PASTA:: Perfect for GoodFood Gatherings

Pasta is such a perfect food.  And this is not only because Italian blood runs through our veins,...da vero!

Pasta - ever-so-versatile - can be:

• dressed up or casual, 
• fresh & light or rich & creamy,
• extravagant or budget-friendly, 
• room temperature or hot from the oven, and/or
• stuffed or strings or shells or BUTTERFLIES...

The options are truly endless.  And PERFECT for our idea of a GoodFood Gathering.

Don't know about our concept of GoodFood Gatherings? This is entertaining at it's most basic - providing good food, offering something to wet the whistle, but most importantly, allowing the time to share laughs, ideas, stories and life with those who have joined at our table. For this type of entertaining, we look for those recipes that emphasize fresh, seasonal ingredients - straightforward preparation - and interesting flavor combinations from different cuisines. Take a peek at prior posts listing dozens of menu ideas to springboard your own GoodFood Gatherings.

With a focused eye on pasta as a possible cornerstone for your next GoodFood Gathering, here are a few favorites we recommend adding to your entertaining repertoire:

Fresh & Zesty ~ Pesto
No-Fail Dinner Party - Summer Pesto (includes 8 recipes and variations!)
One of the easiest ways to bring summer freshness to the table for dinner guests? Pesto! A sauce originally crafted of basil and garlic in Genoa, Italy (Pesto alla Genovese), the name itself references to the "pounding" or "crushing" of herbs and other ingredients. Traditionally, pesto is made with a mortar and pestle - but it works as well in a food processor. 

A Classic Tomato Sauce ~ Marinara
Grace Parisi called it right in her Classic Marinara Sauce for Food & Wine Magazine
The secret to excellent tomato sauce? According to F&38;W's Grace Parisi, the trick is starting with superlative whole (not crushed) tomatoes and simmering them with whole (not chopped) garlic cloves. The result: A classic marinara that can quickly be spun into all sorts of variations.

Traditional Family Style ~ Lasagne
A go-to brand for easy, oven-ready noodles and lasagna "filling" options is Barilla.  We have been loyal to their lasagne noodles, and their basic interpretation of lasagne, for years (shhh...don't tell Nonna!!)

They feature five delicious options on their website under Lasagne, Oven Ready including:

• Butternut Squash Lasagne
• Lasagne Bolognese-style
• Lasagne with Meat Sauce
• Autumn Lasagne

Melt-in-your-mouth Luxury ~ Pasta with Robiola & Truffles
(we stand by this pasta dish as a veritable recipe RAVE!!)
Another exceptional interpretation of an Italian "nouvo" classic from Food & Wine Magazine.
This indulgent first course marries three of Italy's best ingredients: egg pasta, winter truffles and Robiola Rocchetta, a creamy cheese from northern Italy, which forms the base for an incredibly rich sauce.

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Pasta Perfetto on Foodies Night In (#FNIchat)
Today's Foodie's Night In program, co-hosted by The Savvy Host and Cooking with Caitlin, was dedicated to pasta.  "Pasta Perfetto" covered Italian noodles from homemade recipes, to favorite sauces, to wine pairing,...ending with pasta DESSERTS!

Did you miss the delicious dialogue?  See below for this week's discussion questions:

• From shells to spaghetti and even farfalle, what shapes hold sauce best? Gnocchi or cavatelli? Fresh or dry? 
• Secret ingredients or tips for making homemade pasta? Add flavor and color? Recipes? 
• What is THE all-time best bowl of pasta you’ve had the pleasure of eating? What restaurant serves is right? 
• Raving about risotto – What’s your favorite recipe? Is it REALLY that hard to make? 
• Cooking tips – al dente or “mush?” Fling the fettuccine or taste the tagliatelle – how to know when pasta’s done? 
• Carbonara, arrabiata, puttanesca, alfredo – What’s your saucy style? Best way to season – super saucy or keep it simple? 
• What to pour with pasta – favorite wine - champagne - beer - or other beverage? 
• Ready to battle? What’s the BEST meatball recipe? Is your sauce homemade? Tips for doctoring up a jar? 
• Twirling technique: Is slurping acceptable? How best to get pasta into your mouth? Is a spoon necessary? 
• Can leftover pasta come back to life? Tips for par-cooking? How to store? How to perk up? 
• Chestnut vermicelli, rice pudding, pastira – how about pasta for dessert? 
• CLOSING QUESTION - Use your noodle now: Name what makes pasta perfect in three words or less.

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Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti - Sophia Loren

March is GREAT time to visit Chicago (Why?...Housewares!)

We're not crazy to suggest March is a fantastic time to visit Chicago.

Would you like a clue as to why?

It has ALOT to do with housewares...and our interests in identifying and sourcing the top essentials for a savvy host's entertaining needs.

Take a peek at this event update from The Savvy Host...Sweet Homestyle Chicago...and see if you don't agree!

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Come on, 

baby don't you want to go...

