The holidays at our house were always happy times, filled with wonderful traditions. Christmas was always black tie, a beautiful dinner with lots of holly and paperwhites everywhere. But my favorite is Thanksgiving. I was born on Thanksgiving Day, so we always celebrated my birthday on Thanksgiving. Wherever we were, we would sit down to eat at one or two. It was always early, so that friends and the people who helped us could go home to celebrate the holiday.
Every year, my mother and I would have the same argument at Thanksgiving. She loved her turkey plates, which I still don’t like! This was a battle I let her have, because Christmas came next—and that was the war I really wanted to win. I loved to do Christmas Eve dinner on the later side and use only candlelight—and lots of chocolate for dessert.
Like most children, I loved Christmas Eve. My father wore a red velvet dinner jacket to dinner, and all the dogs wore red bows. The Christmas tree was beautiful, big with lots of lights and bulbs that we’ve had forever, and I loved all the animals in the crèche. My father always gave me a special present on Christmas Eve.
I’ve kept up the black-tie tradition. Anyone with no plans, all my orphan friends, spend Christmas Eve at Templeton. Some years it’s fifty, some five, and it is always an interesting mix! I love to dress up, but my black-tie dinner is intimate and easy, very different from my parents’ parties.
An old sconce—I love candlelight.
The formal entertaining of my parents’ day is outdated, but it is what people often have in mind when they consider having a party or friends over to eat. That image is enough to keep people from entertaining at all—it’s so far from the way we live. Everything is so much more relaxed now—from the food to the tables. People appreciate home-cooked food. So many eat on the run, order takeout, or meet friends at restaurants.
Entertaining does not have to be stressful. Simple food served simply is the best. No muss, no fuss is my motto, unless I plan a party with pomp and circumstance. But even then, it doesn’t need to be over-the-top. Understatement is key—no one likes pretension.
I love simplicity. I like to take the best of what Mother Nature gives us, keep it as close to its original natural state as possible, and use it to make life more enjoyable. Whether flowers or food, less is best.
Entertaining should be effortless and fun. What’s better than a bunch of friends having a lovely dinner? It’s work, but when it all comes together—delicious food and wine and lots of laughter—your friends will go home with wonderful memories. To me, that’s what it’s all about.
So many people tell me they are intimidated by the thought of entertaining. Aside from holidays, the good china and the silver come out once a year. An elaborate menu is planned, usually around an expensive cut of meat, prepared perfectly, and served to impress. The conversation often matches the “best behavior” tone of the party—stiff. Or there’s the payback cocktail party when the hosts reciprocate for a year’s worth of invitations with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres or maybe even a buffet. I’m not a great fan of cocktail parties. They have no structure. People come and go, catching up with friends or meeting new people superficially. Cocktail parties have their place, but they rarely feel personal. During these parties, I always sense the host is counting the seconds till everyone goes home.
Entertaining is a learned skill. It’s like riding or playing the piano. The more you do it, the better you get. I can say that from my own experience. It’s more than just kitchen skills, which will also improve the more you use them. It’s the whole package—picking how you want to entertain, the guest list, the food, the table. If you do it enough, entertaining becomes a pleasure.
When I came back from California, I entertained a lot. I fed hundreds of people in three years. Entertaining has become second nature to me. Nothing makes me happier than having friends come to the house and cooking delicious food. I find the time I spend planning and cooking dinner—be it for two, twenty, or two hundred—is the best therapy ever.
Though my parents didn’t cook, I grew up spending time in the kitchen, where I watched their French chef, Roger, prepare wonderful food. We don’t eat the way they did then, when a pound of butter a day kept the doctor away. I grew up loving to cook and bake. It’s nurturing, and I find it’s a creative outlet that makes me happy. I enjoy it so much that I started my own catering and cookie businesses.
My favorite person in the world to cook with is Michael Guerrieri, a magnificent Italian chef. He can turn vegan ingredients into masterpieces. He has taught me so much in the kitchen. His love of food and respect for ingredients is incomparable. I asked him to give us his thoughts on the subject of sharp knives, which are so important when you are facing a pile of vegetables—especially tomatoes! You will cut your preparation time in half if you know how to handle a knife.
