3 Ways to Eco-tain
One of my favorite mantras includes a slightly different take on the three Rs “reuse, reduce, recycle.” I like to reuse, recycle, and repurpose. It’s important to be environmentally friendly all year round, but in honor of Earth Day, here are 3 ways you can “eco-tain” or in other words, be eco-friendly while entertaining!
1. Be a local-vore.
Buying food that is grown and produced locally supports your local farmers and community. Being a local-vore means that you are promoting energy conservation because less resources are expended during packaging and transporting goods. A good rule of thumb is to purchase foods that are grown within a 100 mile radius and anything further requires more transportation expense in the form of a larger carbon footprint.
2. Use earth-friendly products.
Nowadays, you can find products that are made from 100% recycled materials and are BPA free. Some products are even dishwasher safe and reusable. Other products are biodegradable or compostable, making them great for outdoor parties and picnics if accidentally left behind. Two of our favorite eco-flatware are recycled knives, forks and spoons and all purpose iHeart multipurpose utensil.
3. Clean with green.
When the party’s over, remember to always recycle or repurpose instead of throwing them in the trash. If you have to “trash,” use trash bags made from repurposed plastic for those items that just can’t be recycled and clean with green products! There are so many household cleaning products that have biodegradable formulas, so keep those in mind when you’re washing dishes and cleaning off table surfaces.
Resources for eco-taining:
Susty Party
iHeart
Seventh Generation
Hamptons Celebrity-Style Entertaining
Mark Addison has spotted celebrities all over the Hamptons this summer at the hottest restaurants enjoying East End favorites. Mark has the DL on what was touching the lips of some of the biggest celebrities and will share his “chic-rets” to Celebrity Entertaining in the Hamptons with a throw-down menu of summer cocktails, apps, salads and the famous Stuart’s Clam Bake.
https://vimeo.com/48101009
Celebrity Cocktails
Southside
from The Living Room c/o The Maidstone Inn; East Hampton, NY
Georgica Peach
from Georgica; Wainscott, NY
G6 Margarita
from Georgica; Wainscott, NY
Hot Sides
Zucchini Chips
from Nick & Toni’s Restaurant; East Hampton, NY
Manhattan and New England Clam Chowder
from Bostwick’s Chowder House; East Hampton, NY
Summer Salads
Chop Salad
from 75 Main; Southampton, NY
Endive Salad with Lobster
from 75 Main; Southampton, NY
The Main Event
Clam Bakes To Go
from Stuart’s Seafood; Amagansett, NY
Decorating the Table with Lands’ End
from KMart; Southampton, NY
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
The Southside
Recipe from from The Living Room c/o The Mainstone Inn; East Hampton, NY
Ingredients:
- Fresh Mint
- Simple Syrup
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Soda Water
- 2 oz of Your choice of Tanqueray Gin, Ketel One Vodka, Don Julio Blanca Tequila or Rum
Method:
- Muddle mint in a cocktail shaker. Add in liquor (gin, vodka, tequila or rum), fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and shake with ice
- Strain over ice into a Collins Glass
- Top with soda water and garnish with mint
Celebrity Spotting: Alec Baldwin and his new wife Hilaria celebrated their post wedding reception at The Living Room c/o The Madistone Inn
The Living Room c/o The Maidstone Inn Website
For more of Mark’s “Chic-rets” to Hamptons Celebrity Entertaining, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Georgica Peach
Recipe from from the Georgica; Wainscott, NY
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Ketel One vodka
- Fresh peach puree
- Simple syrup
- Champagne
Method:
- In a cocktail shaker full of ice, add Ketel One vodka and peach puree
- Shake vigorously until chilled and strain into a champagne flute
- Top with champagne and enjoy
Celebrity Spotting: Sofia Viagra celebrated her engagement to Nick Lobe at Georgica
For more of Mark’s “Chic-rets” to Hamptons Celebrity Entertaining, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
G6 Margarita
Recipe from the Georgica; Wainscott, NY
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Don Julio Blanca Tequila
- 1 oz St Germaine Elderflower Liqueur
- Pink Grapefuit Juice
- Lime Juice
Method:
- Combine Tequila Don Julio Blanco, elderflower liqueur, and fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.
