the social couture e-book to entertaining

8/14/2019 The Social Couture E-Book to Entertaining

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Whether your style is traditional or modern orwhether your guests are young or old, with a fewhelpful hints you will be able to elevate andsimplify the way you entertain.

Social Couture is based entirely on the understanding that with elegance andsimplicity you can honor and welcome your family and friends. This quick guid-e-book is a great resource for those common etiquette questions that have usall scratching our heads at times - whether you are the Queen of England or theRush Chair-girl of your Sorority. We have also included several entertaining tipsto help you put the polish on your parties or help you remember some charmschool rules. Oh, and we of course had to share with you some of or mosttantalizing and unique drink recipes that have not only been lovely designed byour staff but also, we have included recipes from some of our favorite world re-known mixologists. Trust me, you will want to try some of these creativelysumptuous concoctions.

A quick note about us: Social Couture is an on-line store for at homeentertaining products and services. We provide imaginative decorations andinspired tabletop ideas, so that setting a festive party needn’t be such aproduction and an expense for our customers. Our single, pre-packaged goal isto deliver a high quality themed party complete with centerpieces to napkins inan effort to simplify and elevate our customer’s lives. Our customers will onlyneed to consider their occasion. Once an order is placed a prepackaged themeparty will arrive in a box and the entertaining preparation is complete. The

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http://www.socialcouture.com/index.fsp







contents of the single prepackaged box, delivered to the doorstep, can easily beblended into our customer’s style, dining rooms, menu choices and lives. In aneffort to further offer simplicity and choice to our customers, Social Couture also offers a wide variety of peripheral products from dishes, glasses andflatware to music, coffee table books and unique decorative house-wares. Thegoal of Social Couture is to be the one stop party store for the modern and

upwardly mobile, on-line consumer.

Social Couture is dedicated to providing our customers a superior level of service. Please do not hesitate to contact us by phone at 888-520-2258 or bye-mail at [email protected] should you have any questionsregarding our products or services.

Etiquette

The Proper Table Setting

There is considerable debate as to what is theproper place setting for fine dining – especially today

with the explosion in originality and wonderfuldecorating ideas that have come to represent chicand modern entertaining. Whereas, thepresentation of fine silverware may be governed bytime honored traditions; more fashionable andunique place settings can be interesting and apropos- so long as your guests can pull from their charmschool rules that rely on using utensils from theoutside of the place setting and working toward themain meal plate. We all remember, when in doubtstart with the soup spoon first, then fish knife andfork, then service knife and fork - most importantlyin often busy and crowded tables always remember:

Solids to the Left (bread) and Liquids to theRight (wine and water)

With all the original table presentations in vogue today – as a host – there are afew rules which should guide you and your place settings. Primarily, all of thesilverware or flatware that is presented to your guests should be of a matchingstyle – that is unless there is some incredibly creative alternative that is wellthought out and well delivered (always remember that thoughtful presentationshould never be confused for reckless results). Etiquette experts do feel thatsilverware that is brought in with deserts, cheeses or appetizers and that are notpart of the initial presentation can be of a differing style; so that should easeyour mind if you are presenting an elaborate multi-course meal and you arerunning low on matching flatware. Furthermore, any presentation of yoursetting should be driven by neat and symmetric spacing. Moreover, the servingtrays - should be as practically as possible - equally and evenly accessible byall.

With that, just like that: Entertain!





mailto:[email protected]




mailto:[email protected]



A. Napkin B. Butter Knife C. Bread Plate D. Desert Spoon E. Soup BowlF. Soup Plate G. Dinner Plate H. Dinner Knife I. Fish Knife J. Soup SpoonK. Bread Plate L. Butter Knife M. Dessert Spoon N. Dessert Fork O. WaterGoblet P. Red Wine Glass Q. White Wine Glass

Dining Etiquette

Charm school rules apply to everyone, hostess and guest alike. Table mannersplay an important role in showing appreciation and respect to the hostess andgood table manners make a favorable impression to friends, family andcolleagues alike. Often times the ill informed - and most often: not ill mannered- will unknowingly break breadto the right, throwing off otherguests and the time honoredrules that dictate that waterand wine be served on the rightand bread on the left. So, if youare a hostess, a parent, amanager or team leader itcertainly is your place to sounda simple, well toned reminderto your constituents that “solidsare to the left, liquids to theright”. This may be especially




appreciated by younger guests that are well intentioned but often uninformed tothe proper rules of dining. Also, when in doubt as to which utensil to rely uponfor a particular course in the meal - start from the outside of the place settingand work toward the main meal plate: soup spoon first, then fish knife and fork,then service knife and fork. Often times the main plate in a place setting isknown as a "service plate," and is never actually eaten from. It will either be

removed when the first course is brought, or the dish will be set on top of it.Remember, for a formal place setting, you will receive exactly as muchsilverware as you will need, arranged in precisely the right order. A formalhostess will see to it that each utensil will go seamlessly with each course.