The sharpening of knives and what procedures I use to do so depends on how much I care about the knife. For my favorite knives, the ones I have had for years, I wouldn’t think of using anything but a stone with a few drops of olive oil. I would use a modern electric sharpener for community kitchen knives at my restaurant. When sharpened this way, the blades get a bit less mileage, but it does the job.
Having a sharp knife is very important when you prepare food, but sharp knives can be intimidating for some. The truth is that a well-sharpened knife can only work its magic when there is a good connection between you and the knife. If too much of your focus goes toward the possibility of cutting yourself, cooking isn’t pleasurable. Think of it this way: you are more likely to slice yourself with a dull knife. The math is easy. The extra pressure you need to slice or cut with a dull knife increases the chances of slipping.
Build a good trusting relationship with your knife and master the cutting board. To do that, practice with a large chef knife. Hold the knife upside down, with the cutting edge up. Get comfortable with your stroke and speed by leaning the knife—sharp side up—against your bent knuckles as you practice. Pretend that your fingers are the vegetables you are slicing. You’ll be slicing and dicing like a chef in no time.
MICHAEL GUERRIERI
Chef and Owner of
City Sandwich, New York City
and Mezzaluna, Lisbon
You can get over entertaining anxiety. Just accepting that you don’t have to be extravagant and pull out all the stops for your friends should help you to relax. I always go for simplicity and fun rather than formality and perfection—from the way the table is set to the menu. You don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen or dealing with too many fussy details that can go wrong. If you don’t feel up to a dinner, try a weekend brunch or lunch or maybe a Sunday supper. A little thought and effort will make it easy for you to create a casual, comfortable atmosphere that will not only please your friends but will also allow you to enjoy your own party.
My relaxed attitude comes from surviving hundreds of kitchen disasters. I’ve learned that if something can go wrong, it will. That’s why simplicity and planning are so important. And if things still don’t go smoothly, it’s all about being able to laugh it off! Even if I make a complete mess of the food, I know my friends and I will stick together through the good and the bad—at least I tried. The bigger the catastrophe, the more I can learn from it. And I can tell you I have had lots of disasters!
One time, I was using a mandoline, a hand-operated slicer that makes thinner slices than a food processor. I was working very quickly, slicing fennel and zucchini, because I was running late. I was making Veggie Carpaccio (recipe on page 126), and I wanted the veggies to marinate in the dressing for a while before I served it. There I was, slicing away at full speed, when next thing I knew, I had sliced the top of my finger. It was hanging by a thread—I stuck it back on. There was blood everywhere. I wrapped the finger as tightly as I could and held my right hand up in the air to stop the bleeding. I wedged the mandoline between some cookbooks and pots and started to work with my left hand.
Luckily, the first guest to arrive was my friend Dr. Brian Saltzman. He walked into the kitchen—we always gather in the kitchen—and saw me with my bloody, wrapped hand over my head, slicing the zucchini furiously.
“What happened to you?” he asked. “Let me see that finger.”
The last thing I wanted was for Brian to be stitching me up when my other friends arrived. “I have no time to stop,” I explained.
He looked at my finger, stopped the bleeding, and bandaged it. And then he helped me cook! He’s great with knives.
Lesson: Beware of the mandoline.
Another lesson: Make sure you leave enough time to prepare the food without having to rush and try to do as much as you can ahead of time. You will be so much more relaxed if you are realistic about how much time it takes to cook the food. That’s why you’ll find preparation time for each recipe in this book along with the total time. Sometimes an ingredient has to soak for hours. You might have to bring a big pot to a boil, and you know the old saying about a watched pot. Other ingredients might have to cool or marinate before you can continue. Don’t get caught running out of time. Being in a frenzy is no fun, and you want to enjoy yourself. If you’re stressed, everyone will be stressed… and accidents do happen.
One of Jeff DePeron’s great juices will help put you in a frame of mind to work calmly and efficiently in the kitchen. Not only is this juice delicious, but it will also de-stress you as you work.