- Strain over ice into a rocks glass and top with pink grapefruit juice.
Celebrity Spotting: Sofia Viagra celebrated her engagement to Nick Lobe at Georgica
For more of Mark’s “Chic-rets” to Hamptons Celebrity Entertaining, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Zucchini Chips
Recipe from Nick & Toni’s; East Hampton, NY
Ingredients:
- 2 medium-sized zucchini, finely sliced on a mandolin
- 1 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1/2 cup milk (or more if needed)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- enough canola oil to cover 2 inches of a deep skillet or griddle
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Method:
- Sprinkle the salt over the sliced zucchini and let them rest in a colander or a plate for about 15 minutes. This will remove some of the moisture from the zucchini. Then arrange in a single layer on some paper towels and pat dry.
- Heat the oil until very hot. I don’t even really know a temperature, but like Satan’s gym hot.
- Pour the milk into a shallow dish. Combine the flour, onion powder, garlic salt and cayenne in another shallow dish, tossing to incorporate.
- Then it’s just an assembly line. You’ll dip the zucchini into the milk, then into the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. And then into the hot oil they go. Fry for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all slices are good and fried. (don’t overcrowd) I didn’t photograph the frying because I’m a total sissy.
- Serve chips with another good sprinkle of coarse salt and garnished with chopped fresh parsley.
Celebrity Spotting: favorites of Steve Spielberg among many…
Nick & Toni’s Restaurant Website
For more of Mark’s “Chic-rets” to Hamptons Celebrity Entertaining, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Manhattan and New England Clam Chowder
Recipes from Bostwick’s Chowder House; East Hampton, NY
Manhattan Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
- 2 slices bacon (can sub with 2 more Tbsp olive oil)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 ounces of tomato juice, strained tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
- 1 14-ounce can of clam broth or juice*
- 2 10-ounce cans of baby clams, juice reserved*
- 1 pound waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- A dozen or so live small clams, such as littlenecks or Manila clams
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Tabasco or other hot sauce
*If using fresh quahogs, scrub clean a dozen or more quahogs. Place clams in a small pot and add two cups of water. Bring water to a boil. Cover the pot and steam the clams until they completely open, about 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove clams from pot and set aside. Strain the clam steaming liquid through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to catch any grit, reserving the liquid. Remove the clams from the shells, chop. Use chopped clams in place of canned. Use steaming liquid in place of clam broth.
Method:
- Render the bacon fat. Slowly cook the bacon with the olive oil until the bacon is crispy. Remove, chop and set aside. Turn the heat to medium-high and sauté the carrots, celery and onion until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Do not brown the vegetables. Return chopped bacon to the pot.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the herbs, tomato juice, clam broth and the juice from the canned clams, mix well, then add the potatoes. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently until the potatoes are done, about 30-40 minutes.
- When the potatoes are tender, add the canned clams and the live clams, cover the pot and simmer until the live clams open up, about 5-10 minutes. Add Tabasco, salt and black pepper to taste.
New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 celery stalks (reserve tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into 1/2- inch cubes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly.
- Add the stock, juice from 2 cans of chopped clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender.
- Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.
Celebrity Spotting: Local haunt for Alec Baldwin and his new wife, Cameron Diaz, Molly Sims, and Jack Nicholson.
