Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, and a Recipe for Macaroni and Cheese
Ash Wednesday is the other side of Mardi Gras’ coin. Sharing a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese, a meatless dish that hardly seems like a sacrifice, to soothe the Ash Wednesday blues.
read moreWelcome to Wedding Season-Celebrate your Engagement with a Spring Cocktail Party
Feature the early produce of Spring at a cocktail party to celebrate your engagement.
read moreWelcome, Halima- and the Very Best Sour Cream Coffee Cake
When our family met recently for Halima’s christening, I made this ultimate sour cream coffee cake (I had been searching for the “ultimate” recipe for a long time) for the post-baptism brunch.
read moreTapas and Paella for a Milestone Birthday Party
Tapas with Paella – great menu for a special occasion party.
read moreBirthday Celebrations
Whether it's your 5th, your 15th, 50th or beyond, birthdays are a great reason to celebrate! In fact, Wilton Enterprises (the people who bring us all those wonderful ways to decorate cakes), in their latest Celebration Report – I just love that they have a "celebration report"- states that birthdays, over the years, have remained the most attended celebration across the country. Milestone birthdays are special markers in our life- a time to honor ourselves and our journey, and they truly deserve special festivities. If it's your 50th, it can be a time to take stock, along with your loved ones, of how far you've come. If it's your 20th, it's a time to look excitedly at all that lies ahead. And is there anything better than witnessing the wide eyes of a 5 year old, as he views his very own beautifully decorated cake? A birthday is the perfect occasion for putting your own personal stamp on your party. Do you like Margaritas and Mariachis, paella and cava, elegant small bites and champagne? It's your day- so be creative. Let your caterer know the things that you love- your style, your likes and dislikes- and work with them to design your dream party. They can help you to carry the theme throughout, from the invites, to the food and cake, the décor, the music, and party favors. I can safely say that the more input of this sort you share with your caterer, the more engaging the process will be for them. We love a creative challenge. And most of all, make sure you enjoy your special day! Ciao, Gisele P.S. Please visit my other blog: painperdu...
read moreBlogTalkRadio Share -Wedding Wednesdays
I had a great time today chatting with the lovely Kim Moss of Black Bag Productions in Washington D.C. We chatted about tips on hiring a caterer, and thinking outside of the box to create an economical and personalized wedding celebration. Please give a listen. Just click on the link below. Wedding Wednesdays Ciao, Gisele...
read moreA Lovely Early Springtime Menu to Celebrate a Milestone Birthday
I was privileged, earlier this week, to cater a party celebrating the 90th birthday of a beautiful lady. Her friends (and their community of caretakers) and family dropped by throughout the afternoon to share and sing “Happy Birthday” to her- over and over again. You see, the birthday girl has a touch of Alzheimer’s, but she greatly enjoyed the festivities nevertheless, repeatedly telling everyone how much she loved them. Her daughters asked that the food be classic American (no fusion, spicy, exotic ethnic flavors) given the median age of the group. I might add, that I believe people especially appreciate the tried and true classics in uncertain times, so I heartily agreed. The menu also reflected the early arrival of spring which we’re in the middle of here in L.A. On the menu : Demi-tasse sized servings of Fresh Spring Pea Soup (a lovely shade of green, perfect for a spring afternoon) garnished with Creme Fraiche and Mint Pesto. (Yes! You can serve soup at an hors d’oeuvre party. And a special thanks to the Cabazon Crate and Barrel Outlet Center for rushing these espresso cups out to me). BTW, you can find a recipe for the Pea Soup at my L.A. Examiner Party Planning column). Chive Scented Gougeres (classic cheese puffs made with the same Pâte á Choux dough as Profiteroles– you remember those from our last post, right?- just add 1 C. of grated Gruyere cheese and a couple T. of snipped chives to the batter). Mini Shiitake Mushroom and Fontina Cheese Paninis Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon garnished with Sour Cream and Chives Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce garnished with little sprigs of a beautiful curly Red Mustard I picked up from Coleman Family Farm at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market Little Sliders of Shredded Braised Short Ribs with Horse Radish Cream And for dessert: Mini Lemon Curd Tarts Almond Apricot Bars Triple Fudge Brownies Photo Courtesy of Patti Londre at www.WorththeWhisk.com oh- and Birthday cake, of course, decorated with anthuriums, the birthday girl’s favorite flower, provided by Suzi Babbin Finer-birthday girl’s cousin, and decorator at Hansen’s Cakes. Isn’t it lovely? I sure hope I’m as lucky as this when I’m 90. Bon Appetit, Gisele Oh- and btw, please visit my other blog , too. www.painperdublog.com P.S. My client sent this note a couple of weeks after the event. Wanted to share it with you. Hi Gisele, “Thanks to you and your top-notch team for making Mom’s birthday a glorious occasion. The food was superb, and the service pleasant and thoughtful. We so appreciate your accommodating the special needs of nonogenerian and centenarian guests! With much appreciation of a beautiful party.” All best, Diane Harris...
read moreBarbecued Shrimp- Good for Super Bowl, and Good for Valentine’s Day, too!
“Barbecued” – a curious term in New Orleans- Shrimp
read moreA Special Cake for a Special Day-German Chocolate with Milk Chocolate Buttercream
This German Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Buttercream has always been a “go to” cake for special days in my family.
read moreMardi Gras in L.A.
As those of you who read this blog know, we are in the full swing of Mardi Gras season- even here in L.A., two thousand miles away from NOLA. There was a huge Mardi Gras ball this weekend in L.A., and while your LA2LA Chef was not in attendance she received this report from one of her relatives who was. “The ballroom was filled with the sounds, sights and the revelry that is Carnival in New Orleans, including the fancifully decorated umbrellas that bounced to the beats of the Second Line snaking through the large, colorful room. These (mostly) New Orleans expats and their offspring, know how to celebrate Mardi Gras and celebrate they did! “Laissez les bon temps roulez” was the rule of the day. The only requirement was revelers had to come costumed. There was no formal theme for the ball, but the undercurrent of support and excitement for the Saints was strong, with Saints jerseys dotting the room and the fleur de lis, the favored accessory, could be seen on many of the costumes, masks and umbrellas. A pair of revelers, who won the award for the most beautiful costume worn by a couple, wore large gold fleurs as the major attraction on the back of long black capes and masks made of gold and black fleurs de lis. Another large family of revelers was attired in black clothing, black high hats with white banners across their chests bearing the names of streets in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans, the area from which many, if not most of the revelers, once lived. The only design other than the street names on each banner, was the simple, elegant fleur de lis. The caped wonder, Bat Man, was seen sporting a gold and black fleur de lis with the words “Who Dat” emblazoned across his chest. Another group of royal ladies (one of whom even flew in from New Orleans to attend), all of whom wore fleur de lis designs on banners across their bosoms, accompanied a king* , who had the fleur prominently displayed on his crown, tunic and shoes. Yep-the fleur de lis ruled supreme.” *That would be my relative. Thank God he was the most beautiful single costume winner- there was widespread grumbling heard last year, when his Cardinal costume didn’t take the prize, that the judges’ ruling was tinged with nepotism. “Laissez les bon temps roulez” ...
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