When I was invited to Dîner en Blanc, I was fascinated by the whole concept which was created by François Pasquier over 25 years ago when he gathered a few friends and had an all white picnic in Paris. Since then, thousands of people around the world assemble at a secret location to be part of the most chic urban picnic ever created. Carlis from SpicyCandyDC will be my plus one as the Dutchman will be in Amsterdam.  Together, we have been inspired by the event, both by fashion and food. This menu is the perfect mix of flavor, deliciousness, and efficiency. 

Table en Blanc

We got together last Friday to see if the menu I have planned would not only work for the event but easy to make. When I think of my visits to Paris, one of my most memorable memories is setting a picnic along the Seine.  Something as simple as cheese, pate, caviar and bread become a luxurious affair.  My idea was to have simple items that are delicious, beautiful, and easy to carry. Main Course: created a salad as the main course of mixed greens, tomatoes, and anchovies.  I topped the salad with shaved pecorino and used oil from the anchovies as a dressing along with a balsamic reduction in a squeeze bottle. I will be taking my mini Peugeot salt and pepper grinders for the salad. Very stylish and expedient! The great thing about this salad is that it can be prepped ahead of time and items carried separately in ziplock containers.  Side Dish:  I love the idea of pate and caviar to go with the French theme.  I found a great truffle pate at Trader Joe's which comes prepackaged in a nice container and the caviar also had a pretty jar which needs no prepackaging. Make sure to cut the baguette ahead of time and place it in a container. It also makes for a nice platter to share with my neighbors at the table.  Dessert: I choose a cheese platter since it pairs very nicely with the theme and easy to transport. For a cheese plate, I like to have softer cheese such as brie, goat, and blue cheese. I paired the cheese with simple rice crackers, Virginia Concord grapes, and strawberries.  Jams such as apricot, peach, or orange go great with it  as well. My recommendation is to also prepare ahead of time by placing the cheese in the container and don't forget to pack your cheese knife! Keep your food items cool with an insulated grocery bag that you can find in most supermarkets such as Giant or Whole Foods.  Decor: As everything has to be white, I really like the idea of adding vintage pieces to the table.  I have vintage champagne coupes which go well with both champagne and wine.  I  also found white mums at Trader Joe's that I placed in a vintage vase.  The details are simple but work well with the theme.  You can also pre-fold your napkins ahead of time.  I found the Pyramid design is the easiest to carry and looks very elegant.  We're looking forward to this beautiful and unique experience! What do you plan to bring to Diner en Blanc? 

I feel fortunate to live in DC in a home with a little garden space given the compact living spaces. I started calling my little space "el huerto". There, I have intimate dinners with the Dutchman, have rowdy gatherings with my friends, or simply spend time alone taking care of my niños (aka the plants). Last weekend, I hosted a farewell party for one of my favorite Marines and best friend, K. Having a cookout can be labor intensive so I came up with some ideas on how to make it a simple yet lovely affair.

Just a simple hot dog party all dressed up

Tip 1: Enlist some help!  I am fortunate to know Mariella from Splendor Styling who I hired to style my event.  Hiring a party stylist may seem like a frivolous expense, but as an experienced hostess I tell you that it's a great investment. She consulted with me beforehand to get an idea of what I wanted.  I wanted to host an effortless party where I can prepare things ahead and enjoy my guests, especially my guest of honor. She also arrived early in the morning to set up the party space and arranged our outdoor furniture and plants to maximize our space. Usually I am running around trying to cook and decorate. This allowed me to focus on the food and have a beautifully arranged space.   

Used Fresh Blueberries and Strawberries for a Summer Pie

Trip 2:  Establish a theme. Parties are always fun when there is a theme. Themes can be applied to food as well. As I was looking for an easy menu, I came up with a hot dog bar. My friend is heading to Bahrain so we decided to do something very American to send her off. We paired the hot dogs with fresh salads such as a kale ceasar, watermelon feta, and a potato salad. For the hot dog bar we prepared homemade chili the night before and all the fixings such as relish, pickled peppers, sauerkraut, and of course mustard and ketchup. For dessert we served pies: a key lime pie and a berry pie, both summery and delicious. 

