Super Bowl 48 is Upon Us

Lately, we have been ruminating on how the Deans read from the same playbook as NFL coaches. Experts are experts after all. 

The Super Bowl is starting off on quite a high note this year, literally. Super soprano Renee Fleming is singing the National Anthem and the Deans would watch just for that! First we will dabbing Renee’s signature fragrance, La Voce, behind each ear to get us in the mood, for what, we are not sure.

Just for your edification, Deans contacted an NFL coach on the proper rules and regs of Super Bowl parties. Since he is married to Dean Pollak’s daughter, he had to take the call. In order for a Super Bowl party to go as smoothly as possible, remember these guidelines straight from an award winning coach.

The people who want to watch the game, really want to watch the game. Do not interrupt with any questions, stupid or otherwise. During the Super Bowl the commercials are just as mandatory as the game.

Provide two rooms so the talkers can be sequestered far from the watchers.  This will prevent fist fighting, which could interupt the flow of the festivity.

For our Super Bowl parties we always serve our patented cheese coins. They are the perfect pairing with beer. Any type. Just this once we will let you in our secret. These cheesy coins are our good luck charms. 

A Treasure Trove of Cheese Coins

The Deans receive a cruel lashing from friends if we attend any event without bearing canvas bags overflowing with cheese coins. They are the Academy’s signature treats and Dean Manigault’s muscled right arm is a testament that the cheddar is lovingly grated by hand. Sometimes this can mean up to 25 pounds of cheddar because we have so many friends and students to bestow our coins upon.

 Makes about 2 dozen

16 ounces shredded sharp cheddar 

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 cups flour

1 heaping teaspoon cayenne

22 twists freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt 

Using a standing mixer or food processor, whirl all the ingredients until combined. Form the cheese dough into 2 logs, about 1 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days (or freeze for up to 6 weeks).

Preheat the oven to 325°. Cut the logs into ¼ inch slices and place on baking sheets. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature (or let cool and store in airtight containers for up to 7 days). 

The Deans Take Pointers from the NFL

Some parties are more stressful than others just like the Super Bowl is more thrilling than a pre season practice. Never let fear be a reason not to entertain. The thrill of doing something scary keeps you in the game.

Throwing a party is similar to Patriots’s coach, Bill Belichick, winning NFL game strategy. "He's ahead of the curve in about 99% of the things he does," according to a recent WSJ article.

How like the Deans he is! Just as he is prepared for every opponent the Patriots face, we are prepared for each guest who enters our houses.

Here’s our plan and we suggest you adopt it as you own. 

The key to an unforgettable party is mapping what needs to be done well in advance many times over. One quick thought will not create an adequate framework on which to hang a comprehensive plan.  

·      Always, always do as much in advance as possible. Your forethought will circumvent many possible pitfalls.

·      Be sure to consider guests’ personalities, lighting, timing, tastes and drinks, and what you are going to wear.

·      Come up with a few topics of conversation that might appeal to all attendees.

·      Know the top news stories of the day.

·      Serve one of your no fail menus.

·      Make sure you have a half hour to decompress before guests arrive. If you like a dressing drink, now is the time to imbibe.

·      Once your guests arrive, your number one mandate is to enjoy yourself. Everyone will follow your lead and a gracious, relaxed you, will be doing a touch down dance by night’s end, with each guest high fiving as they leave.

Celeste's Requests

The Deans just were forwarded this charming response to out last blog!  Enjoy.

Darling;

I just had to sit right down at my writing desk and respond to your blog. That is what they call it I think, although I am not exactly sure what that means.

Any-who, your summary of the holiday birthday party was an enchanting insight into certain echelons of Charleston society. I especially appreciated the nod to the gracious hostess of a certain age who made background introductions for the multitude: so important to put everyone at ease. I did note that some of the guests seemed in a delicate state even at the outset. The fact that she did not highlight the two falling-down events was very much appreciated by the attendees who continued to celebrate without missing a beat. I simply couldn’t agree more with your sentiments.