When to Begin Eating

When to begin eating often times seems lost in these hurried times; however, acore tenant in proper etiquette is understanding that respect for your friendsand family are always more important than the actual act of eating. With thisunderstanding governing every action, there are two common approaches todetermining when to begin. At smaller events, it is common to wait untileveryone at the table has received a serving and the hostess has begun eating.

Sometimes a hostess may urge her guests to eat immediately upon receivingthe food. This is particularly the case at larger events, where waiting foreveryone would make warm entrees go cold. In this case, wait until one or twoof the other guests seated near you are ready to begin as well, so that you arenot the only person at the table who is eating.

Napkin Use

The meal begins when the hostess unfolds his or her napkin, and this should beyour signal to do the same. Place your napkin on your lap, completely unfoldedif it is a small luncheon napkin or in half, lengthwise, if it is a large dinnernapkin. Typically, you want to put your napkin on your lap soon after sittingdown at the table, but it shows appreciation to follow your hostess's lead. The

napkin should remain on your lap throughout the entire meal. It is meant only tobe dabbed at the lips and should not get dirty in the process. It may seem thatthe napkin is suited to clean up messes that might occur during the course of the meal, and that may have in fact been its original use – that is soon after thetablecloth itself ceased to be used as a napkin. However, the more formal theevent, the more important the presence of the napkin; this is because at theheart of table manners is the intent to preserve cleanliness, proper appearanceand to show your hostess respect. If all other elements of the meal are goingwell, there will be no danger of smudging the linen.

At formal events, servers may place napkins on the laps of guests, but it is notinappropriate to place your own napkin in your own lap. If your napkin falls onthe floor during a very formal event, do not retrieve it. You should be able to

signal a member of the serving staff for a fresh one. Also, if you need to leavethe table during the meal, place your napkin loosely to the left of your plate. Itshould not be crumpled or twisted, which would indicate untidiness or evenunease; nor should it be folded. You should never place your napkin on yourchair since in many European countries it is sign of disrespect to the hostess.Also, never place the napkin over your plate or utensils, which signal to serversthat you are finished or you are leaving the table and may also be a sign of




disrespect to the hostess. The hostess will signal the end of the meal by placinghis or her napkin on the table. Once the meal is over, you too should place yournapkin neatly on the table to the left of your dinner plate.

General Utensil Placement

The positioning of knife and fork indicates to the degree to which the dinerintends to pause in eating. Flatware should always be placed on the plateduring pauses between bites. If this is to be a very short interval, there is no setpattern. For longer waits, often due to table conversation, the diner places thefork on the left and knife on the right, so that they cross over the center of theplate. The diner preparing to pass his plate for a second helping places the forkand knife parallel to each other at the right side of the plate, so that there isroom for the food. When the diner has finished, he signals this by setting thefork and knife parallel to each other, so they lie either horizontally across thecenter of the plate or are on the diagonal, with the handles pointing to the right.

The cutting edge of the knife blade should face toward the diner, and the forkmay be placed with the tines either up or down.

Remember proper table manners forbid placing a used eating utensil back onthe table. Essentially, used flatware must never be allowed to touch the surfaceof the table linens, where it might dirty the cloth. At the end of a course, autensil must not be left in any dish that is not flat. The soup bowl, a shrimpcocktail dish, a teacup or a parfait glass; all these items are usually presentedwith a plate underneath the bowl or cup, on which the utensil must be placedafter use.

