EVENT PLANNING BOOKS

Midsummer traditionally pays tributes the writings of Shakespeare. I think it is a perfect time to catch up with the writing of special notes to dear friends and family. During December, quick notes are just that – quick notes. Some photocopy letters for multi-coverage. That works to touch base but when was the last time that you sat down to write a kind note to a respected friend or cherished relative? The midsummer and long summer evenings have extra daylight for just such thoughts. For more writing time, summer croissants allow for quick preparation with chilled fillings. Be it fillings of chicken salad; turkey salad; ham salad or avocado salad, all offer creative freshness. Avocados are classified as a fruit because the single seed is considered a “berry.” There are over 80 varieties of avocados. Consider the varieties of Pinkerton, Reed, Hass, Lamb Hass, Gwen or Fuerte for flavor exploration. Try my avocado croissant filling while writing to treasured friends during the bright light of summer and enjoy the “write” side of life. Kelly McBride Loft

Avocado Croissant Filling

For each ripe avocado (mashed), add ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and 1 medium diced tomato. Be sure to hand squeeze the diced tomato to remove most of the juice before adding it to the mixture.

Cover the avocado filling with plastic wrap that is pressed against the filling to keep the delicious filling from turning brown until ready to serve. Spoon the avocado mixture onto split croissants for a delightful experience.

Generations of lovely sugar bowls have held sweetness within each of the vessels while being passed to sprinkle joy from our hearts. What a thoughtful design to have two handles to pass amongst guests. Some sugar bowls have lids and some designs only offer the bowl. But alas, sugar bowls have changed very little over the centuries. Our sweeteners have changed. We may still enjoy sugar cubes, caster sugar, brown sugar and designer sugar. Frequently, our tables feature sugar substitutes consisting of saccharine, dextrose, sucralose and more recently stevia. The sugar substitutes are essential for some dietary concerns; however, the sugar bowl remains steadfast offering its generous portions. Should the sugar bowls shrink since the sugar substitutes require less substance? I think not. I recommend that we merely utilize smaller spoons to portion out the flavor enhancement such as collector spoons. I like to pass my heirloom mementos around the table that honor the sweet prelude to sweeten the conversation. Just please, don’t pass the sweetener in the tiny paper envelopes. I will pass on that…Kelly McBride Loft
Enjoy summer’s sweetness with classic pralines!

Pralines

1½ cups sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed firm
½ cup whole milk
¾ stick of butter
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
1½ cups pecans
Combine all the ingredients, holding the pecans until last.
Bring to 240˚F (soft ball stage). The mixture should bubble until it foams slightly. Add the pecans. Remove from the heat. Beat the mixture about 1 minute. Spoon out the mixture on buttered wax paper into individual portions.

Delightful summer moments include an outdoor concert picnic. It is a relaxing time to brush up on the classics or popular music repertoires. Many universal musical terms are in Italian. Just as I learned French, I found it was easier to recall the language as it relates to cooking. These terms are utilized in music and these terms can be used to describe stirring from slow to vigorous.

adagio – slowly
allegretto – semi-fast
prestissimo – very fast
appassionata – with passion

Try the technique in conjunction with a hands-on stirring motion and it will help the recall of the musical terminology. I recommend stirring up a chilled cheese dish to indulge in a complete European connection. Don’t forget to pack the opera glasses for an evening filled with Bravo and accolades. Kelly McBride Loft

Mix:
6 oz. Camembert cheese
6 oz. Roquefort cheese
Fold in:
½ cup whipped cream
Add:
6 oz. Macadamia nuts

Serve chilled with a loaf of fresh bread.

