KA: What was the inspiration behind “Handmade Gatherings”? Did this have more to do with throwing your own parties or with being a lucky attendee at other people’s soirees?

KA: Tell me about a handmade gathering, for which you were the host or a guest, that changed you in some way, for better or worse.  This could be something subtle (Whoa! I never thought to serve chili out of a pumpkin!) or, you know, an earth-shattering epiphany (I witnessed a Handfasting ceremony and was moved to start my own coven).

KA: One thing that’s always impressed is your seemingly effortless way of creating community within the walls of your home. I always leave with a full belly, a warm heart, and a new friend.  What’s your secret?

A little gift for our readers! This recipe, perfect for serving, sharing or gifting is featured in”The Cookie Exchange” from the forthcoming book, “Handmade Gatherings“, by Ashley English.

The post Interview: Author Ashley English on Holiday Entertaining & Handmade Gatherings appeared first on EcoSalon.

Some hilarious, but still-appropriate vintage etiquette rules to improve your dinner parties.

Just how do you properly host a dinner party? There was a time when throwing a dinner party meant more than sending a mass text to your girlfriends, asking them to bring the wine and cheese. While casual is all well and good, who doesn’t want some serious dining etiquette once in awhile?

There are volumes of books written on the subject, but here are ten items of vintage etiquette that make for a perfect dinner party. Bon appetite!

1. Choose your guests wisely
“Be careful in selecting the guests for a dinner party. Remember that conversation will be the sole entertainment for several hours, and if your guests are not well chosen, your dinner, no matter how perfect or costly the viands, will prove a failure. The most agreeable dinners are those whose numbers will allow all the guests to join in a common conversation, and where the host has spirit and intelligence to take the lead, and start a new subject when the interest in the old one begins to flag.” – The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness, Florence Hartley, 1860

2. Don’t you dare invite people with a text message
Invitations to the company informal dinner are usually phoned or are given by word of mouth, and, of course, may be extended by informals or calling cards… The hostess always tenders the invitation. On occasion, for convenience’s sake, her husband may do so in her name, where close friends are concerned.” – Amy Vanderbilt, 1952

3. Never, ever break a dinner party engagement
“Dinner invitations must be answered immediately; engraved or written ones by return post, or those which were telephoned, by telephone and at once! Also, nothing but serious illness or death or an utterly unavoidable accident can excuse the breaking of a dinner engagement.” – Etiquette, Emily Post, 1922

4. Preparing your table is as important as your food
“The hostess should give as much time and thought to the preparation and arrangement of the table, as she does to the planning of the menu. She will find that her guests will appreciate novel lighting effects, surprising color tones, unusual serving innovations. And she will find that a correctly laid table will add surprisingly to the entire success of her dinner party.” – Today’s Etiquette Volume 2, Lillian Eichler, 1922

5. Before dinner starts, try your best to be interesting
“As the time just before dinner is very apt to be tiresome, you should bring forward all the armor against stupidity that you possess. Display upon tables arranged conveniently about the room, curiosities, handsome books, photographs, engravings, stereoscopes, medallions, any works of art you may own, and have the ottomans, sofas, and chairs so placed that your guests can move easily about the room, or rooms.” – The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness, Florence Hartley, 1860

6. Make simple food and make it well
“…that your dinner should be of the very best your means will afford; a good plain dinner without pretension, if your income is small, every delicacy of the culinary art, and the wine of the very best if you are blessed with much money. With these three necessities, the hostess may eat her dinner in comfort, secure in the knowledge that the verdict of her guests will be in her favour.” – Lady Constance Howard, 1895

7. Don’t ever test out a new dish for a dinner party
“Typical dinner-party dishes are invariably the temptation no less than the downfall of ambitious ignorance. Never let an inexperienced cook attempt a new dish for company, no matter how attractive her description of it may sound. Try it yourself, or when you are having family or most intimate friends who will understand if it turns out all wrong that it is a “trial” dish.” – Etiquette, Emily Post, 1922

8. Cook seasonally
The Season, naturally, must be considered in planning dinner for guests. Availability of produce and meats, too, is a factor, as is the seasonableness of the weather. Foods with rich sauces are less appetizing in hot weather. In winter a main dish en gelee would seem unsubstantial. – Amy Vanderbilt, 1952

9. Soup should be the first course and you should eat it properly
“Soup is always served for the first course, and it should be eaten with dessert spoons, and taken from the sides, not the tips of them, without any sounds of the lips, and not sucked into the mouth audibly from the ends of the spoon.” – Victorian cookbook, 1890

10. As a guest, don’t insult the food
“Men and women of cultivation rarely make comments on food except to praise. It is better to accept a little of each course on one’s place and eat a bit of it although one does not particularly care for it, than to refuse it entirely.” Today’s Etiquette Volume 2, Lillian Eichler, 1922

Related on EcoSalon:

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Image: Karen

The post 10 Dinner Party Etiquette Rules, Vintage Style appeared first on EcoSalon.

