A Light Lunch for Four

Have you ever wondered why the food in magazines like Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and Australia's Donna Hay always looks so good? It's not as if we can taste it—or smell it. We can't even hear it, as we do on television, where a carefully mixed medley of dicing, slicing, stirring, and sautéing conjures the illusion of a gourmet meal cooked right before us. As a former caterer and style editor for magazines, if there's one thing I learned about food, it's that people eat with their eyes. To that end, styling for shoots was all about knowing well ahead of time what's being served and how to make it as appetizing as possible. It was about having the right antique cutting board for the individual grilled pizzas or the perfect cake pedestal for the lemon coconut cake. In short, making pretty pictures out of food was about being prepared, and it's a process I go through every time I entertain. That way, I know my food will look (and taste!) as good as it can for my guests to enjoy. Entertaining, I've learned, isn't rocket science, but there's a formula to pulling it off with panache. It's one part skill and about ten parts preparation. You can serve the simplest food, a mix of store-bought and homemade, but if you've thought through the presentation, and executed it well, you're bound to succeed! Here's my process for a fun al fresco lunch Jaithan and I hosted here at the house not too long ago. 

 

It was an unseasonably warm afternoon, so I knew I wanted the food to be light and fresh. After some thought, I settled upon an Asian-inspired menu, and so to start, we began with a passed appetizer, a nibble of something small but pretty—sesame beef with Asian slaw on wonton crisps. No recipes as yet, I'm afraid, only the fast, spontaneous mixing of foods and flavors I've done for years, ever since culinary school. And for the main course—Vietnamese chicken in lettuce wraps with cucumber, mint, and cilantro. Preparation for this party began, as it often does, two, three days ahead when I started to experiment with presentation. Now I've worked many a cocktail party in my time, and there's nothing worse than the sauce of an hors d'oeuvre dribbling relentlessly down your shirt. Little butter pats like these from the flea market make the perfect plate for canapes. They're pretty while still keeping the food neat and organized. Then, to keep things light on the table, I decided on a footed ironstone bowl for the chicken, together with a mix of monogrammed coin silver spoons. That way, every guest would have a spoon throughout the meal without having to wait their turn. (Delayed gratification, Jaithan reminds me, is not my strong suit.) 

While the chicken would be served out of a single bowl, the fixings—Bibb lettuce, lime, cilantro, mint, cucumber, onion, and cashews—I decided to do individually. Each guest would have a plate (an ironstone oval platter to be precise) with everything they'd need, but to keep things from looking messy, I added three Handblown Glass Mugs at every setting, along with a low crystal bowl and demitasse spoon. The way I see it, it doesn't matter if I'm decorating or entertaining, there's always a new way to use old things: butter pats for hors d'oeuvres, over-sized platters for plates, punch mugs for vegetables, and demitasse spoons for cashews.   

Here in upstate New York, It's not often this spring the days have been hot, but on this particular afternoon, the temperature would reach 90 degrees. Dessert, like the rest of the meal, would have to be refreshing and light. At Adams Fairacre Farms in Rhinebeck, where Jaithan and I had shopped two days prior, the melons looked especially fresh. And so for dessert, I decided to do a simple mix of chilled honeydew and cantaloupe melon balls with fresh chiffonaded mint and homemade candied ginger. Now of course, if I were in the midst of the party, busily clearing lunch plates and preparing dessert, I'd simply grab the plates closest to me, though inevitably not the prettiest they could be. We've all been there—myself included. But this lunch was all about planning, and that includes dessert. So after a quick dip into the butler's pantry, I came up with this set of Pressed Glass Ginko Leaf Plates and bowls, together with vintage teak forks from the 60s. From the lettuce, cilantro, and mint in the wraps to the simple ferns on the table, greenery figured so prominently in this meal that I thought the leaf plates and bowls would work well.

The porch, like the rest of the house, is still very much a work in progress, but it's definitely where we'll be spending much of summer. For the table, I wanted to do something simple, informal but still polished with a mix of china, silver, linens, and glass, collected over years. The napkins are vintage Cannon dish towels with green banding I picked up at Elephant's Trunk in New Milford, Connecticut, while the tablecloth is homespun linen from a thrift store in Warrenton, Virginia.

Flowers, as you might know, I love, especially big, beautiful arrangements, but this table would be more about the food than the flowers. Simplicity was key, so in pressed glass ice cream cups repurposed as vases, I did three casual arrangements of ferns from the garden. I thought they added just the right amount of decoration and life to the table without overpowering it.

