ANTIPASTO
Mary Giolitti, owner, Giolitti Delicatessen, Annapolis
“When I entertain at home, I always serve antipasto. I start with some really excellent sliced salami and fresh cheese from our deli. Then I add an assortment of imported green and black marinated olives, marinated artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers. I enjoy roasting my own peppers on my gas stove. They’re so easy to make: I place them directly on the flame until they’re black all over. Then I put the charred peppers into a paper bag to cool before I peel the skin off under water. I slice them up and sauté them very briefly with garlic and olive oil. Then I put everything in colorful bowls and dishes; it’s all very eclectic looking. It’s fun for people to take little bits of everything, and it’s a good conversation starter. I always have some fine Italian olive oil and crusty Italian bread nearby.”
BLUEFISH
Brian Schmidt, owner, Garden & Garnish catering, Trappe, Md.
“I love the bluefish at Captain’s Ketch in Easton. It’s a wonderful fillet that’s smoked and topped with cracked pepper. I like to serve it alongside a roasted garlic vodka mayonnaise with pumpernickel rounds. I typically serve it at cocktail parties. People have this thing about bluefish, they think it’s too strong, but after they try it, they say, ‘Hey, this is really great.’ With four kids, we don’t do a whole lot of entertaining, but this is at the top of our list.”
Roasted Garlic Vodka Mayonnaise
CHILI MEXICALI
Kitty Higgins, Annapolis
“In the winter, I like to serve big bowls of chili Mexicali; I’ve made this recipe for years. I think it originally came from the Washington Post food section. It works for a crowd or a small group gathered around the fire. And it’s always better the second day. I always serve it with warm corn bread and a big green salad. It freezes beautifully.”
DESSERT PARTY
Caroline Reutter, owner/chef, Caroline’s Cakes, Annapolis
“The ultimate entertaining idea is a decadent dessert party. I like to serve champagne and, of course, my caramel cake as well as my coconut cake with raspberry sauce and lemon sherbet. I also make nutty lady fingers, wonderful little shortbread cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar, and something lemony, like little meringue shells with lemon filling covered with whipped cream and piled high with strawberries. And, of course I’d need my flourless chocolate cake—and pecan pie, too. And it’s always nice to have a few little pick-me-ups, like salted praline pecans, roasted slightly, salted, and covered with a clear caramel glaze. And finally, I make a big bowl of fresh fruit with a little mint scattered throughout the mixture and serve it with some sauce anglaise. Now that’s what I call a party!”
EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA
Barbara Ripani, owner, Potato Valley Café, Annapolis
“I love to make eggplant Parmigiana for family and friends. Honestly, its one thing that everyone loves. My grandparents were from a small town in Sicily, Fondachelli, which I visited this year. The people are so great at making vegetarian food. It’s okay to say ‘Solo Vegetariana.’ The secret to this recipe is not to overload the cheese or drench it in sauce. Think of it as a casserole dish. I serve it with cappellini or vermicelli tossed with olive oil and garlic on the side.”
FLOWERS
Ingrid Blanton, owner, Fabulous Flowers, Oxford, Md.
“I love color, and use lots of colorful flowers on my table when entertaining. I either make one central arrangement for the center of my round table, or I use little individual glass or china vases that I’ve picked up here and there over the years and put one at each place setting. Even though I have access to any flower I want, whenever possible, I use a variety of roses and hydrangeas from my garden—I have them in blue, pink, purple, white, and green. If I’m not doing one large arrangement, I like to create a dramatic table by scattering lots of rose petals around small vases and candles, and I use lots of greens, whatever is available: eucalyptus, lemon leaves, hydrangea leaves. I use whatever I have in my garden—trees, bushes, herbs. I don’t go buy stuff—I like to clip whatever is around.”
GORGONZOLA PEAR SALAD
Susan Zellers, executive director, Marine Trade Association of Maryland, Annapolis
“This time of year when pears are so beautiful and plentiful, I like to make gorgonzola salad. I use it as a first course when serving a roast, or it’s also great with pork tenderloin or flank steak. The sharpness of the cheese is a great contrast to the delicate taste of pears. I like to use food as a table decoration, too, and all the different colored pears make a great centerpiece when piled into a beautiful wooden bowl in the center of my table.”
HOUSTON REDEEMER BREAD
Karen Smith, chief operating officer, National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, Annapolis
“Houston Redeemer Bread has been a family favorite for years. My mother-in-law sampled it while visiting her brother in Houston, where it was a staple at church suppers. She brought the recipe back with her to Ohio where I grew up, and we have shared it with friends and family across the country ever since. It’s a really yummy moist and sweet bread, great warmed and served as a side for stew or any winter meal.”
