"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ July 18, 2007

Here is the original un-edited version of my article from July 18, 2007. Whether because of space restrictions or whatever possible reason, the newspaper sometimes cuts a few of my sentences. Sometimes they cut a few of my favorite sentences ... ouch! To the artistic side of me, those cuts feel like a piece of canvas has been sliced away. But that is the reality one faces when offering their art to a newspaper. Photo credit: Mike Thorn & SXC.

Just Hang A Lamb Chop In Your Window

By Kathi Dameron

“To the White House, please.” I said to the Washington DC cabby as I slid across the seat in my little black dress.

I’d never seen someone straighten up so fast. I suppose it was the confidence in my voice that may have suggested that we were on official business.

“To the White House and B-A-C-K,” my date quickly clarified as he proceeded to give the driver the name and address of the Indian restaurant that would be our final stop after a quick tour of Washington.

The cab driver eased back to a relaxed position as the four of us enjoyed the ride.

I had jaunted by train from New York City where I was attending design school to spend a long weekend with Nevie, my former Cottey College classmate and confidante.

Lamb chop-scouting and boy-crazy Nevie had arranged for us to double date with two of her classmates from George Washington University, where she was working on a degree in International Relations.

That weekend in the late 1970’s was my first introduction to the Washington DC and Georgetown tradition of “hanging a lamb chop in your window.”

“Nevie, what are you talking about?” I asked the former beauty pageant winner and Arkansas debutante who had taken-up studying the capital scene like an anthropologist.

“Perle Mesta, the legendary society hostess was once asked how she got so many famous people to come to her parties. Perle said that all you have to do is hang a lamb chop in your window.”

“Fascinating…” I said as I peered with interest at the passing windows, hoping to see the symbol synonymous with having a party.

With lamb chops still dancing through the windows of my imagination, it was a breeze to select my dinner entrée from the otherwise mysterious-sounding restaurant menu.

“I’d love the Spiced Lamb Chops, please,” I said as I inhaled the assertive aroma of curry that perfumed the air. The tinkling fountains, the honeyed flicker of candlelight and the rhythmic raga background music cast a lasting image in my memory archives, that braided together my first tasteful bites of Indian Cuisine with the Washington tradition of “hanging a lamb chop in the window.”

This recipe for Spiced Lamb Chops from The Sheraton World Cookbook is certainly tasty enough to be served at an important VIP Dinner, but you don’t need an engraved invitation for a State Dinner at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to enjoy exquisitely flavored lamb chops at their best.

Spiced Lamb Chops
Maurya-Sheraton New Delhi, India

8 tablespoons (1/4 pound) Clarified Butter
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 Tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger root
one / half cup cashew nuts
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
3 whole cloves
one/eighth teaspoon cardamom seeds
2 small bay leaves, crushed
6 very thick lamb chops, one/third to one/half pound each, well trimmed of fat
1 cup plain yogurt
three/ fourth teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
one/fourth teaspoon ground cinnamon
one/fourth teaspoon ground cloves
Salt, to taste
Garnish: Chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) or chopped fresh parsley

Place clarified butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, or until onions are golden brown.

Remove onions, garlic, and ginger from the hot butter and place them in a blender or food processor. Puree these ingredients, along with the cashew nuts and poppy seeds. If mixture is too dry to puree, add a few tablespoons of water.

Place frying pan back over medium heat. Return spice paste to the pan. Add whole cloves, cardamom seeds, and crushed bay leaves. Add the lamb chops, and fry, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan now, and again as you continue to cook, and to keep the sauce from scorching.

Lower heat to medium and add the yogurt and ground spices. Fry approximately 10 minutes longer, continuing to turn the chops occasionally. Add one/half cup water and cook the chops 15 minutes longer, or until they are done to your satisfaction. Season with salt. Serve chops coated with yogurt sauce and garnished with chopped coriander or parsley.


Tips From Kathi
My disclaimer as a chef is that I rarely follow a recipe. When I create a dish, I treat it as an original artistic creation. Even if I am experimenting with something that I have not cooked before, I’ll hunt through my cookbook collection for a good sounding version that can serve as a general guideline. Most of the time I find about a half dozen different versions that fuel my inspiration to launch off with my own unique interpretation. It is ok to not like every ingredient in a recipe, just substitute them or delete them altogether.

Cooking should be fun. When it loses its fun, its time to hang up your apron and make a reservation at your favorite restaurant. Who knows maybe after dining on someone else’s artistic creation you’ll be re-inspired to return to the kitchen with a new blazing fire in your belly to create new culinary masterpieces.

Kathi Dameron teaches private cooking classes and is a personal chef. She owns Kathi Dameron and Associates.

Entertaining with Kathi Newspaper Food Column ~ July 5, 2007

Hollandaise Dresses Up Everyday Dishes
By Kathi Dameron

“Kathi, this is Rhea Chiles,” the caller said.

It was not every day that the First Lady of the state of Florida telephoned me to ask me to cater an important dinner at the Governor’s Mansion.

My heart went from skipping a beat to drumming and fifing under my chef’s coat. I felt like somersaulting through the aisles of the Eastwood Pharmacy, where the pint-sized Canopy Rose Café and Catering kitchen was tucked in a space tinier than a tea loaf.

I couldn’t wait to call my dad to tell him. Even though I was nearing the cusp of forty years old at the time, I still hungered for his approval.

"But are you making any money?” was my financially savvy dad’s response to my high-pitched animation on the other end of the phone. For my dad knew all too well how often I had volunteered my talents through the years.

“Yes Dad! The Governor’s Mansion is always good about paying,” I assured him. Now naturally, I didn’t let on to him that I would have catered the dinner for free. I was not in the mood for another one of my dad’s “save your money” and “pay yourself first” sermons. The bottom line for me as a chef was that I found grand strokes of creative radiance from catering high profile events in places where state history was being made.

Un-intimidated, I completely thrived on the challenge to feed Florida’s top decision makers.

Memories have a way of returning to me at the oddest of times. This remembrance met a happy homecoming last week following a demonstration I did on how to make Hollandaise sauce.

Even though I had whisked many of my own creative interpretations on Hollandaise sauce during my tenure as a caterer and the years preceding my professional culinary calling, Hollandaise sauce is about the last thing that would ever blanket my plate today.

The words ”to die for” literally define Hollandaise Sauce in my opinion. But if fat and calories are not a big concern for you, the rich velvet texture, kissed with a lemony splash of Florida citrus makes Hollandaise Sauce one of the most classic and delicious ways to dress up your vegetables, meats, fish and of course the exquisite and famous Eggs Benedict for a special celebration.

For this particular dinner at the Governor’s Mansion I prepared a Champagne Dijon Sauce that was born from a classic European Hollandaise Sauce. It was ladled over Beef Tenderloin and served by mansion staff in the dining room. There was not a drop of sauce or a morsel of food left on the returning plates!

How To Make A Classic Hollandaise Sauce ~ Basic Recipe

Don’t let the making of a Hollandaise Sauce intimidate you. It is really not all that difficult to whip up if you know the steps. With the basics under your belt, it is a cinch to launch off with your own unique versions. Play, have fun! If you have any left over, just freeze it in individual portions for another sumptuous rich to-die-for meal.

