Best Interior Designer: Tips on Hosting a Cocktail Party

I’ve been skiing the past 5 days and to help keep me upright and others around me safe I enlist the services of a trainer who helps me learn to be a better skier. It’s working, slowly, and I enjoy the process and the practice. Something we were speaking of this past week echoes in my mind this morning and I want to share this concept with you.

I find it interesting how many people (that I speak with) don’t entertain in their homes at all. For a long list of reasons they never share their homes with people in their life. Call it fear; call it insecurity; call it laziness?

There may be many reasons, but the net result is that people lose the opportunity of playing the role of host, which in my opinion, is one of the most thrilling adventures one can set out on.

Hosting guests in your home allows for a powerful connection to take place. Guest and Host, both having their responsibilities, interact in ways never imagined. Both parties win and you are then ready to begin planning your next entertaining event.

Here are tips for jump-starting the Host Within!

1. Start small. You don’t have to host the entire office staff. Keep it small. I like 6 people as it give each guest five opportunities to engage in conversation.

2. Keep is simple. You do not need to serve a sit-down dinner to 36 of your nearest and dearest. Plan a simple cocktail hour at your home before going on to dinner. This could not be a better idea. The numbers are small, the time frame is compact and the evening has another destination, which takes great pressure off you.

3. Enlist the help of your friends. Let your closest friends know what you are up to and ask for their help. Whether they assist by attending or by helping you gather the guest list, it is always stress reducing to know that you are not alone in the adventure.

4. Have fun. If you don’t enjoy your party no one will. I understand the risk you take in opening your home. I can only share with you from years of experience (all accomplished on a shoe-string budget) that if you can enjoy yourself at your own party you won’t trade the experience for anything, ever.

Interior Design Firms Los Angeles: Entertaining Tips

1. Start Something New. Maybe your girlfriends need a “Girl’s Night at The Movies.” A neighborhood buffet once a season would help establish friendships on your block or in your building. Have fun and think outside the box.

2. Keep it simple. You don’t have to cook everything to have a great dining experience in your home. I began doing “Meatloaf Thursdays” and I have everyone bring something. I provide the entrée (Bill Blass’ meatloaf recipe has become a favorite) and friends contribute to the rest of the menu.

3. Be consistent. I like to give my friends (new and old) something they can depend on. I considered my calendar and decided that once a month I would set a Thursday evening aside for a casual, easy evening with friends and I’ve stuck by my commitment. We all look forward to this new tradition.

4. Be considerate. Don’t plan big events on school nights. Don’t assume friends will be in town for big holidays. Communicate and consider times when calendars are not full and create a niche for your “something special.” If you plan something for a week-night, start early and promise everyone that you will toss them out the door by 8:30pm. Who could refuse?

5. Create a signature gesture. I decided that homemade chocolate-chip cookies would be my signature for “Meatloaf Thursdays.” The evening is always ended with a plate of warm cookies; they are easy to make (freeze the dough and bake as guests arrive) and lets my friends know how special they are to me.

Free Online Recipes from a Los Angeles Interior Designer

I rang in the New Year in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Snow accumulated on the ground at a delightful rate and my skis spent very little time in their locker.

Mountains of powder, forests of snow-weighted pine and fields of dancing Aspen were irresistible. Following a full morning of competition between my limited abilities and the mountains timeless aptitudes I was hungry.

Stein Eriksen Lodge’s Chef Zane Holmquist’s “Wild Game Chili” became my favorite and it’s my pleasure to pass along this wonderful winter recipe.

Stein Eriksen Lodge
Wild Game Chili
(makes two gallons)

1/4 cup olive oil
2 pounds buffalo, diced in 3/4″ cubes
2 pounds elk or venison, diced in 3/4″ cubes
2 pounds wild boar or pork, diced in 3/4″ cubes
2 pounds onions (4-5) medium diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
1/2 cup pasilla chile powder
1/2 cup New Mexican chili powder
2 cups coffee, brewed
2 bay leaves
36 ounces tomato juice
6 12-ounce cans diced tomatoes
4 1/2 cups beef stock or three 12-ounce cans of beer
1/2 gallon water

Mix all dry spices together and use half the mixture to season the meat.

