Teddy's Sip and See: A Kentucky Derby Party

It's been awhile.  A long while.  And a lot has happened.  Greg and I had a baby: Teddy!  Teddy is awesome and we're having so much fun obsessing over him.  Between my pregnancy, our thriving catering business and the arrival of Teddy, something had to give and blogging is what I gave up.  However, I've missed it as a creative outlet and a way to share all of the parties that we throw, for ourselves and our clients.  There have been over a hundred parties since my last post and I hope to catch up, as well as share our many upcoming ones.  Teddy's Sip and See Party back in May seems like the natural first post back.  I'd been dying to throw one ever since I learned of the southern tradition - I practically had Teddy for this very reason!  We went with a Kentucky Derby theme (I've wanted to do one every year!) and kept it classically preppy and festive.  Seersucker table cloths and attire set the tone for the day.  Teddy's Aunt Amy arranged mint and tulips in my mint julep cups (one of many ways that she has spoiled him) and made custom racing horse signs.  We sipped on mint juleps (of course) and spiked arnold palmers while grazing the buffet of pulled pork sandwiches and seasonal, slightly southern salads.  The whole party was a fun way to celebrate our new party animal and for him to meet many of his new friends.  Can't wait to share all of the parties in his future!!!

The Menu

Sips

mint juleps

kentucky bourbon, mint, sugar

arnold palmer

vodka, mint iced tea, lemonade

Snacks

pimento cheese & toast

deviled eggs

To Share

pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw & bourbon bbq sauce

hominy & green chili casserole

chopped salad with cherry tomatoes, black-eyed peas, corn & avocado

snap peas, asparagus & mint

three bean salad

Sweet

strawberry shortcakes with buttermilk biscuits & sweetened cream

banana pudding cups

chocolate pecan bars

MISS-ISS-I-PP-I

After an amazing vacation in Morocco (which definately inspired another Moroccan themed party!), I arrived back to LA greeted by gorgeous, sweet tomatoes at the farmers markets.  They are the best they've been in years, which means it is BLT season!  We've been back in the throws of massive parties, so this simple dinner for twelve was a real pleasure.  The hostess is from Mississippi and wanted touches of the South to inspire the menu.  With the help of my friends Ahna and Julianna, who know a thing or two about Southern cooking, I came up with pecan crusted halibut, creamy grits & greens.  Greg really nailed the fried pickled request with his tempura battered version, better than anything I've eaten at a State Fair (no offense State Fair, I love you deeply and can't wait!!).  Our hostess picked flowers from her garden (lucky lady!) and served dinner on her collection of mix and match vintage china, which only enhanced the whimsical, easy breezy Southern feel.  I'm so happy it's summer, my favorite time of year, and look forward to lots of corn, bbq, refreshing cocktails and the second best food in the world: the BLT (sorry BLT, the french fry is my one true love).

The Menu

sips

smoky watermelon margaritas

snacks

tempura battered dill pickles with comeback sauce

pimento cheese toasts

salt & pepper shrimp

to start

heirloom tomatoes, lettuces, bacon & creamy chive buttermilk dressing

savory

pecan crusted halibut with caper remoulade

creamy cheddar polenta & braised kale and collard greens

sweet

chocolate pots de creme with bourbon whipped cream

Fat Tuesday: A Mardi Gras Celebration

For an impromptu dinner party this weekend, I needed a theme. Luckily, Mardi Gras is right around the corner and what's more fun than carnival? With only a few hours to throw it together, I reminded myself that it didn't have to be perfect and that it could be simple. So I gave myself a budget of $20 at the 99cent store and scored these quite lovely masks, a bag of feathers and (thank god) Mardi Gras beads. Fifteen minutes of scattering the infamous beads onto a few cake stands, plus, feathery masks at each place setting, and, voila, a very festive and colorful table. For dinner, a cornmeal crusted fried oyster, served on a bed of spicy greens, was inspired by the po'boys Greg and I enjoyed in New Orleans. Then a quick sautee of diced celery, peppers & onion (the heavenly Southern trinity) with tomatoes and shrimp--paired with cheddar-enhanced instant grits--yielded a New Orleans classic. Finally, to represent the theatrics of the parade: flaming bananas foster. And what would a Mardi Gras celebration be without some cocktails? Greg and I drank our fair share in the big easy (truth: we did little other than stumble around the French Quarter) so I went with our favorite--a classic--the Sazerac. As tempting as a Hurricane was (cocktail, not Katrina), I wanted to spare my friends the inevitable Hurricane hangover. Just having masks made the night silly & fun and really reminded me that a little goes a long way. I hope this inspires a batch of gumbo or shrimp & grits for Tuesday...there's always something to celebrate. It makes life more fun.

The Menu

sips

sazerac

herbsaint, rye whiskey, peychaud's bitters, simple syrup, lemon peel

snacks

black-eyed pea dip with sweet potato chips

to start

cornmeal fried oysters with baby mixed greens, remoulade & cider vinaigrette

main

shrimp & grits

stewed collard greens

sweet

bananas foster ala mode

Gingham in Venice

Is it really the end of August? Where did the summer go? For me, it was spent making parties. So many that I forgot to blog about them! Now it's catch up time and this gingham-heavy birthday party was one of my favorites. Our creative friend Shepherd wanted to throw his wife a surprise party with the following inspirations: gingham, picnic, Alabama, and catching fireflies in jars. We went nuts. Amy, who is historically afraid to dabble in color, reluctantly embraced all things red & white--with amazing results. She planted daisies in galvanized bins and mason jars, tied mini tabasco bottles to place cards and made use of a picture of the birthday girl in a grade school photo wearing gingham (how lucky is that?). This table really does scream fun and instantly put guests in a cheerful mood. We started with cocktails and appetizers inside where Amy and I may have eaten more corn nuts than the rest of the guests combined. My friend Deirdre, who lives in the South, swears by pimiento cheese, so it made its way onto cucumber rounds with a green olive garnish. Outside, the menu was classic bbq comfort foods. Many people have asked me for recipes (which I rarely use and need to learn how to write) so I've linked to two of my favorites below: the espresso baby back ribs and Martha Stewart's mac and cheese. Both are heavenly. This post reminds me where the summer went: eating good food, in pretty places with good people.

The Menu

drinks

jalapeno lime margaritas

watermelon mint margaritas

cherry kool-aid, tequila optional

snacking

corn nuts sampler

ruffles with creme fraiche & chives

pimiento cheese spread on cucumber rounds

paprika dusted deviled eggs

to start

heirloom tomatoes, watermelon, mint, basil, mozzarella & burrata salad

dinner

baby back ribs with espresso bbq sauce

grilled shrimp skewers

sharp white cheddar mac & cheese

tangy bacon wrapped green beans

buttermilk coleslaw

jalapeno cornbread

dessert

individual roasted s'mores

for home

red & white candy treat cups