EVENT PLANNING BOOKS

It’s wildflower touring time; so, pack a picnic. Wraps are easy and can be colorful. Multi-flavored tortillas rolled up with greens and deli meat are festive. Rice paper spring rolls are perfect as each encases fresh boiled shrimp and julienned vegetables. Classic croissants with chicken salad or salmon salad are a treat, also. For a grand picnic design, split mini-watermelons in half and hull out the fruit. Fill each melon with a scoop each of Chicken Salad, Salmon Salad, Crab Salad and Potato Salad. It’s a stunning presentation, completely compact, while being incredibly delicious! The springtime flowers are in full-bloom grandeur and your special outing should mark the occasion, too. © Kelly McBride Loft

I remember my mother having friends over for coffee; thus, coffee cake. My daughter recalls my friends gathering for classical music afternoon tea; thus, scones and lemon curd. This generation of 20 to 30-year-olds are challenged for gathering and bonding time. There is also a conflict from the strong emphasis on individuality with electronic media. So, where is the next trend to bond and interact with friends? It’s the office language club. Need to brush-up and polish your French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese or other language? Start an office language club to utilize that interaction during lunchtime. These groups offer educational enhancement and recipe sharing to chat in the language of choice. Many of our office colleagues are multi-cultural; so, find the common ground by wanting to learn. It’s promotable – in more ways than one. Office language clubs need a little sustenance; so, try European candied orange fruit peels. Simply, julienne cut orange rinds. Simmer the rinds, until tender, in 1 cup of water and ¾ cup of sugar. Place the rinds on a paper towel. Then, in a double boiler melt a quality chocolate. Carefully dip the rinds in the chocolate and place the fruit candy on parchment paper. The whole peel can be coated or just the tips. It’s your choice for a delicious tidbit to enhance the intellectual camaraderie! © Kelly McBride Loft

Ireland’s majestic coastline is not only picturesque, it also provides the culinary splendor of seafood. So, why is Ireland known more for stews and hot, wholesome meals? The wintertime climate can chill to the bone. It may be spring; but, the northern latitudes are still cold in March. So, how does one go about making and delicious stew? It begins by reserving the broth from a pot roast and by refrigerating the broth if used the next day or by freezing that broth. Next, select some cubed choice beef and marinate that for at least 1 hour in some red vermouth. The third step is to start the stew in a large pot and use spring water, not tap water. Add the reserved pot roast broth to the water and a whole peeled onion. Add a bouquet garni of fresh herbs. Add peeled carrots, to simmer for 2 hours. Meanwhile, in a skillet, sear the marinated beef in a drizzle of onion and herb infused oil. Add the beef chunks to the carrots in the pot. I like to add a bell pepper, with the seeds removed, for flavoring. Within an hour of serving, add peeled new potatoes. (Optional stew additions are turnips, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water chestnuts, brussels sprouts, broccoli, corn, green beans, cornstarch or flour for thickening, etc.) Adjust the seasoning with salt and fresh ground pepper. Cook the stew until the vegetables are tender, but don’t let the vegetables become mushy from overcooking. It’s all about the timing. For St. Patrick’s, serve the stew over spinach green pasta! Irish Soda Bread is the perfect accompaniment. This stew will become a family favorite because it is delicious and because there is enough for everyone to have a bountiful gathering. © Kelly McBride Loft

Some call it spring fever; some call it hitting the reset button. We crave the need to have a different view, from enjoying nature. Maybe it is a one-day road trip or an extended navigation. Springtime beckons and we are better off by responding to the call. Excitement builds with road trip baskets. One large basket can accommodate a family or individual personalized ones make others feel special. It’s time to pack their favorite sandwiches and crudité. If you prefer or need a more compact space, brown bags are great. Recently, I was at the Istanbul airport, waiting for a plane. A gentleman sitting across from me carefully took out a single hardboiled egg from a brown paper bag. Never have I ever witnessed anyone enjoy biting into a plain boiled egg than this man. He savored each bite as though it was caviar. His brown bag snack made him most feel special and that it is the goal. For an easy travel snack, make your own granola cups with fresh Greek style yogurt in the bottom of plastic cups. Then, top that with a kaleidoscope of fresh berries and crumbled granola bars. Don’t forget the spoons and napkins…to take to the high road of creative culinary adventure! © Kelly McBride Loft

