Henri Bendel adds one more temptation to the shopping experience
If you're going to indulge, you should go all out. I mean if you're going to drop $950 on a pair of Christian Louboutin peep-toe platforms, why not give in to all material delights? For the ultimate Diva's Dream head to Henri Bendel in New York City for some decadent shopping and noshing.
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Here’s a novel idea—why not host a party and help others who are less fortunate? Epicurious.com has created an easy way to turn any home party into a fundraiser for a good cause. America’s Second Harvest (ASH) is the country’s largest food bank and has worked with Epicurious.com to create the Wine. Dine. Donate. Program.
Part Three: The Bubbly
Whether you're throwing New Year’s Eve party or a party just because you can, a Champagne toast is always a welcome event. Don’t let the search for that perfect bubbly to fit both the occasion and your pocketbook spoil the celebration.
Part Two: The Food
The key to a successful party is to have plenty of food and [adult] beverages. So how do you keep the food hot and on a continuous rotation out of the kitchen? Jennifer Purcell, an assistant professor at The Culinary Institute of America and maître d’ instructor at St. Andrew’s Café, one of five public restaurants on the CIA’s main campus in Hyde Park, New York, suggests tapas, or bite-sized appetizers, which offer bite-sized foods with minimal time in the kitchen.
Part One: The Scene
So you’ve decided to host a cocktail party. Invitations--or eVites--are out but now is the time to start preparing. The idea is to provide a festive, yet pressure-free, environment for your guests. If you’re running around at the last minute, you’re guests will feel the frazzle too.
One of the fastest ways to develop a knowledge base of wines you enjoy is to taste them. This can be a lot of fun. Go to your local wine & spirits store; gather up a bunch of bottles and head home for a night of tasting adventures. You might have more success if you ask the wine clerk for suggestions, or check out the ratings affixed to bins at the store. Check out wine reviews online (Wine Library TV is a good place to start) or check out what the experts say in wine publications like Wine Spectator. Depending on your preferred learning method, you may find it helpful to do a vertical tasting, which means sampling wines of the same variety but with different vintages.
Continue reading "Sense & Sensibility--Wine Tasting Tips from the Experts" »
Looking good is one thing but if you can't hold your own with all of those urban wine snobs, not even the hottest Jimmy Choo heels will carry you. This is the first in a series of wine entries to bring you up to speed fast, so the next fundraiser, dinner party, etc. you attend you can hold your head up high.
