entertaining

Entertaining 101 for 2011

A good place to start when planning a successful dinner party is with special cocktails, specifically a vintage cocktail which is both glam and delicious. A little nostalgia always works and vintage cocktails set the stage for an evening of surprises culinary and otherwise. You could consider Gin Fizz, a Brandy Alexander, or even a Hemingway Daiquiri (white rum, maraschino liqueur, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, and fresh lime juice). Memory- lane cocktails as professional bartender Brian Van Flandern explains in his new book Vintage Cocktails (www.assouline.com) capture an earlier time, the era of the Rainbow Room and the Stork Club. His book is crammed with recipes from the 30s and 40s when bars were smoky and bartenders wore tuxedos.

Tags: Assouline, awards-main, Daniel Levy, decor-pedia, entertaining, Ina Garten, Kim Seybert, luxist-awards, Michael Egan, porcelain dinnerware, Richard Sax, Sarabeth Levine, Vietri

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22 Ct Gold Leaf Airplane Trolley

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wings

Everything is better when gilded in gold, right? Designer Günter Hammersfahr seems to think so as he's come up with this gold-plated airplane trolley for SkyPak that could be fun for use in a private jet or in your home for keeping drinks handy while entertaining. The design is made using a real used airplane trolley that's covered meticulously by hand leaf by leaf in 22ct gold foil. They offer both brand new trolleys and used ones that have actually flown and been used and have the character dents to prove it. This gold version sells for $4,290 but if it's not quite your taste they have plenty of other trolley designs to choose from starting at $1600.

Gallery: Designer Airplane Trolleys from Skypac

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Tags: airplane, cart, entertaining, gold, trolley

How to Stock a Home Bar

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits

Those who enjoy having friends over and entertaining guests know that having a well stocked home bar is essential. There are no hard and fast rules for what to have in a home bar and most people simply build a collection based on what drinks they and their guests most often enjoy. But if you're starting from scratch and are looking to create a well-rounded bar ready for any occasion here's what you'll need to get started.

Equipment
Bottle opener
Wine Key
Cocktail/Martini Shaker
Ice Bucket
Jigger
Blender
Cutting board
Paring knife
Coasters
Napkins
Drink straws/stirrers
Dishtowels
Toothpicks

Glassware - How many to stock of each depends on usage and personal preference, but the list is generally ordered from most frequently used at the top to least frequently used at the bottom.
Highball glasses
Pint glasses
Rocks glasses
Wine glasses
Martini glasses
Brandy snifters
Shot glasses

Mixers - Most mixers are best stocked in small or single-serve sizes so they stay fresh for long periods and limit waste when you open one for a single drink.
Club soda
Tonic water
Cola
Diet Cola
Lemon/Lime soda
Orange juice
Tomato juice
Cranberry juice
Margarita mix
Bloody Mary mix

Tags: alcohol, bar, cocktails, drinks, entertaining, entertainment-pedia, home bar, main-pedia, mixing drinks, stocking a home bar

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A Beautifully Set Table by Small Masterpiece

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining

Spring is here and often is a time for entertaining. Invitations to weddings, bridal showers, birthdays and other occasions seem to increase with the onset of the new season. For those who find themselves hosting a celebration, Small Masterpiece is a very specialized event company that focuses on the tableware for intimate parties of every size.

Small Masterpiece has a unique antique collection of items that are an elegant and stylish substitution for the pedestrian choices commonly offered by rental companies. The extensive collection is available to augment an owner's personal tableware selection or to completely replace it by working with the client to create a new intimate design. Clients include both private citizens and event planners who understand that guests spend most of their time at the table and attention should be paid to every detail. If you are someone who wants something different, unique, timeless and has a real sensitivity to their party environment Small Masterpiece will be able to help you fulfill your needs.

The items in the rental collection are 100 to 150 years old and include:

Haviland Limoges china in various patterns
Early American pressed flint and glass goblets
Antique monogrammed sterling silver flatware and napkin rings
Slat folding lodge chairs
Primitive folding sewing tables
Reclaimed old bottles from Battle Creek, Michigan
Early American pressed glass celery vases and water pitchers
Heirloom damask table napkins from the U.S., Paris, and England

As one can see from the list above this is a carefully curated collection of antiques and vintage tableware that has completely redefined the notion of rental company and what they can provide. Currently owner Jason Murakawa is working with a prestigious event company in New York for a Florida based function as well as New York based fashion house style direction who is getting married in Los Angeles.