This smoothie promotes feelings of well-being, focus, and quiet energy. The combined ingredients make for a drink that is rich in antioxidants and protein and promotes good digestion, reduces fluid retention, and detoxifies. This recipe makes two servings.
Have a Bliss Smoothie for breakfast or as a snack.
| 1 | cup mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) |
| ½ | cup mango |
| 2 | dates, pitted |
| ½ | cup pineapple Fresh mint |
| ½ | inch wedge ginger |
| 14 | ounces unsweetened almond milk |
Throw all the ingredients in a powerful blender for 2 minutes.
JEFF DEPERON
Hura Athletics
Another time, I had a major baking disaster. I like to serve fresh baked desserts warm. The house smells so good when people come in if I’ve just taken a cake, cookies, or pie out of the oven. My friends were on their way as I pulled two cake pans from the oven. The middle of both layers was completely raw. I cut out the center of one layer, cut up the cooked part of the second cake, and filled up the hole in the middle of the first with those pieces. I frosted my one layer, putting berries and chocolate on top. I knew it was a mess, but when I brought it out with a smile on my face, everyone loved it. No one had a clue!
Lesson: Don’t panic and be creative if you have a mishap. Many mistakes are salvageable or at least can be covered up.
Another lesson: If you are worried about the food, have a backup on hand. You can keep olives, nuts, and pasta in your house. With fresh vegetables, it’s not hard to whip up a salad or pasta dish. As for dessert, always have store-bought ice cream and fresh fruit and lots of dark chocolate on hand!
Final lesson: There is no reason to feel insecure about the food you are serving. If you are, you are probably trying too hard. When you are deciding what you are going to serve, keep it simple and in your comfort zone. That way, you should be able to avoid kitchen disasters.
We lost our electricity at Templeton on the weekend of a big storm that left two to three feet of snow on the ground. I had some house guests and was expecting six more friends to join us for dinner. We lit candles and lanterns all over the house. No one canceled, because they were all coming in one SUV.
Luckily, my stoves and ovens are gas. I had a frozen piecrust and made a chocolate tart with it. I also had some dried mushrooms, which I soaked, and then I sautéed the reconstituted mushrooms with garlic. I defrosted a container of pesto I had frozen at the end of the summer. With those ingredients, I made a hearty pasta to eat in front of a big fire with some grilled bread, salad, red wine, and a chocolate tart for dessert. It was a perfect dinner for a snowy night.
Lesson: A well-stocked freezer can be a lifesaver. In the fall, try being a smart little squirrel and store things away in your freezer. If you grow your own vegetables, you will always have extra tomatoes, squash, and eggplant. If you don’t have your own vegetable garden, you can buy bushels of tomatoes, big bunches of basil, and piles of squash at the farmers’ market or your supermarket and get busy.
I make tomato sauce that I freeze for the winter. I slightly sauté eggplant and squash and freeze those. I don’t season the vegetables until I use them.
Pesto is one of life’s great gifts. It gets me through the winter. It defrosts fast, people love it, and there is no end to what you can do with it. It tastes great on vegetables, pasta, dips, on a sandwich, or as a sauce.
You should have some pesto cubes in your freezer. You never know when you’ll need them. I also like to keep frozen piecrusts on hand for a last-minute main-course tart or dessert. Pizza dough is another must-have. With fresh vegetables, you can whip something up in no time. I’ll have cookies, a pie, or a tart in the freezer that I’ve baked as a backup. When I’m baking, I sometimes double the recipes so I’m stocked up.
Chef Michael Guerrieri’s pesto sauce is my favorite. I use this recipe all the time. It’s the best!
MAKES 1 CUP
| 1 | cup olive oil plus a bit more if the puree is too thick |
| 2 | garlic cloves |
| ½ | cup roasted pignoli (pine nuts), divided into two parts |
| 1 | pound fresh basil leaves, all stems removed, divided into two parts Salt and pepper to taste |
Preparation:
1. Pour 1 cup olive oil in the bottom of a blender. Add 1 garlic clove and ¼ cup pine nuts.
2. Fill the blender with the basil, working with only ½ pound, and begin to blend.
3. Turn off the blender from time to time to push down the leaves.
4. Once the mixture begins to rotate on its own in the blender, begin to add the rest of the first ½ pound of the basil.
5. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.