Heat the oil in pan (it can’t get hot enough). Brown meat for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Add onions, garlic and saute’ for 3-4 minutes. Add coffee, tomato juice, bay leaves, diced tomatoes, remainder of spice mixture, stock or beer, and water.

Simmer for 2-3 hours, until the meat is tender. You may have to adjust the consistency with more stock or beer and check the seasonings. Garnish with sour cream and green onion before serving.

Enjoy with a great red wine like 2003 Rejadarada Novellum from the Toro region of Central Spain. It is a full body packed with spice and dark fruit specifically clove, anize and dried plums. It is rich and tannic with a finish that lingers.

Whether it’s for guests on a grand scale or family on Christmas morning, a well-set table is always part of a beautiful home. I am always asked about setting a beautiful table and I always respond: As with any endeavor in life it’s all about getting the basics right.

Flatware, china, stemware and linens round out the core categories to consider. There are numerous sources for wonderful tableware; I’ve dashed off a few quick suggestions below for some spontaneous holiday on-line shopping. Enjoy!

William Yeoward Crystal (www.williamyeowardcrystal.com)

Royal Copenhagen China (www.royalcopenhagen.com)

Libeco Home (www.libecohomestores.com)

Tiffany & Co. (www.tiffany.com)

Ralph Lauren Home (www.ralphlauren.com)

Astier de Villatte (www.astierdevillatte.com)

Anichini Linens (www.anichini.com)

Top Los Angeles Interior Designer’s Holiday Treats Recipes Cookies

With less than two weeks ‘til Christmas, I thought I would share another favorite holiday cookie recipe with you. Once again this year, I’ve been baking and boxing cookies to give as gifts.

The smiles and notes have reminded me how important these types of hand-made gifts are to my friends and acquaintances. Make someone’s day or season with a special box of homemade treats.

Anise Biscotti

2/3 Cup Whole Toasted Almonds

3 1/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1⁄2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Stick plus 7 Tablespoon Butter

7/8 Cup Sugar

4 Eggs

2 Ounces Grappa

1 Tablespoon Anise Seeds

3⁄4 Tablespoon Anise Extract

Pre-heat oven to 350’

Combine almonds, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, cream butter, sugar, eggs, grappa, anise seeds, and extract.

Add to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

On a floured surface, shape dough into three 2-inch-diameter cylinders.

Place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes or until rolls are a little hard.

Cool for 30 minutes.

Slice to 1⁄4 inch thickness and toast lightly in oven, about 20 minutes, until golden.

Enjoy

Best Interior Designer Los Angeles: Entertaining Ideas

During the past weeks we have been sharing favorite holiday recipes. Prompted by a question asked of me at a dinner last night, I thought I would share two recipes of a slightly different sort. With the holiday entertaining season moving into full swing, here are two recipes for holiday success.

Steps to Being a Successful Holiday Host

1. Start on time. If you call for cocktails as 7:00pm and dinner at 8:00pm, you should begin serving dinner promptly at eight o’clock. This shows respect for your guests who have gathered at the appropriate time.

2. Have pre-selected music playing when the first guest arrives through to when the last guest departs. It helps to set the ideal mood.

3. Always seat spouses or significant others apart from each other.

4. Plan to serve dessert and coffee in the living room. It makes for a lovely transition and a relaxed ending to the evening.

5. Let the clean-up wait until your guests have left. Nothing will end an evening as fast as a host disappearing into the kitchen to clean-up.