With the table all set and our guests from the city finally here, we began the afternoon with—what else?—cocktails! To complement the Asian-inspired menu, I mixed passion fruit and vodka with a splash of champagne and a spring of mint. 90 degrees never tasted so good!

For the base of the hors d'oeuvres, wontons cut into squares would have surely done the job but not nearly as beautifully as these. All I did was use a cookie cutter to press out the flower shapes, then fried, drained, and salted them. For a passed dessert, you could even pipe them with whipped cream, top each with sliced strawberry, then dust with powdered sugar instead of salt. How easy (and pretty) is that?  

While our guests sipped their drinks, I assembled the hors d'oeuvres, just to make sure the wontons were nice and crisp. The Asian slaw I made from cilantro, mint, nappa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, onion, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. The sesame beef I'd cooked two hours prior, let rest, then cut into bite-sized cubes. Next came the sesame-peanut sauce, topped with a garnish of fresh cilantro.

On a day as warm as this, a light, flavorful room-temperature hors d'oeuvre seemed the perfect way to whet our appetites. For the presentation, this antique cutting board I thought played nicely off the sesame beef. 

Also prior to the guests' arrival, I washed, cleaned, and chopped all the vegetables for the lettuce wraps. Something like this you could do up to two hours before the meal, cover them with damp paper towels, then refrigerate, so they're nice and fresh. The onions I'd soaked in water the night before, so they wouldn't be so harsh. Here are all the vegetables in handblown mugs, ready for the oval platters—cilantro in one, mint in another, onions, cucumber and lime in a third.  

The Vietnamese chicken I'd made the night before with ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. While that was heating up—aren't such things always better the next day anyway?—it was time to assemble the platters. Mugs to one side, crushed cashews in the bowl and the crisp centers of Bibb lettuce to round it out. I think it's fresh, organized, pretty and most important, appetizing.  

Here's the finished table right before we all sat down. To accompany the chicken, I chose to serve a light, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, well-chilled, from our friends at Little Gates.

The Sriracha chile sauce added a hint of hot and a pop of color. Together, the mix of textures and flavors made for a meal that was light, refreshing, and beautiful with plenty of hands-on interaction!    

And now for dessert! The melon balls I'd prepared the night before, but the mint I chiffonaded right beforehand, just to make sure it was fresh. The leaf plates, too, I'd thoroughly chilled, and judging from the ooohs and aaahs around the table, the flavors, it seemed, were balanced: the sweet of the melon, the spice of the ginger, and the cool of the mint. 

Entertaining, especially in the summer, should be fun, not too formal, with ingredients that are seasonal and fresh. So often I hear from people who are, in a way, overachiever entertainers, trying to whip up the fanciest, most exotic meals they possibly can. Truth is—even the simplest foods, thoughtfully presented, can make for the most memorable meals.

And what about you? What parties, big or small, are you planning to throw this summer?

Comments

[Cherry@NewburghRestoration]

love, loved, loved it! It's so true that you must take simple things to make them look magnificent. I loved the flowers!

[corinne steinmiller]

I live in Milwaukee and some of my neighbors live in the homes you pictured on
your blog. Milwaukee indeed has some very beautiful homes on Lake Michigan. Thank you for presenting them in such an inviting
fashion.

[Easy and Elegant Life]

How simply wonderful. SImple being the operative word. Like you, Jacques Pepin writes that these days he likes to take away things from the plate and concentrate on the freshness of the ingredients.

I like that you've let the world in on the secret to an elegant and easy dinner party -- preparation. I wish I had your eye for the delectable detail, though!

There is a dinner party here almost every weekend -- at least one. This summer, I'd like to throw a drinks party in the garden in the evening. Just for something less formal and very different.

[amanda]

outstanding! i love asian-inspired cuisine yet so seldom entertain with it...i will attempt this summer for sure! love the cocktail!

[Tricia - Avolli]

What a simple, yet beautiful presentation. The food and the table setting are perfection.

You have given me some ideas for a party we're throwing in two weeks...thanks!

Tricia - Avolli

[LIMOM]

Yet another useful, lovely post.

I have the great good fortune of having a cabana to escape to in the summer, so I do a lot of beach entertaining. I have a smallish fridge and a sink, hot plate, and a microwave. I can accomplish a lot but I am mindful not to overreach.

I do most of the prep work at home, pre-cooking pasta, washing salad greens, making the dressing, and marinating meats. That way putting a meal together is really about assembling the ingredients and grilling the meats.