6. You may have to add a bit more olive oil gradually during the puree. The result should be the consistency of soft ice cream.
7. Repeat these steps with the remaining ½ pound of basil and combine in a bowl in the end.
8. Place the pesto in jars, cover with a thin layer of olive oil, and place in the refrigerator or freezer.
9. Most recipes call for Parmesan or Romano cheese. I like to keep the pesto base natural and the cheese optional, which works for vegan cooking. You can add cheeses later when preparing your dishes.
NOTE1
We often associate the word pesto with the traditional “pesto Genovese”—made with basil and cheese. You can easily substitute the basil in this recipe with parsley, spinach, cilantro, mint, or even fresh dill. You can use any of these pestos for pastas and for seasoning grilled or oven-roasted vegetables and toasts.
NOTE2
Place the pesto into ice cube trays to make easy-to-work-with pesto cubes. Once they’re frozen, pop the cubes out as you would ice and store them in a freezer bag. This makes using pesto a snap.
1. Boil pasta.
2. In the meantime, add some garlic in a frying pan with some olive oil.
3. Once garlic browns, remove pan from heat, add 3 pesto cubes per serving of pasta, and cover while the pasta is cooking.
4. When the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the pesto pan.
5. Mix well and serve.
MICHAEL GUERRIERI
Chef and Owner of
City Sandwich, New York City
and Mezzaluna, Lisbon
A friend invited me for a weekend, and I offered to cook dinner on Saturday night. I loaded a basket from my garden and off I went. Little did I realize their oven was quite different from mine.
I made a veggie tart with zucchini, eggplant, and fennel, put it in the oven, and went to get dressed for dinner. I came back a half hour later to check it, and it was burnt to a crisp—inedible. It was supposed to cook for forty-five to fifty minutes, but the oven was very hot.
Everyone was outside having a drink, waiting for some delicious food. I looked in the refrigerator and the cabinets desperate to find something I could throw together. But there was nothing!
I went outside and told my host that I was on my way into town to get us dinner. I ordered a big bowl of pasta and a salad. Boy, did I wish I had my frozen pesto with me that night! It would have saved the day.
Lesson: You can always order out if the food is a total mess. That is the ultimate backup plan.
These are only a few of the many near catastrophes I have had entertaining. I have learned that I can get through whatever happens, and so can you. Just take a deep breath, relax, smile, and have fun. If nothing else, these disasters make great stories. Once you have survived a few, your confidence will grow, and you’ll be able to handle any hurdles the kitchen gods may throw your way.
Sometimes parties are just clunkers. Silence and conflicts are always a bit scary. All you are responsible for doing is putting fun people and good food together in a nice setting. The rest is up to your guests. There are times when the chemistry just does not work. People don’t click, and the party never takes off. Hey, it happens. When it happens to me, I pick up the pace and end the party as soon as I can. I shrug my shoulders, laugh, and think, Well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles. If you have a clunker, at least you get an A for effort. You win some, you lose some!
Most people worry about whether or not their pets will bother people. The fact is that having a party can be disastrous for pets. There are a number of toxins your critters might be exposed to if guests feed them or unknowingly leave something that they can get into. Dr. Palmquist gave me this surprising list of threats for domestic and wild animals. Though it goes beyond party risks, it does cover many threats you should be aware of.