Lollipops are not just for sweet-tooth pleasure. Lollipops enhance entertaining versatility as hors d’ oeuvres. Lobster lollipops are a summer favorite and lobster preparation is so easy. Some prefer to begin with lobster tails that are pre-frozen. The tails are to be boiled and the meat from the tails should be cut into medallion shapes. If the lobster is whole, put the lobster into seasoned boiling water head first. Cover and allow to cook for at least 20 minutes. Remove the lobster. I prefer to crack the tail with a butcher knife. Another technique is to cover the claws with a dishcloth and pound the cooked crustacean once or twice with a mallet. Remove the delicate meat, chill and set the medallions on long picks for lobster lollipops.

For more lollipop variations, goat cheese lollipops can be created by dipping spheres of goat cheese into paprika & fresh herbs. Place the goat cheese bites on long picks.

Grilled vegetable medallions also create interesting lollipops. Either pre-grill the vegetable medallions or serve the lollipops hot from the grille with non-wooden skewers attached. These are colorful and enhance summer cocktail parties.

Cooked beef, chicken, pork or shrimp also make interesting lollipop designs. It’s that tidbit of tasteful food that provides je ne sais quoi for unforgettable party beginnings and the freedom to mingle with summer’s mix of celebratory friends.

Graduations are celebratory and after all of the excitement graduates need to have something to ease the transition from before to after. Offer an After-Graduation Make-Over Party. Arrange for a hairstylist, make-up artist and nail professional to work during the event. Ask each attendee to bring a personal storyboard of their upcoming goals and ask the attendees to wear spa attire. Feature an etiquette instructor for whole-life skills and job interview techniques. During the job interview training, have the attendees share their personal story board.

With the completion of each makeover, instruct the attendees in modeling techniques and film the mini-fashion show. Host a tea tasting “journey” for beverage and entertainment. Just as some wines are identified by name from regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux or Champagne, many teas are indentified by regions of world. This can provide the basis for an extraordinary “journey.” Destination considerations are: Assam tea, Ceylon tea, Nepal tea, Turkish tea and traditional Navajo Nation tea for an inspiration to life’s journey:

A half-moon cup holds an inspiration
Like a stellar destination far away…
Yet so near to sip tea amongst friends who care
And share this quintessential journey today
© Kelly McBride Loft 2012

Ballet motions of arabesque to penchée demonstrate some of the keys to ballet’s longevity. The beautiful linear lines are stretched to the depth of one’s capability.

Ballet is not a lost art; rather, it is a vital cultural trifecta: classical composition, body control and musical synchronicity with both.

For 10 years, I worked as a volunteer with Alzheimer patients. When I played the piano, frequently, there was a response to music. Some even recalled how to dance. I personally feel that music and movement are essential to good mental and physical health. Call it the utilization of the senses or just the simplicity of aesthetic pleasantry – we can find joy in music and dance. So, when one sits through a ballet recital, know that there is more being preserved than just the art of dance. It is the preservation of the dancers’ well-being and that is a great reason to celebrate. Kelly McBride Loft

The celebration after a ballet recital should offer a fruitful selection. I recommend colorful and individualized servings of Peach Compote.

Peach Compote

Cook in a sauce pan:
Half a stick of butter
1/3 cup orange-flavored liqueur
1 cup blackberry jelly
Dash of cinnamon
6 Minced prunes
1 lb. of sliced and peeled peaches

Cook the sauce and the fruit until the fruit is tender. Add drained and pitted Bing cherries. Spoon the compote into individual serving dishes or glasses. Top the compote with a sprinkle of granola.

Mom will love a Mother’s Day theme that features a French outdoor cafe and the movie industry.

Once a year, the Cannes Film Festival is celebrated in the picturesque city of Cannes on the Mediterranean Sea. One can pose on the red carpet for personal paparazzi photos and leisurely stroll through the market lined streets. Sophisticated cafes and bistros line the boulevard to provide a taste and view of the sea with the French Riviera lifestyle.

One can stay in town to watch the locals play a game of boules or venture in-land up to the Medieval walled city of Saint-Paul-de-Vence to walk upon the centuries’ old cobblestones . Nearby, the perfumeries in Grasse, France offer an aesthetically pleasing experience of fragrance and Provence history. Provence is also known for its herbs. Nothing is as charming as a lovely French cafe to bask in the Mediterranean sun.

