Entertaining – In Good Taste

18 Cheese Boards That You Probably Need Right Now

Maris Callahan — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 04:35:24 +0000

I really wavered back and forth between titling this post “18 cheese boards YOU need right now and cheese boards I need right now. It’s probably both. When I made my 2018 holiday gift guide, I kept finding beautiful cheese boards and I wanted to buy every single one of them. The problem is: I bought monogrammed cheese boards for my friends last year. Brad’s sister lives in San Francisco and I don’t think she’d appreciate having to stash marble slate in her carry-on home, and their mom used to work for Williams-Sonoma so she has every kitchen appliance, gadget and gear you could imagine. My mom doesn’t really entertain and I certainly don’t have the space in my kitchen to buy 18 cheese boards. So. Here are a few of my favorites. I hope that you or someone on your list need a cheese board for your next cheese and charcuterie board or wine and cheese party! Lacie 2 Layer Round Slate Cheese Tray: Double the tier means double the cheese with this slate bad boy — a total bargain! $37. Rectangular Slate Board with Rope Handles: I love the rustic look on this board — and the rope […]

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How To Stock a Basic Bar Cart [Plus: Cocktails!]

Corinne Hanshaw — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 15:18:44 +0000

We’ve talked about how to style a basic bar cart for your home, but how do you make stock your basic bar cart to make it practical and functional, too? A good assortment of spirits, mixers, garnishes, glassware and a few pieces of key barware are paramount to getting your at-home bartending game on. Whether you’re stocking your first basic bar cart or replenishing your spirits for upcoming entertaining needs, here’s how to do it without breaking the bank. What You Need Spirits Mixers Garnishes Glassware Barware Spirits Buying a variety of spirits is important when stocking your first bar. When entertaining guests, it’s good to have some choices. It is unnecessary to have every type of liquor available but there are basic liquors that can be used different ways to suit many pallets. Here are the basic liquors to keep on hand: Vodka Tequila Gin Rum Bourbon Scotch is also a somewhat common liquor, but not one that is necessary to keep on hand unless you or multiple individuals that you entertain are fans. If you do decide to stock scotch, make sure you spend a little extra money for the good stuff — it is generally drank on the rocks. […]

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10 Beautiful Place Settings for Summer Dinner Parties

Maris Callahan — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 05:00:39 +0000

These 10 beautiful place settings for summer dinner parties range from fun an festive to easy and elegant; all the summer entertaining inspiration you need. I really, really like summer entertaining. If it were up to me, I’d have a dinner party every weekend, but of course in order to have that dinner party, I would need a beautiful penthouse condo — or maybe a beach house…or maybe both! Ha ha ha we can dream, right? I love to host because it means cooking and decorating and mixing cocktails and overall, making people happy in the moment because there isn’t much I can do about world peace, or racism or any of the other horrible things going on in the world, but when someone is holding a strawberry basil martini or sitting down to a coastal seafood dinner party, everything seems pretty perfect, even for a couple of hours. As much as I love cooking and menu planning, a dinner party is that much more special when you pull out all of the stops decorating a table. Now, before I lament on this, I’m going to fully disclose that in my tiny apartment, I don’t have an actual dining room table. I […]

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How To Plan a Coastal Seafood Date Night Dinner Party

Maris Callahan — Wed, 05 Jul 2017 23:25:43 +0000

This summer, it’s easy to channel your favorite coastal cities and serve a few of your favorite seafood dishes for a coastal seafood date night dinner party based on these regional specialties. To me, nothing says summer like fresh seafood, even if you’re landlocked. Whether it’s a casual meal after work or an elegant dinner for a special occasion, you can find seafood recipes that fit the bill. Most of these recipes are inspired by regional specialties from cities up and down the East and West coasts. In New England, Maine is synonymous with lobster and after sampling the lobster rolls from roadside seafood shacks outside of Portland, I completely understand why. 90 minutes South in Boston — and in outlying beach towns like Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard — you can get fresh-shucked oysters almost anywhere and find some of the best raw bar seafood in the country. Even further south, the Chesapeake Bay on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, is a huge tourist destination that draws crowds eager to experience famous Maryland crab cakes. Broiled or fried, prepared with lump crabmeat and intricate spices, Maryland crab cakes are so good that true Marylanders generally won’t eat them anywhere else. Other cities […]

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How to style a basic bar cart for your home

Guest Post — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 03:04:04 +0000

By Alexandria Heinz, FTD An everyday, basic bar cart may not have all the glam and pizzazz as one that’s decorated for a party — but it should still sparkle with basic bar cart essentials that reflect your own personal style. No matter what you choose to accessorize your bar cart with, there are a few things to consider to make it a decorative yet functional staple in your home. Style the shelves The top shelf of your bar cart should be stocked with the essentials. Do you pour yourself a glass of wine or whiskey after a long day at work? This is where you’ll place your wine glasses, whiskey glasses, decanter, or any other everyday essential. Don’t forget about the bottom shelf! Here is where you can store extra supplies such as liquor bottles, glasses, and other accessories. You can also use this space to store cocktail mixing accessories such as muddlers, shakers and an ice bucket. When choosing bottled ingredients such as bitters and mixers, opt for bottles that have a vintage-inspired look to add a touch of class. Include fresh ingredients Fresh fruit will make your bar cart pop with bold color. Citrus such as lemons, […]

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