1. Xylitol is a common sugar replacement for diabetic humans, which kills dogs by destroying their livers. A few sticks of gum can be enough to cause major problems for a dog. http://www.huffingtonpos.com/richard-palmquist-dvm/common-sweetener-can-kill_b_739534.htmlt
For a list of common products containing xylitol, see http://ocd_hs.org/ima_ges/Xylito_l_Products_2010.doc
2. Human medications are a common source of poisoning in dogs and cats. Use care in handling your medicines and never give them to your pets without a veterinarian’s instruction. http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/top-10-human-medications-that-poison-our-pets.aspx
3. Common household plants can be very toxic. Many people don’t know that just a few pollen grains from certain lily flowers can cause kidney failure in cats. Here is a great resource: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/17-common-poisonous-plants.aspx
4. Chocolate, grapes, raisins, bread dough, and onions are just a few foods that can severely affect your pets’ health. Chocolate has caffeine-like chemicals that damage the nerves, heart, and brain. Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure and death. Consuming as few as eight raisins can be fatal in sensitive pets. The yeasts in bread dough can be problematic for some pets. Onions damage red blood cells and can lead to anemia. Keep food and treats out of your pets’ reach and ask guests not to feed your critters.
5. Pets will play and ingest sparkly decorations, so consider whether you really need balloons, ribbons, wrapping paper, or tinsel, and be mindful that they can be dangerous for animals inside your home and out.
6. Be sure pets are properly restrained and protected if you are planning a party with music or sudden loud sounds. Costume parties can alarm pets as well. We need to use caution so they are not injured or frightened into biting or running away.
7. When venturing into the wilderness for hiking and camping, never throw out your chewing gum or the wrappers. Small rodents ingest gum, and it blocks their intestinal tracts, leading to painful death. Always wrap and carry out spent gum as you would any other trash.
8. Reducing your use of plastics may help save species like sea turtles, who accidentally eat plastic thinking it is a tasty jellyfish. The plastic blocks their digestion and leads to disease and death.
RICHARD PALMQUIST, DVM
Chief of Integrative Health,
Centinela Animal Hospital,
Inglewood, California
Michael Guerrieri, my chef friend, eats cruelty-free for long periods of time. I asked him to give me examples of how he constructs a meal without meat that will please every palate.
You are invited for dinner and looking forward to the food that will be served. Your first course is a spinach salad with roasted pignoli and diced dates with a light balsamic lemon dressing. The next course is oven-roasted eggplant stuffed with olives, garlic cloves, diced parsley and topped with seasoned crumbled corn bread to give it a crunchy topping, served over a bed of seasoned tomatoes fresh from the garden. A pear poached in pineapple juice with fresh ginger and a hint of cinnamon with a good cup of coffee finishes the meal. Everyone at the table walks away happy and full. Chances are no one has missed the meat or fish. Satisfied taste buds immediately draw the conversation to how scrumptious the food was.
It’s not a difficult task to avoid eating meats when we don’t think about it. Instead of slapping a steak on a grill, purchase some extra-large white mushrooms, scoop out the insides with a small spoon and chop the insides with some asparagus, shallots, salt and pepper, breadcrumbs, olive oil, and herbes de Provence. Stuff the mushroom caps with this mixture and place them on the grill or in the oven. Allow them to cook on low heat. The caps will eventually fill with their natural juices to moisten the stuffing. Gently remove them from the heat and serve over your favorite grilled bread slices. A wonderful puree of potato can easily be substituted for the bread. Think about all the earthy, solid foods you can serve to satisfy the palate. No one will ever question a good meal, whether it is composed purely of vegetables or not.
Being a chef, I work with a tremendous variety of foods. Through the years, my body and digestive system always feel and work their best when I treat them to a long term “no meat” routine.
MICHAEL GUERRIERI
Chef and Owner of City
Sandwich, New York,
and Mezzaluna, Lisbon
Planning to have friends and family come over to your house is like watching a plant grow. The whole situation can take on a life of its own. If you set it up right, it grows into something full and rich. You can start with a date, a guest list, and then figure out what to eat, where you will eat, and how to serve it.
I always let my friends know what to expect when I invite them. I’m more comfortable when I know if I’m going to an intimate dinner for six, a pool-side buffet for twenty, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a laid-back afternoon in front of the TV on football Sunday, or a seated formal dinner. It sure takes the guessing out of how to dress and helps me get ready for the party.
