Bonnie: Parties that are different from the norm (whatever that is) provide lasting effects, meaning your friends will talk about them for years to come. I know mine do.
For your next gathering — whether during the holidays or throughout the year — party plan with a twist. Not just the food, but the event.
For example, consider my Black & White New Year’s Eve party. Hands down, the most fun New Year’s Eve. First, the party was in November. Yes, November. (I had to stage it for a photographer for my weekly newspaper food feature.) And unlike the actual holiday, the gathering contained absolutely no pressure to have fun.
I asked attendees to don black and white. Men enjoyed an excuse to dust off their tuxedos; women easily grabbed a black dress. Everything was black and white — from table settings and decorations to the food — except the fresh red rose I placed on each woman’s black dinner plate. (That touch of red could also be from a tomato skin rose garnishing the main plate.)
The food? Truth is, I had to dig out the newspaper article from the 80s to remember! It contained recipes and alternative menu suggestions, including Belgian endive Romanoff (caviar topped endive), vichyssoise or a smoky flavored cream of chestnut soup, filet mignon with a blue cheese sauce, duchess potato cups filled with garlic mushrooms, fennel and cucumber salad, and a chocolate mousse cake or a white Russian cake decorated with chocolate shavings.
Today, I’d do a black and white meal differently. Caviar and vodka to start, for sure. I can find oh, so many black and white choices to work with:
- Smoked trout rillettes
- Goat cheese
- Black olive crostini
- Caviar
- White bean soup
- Seared scallops atop celery root purée
- Sake-glazed halibut
- Sautéed lobster with linguine
- Slow-roasted fennel or cauliflower
- Mashed Manchego potatoes
- White chocolate mousse
The list is endless! But, back to the caviar. Good caviar, served simply with mother-of-pearl spoons.
I’ve been told that caviar is the only food that is civilized to run out of at a party. In fact, “it’s a polite way to punish the people who came late,” said John Roberts, then-president of Romanoff Caviar, now recent past-president of the National Association of Specialty Food Trade, who I interviewed for the original black and white story.
Twenty years later, guests who attended this party still talk about it. Now, that’s the type bash I’d like to help you have!
For instance, what about a formal wine tasting? Earlier this month I led a couple of International Festival of Arts & Ideas restaurant tours in New Haven. For one we started with a Spanish and Latin influenced wine tasting at a boutique wine store that acts as your own oenophile, matching wines to your food and occasion. In fact, about 90 percent of the wines sold at The Wine Thief are hand-picked for their customers. And you can “rent” some staff for a wine tasting at your home for a minimum of 2 hours (at $75/hour). I’ll bet wherever you live your local wine merchant might do the same (and maybe charge less). That’s for sure a party your guests will reminisce about.
I have many more party ideas to share with you in the future. But for now, if you haven’t put the final touches on your holiday party plans, consider doing something with a twist, your own unusual twist that gives your guests food for fodder (pun intended). Think of a dinner party as theater, with casting (invitees), sets (table decor), a plot (the party theme) and of course the acts (the courses). Stage the party and hand-pick attendees for your own memorable event – a party that keeps your guests talking.
Wishing you and yours a healthy, happy holiday season!
Bryan: As I’ve mentioned before, holidays are all about food, and holiday entertaining is no different. Food and beverage, of course, make all the difference when it comes to creating a memorable party experience for you and your guests. There are two very different kinds of holiday season entertaining in my opinion – family vs. friends. Family gathers around the table for the religious holidays (Christmas, Chanukah, etc.); it’s a chance to revisit familial traditions and enjoy the perfect holiday feast. Every family has its own unique twist on the holiday meal – embrace it! While not all traditions rub me the right way, family meals always seem to revive a sense of childhood nostalgia, adding an extra bit of cheer to the season. Take some time this year to enjoy your family traditions in style, no matter what they are: turkey, ham, goose or turducken – a crazy Cajun tradition of stuffing a chicken inside a duck in a turkey!!
