Look Who's Coming To Dinner

James Carville & Mary Matalin. That's who tops my list of dream dinner guest couples. Bill & Hillary, sure. Rudy & Judith Giuliani, they'd be fun. Can you imagine the sparks flying in that room?

You see, the trick to a good dinner party is the right mix of guests. A left winger here, a good ole boy republican there, throw in a feminist or two, and you're good. But when you're planning a dinner party specifcally for couples, you have to be a little more imaginative. James and Mary get the job done because they are each accomplished, interesting, and outspoken in their own right. As a couple, they defy logic (in a good way). They should be at every couple's dinner party.

So who would you invite to your dream couples' dinner party?

Ten Reasons to Engage Patrician Company

1. We have already done this many times before; you only have one chance to do this right…or your guests will remember only the mistakes;

2. When you are HOSTING, you should not look like you are WORKING the event; take care of your guests; we will take care of the details;

3. WE take care of THIS business, so you can take care of your core business, which, after all, allows you to be successful enough to be hosting the event;

4. We are a creative team that can make almost any theme work for your event;

5. Because this is OUR business, we have stronger relationships with vendors;

6. This often results in better prices for your event, by known, quality providers;

7. And usually results in better service to your guests, the ultimate audience;

8. When resources are scarce, our vendors will want to take care of our company because we are a repeat buyer of their services;

9. Often there is a net cost saving by using our expertise in events production;

10. We want your event to be so successful that you engage us again…


And, WE never run out of ice!!!!

The gin about Gin

Usually associated with Britain and things British, gin is a Dutch creation, the mandatory ingredient in a true martini, that Italian name for an American drink.
Gin began in Holland, the creation of Dr. Franciscus Sylvius, professor of medicine at the University of Leyden in the seventeenth century. He flavored alcohol with juniper berries and other “botanicals”.
Gin now is commonly accepted as an unaged liquor made by distilling grains such as barley, corn or rye. Its bouquet comes from juniper berries, coriander, herbs and spices, usually added to the grain mash during distillation. The gin is stored in glass, earthenware or stainless steel containers, but does not mature in these. The storage time serves only to harmonize the product. Differences in the botanicals and the intensity, or subtlety, of flavor are what provide the bases for debate among gin lovers. Caraway, anise, almond, orris root, angelica root, coriander seed, cassia bark, citrus peel, and even cucumber or buffalo grass are flavors that may be added to develop individual gins.
The most popular style of gins for the American market is London Dry.
London Dry is a style of gin that began, not surprisingly, in England’s capital. Unlike various whiskeys, where the softer water of Ireland or Scotland is preferred, the harder water in London was believed to deliver the clarity that gins display. Boodles, Beefeater and Bombay are well known gins in this style. London gins are typically made with corn and maybe a little rye and/or barley.
American gins, such as Seagram’s Extra Dry are usually in the London Dry style.
Britain is also home to the Plymouth style of gins. Commonly associated with the Royal Navy, Plymouth was first made in 1793 in that city. With its softer water and different mineral content, Plymouth gin is softer and not as dry as its London counterpart.
The use of genever (Dutch for juniper) started the first style of Dutch gins. The most popular of Holland’s gins, Genever (NOT Geneva) gins are made with malted barley, corn and rye. They are stronger and more robust than the London Dry, and will have a noticeably heavier and almost smoky-bread scent. Some Genever gins will have a hint of caraway flavors. De Kuyper and Bols are major Genever gin producers from Holland.
However, Holland also produces other gins, not in the Genever style, including Leyden and Damrak. Remember, Genever came from the name of the berry, but the style is determined by the three malted grains, barley, corn and rye.
Gin was the original white spirit beverage but has lost market share to vodka’s impressive popularity. However, as gin makes new strides to gain ground, several boutique, cult gins are being developed. They may have more variety of flavor contributors. Try Junipero, a designer gin from the Bay Area.
Scotland’s oldest independent bottler, Cadenhead’s, www.wmcadenhead.com is much better known for its scotch whisky and even rum and cognac, but if you can find Old Raj Gin, you have discovered one of Cadenhead’s newer treasures. It recently won a Silver Award at the San Francisco Spirits Competition. But be aware, Cadenhead’s produces higher strengths than most. It has a 46% (by volume) red label and a 55% (by volume blue) label. The telling botanical for Cadenhead’s? It uses saffron, which imparts a pale yellow color. Cadenhead’s chairman personally handles the addition of saffron in order to maintain a consistent flavor and color in each bottle. Spicier than many others, this is an expensive treat and hard to find.
"A bar without gin is like an Italian kitchen without pasta." a true poet
“The martini is the only American invention as perfect as a sonnet.”
H. L. Mencken

