Welcome to Summer Garden Parties!
We are so pleased to share these summer garden party recipes with you, showcasing summer’s bounty and Jarlsberg cheese.
read moreMore Summer Garden Party-Simple Canapés
These lovely little vegetable canapés are great to offer guests as they arrive to nibble on with a glass of bubbly, or a cup of punch, as the rest of the meal is getting its last minute touches.
read moreSummer Garden Parties- Two Vegetable Frittatas Using Summer’s Bounty
Frittatas are an extremely versatile and inexpensive dish for entertaining. Here are a couple of my favorite veggie frittatas- a Southwestern Shiitake Mushroom and Corn, and a Ratatouille, both of which showcase summer’s bountiful crop.
read moreMore Summer Garden Party Bites-Jarlsberg and Hazelnut Biscuits with Black Forest Ham
Mini biscuits as a base for canapé type sandwiches travel well from brunch all the way through cocktail parties, and an array of herbs, nuts and cheeses can be added to biscuits to create a wonderful variety of flavors. Jarlsberg and Hazelnuts are a sweetly nutty match, and a perfect base for thin slices of Black Forest Ham and Honey Mustard.
read moreSummer Garden Parties- and a Recipe for Salmon Cakes
These wonderful Fresh Salmon Cakes, created for an outdoor garden party, are great for brunch, but are versatile enough travel into lunch, and even an early dinner meal.
read moreMother’s Day Brunch and Shiitake Stuffed Baked French Toast
Most mothers would rather be treated to brunch at home (rather than at a restaurant), leisurely enjoying the company of their family, with a great Mimosa, maybe a Margarita, to accompany a buffet of tasty treats, featuring dishes such as this great Shiitake Stuffed Baked French Toast.
read moreA Chocolate Fest for Valentine’s Day
Any Valentine’s Day Chocolate Fest would be happy to include this Chocolate Truffle Torte.
read moreDessert and Coffee Bar Party- Another Economical Way to Entertain
Can’t quite swing the big dinner with open bar party? A dessert buffet and coffee bar is a lovely way to entertain, still allowing a host or hostess to present an abundant spread on a limited budget. Dessert Buffet with Buche de Noel Offer a bountiful buffet filled with fruit (add a mild creamy cheese if you want something more substantial), and a selection of cakes and tarts, as well as pick up treats like cookies and brownies. Add a holiday specialty dessert, like a Buche de Noel, or Croquembouche, as your centerpiece, and decorate the buffet with tiny lady apples, Forelle pears and nuts nestled in pine boughs and sprinkled with powdered sugar “snow”. The selection should include the darker flavors- chocolate (of course!) coffee or caramel, and the lighter ones- like fruit and lemon, too, and keep the desserts easy to serve. While alcohol may be offered (think champagne, a dessert wine and/or brandy, a spiked punch or eggnog) a savvy hostess will save money and still appear opulent by offering a coffee bar with flavored coffees, espresso, cappucino, and hot chocolate, as well as a regular brew. Dress the bar up with beautiful silver samovars, and an eclectic selection of elegant cups. Added bonuses-Ken Cohen, owner of Cappuccino Connection, offers this perspective “Social drinking is an issue in our culture-people like to hold something when they are socializing, but some are seeking a moderating alternative to alcohol for events. Guests don’t have to be concerned how much alcohol they’ve consumed, or about designating a driver.” So have your cake and eat it, too. Offering this sweet treat of a party, makes the smart host look like a million bucks on a very wise budget. Happy Holidays! Gisele ...
read moreA Mother’s Day Brunch- with Mixed Berry Shortcake for Dessert
Mother’s Day is the second busiest day of the year for restaurants, after Valentine’s Day. But my mother finds eating in a restaurant on Mother’s Day depressing, so we prepare a special brunch celebration of Mom at home.
read moreGreat Passover Sweet Treats- Part 2 – Parisian Coconut Macaroons
Parisian Coconut Macaroons are big puffy macaroons, more of a cross between meringues and macaroons, in my opinion.
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