Utensils - European or Continental Style

Silverware should be held delicately and carefully balanced on the fingers andguided gently. To hold any utensil in your fist or to manipulate it in such a waythat is pointed at anyone would hint at potential danger and disrespect, aswould even setting it down in an inappropriate way. With that said, there aretwo ways to use a knife and fork to cut and eat your meal. There is the Americanstyle and the European or Continental style; either is appropriate, and tends tobe a product of upbringing rather than of taste or elegance. In the American

style, which was brought aboutpartly by the late introduction of the fork into the culture, allthree utensils are intended foruse primarily with the righthand, which is the more capablehand for most people. Onecuts food by holding the knife inthe right hand and the fork in

the left hand; with the fork tinespiercing meats to secure itagainst the plate. Cut a fewbite-size pieces of food, then lay

your knife across the top edge of your plate with the sharp edge of the bladefacing in. Your service knife (or meat knife) should be set at 10PM against thetop right of your plate as you move thru the main course. Change your fork




from your left to your right hand to eat, fork tines facing up. If you are left-handed, keep your fork in your left hand, tines facing up.

The European or Continental style is the same as the American style in that youcut your meat by holding the knife in your right hand while securing your foodwith the fork in your left hand. According to this method, the fork is held

continuously in the left hand and used for eating. The difference is your forkremains in your left hand, tines facing down, and the knife in your right hand.Simply eat the cut pieces of food by picking them up with your fork still in yourleft hand.

A significant difference between the American and the European styles of usingknife and fork is with the American practice- that even the most awkward foods(peas being the traditional example) must be captured by the unaided fork. InEurope it is permitted to use the knife or a small bit of bread to ease a stubbornitem onto the fork. That can be the secret that saves you from using your fingeras a backstop! Now that is an absolute NO-NO, here or in Europe.

When You Have Finished

Some common foibles when dining is that the ill-informed may push their plateaway when they have finished eating. Leave your plate where it is in the placesetting. In fact, attempt to keep the same place setting throughout the dinner,i.e., when retrieving water, wine, etc. return each item to the place where thehostess intended. The common way to show that you have finished your meal isto lay your fork and knife diagonally across your plate. Place your knife and forkside by side, with the sharp side of the knife blade facing inward and the fork,tines down, to the left of the knife. The knife and fork should be placed as at10:20 PM on a clock face. Make sure they are placed in such a way that they donot slide off the plate as it is being removed. Once you have used a piece of silverware, never place it back on the table or leave a used spoon in a cup; placeit on the saucer. You can leave a soupspoon in a soup plate and any unusedsilverware is simply left on the table.

All About Toasts




The host of the party or event should always be the first one to start a toast. This person should also make sure that everyone's glass is full before the toastis performed. For a wedding toast, it is still very traditional for the best man toperform the toast.

The proper way to get the attention of those around you is to stand and say

something like "May I have your attention please?" or stand and quietly raiseyour glass high enough for everyone to see. Never hit your glass with a spoon orother utensil. This is highly improper and a severe breach in etiquette. Onceyou have everyone's attention remember to sit your glass down beforeproceeding with the toast. When you have finished speaking you may againraise the glass and sip from it. When you give a toast, you should be standingand you should rely on brief and sincere comments.

After the toast, the recipient, if there is one, should not take a drink. This isconstrued by etiquette mavens as patting yourself on the back. Instead, he orshe should stand and respond with thanks or by offering another toast. Duringthe toast, if the recipient is already sitting, there is no need to stand unless therecipient would like to return the toast.

Although traditional, alcohol is not necessary to perform the toast. Sparklingfruit juice, punch or even pop may be used. Never make a toast with the waterglass, coffee or tea. It is worth noting that it is not considered customary toapplaud toasts.

If there is a large group of people, it is not suggested to ‘clink’ your glasseswhen the toast is made. Instead, just raise your glass and take a sip. If it is asmall group of people, you should always look the person in the eyes when you‘clink’ their glass, and it is appropriate to add a verbal congratulatory like“cheers, skol, salud, etc.” But, besides these, there are many common toastsfrom around the world which I always find fun and interesting:

A votre sante – FranceAlla Salute - Italy

Egé szé gé re - HungaryKanpai - Japan

Na Zdrowie - PolandProsit - GermanSaúde - BrazilSkal - Sweden

Slainte - IrelandWen Lie - China Yasas – Greece

General Things to Remember when Entertaining

Party Tips

1. Invitations are dependent on the formality of the event. Invitations for more formal occasionscan be printed or hand written but in either case




delivered via traditional snail mail or in person. For informal events invitationscan take the form of email or eVite (www.eVite.com) or also in person. If you arethe guest, you must RSVP as soon as possible. In fact, when an invitation issent, it is very impolite to ignore it. RSVP's should be included in a self-addressed stamped envelope by your potential hostess and this should make iteasy for the guest to reply. If there is only a phone number or email address

then you as the guest should reply as soon as you know if you will be able toattend or not. Do not make the host have to call you.