You also have to have a sense of humor. I've had storms blow in out of nowhere and force me to order pizza as a main course. Sending the hubby to grill in a lightning storm would be a bad thing.

[Charla @ For the Sake of Time]

Even though your home is a "work in progress" your lovely meal is complete. You never cease to amaze me. I adore fern in the ice cream cups. It was the perfect touch to your tablescape. Each element was more perfect.

Thank you for all you share with all of us.

[Francine Gardner]

Help! i need to prepare for a graduation party for 30...i would love to translate your delicious elegant lunch for 30..will try my best. First, i need sunshine and lost of help in the kitchen..Any suggestions??

[Evelyn Weiss]

Fresh and yummy! And I love those white lilacs.

Ice cold gazpacho would look great in those glass mugs -- a favorite for another summer afternoon theme.

xoxo
Evy

[Kwana]

Now I'm so hungry. I want to come to lunch.

[suzq]

Funny you should mention grilled pizzas. I threw a Memorial Day porch dinner for my neighbors and that was on our menu!

My table is very narrow, which doesn't leave a lot of room for fru-fru. So I let the flowers overflowing in my flowerboxes provide the color and I keep the table bare of greenery. A colorful table cloth provides visual interest. However, I like the tiny arrangements and in the past, I've used those too. I find there's just not enough elbow room for flowers, plates, utensils and food.

[jerusalem]

oh that looks lovely!

[amy]

...looks SOOOO yummy - I wanna come over and dine with y'all!!

[Mona from Toronto]

Another fabulous table!! So much thought goes into all the details - it really does make a "casual" lunch extra special!! The food looks fantastic.

I can visualize myself at the table - so cozy and elegant!!

Thanks for sharing it!!

[leigh]

You inspire me! Not only was the food amazingly yummy - I am pretty sure I COULD smell it through the world wide web - I am completely inspired with how beautiful the table was. I want to shop in my own yard and just use the lush 'green' plants!

Cheers!

[julia buckingham edelmann]

This post is just delicious!
I featured it today on our blog www.materialgirlsblog.com
Loving the natural greens and the lovely simple pressed glass along with incredible linens. Natural and organic at it's best!

[hanako66]

It turned out gorgeous...how lucky your guests were!

I am planning on hosting a lunch for my mother's birthday and many a bbq!

[mary]

Such beautiful presentation -- I swear you could serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on that table, and they would taste fantastic! :)

I love coin silver spoons, too. In fact, I'll be posting some photos of my new estate sale finds tomorrow.

[LindsB]

Look so beautiful- I love how you used a simple centerpiece. And those lettuce wraps look delish, I think I will make some tonight- thanks for the idea!

[laura]

Fantastic, Eddie. I serve a dish similar to yours, but hadn't thought about the presentation quite like that. So apparantly, I'll be throwing a dinner party like yours!

I loved the picture of the hosta leaves all cut and ready to go - would love to see a photograph of the full finished arrangement .. we just saw the edges of it. I use cut hostas all the time, and would love to see some new ideas.

Thanks!

[Bette]

Eddie,

I guess I am glad we don't have the ability to hear the dishes, conversations, laughter and classical music playing. Thanks for the peek. That's why I'm a designer I can feel the vision. It is grand!

Bette

[Deborah]

Beautiful and refreshing! Your attention to every detail is inspiring. Deborah

[Artie]

You did an excellent job, worthy of any magazine. The food, the table, the presentation, the whole of it is just so impressive, and inspiring. Thank you for being so readily available to us, giving us inspiration through your posts.

[Sara Jane]

Can we PLEASE be best friends?! This is so beautiful and so quintessentially summer!

[julie at BV]

Everything looks yummy.

[The Blushing Hostess]

This is a great example of how beautiful shots can still be achieved in good light at home. I wish more blogs would be attentive to their photos as the food does not look appealing and I never read there again! Anyway, the styling is lovely and the lunch looks heathly and light. Well done as always.

[seleta]

Oh my gosh, this is amazing. Beautiful, elegant and delicious? Of course, it's Eddie style. How I wish I would have visited you during the warm months!

I love to make a fresh batch of chicken salad coupled with croissants and fresh fruit for a yummy lunch after a day with at the beach with little ones and friends. And fresh-squeezed lemonade is always in order!

xoxo
Seleta

[Grant K. Gibson]

I am so glad that you posted a lovely cooking story as they are my favorite (well- all that you do it my favorite- what am I saying).
Looked like such a lovely lunch!