This is a typical ratio. Adapt it according to the number of servings needed. The Internet offers many different How To Make Hollandaise Sauce videos that are helpful to watch and they are free!

1 egg yolk
3 Tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons butter, give or take an ounce or two depending on size of egg yolk
Salt, pepper, & cayenne to taste

1. Clarify the butter. Set aside

2. Prepare the eggs in a mixing bowl over very low controlled heat. Set the mixing bowl over simmering water and whisk vigorously with the 3 Tablespoons of water until the eggs are at a ribbon stage and the consistency of semi-thick cream. Do not boil or the eggs will scramble.

3. Beat in the lemon juice.

4. Drizzle in the butter very slowly.

5. Season and serve as quickly as possible.

Kathi Dameron teaches private cooking classes and is a personal chef. She owns Kathi Dameron and Associates.

Photo Credit: Marcello U. & SXC

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ June 21, 2007

Chewing The Cud Was Elevated To A High Art
By Kathi Dameron


“Chew your cud Bubele,” my Jewish grandmother instructed.

I eyed her suspiciously. Her graying head was bowed and her lipstick-red smile was smacking in exaggerated bites. My recently widowed grandmother was going loopy at 37,000 feet above sea level.

We were sailing through the clouds between Chicago and Miami.

“Grandma, Do you think I’ll be able to swim with dolphins this summer?” I asked as ear-popping visions of Flipper flooded my head. “Daddy said he swam with dolphins when he was a boy.”

Raising her chin up, grandmother began outlining our agenda, one that didn’t embrace swimming anywhere except private club pools.

Still floating in a foggy bubble, our arrival on Florida soil was wrapped in the blanketing heat of Miami and the welcoming arms of Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Arthur, who had arrived to whisk us off in style in their big white air-conditioned Cadillac.

For the remainder of the summer I found myself planted smack dab into the intersection of Leviticus 11:2-7 and Florida Cuisine. Spending the summer with my grandmother equated to the strict observance of rabbinical dietary laws, swimming in chlorinated waters, making brawkha or giving thanks at least a hundred times a day and being educated on the fine art of Keeping Kosher-Florida Style.

I’d already fallen in love with Florida from watching the Flipper television series, but that summers’ adventures sealed my sentiments with a kiss. I was especially enchanted by the elegant tropical lifestyle of my grandmother’s sister, Eve, who for some mysterious reason was always affectionately referred to as “Bobbie”.

“Aunt Bobbie, I want to be just like you when I grow up!” I said one afternoon as Aunt Bobbie and I picked mangos from the tropical paradise that was her backyard.

During my stay at my grandmother’s waterfront condo, we often dined out at legendary South Florida restaurants with a tribe of elderly aunts and uncles and other silver haired friends, but my favorite dinners were the ones that Aunt Bobbie prepared with exotic fruits, vegetables and flowers harvested from her own garden. Even the best Miami restaurants paled in comparison to the magical mitzvah evenings that Eve Burrell staged at her Miami Beach abode.

Down among the sheltering palms of Miami Beach, I found my destiny. I realized that I wanted to learn how to entertain with the elegance and grace that I had experienced at the home of my great aunt where chewing the cud was elevated to a high art and where I learned about the dietary laws of my Jewish roots.

Years later, a bride asked me to cater an indulgent wedding feast on St. George Island.

“You’ll have to do some research. There are a lot of rules and laws,” she said as she explained what she described as the ‘formidable challenge’ of planning a kosher menu that would equally delight her fiancés family that would be arriving from Israel and her own American family.

A genesis of menus began swimming through the backwaters of my memory; I couldn’t wait to dive in to the planning. Months later when several of the groom’s family members came to me during the reception and said, “Kat-tee! We’ve eaten all over the world. We don’t like American food. But the food we ate tonight is the best tasting food we have ever eaten anywhere “ a tear drop slid down my face as I imagined the pride of my grandmother and great aunt in the heavens above, who had taught me well one summer so many years earlier.


Tropical Fruit Plate with Walnut-Stuffed Figs & Dates accompanied by Mango Raspberry Fluff

On a beautiful crystal platter arrange an artistic display of sliced fresh fruit, some delicate sprigs of fragrant pineapple sage and mint leaves and an adornment of walnut-stuffed figs and dates. Serve with an elegant stemmed crystal champagne goblet swirled with a fluffy concoction of Cool Whip, pureed mango and raspberries.

To make the stuffed figs and dates, simply cut out the center of each fig and place a walnut half inside. Slice open a pitted date and do the same. Roll each piece of stuffed fruit in shredded coconut.

(c) Kathi Dameron 2007

Kathi Dameron teaches private cooking classes and is a personal chef. She owns Kathi Dameron and Associates.

The Entertaining with Kathi column is published every other week in the Northeast Chronicle in Tallahassee, Florida.

Photo Credit: Gisela Royo & SXC

"Entertaining with Kathi Food Column ~ June 6, 2007

In the June 6, 2007 column, Kathi shares a story about cooking up an edible sunken treasure on the shores of Lake Enemy Swim. If you enjoy reading the Entertaining with Kathi column, you'll love Kathi Dameron's How To Create The Wow Ezine Newsletter. Subscribe at any of the buttons at www.letsentertain.blogspot.com Photo Credit: Julia F. & SXC

Put Down The Hangi
By Kathi Dameron

“Put down the hangi,” the counselor sang out.

With great ballyhoo, half a dozen campers wielding shovels dug into the sandy shore of Lake Enemy Swim in the Coteau Ridge of northeastern South Dakota.

I'd never imagined when I left home for Camp Nesodak with a suitcase and duffel bag full of stitched “Kathi” labels on all my new camp clothes that I would be digging a pit in the ground.

“The thrill is in the experience and in knowing that there is always something new to discover just ahead.” My dad's words were ringing true.

“Keep an open mind. You'll have a wonderful time,” my mother added in those final moments before shipping me off.

Visions of splashing in canoes through icy waters, crafting handmade treasures in rustic Western cabins, trekking through the woods and roasting marshmallows while the sound of Kumbaya or ghostly tales filled the night-time sky had danced across my imagination during the weeks of preparation.

I had been to several summer camps, so I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. I knew what I liked and what I didn't like. I didn't like KP. Kitchen patrol was not my idea of fun. In fact, any time I was told to help my mom wash the dishes at home, I became a master at conjuring up excuses to slip away. But at camp I was cabin-smart enough to understand that the things I could get away with at home with my liberal softy mom wouldn't work with my peers at camp. Carrying your own weight was just an unwritten law.

It was the artistic side of camp chores that floated my boat, and hangi fit the bill perfectly. Hangi was fun and totally different from other camp meals. Digging a hangi didn't even feel like KP.

Hangi and its culinary cousins - Pachamanca, Kalua and a New England clam bake - are all related by their manner and style of preparation. They are all based on digging and preparing an earthen fire pit used as a cooking chamber.

Cooking a meal underground might appear quite novel to a modern-day world, but the roots of such cooking are perhaps as old as man.

