An Autumn Tea Party Offers Great Value
It’s a gloomy, cool day here in Los Angeles, and even though I’m not a regular tea drinker, my thoughts often turn to a cup of tea on days like this. So I spent some time writing an article about tea parties. I often associate tea parties with spring time, and indeed, that is a lovely time for a tea party. But each season offers its own special appeal, and autumn is a lovely time to break out your fine china and linens, play some soothing chamber music in the background, and take advantage of the harvest for tea treats. A tea party is a cost effective way to entertain, and because tea parties are so associated with refined elegance and charm, you, the hostess or host will come out smelling like a rose. They are also versatile and can be expanded into a brunch or luncheon by including a selection of fruit and cheese, salads, or a poached salmon for a more substantial meal. For autumn tea treats I would go with mushrooms, pumpkins, apples, pears and figs, all available in abundance at the local farmer’s markets now. I would also include cheeses, I like to pair smoked and blue cheeses with autumn produce for dainty little bites- a Fig or Pear and Gorgonzola Tea Sandwich on walnut bread, a Smoked Mozzarella and Wild Mushroom Tart, Mini Pumpkin Muffins with Chunky Apple Butter, Smoked Turkey on Rosemary Biscuits with Cranberry Chutney. BTW, an after Thanksgiving tea party is a perfect choice for an overworked hostess wanting to recharge her batteries and reconnect with close family and friends. I have always loved catering tea parties, and I think I do a pretty good job at it, too. A long time client of mine who has thrown several tea parties over the years, wrote this lovely review for me after one of hers. “Saw someone who attended our party today, and she said the food was better at our house than her Easter brunch at the Peninsula Hotel. Another unsolicited compliment (you’re good.)!” -Best Regards, Nan...
read moreAn Autumn Wedding Feast to Celebrate Your Marriage
Incorporate the rich colors, scents, spices and flavors of autumn to your wedding feast as metaphors to remind you of your vows and love for each other as you encounter those objects throughout your lives together.
read moreBlogHer Food 2009’s “Small Plates” Cocktail Reception
I was privileged this past weekend to attend the first annual BlogHer Food conference at the truly special and elegant St.Regis Hotel in the SOMA (south of Market Street for the uninitiated) district of San Francisco. It was a wonderful gathering of women (and a few men) who blog about food and related topics. In addition to the fabulous people I met, I also got to sample great food, drink some good wine (provided courtesy of St. Supery Winery, and take home fun "swag". I even won a new Netbook computer at the end of the day. Can't beat that! The conference had some great sponsors, The Mushroom Council, Pur, Cuisinart, Scharffenberger (yep- free chocolate in the "swag bag"!), Bertolli and Nature's Source. The biggest name sponsor was Campbell's who highlighted their products in a wonderful cocktail party which closed out the conference. It was a magical evening in San Francisco, uncharacteristically warm on the rooftop deck which looked out at a corner of the diagonally striped roofed of its neighbor, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. A glorious half autumn moon rose in the warm September air as we sipped classic martinis, and Brut Rosé champagne. The tasty treats at the reception were all presented "small plate" style, a trend which has become very popular in this economic downturn we find ourselves in. A "small plate" reception allows smart hosts to serve dishes at a stand up reception, which in more free spending times, would have been part of a buffet or sit down menu. Our menu at the BlogHer reception included Braised Beef with Shallots and Mushrooms in a rich meaty sauce, Skewers of Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Herb Grilled Vegetables, classy little shooters of Spiced Butternut Squash Soup with Sage, French Onion Sliders (bite sized burgers braised in Campbell's French Onion Soup, which btw, no one could get enough of), and even Tomato Soup Spiced Mini Cupcakes- okay- I'm not too sure about that one… The St. Regis has classy little china plates to serve the bites on, but you, too, can have this kind of "small plates" party. In fact, we here at small pleasures, used small plastic plates earlier this year at our Tropical Themed Party to serve small bites of Grilled Corn Salad, and Black Beans with Curried Rice Pilaf. We found them at a great on line source- Smarty Had a Party (isn't that a great name?) where there was a wide selection of them. Enjoy the pics below. ...