Bostwick’s Chowder House Website
For more of Mark’s “Chic-rets” to Hamptons Celebrity Entertaining, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Chop Salad
Recipe from 75 Main; Southampton, NY
Ingredients:
- Red Leaf Lettuce
- Candied Walnuts
- Roasted Red Pepper
- Dried Cranberries
- Gorgonzola Cheese
Celebrity Spotting: Favorite dish of Joe Biden, Lindsey Lohan and Kim Kardashian
75 Main Restaurant and Lounge Website
For more of Mark’s “Chic-rets” to Hamptons Celebrity Entertaining, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Endive Salad with Lobster
Recipe from 75 Main; Southampton, NY
Ingredients:
- Endive
- Grape Tomatoes
- Avocado
- Basil
- Steamed Lobster
- Shaved Fennel (an addition by Mark Addison)
Celebrity Spotting: Kevin Bacon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Seacrest, and Howard Stern frequent the restaurant with friends and family.
75 Main Restaurant and Lounge Website
For more of Mark’s “Chic-rets” to Hamptons Celebrity Entertaining, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Clambakes To Go
Recipe from Stuart’s Seafood; Amagansett, NY
Ingredients (per person):
- 1 – 1 ¼ lb Lobster
- ½ pound of Steamers or 6 Little Neck Clams
- ½ pound Mussels
- 1 ear of Corn on the Cob
- ½ dozen Red Potatoes
Method:
- The clam bake comes layered in a disposable kettle that is ready for the stovetop, grill or beach fire cooking.
Celebrity Spotting: Stuart’s is a favorite of Gwyneth Paltrow and her mother, Blythe Danner. Jerry Seinfeld also has a house account at Stuart’s and comes in quite often.
How to make your own Clam Bake
Ingredients:
- 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup finely chopped mixed herbs, suck as parsley, chives, and thyme
- Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pounds creamer potatoes
- 8 ears corn
- 4 pounds kielbasa, cut into pieces, 8 dozen hard-shell clams, such as cherrystone or littleneck
Method:
- Dig a shallow pit in the sand and line it with large stones. Pile wood on top of the coals. Burn the wood for 1 to 2 hours until the rocks are red hot; rake off the ashes. Set 1 cinder block on each corner of the pit to form the base; lay a barbecue grate on top to make a table.
- While the stones are heating prepare the herb butter: Mix the butter with the cheese and herbs; season it with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Place a thick layer of seaweed on the grate. Place a layer of potatoes on the rack and cover them with a thin layer of seaweed. Put the corn on next and then another thin layer of seaweed. Now put on the kielbasa and top it with a thin layer of seaweed. Next mound the clams on top and cover with a thick layer of seaweed. Cover the entire bake with burlap or a tarp soaked in sea water. Keep the tarp wet by pouring sea water over the top if needed. Cook until the clams open and the potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.
- Pull the husks back from the corn and remove the silk. Brush generously with the herb butter and garnish with grated Parmesan.
For more of Mark’s “Chic-rets” to Hamptons Celebrity Entertaining, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hamptons
With years of experience and industry knowledge, Designer and Entertaining Expert, Mark Addison, shares his tricks of the trade with an exciting new party planning series, Entertain! While enjoying the party, guests are “schooled” on the makings of a successful event, from learning how to prepare the menu to step-by-step instructions on how to create inspired table decor. Mark will arm these ladies with pro party planning tools and tips to be prepared for any entertaining challenge.
Fairy Tales do come true. Mark will show you how to incorporate the age old fairy tales into an intimate gathering with your girlfriends. Using both “Happily Ever After” Fairy Tales and “Grimm” Fairy Tales, Mark will concoct the perfect party menu filled with tale-icious cocktails, a magical menu and an imaginary world of decor.
Click the links below for more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hamptons
Tale-icious Cocktails:
Poison Apple
Stroke of Midnight
Sleeping Potion
Magical Menu:
Princess and the Pea Soup
Beauty and the Beet Salad
Jack and the Bean Dip
Gingerbread Trifles with Sugared Candies
Lady Slippers
Sweet and Savory Nuts
How to set the table with:
Imaginary World of Decor
Click the link below to download Mark’s Entertain U Fairy Tale Recipe Cards!