ICELANDIC FOODS
Nunna Spikes, Annapolis
“I am half Icelandic on my mother’s side. I lived in Iceland for a while and attended school there for three years. When people come to visit, I like to serve several Icelandic foods. One of my favorites is Skyr, a skim-milk product that is naturally fat free and high in protein. I like to serve it at breakfast or any time instead of yogurt. When it comes to dinners, I like to serve Icelandic salmon poached with dill and melted butter. I also like to sauté a lightly floured Icelandic cod and serve it with potatoes and sautéed onions. And everyone who tries Icelandic lamb says it’s the best they’ve tasted. And when looking for a good first course, sometimes I can find Icelandic caviar, either red or black, which I serve with crackers or toast points. There is no pollution in Iceland and all foods are organic.”
JALAPEÑO SQUARES
David V. Evans, co-owner, Votivo Candles, Annapolis
“Three years ago, I spent the better part of four months living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with my closest friend and business partner. I returned with a real love for Mexican food. At cocktail parties, in addition to serving Mexican varieties of guacamole and salsa, I also like to serve something with which guests might not be familiar. I love to serve jalapeño squares. They’re wonderfully easy to prepare, and I must admit, I’m always disappointed when they’re so popular that I have none to nibble on the next day.”
Jalapeño Squares
KUMQUAT TOPIARIES
Stacey L. Zier, president/owner, Tastings Gourmet Market, Annapolis
“I love creating edible kumquat topiaries as table centerpieces. They’re beautiful as well as delicious. I like to have a bowl of melted dark chocolate nearby so guests can dip the kumquats. I think they’re little jewels. It’s the only citrus you can eat without peeling. Everyone is used to strawberries and chocolate, but this is a nice variation. Plus, your centerpiece becomes your dessert!”
Kumquat Topiary
Chocolate Ganache
LINENS
Merritt Butts, realtor, Annapolis
“Fine linens are a soft spot for me. I have a lot that I inherited. I don’t think I ever used a paper napkin in my life, no matter how casual. And even if people eat on their laps, nice linens make a difference. Most of my beautiful linens were my grandmothers’, and I’ve taken good care of them. Because most of my tablecloths are white and go with everything, I fill in with colorful napkins and napkin rings. I’m always on the lookout for colorful table accents. Over the years, I’ve found fabulous linens at estate sales or a department store sale rack or, of course, Yves de Lorme in Annapolis; they have gorgeous things. But I’m happiest to find an interesting piece of cloth at an old hardware store.”
MUSIC
Rob Levit, musician, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Annapolis
“When I’m giving a dinner party at my home, I choose music people normally wouldn’t hear, like Wes Montgomery, a great jazz guitarist who’s very laid back, or I’ll play some music from a different part of the world; I have very eclectic taste. I like Rokia Traore’s album Bowmboi; she is a female African singer with a voice that is very nice and mellow, or Julian Bream, a famous Spanish classical guitarist who has a wonderful compilation of music for evening meditation. Around our house it gets pretty crazy, so I like to put on calming music.”
NAPKIN RINGS
Maxine Millar, volunteer, Oxford, Md.
“I started my antique silver napkin ring collection at least thirty years ago, and I always use them when I entertain. All are monogrammed, and it’s amazing how many I have with the same names of friends. So, whenever possible, I place the one with that person’s name at his or her place setting. I also collect silver baby cups and like to incorporate them into my dinner parties by placing one at each place setting with a nosegay instead of doing a centerpiece. I especially like the ones with engravings that say things like ‘Presented to Little Beatrice from her Grandpa Mayher.’”
OSSO BUCO
Pat Edwards, board member, Annapolis Symphony, Annapolis
“What I serve when entertaining always depends on the season, what’s fresh and the weather. I have stacks of cookbooks, and I take them out, along with recipes I clip and collect from The New York Times and The Washington Post. Often, what I make for company is the first time I’ve made the dish. I know you are not supposed to make your friends guinea pigs, but it makes it more fun. In the winter, I think stews, especially osso buco. It’s easy to make, and the house smells so good. I use a Marcella Hazan recipe; it’s a favorite and one I repeat. When you see the recipe in her cookbook, you might think it’s difficult because it’s three pages long, but she gives precise instructions so you can’t make a mistake. I like this recipe because it’s authentic, the real thing. I serve it with flat noodles lightly tossed with butter and grated che
Masthead Photo by