Thanks J. McLaughlin!

“All year ‘round, there’s always something simmering in a yellow Le Creuset pan on Barbara’s range. She and her daughter Madeline are taking virtual cooking classes with Suzanne Pollak at the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. Barbara also finds inspiration in Melissa Clark’s From the Pantry in The New York Times. And, now that the holidays are just around the corner, she’s making her signature Meyer lemon marmalade with fruit from her own trees.”

Thanks to J. McLaughlin for the mention in the latest blog post & newsletter! We love having Barbara and Madeline in class and hope YOU will join us this Holiday season too…

'Half a Dozen Summer Party Tips' for J. McLaughlin

“The #1 tip concerns conversations because we haven’t been face to face in so long! Just thinking about it sparks excitement, which gets energy flowing and makes party planning extra pleasurable. 

Suzanne and a guest converse at the debut of our collaboration with J. McLaughlin…

[Credit: Niki Nero Photography]

Let’s Talk
Consider possible party talk even before your event. Conversation starters can range from fun and frivolous (like showing off your matching napkins and dress) to deep dives straight for the heart of the matter. Think about each guest and what might be going on in their life so that you can ask pertinent questions, showing that they have been on your mind and that you care for them. Conversations which easily shift from light to meaningful are unforgettable. Simply skimming the surface leaves an empty feeling later. To more easily dive deep, start shallow as a means of getting there. Pointing out your matchy matchy napkins and dress will ignite laughter and spark interesting talk.…”

Read the rest of Suzanne’s party tips and find our recipe for a perfect French 75 via J. McLaughlin’s blog HERE!

"Baking with Barbara " for J. McLaughlin Blog

“‘Tis the season for homemade challah! Grounded in ancient Jewish tradition, this gorgeously glossy braided bread graces the Chanukah table—and then makes the most wonderful French toast and grilled cheese sandwiches. While there are lots of places in New York to buy great challah, including Eli’s Market on Third Avenue on the Upper East Side, there’s something special about making a loaf from scratch.

To prepare for the all-important holiday baking season, Barbara McLaughlin and her daughter Madeline signed up for Carbs 101, an online class at the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. Taught by Barbara’s friend Suzanne Pollak, founder of the Academy, professional baker and cookbook author, the classes are the next best thing to being in Suzanne’s cozy kitchen in Charleston, not far from our J. McLaughlin store on King Street….”

Read more about Barbara & Madeline’s adventures baking challah with Suzanne, and find a recipe for making loaves of your own this Holiday season, via J. Mc Laughlin’s blog HERE!

'Where the Orchids Bloom' for VIE Blog

“Did you know the New York Botanical Garden has a rescue center for plants smuggled into the country? Instead of destroying the seized plants, they are brought to the gardens to be bred, propagated, and shared. Marc Hachadourian (NYBG director of glasshouse collections and senior orchid curator) shares many little throwaway but useful facts, which I love collecting. Did you know that a vanilla bean is really the seed pod of an orchid? And there are only six flowers in the world with the remarkable color of a jade vine, a thirty six-inch cluster of turquoise green. Finally, for the finale, when we arrived at the garden’s hugs arches blanketed with orchids. Maybe it’s better to first experience this online, because if I walked under the orchid arches and around the reflecting pool in person, I might have fainted and fallen into the pool.”

Read more about taking one of many delightful virtual tours of the NYBG, on the VIE Blog HERE…

Suzanne Pollak for The Roads Travelled

[Image: Mary Gilbert, The Roads Travelled.]

Many thanks to blogger Mary Gilbert of The Roads Travelled for writing all about her recent culinary lesson with Suzanne Pollak, starring frisée, bacon, and the renowned Academy croutons...(guest-starring a red scarf by J. McLaughlin!) 

Gilbert sat down with the Dean after her tutorial on Tradd Street to ask a few Qs on everything from growing up the daughter of a diplomat in Afraica, to entertaining in historic homes around the world -- including how Pollak's distinctive entertaining style has been shaped by her large family, lifetime of travel, and love for Charleston.

Read the full post HERE on The Roads Travelled (and contact us to book a cooking class of your own!)

Proper Attire Etiquette for Martha Stewart Weddings

The Dean returned to Martha Stewart Weddings (yet again) for advice on what to wear, and what not to wear, to a wedding. Her advice follows:

To top or not to top? That is the question...

Most weddings are at four or five PM.  Black tie is sort of tacky for a wedding, and old-fashioned, but hey -- each to his own. White Tie, unless you are royalty, seems a bit vulgar. If the wedding is black tie, the wedding must be after six. No dinner jackets before six!

A Few Hard and Fast Rules

1. Women should never wear black or white to a wedding. No LBD = little black dress. Black shows disrespect, as if sorry to be in attendance.
2. No matter what the dress code, ladies don’t have to wear a long dress ever. Traditionally you wouldn’t be in a long dress before the sun went down. Rules have loosened though. Women can wear a cocktail dress even for white tie.
3. Velvet in the winter, silk in the summer...
4. No ball gowns (even for white or black tie.) Think about it. You will have to sit in a pew. Evening gown instead.
5. The purse should be tiny. Certainly never show up with a weekend purse.
6. Don’t upstage the bride. Don't get sexy at weddings. It’s not appropriate. It’s a religious event.
7. Men have very few rules so less trouble breaking them. They have an easier uniform. Men’s wardrobe is dinner jacket, suit, blue blazer. (They can travel the world with those three items and always be appropriate.)
8. If you want to be elegant, you have to be comfortable. Simpler is better.

Decoding the Dress Code

• Black Tie optional: wear or not.
• Creative Black tie: God only knows what that means! Just dress up, like when you were a little girl. For a guy it means have fun. Wear a snazzy tie. Choose a tux in a different color, maybe navy. Add a velvet jacket.
• Semi-formal: fairly dressy. Basically girls can wear the same dress for any occasion but more jewelry at night. Girls can get away with absolutely anything -- your call as to what you would feel comfortable in. Men wear a dark suit.
• Casual: low heels. A less dressy dress. Depends on where casual is. South Hampton casual is fairly dressy except when it’s on the beach. Then very casual.

And one other thing to think about…

Usually there is dancing at weddings so keep that in mind when choosing your shoes. Nothing more unattractive than a woman hobbling on heels. Hobbling is not sexy.

Read the full article HERE!