If the concept of cooking a sunken treasure captures your imagination, then the next step is as easy as unearthing a theme.

For a New Zealand Maori-inspired soiree, lay a hangi. For a Peruvian celebration, follow the old Inca tradition with a Pachamanca. If a Hawaiian flavor is desired, go with a sun-kissed tropical Kalua, or if an American theme is more your style, why not throw a New England clam bake? Perhaps, you could make it your very own Gulf Coast interpretation that marries our regional cuisine with this unusual cookery style for an upcoming summer shindig.

How to put down a hangi

1. Dig a hole in the sand.

2. Light a fire in the hole and heat up the rocks at the bottom. Don't tarry at this point; you'll need to work fast.

3. Place prepped food inside a soaked muslin or white-cotton bag, then place it inside a wire basket. Chicken, meat, potatoes, onions and corn all taste delish cooked in this manner.

4. Cover the food, as well as the entire fire pit, with sand.

5. Allow the food to cook for two hours.

6. Don't forget where you buried your dinner.

7. Check local ordinances and be responsible when playing with fire.

(c)2007 Kathi Dameron

"Entertaining with Kathi" Newspaper Column ~ May 23, 2007

This article was originally published in the newspaper, in the "Entertaining with Kathi" column on May 23, 2007.

Are you interested in running The "Entertaining with Kathi" column in your newspaper or magazine?

Original food stories/ memoirs, custom-written culinary features and photo and food styling by Kathi Dameron are available through Kathi Dameron and Associates. Ask about the different options. Contact Kathi

New Orleans Cuisine Hops Onto The Menu
By Kathi Dameron

“Katherine, one bite won't kill you!” my dad said.

“Forget it. I'm not eating those frog legs!” I responded, with the sulky attitude of a 7-year-old. “And I'm not eating that yucky shrimp either. I want some fried chicken.”

“Honey, not all restaurants serve fried chicken,” my parents chimed together in atypical unity.

“Fine. I just won't eat then,” I said before plopping my little hands over my mouth.

I'd lost my appetite anyway as soon as I learned that the menu consisted of such items as frog legs, turtle bisque, snails and fried alligator. All I could think about was the playful frogs, toads and turtles back at home in the dusty small, Nebraska community that my family had relocated to for a portion of my formative years.

When my two older brothers got wind of the notion that I was bothered by the food being served at the pompous red-and-gold New Orleans restaurant, they grabbed hold of that opportunity to tease me, in the way siblings often do.

“Kathi, for your birthday, we are going to get you a frog legs and shrimp cake,” John blurted out as he honed his emerging skill of stirring things up even more.

Trying to impress our older brother, David leaned in and said, “We won't be able to celebrate
your birthday, Kathi, because we are going to trade you in for those alligators we saw today.”

Later, as we were all settling in for the night at an inn in the French Quarter, David, in a stroke of compassion, hugged my neck and whispered, “We wouldn't trade you in. We love you, even though you won't eat frog legs and you won't try new food.”

“Momma, why do folks in the Deep South eat such odd stuff?” I asked while kneeling with my mom beside my little cot.

“They don't think their food is odd. They probably think some of the things we like to eat are odd. Keep an open mind. There is a great big world out there, and it doesn't revolve around us,” she said as she tucked me in for the night.

Clapping his hands together in authority, Dad instructed, “Lights out in five minutes. We have a full day of activity ahead of us tomorrow.”

Ah, the family vacations and the memories that they etch upon one's memories. I don't think I remembered too many of the “educational” things I was supposed to. Yet, my recollections are well-anchored in the rocky, frolicking antics and the 1960s-style dysfunctions of my family as we jaunted to historical sites from coast to coast in mom's maroon Vista Cruiser.

Dad was a history buff, and family vacations for five often took on the flavor of battles and strategies, clashes and camaraderie, declarations of war and promises of peace, not unlike the places we visited.

But somehow we survived, and I was left with a collection of all-things-food stories. Unbeknownst to all of my family, some of these stories would later re-emerge in print. Better be careful of the memories you are making!

That mid-1960s summer vacation was my first introduction to the foods of New Orleans. Not immediately, but through the years, I developed an appreciation for the rich and varied cuisine of the Bayou.

Cajun and Creole would become popular themes at many a Canopy Rose celebration, quietly stirring for this chef a gumbo of old recollections smack-dab in the middle of whisking a roux.

Here is a vintage recipe for frog legs from the kitchen of Mrs. C.W. Schooley III of West Palm Beach as it appeared in the 1972 collection "Southern Living: The Creole Cookbook," published by Oxmoor House.

Frogs' Legs Elegante
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Pressed garlic to taste
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup white Rhine wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lb. frog legs
Flour
Combine all ingredients except frog legs and flour in a skillet and heat. Dredge the frog legs with flour. Cook in the butter mixture until brown, turning frequently. Serve at once.




(c) 2007 Kathi Dameron

Kathi Dameron is a former Tallahassee, Florida caterer and special event designer. She now owns Kathi Dameron and Associates, is a freelance writer, blogger and occasional teacher of cooking classes. She is seeking a full-time career position in the creation and production of workbooks, magazines, books, videos, radio or tv programming with a culinary flavor. To talk with Kathi about a project e-mail her or call her at 850-422-3599.

Photo Credit: Kira Butler & SXC

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ May 10, 2007 A Taste of Morocco

This "Entertaining with Kathi" column was originally published on May 10, 2007 in the Northeast Chronicle newspaper in Tallahassee, Florida. If you would like to have Kathi's food and entertaining column in your paper or magazine please contact food writer, Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

A Taste of Morocco by Kathi Dameron

“You rode an elephant?” I asked, my eyes popping in sheer amazement at the photographs taped to the black pages of the scrapbook.

Colorful images of a North African bazaar, elephant and camel riding, tents in the Sahara Desert and cooking over open fires were just a few of the fascinating images that captured my imagination. That scrapbook chronicling several years of far-flung adventures belonged to my dad's second wife.

During a portion of my junior and senior years in high school, my dad was married to Joyce, a jet setter he met on a barefoot Windjammer cruise.

Arriving home from school during that interlude of time, I would sporadically be greeted by a mŽlange of rich, captivating and unusual aromas.

On those occasions, my dad's vivacious red-headed wife would be in the kitchen with a crisp, perfectly coordinated apron tied around her tiny waist, moving effortlessly to the beat of foreign lyrics that drifted in from the living-room stereo as she stirred a fragrant pot or chopped ingredients on a butcher block near the sink.

“What are you cooking?” I would ask.

She'd respond with something that sounded foreign and exotic, such as, “Bisteeya. It is a very special Moroccan dish. I thought you and your dad would enjoy it.”

“Can I help?” I would ask, pleased by the possibility of learning how to cook something interesting and unusual.

“Come, see what I bought today,” she'd say, grasping my hand and leading me to the newest treasures she'd collected that day. On that day it was tabletop dŽcor, fashions and costume jewelry with a Moroccan flavor.