To create the Cannes Cafe du Mom theme for Mother’s Day, set up a cafe table with fresh flowers and a European lace tablecloth. Gifts of perfume and lavender will add to the Provence concept. Play background music from famous French films. Mom will feel most special when served Kelly’s Six Treasure Bouillabaisse.

Bouillabaisse originated in the Provence region of the Mediterranean Sea. Bouillabaisse is a hearty mariner’s soup which indulges one in the treasures from the sea. Serve it with crusty French bread and toast to “joie de vivre” – the joy of living with French Champagne. Kelly McBride Loft

Kelly’s Six Treasure Bouillabaisse

The day before serving, boil a whole chicken to make a thick broth. I recommend placing a onion in the chicken’s hollow section and placing fresh herbs in the spring water that surrounds the chicken. This can be done overnight in a crock pot. When the chicken is cooked thoroughly, be sure to strain the broth and quickly refrigerate the broth to ensure freshness.

The next day, skim the fat off of the refrigerated broth. The goal is to have at least 4 cups of broth . Pour a small amount of the chicken broth into a mixing bowl. Completely mix in 2 – 6 oz. cans of tomato paste. Once incorporated, add the tomato mixture to the remaining broth and heat all of the mixture in a stock pot on the stove. Cook uncovered by stirring to reduce the broth to a thick sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Adjust the seasoning with kosher salt, fresh pepper and herbes de Provence.

Meanwhile, wash and prepare the seafood. Lobster tails, crab claws, deveined shrimp, mussels, firm fish and pre-seared scallops (add last) are all good choices. Precook the washed seafood. Then, add the recently cooked seafood selections to chicken broth mixture.

Simmer and briefly cover the bouillabaisse to infuse all of the above ingredients in the broth. Serve the bouillabaisse hot and in large bowls. After dinner, continue the theme of the Cannes Cafe du Mom by showing favorite movies for a film festival. Happy Mother’s Day!

As the temperature outside increases, so does our desire to enjoy coastal pleasures. Sausalito in the San Francisco Bay Area offers such a nautical emersion. Enjoy a sailing vessel showcase while indulging in
maritime moments .
An afternoon in Sausalito satisfies the yearning for leisure, sport and dining pleasure. Art galleries, picturesque cafes and even the Muir Woods up the road expand this grand escape. Don’t be shy with the seafood specialties. Create an authentic sunset celebration by breaking sourdough bread and toasting to refreshingly simple seaside moments with a great Californian wine.

As a trained chef, I frequently find that cooks shy away from the simplicity of poaching fish. The popularity of grilling and frying can overpower and mask the natural flavors of sumptuous fish.

To enjoy the effortlessness of delicious poached fish, a stock pot with a stainless steel poaching tray is a culinary necessity.

I prefer to poach fish in chicken stock. Fill the space under the poaching tray with lemon slices, slices of bell pepper, fresh herbs, ¾ part chicken stock and ¼ part white wine. Fill the liquid to the edge of the poaching tray. Place the fish selection on the tray. I like to set a fresh sprig of rosemary on top of the fish. Cover and heat for about 20 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the fish. The fish should be flaky and cooked through.

The fish selection can be finished with choice of chopped herbs, beurre blanc sauce or a lemon butter sauce. Kelly McBride Loft

Arbor Day is April 26 and since I was a child, I have always thought that trees have personalities. As with people, I admit that I have my favorites. Some trees hold special memories such was my maternal grandmother’s peach trees. I was a proficient tree climber. My cousin was not. I used to have to push him to get his first footing onto the first limb. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized he was afraid of heights and I had no fear of going higher. My fraternal grandmother grew pear trees. Laura wouldn’t let me climb her trees but she let me pick the delightful fruit.

