THE LATEST FROM FRAN BERGER
Blogs
Party Etiquette: Which bread plate is mine?
This tip will save you from the embarrassment of grabbing the wrong bread plate (or wine glass) at a formal party. A friend of mine told me this story about one of the first formal parties he attended. It was...
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Home Bar Ideas: 8 Must-Have Tools for a Perfect Home Bar
When it comes to home entertaining, food is only half the equation. Drinks—especially well-made, mixed cocktails—are the perfect addition to any social gathering. If you’re serious about hosting at home, setting up a home bar with the right tools is...
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How to deseed and chop a jalapeño
If you love cooking, then technique matters: the right way to prepare jalapeños for your recipe. One of the things I’ve learned about home cooking: you don’t have to actually be a chef to cook excellent meals. But, I have...
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Pantry Power: 7 Items for Instant Meal Magic
You’ll be ready for just about anything if you keep these items in stock at home at all times. I keep my pantry well-stocked at all times. I owe that habit to years in the restaurant business. One of...
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4th of July Party? How about a tasty recipe for marinated olives and feta?
Sophisticated but incredibly easy: smash some olives, crush a bit of garlic, shred some bread, and you’re good to go! Want to bring something different to your 4th of July party that DOESN’T need refrigeration or special care? A while...
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Indulge in Frozen Wine-Marinated Grapes: The Ideal Adult Snack
If you love frozen grapes, you’re going to absolutely swoon when you try this idea. One of my favorite summer treats is frozen grapes. I love them, don’t you? They’re so easy to do – clean them, dry them,...
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Summer Cocktail idea for you and your friends
La Dolce Vita with a Negroni cocktail recipe: gin, Campari, Vermouth and a twist of Orange peel. Even if you’ve only been following me for a little while, you know that I love anything Italian and I’ve been very fortunate...
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Flowers for Home Décor – How to keep Hydrangeas fresher longer
A popular ornamental plant is our favorite home flower decoration – hydrangea! The name “hydrangea” may or may not ring any bells. But if ornamental horticulture happens to be your “thing” or if you have ever seen the plant and...
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Food Tip – Keep your herbs fresh for up to a week!
A quick and easy way to save your refrigerated herbs – they’ll keep for a week! We depend on the excellent flavor of our herbs to enhance our cooking. I have many friends who wait until the day before they...
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Food Tip – The best croutons for your summer salads!
Add a kick to your salads with home-made croutons – and it’s so easy. I love crunchy carbs, don’t you? The specific carb that’s on my mind right now are croutons. Okay – so not exactly health food. I think...
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Home Entertaining Tip – How to speed-chill a bottle of white wine
Guests on the way? Forgot to chill the wine? Here’s an old restaurant trick that will get you chilled wine in 15 minutes FLAT. A restaurant – an excellent restaurant – will never have a shortage of good wine chilled...
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Kitchen Safety Tip – avoid food borne bacteria and clean that sponge!
Kitchen sponges can be as dirty as your toilet! So clean or replace them regularly. I like smart people, but intelligent kids make me smile. Even when the smile is a tad uncomfortable. My friend and I were sitting in...
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