Six years and 194 dinner parties with meals from around the world to help relieve the global hunger crisis.

A dinner party is more than an excuse to eat a few exotic dishes: it’s a reason to be with other people, engage in a lively conversation, and maybe even learn something. Sometimes it’s even a chance to celebrate a cause, or solve a global issue like hunger.

That’s the idea behind United Noshes, a six-year project aimed to cook a feast from every United Nations member country (in alphabetical order). That makes for a total of 194 meals (there are 193 UN members, plus two non-observing members, Holy See (Vatican City) and Palestine, and Holy See will get wrapped in as appetizers before the Honduras meal). The two women behind the project, Laura Hadden and Jesse Friedman, are estimating that to make that many meals will take about 6 years, finishing towards the beginning of 2017.

What makes United Noshes special is two things: First, they put an emphasis on local community as much as they do global. For the United Noshes team, cooking from around the world is not just a way to explore new foods, but a way of bringing people together. They invite new friends and old, and you can sign up for their newsletter to learn about upcoming dinners. Second, they use the meals as a way to raise money for World Food Program USA – as of December 2012, they raised over $12,000.

The United Noshes blog is an exploration of not only different foods, but also a geography lesson, giving you a look into even the smallest of countries. As James Michener once said, “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” Food is an avenue for exploring cultures, and fortunately the United Noshes team is providing people with the opportunity to do that even when they are at home.

Kitchen tables are the place for us to connect, and what better way than learning about the culinary culture of new countries and taking part in something that benefits others that are not so lucky to have access to elaborate meals?

Image: Daniel E. Lee

The post Solving World Hunger with Dinner Parties: Meet United Noshes appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnFrom recipes to love, Ask Foodie Underground has the answer.

Dear Foodie Underground,

Are dietary restrictions a right or a privilege?

When you disconnect that IV (irrevocably vegan) drip and venture into someone else’s dinner party, should you ask or expect your frantic host to accommodate your dietary demands?

Is it the host’s responsibility to prepare an extra buffet table to deal with your antipathy for meat, cheese and wheat stalks? Or are you obliged to give your dietary mandates the night off?

I am eagerly awaiting your answer, if not the next bowl of edamame.

Hip Deep in Hummus

Dear Hip Deep in Hummus,

Dietary demands are a touchy subject, but with a little social finesse you should be able to wow any guest at your next dinner party. These days, it is in fact the host’s obligation to check in on dietary restrictions. You don’t want anyone passing out at the table because they’re allergic to peanuts and your chocolate mousse was sprinkled with them, now would you?

People are allowed to eat as they choose, whether or not what they’re eliminating from their diet will actually have a negative effect on them. It’s not up to you to determine what makes them feel good.

That being said, if you’re hosting and your specialty involves a hefty dose of dairy, gluten and carnivorous delights, make it. Extra buffet table? No. But be sure you have at least one dish that satisfies a variety of dietary restrictions; it will push your culinary limits after all, and you might find yourself concocting a recipe you soon can’t live without.

And a word to the wise: Eat what you want, but if you’re the kind of company that is off nightshades and eggs, but you don’t offer to bring your own dish so that your gracious host doesn’t have to go out of their way to cook for you, you can expect them to start befriending some new dinner guests.

With love and sea salt,

Foodie Underground

***

Dear Foodie Underground,

I like to pretend that I love quinoa as much as the next person but really all I want is hot wings.

How do I make delicious hot wings but present them as “foodie couture”? How would I incorporate a mason jar so that I can do the whole country chic thing?

Thanks,
From Me and America

Dear From Me and America,

I appreciate your nationalistic attitude, it’s important to celebrate local food tradition after all! And who says wings and foodie couture can’t go together? There’s a reason Pok Pok opened up a New York City location after all. All you need to do in order to feel no shame bringing your wings to a foodie party is to put an edgy flavor in your glaze: cardamom, fish sauce, sesame seeds… the options are endless.