2. As the hostess you must greet your guests at the door, and you should have asafe place for their personal items. Be sure to be very familiar with your guest’sinvitees so that you are in a prepared position to introduce people – introduceeveryone. Accept hostess gifts graciously and conversely, if you are the guest,try to bring a gift that is small and one which the hostess will not feel the needto use that night; for example, dessert or flowers. A properly prepared event willalready have the table decorated and dessert planned, so it would be difficultand awkward for the hostess to incorporate a gift like this. However, a bottle of nice wine is always welcome and is easy for you as the guest to plan for.

3. The hostess should be particularly attentive to their guests by offering drinksand hors de oeuvres.

4. During hors de oeuvres, the hostess should politely and discreetly movebetween the kitchen and guests to have the first course on the table before theguests are asked to take their seats.

5. Upon calling guests to the table, the hostess should direct the seating, evenwith placards there can be some uncomfortable moments. If you are hosting adinner party and some of your guests are new to the group, it is smart to writetheir names on both sides of the place-cards. That way, if someone forgets aname they will be able to subtly glance at the place-card. This will make peoplemore comfortable and certainly it will keep the conversation flowing.

6. When guests leave, a gracious hostess should walk them to the door, say abrief good-bye and return to the other guests. If you are the guest, do notengage the hostess in a long conversation at the door. This often times willmake a polite hostess feel uncomfortable and take her away from the otherremaining guests.

7. Children

The hostess of a formal evening has many options when dealing with children. You can feed your children early and let them greet guests and serve hors deoeuvres; then quietly slip off to watch some TV and bed. Moreover, a great

event planner may wish to have a baby sitter on hand to help facilitate this.

A well planned dinner for adults can be matched by a fun and more relaxedatmosphere for the children; by ordering pizza and cokes for the teenagers andallowing them to watch a movie in a room away from the dining area.


http://www.evite.com/

http://www.evite.com/



If the occasion is less formal then a creative hostess can give children jobs andlet them participate in the entire evening by adding the proverbial "children'stable."




How about a Party Checklist tomake sure you have everythingin place?

GETTING STARTED

• Establish your budget

• Finalize your guest list

• Decide on a Theme

• Consider Decorations

• (Go to www.socialcouture.com)

• Find an appropriate location for your upcoming event that also may berepresentative of your party's theme

• Set the date and time for the occasion

• Make sure to book your bartenders and caterers as well if you choose tohave it catered (TIP: you can call your local bartender schools to find abartender...a lot of them will work just for tips in order to get some

practice or for a very minimal fee)

THE GUEST LIST

• Choose Invitations (TIP: eVite can provide online invitations if most of your guest are comfortable using the internet)

• Make sure to include the name and phone # of a local hotel for your outof town guests

• Manage RSVP's

PRE-PARTY PREPARATIONS

• Create the menu (grocery shopping list)• Decide on the appropriate party decor and music (TIP: Don't forget the

candles...great for setting the mood of any occasion)• Call guests who have not yet RSVP'ed

• Make sure you have enough plates, silverware and glasses for yourguests (TIP: Not only can party rental stores provide you extra chairs andtables but you can also rent glasses, stemware, plates and serving-ware)

• Purchase all non-perishable food and drinks needed for the party

• Confirm with all vendors as well as location if you are not a having yourparty at home

DAY BEFORE THE PARTY

• Clean house. Remove all clutter.

• Buy Fresh Flowers

• Purchase meats, fish & cheese

• Refrigerate beverages

• Prepare food that can be refrigerated overnight (sauces, dips, veggieplatter, fruit salad)


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http://www.socialcouture.com/



• Start setting the scene with the decorations

• Set Table and Bar

• Check camera to make sure you have enough film

DAY OF THE PARTY

• Prepare food

• Chill wine, champagne and any other cold drinks (Don't forget to makeyour punches)

• Pick-up any last minute items (such as, ice or balloons)

• Get Ready (wear an apron if you still have dishes to prepare)

• Heat up any food that needs to be reheated

• Set out appetizers

• Light candles

• Turn on the music

• Lights, Camera, Action....Smile!! Places everyone!

• Don't forget to enjoy yourself and your guests

Say Goodnight and Turn off the Lights!

Cocktails, Cocktails, Cocktails… please let’s notforget the Cocktails!

