Who doesn’t crave outdoor patios, dimly lit candles (to set the mood), smoky grills and glasses of crisp rosé? The Wall Street Journal Wine Bloggers offer some terrific suggestions for under $25. Good friends, delicious food – easy, breezy entertaining.
Yeah right, sounds awesome, but who in the world has the time? I’ll tell you who; after spending yesterday in our client’s — Fire & Flavor Grilling Co.’s warehouse and kitchen, I was inspired and realized that I CAN DO THIS (and trust me if I can, so can you). Rule #1: Put down your Blackberry and take a second to enjoy.
Gena Knox, CEO and co-founder of Fire & Flavor is a young, elegant woman who is trying to change the way people perceive southern cooking. She’s bringing back the dinner party! Her mantra: sophisticated, yet simple, elegant without fuss… this isn’t your grandmother’s greasy kitchen; it’s the new sexy South!
She prepared – my mouth is watering talking about this – smoked strawberry mozzarella crostinis on cedar grilling planks. Sounds fancy, huh? Well, it looks pretty, tastes amazing AND it’s healthy! The 10 minute recipe can be found in her cookbook, Gourmet Made Simple, fully loaded with some breathtaking photography. This cookbook screams: “I want to play hostess and show-off my culinary (kind of lacking) skills!” These recipes will fool anyone into thinking you’re a pure genius in the kitchen and you spent hours preparing.
Want more ideas for less work, more play? Check out Garden & Gun’s Belle Décor blog from yesterday. I love the idea of handwritten invitations – if only my handwriting didn’t look like scribble.
I can’t write about “entertaining” and not include this little caveat: For stunning serving pieces to go with your oh-so-simple yet remarkable meal, you must visit Scout for the Home . Dying to get my hands on these glasses that can double as water or wine (arguably the same thing) glasses. And for unique, irreplaceable platters, R. Wood should be your number one stop! Love.
I’m in the business of communications and if I’ve ever communicated anything successfully, let this be it: Food and wine bring people together… and the added bonus: usually makes for good conversation and lots and lots of laughing. So call your friends, fill up their glasses and resurrect the art of entertaining.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
As a senior vice president at Cookerly, Mike Rieman is a strategic communications leader specializing in media relations and reputation management. With a proven track record of securing high-profile placements in top-tier outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today, he excels at crafting compelling narratives that resonate across print, broadcast and digital platforms.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.