And while you’re at it, go ahead and serve them in a mason jar. Just make sure there is a layer of herbs that accompanies the flavor of the wings lining the bottom. The last thing you want to do is make something that isn’t food porn worthy. You might just start a new food trend that even Paula Deen can get behind.

With love and sea salt,

Foodie Underground

Have a question? Send it to Ask Foodie Underground. Email food [at]ecosalon[dot]com with any and all food questions. The more complicated the question, the better, and we won’t say that we can be bribed, but if it comes with a food porn attachment or a recipe, you just might get a response a little quicker than you think.

The post Ask Foodie Underground: Dinner Party Etiquette and Foodie Couture Wings appeared first on EcoSalon.

So, what’s on the menu? Now that the chaos of the traditional November feast is but a faint memory, is your menu already lined with dishes fit for a photograph and waiting to flirt with your palate? Admittedly, it may be a little too soon (do you still have leftovers lingering in the fridge?) to write the menu for your next gathering, but the following will give you one more thing (resource) to be grateful for.

What Katie Ate is a blog chronicling the culinary adventures of food stylist and photographer Katie Quinn Davies. Now, I realize that recreating the delicious recipes sprinkled around her blog will undoubtedly not be quite as poetically photogenic, but your taste buds will be just as pleased (you can always eat with your eyes closed).

Ms. Davies’ blog is undeniably one of the most aesthetically lovely places of online real estate, yet it’s laced with pragmatic recipes and confections that allow you to get knee deep in ingredients, baking, and sautéing. What Katie Ate is located in Australia, so there is a touch of the southern hemisphere in her foodie addiction.

Next time you need to consult a cookbook for recipes, peruse the pages of What Katie Ate.

So, what’s on the menu?

(All images by Katie Quinn Davies from What Katie Ate.)

The post What’s On the Menu? appeared first on EcoSalon.

As the evenings get longer and warmer, start thinking about planning spring and summer dinner parties that offer food for thought. Prepping an organic, locally sourced feast is a great way to get your dinner guests to enjoy a sustainable meal, but it’s also a green conversation starter, sparking lots of talk about food politics, green agricultural practices and even just the joy of food shopping at farmers market.

Pair your food with an equally conscious list of dinner party amenities. We’ve rounded up a few key items that will help you and your guests give back while enjoying each others’ company.

Wine

For those who enjoying sipping delicious, complex grape, having a few good bottles of wine on hand is a bonus for any successful dinner soiree, and Cellar Thief provides an excellent resource for finding the perfect bottle of vino while at the same time helping to bring clean water to those in need. For every bottle of wine sold, Cellar Thief works with charity : water to donate 100 days’ worth of clean water, and because they’re selling wines at a steal of a price, when there are only five cases left of a certain wine, if a customer buys all of them they’ll donate an additional 500 days’ worth of clean drinking water.

Need some help creating a menu based around your wines? Check out our 10 Green Wine and Food Pairings guide.

Plates and Glasses

Once you’ve planned the menu, you’ll need something to serve the food on and pour the drinks into. If you’re in need of a new table setting, Plates with Purpose is a creative option. The company produces a series of custom designed plates each representing a non-profit to which a percent of proceeds are donated. For drinks, you can go the recycled glass route. Green Glass Company has a variety of options that will not only give your table a distinct look, but also make for great parting gifts for your guests.

Dessert

Fresh fruit is always a simple, yet delicious option for dessert, especially when paired with a good dark chocolate. The staple of many chocolate lovers, Endangered Species Chocolate comes in a variety of milk and dark varieties and 10% of net profits are donated to support species, habitat and humanity.

Light

To maintain a romantic and inviting dinner party ambiance, lit candles are a must. But for the eco-friendly dinner party, avoid traditional candles made from paraffin, which is made from petroleum and releases harmful carcinogens when burned. Instead, choose beeswax or soy candles to light your table.

Beeswax is a completely renewable resource, and supporting smaller producers of beeswax candles also means that you’re helping the threatened bee population. Bluecorn Naturals sells both beeswax and soy candles, and at Candle Bee Farm you can purchase a variety of beeswax candles from a company that donates a percent of sales to non-profits, benefiting children and a variety of nature and wildlife causes.

Happy entertaining!

Photo Credits: The Arches, Derek Garvey, Green Glass Company, vegan feast, ItzaFineDay

The post Planning a Spring Dinner Party That Gives Back appeared first on EcoSalon.