No party would ever be complete without the latest and greatest assortment of unique and tantalizing drink recipes. Have a fully stocked bar is an absolutemust when have a sophisticated event, and although your guests always offer tobring over something prior to your event, this is one area that should be fullycovered by the Hostess with the Mostess. You can pretty much cover most of your standard drinks with just a few key liquors, liqueurs and mixers:

Vodka – any of the major brands are indistinguishable once mixed with asweet mixer.

Whiskey – a single malt preferably or a nice blend.

Gin – a drinker’s drink, so quality counts if you know a particular guest isa bit of a Gin hound.

Rum – a nice, white rum for the pool and a darker blend for sophisticatedevening cocktails.

Tequila – a bit tricky for a classy event; however, higher end brands

present well and provide a level of hip sophistication (nothing in a plasticbottle!)

Liqueurs – Vermouth, Kahlua, Baileys, Triple Sec.

Mixers – club soda, tonic, orange juice, cranberry juice.




Lemons, Limes, maraschino cherries, salt, sugar, vanilla extract andcinnamon.

Trust us when we tell you that we’ve tried these all at least once (okay, maybetwice, or… well, you know what happens). Check them out and please: GIVE USFEEDBACK or even send us a few of your own favorite recipes.

My Favorite Sexy Martinis

In honor of Sex and the City's movie premiere Ithought it would be fun to share a few of myfavorite sexy martini recipes with you. Hope youenjoy making them and drinking them as much as Ido.

Blood Orange Cosmo

1 1/2 oz Stoli Ohranj vodka1/2 oz triple sec

1/4 oz fresh lime juice1/4 oz blood orange juice1 splash cranberry juice

Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled martiniglass. Garnish with a slice of orange, and serve.

Cosmobellini Recipe

1 oz Absolut Citron vodka1/2 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur1 lime wedge

1 splash cranberry juice1/2 oz white peach pureeProsecco® sparkling wine

Pour vodka and cointreau into a shaker. Squeeze in the juice of one wedge of lime. Add peach puree, a splash of cranberry

juice, and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass, top with proseccoand serve.

Cosmopolitan Cocktail recipe

1 oz vodka1/2 oz triple sec

1/2 oz Rose's lime juice1/2 oz cranberry juice

Shake vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juicevigorously in a shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass,garnish with a lime wedge on the rim, and serve.




Social Couture's Signature Drink is Here!

It's finally here Social Couture now has theirvery own cocktail:

"The DeKuyper Socialrita"

By Master Mixologist Bobby "G" Gleason -the world's fastest bartender! Guaranteed tobe buzzed about long after the party is over,try DeKuyper's Socialrita, inspired by SocialCouture's "Table Talk" Blogspot. Thisconcoction is great for outdoor parties and

really simple to mix up for summer… you are gonna love this:

Ingredients:

DeKuyper Luscious Pomegranate Pleasure Schnappes

DeKuyper Signature Triple Sec

Sauza Gold Tequila

sour mix

Combine 1 parts DeKuyper Luscious Pomegranate Pleasure Schnapps, 1 partDeKuyper Signature Triple Sec, 1 part Sauza Gold Tequila and a splash of sourmix. Serve over ice in a salted margarita glass.

You absolutely have to make it by the pitcher for a crowd. Why? Becauseeveryone knows that pomegranate is the new cranberry.

Bobby "G" Gleason is the current Guinness World Record Holder for MostCocktails Made in an Hour. We would like to thank Bobby for designing thisspecialty drink just for us. We love it!!!

We would love to know what you think about it as well - so feel free to commentback to us once you've tried it.

Tailgating, its not just about BEER!

If you've ever hosted a Super Bowl party or a BBQ for the NBA Finals... or even a

tail gate for your Alma Mater, this should help you with planning your menu,including drinks! Here are a few ideas that always work well when you'll behosting a lot of people because they can be made in advance, providing yourguest with some great drinks, yet freeing you up from playing bartender allnight.






Because of our ties to San Francisco, we love famed bartender, Tony Abou-Ganim. Tony has become famous after stints at Balboa Cafe, Harry Denton's,and the Starlight Room where he created his "specialty drink menu" thatincluded the famous "Cable Car."

Here are a few of his recipe's that would be great for your next outdoor party.