Back to that same old place...

Sweet home Chicago.

- The Blues Brothers, lyrics by Robert Johnson

Seasonal Hospitality: Ch. 2 - Cooking with Caitlin (& Bacon!)

This next example of Seasonal Hospitality is a very delicious one indeed!

Do you know this team of fun foodie professionals - Cooking with Caitlin - who we are so pleased to partner with for Foodies' Night In (#FNIchat) every Monday?

If this is your first introduction to this dynamic team of charming culinary creatives, here's how they describe who they are and what they do:

Entertaining a la Chicago Gourmet

Enjoyed a lively conversation at breakfast this morning.  Do you consider yourself a gourmet? Or an epicure?

Foodies' Night In Special Event 8/30 - Chicago's Macello

We are so excited to share the fun of Foodies' Night In (#fni) - our weekly Twitter party with Cooking With Caitlin all about FOOD - with fellow Chicago friends!

On Monday, 8/30 we will be co-hosting Foodies' Night In with our Cincinnati-based delicious dynamos, Cooking with Caitlin, from Macello Ristorante in Chicago!

This week's mouth-watering topic is The Dinner Party Menu - and we'll chat about everything from the inspiration that spills from the cocktail menu to the guidance that the main course lends the entire evening...

Behind the bar at Foodies' Night In (8/9)

At a local haunt, there's a tradition of ringing an old bell promptly each day at 5p.  The context for the tradition is that when the neighborhood was an old meat-packing district, the locals would listen for the bell to know it was time to join together to raise a glass with good friends and colleagues to toast and give thanks to the completion of another day's work. 

We like the tradition of a cocktail hour - and highlighted it in 10 Trends in Savvy Entertaining.  as a chance to transition from the hectic work day into a more personal mode and lifestyle.  Whether your libation is beer, wine, or mixed cocktail, we think that it's a valuable time of day to take a breath, and to enjoy exchanging a few ideas, swap a few stories and sharing some laughs.

Perfect topic for our friends - old & new - joining Foodies' Night In - It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere - on Monday, 9 August.

This week's Sponsor happens to fit well into our cocktail hour gameplan - Crispin Cider.  We're big fans of cider - and have had the pleasure of enjoying almost all of the Crispin products this summer!  A little about Crispin -

Classically refined, but not styled as a traditional "sweet beer" beer alternative, Crispin ciders are crisp and clean, not sweet and sticky and never sacrifice superior quality refreshment satisfaction for overbearing complexity.  Always true to the apple, Crispin Hard Ciders are naturally fermented using apple juice, never from apple juice concentrate, from a premium blend of US West Coast apples, with no added malt, grape wine or spirit alcohol. Crispin’s unique flavors are smoothed with pure apple juice or from natural sugar sources like oragnic honey or organic maple syrup, and contain no added colorants, sorbate or benzoate preservatives and are filtered cold for crisp refreshment. Crispin ciders are all Gluten Free for the wheat-intolerant person.

We're looking forward to learning more from them about how they enjoy happy hour - and what interesting signature cocktails can be made with cider.

Serving up Bread & Sandwiches at Foodies' Night In

It's SANDWICH NIGHT at Foodies Night In (#fni) today, and are we ready to share so many different things you can do with bread, cheese, meat, veggies and condiments...with our sponsor, Kitchen Monki, you KNOW it's gonna' get a little crazy in the kitchen!

Do you know Kitchen Monki?

We raved about them in Monki-ing around is good for entertaining.  Kitchen Monki is THE Storage Unit and Power Organizer for all your recipes.  Similar to how iTunes organizes music, Kitchen Monki can catalog, sort and search personal recipes. Members can also use Kitchen Monki’s seamless integration with Facebook and Twitter to share recipes—or its convenient mobile application to have their shopping list delivered to their phone. Follow them on Twitter - @KitchenMonki.

Guest experts this week adding some meat & cheese between slices fo #fni fun include:
@kendurbin - sharing his perspective from training at The Midwest Culinary Institute.

Safari Plates - Zebra

@daisymaesmarket - an entrepreneurial market with a fresh approach to fresh produce.
@alouttecheese - with the motto "Slow Down & Savour", a favorite spread to class up our sandwiches!

Don't miss Foodie's Night In - We're Fine Cooking at Home!!

Today is going to be such a DELICIOUS day...and could be a very LUCKY one for you!!

We've got a full roster of Fine Cooking editorial expertise lined up to join us for today's Foodies Night In (#fni)!  If you missed Editor Laurie Buckle on What's Hot Radio hosted by Cooking with Caitlin, here's a second chance to get to know a creative force behind Fine Cooking.  What a huge treat!