Joyce was the eponymous prototype for the “shop till you drop” lifestyle. To say she was a shopaholic would be an understatement. But she had the discriminating taste of an aficionado and always remembered me with hip finds during her daily boutique jaunts around the Chicago area. My daddy was so enamored by her in the beginning that he didn't seem to mind that she went on shopping sprees every single day that they were married.

Home life was an audacious eyeful when my dad and Joyce were in town. On that particular night we were in for a taste of Morocco.

A Moroccan dinner party is great fun. But you don't have to go to an expensive boutique and spend boatloads of money or wander through the Kasbah to find your inspiration. Get creative! You might just have everything you need already. Scarves and other fashion accessories from your boudoir can do double duty as decor for this fun party theme.



How To Host A Moroccan Dinner

The cuisine of Morocco is one of the most eclectic cuisines in the world. It draws on a mixture of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, African, Berber and Moorish inspired dishes.The Moroccan menu is one that you can have great fun playing with. Here are a few ideas to get you started. But don't be afraid to launch off with your own creative interpretations. Your guests will love this party!

1. Use a low table and arrange colorful cushions on the floor for seating. No colorful cushions? Just tie some scarves or fabric squares to pillows.

2. Dress the table with a festive brocaded cloth or fashionable scarves and colorful dinnerware. Make a fresh floral bouquet runner. Add small votives. Trim with some beads, tassels or vintage pins.

3. On a nearby table, set up an edible centerpiece, perhaps skewered seafood or fruit kebabs on a pineapple or melon. Include an elegant plated collection of the foods you will be serving - hummus with pita-bread wedges, exotic spiced goat cheese and pistachio purses, mixed greens with peppered and dried fruits drizzled with raspberry champagne vinaigrette, couscous with roasted vegetables, small wedges of bisteeya or a lamb tangine, bite-sized diamonds of almond and honey-roasted pear baklava, orange-coconut macaroons, raspberry-streusel fig bars, fresh fruit - and don't forget to brew up plenty of the quintessential Moroccan beverage, mint tea. Arrange candles all around the room.

4. Provide your guests with thick, color-coordinated towels to cover their laps.

5. Perfume a silver pitcher of warm water with a drop or two of nice aromatic essential oil. Treat your guests to the Moroccan custom of pouring a little water over the fingers of each guest to signal the beginning and end of the meal.

6. Play Moroccan music in the background.

7. Watch the movie "Casablanca" for more inspiration.

(c) 2007 Kathi Dameron

Photo Credit: Brian S. and SXC

"Entertaining With Kathi' Food Column ~ April 26, 2007

Did You Know You Have Cousins In The Lapland?
By Kathi Dameron

“Did you know that you have cousins in the Lapland?” my dad would say with a hint of mystery and intrigue in his distinctive booming voice, as he referred to my mom’s side of the family. Lowering his tone just an octave he would add, “they dance with reindeer, I’m told.”

While I was growing up, my quiet and reserved mother never talked much about her Finnish heritage or the Arctic region where the sun does not rise on the winter solstice, nor set on the summer solstice, and she certainly never painted images to me of her family dancing with reindeer. Perhaps being a first generation American born to an immigrant father and his worldly American wife, was at the crux of my mother’s reason for keeping this faraway land at an emotional distance.

But in recent years, my dear elderly mother and my two older brothers have come to embrace the land of the midnight sun.

A world away from the shores of Helsinki, Finland my oldest brother, John, a blue-eyed, rocky mountain resident, with the heart-breaking and rugged good looks of a western playboy, felt a call to retrace the shrouded roots of our blood.

“I’ve met over fifty of our cousins in our age range!” John e-mailed me from his Scandinavian sojourn.

Now Finnish inspired gifts have become a new way of life within my family.

Both brothers seem to enjoy sending me Finnish cookbooks on the traditional gift giving days.

My favorite thing about these books is the old memories they stir for me. They remind me of the primitive wooden plates that once graced the kitchen wall of my childhood home. A gift to my parents, these hand-painted folk art treasures with the words “auta itsesi” and “hyvaa kafia” were in essence the philosophy of my grandfather’s lifestyle in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where old world hospitality reigned supreme for him with his Finnish sweetheart-grandpa’s favorite wife, Katie.

Vacationing in the U.P. as a child was always an adventure, especially a culinary adventure. Katie was an incredible cook. Coffee time was her art. “Auta itses” or help yourself and “hyvaa kafia” or good coffee were proverbial expressions

With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, an idea is born. I’m going to roll up my sleeves, tie on my apron and do some baking. Mom will be receiving a homemade batch of Finnish cardamom cookies from me this year alongside a collection of assorted coffee.

Cardamom is a popular spice used in Scandinavian baked goods. It has an unmistakably intense aroma and unique taste.

Upon revisiting the pages of these new cookbooks from the international shelves of my culinary library, I hunted for a recipe that would travel well. Cardamom Rusks, a recipe by Taimi Previdi, from her book, “The Best of Finnish Cooking” might just be the ticket for mom this year. I’m getting a head start on this project.

I hope to find some Finnish literature to send to my mom, too. For even though my mother who always colored inside the lines and never spun tales of her Father’s faraway Finland, she would share nightly her love of literature and reading with my brothers and me, when we were growing up. Next to the gift of life that she gave us, I count this gift – this gift of reading as a most cherished and priceless gift. While it costs so little, just a portion of an hour or so a day, over time it adds up to something so priceless. Something that regardless of what happens in the world can never be snatched away from the recipient. Those stories lodge deep in the subconscious mind, building an appreciation and curiosity for the magic of literature and the mystery of life.


How To Host An Old Fashioned Finnish Coffee Party
Five times a day, Grandpa and Katie laid out the old-fashioned coffee party table during my family’s visits. That was their culture. My daddy thought it was too much of a good thing, but I loved it! Nowadays, I would have to agree with my dad. Too much sugar is not a good thing, but for a very special occasion, an Old-Fashioned Finnish Coffee Party is a lovely way to entertain visiting family and friends.

1.Bake up a dazzling collection of sweet confections.

2. Invite family and friends to stop by and partake of the treats.

3. Prepare a variety of sugar-less open-faced tea sandwiches.

4. Brew plenty of strong coffee and serve it with sugar and cream in small dainty demitasse-sized cups. Include milk, tea and mineral water.

5. Lay out your prettiest table with fine lace, old-world serving pieces and a bouquet of cut flowers from the garden.

6. Share stories, enjoy inspired conversation and engage in competitive, yet friendly old-fashioned family games.

(c) 2007 Kathi Dameron

Photo Credit: Jason Nelson and SXC

Kathi Dameron is a former caterer and event designer. She owns Kathi Dameron and Associates and is seeking a full-time career as a program producer. See my resume.

(This is my unedited version of my April 25, 2007 "Entertaining with Kathi" newspaper food and entertaining column. Columns are often shortened so that they can fit into the space allotted. While the newspaper does a great job of editing, the editing process removes some important parts of the story. Those are the realities of newspaper publishing. The best solution obviously would be for a food writer to limit their text to a lesser number of words so nothing gets cut out. Maybe if I have time later I'll come back and highlight the parts of the story that were used in the column. Well John, you got your wish and the editors cut out that you were a playboy!)