Entertain U Fairy Tale Recipe Cards
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Poison Apple
Serve in a champagne flute
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Smirnoff apple vodka
- 2 oz Sparkling Apple Cider
- 2 oz fresh pressed Apple Juice
- Splash of grenadine
- Candied ginger for garnish
Method:
- In a large cocktail shaker, combine apple vodka and apple juice. Shake well.
- Fill an eye dropper with grenadine and set off to the side with a bowl of candied ginger.
- Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker into a champagne flute, top off with sparkling apple cider, add three drops of grenadine to the cocktail from the eye dropper and garnish with a piece of candied ginger.
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Stroke of Midnight
Serve in a martini glass
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ oz Smirnoff vodka
- ¾ oz Kahlua coffee liqueur
- ¼ oz crème de cacao
- 1 oz cold Nespresso espresso
Method:
- Pour the vodka, Kahlua, crème de cacao, and espresso into a cocktail shaker with ice
- Shake well
- Strain into a chilled wine glass
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Sleeping Potion
Serve in an all purpose glass
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Smirnoff Raspberry vodka
- 1 oz lime juice
- 1 oz fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 orange curl
- 2 oz Soda Water
Method:
- Pour the vodka and lime juice into a shaker with ice
- Shake well and serve on the rocks
- Using a eye dropper, squeeze fresh squeezed orange juice from an apothecary jar into the vodka and lime juice for color and taste.
- Garnish with an orange curl
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Creamy Pea Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cups chopped leeks, which and light green parts (2 leeks)
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 2 ½ cups freshly shelled peas
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
- 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup creme fraiche
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- Prosciutto Bacon
Method:
- Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and onion and cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is tender.
- Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
- Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes, until the peas are tender.
- Take off the heat, add the mint and ground pepper.
- Puree the soup in the saucepan using an immersion blender on slow until smooth.
- Whisk in the crème fraiche and chives and taste for seasoning.
- Spoon pea soup into small cordial glasses or bowls and garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and prosciutto bacon.
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Jack and the Bean Dip
Ingredients:
- 1 pound cooked cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 12 slices of Pepperidge Farm Thin Sliced White and Wheat Bread
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
- Crown shaped Wilton cookie cutter
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cut each piece of bread into pieces with a crown shaped Wilton cookie cutter
- Arrange the crown shaped bread on a large baking sheet
- Pour the remaining oil over the pitas
- Toss and spread out the wedges evenly
- Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper
- Bake for 8-12 minutes or until tasted and golden in color
- Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree
- Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, and 1/3 cup olive oil in the work bowl of a food processor
- Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste
- Transfer the bean puree into a small bowl
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Beauty and the Beet Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 medium grilled beets, scrubbed, trimmed and cut in half
- 1/3 cup candied pecans
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 (10 oz) package mixed baby salad greens
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 oz goat cheese, 1 medallian for each serving
Method:
- Place beets onto the grill with a bit of olive oil until tender. Let cool, then cut into cubes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.
- Place in a large helping of baby greens on each serving dish or bowl, divide candied pecans equally and sprinkle over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the green, and top with medallians of goat cheese.
- Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Gingerbread Trifles with Sugar Candies
Ingredients:
- Gingerbread cake
- Fresh whipped cream with a hint of Chambord
- Fresh Blackberries
- Push Pop containers
- Candied Ginger
Method:
- Using circular cookie cutters, cut the gingerbread into small circles a bit smaller than the mouth of the push pop container. Using the push pop containers, layer the gingerbread cake, blackberries and whipped cream alternating each layer.
- Top off each trifle with whipped cream and garnish with candied ginger and fresh blackberries.
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Lady Slippers
Ingredients:
- Lady Fingers
- White Chocolate Candy Melts
- Fresh Raspberries
- Pearl Luster Dust
- Fresh whipped Cream
- Pearl sugar pieces
Method:
- Melt the chocolate candy melts in a double boiler or chocolate melter until it is smooth
- Dip the flat end of the raspberry into the melted chocolate and apply it to the underside of the lady finger at one end.