I loved the family togetherness as we gathered in the kitchen to can the fresh fruits. That sweet aroma of sugar syrup simmering will always bond those favorite memories. I recommend the exploration of different regions that offer the bounty of fruit groves. Travel to Traverse City, Michigan to find an abundance of cherries growing. Another fruitful region can be found by visiting the orange groves outside Lake Wales, Florida. Internationally, another delightful experience is to visit the lemon groves that surround Sorrento, Italy. The sweetest fruit is synonymous with the sweetest memories that can be encased in the Bring Spring Home Fruit Salad. Il se peut que tous les fruits le plus douces être le vôtre – May all the beautiful fruit be yours. Kelly McBride Loft

Bring Spring Home Fruit Salad

Prepare a crown mold.
Dissolve 2 pk. of unflavored gelatin in a little water. In a sauce pan, simmer 1 cup of orange juice and ¼ cup of sugar. Set aside.
In a bowl, mix ½ cup of sour cream and ½ cup of ricotta cheese well. Slowly add the orange juice mixture. Add 2 diced apples, 2 diced pears, 1 cup of drained, rinsed and quartered Bing cherries. Add 1 cup of whipped cream. Mix well. Pour into the crown mold and chill completely.

It is a delight to host a retro revival of a favorite dish from a past era. Do you remember Coquilles St. Jacques? Every fine dining establishment in every major city in America once offered its version of the scallops served in culinary seashells during the 1960’s to 1970’s. * When utilizing culinary seashells, always boil the shells to destroy any bacteria prior to each use. Here is my more modern version of Coquilles St. Jacques.

Coquilles à la Kelly

The secret to tasty scallops is proper searing. Rinse and dry the scallops. In a skillet, with a little olive oil, sear each scallop until golden on each side. Set aside.

After thoroughly boiling the culinary seashells, spray each with non-stick cooking spray. Place one thin slice of fresh orange in each culinary seashell. (Ramekins can also be used.) Place multiple seared scallops on top of each of the orange slices.

In the pan, on the stove, in which the scallops were seared, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Heat until bubbling. Pour on a dash of Sherry and heat thoroughly. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of flour and mix well. Then slowly, little by little, stir and add heated ½ and ½ (milk/cream) until a Béchamel style sauce is finished. Season with kosher salt, white pepper and chopped thyme. Add 1 teaspoon of minced ginger. Mix in 2 teaspoons of fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Slowly low heat the sauce until the cheese has melted. Gently ladle the sauce over the prepared scallops. Top each culinary shell with fresh Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the depth of the scallops that will be heated. Briefly broil the top of each portion to melt the Parmesan cheese. Bay scallops require less cooking time than jumbo scallops and bay scallops, because of their size, should be poached instead of seared prior to plating. Kelly McBride Loft

*A KML culinary tip – Scallops are expensive. To stretch the volume when serving, cut each jumbo scallop with a linear cut. The scallops will still sear just as well. Add an extra touch to the dining experience by playing music from the Kennedy through Ford era and dress in Channel attire. Another theme connection is to make placemats from past newspaper headlines of that era. Have fun! KML

Michael and I have traveled to Vigo, Spain and tasted fresh sardines. Vigo is a charming sea town on the northwestern coast in the Galician region. Vigo is known for its sardine canneries and when reading a sardine can label, one may easily find sardines listed from this great location. In the early 1900’s, sardine cannery production was high. A special fork utensil was invented to gently lift sardines from the can. The seven prongs are short but the width of the fork is 2½ inches wide and the sardine fork is curved to cradle the delicate fish.