My decisions about entertaining depend entirely on the season. Clearly, the atmosphere of a party is determined by the weather. A clear spring day, a muggy summer evening, a crisp fall morning, and a stormy winter night call for very different menus and looks. Since I am committed to eating seasonal foods, the first thing I have to consider is what is available. I have included a chart in each seasonal section of this book of vegetables and fruits that are available at that time of year to help you with your planning.
I no longer serve animal products to my friends. At first, I wanted to please everyone, but I felt like a hypocrite cooking with animal products. I wanted to show people how amazing food can be without meat, poultry, fish, butter, and eggs.
One party I’ll always remember is the birthday dinner I had for myself a few years ago at my house. It was a black-tie seated dinner with lots of dear friends. They were serious carnivores from Europe, and I planned to serve a cruelty-free dinner. I served quinoa, eggplant and zucchini fritters with a garlic tomato sauce, seitan stew with a red wine base and mushrooms, and roasted root vegetables.
My friend Richard Brown from Amagansett Wine and Spirits sent the most delicious organic wines for dinner. Richard understands how to pair wine with vegan food. In case you are interested, his selections were:
WHITES: Domaine Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc; Huet Vouvray Le Mont Second
REDS: La Spinetta Barbera Ca di Pian; Antoniolo Gattinara
Grotto (a Nebbiolo from Piedmont); Collosorbo Brunello di
Montalcino Riserva; Alain Graillot Crozes Hermitage
Avoiding animal products does not mean you have to give up wine! But go organic. You’ll feel better the next day.
I love dessert and made lots for this event. We had chocolate cake, vanilla cake, apple tart, and my cookies. I didn’t tell anyone that the entire meal was vegan until we were finished. I wanted everyone to realize that there are delicious alternatives to a meal full of food that hurts animals. It worked! No one believed it was vegan. They all loved it.
I asked Richard Brown of Amagansett Wine and Spirits for advice on what wines to drink with vegan food. He knows what he is talking about.
Vegan cuisine often features a variety of spices in order to achieve flavor and interest. For example, to balance the heat from a spice such as a curry powder, wines modest in alcohol level and perhaps with even a small amount of residual sugar, but not sweet, work best. In whites: Riesling and Gewürztraminer from Alsace or a Chenin Blanc-based wine like Vouvray from the Loire Valley pair nicely. For reds: look for a fruity Gamay wine like a Cru Beaujolais from Burgundy. A well-crafted Cru Beaujolais in a good vintage year is a far cry from, and should not to be confused with, the hyped Beaujolais Nouveau released each November.
Acidity is another characteristic to consider in a dish. If you are using acidic ingredients—tomatoes or citrus ingredients, for instance—you should select wines that are also high in acidity for balance. The acids will neutralize one another, allowing for heightened enjoyment of both the food and wine. In whites, a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio is an excellent choice, and for reds, Sangiovese, Grenache, or Zinfandel match well. In Tuscany, Sangiovese is one of the principal grapes grown. Since the native cuisine often includes tomatoes in some form, a Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino from the region is a natural and delicious choice to serve.
Vegetables, both root and green, earthy mushrooms, and herbs typically go well with wines based on grape varieties that share a similar flavor profile. A crisp and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire or a steely un-oaked Chardonnay from Chablis in northern Burgundy make for lovely white wine accompaniments to dishes that feature these components prominently. For reds, Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Oregon, or California, a Tempranillo from Rioja, or a Syrah-dominant blend from the Rhône Valley makes for a classic combination.
In warmer months, think about a well-chilled dry rosé that universally complements almost any cuisine. While prepping in the kitchen for one of Cornelia’s delectable recipes, nibble on some nuts and sip a glass of dry sparkling wine, prosecco, or Champagne, depending on your level of decadence!
RICHARD BROWN
Amagansett Wine and Spirits
I believe that planning a menu is like building a house. You have to use the best materials possible, and for food, that means the freshest. Sometimes I go out with my friends to the berry patch to pick their dessert. You will find such a wide choice of seasonal recipes in Simple Pleasures—more than 150—that it will be easy to make delicious food for your friends. Figure out what to serve one course at a time and then start to set your table.