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ April 12, 2007

This story is scheduled to be published in the newspaper on April 12, 2007.

“Art is his raison d’ etre!”

“Raison d’ etre?” I repeated, “What is that?”

Rolling her eyes at my naivete, my design school roommate said, “ his basic reason to exist.”

“Oh, I see.” I responded. But what I really saw was how much I had to learn in order to try to fit in to my new life in New York City.

“I like his invitation. It’s different in an avant garde sort of way,” I said as I propped the elongated and zany zebra-stripped invitation, to my very first Manhattan soiree, on the overly crowded surface of the standard-issue dormitory chest.

I glanced at the photo beside it that had been snapped six months earlier. My eyes misted at the shot of graduation caps flying in the air in front of the chapel of Cottey College, the small private woman’s college near the Ozarks of Missouri that had been the setting of my previous collegiate life.

But during this particular time frame I was in a setting where eyes shouldn't mist and where little time was allowed for nostalgia. I was on a fast track, trying to acclimate to four seasons of culture shock in a concrete jungle.

The artsy invitation was my first clue that this party would be worlds removed from anything I had ever experienced up to that point in my young life. Imagine if you will, a SOHO loft in the 1970’s where fashion, art, safari and theatrical finesse come together for a good cause in a fun, fabulous and outrageous soiree.

Perhaps it was at that event and subsequent other chic parties during my New York City design school days that the first true kernels were planted in my imagination for a lifetime attraction to food and entertaining as art, and to the skillful mixing of contrasting mediums in ways that surprise and delight the senses.

Servers in antiquated artiste frocks with palettes as trays, served elegant hors d'oeuvres that tasted as though they had dropped from the heavens above. Tour guides decked-out in safari attire discussed the mediums used to create the bigger than life renditions of wild zebras, tigers and elephants that roamed the jungle-like walls of the loft. Overhead three-dimensional monkey sculptures clung to a whimsical forest canopy while unusual and striking sounds drifted through the party space.

The piece de resistance and grand finale was the intricate spun sugar sculptures that adorned decadent chocolate, forbidden sweet and exotic fruit displays arranged on a magnificent candlelit and star-studded rooftop garden. Hidden away in this spun-sugar dream, the surrounding city looked like a harmless out-of-this-world charming fantasy of dazzling sequined lights.

The take-away lesson for me came from witnessing the host’s stroke of brilliance in UN caging his creativity to benefit a bigger-than-life cause. The night came alive and roared with its own unique artistry- it’s own raison d’etre.

More About Spun Sugar

That event marked my first conscious memory of spun sugar. But spun sugar is by no means a twentieth century invention. As far back as 16th Century Italy, intricate spun sugar sculptures were all the rage in the dining rooms of the affluent. In retrospect, it is no wonder that my artiste friend, a tall, dark and drop-dead gorgeous man of Italian and French ancestry would dabble in sculptures of spun sugar.

Visually, spun sugar is a gastronomic embellishment that will create a sense of WOW to your next soiree. Here is the secret for making spun sugar in your own kitchen.

Spun-sugar is fairly easy to create. Simply cook sugar, water and cream of tartar in a saucepan to a hard crack stage. The next step involves dipping a fork into the hot sugar syrup and drawing out fine threads. But be careful, you don't want to burn yourself. These threads can be swirled directly onto the dessert or they can be transferred to a wax paper-lined surface until the dessert is plated. Spun sugar should be made the day of the event.

Just a whisper of these shimmering, golden strands of spun sugar will add a spectacular flourish of artistry and a fashionable crowning touch to a luscious edible white chocolate basket of fresh strawberries or most any spring dessert. Bon Vivre!

I love hearing from readers. Your kind words make my heart leap with joy! Please feel free to contact me at askkathidameron@aol.com with any questions or comments.

(c) Kathi Dameron 2007

Photo Credit: Shane Atkin & SXC

Kathi Dameron is a former caterer and event designer. She owns Kathi Dameron and Associates.

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ March 29, 2007

Panino 'edible masterpiece of pure simplicity'
By Kathi Dameron

"Arrivederci Roma. Goodbye, goodbye to Rome."

The lyrics sang across my heartstrings as I climbed aboard the train and settled in for the three-hour journey.

As the clanging and puffing high-speed Eurail train rolled out of the station, I reached into my travel bag and pulled out the rustic country bread sandwich – the panino I had purchased earlier that morning from an irresistible display of authentic edible hearth-baked masterpieces.

It was a great adventure to be traveling across Italy by backpack and rail with dad’s blessing and dad’s financial backing. Even though many years have come and gone since that passage of time when the world stretched wide open with its panorama of possibilities, my memories are as fresh as if they had just been baked.

At the time, my dad’s third wife suggested to me that I should journal my experiences.
“Write some travel articles, dear, that you can later put into a book,” my high-achieving stepmother with her freshly inked PhD advised. But instead I gave her prophetic suggestion “the boot” and simply stepped into each day of my Italian adventure with gusto and verve, allowing the experiences to become forever pressed into the pages of my memory bank.

Like any traveler enthralled with a new destination, I reveled in the delight of discovery.
I learned that new culinary discoveries are often as memorable as the magnificent art and architecture of the places visited.

On that day my panino lunch, enjoyed during the stunning and scenic train trip to the great renaissance city of Florence, left a lasting impression on my idea of a great tasting picnic sandwich.

True Italian panini’s are expressions of simplicity, anchored in absolute freshness with perhaps occasional bursts of pungent, aromatic, fruity or creamy richness.

Having once savored a true panino, it is difficult to say arrivederci to this great tasting edible masterpiece of pure simplicity.

More Ideas from Kathi

If the splendid days of springtime beckon you outdoors why not create your own Tutto Italiano or “all things Italian” spring picnic? Whether you are into styling your own backyard trattoria or are more in the mood for an adventurous jaunt to some hideaway off-the-beaten-track with a picnic basket in one hand and the hand of a companion in the other, you are bound for an adventure that will satisfy more than your taste buds. My picnic menu begins with panini sandwiches, to which you might add:

A pesto-laced and garlic-infused antipasto pasta salad of rich jeweled morsels of sun-drenched tomatoes, ripe olives, creamy imported cheeses, al dente pasta and artichoke hearts bathed in fruity olive oil.
A basket of luscious strawberries, red grapes and figs.
A rapturous homemade tiramisu torte with just the right high-octane notes of java for a sweet edible finale.
Perhaps a few select Italian-flavored musical CD’s, a good bottle of Italian vino and perhaps someone wonderful with whom to create a new memory.

How-To Create a Classic Panino Picnic Sandwich

The classic combination that I like to make merges thin sliced imported proscuitto with creamy mozzarella and a flavor-popping organic herb-salad blend. But don’t stop there! Be brave and experiment with your own unique translations!

focaccia, bagette or other rustic bread
imported Italian prosciutto
fresh mozzarella cheese
organic mixed herbs or similar greens with a wild and peppery taste
olive oil, infused with fresh minced garlic
freshly ground black pepper feast

Cut the focaccia or baguette in half horizontally.
Drizzle just a drop of garlic-infused olive oil on each side of bread. I spread it with a fresh basil leaf.
Layer proscuitto, mozzarella, and herbs on bottom bread slice. Grind black pepper and drizzle another drop or two of infused olive oil.
Wrap sandwich in a bit of parchment. wax paper or cellophane, tie with raffia or ribbon and affix a pretty label. Refrigerate until you pack your picnic basket.
Special note: The term "panino" refers to one sandwich while the word "panini" denotes more than one sandwich.