For more of his recipes, visit his website at www.themodernmixologist.com

Bloody Mary 'Classic'

Ingredients:

1½ oz. Finlandia Vodka4 oz. Campbell’s tomato juice4 dashes Worcestershire sauce2 dashes Tabasco saucePinch of kosher saltPinch of coarse ground pepper

Juice of ¼ lemon (freshly squeezed)

Directions: Build in an ice filled mixing glass, rollcontents between mixing glass and tin and straininto an ice filled goblet. Garnish with a lemonwedge.

Social Couture Tip: Create a garnish bar so that your guests can customize theirBloody Mary's to their liking. Pickles, green olives (stuffed with garlic orpimento), asparagus, celery, limes, lemons. My personal favorite is to rim theglass with celery salt... yum! yum!

Primo Margarita

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. 100% Agave Tequila (Silver, Reposado orAnejo).75 oz. Cointreau2 oz. fresh lemon sour

Juice of a whole lime freshly squeezed with a TAGCitrus Juicer

Directions: Shake, strain into an ice filled Goblet(salt optional) Garnish with a lime wedge.

Enjoy!

Organic Cocktails... Who knew?

I recently attended a luncheon at a chic new, totally organic restaurant and wassurprised to see organic cocktails. I have been eating organically for several


http://www.themodernmixologist.com/


http://www.themodernmixologist.com/




years now, and as I become more in tune with my body, mind and spirit, I havebecome more and more aware of the food that I put into my body.

I was intrigued by this new (at least to me) option and decided to explore it a bitfurther. I found a great recipe by Laura Klein, editor of thewww.OrganicAuthority.com. This is one you can file for a few months and call on

when you are hosting your next great outdoor BBQ or luncheon!

ROSE GERANIUM SANGRIA

You can find Rose Scented Geraniums at your localorganic nursery or farmers market. If you purchasethem at a regular nursery, you'll want to make surethat they are free of pesticides and chemicals,since you will be using them in this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of water½ cup of sugar24 medium organically grown rose scentedgeranium leaves2 bottles of chilled dry rose wine - Laurarecommends Silver Mountain Vineyards Rose of Pinot Noir

1 blood orange, thinly sliced1 lemon, thinly sliced1 pint of fresh raspberries or blackberries, or a combination of the two, washed1 pint of strawberries, washed, hulled and thinly sliced6-8 cups of sparkling water or club soda if desired

Method:

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the rosegeranium leaves, cover and remove from heat. Let steep for 20 minutes. Strainand press liquid out of leaves using a wooden spoon. Chill infused syrup in an icewater bath or refrigerator until cool.

In a large glass pitcher or medium size punch bowl, combine the chilled wine,syrup, orange and lemon slices, and fresh berries. Chill for a minimum or up toseveral hours to let the fresh fruit infuse their flavors. Before serving add thesparkling water or club soda if desired. Serve chilled. 6-8 Servings

Authentic Hot Cho-co-lat!

Lately, my kids have been reallyhooked on Hot Chocolate. Tonight wedecided to change it up a bit and hadtea, but for some reason my mindkept thinking about the hotchocolate. Maybe it’s because I was


http://www.organicauthority.com/

http://www.organicauthority.com/



recently told by my doctor to stop consuming caffeine, even the chocolatekind...jeez, what's a woman to do? Or maybe it is because next week, we'll betaking our kids to see the Polar Express in 3D? Well anyway, back to the topic athand...Hot Chocolate. I did a little research and thought you might be intriguedto know a few facts about Hot Chocolate.

Chocolate actually comes from the seeds of a Theobroma Cacao, which meansfood for the Gods. The trees, which stand about 40 to 60 feet produce yellowfruit the size of a small pineapple and the seeds are found within this fruit.

It is believed that the Olmecs, one of the oldest civilizations of the Americas(1500-400BC), were the first users of cacao beans. They were followed by theMaya, who probably consumed cacao-based drinks. "Chocolatl" was made fromthe roasted cacao beans, water and little spice.

Around 1517, Emperor Montezuma of Mexico introduced Chocolatl to SpanishDiscoverer, Hernan Cortes. When Cortez returned to Spain in 1528, he returnedwith riches including cocoa beans and chocolate making equipment.

Over the next several centuries, Hot Chocolate became sweeter andincorporated milk. For hundreds of years after its arrival into Europe, it wasconsidered also a medicinal treatment that helped everything from stomachupset to chest and heart ailments.

In Central and Southern Mexico, chocolate is taken with a layer of foam on top,which is believed to contain the spirit of the drink. It is whipped until frothy,using a carved wooden beater called a molinillo.

