TIP OF THE DAY: DIY Food Bars, Part 1 ~ Breakfast & Brunch

Fashion your party bar along the lines of hotel breakfast buffets. Photo courtesy Seattleite.com.   While summer entertaining is easy—cocktails on the patio, burgers on the grill—the fall brings a challenge. How can you entertain with panache, without killing yourself? We’ve grown fond of the food bar, a buffet that invites guests to “create-your-own-dish” with…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Have An Oktoberfest Party

On Saturday, as we were enjoying a cup of coffee on a bench at an entrance to Central Park, a stream of people in dirndl skirts and lederhosen passed by us, en route to an Oktoberfest celebration. That, and the arrival of a sample bottle of Samuel Adams Oktoberfest beer, reminded us that it’s that…
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A Special Olive Martini Recipe & The History Of The Martini

Our friend Ron and his daughter Stephanie like to order their Martinis with extra olives. The restaurant generally delivers the side of olives in a shot glass. Joining them in this tradition inspired today’s two-part tip: Use your liqueur glasses or shot glasses to serve extra olives to your Martini-loving friends. Serve a variety of…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Marinated Cheese

One of our particular passions is fresh goat cheese. Whenever we put together a cheese plate, we always include one or more chèvres. But for people who don’t like chèvre and want something more unusual than a plate of cheeses, here’s a good-looking option for buffets and parties. This recipe uses cheddar and cream cheese,…
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RECIPE: Cream Cheese Cheese Balls At Brunch

“Now shmear this!” says Hannah Kaminsky, one of our favorite food writer/photographers, about today’s tip: gourmet cream cheese balls. Hannah focuses on vegan cooking and baking, but everyone will find her recipes to be simply delicious. They’re a boon for people who are kosher, lactose-intolerant or simply cutting back on cholesterol. The recipe below can…
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