great! If not, make sure you have a few selections like chicken fingers, hamburgers or other child friendly food in addition to the rest of your menu. If it’s appropriate you can include child friendly snacks like goldfish, pretzels or veggies at the children’s table. However, be conscious of any food allergies or concerns of your smaller guests and only put snacks out if it’s ok for all tiny hands to reach in and grab them. One of my favorite things to make for a child friendly event is a “mocktail” bar with sparkling water, juices or lemonade and fruits for garnish as well as fun cups and straws so children can have fancy drinks just like the adults.

While your child friendly activities and offerings may require some adult supervision, they are sure to be a hit with your smaller guests. This space will create a welcoming atmosphere for all ages which will dazzle children and grown ups alike.

The Art of the Antipasto

August 4, 2016September 13, 2016Leave a comment

As a woman of Italian descent there are a few things I believe in without question: family dinners, the vehemence of the “sauce”/ “gravy” debate (no dear readers, I won’t weigh in …we sparkle here, we don’t argue) and antipasto. I believe antipasto is as basic and essential as the presence of water on a table. To be clear, I use creative license with my antipasto. If it has cheese, a cured meat and a marinated vegetable I call it antipasto. However, why should I limit myself there? My most elaborate antipasto, arranged on a large framed mirror and accented with martini glasses, featured the classics but also included crostini, berries, nuts, stone ground mustard and all manner of delicious things. It was delightful to the palate and, of course, the eye.

So what is it about an antipasto that I believe is so essential and timeless? First and foremost let’s return to my philosophy of generous hospitality. An initial food and drink offering is the warm greeting of any party. It’s the handshake or (hopefully) warm embrace a guest is given welcoming them into an event. I believe that every event should start with an emotional and visual impact that says “come in, pull up a chair, make yourself at home,” and a beautiful antipasto offering does just that. It also takes the stress off a host by providing your guests with something to sate their hunger if the main course is still in the works. You never want to leave guests sitting at a venue or a home hungry and anxious; it distracts from the event and sets the wrong tone.

An antipasto is also a widely appealing plate. It can be designed to have something for everyone. I like to pair homey and inviting cheeses like cheddar, Swiss and mozzarella with more “exotic” offerings like sharp gouda, bleu cheese and goat cheese. This gives every guest the ability to find something familiar and accessible but also satisfies your “foodie” guests by providing something sophisticated. Pairing a selection of cheeses with berries, nuts, marinated vegetables and cured meats provides a wide range and diverse selection for your guests to pick from while they mix, mingle and settle in. Adding some crostini, pita, small toasts, or breadsticks rounds out the platter, making it a more complete appetizer offering.

In addition to being delicious, antipasto can create a truly stunning display. As with all things at an event, I believe the food should be visually appealing. The arrangement of an antipasto should maximize its impact. It should be both colorful and dynamic. Fruit and nuts provide pop and contrast to the more muted cheeses. A larger, more elaborate display can play with levels and height by using martini glasses or other stemmed serving pieces.

The wonderful thing about an antipasto is that it does not require a great deal of culinary skill. However, it is a chance to explore your culinary creativity by designing a unique presentation. If you can cut cheese, roll meats and rinse fruit then the sky is the limit. If you’re having a catered affair don’t be afraid to ask for different items to be included and arranged in an unique way. Think of your antipasto as having the same visual impact for the appetizer course that a cake has for the dessert course. This is your event’s opening statement, make it a dazzling one!