So without further ado, here is an authentic Hot Chocolate Recipe, courtesy of whatscookinginamerica.net.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

6 cups milk1/2 cup granulated sugar3 ounces unsweetened Mexican-style chocolate, coarsely chopped1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon salt2 eggs2 teaspoons vanillaStick cinnamon (for garnish)

In a large saucepan, combine milk, sugar, chocolate, ground cinnamon and salt.Heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the milk is very hot.

(Do not let the milk come to a boil)

Beat 2 eggs in a mixing bowl. Stir in one cup of the hot mixture into the eggs,then return this mixture to the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more over lowheat, still stirring.




Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Beat with a molinillo or a rotary beater until itis very frothy. Pour into mugs, garnish with cinnamon sticks, and serve. Makesabout 6 (8 ounce) servings.

Perfect for sharing! Bottoms Up!




Hiccup! Very Simple Irish Coffee

The leaves are turning and the weather ischilling - finally. I live in L.A. and I am morethan ready for Fall or at least a slight change

of the seasons... we don't get all that muchweather here. So now that it is finally startingto get at least cooler, I am definitely gettingready for the upcoming holidays.

This time of year always reminds me of TheBuena Vista in San Francisco which issupposedly the birth place of Irish coffees herein the U.S. and whether that's true or not, theIrish coffees here are definitely some of thebest I have ever had (I was lucky enough totry a couple in Ireland as well, and they'regood too!).

These drinks are very simple to make. so letscall them:

Very Simple Irish Coffee:

Just start with a steaming hot cup of coffee and than add 1 1/2 oz. of IrishWhiskey, 1 tsp. of brown sugar and float cold cream on top. Do not mix thecream, just top the drink off with it.

This is also a great drink for late after tailgating parties, campfires or at the endof a late fall dinner party. I love to have them on a chilly weekend afternoon

while sitting in front of a fire somewhere. It's almost time to break out the skis.Let it snow, let it snow.

Rick's Tropical Fiz

For a delightful spring time suppersipper try this fresh and fruityconcoction. You can do it virgin stylefor the kids or liven things up byadding vodka. Serve as an apertif or asdigestif either way don't forget to adda citrus twist.

1 quart of pineapple juice

1 2-liter bottle of club soda

3 whole valencia oranges

1/2 cup Vodka per pitcher (optional)




It's a simple as using an old fashioned juicer to squeeze the juice of the orangesinto a bowl. Add the fresh squeezed orange juice to a glass pitcher with thepineapple juice and when you are ready to serve stir in the carbonated 2 liters of club soda (that's the fizz!).

Think Pink Drinks

The cocktail party is a cultural institution and in honor of BreastCancer Awareness Month we would like to take this time to offersome drink recipes that will help you to celebrate our sisterswho have fought the fight and those who are continuing to fightthe fight.

Some of these cocktail recipes I am sure you are more thanfamiliar with and some are a bit more abstract. I hope you willtry a couple of them out and decide which one is your favorite.

Absolute Me

2 parts Absolute Kurant

1 part Creme de Bananas

1 part cream

1 dash grenadine

orange juice

Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a highball glass. Decoratewith an orange and a maraschino cherry.

Everyone's favorite...The Cosmopolitan. This drink was made popularby "Sex and the City." My own favorite iteration of this popularcocktail is actually slightly different although close even by name it is still just asgood. This is a must try and your chance to be different! A fun way to keepthem guessing.

The Metropolitan

1 1/2 oz. vodka

1/2 oz. lime juice

3/4 oz. cranberry juice

1 dash creme de cassis

lime




Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass. Squeeze limewedge over drink before dropping into glass.

Pink Lady

2 oz. gin

1 tsp. grenadine

1/2 tsp cherry brandy

1/2 oz. heavy cream

1 egg white

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well.Strain into a martini glass.

This one is my niece's favorite, of course she is 10. Every good host shouldalways include non-alcoholic beverages for their guests. Although, many of ourfavorite cocktails can be made without any spirits.

The Shirley Temple

ginger ale

1 dash grenadine

orange

stemmed cherry

Add grenadine to a highball glass filled with ice; top with ginger ale. Decoratewith an orange slice or lime and cherry.

Frozen Rose

30 ml Tequila Rose liquer

30 ml White Tequila

1 dash triple sec

1 dash sour mix

Mix with crushed ice in a blender. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and decoratewith a strawberry and lime wedge.


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