Don’t you love the new technology that permits affordable, constant and well-selected musical accompaniment for any occasion!? The tiny storage device plugged into the mammoth speaker system reached every corner of the joyful event. Our hostess will no doubt be saving the musical collection for her daily power walks. Of course the whole event was happily recorded as videos of varying quality. Suffice it to say that the guests had the good taste not to post any content on the internet! We just hate being tagged without permission, don’t you?

And the food was ne plus ultra if you ask me. The kale salad went in a trice and all I found was a gleaming white bowl when I arrived at the buffet banquet table, so that just goes to show that our fellow revelers know what’s good for them. Heaping bouches of goat cheese always remind me of holidays in Provence, no matter the season. The cascades of cava were welcome refreshment and added just the right fizz to the tuna ceviche. Let’s not forget the sourdough pretzels direct from Lancaster PA either! Just sublime to my thinking.

All’s well in our little neighborhood and the streets have been swept in anticipation of a glorious holiday season sans collegiate crowds.

Looking forward, we must get together. Wallace sends kisses all around.

                                                                        Toodles,

                                                                        Celeste 

Christmas Is Upon Us

Thornwillow has more illustrations by the talented Tania Lee.

We love going to other people’s parties because we always get ideas about what to do and sometimes about what not to do. 

A Sample of a Dean’s weekend

Birthday cocktail party… the guests were from all over the country so not everyone knew each other. The hostess made sure all guests connected and provided a real bridge during the introducing of two people.  She highlighted unusual and quirky facts that immediately elevated the tone and facilitated cutting through miles of bullshit.  Once you knew that you were in the presence of the greatest hairdresser on Broadway, discussion of the weather seemed insignificant.  The birthday girl’s enthusiasm and excitement infused the atmosphere with zest and verve.  The Deans proclaim that jaded attitudes are over this holiday season.  We only want to be around the passionately positive.  All ennui must be left at home. 

Sunday Caroling

If you want your guests to move twice during your party all together as one group, be warned.  This is not as easy as it may appear, so when we see it pulled perfectly, we nod our toque in appreciation.  Dean Pollak went to a Caroling party with a masterful hostess who exudes power.  She marshals her guests with a velvet glove that is no less authoritative than a bullwhip.  When she says its time to move to the next room, her guests are only amazed they had not thought of it themselves.  They sang in one room, decorated the tree in another, and ate in yet a third.  This hostess also knew that more is not always more. A smallish plate, not over laden because the food was rich, was ample reward for jobs well done. And somehow, just when we were thirstiest, a glass of Pellegrino was at the ready.  How did she know that, too?! The menu was so fantastic we included it here:

• Grits and Wild Mushroom Stew
• Stoneground Grits
• Crispy Sausage Biscuit
• Christmas Cookies

Intimate Dinner Party 

Dean Pollak went to the most elegant evening that she has enjoyed in as long as she can remember. One of Charleston's preeminent museum houses, the Edmondston Alston House  was returned to its original purpose. Guests descended the staircase into a vast candlelit chamber under a twinkling chandelier.  The table was set for eight and covered with a lace tablecloth, strewn with camellias, and each champagne glass was a different Murano stem. Add to this excitement the food was beyond comparison. A seafood gratin was the centerpiece. The Deans were filled with jealousy that we do not have this recipe in our arsenal. 

A Mah-velous Party

st. germa close angled

Both Deans were invited so that told us right there that the party was on the right track.

The main reasons we loved it so much:

· The party was impromptu and we felt like going out.

· It was in honor of an out of town guest who we had never met. A TV star to boot.

· Delicious food displayed on platters everywhere we looked.

· Our hostess had enough food to satisfy the hungriest of the participants with no need to supplement with an added dinner.

· The attendees were limited to fifteen, which ensured everyone felt honored to be there.

· With only fifteen people the Deans were able to check in with everybody and have prolonged discussions with quite a few.

· There were familiar faces but several new ones too.

· Lit candles lined the walkway, and two subtle flower arrangements were all the décor necessary. The candles to generate excitement and the flowers to say you are wanted. No detail was too over the top, which both Deans shy away from.