I love to decorate tables. It sets the mood. Sometimes beautiful china, silver, and glasses are the way to go. I like my formal dinners to be elegant but never stuffy. I prefer being casual, and remember…elegance is natural, charming, and fun.
I love to use mismatched plates and glasses. I mix formal and exquisite or fancy with very whimsical things. The contrast is fun and very personal. I collect dishes, serving pieces, bowls, platters, cups, glasses, and vintage table linens. I get them anyplace I can. They always make me smile.
I like to bring nature inside. Luckily there is a ton of stuff to choose from all over Templeton. There are crocus, tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils in the spring as well as apple and peach blossoms, rhododendron, lilacs, and forsythia. The roses and peonies peak in June. We have poppies, hydrangea, allium, snapdragons, honeysuckle, jasmine, lantana, sunflowers, and dahlias—I love the big ones—in the summer. The holly is so beautiful in the winter, and the orchids that have been collected over the years come in from the greenhouse.
I keep centerpieces easy and uncomplicated, not overdone and structured. Don’t make anything too tall. There is nothing worse than not being able to see across the table. I use lots of cups and bottles. I especially love old Mateus and tequila bottles. I’ll put flowers all over the house, a single flower in unexpected places. A single flower in an old bottle put in between the paws of my ceramic dragon puts a smile on everyone’s face. Flowers in powder rooms are a must.
Flowers are so colorful in the spring, but I also use fruit in baskets on the table. I can eat the fruit later or give it away. Nothing ever goes to waste. There are always the donkey, tortoise, other critters, or the compost pile. In the summer, seashells, beach glass and stones, roses, and arrangements of vegetables are great. I love wildflowers and let them grow everywhere. Loose wildflowers in a mason jar are relaxed and summery. I scatter acorns, pinecones, and colored leaves on the table in the fall. In the winter dried hydrangea, berries, witch hazel, evergreens, holly, and orchids work well.
I love to plant bulbs in pots in the winter—paperwhites, hyacinths, tulips, and amaryllis add color and smell wonderful.
Generally, I set the table early in the day for a dinner, a breakfast, brunch, or lunch. It’s one less thing to think about. And if you don’t like the way it looks, you’ll have plenty of time to change it.
If you have planned well, you will have some time to relax before your friends arrive. It beats last-minute stress and conflict. Some of my friends tell me they end up fighting with everyone in the time leading up to a party as they frantically try to pull it all together. Who hasn’t had crazy arguments in the kitchen when everyone is waiting? Don’t cut it too close. Build in extra time and do as much as you can the day before. Pick recipes that don’t keep you in the kitchen all night. Go enjoy yourself and spend time with your friends. Isn’t that why you invited them over?
I have pre-party rituals that work for me. I always get some sort of exercise the day of a party to clear my mind and burn off tension, and I like a catnap before dinner. My favorite part is doing one of Joanna Vargas’s scrubs and at-home facials. This one is great.
This recipe is great as an exfoliation for the face and body. Joanna tells me that exfoliation is the step no one really takes time out for, and yet it makes the most visible difference to my skin in both summer and winter. This terrific facial is made from ingredients you can find in your kitchen or supermarket.
| ½ | fresh coconut, grated |
| 1 | teaspoon turmeric powder |
| ¾ | pound carrots, grated |
| 2½ | cups almond oil (or an oil of your choice) |
| 5 | tablespoons rice powder |
| 1 | peeled cucumber, grated |
You can combine this mixture by hand or in a blender. Stand in a nice steaming shower and gently rub the mixture over your whole body. The turmeric is an anti-inflammatory ingredient. It also reduces the redness of a sunburn or the swelling of a breakout. The cucumber is depuffing and good for elasticity, while the carrot has great vitamin C. Scrub for five minutes, then rinse.
Joanna suggests following this scrub with a nice hydrating fruit mask.
| 2 | cups vegan yogurt |
| ½ | cup warmed vegan honey |
| 1 | handful mashed blueberries |
| 1 | handful mashed raspberries |
Combine all the ingredients and mash together or blend. Apply all over the face and neck.
