Website design By BotEap.comLast night I held what will be the first of more than a dozen French-style country dinners at my home to support local charities. From Habitat for Humanity to the arts organizations that enrich our area, these “dine for dollars” events were first conceived as a way to go beyond the normal confines of a book.

Website design By BotEap.comI had this idea that my book, groundbreaking in the sense that it was the first of its kind to address a very specific area of ​​interior design, could be used for a greater good. That while it is certainly charming and serves as a widely read reference book for design professionals and artists, as well as a book for renovators, remodelers, design junkies, and Francophiles, perhaps it could be used to further the greater good. Which could be an engine for philanthropy.

Website design By BotEap.comMore than a dozen of these dinners have been offered at local live auctions, held at annual galas, and have raised about $30,000 for philanthropic efforts of all kinds. And that is a very good thing.

Website design By BotEap.comLast night’s dinner was one of two that were the result of a bidding war between two friends. They each reached their bidding limit and, hating the thought of losing out, they asked me if I would do two dinners instead. Because it raised twice the amount of money for charity, I gladly thanked it. The other winning bidder will come with his guests next Saturday.

Website design By BotEap.comI headed to the grocery store straight from my early morning tennis game. My preference is to support locally owned merchants who sell locally grown produce. Oh! What a delicious Saturday morning ritual it has become for me. Wide awake from a solid hour and a half of chasing tennis balls, along with a thermos of hot coffee, I always get to the grocery store early enough to avoid all the crowds.

Website design By BotEap.comScanning the bakery islands left me alone with a French baguette, to be used a few hours later for a fabulous feast of fresh mussels in a white wine sauce.

Website design By BotEap.comThe gourmet cheese island was full of delicacies. My personal favourite, a bleu danish, was swept up for the planned escarole salad with toasted walnuts and pears, which, when drizzled with a homemade emulsion, would prove to be the perfect precursor to the main course.

Website design By BotEap.comHe was on the island of fresh produce, where it was time to pick the most aromatic herbs he could find. Sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and flat leaf parsley would find their way into my shopping cart. The rosemary would cover the buttery, roasted cashews that were made available, fresh from the oven, for my guests as they arrived; the thyme and parsley would be incorporated into the boiling broth of chicken stock and white wine where the mussels were quickly cooked. The fresh brussels sprouts, sautéed in my giant copper skillet, turned out earthy and nutty, and so flavorful with a few thick-cut bacon bits thrown in to top it off (is there anything not made wonderful by the addition of a little bacon?)

Website design By BotEap.comThe dairy island contained heavy cream, a required mainstay in my creme brulee. That, along with real unsalted butter and high-quality extra virgin olive oil, provides everything the fat diet requires (along with real ice cream, of course). No artificial ingredients are allowed in the diary!

Website design By BotEap.comThe butcher cut a beef with bone. Oh my gosh, he was divine! Hearty and flavorful, with a sauce whipped up with chicken broth and bits from the bottom of the pan (amongst others) gave it the calming quality he strove for (and my body craved).

Website design By BotEap.comSpeaking of soothing: there’s nothing like creme brulee for that final dollop. My fourteen year old son loved using the kitchen torch to give each person that fabulous crispy top; his reward was two servings instead of one, and mine was watching him gobble it down with sheer delight.

Website design By BotEap.comI confess that I am a lousy cook from Monday to Friday. Work gets in my way. Like my long journey, sharing football, and frankly the physical and mental exhaustion at the end of most days. Weekdays find us “catch like catch can.” Grass. Eating cold meats and cheeses naked. Nuts and fruits. Raw vegetables or good organic soups, although they usually come in a can. As unfortunate as it sounds, it’s still my weekday dinner.

Website design By BotEap.comSo when the luxury of a weekend day arrives where I have nothing to do but prepare for dinner, I find it surprisingly utterly charming. I love to tidy up my house: fluff up the cushions on the sofas and light the candle in their sconces; place flowers in a container and rearrange the chairs around the dining room table; polish silver and iron white clothes; preheating my oven and warming my heart for service to others.

Website design By BotEap.comEntertaining requires a focus on others. And away from yourself. Because it is such a time-consuming process that all thoughts about the self must essentially be abandoned. There’s no time for a manicure if hors d’oeuvres need to be prepared soon. Forget worrying about dressing up as a glamorous cat when you’ll be dipping your head in and out of a hot oven and sticking your arms in sinks of sudsy water. Ditch those stilettos for a decent pair of ballet flats, since you’ll be on your legs for about eight hours or so.

Website design By BotEap.comEntertaining requires lifting your spirits to lift your guests. It means stopping thinking about problems and making everyone around you feel comfortable. To laugh, to extend, to go beyond your comfort zone by breaking bread with complete strangers for whom you have worked since dawn to create an evening to remember.

Website design By BotEap.com“Beware of entertaining strangers, for that is why some have unknowingly entertained angels.” This is the verse from the Old Testament of the Bible that I have personally claimed as my order of hospitality. As interesting or surprising as it may be, after all the food has been purchased and put away, after all the dishes have been prepared and eaten, and after all the dishes have been washed and dried and returned to their place, it’s always…forever!-I, the animator, who has received the richest blessing. Filling the stomach of a friend or a stranger, serving in the most humble way, brings the most powerful of rewards.

Website design By BotEap.comI’m hoping this week you can reach out to someone who could use a dose of nutrition. Corporal or not. Because by nurturing yourself, you will be nurtured. In the exhaustion of your night’s aftermath, you will find refreshment for the soul. And when you wake up in the morning, you will be at peace with the world.