That's Entertaining: A Guide to DC Area Cupcake Stores

by Barbara Burtoff

It looked like the wedding cake had gone AWOL. It was nowhere in sight, but there was an easy explanation. The bride and groom did not want a sky-high, sugary-sweet, ornately trimmed finale to their nuptials. They wanted cupcakes – plain and simple.

The luncheon was catered. The cupcakes they bought at their favorite bakery. When the meal was over, the caterer’s crew cleared the dining room table and brought out a “tree” of cupcakes. There were chocolate ones with chocolate frosting. There were vanilla-flavored yellow cupcakes with vanilla-flavored white frosting. Guests were invited to come help themselves. And so they did. There was just one teensy tiny problem. Some people took one. Some took two. Some got none because the young couple had ordered only one per guest. They both had a look of sheer horror as they stared at the empty cupcake tree.

That's Entertaining: Ou Est Le Sel? (Where Is the Salt?)

by Barbara Burtoff

Imagine this situation. It’s Saturday night and four people have gone out to a restaurant new to them. The waiter brings their meals and goes to take care of other diners. One of the four looks to the left side of the table, then the right, then across and announces, “There’s no salt on the table.”

A second member of the group adds, “There’s no pepper, hot sauce or ketchup either.”

A third chimes in with, “Maybe the restaurant is cutting back because of financial problems.”

The fourth in this group disagrees, “Nope. I think they have a new employee who doesn’t know how to set the table.”

Mais non! (But no!) They are all wrong. The salt and other seasonings were left off intentionally. This group was eating at a restaurant specializing in French cuisine. The cook was trained by a French chef, and the thinking went something like this: “What is being served to our patrons is perfectly seasoned, so there’s no need for salt and pepper on the table.”

That's Entertaining: Checklist for Happy, Healthy and Sane Hosting, Part II

by Barbara Burtoff

Some hosts and hostesses look forward to December parties as a time to cook and share their favorite recipes with friends. Others call a caterer. Whatever is your preference, make sure that nothing on the menu will cause guests to go home with a case of food poisoning.

Two hours sitting out at a party is the limit for many foods. If the crowd is of great size and the temperature of the room is warm and getting warmer, one hour could be the limit. Foods of concern: creamy dips made with dairy products or mayonnaise, foods with cooked as well as uncooked eggs, such as deviled eggs, egg salad, potato salad, custards, meringue-topped pies; also the cooked beef, pork, poultry, fish, processed meats, bread stuffing, gravy, vegetable or macaroni products combined with beef, pork, poultry, fish; creamed pies, cakes with creamy or buttery frostings. When bacteria multiples, it can’t be seen, smelled or tasted. It can give guests intense flu-like symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting), a long and painful night and, perhaps, even a trip to the hospital. Have you ever been to a catered event held elsewhere than the host’s residence? You might have heard the host complain that the caterer took the leftovers when he returned for the platters and would not let the host take them home. Smart move. The caterer wants to avoid being dragged into a liability suit should someone fall ill if the host let the food stay out too long.

That's Entertaining: Checklist for Happy, Healthy and Sane Hosting

by Barbara Burtoff

Next weekend, the season of festive gatherings starts. There’s Halloween, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, the New Year. For those of you planning to host a party, I’d like to share some advice from my 40 years of organizing social events, covering them as a food editor and letting friends vent about what they know now that they wished they knew then.

No matter how carefully you plan, something unexpected will happen. It could be a guest at a seated dinner talking loudly on a cell phone and apologizing to others at the table by saying that it is an important call. Indeed it could be if it’s a party in or near Washington. Maybe the President is calling because he needs all members of his Cabinet pronto. All you can do is help the guest find his or her coat and send the individual on his way.

That's Entertaining! Host and Hostess Gifts - Almost Everything You Want to Know

"The Perfect Gift" by Chris Peplin

by Barbara Burtoff

If you fail to bring a gift for the host and hostess of a dinner party, will you be considered rude? If you bring a gift that’s all wrong, will you be remembered unkindly forever after?

Sherri Athay of Essex, CT has been advising folks about perfect presents for more than 20 years. “Hospitality gifts are not compulsory,” she says, “they are voluntary. So, no, it wouldn’t be rude of you to show up empty-handed, though it might be considered less than thoughtful.”

That's Entertaining! Salmon Mousse, a Must-Have Recipe for Your Party File

Photo by Barb Watson

by Barbara Burtoff

Of all the recipes I have, this one has been requested the most. It has traveled from Washington, DC across the USA and around the world.

It doesn’t have any hard-to-find ingredients, it is easy to make, and it is delicious. Best of all, it can be served three different ways. It can be the first course of a seated dinner party. It can be an appetizer at a cocktail party. It’s great at a Sunday brunch as a topping for toasted bagels.

That's Entertaining! Invitations, Love 'em or Leave 'em

Photo by Silver Starre

by Barbara Burtoff


Dear Barbara:

I was invited to an end-of-summer barbecue party at the home of a longtime friend. When I called to RSVP, she said, “Please bring your sister. There will be several people here that I think she will enjoy meeting.”

I thanked her and phoned my sister. Her response was “I don’t accept secondhand invitations.” I felt caught in the middle, but I dropped the matter. What’s your opinion about this?

Caught In The Middle

That's Entertaining! Party Planning That Went Awry, Chapter One

by Barbara Burtoff

A friend called, needing a shoulder to cry on. She was organizing a Sunday afternoon luncheon and her party planning was not going well. Her niece, early 30s, had worked long and hard. She finally could afford to buy her own condominium and live on her own. My friend was proud of the accomplishment and thought it was worthy of a celebration. So she called her mother-in-law, the grandmother of the young woman, and asked if the party could take place at her house, which happened to be halfway between the homes of all the cousins and aunts.

That’s Entertaining! Winning Ways in the Kitchen

by Barbara Burtoff

In 1848, gold was discovered in California. People headed west to claim their share. In 2010, there’s no need to travel in search of gold. If you are a good cook and a creative one, you could find it hiding right in your fridge or cupboard. Every year, food companies and others offer big bucks, travel and cartons of their edibles in exchange for original recipes.

That's Entertaining: You're Invited to an Ice Cream Sundae Party!

by Barbara Burtoff

Confession: I have never given an ice cream sundae party. I've been invited to a few, but haven't been able to attend -- until last week.

I learned that they are about a lot more than just dessert. Here you see the same kind of fun that young children have when supplied with an assortment of finger paints and told to go make a picture. That's unbridled creativity to the nth degree, appealing to the artist in all of us. For most, it also becomes a chance to relax and forget about the clock. That's what people seem to do while they focus on putting together their edible masterpieces.

That’s Entertaining! Decoding the Dress Code on Party Invitations

by Barbara Burtoff

I have a house guest this week. She is currently up at Friendship Heights looking for the appropriate outfit to wear to a wedding. As she departed for the stores, she let out a long sigh, and said,” I just don’t know what to buy.”

I asked the most obvious questions: Is it a morning, afternoon or evening wedding? Will it take place at a church or temple, bride’s family home or restored historic house, hotel or private club, beach or park?

Her response to both: “I don’t know.”

“Why not?” I said.

And then she explained, “Because I ate the wedding invitation.”