- Once chocolate is hardened, turn the lady finger over and pipe a small amount of whipped cream on the opposite end of the lady finger from the raspberry.
- Dust with a small amount of pearl luster dust and garnish with fresh whipped cream with pearl sugar pieces.
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Sweet and Savory Nuts
For Rosemary Spiced Pecans:
Ingredients:
- Vegetable Oil
- 6 cups whole unsalted pecans
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons ground chipotle powder (or another spice like ancho chili pepper or Spanish paprika)
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves, divided
- Kosher Salt
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil, or cover with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the nuts.
- In another small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, and chipotle powder (or other spice) and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into the nuts and toss well.
- Add the chopped rosemary and 2 teaspoons of salt and toss again.
- Spread the nuts in one layer on the baking pan. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 more teaspoons of salt and remaining 2 tablespoons of rosemary
- Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning. Serve warm or completely cool in an airtight storage containers at room temperature.
For Vanilla Lavender Cashews:
Ingredients:
- Vegetable Oil
- 6 cups whole unsalted roasted cashews
- ¼ cup lightly brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons ground vanilla beans
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh lavender, divided
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Brush a sheet pan generously with vegetable oil, or cover with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the nuts.
- In another small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, the brown sugar, honey, and ground vanilla and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into the nuts and toss well.
- Add the chopped lavender and toss again.
- Spread the nuts in one layer on the baking pan. Roast the nuts for 25 minutes, stirring twice with a large spatula, until the nuts are glazed and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of lavender
- Toss well and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking as they cool. Taste for seasoning, add salt if needed. Serve warm or completely cool in an airtight storage containers at room temperature.
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Fairy Tale Decor
Fairy Tale Tablecloth
When planninging the perfect Fairy Tale event, it is quite simple. Start with a golden embroidered tablecloth as the start of the fairy tale tabletop. This table linen is from William Sonoma and can be found at your local store.
Napkin Rings and Linen Napkins
Your napkin rings and linen napkins should be simple. Use gold or silver paper with Mark’s Table Chameleon Napkin Rings to accompany white or ivory linen napkins.
Lighting
Using small gold and silver votive holders and votive candles, add a bit of ambiance to the tabletop.
Golden Beanstalk Centerpieces
Using glass vases and floral frogs, place grape vines in the vases. The floral frogs should keep the vines in place.
Add hydrangeas, fresh lavender and lilies to the arrangement by placing them in the spaces between the vines.
Fill the bottom of the vase with colored pebbles to hide the floral frog.
Fill the vase 3/4 with water and place in the center of your table.
For longer tables, create several small arrangements to run the length of the table.
A Magical Setting
Make colored paste by combining gel food coloring, vodka and confectionary sugar.
Using a rose stencil and a stencil brush, apply the colored paste to the plates to create a rose pattern on the rims of the white dinner plates. You may also decorate these plates free form as Ann Mercogliano from LIVE From The Couch and Mark did in the picture above.
Allow to dry before plating with food.
Place the decorated plates on top of oval mirrors to create a magical effect on your tabletop.
Garnish the table with additional mirrors of numerous sizes to add dimension to the tabletop. Glass domes atop mirrors with single rosebuds add another great touch to the table.
Stagger colorful pillows on the chairs and benches to allow extra comfort for your guests. The pillows shown above are from Judy Ross textiles and can be found here.
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Entertain U Fairy Tale Recipe Cards
To download Mark’s Entertain U Fairy Tale Recipe Cards, click here!
For more of Mark’s Entertain U – A Fairy Tale in the Hampton’s, click here!
“Like Me” on Facebook and “Follow Me” on Twitter for more recipes, tips and tricks!