See www.webtender.com for hundreds of mixed drinks headlined by gin. Most of the major gin producers have websites. See also www.bombaysapphire.com or www.tanqueray.com or www.gordons-gin.co.uk.

yummy liquid Play-Doh

I went to a raw foods restaurant for the first time recently. Sure glad I did that — I had always wondered what liquid Play-Doh tastes like. Now that I know, all I have to say is … why, people, why? Good people of the world, unite in the name of taste and stop the raw thing. It might be good for you, but let’s be honest — is it really worth it? There are plenty of other healthy food alternatives that are actually cooked. Cooked in all kinds of ways in fact. Steamed. Braised. Roasted. Sautéed. All of them tasty. Raw … not so much.

Let me just read off the ingredients of a Raw foods cookie — an Oreo wannabe that purports to mimic the taste but in a healthier manner. Soaked Almonds, cashews, raw coconut, apple carob, raw honey, vanilla. Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? Definitely beats the dual chocolate cookies with frosting in the center. I’d rather have apple carob (whatever that is!) any day.

For those interested in cooking raw, how about Raw Sonoran Blend Mesquite Pod Meal. Doesn’t the name alone just make you want to run right out and buy up as much as you can find? How about the fact that it’s made from a blend of ground seeds and pods from two kinds — TWO! — of Mesquite Trees. It’s a great substitute for Carob in case the aforementioned apple carob doesn’t do it for you — does that help?

The idea behind raw foods is to preserve the natural enzymes; the raw foods movement says that all cooked food above 118 degrees is devoid of enzymes, and that cooking food to this level changes its molecular structure and renders it toxic. Toxic. Not less appetizing, or less nutritious or less anything. Toxic. These raw foods people mean business.

But the most vocal of raw food enthusiasts seem to be pushing much more than a good recipe. There seems to be an anger behind the idea — an aversion to anything un-raw — which makes me wonder: Is raw food just a personal choice or is it becoming more like a political platform? Is it a fad, a lifestyle, a movement, a religion even? Do an online search and see what you think. Or check out a couple of the books written on the subject, with titles like, "Nature's First Law: The Raw-Food Diet", or my personal fave, "Blatant Raw-Foodist Propaganda". At least that author has a sense of humor.

Personally, I think food that’s not cooked over 118 degrees isn’t much worth eating, but that’s just me. Which brings me to a very important point. What ever happened to the idea of “To each his own?”. I don’t care of you want your food prepared raw, dyed blue, served on a bed of reconstituted kelp, or pulverized into mush. Your food, your choice. It’s when your food choices start to impede upon my good time — like when I’m trying to enjoy my braised veal and you’re shouting about not eating anything with a face — that I start to have a problem.

You see, I’m the biggest foodie you’ll ever meet, and I’ll try just about anything. I consider myself a carnivore of the highest variety, and I’m proud of it. I don’t restrict by color, temperature, origin, or any other classification really. However, I have the utmost respect for those who live differently, and I would never try to convince a raw food enthusiast to “Live cooked” any more than I would want to be commanded to “Live raw”.

I don’t want your choices shoved down my throat, along with your uncooked meal. So let’s make a deal. You don’t force-feed me seed balls while imploring me about the evils of things like filet mignon, mashed potatoes containing actual cooked and mashed potatoes, and Diet Coke even, and I won’t sneak ground sirloin into your dehydrated veggie burgers.

My personal opinion: raw foods are for rabbits. If I wanted to live without electricity, I’d be Amish. Give me a Viking stove, and I’ll make you a meal fit for royalty. Give me another bowl of that liquid Play-Doh-inspired soup again, and I might accidentally produce a much less appetizing, but altogether organic, raw food all on my own, right there at the table.

Consider yourself warned.