The Deans consider themselves lucky to have been invited and give the party a unreserved A+. We loved getting out of our own houses, especially the test kitchen, and being guests for awhile instead of hosting classes. What a treat!

Old Fashioned? Yes, very much.

When it comes right down to it, there is really nothing about the Deans of The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits which could be called old-fashioned. Except of course, this drink and our silver -- the first of which we have perfected in a modern way with a nod to both history and Charleston, and the latter, which we couldn't help if we wanted to, frankly.

Now then.  Just as if you were standing next to the Deans at our standing room only cocktail demonstration at the Charleston Wine and Food Festival this past weekend, we share with you The Academy's Old Fashioned. The Deans bid you to enjoy it early and often.

The Charleston Academy’s Men Only Dinner guests enjoyed sitting on the porch of the Roper House sipping Old Fashioneds containing orange peels grown in the old historic district.

Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuit's

Old Fashioned Cocktail

Serves 1

1 large and uneven slice of lemon peel

1 brown sugar cube (or 1/4 oz simple syrup)

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 dash Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6

1 oz. bottled water

2 large ice cubes

2 oz.  good bourbon

Small triangle of orange slice for garnish, and perhaps a cherry

Add the lemon peel, sugar cube, and both bitters into the bottom of an Old Fashioned glass. The Deans insist on using an Old Fashion glass for this drink. Using a wooden muddler, begin to muddle the ingredients firmly in the bottom of the glass.

Add the water, add the ice and then the bourbon. Stir with a spoon. Float the orange slice on top of the drink and serve.

Down to the Quick: Walk Tall

divas1

Now begins a new series, Down to the Quick (as in: "Things that Make you Bite your Nails"). The Deans have been there, they know nerves, and this series will represent two distinctly different solutions to the social challenges we all face. Without further delay, then...

For months Dean Manigault has been looking forward to a two-day junket in New York City. For the first time since her wedding, she has two big events to go to on two consecutive nights. The dresses are packed, the shoes re-heeled, the blow-out appointment confirmed. What could go wrong? This: her date canceled and she realized that instead of her best friend being her escort and companion, she would now have to walk into two different and enormous parties by herself, all dressed up with no one to go with. Instantly, her mind turned to canceling her trip.

Luckily, she was not alone when she got the news. Dean Pollak was simply amazed. How could she cancel? In Dean Pollak’s opinion the only thing that changed was that she would not be fettered to her date all night and could flit from person to person. The thrill of the unknown invigorates Dean Pollak and she has laid it down that if Dean Maniaugult cancels she is a wuss. She gave Dean Manigault the game plan for a sure fire life-changing evening. The three principles: (1) Don’t sit down or you’ll be trapped. (2) Go right to the middle of the room. Do not stand near the bar or food (almost as much as a quagmire as sitting down). (3) Look for a person standing alone, or a friendly face and introduce yourself. The point is not to attach yourself to someone, the point is to move from person to person making real conversations or connections. How does Dean Pollak know this works? She goes into every event convinced she is going to meet someone fascinating and so she always does. The mindset is as important as anything else.

Which Dean would you follow?

Practice. Practice. Practice.

everyday cooking

Recently, the Deans have read two different articles in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times about practice and how it makes perfect. We could have saved scientists hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours.  Of course practice improves proficiency in any task from cello-playing to ragu-making.  If you are giving your first ever holiday party, know this one will be the hardest.  The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.  Once you’ve given one party, the process is in your bones and the next one will be a comparative breeze.

The Deans have been making our families' favorite foods for years and we no longer have to agonize over every step.  Practice makes the steps automatic and frees our brains to think about businesses we want to run, parties we want to have and the book we are writing.  The only way to truly multi-task is to know how to do one chore without thinking.  Entertaining becomes easier and more fun every time you do it.  The trick we are putting up your sleeve is our practice on family and friends. Cook the same recipes over and over until they become your own.  Then, not only will be easy for you to prepare, but they will taste better as well.