Hamptons Table Top Tips
I was asked to interview with KDHamptons.com about my famous tabletop tips for entertaining in the Hamptons. On top of my tabletop tips, I share my favorite Hamptons hot spots, restaurants, caterers, florists and many more.
To view the article, click here!
“Like Us” on Facebook or “Follow Us” on Twitter for more tips, tricks and recipes!
Summer Eco-taining Essentials
Memorial Day is THE party kick-off event of the summer entertaining season. Get the party started right with my Summer Entertaining Essentials for Summer entertaining on-the-go or on demand.
I will share my picks for this summer’s entertaining must-haves that will take you through every summer holiday and every day summer entertaining whenever they pop up. Also, I will ensure that you’ll be entertaining in style as he brings the latest fashions to your tabletop with his “colors of the season” entertaining décor tips… And throw away those paper plates, for good, because I have great tips on environmentally friendly, sustainable entertaining for your summer eco-taining arsenal.
https://vimeo.com/42851366
Setting the table for the perfect summer entertaining on-the-go or on demand is as simple as 1-2-3!
First, start with the perfect bag of party tricks! I believe that keeping all your Summer entertaining essentials in one convenient and easy accessible place is key. My go-to Summer tote is make of Land’s End canvas and is the perfect eco-friendly Summer carrying bag made by Lands’ End. It is water resistant with plenty of storage for all your essentials.
Beach towels do double duty as picnic blankets or tablecloths. Fun vintage inspired pattern help set the festive tone. This beach towel, provided by Lands’ End is the perfect Vintage pattern tying in the color palette from the entire table.
Second, throw away those paper plates, for good! and opt for Bamboo plates, silverware, and serving pieces. These items, made by Core Bamboo, are made from 100% organically grown bamboo. They are finished with natural oils to make them food safe and the lacquer comes from natural cashew trees. If and when you do throw them away, they are 100% biodegradable and compostable, leaving you guilt free!
Thirdly, bring the hottest fashion colors to your Summer party with re-usable and disposable napkins. MY DRAP tear-off napkins are the only 100% cotton napkins on a roll that come in a variety of colors and sizes that can be mixed and matched for a mega dose of fashion colors. Guests get the feel of cloth napkins in a disposable that are good for the environment, making you “look marvelous” (and feel marvelous too)! The best part about these napkins is they can be washed and reused up to six times!
The perfect compliment to the MY DRAP napkins is the Table Chameleon Napkin Rings, which I designed and produced and are the perfect summer entertaining essential! The Table Chameleon Napkin Rings are designed to bring a bit of character to your table in whatever way you please with a variety of colors and styles. Easy to use, the 3/4″ thick hand-cut acrylic rings are held together with magnets and feature inserts in four different designs – London, Ada, Saturn and Miami – in the colors, red blue, orange, and green. To switch out the inserts, there are four simple steps: slide, slip, snap and create! All you have to do is slide the pieces apart, slip in the insert, snap the two pieces together and create the look you want for your table! For more information or to purchase The Table Chameleon, go to my website!
To be the ULTIMATE Eco-tainer, make sure you party like a Local-vore!
A local-vore is a person dedicated to eating food grown and produced locally. There are a lot of reasons to eat locally grown and produced foods.
- Less resources (primarily fossil fuels) are expended packaging and easy transporting from Farm to Table.
- It supports the local economy – more money remains in our local community.
- It is healthier – processing and preservatives are less important since the food doesn’t have to travel so far.
- It is safer and thus local-vores are less susceptible to foodborn illnesses.
- It is more honest – honesty in terms of the food source and the growing/producing process.
- And last but not least – it tastes better!
Here are a few examples for shopping for like a local-vore that I incorporated into this segment by shopping right here in NYC:
Asparagus – NJ Native
Beef – PA Native
Mushrooms – NJ Native
Cheese – NY Native
Crab Cakes – NJ Native
Tomatoes – NJ Native
“Like Us” on Facebook and “Follow Us” on Twitter for more of Mark’s recipes, tips and tricks!