(c) Kathi Dameron 2007

Photo Credit: Jenny Rollo & SXC
Kathi Dameron is a former caterer and event designer. She owns Kathi Dameron and Associates.She can be contacted at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi' Food Column ~ March 15, 2007

"You'll think you are in Ireland with this recipe for Irish stew"
By Kathi Dameron

Imagine a progressive bacchanalian feast of traditional cuisine and festive merriment. The setting was Dublin, Ireland and the weekend was coming to a close. It was our last night on our impromptu weekend getaway.

On that night the four of us in my group of weekend explorers could not decide on where we wanted to eat dinner. That was when we hatched our idea, a delicious and perhaps slightly hedonistic solution.

“Let’s restaurant hop!” one of us suggested.

In a cooperative spirit of eager anticipation, we selected a different restaurant for each course of our dinner. Our inspiration was a take-off from an entertaining idea that had been popular back at home before we had shipped off for our semester in London, England. Glossy American gourmet-type books and magazines had been showcasing intriguing feature stories on how their readers could create progressive dinner parties.

Succinctly put, that last night in Dublin could best be described as ‘progressive dinner meets pub-hopping without the stout.’ We were drunk, but not on intoxicating and forbidden ale, but rather on the great joy of traveling with friends and experiencing life’s serendipitous and unforgettable moments.

Among the foods that we sampled that evening was one of the rustic entrees that Ireland is famous for.

“You must sample me Irish Stew!” the lad with the slurred Gaelic dialect told us. “Ai let me bring you out a sample. ‘Tis the best in all of Ireland.” The waiter promised before scuttling off to the kitchen.

Within minutes our Irish waiter returned to our linen covered table with a warm from the oven fragrant loaf of Irish soda bread, and shortly thereafter with four small steamy bowls of rich and earthy Irish lamb stew that we all later confirmed as simply divine.

An authentic Irish stew is made with large chunks of vegetables. However, in my version of the recipe, the chunks are prepared a tad bit smaller so that each person’s portion of the stew can easily be ladled into individual round crusty loaves of homemade bread. These shepherd style loaves when hollowed out, brushed with flavor spiked garlic and herb melted butter and filled with mouthwatering lamb stew create a most delightful smile-popping presentation.

Add a crisp green salad, a basket of Irish soda bread, an impressive dessert, a carafe of Irish coffee, some fun Irish folk ballads and perhaps a small wrapped token of friendship at each place setting for a gracious Irish themed get together perfect for a St. Patrick’s Celebration with friends in the comfort of your own home. Before you know it, your dinner companions will be singing ballads of joy and appreciation for blessing them with a wonderful and memorable moment in time.


Old Fashioned Irish Stew Recipe

8 lamb chops
water or home-made lamb stock, to amply cover
1 clove garlic, minced
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
2 sage leaves
2 sprigs parsley

4 large carrots
4 parsnips
1 large turnip
4 large onions
12 medium potatoes
butter or olive oil, herbs and garlic

individual bread bowls, you can use store-bought bakery rolls, frozen bread dough or hand kneaded homemade breads fashioned into individual bread bowls. Good quality hearth baked artisan bakery rolls can be just as delicious and are a fabulous time saver.



Place the lamb chops in a large saucepan. Add water or lamb stock, garlic, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. Tie the herbs into a bouquet garni and place in the saucepan.
Bring to a gentle boil, and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Meanwhile wash and coarsely chop the vegetables in halves, thirds or fourths.
Layer the vegetables. Sprinkle each layer of vegetables with a light dusting of sea salt, fresh ground black pepper and any additional favorite seasoning you generally like to use. The top layer should be potato. Dot with butter or drizzle with herb or truffle-spiked olive oil, if you dare.
Return pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about two hours.
Meanwhile slice the top off of your individual bread bowls. Hollow out the center to create a bowl for each person, making sure to leave just enough bread on the bottoms and sides to facilitate vessel-holding attributes. Brush the interior of the bread bowls with garlic and herb spiked melted butter or olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Just before serving fill bread bowls with hot cooked stew and toast lightly.

(c) Kathi Dameron 2007

Kathi Dameron is a former caterer and event designer. She owns Kathi Dameron and Associates.She can be contacted at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ March 1, 2007

"Steak great with or without flames"
By Kathi Dameron

“Oopah!” the crowd roared as flames danced over the food.Imagine good friends, fabulous food and entertainment that magically transport you to a foreign land.

I had always assumed that Saganaki, the flaming cheese appetizer that was dramatically doused with brandy and set afire in a show-stopping spectacular tableside display, originated in Greece. However, while vacationing in Greece in the 1980’s, I learned that Saganaki was not a dish to be found on the menus because it is not a dish that originated in Greece at all. But rather Saganaki is claimed to have originated in my hometown.

Dining in the restaurants of Chicago’s Greek town during my younger years left a searing impression on my fondness for theatrics in food and entertainment.

As springtime 2007 approaches, my imagination is ignited by visions of flaming entrées lighting up serene, moonlit dinners under the swaying canopy of backyard trees. With or without the reflecting ripples from a backyard swimming pool, a Tallahassee spring garden setting is perfect for staging a dazzling evening.

Reaching into my culinary archives, I plucked an old favorite flaming recipe that I use to prepare often for special dinners. For a unique spring supper, the ease and elegance of Steak Diane delivers the sizzle and romance that will leave your guests singing complimentary “oohs” and “aahs” to you.

Steak Diane is fine vintage cuisine fare. I’m not exactly sure when this dish originated. My research suggested that Steak Diane was an American invention of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, when the French-inspired menus of Julia Child and the Kennedy White House was contributing a rich and saucy consciousness to our nation’s culinary landscape. Before and during that same time, many of the nation’s finest restaurants were well known for presenting food with flamboyant staging.Executive Chef Michael Lomonaco of New York’s fabled “21”restaurant painted an appetizing description of the Steak Diane entrée and glamorous era in the “21” Cookbook. Lomonaco writes, “At 21 Steak Diane is traditionally prepared tableside by the captains or Maitre Walter Weiss. The beef sizzling in a large copper pan with brandy flaming and sauce bubbling, makes a wonderful show reminiscent of the days when Humphrey Bogart and friends would bound in at midnight following the newest opening on Broadway.”

But you don’t need to travel to New York, Chicago or Athens, Greece! You can create a fabulous flaming Steak Diane right at home.