Sardines are most versatile. Serve the fish as hors d’oeuvres on a decorated plate for dining impact. For flavor, sprinkle the fish with a dash of fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and chopped herbs. Sardines are perfect for spring’s sun-kissed picnic food or sardines can be served as a quick appetizer. Kelly McBride Loft

Don’t forget that Thursday, April 18 is National Poem in Your Pocket Day
Poetry has always held a special place in my heart. From reading Emily Dickinson poetry since I was eight to a lifetime of writing, poetry has been a safe place to preserve my thoughts. If you have never taken the time to attend or to read poetry aloud in a poetry reading, it is an opportunity worth seeking. My favorite reading has been in the wine caves, by candlelight, in Burgundy, France with friends. Poetry readings are a paradox of wholesome simplicity and intellectual complexity. Here is a poem that I wrote and that I share with you for National Poem In Your Pocket Day:

“Remembering”

I remembered to write that note to you today
as the sunset paints reflections
that still punctuate the day’s squinted confusing gaze

The day’s ambassador belongs to the forgotten wren
who feverously flits to gather its wit against the day’s toil
She looks up briefly at me, taking note that we have much in common

I grasp for the moment’s last rays of sunshine
that keep the day’s worthy thoughts safe
Safe from the toil of closure

Let me shake off the sleepiness that disturbs my thoughts of you
as I hold my pen high
I remembered to finish that note to you

As I recollect this day as plain and inconspicuous like the wren
But only because it is compared to You The day’s last rays of light belong to you, as I begin to remember…Remember You Forever.
by Kelly McBride Loft © 2012

When our daughter was young, we encouraged her to explore art history by picking a favorite artist and a favorite painting. She selected Claude Monet’s “White Turkeys.” While visiting the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, it was a delight to follow her discovery moment as she found the original painting in the gallery. We shared the excitement of the turkey admiration. The hilarious part of the turkey “hunt” happened the next day as we visited Monet’s home in Giverny. We were standing in line in the gift shop. Prominently displayed was the Monet print of the famous ‘White Turkeys.” To extend the learning fun, I was standing in line to purchase the “White Turkeys” print so that she could always remember her trip to France. Then, two Americans came into the line behind us. One of the ladies said to the other, “Can you believe how ugly that turkey picture is? Those are the ugliest turkeys that I have ever seen. Who in their right mind would ever buy that print?!” It was our time to joyfully laugh. We said nothing…we just giggled and felt inspiration from the bonding moment because that “ugly” turkey print was our artful treasure that we had just crossed an ocean to admire. Kelly McBride Loft

Recipes are artful treasures, too. It just takes an adventuresome spirit to try some the new ones. I am recommending this:

Light-hearted Turkey Roulade

Marinate deboned turkey breasts in 1/3 part Sherry, 1/3 part orange marmalade, 1/3 part soy sauce.
On a plastic surface, with a mallet, pound the turkey breasts that are surrounded by plastic wrap. Pound each evenly. Fill the meat with chopped herbs, spinach and finely chopped red peppers. Roll the each breast tightly. Hold each together with picks. Bake the turkey roulade in a greased baking dish at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes until cooked thoroughly. Top each with lemon butter sauce. This recipe can also be used with Orange Roughy fish fillets instead of the turkey. Enjoy! KML

Consider hosting an Easter afternoon tea. The timing easily follows church and an Easter egg hunt. An afternoon tea offers the culinary flexibility to design each platter of food with creativity and a colorful design. Ice bowls can be molded to encase fresh edible flowers. The ice bowls can hold spring green salads or seafood. Another beautiful technique is to utilize interesting mold shapes to configure egg salad or potato salad. Additionally, “painted” plates involve the young at heart. Be sure to use all edible sauces when “painting” the plates. For a hostess gift that lasts, give flowers produced from bulbs. When planted, the bloom marks the Easter season annually and thoughts of lasting friendship.

Easter entertaining allows for whimsical culinary showcases. For example, the cucumber sandwich platter can feature a cucumber carved in the shape of a rabbit. Thin slices of cucumber easily make the ears and the face can be carved from the tip of the cucumber. Just attach the head to an upright cucumber for the body. Cream cheese or picks adhere the components to the design. The following is a cucumber canapé recipe passed down from my Scottish ancestors. Kelly McBride Loft

Cut a simple round of white bread using a cookie cutter.
Cut another simple round but cut an additional smaller round inside that to make a doughnut shape.
Cut a thin slice of cucumber.
Finely chop parsley.

