Whether it’s a table for 2 or a soiree for 20, chances are that you will be entertaining this holiday season. When it comes to entertaining ideas, I often head over to Crate and Barrel for a bit of entertaining inspiration (and, often tend to walk out of there with some cute new dishes, etc. for photographing here on the blog. Go figure!). Here are some entertaining ideas that might put you in the holiday mood this season.
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Forget the store-bought version – Homemade Adobo Seasoning is so easy to make and adds a delicious spice to your favorite recipes!
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I don’t know what kicked off my long term love affair with adobo seasoning – but I can assure you that ever since I started cooking, my pantry has never been without a jar of it. I often use it in many dishes much like my beloved Aleppo Chili Pepper and Smoked Paprika but those are confessions for another day.
I remember when I first learned to cook, one of the best pieces of advice I got from my friends Maria and Milly were “Don’t forget the Adobo” and I couldn’t believe how much flavor this little spice blend brought to my dishes, especially my Arroz con Pollo. Recently, I was leafing through Ingrid Hoffmann’s cookbook
Earlier this week, both Jen from One Curly Fry and I attended Philadelphia’s Inaugural “Festival of Trees” at XIX and the one and only Daisy Martinez was in attendance to auction fabulously decorated holiday trees to benefit the Philadelphia Orchestra. I have to say, these trees were so gorgeous, even my fave designer, Colin Cowie, would have been pleased. Talk about getting one into the holiday spirit. I will post more on the event after the holiday but I wanted to leave you with a little holiday “cocktail” courtesy of La Daisy from her latest book, Daisy’s Holiday Cooking: Delicious Latin Recipes for Effortless Entertaining
Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
What a day today! King of Prussia’s Williams-Sonoma hosted Bakerella‘s book-signing today and what a great success that was (plus, added bonus, in attendance was Leslie of And Her Little Dog Too and I always love catchin’ up with her!) Tomorrow, Jenn of The Leftover Queen comes to town and add to that, it’s the start of a very busy holiday season. And, as if I’m NOT busy enough, I have some changes in store for Cooking In Stilettos so, yup, you guessed it, there is a lot going on in Lys’ world at the moment. Let’s take a quick moment and look at a few lovelies that made this week’s Fab Friday…
1. Can Mother Nature make up her mind – one day its 42 degrees and the next, it’s 65 degrees. Talk about confusing a gal. So, with the warm weather today, my mind turns to spring. Just in time, Gucci came out with their cruise collection and, besides the name bringing me back to a certain cruise where I racked up a killer cell bill talking to/texting BR from the Bahamas with Meowmix and crew, I made a conscious decision that these new Gucci Sofia Patent Leather Straw Wedges in Nude MUST be in my closet for spring… No ifs, ands or buts about it.
2. It’s no secret that my absolute favorite color is teal (or variations of it). It’s been like that since I went to Vegas many moons ago with Meowmix on vacay and, while wandering through a gift shop in the MGM, I discovered a gorgeous candle that was the most perfect shade of teal. One of my “goals” is to transition my kitchen into a teal, copper and brown wonderland and Williams-Sonoma’s new exclusive Le Creuset shade of Ocean fit the bill. Don’t get me wrong, I still adore Cassis and Caribbean and still have my red LC’s but mark my words, this Le Creuset Ocean 4 1/4 Qt. Signature Deep Saute Pan will be in my kitchen by the holidays.
3. Colin Cowie hit another home run with his holiday tableware collection for HSN. These Brocade Martini Glasses are perfect for that gorgeous holiday cocktail or when you want to channel that “Mad Men” ambiance.
4. Daisy’s Holiday Cooking: Delicious Latin Recipes for Effortless Entertaining
5. With the holidays approaching, a trip has to be made to the Italian Market for me to stock up on goodies, gifts and treats for family and friends. One of my fave spots to grab a latte, people watch and enjoy a chocolate baci is Anthony’s Italian Coffee House & Chocolate House. They are pretty much almost right next to each other and the people that work there are so helpful. So, when you are wandering through the Italian Market and need to get out of the cold and wind, Anthony’s immense coffee selection will warm you right up!
You can always tell when the holidays are fast approaching because there is a whole treasure trove of cookbooks slated for release. Between Claire Robinson
However, I have to say, in terms of priority Nigella Lawson’s new cookbook, “KITCHEN” is on my pre-order list. It’s slated for release on October 12, 2010 and I’m guessing between her cookbook and Ina Garten’s, those will be two of the most gifted for the holiday season.
What new cookbooks are you looking forward to checking out?