Watermelon Feta Salad

Tip 3: It's all in the details. Mariella recommended I buy a colored red and white twine from Amazon and we used it for little details such as the mustard and ketchup bottles.  I also covered the outdoor table with gingham tablecloth for an Americana look. We served a signature cocktail: the Moscow Mule. It's K's favorite drink and it make it easy instead of having to manage a full bar. We also served beer and wine and added snacks for those who like to munch while they drink. 

The Bar

I've always loved to entertain at home. I enjoy having good friends over and bonding over food. I am grateful I had the opportunity to host such a lovely party for my best friend. How do you host parties? Any particular tradition you have?

I am a big believer if you have a vision and believe in it, the right people will come along to help you make it a reality. I have been a travel and food contributor to SpicyCandyDC and we just made our third video.  It was an amazing experience and this most recent one is very special as we are celebrating Mother's Day. Thanks Carlis, Mariela, and Sebastian for making this happen!  For more details and recipe, click on our post on SpicyCandyDC.  Now the question is.... what would you like to see us cook up next? Let us know!  Bisous!

Mini Cheescakes Photo courtesy of It's Julien

Crudite Platter Photo by SpicyCandyDC

Pancake Bites Photo by It's Julien

Big thanks to the Carlis of SpicyCandyDC and Julien from It's Julien for the fabulous photos!  Another big thanks to Kat from She's Unique for taking a chance with me! Love you ladies! 

Last month, I wrote about hosting brunches at home to save a few dollars and create a more intimate dining environment. This past Sunday, I hosted a brunch in honor of the Dutchman's definite arrival to Washington, DC. I decided to get into the holiday mood with a simple silver snowflake tablecloth from Target and decorate my chocolate-orange cake with rosemary and cranberries to resemble a garland.
One of the things I've learned about hosting is the difference between what you see in Pintrest and what is practical on the table. Centerpieces are nice until you have to move them out of the way to place all the dishes on the table, especially if you're feeding 10 people on a table designed for 6. Tip: get some wooden folding chairs from Ikea. They are nice enough to have inside and practical enough to fold and keep in a closet or garage.
One of the things I've learned with entertaining a large table is that is best to make dishes which can be made in the oven in large quantities. I made four quiches: two of bacon, spinach, and Swiss cheese (recipe at end of post) and two of smoked wild salmon, onions and brie. To make the process easier on a Sunday morning, I bought the premade pie crusts. I accompanied the quiches with a fresh apple crumble (crumble made with oatmeal for a lighter taste) and warm croissants a friend brought from a Bakers and Co in Annapolis. For drinks, we put together the Bloody Mary bar we did last time and we added Guava Mimosas (sparkling wine with guava juice instead of orange). For a sweet ending, we cut into a homemade chocolate cake with a chocolate Swiss buttercream frosting. We spent the afternoon catching up and welcoming the Dutchman to DC. Hosting brunches at home have become my new favorite thing to do. I suspect this will become a monthly tradition in 2014.

Bacon and Spinach Quiche (12 servings)
1Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crusts
1/2 Package of Center Cut Bacon
1/2 Large White Onion, finely sliced
2 Cups Baby Spinach
5 Eggs
3/4 Cup Half and Half Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Once heated, place the pie crusts in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, let cool. Keep oven on.
While the pie crusts are cooking: Cook the bacon until crispy and chop in 1in pieces, save 1/2 the fat. Cook onions in bacon fat until translucent (around 3 minutes) and then add spinach and sauté (around 5 minutes) Easiest (cleanest) way to blend the eggs: Mix eggs, half/half, and salt/pepper with an immersion blender in a narrow, long, measuring cup. Mine are from William-Sonoma, one of the best kitchen purchases I've ever made.
Place bacon on the bottom of the dish, followed by the spinach/onions, and sprinkle with cheese.  Pour egg mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The $4 place setting