Steps to Being a Successful Holiday Guest

1. Never be more than 20 minutes late and don’t arrive early or exactly on time.

2. If you bring something for your host, don’t expect it to be included in the evening’s meal.

3. Leave your cell phone or BlackBerry in the car or at home.

4. Be an engaging dinner partner by paying equal attention to the guests on your left and right.

5. Pay attention to the hour and plan your departure to coincide with other guests. Don’t leave early and don’t be the last one out the door.

Best Interior Designer Los Angeles: Holiday Recipe

Pecan Balls

Ingredients

3 Sticks Butter

1⁄2 Cup Powdered Sugar, plus extra for dusting

1⁄2 Cup Sugar

1⁄2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup Finely Chopped Toasted Pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Cream butter with both sugars and salt.

Add vanilla and stir into flour.

Add pecans.

Do not over-mix.

Roll dough into walnut-size balls.

Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, until golden brown.

When cookies are completely cooled, roll in powdered sugar.

Enjoy.

A Top LA Designer with Favorite Holiday Recipes

For chocolate lovers this is a must.

Chocolate Snowballs

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup sambuca
1 cup almond flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
3 large eggs
½ cup sugar
Powdered and granulated sugar for dusting

Slowly melt chocolate with butter in double boiler
Add Sambuca and set aside
Sift almond flour, all purpose flour and baking powder together
Set aside
Whip eggs and sugar in a large bowl until light in color
Add chocolate mixture
Fold flour mixture into batter
Refrigerate until cool and set
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
Form dough into walnut-size balls
Roll in granulated sugar then in powdered sugar
Place on cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies begin to crack
Makes about 48 cookies.

Enjoy!

Here is a holiday season favorite you are sure to enjoy:

Coconut Cake

Sift together:

3 ¾ cup un-sifted cake flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Cream together:

1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
¾ lb. soft unsalted butter
1 stick margarine
2 ¾ cups supreme sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar

Add one at a time

8 large eggs
4 egg yokes

Then add

2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream

At low speed add to creamed ingredients the sifted ingredients

When well mixed (slowly) stir (use wooden spoon) 1 1/3 cups sweetened flaked coconut.

Fold into a buttered and floured 10” tube pan

Bake in pre-heated oven at 350’ for 1 hour 40 minutes

A toothpick should come out clean when inserted into heart of cake.

Cool on baking rack.

Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Best Interior Designer Los Angeles: Favorite Holiday Recipes

The calendar says October 31st, but the thermometer here in Southern California continues to read in the 80’s. While it doesn’t feel like fall here, in some parts of the country the crisp and cool indicators of the season are undeniably in the air. And as I’ve learned from my almost 10 years of life in Southern California, the holidays just get closer no matter what the weather forecast says.

So with that reality in mind I would like to share with you another in my series of all time favorite holiday recipes. Singled out for me as one of the most mesmerizing of fall colors, the rich fruit which this cookie recipe relies on is a winner whatever shape it takes. Enjoy!

Persimmon Cookies

1 Cup fresh Persimmon Pulp
1 Cup Chopped Nuts
1 Cup Raisins
1 Cup Sugar
½ Cup Butter
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda (dissolved in pulp)
2 Cups flour
½ Teaspoon each: cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cream the butter and sugar.
Add nuts and raisins to flour.
Combine butter/sugar w/ nuts/raisins and flour
Beat egg and add to pulp.
Mix well.

Drop from teaspoons onto greased baking sheets.
Bake in 350’ pre-heated oven until cookies spring back when touched.
Cool on cookie rack.
Enjoy.

Top LA Designer’s Favorite Holiday Recipes

One week till Halloween! Where has the time gone? It seems that we just enjoyed July fourth and now we are getting ready for the holidays.

Starting this week I will be sharing a series of my favorite fall recipes.

I recommend this great holiday recipe as one to make early and often. The small loaves of bread, sweet and moist, freeze beautifully and can be stored and used for entertaining and gift giving. Be certain to make extras as you will nibble your way through a loaf or two before you know it.