It’s February and the foliage and the birds think it’s springtime! Join in the fun of an archeological dig (spring cleaning) to unearth entertaining centerpieces. Oh, they are there. Those forgotten goodies. Something as simple as a crystal bowl that was your grandmother’s will make a delightful focal point with floating candles and flora. The rabbit collection can be dusted off and put out to showcase. Those bud vases that seem to land under the kitchen sink area are good to bring out to fill with fresh flowers. Over the winter season, my eyes thirst for vivid colorful spectrums. If you saved it through the years, utilize it. Recipes are like that, too. If you saved it, make those forgotten favorites again. This is one of those: Mom’s Gingerbread
½ cup of caster sugar; ½ cup of butter; 1 egg & 1 cup of molasses (mix)
1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; ½ teaspoon ground cloves; ½ teaspoon salt; about 2 ½ cups of flour & 1 cup of warm water (mix well)
Add to the mix, 1 cup of finely chopped canned peeled pears. Bake in a greased pan at 350° for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check with a pick to make sure the cake is cooked thoroughly. It really is good! © Kelly McBride Loft

There is an old Chinese proverb: “Make those happy near you and those who are far will come.” Oh, those wonderful pearls of wisdom. So, how does one make others happy at the dining table? This is done by creating delightful cuisine and by establishing bonding relationships. Themes are passage ways to creating bonding relationships. I created a theme called “Pearls of Wisdom.” Simply put clean conch seashells between each guest and pre-make a strip of paper with the appropriated Pearl of Wisdom which is designed for each guest. (That would be two in each shell.) Fill the centerpiece with faux pearls and flowers and let the party begin. As the guests gather at the table, their party “favor” is the individual Pearl of Wisdom. They will pull out their special message and read it out loud. Their wisdom can be their favorite saying or insight. Their wisdom can be their recent advice or strength noticed for overcoming adversity. This event design truly has significant interaction and provides the gift of admiration for each guest without a lot of expense. Another theme that I have created is called the “Who Done It Tempest Brew.” In a clean teapot, collect anecdotes of a fun fact about each guest that the others don’t know. As examples, this could be “Once worked in an airplane factory”; “Once canoed down the Mississippi River”; “Once saved another’s life”; “Once rescued injured ducks for rehabilitation”; or “Once studied to be an astronaut.” Write the individual eclectic tidbits on small pieces of paper and fill the teapot. Pass the teapot around the table and let each guest pull out a biographical insight. The guests take turns reading what they pulled out of the teapot. The fun is that the guests guess who did that interesting task or moment. Talk about an “ice breaker” amongst people who have never met. It significantly opens up conservation through the entire dining experience. Entertaining is interactive and intuitive. For the most impacting and memorable dinner parties set the stage for guests to get to know each other. © Kelly McBride Loft

From prose to poetry, many writers pen the thoughts of romantic endearments. There are many ways to show romanticism, which include dining and entertaining moments. Candlelight, music, and linen color combinations set the tone. The meal should be tantalizing and not a grilled cheese sandwich. The food plating should be thoughtful and not messy. The dessert course offers opportunities for messaging that are perfect for Valentine dining. With all of the detailing, take some pressure off yourself by creating a stunning raspberry sauce for your dessert selection. Simply meltdown, in a sauce pan, a jar of raspberry jam. Sieve the mixture through a mesh sieve to yield a stunning red raspberry sauce. This can be done in advance to save on kitchen time.  To make a heart design in the sauce, drop a small dollop round of cream onto the plated sauce. With the backside of a knife blade, quick-stork a line through the cream. It’s sweetheart dessert time! Happy Valentine’s Day! © Kelly McBride Loft

So, you volunteered to be the family coordinator for the family reunion. It’s time for some creativity and motivation. There are the usual reunions in which the family rents a beach house or lake house. There are the reunions in which the family meets at a destination. Those are substantial concepts; however, try a concept that will last more than just a lifetime. Have the best family cooks cook the generational recipes while on video. Let the youngsters bake cookies and tell the family story through your own kitchen. Offer event favors of a corresponding family recipe books. The experience will be heartwarming and special! Joy to those leaders who volunteer and can create a clear organizational path! Enjoy my great-grandmother’s candy recipe. It’s generational because it tastes so good. © Kelly McBride Loft
“Momma’s” Candy
In a substantial, heavy pot heat: 1 cup of sugar 1 cup of milk 1 tablespoon of light syrup
Cook until the mixture reaches the “hard ball” stage (150° to 200°). Then, set the pot in a low level of cold water and beat, by hand, very vigorously for 5 minutes. Add chopped pecans. Pour this into a buttered dish. Refrigerate. In a about 1 hour, the mixture turns to candy and can be cut into squares. © Kelly McBride Loft