[stephanie]

Eddie.. you are BRILLIANT!! The FERNS!!!!! Thank you for the inspiration,THIS was one of my favorite posts!!!

[Andreadu]

fantastico!!!
http://andreacarucci.style.it/

[Shawn]

Eddie and Jaithan, simply a feast for all the senses - and the attention to detail! Another one for the Eddie's Ideas collection I am keeping; and I'm sure I'm not the only one doing this. It's definitely time for you to publish a book!! As always, thanks for the inspiration, and more please.

[gardeniagirl]

This proves that it's time for ERLO (Eddie Ross Living Omnimedia).

[Ralphie]

Hi Eddie,

The table settings look great, the food even better - yum! I remember your dining porch too! I really like the idea of that - a great place for good friends to meet for lunch or dinner. Great post Eddie!

Thanks
Adieu!

[Terri]

Heavenly Eddie - you make everything look easy! And you are right about the preparation. It takes a lot of time and thought to give things that relaxed and soothing look but worth the effort for the visual bliss it creates!

[Diann]

That is alovely spread. I'm copying that cocktail...always looking to use up the mint from my yard. A person can only serve so many Mojitos!

[Della]

I love that you bought a table cloth in my town! That is great- Warrenton really doesn't have that many thrift stores:)

[.amanda.]

oh everything looks so cool and crisp! I just love green and white together in the early summer!

[afroburbs]

This is the best post ever! Where have you been all my adult life? My husband is celebrating his 40th B-day. Iwant to have a simple "get together." This is exactly what I want to duplicate. ABFAB!

[Shandell's]

A beautiful post, fabulous for all the senses.
XO
Susan

[Karena]

Lovely, yet I would expect no less...from you!

[Alicia]

You had me at hosta...leaves that is!!!
Fresh, florid & flavorful finessed by the best..what else would I expect???
I think you may love ediblehudsonvalley.com

Enjoy the Hudson River Valley for me....

[Molly]

Seriously...you are AMAZING! Your thought process blows me away. I have a feeling that your guests never want to leave after serving them such a well planned meal! Thanks for all your insight.

[Kelly]

Eddie, this is my first blog with you.....
what a fabulous menu....and your porch and table setting are SO lovely, fresh and inviting! These are great dishes for a picnic menu also! How super simple but so full of flavor! Love it all! Can't wait to mix up one of those cocktails! Did you name it?

[Naomi]

I want to come over! Everything looks so fresh and crisp...

[Kathysue]

Oh Eddie I have missed you blogging about entertaining. This was amazing. The presentation was beyond fresh and beautiful. I loved every single thing you did to your meal and table. This is the amazing EDDIE I have grown to love and admire. Thankyou for sharing your talents you are an inspiration. Hugs Kathysue

[mary]

This was a great post!!!!! Entertaining, like everything else, is in the details. Thanks .... I needed to be reminded of the details!

[Trintiy]

I am so happy I have found your blog! It's amazing! I love old things too! reading your blog is just a wonderful way to educate myself even more on some of the beauties I look for when thrift store shopping. Thank you!

[Melissa]

Eddie,
Your blog is one of my favorites. I can't tell you how happy and inspired your blog makes me! I especially like how you break everything down step by step. I can't wait to see your house as you continue to renovate. Thank you for being you!

[Mike D]

Eddie, My Summer dinner party will be salmon with cucumber dill sauce, saffron rice and asaparagus. Desset will be lemon meragune pie. I have done this before and the colors work beautifully together.

[suzanne]

I am salivating as i read- Deee-lish- Will be in Atlanta on the 13th hope I will run into you at Scotts -

Suzanne

[lulwa]

perfection!!

[Kate@ Kids and Cocktails]

Looks great! Can't wait to meet y'all in June!

[redbrickbuilding]

Those ferns are absolutely perfect! Simple and gorgeous.

[Megan]

The pictures look like something out of a magazine and the food looks like something served in a restaurant. Looks delicious!

[Emily @ Peach & Pearl]

I have to say, presentation matter much more to me than the actual food. I love it!

[cj]

I so agree that its fun to have a meal where the "hands" are busy. One of my favorite family meals when the kids were younger and we had company was to do an asian hot pot meal where everyone had to work like crazy to feed themselves. It was something our adult children still talk about. I could see some white canvas drapes on your porch to keep some of the heat and mosquitos at bay! Loved the ferns.

[Kate]

Am I the only one that gasped at the close up pictures? The food looks so good I could eat it off the screen.

