THE LATEST FROM FRAN BERGER
Videos
Master Your Kitchen: Top 10 Must-Have Tools for Beginners
What you need to know about the top 10 essential tools for your kitchen. A client of mine just bought a second home near a lake. She faced the same problem all cooks face when stocking a new kitchen...
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What your dinner party guests really care about! | Fran Berger
At your next dinner party, try these ideas to keep a fun night really rolling. The whole point of having friends and family over is the sharing. We love the food and drink, but—speaking for myself in particular—I live for...
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Make a resolution, pay attention to your olives! | Fran Berger
It’s a shame to take the olive for granted when there’s so much variety!I love olives. Green, black, stuffed, unstuffed, in salads, or plain. Today, there are enough varieties of olives to match just about any palate—even those that are...
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What to do with all those gift wines? | Fran Berger
Gift wines. There. I said it. A bottle quickly picked up at the market, thoughtfully bought, but random nevertheless. There are things you can do with these random wines, even those over-sweet and barely drinkable cheap bottles, that can keep...
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Baking Bacon: Perfect Crispiness Without the Hassle
You’ll be blown away how much easier it is to BAKE your bacon. I may be stating the obvious but frying bacon is a real hassle. Everyone loves the taste, hardly anyone complains about the smell of bacon cooking...
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Gifts She'll Love: Fran's Women's Gift Guide
Challenged by originality? Remember to be thoughtful. It’s probably a huge generalization, but I think it’s a lot easier to get a gift for a guy-friend than it is for a girl-friend. Not saying that guys are less sophisticated...
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Tips for great holiday party lighting. | Fran Berger
Set the mood for your family and friends with awesome lighting. Imagine you’re the director of your own stage production of “The Holidays at My Home.” What are you going to do to set the mood for a great party?...
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A little “insider” trick that keeps your salad from wilting. | Fran Berger
When you have guests over, not only do you want your food to be appetizing and tasty, you also want your guests to be eager and happy to try every dish you serve. Here’s a simple idea for serving salad...
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Simple Recipe for Champagne Vinaigrette | Fran Berger
And so easy to make: Dijon Mustard, sea salt, champagne vinegar, and olive oil. This recipe was handed down from one chef to another. Nobody really knows who created it, but it is a favorite, and because it’s so simple,...
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Salt Cellars: A Taste of History for Your Table
“Above the Salt” Idea: Entertain guests like a pro with great salt cellars for your table. Do you know someone who can really throw a fabulous gathering no matter how large or small? I have to say I’ve been...
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In search of the perfect coffee mug | Fran Berger
Everyone has different tastes in coffee mugs. But when you’re entertaining guests, you want to think about form and function rather than the clever design or the artwork imprinted on them. It’s important to think of the guests you’ll be...
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Recipe: a fabulous home-made roasted onion dip | Fran Berger
I’ve always loved a simple onion dip but thought that to make one from scratch would be too difficult. But, the recipe I found from Bon Appétit is actually very easy and straightforward. It will have everyone begging you to...
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Elevate Your Dishes: How to Roast Garlic
A fabulous “quick” preparation for a favorite… wait a minute… what IS garlic anyhow? Here’s a fun fact about garlic. While it’s probably easy to call it a vegetable it’s actually an allium like onions, shallots and leeks and is...
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It's football season and time to make some really great memories. | Fran Berger
Football Sunday with friends and family is an instant hit for most people. I mean, I know friends who don’t watch football, but love to come to my gatherings just because it’s a great time to hang out and party...
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Home Entertaining Tip: Jazzing up the Cheese Board | Fran Berger
Cheese boards come in all sizes, shapes, and materials. I’ll bet that if you took a survey, most people don’t even bring out a cutting board because they slice the cheese before guests arrive. But let’s say you want to...
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Aperitivo: Savor Italy's Tradition of Leisurely Socializing
Enjoy the relaxed pace and informality of a timeless continental style. One of the reasons I became a restaurateur is that I love to entertain. And, one of my favorite ways to entertain guests follows the Italian Aperitivo style: informal and wholly...
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Cooking the Perfect Poached Egg | Fran Berger
I love poached eggs. My mom and dad used to have them with toast just about every Sunday morning. It’s a fond food memory for me. I think more people would eat them at home were it not for all...
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How to shop for fine silver and crystal at estate sales. | Fran Berger
The best way to build a collection of fine silver and crystal: estate sales, flea markets, thrift stores. And they’re fun!For some folks, having the perfect set of home entertaining “ware” is a matter of inheritance. If you are one...
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Summer Drink Recipe: Grapefruit Aperol Spritz
Brings you this fabulous spritz drink to help you keep cool during California’s dog days of summer-early fall. It’s not the end of summer in California until we endure those final “dog days” through early fall. It’ll be boiling here...
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Quick and Easy Dinner Recipe for Tomato Feta Galette | Fran Berger
The tomato is lovely to behold and sweet to eat. I love them on anything – pasta, salads, and savory dishes. No surprise, I will try just about any recipe where tomatoes are the main attraction in a dish. Like...
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