THE LATEST FROM FRAN BERGER
Home Entertaining
Hosting a Stress-Free Holiday Party is easier than you think!
The best part about a Holiday Party is a Relaxed Host – seriously! I’ve seen it more times than I care to remember: I attend a party or gathering, and there’s a host who looks like she’s been put through...
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Healthier drinks for the holidays?
Two KEYS for healthier choices from your holiday libations. I’ve been a home entertainer all my adult life. My friends have always thought of me as an expert at entertaining guests and throwing good parties – just ask any of...
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The Making of an Elegant Halloween
The easy way to make your Halloween Party an elegant event. If you know anything about me, you know that I love this time of year. It’s the best season for home entertaining. The absolute best time to have parties...
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How to Prevent a Holiday Party Nightmare
Five things you can do RIGHT NOW to prepare for any holiday gathering – for the rest of the year! The whole group was coming to my party. I was so happy that I found myself literally grinning from ear...
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The Delicate Etiquette of the Last drop of Wine
Some customs just make the whole art of entertaining that much more fun! When I was very young, my parents were pretty serious about teaching customs and manners to me and my siblings. We learned how to be polite and...
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Rosé is a Rose by Any Other Name?
There’s just so much more to your wine than just a name! First, a little story. I was with a friend who is a real muscle car geek. This man knows every make, has details about every model, knows things...
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Entertaining at home with Magnums
How to use Magnums as a centerpiece for your dinner table. Entertaining at home presents a fun challenge for me because I’m always looking for a way to do something a bit more extraordinary than before. I find the small...
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What is “sophisticated living”?
Sophisticated Living: it’s not what you spend, but what you share. I’m a big advocate for enjoying life. We only get one ticket to the big dance so we should participate in life to the fullest extent that we can....
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The Right Way to Enjoy Al Fresco Dining
Dining outdoors – perfect for longer, warmer nights. Days are getting longer and the nights are warming up – a perfect combination to dine al fresco with friends or a significant other. It’s more than simply eating outside or just...
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The simplest Vodka cocktail that isn’t really a cocktail.
Another way to enjoy your favorite vodka: a Nikoli for your party. I love to host parties of all sizes. Sometimes it’s a small group of 6, and sometimes it feels like I sent out a mailing addressed to “current...
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Serving Caviar for a Tasting?
Handy tips for serving caviar at your next event. When you own restaurants, as I did for more than twenty years, you learn quite a bit about serving all kinds of different food. Caviar is a little unusual in...
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What kind of Champagne Glasses?
Easy hints and tips for the “right” champagne glass for your party. It’s a little joke between wine drinkers that the best glass for wine is always the one that you’re holding. No matter if it’s one of those little...
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Unraveling the Mystique of Caviar: A Comprehensive Guide
A little ‘what’ and ‘where’ about caviar, and how you can enjoy it. In the twenty years that I owned my restaurants you wouldn’t believe how many times I was asked, “What is caviar?” It’s a delicacy, to be sure,...
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Where's the Bread Plate? Your Table Setting Guide
Easy tips for setting your table, for every day! When my kids were at home, we always ate our meals at the kitchen table, and if I was having a party, the meal would move to the dining room. Somehow...
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Let’s talk about serving wine.
You’re hosting a party. How much wine do you serve? How much wine should you pour in a glass? It all depends on what you want to do. Like, it’s been a bad day and you’ve come home for a...
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Bring Napa Home and Let the Bottles Do the Talking
Bring stories home about the wine you love, #Napa #Winechat I love wine from all over the world, but Napa is closest to my heart. Well, living in California is part of the reason, but back when I owned my...
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Perfect Chili or Stew, for your Super Bowl Party
Hot Recipe Ideas for your Super Bowl Party I can’t tell you how many Super Bowl Parties I have thrown (too many to count!) but I can tell you my secrets to making sure your guests have the best time...
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Champagne Is NOT Just for Holidays
Spread the cheer any day – Schramsberg Cremant Demi-Sec New Year’s has come and gone. Time to pack up the champagne glasses for another year (or the next wedding)? Are you kidding me? I hope you are! The party’s only...
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Fran’s Party Etiquette Rules – For Hosts (Part III)
Fran’s 7 Golden Rules for Hosting a Party How about a few rules for hosts? Okay, so the word “rules” might be a little heavy-handed. More like guidelines. This is a part of a series – I started with guest...
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Fran’s Party Etiquette Rules – The Host Gift (Part II)
More guest rules – these will make you the Party Star! I accept almost all invitations to parties that come my way. And I go to a lot of them – that’s just the way I roll. Over the years,...
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