The Super Bowl is here and the competition begins. Yes, the battle-tested teams will match up in gladiatorial grandeur but there exists the home match-ups of those who revere football and those who are just OK with it. There is common ground. Everyone loves good food. So, go for the meat of it. Try my authentic Italian meatball recipe for touchdown entertainment, which I learned in a visit to Rome. Why meatballs? Homemade meatballs can be made in advance and frozen for stress-free entertaining. Meatballs can be sliced to top pizza (I also add toppings of goat cheese and sautéed green peppers). Meatballs are a classic dish with Marinara and Alfredo sauces. Try meatballs in sandwiches and meatballs to make Greek gyros for family favorites. Meatballs, when formed smaller, are perfect in a Kebab, as hors d’oeuvre lollipops or as an arrival hors d’oeuvre with Stroganoff sauce, served in a chafing dish. How does one make these little delightful spheres of protein? The secret to a good meatball is first-quality ground meat. Second, make fresh homemade breadcrumbs from toasted hamburger buns that are run through the food processor. So, to 1 lb. of ground meat add kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, fresh chopped Italian herbs, 1 to 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 eggs. With plastic gloves on, mash all of these ingredients together. Then, add about 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs and about ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese. Mix well and roll into evenly sized balls. Don’t press the ball too tight but find the balance between tough and falling apart. Fry the meatballs until cooked. Freeze the meatballs, as needed. But if once the aroma reaches your family or guests there may not be any left to freeze…Cheer the cooks to victory with bite-size favorites! © Kelly McBride Loft

The Chinese New Year begins on Saturday, January 28. Asian communities throughout the world will be celebrating with major festivities and looking forward to the year of the rooster. Even Las Vegas participates in significant event designs, too, with extravagant floral displays in the lobbies of the major hotels. These stellar colorful designs draw thousands of visitors to the dramatic displays. So, it is safe to note that millions around the world are aware of the annual traditions of this happy, fun seasonal occurrence. As an event designer and since I have many Asian friends, it is fun to have them over to dinner during this time of year. Since this is the year of the rooster, my dinner theme is, “We all have something to crow about.” Chop sticks on rooster ceramic props highlight the table. My menu is more contemporary than many traditional Chinese New Year menus. It features arrival hors d’oeuvres with seared sea scallops in plum sauce. The first course is a mixed micro-green salad with soy dressing (made from equal parts of soy sauce and marmalade). The main course is stir-fried chicken with cashews, squash, snow peas, fresh bean sprouts and Oriental baby corn. Dessert is rice pudding with brandied cherries. Jasmine tea is a classic, although there are many fine Chinese teas, such as monkey-picked oolong. Happy New Year, Asian-style, which offers us the opportunity to celebrate with many Asian cultures that offer a vast variety of cuisines. © Kelly McBride Loft

Football is the focus and so is good snack food. For an interesting twist try serving chili con queso in hulled-out bell pepper vessels. It gives guests the opportunity to have their own for movement and prevents double dipping… Also, fish tacos are less common than traditional tacos. So add some excitement and try my salmon fish tacos for a winning recipe. © Kelly McBride Loft
Kelly’s Salmon Tacos
(The fresh salmon can be cooked the night before.) Prepare a baking dish with non-stick spray. Place 4 orange slices in the bottom of the dish. Remove the skin of 2 lbs. of fresh salmon. Rinse the fish (to completely remove any fish scales) and place it in a baking dish on top of the oranges that has been prepared. Pour 1 cup of cranberry juice into the bottom the dish with 6 tabs of butter. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the salmon. Then, lightly coat the fish with a good olive oil and lightly sprinkle kosher salt on top. Rosemary herbs are good on top of the fish but it is not necessary. Bake covered at 350° for 30 to 45 minutes until the fish is cooked. Refrigerate as soon as possible, if cooking the night before. The Tacos: crumble the cooked fish. Prepare condiments of guacamole, shredded cabbage (with chopped dill) and sour cream. Serve the salmon tacos with crunchy or soft corn tacos. It really is delicious! © Kelly McBride Loft

Some of my friends tell me that they don’t have time to cook. Cooking is necessary, wholesome, and fun. It also saves funds. A large meal can be re-invented which allows that meal to become two or even three meals. It just takes some planning and the willfulness to try it. Baked ham can be very versatile. It can also be boring or fantastic. My secret to a good baked ham, yes, is the ham selection; however, the marinate is secret. Five days prior to baking the ham, soak a large package of prunes in brandy, until just covered and add 1 cup of water. Toss in a sealed container and keep refrigerated for the 5 days while tossing occasionally. Four to six hours prior to baking the ham, on the stove, make a rum raisin mixture. Heat 1 cup of water, 2 cups of dark rum, 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 large box of raisins. Cook the mixture until the raisins puff up. Pour the cooled-down mixture over the pre-cooked ham in its baking dish. Bake the ham with the rum raisin sauce. Add the marinated prunes to the bottom of the dish and top the ham with brown sugar. I like to add some cinnamon sticks to the pan mixture, too. It’s a glistening delight and can feed the crowd or allows for left overs. Left over ham works well for ham sandwiches, diced ham omelets, ham with home-cooked beans, ham fricassee, and much more. Stretch the meal and stretch your funds. It is a great way to start the new year. © Kelly McBride Loft