Gallery: Small Masterpiece

Tags: china, entertaining, rental, rentals, setting a table, small masterpiece, tabletop, TableWare

10 Tips for Successful Backyard Entertaining

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

Few things are better than enjoying good food, good friends, and good weather, and entertaining outdoors is a wonderful way to enjoy all three at once. Here are some tips to make sure your backyard get-together goes off without a hitch.

Skip tablecloths, or if you must have them invest in enough tablecloth weights to keep the wind from carrying everything away.
Set out at least one more cart or table than you think you'll need, because there's never too many places for guests to mingle, for drinks and glasses to accumulate, or for whatever else.
Control bugs and define a perimeter with incense or citronella tiki lamps.

Tags: backyard, entertaining, entertainment, luxist-awards, main-pedia, outdoor entertainment, outdoor-entertainment-pedia, OutdoorEntertainment, party

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Silver Spoons and Party Tips From Park Avenue

by Amanda Gordon (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining, Books

There's a lot to like about the Park Avenue lifestyle, especially as it is captured in the book "Park Avenue Potluck: Celebrations," published by Rizzoli. This book takes us inside the apartments facing the broad boulevard with a European feel, to tell us, if not everything, then just enough, to entertain Park Avenue style. Hint: there may be a cook for hire involved, and you'll want to get out the china, write place cards, and dust off the napkin rings. As for what you'll be serving: The ladies are not cutting-edge professional chefs, so this is not the place to find culinary revelations on par with "Momofuko." Rather the recipes are for comforting dishes, not too healthy or unhealthy, and presented simply but beautifully. Vetted by New York Times food writer Florence Fabricant, these are gold-plated go-to dishes. And some, such as Coco Kopelman's baked latkes, are a real find.

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Tags: cookbook, dining, entertaining, florence fabrikant, FlorenceFabrikant, food, park avenue, ParkAvenue, recipes

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Double Cross Vodka Welcomes Park Avenue Winter

by Ariston Anderson (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

As New Yorkers pull out their sleeping bag jackets to weather the biting cold, and now the wave of winter rain, at least one friendly standby is here to mark the passage of the new season: the reopening of Park Avenue Winter. The decor of this New York institution, with crystal and glass chandeliers, white lacquered moldings, and lighting integrated with sparse birch branches, is one of the few things that can warm us up coming in from the cold. Add a fine vodka to your dinner, and you'll be set for the season.

Double Cross Vodka has teamed up with Park Avenue Winter to celebrate the restaurant's arrival. The gorgeous bottle reflects the restaurant's design: an icy white frost with silver snowflakes. But we really love what's inside: Double Cross is one of the purest spirits available on the market, expertly distilled seven times and filtered seven-times. This singular vodka is produced in the Slovak Republic, sourcing local winter wheat and mountain spring water, and distilled in a 13th century village in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains.

For the first time ever, Park Avenue Winter will offer a Tableside Ice Bar, featuring the exclusive winter bottle served with winter mixers: Citrus-Lemongrass, Bartlett Pear, and Lychee Elderflower. This exceptional bottle is the perfect complement to your wintertime meal, and the best way we know how to enjoy the chill.

Park Avenue Winter
100 East 63rd Street at Park Avenue
New York, NY 10021
212.644.1900 for reservations

Tags: double cross vodka, DoubleCrossVodka, entertaining, holiday events, HolidayEvents, new york city, NewYorkCity, park avenue winter, ParkAvenueWinter

Turkey Platters for a Beautiful Thanksgiving Table

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining

When it comes to feasting on Thanksgiving day the turkey is the star of the show so it's only natural to display it on something beautiful. And since large serving platters aren't as prone to being broken or worn out by daily use it seems worthwhile to invest in one you'll be proud to show off on special occasions like Thanksgiving and other gatherings for years to come. So what kind of platter will go best with your Turkey Day tabletop decor? Whether you choose one that matches your dinnerware or one that stands out on its own, there's literally thousands of choices out there -- see the gallery below for some ideas!

