Monthly Newsletter

Welcome to our new site!! We've launched an endeavor that you will find both informative and, hopefully, inspiring.  We have always thought that sharing occasions with family and friends is a strong bond and results in lasting memories.  Here's hoping that Entertaining in Dallas, the ultimate sourc adds to those occasions. You might check out our home page to find our raison d'être.  We want to be the reliable source for all that Dallas has to offer in the area of entertaining -- from all the ingredients for the modes, family Easter brunch with the family to the lavish birthday bash.

Now, to get started, we want to progress through the steps of entertaining.  This is planned to get the ideas rolling, and, of course, we want you to get in touch with us with your ideas as well.

There are those who sparkle with idea of entertaining.  Give them an excuse, a birthday luncheon for a friend, cocktails for a new neighbor, a large Christmas open house for all their family and friends -- and their friends' children as well.  Images of table settings and menus immediately come to mind.  What will the invitation look like – hand-written, telephoned or extravagant, like the latest letterpress invitations now available from Bell'Invito at Nest in Snider Plaza or Missing Q Press, or the exquisite paper by The Printery now available at Madison in Highland Park Village.  We have a great list of other Invitation Sources.  The mere thought of entertaining makes the party enthusiast look at the calendar and start making lists.  Out come the cookbooks while searching for recipes not yet tried, or a quick tour of the take-out shops.  And, perhaps a friend would like to share giving the party.

For others, and that may be the majority of us, we need some inspiration to undertake the small dinner party or luncheon at home.  The menus in your repertoire have been shared with all your friends.  The same dinner service comes out each time.  The same centerpiece vase holds the flowers of the season.  This is the time to buy a new cookbook and review the upcoming classes at Central Market and Milestone Culinary Center.  Sur la Tablehas a full schedule as well, and  Williams Sonoma has joined the class scene with March technique classes and a New Cookbook Series at the NorthPark store.

The more advanced home chef might want to look into classes by super chefs Avner Samuel at Aurora, Kent Rathbun at Abacus or Stephen Pyles at his namesake restaurant, Stephen Pyles.  Scott Gottlich has just announced an hors d'oeuvre class at Bijoux.  It never ceases to amaze that a few new techniques and some confidence in trying a new recipe will turn a hesitant hostess into a confident one

The American Institute of Wine and Food runs some of the city's best classes in conjunction with the Friends of the Farmers Market at a demonstration kitchen at the Farmers Market.  On the several-week Saturday class list are the city's best chefs.  It is definitely worth looking into and the cost will not break the bank.   Also impressive, going up the home chef scale, are the multi-hour classes at El Centro in conjunction with Milestone Culinary Center.  Their classes range from sauces to pastry making. Even the mere mention of taking one of the aforementioned classes should certainly impress your friends!

The enthusiastic hostess gets excited at the arrival of the new month’s food magazines.  While we are still mourning the loss of Gourmet Magazine, there are the others we receive monthly, such as Food and Wine and Bon Appétit, although they will never replace Gourmet in our hearts.  To compensate for receiving one fewer food magazine, we might go back to Savoir.  There are many new ones on the magazine racks worth exploring as well.

We find that cookbooks are another great way to get moving on entertaining. We eagerly seek out the newest, acclaimed cookbooks to add to the library.  With so many on the market, we now research and purchase more prudently.  But, every cookbook library needs to have the culinary classics, both for reference and for assurance of outcome.  Check out our Cookbook Sources.  We think we have covered many of the time-tested favorites and library essentials.  Even before the book and movie Julie and Julia, every kitchen needed Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  We are so happy to find it back on the cookbook bestseller list.  Our recent favorite is the second cookbook by the Lee Brothers who, incidentally, have strong Dallas ties.  Perhaps they are the present day heirs to Edna Lewis, long considered the doyenne of Southern Cooking.  Our recommended list is long, but we encourage you to review it, both to consider establishing or adding to your cookbook library.  Just to mention a few, we could not live without staples such as James Beard, Martha Stewart, Ina Garten and Daniel Boulud.  With a passion for desserts, we have listed two new cookbooks below that are new on the scene and worth adding to the library or giving as gifts.

On the subject of books to inspire entertaining (and perhaps for the more visual among us), the hostess should  consider the library acquisitions of tabletop books, such as Kim Schlegal Whitman’s Tablescapes: Setting the Table with Style, Carolyne Roehm's A Passion for Parties or one of William Yeoward's books.   On one hand, their books make us want to start all over with new china, linens and glassware.  On the other hand, their books inspire us to experiment with new ideas for setting the table or buffet with updated style, sometimes by using mixtures of what we already own.  But let’s save those topics for next time, since we have so many wonderful Dallas sources to look for inspiration and for creative tableware.

Our site will be a great reference tool for those who entertain or aspire to entertain with more panache.

Indulge us! Sign up for our monthly newsletter to keep you up to date on entertaining, as well as what goes on and can be found in Dallas and surrounding areas.

Contact us with your ideas and scoops on the latest sources.