After you’ve gorged yourself silly and come to the realization that there’s a reason families only fully gather a few times a year (they’re crazy!), get ready for your New Year’s Eve planning. New Year’s is the ‘friend’ side of holiday entertaining and comes with a completely different set of rules. This holiday is all about the beverage (read as alcohol). Who needs dinner when there is so much to drink? Sparkling wine is the tradition and who am I to change that? Let’s talk bubbles. Sparkling wines are not always champagne. (Please remember this!) Each country, and sometimes each town, has its own version of sparkling wine. Champagne is only from the champagne region of France. France makes other sparkling wines as well, but other notables outside the Gallic realm include Cava (Spain), Asti or Prosecco (Italy) and Sekt (Germany). Those without the snobby insistence on champagne can enjoy more bang for their buck on any of these wonderful drinks. In fact, with the money saved, go out and get a bigger bottle (magnum or jeroboam – larger single bottles) to enjoy with your guests; the effect is tremendous.
Whatever your holiday plans are, remember to be responsible; don’t overcook the turkey and don’t drink and drive. Enjoy the holidays (and the food) with your friends and family!
Eric: It seems as though we’re on a holiday writing kick, and with good reason. With the ensuing Christmas season, and the always provocative aftermath of the New Year’s Eve celebration, it seems right to put aside the culinary talk and focus on the traditions (or lack thereof) that we usually look forward to enjoying. From reading my mother’s and brother’s comments, you can easily put together an entertaining menu of both food and drink that will dazzle your holiday guests and, for the most part, keep them happily full and tipsy. And who can argue with such a combination? I, for one, love good food (as well as my own personal jeroboam of sparkling wine), but am more so focused on the enlightenment of the guests at a party. I always ask myself before I plan an event: “What would I need to keep me entertained and “talking” for the rest of the evening?” In my opinion, anybody can serve food and open bottles of alcohol, but how do you enlighten a guest from such an experience?
Knowledge. A simple term, yet one of the “hottest” trends. A term that most people strive for, yet overlook, and a common misconception among people, that can be taken for granted without a second thought. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate New Year’s Eve? Or how different cultures celebrate around the world? Have you ever asked the question of what champagne is, or how sparkling wines are made? Did you ever stop to think about the Christmas feast and the history that has brought it to your table? Do you think your guests have thought about this as well?
People want to know everything about anything, so why not make your celebration one that will not only fill them with food and drink, but also knowledge. For example, create a menu that spans over time, bringing in various cultural foods traditionally served during the holidays. Prepare a sparkling wine tasting with foods from the regions matching the sparkling wines. Turn your house and dining room into a museum of New Year’s Eve. And most importantly, think outside the box — use some creativity and challenge the norm. In the end, maybe you’ll learn something yourself. Happy Holidays!
And for the visitor who commented below asking for the cake recipe — I scanned in the old newspaper with the White Russian Cake. (Click on it to pop up into a readable version.)
What handsome friends you had in the 80’s!
To Eric: Love your comment about incorporating knowledge into the party. Food ingredients and where they come from to share in an entertaining way. This would create great food & party memories to last a long time. And when the holidays come around, this experience will always be remembered. Love it!
Two things that seem to stir food memories for many people Ive encountered: Chocolate dipped strawberries and Vermont.
(1)Chocolate dipped strawberries: I don’t mean that fondue stuff; although I’m sure that does bring great memories back. I mean the strawberries with the light delicate chocolate shell. For one friend, they remind him of having some extra berries packed by the waiter @ a fine San Francisco restaurant after an expensive $60.00 meal(circa.1980). For others, they are reminded of elegance and drinking refreshing sparkling wines. You get the idea?
(2)Vermont: While manning a booth for the Vermont Dietetic Association @ a national professional meeting, people would come by and mention the food experiences they had while visiting this state. Things that came up: maple syrup, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Route 100 food route through Stowe & Waterbury.
**So with your party, incorporated knowledge, culture, along with the fun. Happy Holidays.
Sheilah kaufman wrote and asked: “Could you please send me the recipe for the white Russian cake? Thanks.”
If you scroll up – I added a scanned in version of that recipe from the newspaper article on it from over 20 years ago — which was the last time I made that decadent cake.
Who IS that handsome devil pouring the champagne?