Gallery: Turkey Platters for the Thanksgiving Holiday

Spode Woodland American Turkey Platter with Well

White Bone China Turkey Platter by Gordon Ramsey

Tags: dinnerware, entertaining, holidash, holidays, platter, platters, Thanksgiving, turkey, turkey platters, TurkeyPlatters

Solitaire Olive Dish

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

This is a fun idea for a cocktail party. The Solitaire olive dish designed by Barnaby Barford and Andre Klauser for Thorsten Van Elten lets you play a little game while eating your hors d'ouevres, gradually working your way to clean plate victory. The dish holds 100 pieces and there are four wells that can be used for olive pits or other discards. This dish could probably work with any other small spheroid edible. It measures 7.9" x 7.9" x 1.2"h in glazed earthenware and sells for $55.

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Tags: dish, entertaining, olives

Sooloos Touch Screen Media System

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Store your music, and add to it as you choose, on a 17-inch touch screen monitor with the Sooloos media system. It links to every room in your house, plus you can synchronize it at multiple residences. The system features storage, playback and control components that can be combined in a number of configurations. This is a new concept and a new product, so for those more technically-oriented who want to know more, go here to get the details, as we patiently wait for the site to get up and running. I just like the look of it, and would love to be able to get all my music going with just a few fingertip movements. If only I had $13,000 ...

Tags: entertaining, home, media system, MediaSystem, music, Sooloos, touch screen, TouchScreen

Finger Food Rings

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining

These aren't what I usually think of when I think of cocktail rings but these have more of a purpose than just to dazzle bystanders. The FingerFood Rings from Fred & Friends are packs of 12 reusable plates that fit on your finger and hold small hors d'ouevres. Definitely a risky idea for those who talk with their hands or who have an interest in eating more than one canape at a time but I can see them perhaps serving a function similar to the white spoons that often hold an amuse bouche. They could look quite cute all topped and arranged on a tray.

[via CNET]

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Tags: cocktails, decor, entertaining, finger food, FingerFood

The Portable Dry Ice Maker

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

This is one cool gadget for your holiday parties. A portable device that can create a one pound block of dry ice in around one minute. Dry ice is a superfast coolant for foods and beverages. Plus it looks really neat. It would be wonderful for Halloween festivities. The device from Hammacher Schlemmer requires a connection to a cylinder of compressed liquid CO2 with a dip tube or siphon which must be purchased from local gas dealers or a welding supply shop. One 50-lb. CO2 cylinder at room temperature yields up to 11 blocks of dry ice and handling requires use of insulated gloves, also not included So it's a teensy bit complicated. Still cool though. . It sells for $499.95.

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Tags: drt ice, DrtIce, entertaining, parties

Planet Earth Ice Bucket

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

For those looking to outfit their beach house or yacht, Dining by the Sea is a new online store that specializes in entertaining accessories for the outdoor lifestyle. They stock coolers for wine bottles, tablecloth weights, portable picnic tables, and a variety of picnic baskets, some with rollers like carryon luggage. This Planet Earth ice bucket would be a great accessory for entertaining on a yacht and sells for $199.

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Tags: decor, entertaining, ice bucket, IceBucket

Terra Cotta Pizza Oven

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining

Are you serious about homemade pizza? If you are ready to experience the next step beyond the pizza stone it is probably this handmade wood-fired terra cotta oven which is made in Portugal. When fueled by hardwoods the oven produces spectacular heat which builds up in the oven chamber and and then dissipates through the outer shell. The oven comes with an oven rack, cover, stand, pizza paddle and a brush. It weighs an impressive 350 pounds and sells for $2,000.

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Tags: cooking, entertaining, kitchen, oven, pizza, terra cotta, woodfired

Artisan Cheese Knife Set

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining

This cheese set represents the vision of one cheese guru, Alberto Marcomini, an Italian known as one of the world's top cheese experts. The set of cheese knives includes a hard cheese knife, fork tipped service knife, large semi-hard cheese knife and a soft cheese knife in one side of a large box. The other side holds a small semi-hard cheese knife, marbled and soft cheese knife, cheese spreading spatula, Parmesan knife, two-handled Coltella knife and a serving fork. The entire comes in a pine presentation box with leather straps and the box lid serves as a cutting board and presentation tray. The ultimate set for making a professional display of fine cheeses. It sells for $2,000.

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Tags: cheese, decor, entertaining, knives