(BPT) – You know how to pick out the perfect pair of shoes, what dress to wear and how to accessorize. When it comes to hosting a party, you want everything to be stylish, from the table you set to the food you serve. Here are some tips for “dressing up” your table using style and color.
Get inspired: When starting out, look for an inspiration piece. Select a unique table cloth, or find interesting napkins with bright colors and bold patterns. If you’d wear it as a skirt, chances are it will look great on the table.
Bold bakeware is a must: Make your food, and table, look good with the right bakeware. Try the new vibrant CW by CorningWare. The line of fashionable and functional bakeware comes in a variety of colors, including Pool Blue, Curry Yellow, Sprout Green, Vermillion Red and Twilight Purple, so you can bring it from the oven straight to your table, no serving dishes needed. When the party is over, the versatile bakeware can go in the fridge or freezer with the leftovers.
Centerpieces to talk about: When it comes to creating a centerpiece, think outside the box. Make a table runner with small wooden crates from a flea market. Turn mason jars into candleholders or add wildflowers for a rustic look. The idea is to be unusual and creative while finding a centerpiece that demonstrates your unique decorating style.
Setting the table: Approach setting your table like putting together an outfit. Match your colorful CW by CorningWare with your patterned table linens and centerpiece, but keep your plates classic and sophisticated. Try Boutique by Corelle dinnerware; the all-white color and embossed design is chic and simple, and makes the rest of the colors pop.
The meat and potatoes: Decor is important, but so is the menu. Wow your guests with this delicious recipe of roasted Kabocha squash with pomegranate yogurt from celebrity Chef Seamus Mullen.
Kabocha Squash
(Serves 4 or 16 tasting portions)
Ingredients:
1/2 grated garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 bunch chopped sage
Handful of thyme
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 medium Kabocha squash skin on, seeded and cut into 4 wedges
Salt
Pepper
1/2 tablespoon Ras el Hanout spice
Orange zest
1 cup whole milk
1/2 clove of grated garlic
1/4 cup of Arbequina olive oil
Zest and juice from one lemon
1/2 tablespoon ground pink peppercorn
Seeds of 1 fresh pomegranate
2 tablespoons fresh mint, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine grated garlic, olive oil, sage and thyme into a food processor and process until smooth. Whisk in maple syrup. Spread half the Kabocha squash in a 1.5 quart CW by CorningWare Medium Baker. Using a pastry brush, thoroughly brush all the squash with the olive oil/maple syrup mixture. Season with salt, pepper, Ras el Hanout and orange zest and roast, covered with foil, for 35 minutes or until the flesh and skin are tender.
Meanwhile combine the milk, Arbequina olive oil, lemon zest and juice, peppercorn, pomegranate seeds, mint and salt and pepper to taste in a 20-ounce CW by CorningWare Small Baker.
Remove the squash from oven and cut each piece into bite-size pieces. Place them in a clean, cool dish. Top each piece of squash with a dollop of the yogurt and serve immediately.
For more recipe ideas and tips on how to entertain effortlessly and fashionably, visit www.worldkitchen.com.