Pumpkin Bread

1 Cup Vegetable Oil
4 Cups Sugar
1 Large Can Pumpkin
4 Cups Flour
4 Teaspoons Soda
2 Teaspoons Cinamon
¾ Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
8 oz. cut dates
8 oz. chopped walnuts

Mix oil, sugar, pumpkin and vanilla thoroughly. Add flour, salt, soda and cinnamon. Mix very well. Add dates and nuts and mix again.

Grease and flour 6 small loaf pans. Fill evenly.

Bake about one hour at 350 degrees or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a loaf.

Cool and turn out of pans. Wrap in foil for storage or freezing.

Suddenly it is the middle of October. In a matter of moments the holiday season will be with us. Time, as it always does, will fly by and suddenly guests will be knocking at your door. The question is how prepared will you be?

I’m a planner. I begin thinking about things well in advance and set a course based on these explorations. It is never too early to plan, so here’s a check-list for some big holidays that are moments away:

Pick a theme. Whether it’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas/Hanukah decide now the theme that you will explore as you celebrate and decorate. What idea makes you smile (carved pumpkins, piles of fall leaves, vintage toy decorations)? Take out a notebook and begin to write down your ideas. It’s a well-established fact that when you write something down you take the first step toward manifesting the reality.

Make a List. Start with your theme ideas and write down the steps you need to take to make the ideas a reality. It may be things you need to buy, make, find or dig out of storage, but write it down. Once you have your to-do items on paper you have a road-map for success.

Take Action: You have a map for success. The only thing keeping you from succeeding is a lack of action. You can never start too early to buy, make, find or pull out of storage the items that you need to create your holiday dream. So get started and remind yourself how beautiful the end result will be.

Suddenly it’s October. What a shock to the system. Somewhere (not here in Los Angeles were our temperature today was north of 80’), the first hint of fall is in the air. Before we know it, year-end holidays will be knocking at our door along with the guests that always make this time of year very special.

Personally it is my favorite time of year and it’s made even better by a chill in the air (very late at night for those of us in Southern California). Regardless, it makes for wonderful evenings filled with friends, so fire off the invitations and chill the champagne; over the next few weeks I will share recipes that will start any evening on the right foot!

Hot Crabmeat Dip (Serve with a dry champagne like Billecart Salmon Brut)

8 oz. fresh crab meat
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Two dashes of Worcestershire Sauce (to taste)
Garlic Salt (to taste)
Grated white onion and the juice of a lemon (both to taste)

Use a whisk to blend the cream cheese, butter and mayonnaise.
Add the seasonings and blend well.
Mix in crabmeat and place in a buttered casserole dish.
Please in a 350’ pre-heated oven and bake until the edges turn brown.

Serve with water crackers or toast points for dipping.

Since I last shared a great Portuguese recipe from Provincetown, I’ve traveled across country and am now sitting on a beach in Southern California. The beauty here is overwhelming. There is a vastness about my view of the Pacific which is in contrast to the intimate charm of Cape Cod. Both are drenched in sunlight. Both have the rhythm of the surf. And they are as different as two experiences can be.

I am still playing with Portuguese recipes collected on Cape Cod. It seems that when friends are hungry it doesn’t matter which ocean the fare comes from!

Check out this great number. It’s perfect for an afternoon at the beach.

Portuguese Bread Pudding
Pudim de Pao a Moda Portuguesa

6 slices bread, buttered
1 quart milk, scalded
1 scant cup sugar
1/4 lb. butter or margarine
4 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins, rinsed well in hot water
1 apple, peeled and chopped in small pieces
Pinch of salt
Nutmeg for topping

Scald milk. Cut the buttered bread into cubes and add to milk. Let stand for about 20 minutes. When the milk is cool, add sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon, then stir.

Fold the beaten eggs into the bread and milk mixture. Add the vanilla extract, raisins and apple and pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Bake in an oven at 350 degrees for about an hour. This pudding is quite solid—if you would like a softer pudding, place the baking dish in a pan of hot water in the oven while the pudding is cooking.

