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Entertaining Essentials are Easy to Find on the Web
I am very lucky: I have all my entertaining-essential stores near home. I can walk to a Sur La Table store. I am minutes from fine cheese stores, wine stores, organic-food stores, and my most recent discovery: an Italian grocery store that has the best bread in town. If I lived anywhere else that didn’t have specialty stores, how would I find items needed for entertaining? How do you throw a great party for holidays or any special occasion if your resources are limited? Luckily, the easy answer is the web. And there is a lot of information out there, so where does one start? I’ve taken the liberty to list some of my favorites to help:
Epicurious.com. The first thing a host/hostess must start with is his/her menu. Food is the most important part and should be the focal point. Recipes from the top food magazines can be found here and the reader ratings are very helpful.
igourmet.com has everything you need to get your party started. It offers cheese, party ideas, oils, sauces, meats - too much to mention. And it should be your next stop.
Target.com has become such a wonderful, inexpensive source for dinnerware. My current favorite is their BIA Cordon Bleu Fromage Plates (pictured above).
Sur La Table is so much fun. It has all the essential kitchen tools plus cookbooks, classes, and all the little things you need at the last minute.
Wine.com offers wonderful wines and great recommendations. Check out the wines that rated 90 pts plus and are still under $20. (If you don't know what points are, please refer to winespectator.com.)
And my absolute favorite for its obscure and fun party treats: Oriental Trading Company. The site offers a number of inexpensive party goods. If nothing else, it’s fun to surf: Where else can you find a felt chicken hat for $5.95?
Oh, one more: Martha. Despite her recent setbacks, Ms. Stewart still knows how to entertain.
By Michelle Alderson | December 21, 2005 in Parties & Entertaining | Permalink