I like to lie down with two cooled chamomile tea bags on my eyes for depuffing as well. Rest for twenty minutes, then rinse with tepid water. After this scrub and facial, I feel radiant and my skin is soft and supple.
JOANNA VARGAS
Instead of having a sip of wine or a drink before guests arrive, try Jeff DePeron’s energizing juice, Brazilian Thunder. It will vitalize you without revving you up too much. You will be the perfect, thoughtful, attentive host.
This kale and açaí drink delivers powerful nutrients that will remove toxins from your body and supercharge you. I often make this juice when I get up in the morning, but wait on days that I am entertaining. The active ingredients of this juice have powerful qualities.
•Kale is rich in chlorophyll, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and fiber.
•Açaí has more antioxidants than blueberries, pomegranate, or red wine and contains essential fatty acids, amino acids, calcium, and fiber.
•Green tea protects against coronary artery disease and cancer, prevents osteoporosis, improves insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes, and so much more.
•Coconut water balances the body’s electrolytes.
•Mint strengthens heart muscle and contains detoxing compounds.
•Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and will aid digestion.
•Cinnamon blocks inflammation and bacterial growth.
| 4 | kale leaves |
| 4 | ounces unsweetened |
| açaí puree | |
| 8 | ounces unsweetened |
| green tea | |
| 8 | ounces coconut water |
| ¼ | cup fresh mint |
| 1 | inch piece of gingerroot |
| Dash cinnamon |
Throw all ingredients into a high-power blender for 2 minutes.
I love this juice and use it for an energy boost before guests arrive.
JEFF DEPERON
Hura Athletics
You have put a lot of thought, planning, energy, and hard work into creating a good time for your friends. I have a few secrets that work for me to make sure things run smoothly. It’s all about timing. As the host, make sure nothing drags on. Let people know what time you would like them to come, and if things get late, just sneak off to bed. People will get the message and go home.
My first rule is never let cocktails go on for too long. I think a half hour is enough, and sometimes will stretch it to forty-five minutes; if it’s a dinner for more than a hundred, maybe an hour.
I don’t serve a lot of food before dinner. I like people to be hungry when they sit down to eat. Keep it light—nuts, crudités with hummus, and pea pâté will fill the bill.
If you are having a cocktail party, you need a lot of different food, so no one leaves hungry. How many times have you left a cocktail party starving?
Never wait for people who are late. It’s rude to everyone else who got there on time. If you’re more than a half hour late from the time you were invited, call to let your host know. I don’t wait for anyone. When the food’s ready, we eat. I don’t wait for anyone when it is time to start.
Don’t plate food. I never do. It’s old-fashioned. I like people to serve themselves from passed platters or a buffet. That way they can eat what they want, and there is not a lot of wasted food. I hate waste!
If you are seating a party, don’t worry about past history. A few times I’ve had friends tell me they are coming with people who don’t get along with others at the party. I don’t worry about it. I put people where I want to. I like to mix it up. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. You never know. Sometimes the best things come out of the worst situations. I once sat two friends who weren’t speaking next to each other. After a couple of drinks, they were laughing and were best friends again.
Do not tolerate seat changing. If people change place cards or move, I show them the door! My attitude is, if you are not enjoying yourself here, go someplace else. I have no patience for rudeness.
At one party, I sat next to someone who actually turned his back to me, left the table, and never came back to his seat. I laughed so hard—he really had no manners. My poor host was mortified! My advice is that if you are seated next to someone you find boring, annoying, or offensive, rise to the occasion! Charm the pants off him—that’s why you were invited.
I love desserts and serve lots of them. I serve a variety of desserts, especially cookies and dark chocolate. I think it’s fun, and they look great after a good meal. If people are on diets, they can just pass.
I hope my advice has put entertaining in perspective and helped to take the terror out of having people over. There is nothing to be worried about. Simple food served casually makes entertaining a joy rather than a trial. What matters is bringing friends together for a relaxed good time.
The easy-to-make recipes in the remaining pages of Simple Pleasures will give you ideas for affordable, healthy, delicious food, which will make everyone want more! Once you get the hang of it, you’ll never stop!