Assemble by spreading mayonnaise on one side of the first basic round. Set the slice of cucumber on that bread. Spread mayonnaise on one side of the doughnut shaped bread. Adhere the doughnut shaped bread shape on top of the canapé with the mayonnaise side down. Then, gently “glaze” the outside rim only of the canapé with mayonnaise and roll that edge in the chopped parsley. It makes a lovely tea sandwich, with the cucumber showing through the “doughnut” space.

Egg salad is an Easter tradition. If one wishes to serve it on tea sandwiches, just finely chop the ingredients. Otherwise, mold the mixture into an interesting shape for eggscellent entertaining! Happy Easter!

Egg Salad
1 dz. boiled eggs, finely chopped
In a bowl, mix ½ cup of mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of dry mustard, 6 tablespoons of chopped dill, celery salt and white pepper. Combine the ingredients with the finely chopped boiled eggs. Just before serving add well-done crumbled bacon.

Dust off your beach shoes and welcome spring with a refreshing walk by the sea. The tactical camaraderie of seabirds will fascinate even the most dedicated dreamer. Seagulls are the sunrise warriors who are so keenly observant as they search for the morning’s fresh catch. It is an astute league – the flocks of gulls who succinctly indulge in the sea’s bounty but by mid-day they switch their focus to human interaction. It is noted that they are drawn to anything shiny but isn’t that true of the drive within most people. It’s all in the day’s catch whether by land, by sea or by air and I think the seagulls have intellect that they won’t share because they have mastered all three. Maybe that can explain that gurgled laughter tucked deep in their bird chortle. I wish I could laugh that much in one day. Kelly McBride Loft

My favorite fresh catch is flounder. This one of my favorite recipes.

Stuffed Flounder

Combine:
2 cups of fresh crab meat
1 teaspoon of orange juice
½ cup milk mixed with 2 tablespoons of flour
Fresh ground pepper
Dash of Tabasco
¼ stick of butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Coat the flounder fillets with olive oil. Place one fillet on a greased baking dish. Top the flounder with the crab stuffing. Cover the flounder with another fillet of flounder. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove. Top the fish with almond slivers and parmesan cheese. Broil for 30 seconds.

The luck of the Irish has long been associated with the wearing of green. My mother is a professional artist. Truly, before I learned to properly use silverware, she taught me how to mix colors on an artist’s palette.

When mixing colors, yellow and blue make green. I like to look at it as combining a beautiful yellow sunrise with the glorious blue of water to create the “lucky” green color.

Food can be attractively colored green, too. A fine Irish celebration would be highlighted with a Crème de Menthe flavored crown mold dessert. It is refreshing and it has a stunning design. Don’t forget an Irish toast to life. So, from our table to yours, may I recommend, “May your canary yellow sunrises sing the praises of those you hold dear to the depths of your royal blue trust to make the luckiest of spring green cheerful family & friends.” (Please remember that the person making the toast should hold their glass in the their left hand, nearest their heart.) Enjoy the St. Patrick’s celebration! Kelly McBride Loft

Spring Green Lucky Menthe Mold

Prepare a crown mold.
Combine in a sauce pan (wait to heat):
½ cup of sugar
Pinch of salt

In a bowl combine:
1 – 12 fl. oz. can evaporated milk
2 pk. unflavored gelatin (dissolved in 1/4 cup of the evaporated milk)

Add the milk and the dissolved unflavored gelatin to the sugar mixture that is in the sauce pan. Heat until just boiling. Quick chill the mixture but don’t allow the gelatin to set firm until the other ingredients are added.

Mix in a mixer 1/2 cup of Crème de Menthe (which is an alcoholic beverage) combined with 1 cup of sweetened coconut milk. Add this to the chilled mixture before the gelatin sets and pour into a crown mold. Serve completely chilled and plated with the “crown” unmolded.