Steak Diane

Beef tenderloin medallions, 1 per person pounded to ¼ inch thin
1-Tablespoon ButterSea Salt, to taste
Fresh ground Black Pepper, to taste
Greek seasoning blend, to taste
1 cup fresh Mushrooms, sliced
Garlic, to taste
Shallots, to taste
lemon juice, to taste
¼ cup cognac or brandy
2 Tablespoons sherry
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup reduced beef or veal stock
¼ cup cream
2 Tablespoons Green onions, chopped
1-teaspoon parsley
1-teaspoon chives

Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.Season beef with sea salt, pepper and Greek seasoning.Add 2 steaks at a time and sear no more than two minutes per side.Transfer steaks to a heated platter in the oven.Repeat steps 1-4 for additional steaks.

Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms, garlic and shallots for about 2 minutes in butter, a dash of favorite seasonings and a squeeze of lemon. Lower the heat, take the pan off of the stove and add cognac or brandy. Return pan to the burner and cook over low heat. Add sherry and Dijon mustard. Add beef or veal stock and cook for another minute.
Add cream and bring to a near boil. Remove from heat and add chopped green onions, parsley and chives. Sauce the beef medallions. If you are comfortable flaming food, it can be done in the kitchen or tableside. Cautiously tilt the pan with the sauce and steak, pour a bit more brandy into the front edge of the pan, and light with a match.When cooking with flames, please be careful! If you are uncomfortable with igniting the food, you can completely skip the fire part.

The dish is equally delicious with out the dramatic flame.

Serve with a classic Caesar salad, rustic bruschetta, vintage aged red wine, a rapturous dessert and a dash of artistic expression for a timeless and great tasting dinner with or without the pyrotechnics.

Kathi Dameron is a former caterer and event designer. Kathi grants occasional requests to teach cooking classes. She owns Kathi Dameron and Associates and can be contacted at askkathidameron@aol.com

(c) Kathi Dameron 2007

Photo Credit: Roger Kirby & SXC

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ February 15, 2007

"Aromatic salmon dish always sure to delight the senses"
By Kathi Dameron

There is an old saying, “When the tide is out, the table is set.”

When my Finnish-born grandfather fished the cold waters of Michigan’s Lake Superior in his homemade hand-crafted boat, a generation ago, the bounty of the waterways contributed in delicious and abundant ways to the family’s well being.

My mother’s father never worried about the issues that I worry about today when I stand at a fish case, debating the safety, the price and the environmental issues.

Steeped in my heritage is a great love of deep-sea fishing, and of course, an appreciation for the unmistakable taste of exquisitely prepared, fresh caught, wild fish.

That unmistakable taste is becoming increasingly rare to find.

It doesn’t matter how accomplished a chef or a cook might be, their culinary creations will be limited by the quality of their ingredients. A true connoisseur can tell the difference. For example, a connoisseur can taste whether they are being served a wild Alaskan salmon or a doctored up farm-raised version.

Today, an increasingly large percentage of the salmon that is being sold in grocery stores and in restaurants is not wild salmon. The salmon that is being offered for sale is labeled farm-raised.

Do you ever wonder how this trend of farm-harvested fish is affecting natural and native aquatic environments and the environment of our own bodies?

Haunted by important questions that nagged at me to be answered, I headed to the computer, where I waded through a vast sea of information. With the world wide net at my fingertips, I engaged in one of my most favorite passions- surfing the waves of the Internet researching treasure chests of information.

Where are we today with the issue of farm-raised fish? Are they safe for us to consume? What impact are fish farms presenting to the overall habitat of nearby waterways?

The issues swimming around farm-raised fish continues to be an on-going challenge to its own industry, other commercial fishermen, lawmakers, our environment and the health of consumers who indulge frequently in a diet heavy in farm-raised fish.

While my research helped me to formulate some conclusions that answer some of my questions, I encourage you to engage in your own research and make your own decisions about the safety of farm-raised fish.

So I am leaving that in your hands. I’m getting out of the boat and I am moving back into my comfort zone in the kitchen. Deciding on one special recipe to share with you for today’s column was rough. Being a huge fan of creative fish and seafood cookery, dozens of great-tasting recipes floated through my stream of consciousness. Finally, a stylish show stopping, yet quite simple technique for preparing salmon in a heart-shaped parcel of parchment paper, hooked my full attention.

Your guests will ooh and ah at the dramatic presentation of Salmon en Papillote, a classic-French vintage cuisine type dish that perhaps your grandmother or mother served at a fancy VIP dinner party in the 1960’s. Salmon en Papillote was a fine dish to serve on those special occasions when perhaps the boss was coming to dinner and a wife recognized how her skill as a hostess could help her husband transcend the steps of a corporate ladder.

I have served this recipe to guests in my home and guests at catered dinner parties and it always resulted in kudos to the cook.

Salmon en Papillote

Cut large parchment hearts for each piece of fish.
Brush the inside of the heart with garlic and herb-spiked melted butter or olive oil.
Layer washed, chopped garden fresh vegetables, onions, leeks and one salmon filet on one side of the butter brushed paper. Drizzle with white wine, fresh Florida lemon, sprinkle with favorite seasonings and herbs, and dot with a bit of butter. Fold the other half of the heart over the food. Fold and crimp the edges to tightly seal the food inside the parcel.

Bake in a very hot oven of around 425 degrees for approximately 18 minutes. The packets will expand as they bake, causing the steam to circulate around the food, while retaining the vital nutrients inside in a most delicious way. When the parcels puff and brown the food is done.
Transfer to a preheated dinner plate, cut a small x in the top of each parcel, the intoxicating aroma will perfume the room and delight the senses.

Kathi Dameron is a free-lance writer and the owner of Kathi Dameron & Associates, a writing boutique that does creative, content-rich writing and blogging assignments. She can be reached at 850-422-3599 or at askkathidameron@aol.com

(c) Kathi Dameron 2007

Photo Credit: Jim Frech & SXC

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ February 1, 2007

"Food Trends for 2007 and Beyond" or "Taste trends moving toward conglomeration"
By Kathi Dameron

Suddenly, from the depths of an otherwise peaceful evening, a story idea stirred across my imagination. I sprang to my feet with exuberance.

In artistic abandon, I tossed aside the original article that I had penned for today’s column. My thoughts raced ahead in favor of a daunting new idea.

Today’s column is going to explore some new taste trends for 2007 and beyond.

Trends are an indicator of the direction that a society is moving towards. From a curious student of life and sociological perspective, it is fascinating to watch how cultural trends evolve through periods of history. We experience “Aha!” moments that help us to better understand the times in which we are living.

Food trends, like other trends of a society, paint a picture of interconnection.

Here is my take, a kaleidoscope view if you will, of some current and/or future trends that I envision will flavor the culinary landscape in future days.

Vintage Cuisine
We will see a revival of foods that were popular in our parents and grandparent’s day, however, these foods that I’ve labeled Vintage Cuisine will excite the palate with new twists in presentation and interpretation. The artery-clogging components will continue to be lightened up in fresh and exciting ways. Slow-roasted meals with rich depth and intriguing flavors will become increasingly popular and will be interpreted in ways that merge the goodness of the garden with global tastes in a continually evolving synergy and fusion.
The Slow Food Movement will continue to pick up speed. Tried and true rustic-flavored farmhouse favorites like pot roasts, shepherds pie, savory stews, cassoulets, meat loaf, lamb and veal shanks, and other succulent slow roasted meats and vegetables will tickle our taste buds.

