Category Archives: food

Burns Baby Burns

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It must be 5 o’clock somewhere!cocktail time at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm Springs

I know you must think that all we do around our fair city is to go to cocktail parties.  Well, you’re partially right.  We like to celebrate. This is how one ends the day here in the white-hot epicenter of mid-century modern design.cocktail time at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm Springscocktail time at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm Springscocktail party at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm Springs, CA

Tonight’s soiree, graced with another stunning sunset, was hosted by Paul Kaplan at the Herbert W. Burns House.  Designed in 1949, it is an early example of mid century modern architecture.Paul Kaplan cocktail party at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm SpringsHerbert W. Burns house in Palm Springscocktail party at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm Springs, CAcocktail party at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm Springs, CAcocktail party at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm Springs, CA

For visitors who may not recognize Mr Burns name, you may recognize his work.  He was the architect of the well-loved Palm Springs hotel, the Orbit In.cocktail party at the Herbert W. Burns house in Palm Springs, CA

 

Starlight Desert Star Bright

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Modernism Week has home tours, bus tours, lectures and movies, but the most anticipated of all the events are surely the swinging cocktail parties.

If it’s 5 o’clock -  it must be cocktail time somewhere.

The Desert Star Hotel supplied the cocktail locale last night.  It was hip and well swell.  Specially-infused libations by Workshop Kitchen + Bar provided new twists on old favorites.

The signature cocktails were Singapore Sling #2 and Ironwood Fizz.  Crave provided a curated collection of modern nibbles.  Tricia from Sweet Bite Creamery was a big hit with her ice cream sandwich parting gifts.

All was pulled together with effortless aplomb.  I applaud the Desert Star team for nothing short of a stellar evening.  Thank you for including me!

 

Currying Favor

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My kitchen island has become a spice island!  A few weeks ago, I was tapped by a client to create custom gift baskets for them to give to their clients for Valentine’s Day.  My mission was to explore the emotion and fervor of cupid’s holiday and produce a gift that expressed that.

Sweet, musky, cloying, hot – all words used to describe love.  But they also perfectly describe spices. I thought, what better way to convey the passion of love than with a series of custom-blended spices.

So I set to work, mixing and toasting special blends of spices for my custom curry and  hot madras masala.  For days, the entire house was redolent with the exotic scents of licoricey fennel and anise, nutty coriander and pungent cumin.  All these aromas mingled together in a sweet-scented cloud creating the atmosphere of a far-away romantic port of call.

Bottled passion, toasted and blended by me.  With a pinch here and a sprinkle there, what better way to punch up ordinary flavors than with a dash of customized spicy love!