Sweetness, grilled to perfection

During these dog days of summer, the grill always rules. The heat stays outside and your house stays nice and cool – and when it comes to entertaining? The large cooking surface and endless options for veggies and meats make it perfect for a crowd.

But what about dessert? Don’t count it out. Summer’s bounty comes to life on the grill when you throw fresh fruit into the mix (just be sure to scrape your grill down between courses!) . I have two favorites this season to date:

Firstly, grilled pineapple slices. The only hard part of this process is cutting off the peel and cutting out the cores, but neither task is much trouble if your fruit is ripe and soft. 

Lovely pineapple image from the lovely Cooking Photographer.

You don’t need to put anything on the slices, although some recipes call for butter, honey, or rum marinades.  I don’t bother. A few minutes on each side softens the pineapple and slightly caramelizes the natural juices for a deeper flavor. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or a little dollopof marscapone cheese - or just enjoy as is.

Another great fruit to grill is halved peaches or nectarines. Bon Appetit has a gorgeous recipe for grilled nectarines and feta, combining two post-meal classics: fruit and cheese.

In addition to their obvious deliciousness, the best part of grilled fruit desserts is that they easy and fast, and, best of all, they keep you outside, steeped in the conviviality of your party.

Raise a vibrant glass

 

Sometimes the simplest detail can make a whole table setting. I love these glass and pitcher sets from the Vermont Country Store. The rich jewel-tones and retro styling of the glass make them perfect for outdoor and summer entertaining.

Mosser Ruby Red and Cobalt Blue Glassware, from $8.95, Vermont Country Store.

Charge of the light motif

After years of event planning as well as entertaining in my own home, I can say with certainty that the entire environment can be made or broken with a single, simple element: lighting.

Of course, lighting changes colors, textures, and mood. How could it not have a significant impact on your festivities?

This is the first post in a regular series, and it is one bright tip.

Have you ever been at the perfect party and had it ruined by someone accidentally flipping up or leaning on a light switch , cruelly illuminating the whole scene? Yuck.

An easy way to avoid this faux-pas? Put a little tape over your vulnerable switches ahead of time to hold them in the off position.  Fluorescent tape would add a nice pop of color to the wall (and really ensure that it is idiot-proof!) .

Scapa 200N Premium Fluorescent Gaffers Tape, $6.97 a roll, from FindTape.com.

A return to the festivities

“But inside there was company and a genial warmth.  Someone had rattled up a the stove in the rear, and those who brought bottles shared their liquor with friends.  Several women were there and they had twists of liquorice, a Nehi, or even a swallow of the whisky. ..the atmosphere of a proper cafe implies these qualities: fellowship, the satisfactions of the belly, and a certain gaiety of grace and behavior.”  From The Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers.

Image is Le dejeuner des canotiers (Luncheon of the Boating Party) by Auguste Renoir, 1881. One of the most delightful things about this painting is that the party is a composite of many of Renoir’s good friends.

An ideal, genial gathering indeed!

A budget Shangri-La

I realize this is yet another link to a NYTimes article, but when you come across a treasure trove of fantastic ideas and advice like this, you must post it.

Alex Williams of the Times charged renowned event planner David Monn (who works with budgets typically in the several hundred thousand to million dollar range for incredible clients – including the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Annual Costume Institute Gala) to create an elegant holiday dinner party on a serious budget – about $30 per head for food, decor, and alcohol.

Monn answered the charge with flying colors. You must read the article and of course view the accompanying slideshow for all the great ideas and inspirations, but if you want to take one quick thing away from it, remember this:

“The thing about the recession is, it takes the pressure off,” said Mr. Monn, 45. “It allows you to strip away all the stuff that’s not important and focus on what is: friends, family, togetherness.”

Side note: Potatoes were on deck for my next “Starch Ally” post. I am so pleased Mr. Monn vindicated this wonderful tuber!

Photo credit: Rob Bennett for the New York Times

Thanks, and thanks, and more thanks

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Be safe, give thanks, savor the meal, and, most importantly, enjoy every joyous moment and with your friends and family.

Don’t Mask, Don’t Tell

Here is a fun piece about theme parties from the Sunday NYTimes. Don’t worry – its only masquerading as an article against cleverly conceived fetes.

Last minute loveliness

We had some good friends over for brunch this morning, and after a busy week I had little time to throw it together. As for the centerpiece – there could not be anything more last minute.

Minutes before our guests arrived, we cobbled together a plain vase and a few clippings from the late-blooming burgundy hydrangea in our backyard and voila! This gorgeous little creation.

As always with floral centerpieces: When in doubt, keep it clean, understated, and homogenous.

An oldie but goodie from one of my heroes

Here is a little something to remember as a guest or a host:

Fish & Visitors stink in 3 days

From Poor Richards Almanack, 1736, another inspiration care of my old friend.

Speaking of Ben, and Philadelphia, I once heard that in Colonial times a carved wooden pineapple (a traditional symbol of hospitality) on the table or topping the bedposts in a guest room served as a polite, nonverbal indicator of just how many days a guest was welcome to stay: a full pineapple replaced in the morning with a half pineapple meant they were just about halfway through their welcome.

I have not been able to confirm this story, but I think it is charming nonetheless.

John Derian decoupage Pineapple plate, $49, care of Abitare’s wonderful blog.

Avoiding a meltdown

Here is a fantastic tip from the pros:

If you want to easily clean votive, cylinder, or other candle holders, drop a little water in before you add the candle. You will successfully – and happily – avoid the chore of scraping the melted wax off your candleholders post-fete.

If you forget the water beforehand, try popping candleholders filled with melted wax in the freezer for a few hours. The wax will harden, shrink, and be easily removable.

The freezer/cold trick will also work to get wax off of cloth or linens. If the item is too large to put in the freezer, apply ice until the wax is hard enough to pull off.  As per Martha, oil solvent or mineral spirits will help remove remaining residue.