Fabulous, Eddie! Fabulous!

[Ana Elizabeth]

Eddie, this was beautiful! One of my fave posts so far. I think I'll give those recipes a try. =)

www.confessionsofadesigner.blogspot.com

[An Aesthete's Lament]

I'm looking at my piazza right now and bowing my head in shame.

[Karen]

What an inspiration! Can't wait to get home from the beach and start having some fun with dinners on the porch and patio. Thanks so much for the beautiful post - you are the spark of our imagination!

[julie - eab designs]

A pefect way to spend a warm spring day! Will definitely try your asian beef appetizers with the cut-out wontons. Thanks for sharing all the details - so inpsiring.

[Maria]

Your flatware and glassware collection is lovely. It's genius to have an inventory from which to pull.

If you haven't yet, a future post on how you accumulate and store your (many) pieces would be interesting.

The best part - as the commenter above noted - you make it look easy, which is how entertaining should be.

[elaine]

What an absolutely beautiful table setting! Thank you for sharing with us step by step how you put everything together. I love the idea of using the butter pats for hors d'oeuvres.

[S. W. Design]

I think the most successful tablescapes are those that use (as you so often illustrate) objects, familiar or unusual, in unexpected ways. I know that whenever I've used items in an unconventional way, I always get comments and compliments. This technique works equally well when applied to room styling or even fashion. Always great to see someone "thinking outside the box." (I apologize for the cliche ;))

[Zita - Mlle Magpie]

Such a refreshing and fabulous spread, Eddie. Just perfect!

[Jackie]

Wow! This menu would make CO'H proud...you two are honorary Vietnamese boys. This story was so much fun and inspirational. Please write a book S-O-O-N!

[Mrs. Blandings]

Gorgeous, fresh and festive. I have a little fete in July that I can't wait for!

[Lori Stewart]

The pictures were very beautiful. I enjoyed everything so much. Thank you for sharing!

[pigtown design]

Amazing, as ever, Eddie!

[sophiedahydesigns]

I enjoy reading your BLOG, Eddie. You love beautiful things and live life to the fullest. What a special person you are!

[Jill]

Of course it looks amazing! I love the glasses on the plate... so unexpected yet functional!

[Margaret]

You're amazing, Eddie. And now I know -- culinary school too! Wow, talk about multi-talented! Thanks for the look into how you prepare for entertaining. It was wonderful!

[pve]

Oh how positively fresh and green with envy over your presentation. I love that you put time and energy into everything, and yet make it all look easy and elegant! :)

[Frances Jackson]

I love your attention to detail, even simplicity requires those touchs! And your presentation is always right on target. I'm sure the lettuce wraps were scrumptious, as were your appetizers.How cute are those cut out wontons?! The gingko pressed glass plates are so pretty and just right for this spring time luncheon. Your table is elegant and the ferns were so simple but such a perfect fit. As always I love what you do and how you do it.

[Ali]

Devine , Simply Devine ! Look forward to some of your wonderful summer recipes to use in the tropics of australia ! It is never cold , so we love summer inspired cooking !

[Vicki Archer]

This is a delicious lunch Eddie and if you don't mind I will replicate it one day in France - I think it would translate well in the summer on a very hot day, light and refreshing. Such a pretty table too...Happy weekend, xv

[Mary Beth]

We have a summer home on a lake in Northeast Iowa. I have ALWAYS wanted to do a dinner ON THE DOCK.
(I know I saw it in a magazine once.)
I even fantasized about doing a dinner on the FROZEN lake this past winter. Oh, how beautiful that would be if done right!
So, for now, I just might try dinner ON the dock.....at dusk......when everything is quieting down and the sun sinks into the Iowa sky. I'll take pics if we do it!

[ABCOroville]

What a fabulous feast for the eyes and the stomach. Perfection.
Home run.

[Angie]

Stunning!!! What a wonderful inspirational post Eddie!! You make everything look so amazing and I'm sure that your guests feel like royalty!
Thanks for sharing!Check out my blog to see a pic of my 'Eddie-inspired' shopping for entertaining....

[Jennifer]

Simply beautiful, Eddie. I have struggled with entertaining simply and elegantly for so long. Unfortunately it is also something not really appreciated in our small town, so that makes it quite discouraging as well. I do love your inspiration and want to throw a fabulous evening dinner party this summer. Thanks for the swift kick that was needed to get the ball rolling!

[A Life More Fabulous]

Eddie this looks divine! You made it look so easy!