For variations, you may omit the raisins and add more apple, or add a few spoons of orange marmalade for a different flavor.

Some people like to top their bread pudding with a layer of soft meringue.

Enjoy!

I’m sitting at the airport in Boston, Massachusetts waiting for a flight. Earlier today, I left an idyllic spot on Cape Cod to head back to my real life. The past week has been spent enjoying one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Provincetown, Massachusetts possesses a certain magic that is difficult to describe. Part light, part ocean; part sand dune, part fishing village; this little town at the end of the world is unlike any other.

A major part of this little town’s history takes the form of a Portuguese fishing village and, to this day, there is a substantial Portuguese presence. From bakeries to festivals, there are unmistakable references. Some of the most satisfying references are found in the recipes passed down from generation to generation.

Here is a recipe I’m very fond of:

Scallop Casserole or Molusco Cacarola

1 lb. bay scallops or 1 lb. sea scallops, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup cracker meal or crumbs
¼ lb butter
Milk to cover
Paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Place scallops and crumbs in layers in a casserole dish. Cover with milk. Add seasoning. Scatter thin slices of butter on top and then sprinkle with more crumbs adding more butter. Finally sprinkle with paprika.

Set over for 350 degrees and bake for about 25 minutes. Let casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

You can add crumbled gorgonzola or sharp white cheddar during the final 10 minutes of baking.

Enjoy!

A recipe to celebrate the end of summer.

Growing up, my summers were memory-making times. Swimming in the lake at Clearwater. Failing to learn to sail in the same lake. Family picnics each day. Grandpa making coffee for everyone early in the morning. Chocolate and dessert recipes. Memories full of sun-drenched moments captured forever in our heads and hearts.

Today, I’d like to share a memory from my Grandmother’s kitchen with you. It’s my favorite “End of Summer” treat. Opal (and her mother before her; Mary) Ruskofsky’s Chocolate Potato Cake:

1 Cup Mashed Potatoes (best when kept from the evening before)
I Cup Shortening
2 Cup Sugar
4 Eggs
½ Cup Milk
½ Cup Nuts
½ Cup Raisens
1 Cup Chocolate (not cocoa)
2 ½ Flour
2 Teaspoon Baking Power
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1 Teaspoon nutmeg
1 Teaspoon cloves

Mix all ingredients completely.

Bake in a greased and powdered bunt pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until a knife is clean when entered and removed from the center of the cake.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy this little memory of my happy days in my Grandmother’s kitchen.

Last Friday I did something that I’ve not done in a long time. Shame on me for letting time slip by like this, but nonetheless the clock had ticked and I’d clearly missed out. It was nothing huge; just the simple pleasure of kicking my shoes off and walking across a beautiful expanse of lawn.

In that moment, the thought occurred to me that this is what summers are about. Toes set free. Cool blue/green Bermuda grass and a warm summer breeze. At that moment, the only thing missing was a group of friends and it would have been perfect. My resolution from that experience was to not allow another week to pass without gathering those friends and celebrating.

Too often I fall into the trap of thinking that entertaining has to be on a monumental scale; as if it’s not a party if there are not horse drawn carriages and live circus acts tumbling through my living room. That way of thinking is simply wrong.

Enjoying time with friends doesn’t have to be held off for the seasonal party. Instead, the fact that we are close brings a level of ease and comfort that can allow for great relaxed entertaining.

With this thought in mind, I’ve begun something new. I call it “Meatloaf Thursdays.” Thursday evenings I make meatloaf (interesting how many recipes there are) and extend invitations to friends both new and old to bring a favorite dish and a bottle of wine.

Dinner is at 7:00 p.m. and we’re wrapped up by 9:00pm. We can kick off our shoes, curl our feet up on the sofa and enjoy a very easy meal while celebrating those we care about the most.

Share with me interesting ways you entertain and nurture those closest to your heart.