Ladies Exchanging Creative Ideas

From El Huerto

I found beautiful Ball quilted jars at Wegmans which I intended to use for entertaining.  I thought it would be nice to use them for their actual purpose.  I found a recipe at the Ball website for the jelly. It was pretty simple and omitted the green food coloring.  I like my food to look natural.  I picked the jalapenos from the plant and proceeded to cut them in my kitchen when I made a BIG mistake: I rubbed my eye with my bare hands!!! Thanks to the internet, I found a great solution to the problem: I made an eye wash with a shot glass and milk.  It really calmed the inflammation. Note to self: wear gloves as the instructions state!

Pretty Ball Jars

The last step, processing the canned contents in boiling water

I did not have all the canning equipment of the pros but I managed to follow the instructions and effectively sterilize the jars in my Le Creuset without getting burned.  Once the content was set on the jars, I placed them in the kitchen until fully cooled.  A few hours later, I started hearing popping sounds, indicating the jars sealed.  The proof came the next day, when I got to try my jelly.  I was very proud of myself!  It had the right balance of sweet and spicy.  I later served it at a party with homemade cornbread bites and gave extra jars as gifts.  Overall, I thought the process was going to be more complicated than I thought, happy that it turned out well.  Looking forward to doing more preserving, especially with the fall and winter fruits.

Ready to be served!

Some of my most cherished memories in Brussels are from dinner parties. I love hosting dinner parties at home or going to a friends' home and enjoying great food, wine, and conversation.  Given I have only been here less than three months, I am still working on building a social circle.  In Brussels, everyone lives at close proximity.  Here, at the National Capital Region, it is common to commute 70 miles to work which makes it difficult to connect with friends or colleagues after work hours.  If I commuted 140 miles roundtrip in Brussels, it would more than likely place me in a foreign place, such as Rotterdam, The Netherlands or Aachen, Germany.  However, I have been fortunate enough to reconnect with old friends and making new friends in DC proper.

Toasting to a New Life Life... and Friends

On Friday, I hosted a dinner party in honor of Carlis, my new neighbor and fellow blogger of SpicyCandyDC.  I had to feed a table of 9 and wanted to create a menu both creative and simple to make due to the large group and short preparation time.  My Dutchman is a very good cook and told me of a delicious stuffed shells recipe he learned to make during his time in Italy.  I decided it would be perfect main course.  I wanted to add European elements to the menu while making it accessible to my guests.  I decided to start with mussels, as a homage to Brussels with white wine and cream sauce. It always warms my heart when people drink the whole broth after finishing the mussels.  The ricotta and basil stuffed shells followed with a spinach salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh sweet peppers, and pomegranate.  Instead of a dressing, I just squeezed a lemon and added a few tablespoons of my recent Austrian discovery, pumpkin seed oil.  To conclude, I made a chocolate mousse with Cote D'Or Belgian chocolate which a friend brought to me from the Kingdom and thankfully just discovered it is sold on Amazon. I topped the mousse with fresh raspberries.

These Ladies Can Drink!

 There are many beauties of a dinner party.  It all begins with the preparation.  While making sauce for the shells the evening before, I begin to envision the following evening, hoping my new guests enjoy the menu.  The evening of the dinner, Carlis, Kat, and Grace arrived early to help.  We collectively chopped, tasted, and cooked, making it a party with stories and music even before the rest of the guests arrived.  Finally, we serve the meal.  Sitting in a warm home, trading stories, drinking as much wine as we want (10 bottles to be exact), and feeling the positive energy of talented and diverse women secured the fact there will be more evenings like this to come.  I do enjoy from time to time a dinner at a fabulous restaurant but nothing beats a lovely dinner at home. All photos courtesy of SpicyCandyDC.