Here's a little tip from the department of Do Things Ahead: scooping ice cream is one of my favorite little things to prep ahead of time, especially before a birthday party. Why? Well, do you just love scooping ice cream at the table? I know I don't...
It's not very often that I whip up a plated lamb dinner for friends.
Good-quality lamb is a real splurge, but sometimes life's events call
for nothing less than the best. This simple, showstopping menu does just that.
Every once in a while, you've gotta pull out all the stops. You've got to roll your own pasta and spend an afternoon carefully folding it around spoonfuls of creamy cheese while gazing out the window and listening to This American Life. Then you have to serve this handmade tortellini as its very own course at an extra-special dinner party. And serve it simply — not buried in a rich ragu, but with a few ladles of good Parmesan-infused broth so everyone can taste how amazing these little pasta dumplings truly are. Trust me on this one. It's worth it.
More
Punch is a fun-to-serve, often less expensive way to offer an adult beverage to your guests. And have you noticed? In the last few years, the cocktail bowl has made a comeback in bars, a festive way to share a drink with a table of friends. At the very least, punch will make your party memorable, even more so if you make a complementary ice ring. My favorite punch recipe has a secret ingredient, a really cheap one, that no one suspects.
Sparkling wine is already a festive pour for a party, but here's an idea for making it a little more special: serve homemade fruit liqueur lollipops for guests to stir into their bubbly. It's an elegant, surprising take on the usual champagne cocktail.
More
I absolutely love a good cocktail party and think we should all be throwing them a lot more often. It's less pressure than hosting a full-on dinner party, you get to invite more people to stand in clusters around your apartment's tiny living room, and you still get to pull out your high heels. Plus, cocktail appetizers are the best. When else do you get to eat half a dozen bacon-wrapped potato bites with well-shaken Manhattan and call it dinner?
Joanne Weir, a San Francisco chef, tequila expert, and the subject of one
of our early kitchen tours, makes a margarita at her Bay Area restaurant Copita
that is known as one of the best in the region. She says — and I agree
whole-heartedly — that the biggest mistake people make with their margaritas
is that they use too many ingredients like Triple Sec, Grand Marnier, or Cointreau.
It’s all about the balance of sweet and tart in a glass with just a few
ingredients: 100% agave tequila (Weir prefers blanco), freshly squeezed lime
juice and agave nectar.
I just returned from my first trip to Lebanon, where I spent a week eating and drinking all over the country. Whether in a restaurant or someone's home, no matter where I stopped for a drink, I was always offered a bowl or two of mixed nuts. This, I learned, was no coincidence.
More
Kids know how to party! Check out the latest festive celebrations from the Apartment Therapy's Family channel, which posts kids' parties every day. We'll be bringing you a roundup of these inspiring parties every week.
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
Why I Became a 1-Gallon Homebrewer
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Monterey Pitcher fr...
Weekend DIYs: 10 Wood Molding Projects for the Home
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