read moreA Trip to a Farm Inspires the Yom Kippur Honey Meal
A few weeks back I joined the wonderful Bay Area Baker’s Dozen (btw,I was privileged to write a glossary entry several years back for The Baker’s Dozen Cookbook on their annual summer field trip. This year we visited the Marshall Honey Farm in American Canyon, and I got to learn about those wonderfully industrious creatures- bees. I really didn’t know much about them- other than like everyone of course, that they have been mysteriously disappearing. That’s a problem since they pollinate our food plants, hence we would have a hard time surviving without them. It turns out we’re not dependent on them only for our plant food, but since our animals are dependent on them for their plant food, our supply of meat and dairy would also be disrupted if bees weren’t out there doing their work. That’s the food chain. Thankfully, they’ve slowly been showing up again. But enough about that. What really haunted me about the visit, was the soooo simple, yet elegant meal laid out for us at the end of the tour. It consisted of a couple of big wedges of blue cheese drizzled with honey and served with wafer thin crackers provided by Helene Marshall, co-owner of the farm along with her husband, Spencer. I contributed a peach upside down cake made with Regier Farms peaches (available at the Santa Monica and several other SoCal Farmer’s Markets), and a bit of honey in the batter, and a honey sabayon sauce to accompany it. My friend Betty added a big plate of farm fresh strawberries. There was also a fabulous lavender honey ice cream-with bits of lavender buds in it- served on home made waffle cones from Fairfax Scoop, a little organic ice cream shop in Fairfax in Marin County. No website, but there are tons of great online reviews. So if you’re lucky enough to be up there, drop in and have a cone. I’ve come to think of it as “the honey meal”. Then it struck me at a certain point in my dreaming- wouldn’t this be a great meal to break the fast on Yom Kippur. Add a honey brined smoked turkey breast, along with a simple green salad- and voila! Bone and butterfly a turkey breast, brine it for a day or two in a salt and honey wet brine, sprinkle it with herbs (I would add a tiny bit of lavender along with rosemary and thyme to complement the honey), roll and tie it, then either slow smoke and or roast it. Bon Appetit!...
read moreA Tropical Themed Party for a Warm Summer Evening
A catered birthday party with a menu designed to accompany Margaritas and Mojitos, the only drinks the client intended to serve.
read moreMs. Leah Chase Receives Another Lifetime Acheivement Award
Ms. Chase, whose name readers of this blog are familiar with, was given another lifetime achievement award this month- this time from the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans (she had previously received one from the Southern Foodways Alliance) . When I mentioned it to my uncle he responded, "it's no wonder-she's important to that city and its food reputation." I might also add that she is such an inspiration to so many, working tirelessly for what she believes in, and always very gracious and accessible to all. Here's a clip from the Southern Food and Beverage Museum's latest newsletter. This past month, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum hosted its gala in honor of Leah Chase. During the dedication ceremony, Leah's granddaughter pointed out that Leah never lets the bad (Katrina) or the good (awards and honors) stop her from continuing along her path. To drive the idea home, she ended her speech with a message to her grandmother, in words that Leah must often use, regarding the gallery named after her at SoFAB. "Grandma, this is great. We knew you could do it. We are proud of you. Now let's move on." Next post I'll share with you what Ms. Chase had to say to me about the differences between Cajun and Creole food the last time I spoke with her. You'll love it, so tune...
read moreMy Father’s Day Tribute
My father moved us to Los Angeles from New Orleans, when I was young, in search of a better life for himself and his family. He took us back to visit as often as he could, and I have many fond memories of steamy summers spent there.
read moreThe Chinese in New Orleans and Yaka Mein
Yaka Mein – chasing down the origins of a New Orleans favorite with Chinese roots
read moreVisiting with Leah Chase
On the last day of my visit a couple of weeks ago, I stopped in to visit with Mrs. Leah Chase of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant. I had visited with Mrs. Chase, in her FEMA trailer, on my last visit, but hadn’t been smart enough to tape it then. This time I wised up and video taped our chat.
read moreBuffet vs. Sit Down Dinner- Which Way to Go if You’re on a Budget?
Every once in a while I browse the Web on the topic of wedding catering to see what people are saying out there. Today I came across a site which reminded me of how many misconceptions there are being tossed around. Here's an old bromide I ran across this morning on a site offering advice on trimming the cost of a wedding reception: "…consider going with a buffet instead of a traditional sit-down dinner. While every catering price list is different, buffet dinners are traditionally cheaper than plated dinners." The common wisdom is that buffet events require less service staff- which admittedly can be expensive- so therefore are less expensive. I've always been suspicious of this bit of "common wisdom", so while I was writing Help I Need a Caterer, I decided to run the question by a couple other caterers and event planners. My suspicions were confirmed, as they agreed with me. While there is a need for more service staff with a formal sit down dinner, a caterer is able to control food portions in a way that is impossible on a buffet. We've all seen guests whose eyes are bigger than their stomachs, and pile their plates with food that ends up getting tossed. While the quantity of each dish needs to be increased on a buffet, I also feel the number of selections need to be increased. For example, clients usually want two main course selections, i.e.like chicken and fish or beef on a buffet, as well as a two or three vegetable selections. As a caterer, I don't know which item will appeal to guests more, so I have to make sure there is enough of each. The fact of the matter is, most people will want to taste both. But here's the real kicker that a colleague pointed out to me. Since guests will undoubtedly return to the buffet more than once, there's a need to rent additional plates and flatware etc., and rentals really do add up. When I'm a guest, I personally favor buffets- I'm more of a casual gal, I like choices, and I like to move around. But which is more economical? I think it's a toss up. The important thing is deciding what's your style, and most important to you. Tune in over the next few days as I look at more of those "common wisdom" assumptions. Bon Appetit, Gisele P.S. If you're planning a wedding, but have question about how to go about putting together your reception,watch for the relaunch of my E-book Help! I Need a Caterer. It 's full of practical tips on planning and hiring a caterer who'll help you create the perfect wedding reception- or any other special party. BTW, the E-book was recently featured in the L.A. Bride section of Valley Magazine....
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