Regional, Local Ingredients
We will see a continued movement towards locally produced agricultural products. Neighborhood farmer’s markets and regional green markets that sell organic products will continue to find popularity as the “in place” for conscientious shoppers. There is a trend to want to know where our food comes from. We want to know how our food is grown, and some of us like this writer, wants to understand the landscape and know that contaminated water is not flowing down a hill into the fields where the crops are growing.

After watching news reports that some bagged spinach leaves, green onions and alfalfa sprouts had turned deadly with E.coli bacteria, we started asking more questions of our food purveyors. As a result, we will see the introduction of smart-packaging technology that will be debuting sometime in 2007. This new technology will allow a big red ”X” to appear on a bag of produce if the bag contains E.coli, salmonella or any other strain of bacteria present inside the bag.

Fusion Cuisine
We will see more flavorful interpretations of the fusion between regional and global cuisine. It’s a small world after all. Creative cooks will explore the endless possibilities that fusion cookery offers. Watch for South American, Spanish and Mediterranean foods to be especially hot trends.

Multi-Tasking Antioxidants and Performance Boosting Foods
Antioxidant foods that are packed with multi-tasking nutritional dividends will continue to be popular. We want to know what our foods can do for us. What happens inside our bodies when we eat a particular food? The war on trans fats will continue and we will become more aware of the ingredients and additives that are slowly killing us one spoonful at a time. We are becoming more empowered to read the ingredient lists on a package and google the names of ingredients that we don’t recognize.

Passionate Cooks with Great Entertaining Personalities will continue to be the face of food television.
Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, and Ina Garten are three faces that have become synonymous with the Food Network. However, with the boom of cutting-edge digital technology products, the possibilities for a great cook with a great personality on video are wide open.

Home Entertaining Trends
The art of entertaining well at home will continue to be a driving force connecting family and friends in inspiring ways. We will see more ways that entertaining and hospitality can be used for a greater common good. A perfect example of this is being set by our own Governor Charlie Crist who is opening up the Governor’s Mansion to everyday folks for informal discussions about Florida’s future.

Oops…my word count indicates I’ve run past the space allotment for this column. As is often the case, I have many more delicious and festive ideas to share. For a continued dialog on the subject of Food Trends for 2007 and beyond visit my newly set-up Taste Trends blog at http://www.tastetrends.blogspot.com/

Kathi Dameron is a free-lance writer and the owner of Kathi Dameron & Associates, a writing boutique that does creative, content-rich writing and blogging assignments. She can be reached at 850-422-3599 or at askkathidameron@aol.com

(c) Kathi Dameron 2007

Photo Credit: Ove Topfer & SXC

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ January 18, 2007

"Fix a quick, easy dish to warm the soul"
By Kathi Dameron

It is five o'clock on a Sunday afternoon, give or take a chime or two. The wind whips the shutters of an old house. Raindrops as hard as meteorites slam the roof.

"Always try to find the sunny side of life," sings an adorable and unstoppable grandmotherly old dame with monumental moxie and a deep "joie de vivre."

"Look for the sunny side of life!" she chirps as she pours hot, buttered popcorn into a hand-woven basket that has been lined with a folksy French country napkin...

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

Photo Credit: David Pounds & SXC

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ January 4, 2007

"Diet is turning search for flavor into an adventure"
By Kathi Dameron

The original story that I wrote for today's column has been sauteed with some onions, leeks and garlic and eaten with a glass of good wine.

I was really hungry.

This year I got a head start on my New Year's resolutions. Before the season of feasting began its annual lease, I adopted a new lifestyle...

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ The Christmas Story 2006

A Christmas Story
By Kathi Dameron

"Wake-up Sleep Head! Rise and shine!" I pulled the covers over my head to silence the accented voice that appeared intent on interrupting my sleep.

"Go away!" I tried to say but the words wouldn't come.

The soft and lyrical voice of the intruder began to sing a sweet and tender melody. The words were foreign, yet intriguing all the same.

"Had my alarm clock sprung to life?" I wondered.

I peeked out from under the covers and what did I see?

Wiping the sleep dust from my eyes, I wondered, "Oh my, how can this be?"

A golden-haired lassie, with a wreath of four iridescent candles upon her head had swept into my room, with a fragrant basket of cardamom-laced muffins...

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ December 7, 2006

"Create your own homemade magic this holiday"
By Kathi Dameron

"Teacher, teacher! What is a luminary?" the 7-year old with dozens and dozens of red-and-white-beaded braids blurted out as she bounced up from her seat in the front row.

Thirty-two sets of curious eyes were drawn to the overhead screen, and to the illuminating image, a luminaria, that cast prisms of light into the darkened night of a small village.

"Oooh, aah!" the children echoed at the dazzling foriegn visions that zoomed to life in front of us and captivated our imaginations...

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ November 22, 2006

"Dad was right: Leftover turkey makes for good eats"
By Kathi Dameron

"Dad, what are we going to do with all this leftover turkey?" I asked as we cleared the dining-room table.

"Honey, I am going to teach you how to cook!" he said. "This turkey is a passport to culinary adventure..."

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ November 9, 2006

"A party on the beach in November? Why not?"
By Kathi Dameron

"On a dark and dusty bookshelf on the island of St. George, I found a treasure. For the exchange of one dollar, it became mine..."

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ October 26, 2006

"Autumn's magical moments spin around pumpkin fantasies"
By Kathi Dameron

"Sitting Indian-style on the soft, sand-colored carpet near a blazing fire, the bearded and mustached professor studied the seven cards in his hands. His eyes twinkled mischievously..."

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ October 12, 2006

"I was ecstatic when my long-lost cousin uncorked her news"
By Kathi Dameron

"I'm playing carthorse for an annual conference. I'm leaving for Orlando tomorrow morning in the wee, wee hours of the dark," she typed into the instant message system.

"Great! Come to Tallahassee!" I responded with bubbling excitement.

Popping from my memory garden...

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ September 28, 2006

"Autumn is a great time for cultivating hospitality"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ September 14, 2006

"Tailgating parties can be heart-healthy and tasty, too"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ August 31, 2006

"Mountain trip inspires Bohemian experience"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ August 17, 2006

'Puppy love leads to best-ever apple dessert"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ July 20, 2007

"An all-spicy party is playing with fire"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ August 3, 2006

"History flows from cookbook stains"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ July 6, 2006

"Sweets and singles are great together"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ June 22, 2006

"Roses and food are a fragrant combination"
by Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ June 8, 2006

"Ignite the flavor of grilled steak with this bourbon sauce"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this column please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

People, Not Food, Make Best Party Memories

People, Not Food, Make Best Party Memories
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this column please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ May 25, 2006

'Try This Bit of Sweetness For Memorial Day"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this column please contact Kathi dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

"Entertaining with Kathi" Food Column ~ May 11, 2006

"Try These Cool, Citrus Treats As Summer Heats Up"
By Kathi Dameron

If you would like to read this article please contact Kathi Dameron at askkathidameron@aol.com

Welcome To The Let's Entertain Blog

Welcome To The Brand New Let's Entertain Blog!