Kitchen creativity is inspirational. It becomes uniquely your design and it brings smiles to your friends and family. What a great way to start the year. I decided to bake some apples to accompany our traditional ham dinner on New Year’s day. When I sent the pics to my friends, they all asked for the recipe. Enjoy! © Kelly McBride Loft
Kelly’s Brandied Baked Apples
The secret to baking apples is to use Red Delicious apples and to core the apples correctly. It is important to remove the center core, seeds and seed structure WITHOUT BREAKING THROUGH THE SKIN OF THE APPLE. The reason is that the cored apples serve as vessels for the flavorings. If you poke a hole in the skin, the liquid leaks out. The other thing that I do is to take my smallest hors d’oeuvre fork with the shortest prongs and puncture the inside of the apple without breaking the outside skin. This allows the flavoring to penetrate the fruit of the apple. The apples will need to sit upright in a heat proof baking dish. When the apples are cored, fill each cavity with Brandy. Let that sit for about 3 minutes so that the liquor penetrates the apple. Then, push a tablespoon of butter into each core and on top of that pack as much brown sugar that each apple will hold. Drizzle some Brandy on top of that. Pour about a half inch level of Brandy into the heat proof dish. Add a cinnamon stick, per apple, into that Brandy so that the cinnamon sticks float on the sides of the apples. Bake the apples, uncovered, for 1 hour at 375 ̊. Just before serving, set the cinnamon sticks on top of each apple. If any of the core liquid has drained out, refill the core with the Brandy in the dish. Happy New Year! © Kelly McBride Loft

Christmastime helps us to embrace our beliefs and our family. Our dining tables become the focal point for an opening blessing and sharing sustenance. From elaborate culinary design to simple home basics, the style is not as important as the message – made with love. My best tip is to only take on what you can masterfully handle for Christmas dinner. That could mean delegating to other family members by having them prepare some of the food or simplifying the menu because the meal is only good if all enjoy the occasion. Too many times, I have seen exhausted cooks miss the moment because the menu was too ambitious. So, plan ahead and pace yourself. It is an impacting season with lots of momentum. Try something as simple as boiled potato medallions, stacked with a sprig of rosemary in the top. It is easy and decorative. The rosemary resembles Christmas evergreens and adds a beautiful touch with little effort. May your holiday table be blessed with many loving friends and family! Merry Christmas! © Kelly McBride Loft

For those who seek the sun, Christmas on the beach is just as much fun as celebrating with mounds of snow. It’s a treat to hang seashells on the tree. There are some shifts to consider with the cuisine. Trade the Beef Wellington for Gumbo and pull on the rubber boots instead of snow boots. It’s a good idea to keep the brunch going through late lunchtime.  Buffet-style dining fits the priority for shell searching and a laid-back sand in the toes mindset while the sun is out.  When the evening arrives, a crab boil is festive. I don’t recommend newspaper as a tablecloth; after all it is Christmas. My recommendation is to purchase some Alaskan king crab legs that are still frozen.  Many people pour on the crab boil seasoning; but, I do not. When you have delicate, beautiful crabmeat, you should have a more mellow seasoning to be able to actually tasted the crab. I use a bottle of lemon tarragon vinaigrette poured directly into the water in the crab pot. Cook the crab thoroughly. Serving the crab is a matter of choice. For special occasions, I remove the crabmeat from the shell for the guests. Crabmeat can be served in individual serving bowls for a lovely presentation. Crabmeat also makes a wonderful salad. Follow your favorite crab creation with a course of rum raisin ice cream with rum cake! It’s a beach-goer’s paradise…© Kelly McBride Loft
Kelly’s Alaskan King Crab Salad
Boil a pound per person of the Alaskan king crab legs. Remove the crab from the shell. Chop the crab and place it in a mixing bowl.  Add a dash of fresh lemon juice on the crab and toss. Add chopped fresh dill and basil. Add chopped celery and finely diced tomatoes that have be squeeze to pre-release the liquid. Season with celery salt. Add a dollop of sour cream, at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Serve very chilled. This divine mixture can be shaped into molds, served with caviar and blinis or offered as dip with crackers. Enjoy! © Kelly McBride Loft