Here's the full line-up of experts ready to help all savvy hosts and fellow foodies with our fine cooking at home interests, issues and questions:

~ @finecooking and @FC_Laurie - the epicurean editorial team of Fine Cooking including @FC_Laurie @FC_Lisa @FC_Juli @evanbarbour and others!
~ @DorieGreenspan - author of Around My French Table
~ @AbbyDodge - author of Desserts 4 Today
~ @MaitreFromager - Max McCalman, author of Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Conoisseurship from a Maitre Fromager
~ @midwestculinary - The Midwest Culinary Institute
~ @foodandstyle - culinary creative Viviane Bauquet Farre of Food & Style

AND, if that's not enough to get your mouth watering, Kitchen Aid is joining the party with a fantastic PRIZE for the giveaway...keep reading!!

Relaxing into the Spa Kitchen: Foodies Night In (7/19)

Join us for a Foodies' Night In focused on the ultimate spa kitchen along with dynamic & vibrant Cooking with Caitlin gals, Girlfriendology, Cozi Family and this week's special host, Art of the Spa. 

A little about this special perspective from the founder, Candy - 

We’re taking spa out of the  bathroom and bedroom & spreading it around your entire home.   Take a tour on our website of each of our rooms to find design & living tips for every place in your abode .  

Or take your own Spa Around the World trip by exploring “In-spa-rational Spas”.  For an instant break check out Virtual Escapes.  Enjoy & stop by often.  

So, this Monday's FNI will focus on how to turn your house into the haven it should be beginning with the heart of your home - the kitchen.

Which experts will be joining the fun this week?
~ @cupboards - Home-grown Southern Kitchen & Bathroom Design/Consultation- Musings and activities from our day.
~ @NoirBlancDesign - creatively obsessed Social Media Evangelist. Luxury, Style, Beach, Historical Pres.,cause. Creator #IntDesignerChat. 
~ @Susanserrackd - Certified Kitchen Designer, Cert. Aging in Place Specialist.
~ @countertoplady - an interior designer/sales manager for the largest countertop fabricator (all types of solid suface, granite and quartz) in the southeast.

~ @sieguzi - registered interior designer, certified kitchen designer, writer,public speaker,mom, karaoke queen.

Grilling it up at Foodies Night In (6/28)

Got to spread the delicious news.

Do you know about Foodies Night In?  
The creative culinary concept of the wunder-gals (and recent top candidates for BFFs) at Cooking with Caitlin, this is a tweet-up focused on food, wine, cooking, and gathering friends and family together - sounds like the chorus to the The Savvy Host theme? That's why we're hooked ... and you will be too!

Cooking with Caitlin's Foodies' Night In (#fni) Twitter Party
When?  Mondays, 4-6pm EST
Where?  Around the globe on Twitter with hashtag #fni
Topics?  Change weekly but always about Food, glorious Food!
Hosted by - @cookingwcaitlin @girlfriendology @cozifamily @SavvyHost along with a special panel of experts each week!!
RSVP?  Please send a Tweet or an email to let us know you're joining the foodie fun!


How does a Twitter party work?
On Monday afternoons, we meet through Twitter.  Using the hashtag #FNI, we meet & greet at the virtual party door, and get cozy to chat about whatever food-related topic is featured that day.  The sponsors and hosts have 10 questions to lead and frame the discussion over the two hours.  But the real fun begins with comments, feedback and (often unexpected) hilarity from all the Twitter participants! Drop in and out as your schedule permits - you can always catch up by reviewing the twitter logs!

So...back to the newsflash...
We've been enjoying the deliciousness of Foodies Night In so much that we had to bring a little something to the party.

Martinis & Mistletoe ~ Holiday Shopping for a Good Cause

Getting ready for the holidays has begun (don't try to deny it ... Halloween puts this time of year directly in your line of vision).  Over the next few weeks, we will offer a few ideas and strategies to stay sane and look elegant throughout the maze of family visits, gift buying & giving, cocktail parties, and multiple feasts...we consider it our duty to help you maintain a sense of humor along the way.


To get the ball rolling, here's an opportunity to avoid overwhelming commercialism while getting your holiday groove in gear.  Every year, The Junior League of Chicago hosts their Gazebo Holiday Market, a charitable fundraiser/holiday market where a portion of each sale is contributed to charity.

Join The Savvy Host this year in Chicago as we participate in this year's 38th Gazebo Holiday Market from November 19th through November 21st at the Chicago Cultural Center Sidney R. Yates Gallery, entrance at 78 East Washington Street.


This year the event kicks off with the Martinis & Mistletoe Preview Party on Thursday evening from 6p-10p.  Tickets are $50 in advance, and $75 at the door.  Enjoy cocktails, hors d'eouvres, fig media dj and a wine raffle, while you are among the first to shop more than 30 Market Merchants (including savvyhostmarket). The Market continues on Friday, 11/20, from 11a-7p and on Saturday, 11/21, from 10a-5p.  Admission on either day is $10 (if you attend the Preview, your admission for the weekend is already included).


Grab a friend, take an early lunch break on Friday, or browse the market vendors at your leisure on Saturday.  We'll be there with our bells on ~ and hope to share a little holiday magic.