I was listening to the How to Decorate podcast this morning, and designer Eddie Ross was their guest. In addition to being a designer, Eddie is a trained chef who attended the Culinary Institute of America. He loves to entertain and does it a lot. We are fans of Eddie. Jordan went on a shopping excursion with Eddie a few years ago and wrote this post about his decorating tips here. On the podcast, he said that everyone needs an entertaining kit. I quickly grabbed a pencil and wrote down the items he said that we all need for basic entertaining. Eddie thinks people stay away from entertaining because they don’t have the items on hand that they need to pull it off. We are sharing Eddie’s list with you and have included links to the items. Keep in mind that when we provide links, it does not cost you any more. It simply helps us make a very small commission that we use to pay for our blog.
Cutting Board
He said you need a good wooden cutting board that you can use for serving, sort of like a tray. It also looks nice on a buffet table. We used our cutting board for chopping (surprise, surprise), for cheese and crackers, and for serving up a charcuterie board. This wooden cutting board is similar to the one we have and is a nice size.
Pedestal Cake Stand
A pedestal cake stand can be used for cakes but can also hold hors d’ouevers or finger sandwiches on a buffet table. We found this one with smooth lines and this one that is more detailed.
Ice Bucket
One of the basic things you need for a entertaining is an ice bucket. If you make a pitcher of cocktails before your party or dinner begins, then guests can help themselves by getting a glass, filling it with ice, and making their drinks Ice buckets come in many, many styles. Here is a nice one that will fit into any decor.
Ice Scoop
Eddie said you also need an ice scoop. It will help your guests get their own ice when they’re making their own drinks. We have a silver one that matches our flatware, but we found this one that is stainless steel and is very inexpensive.
Good Cocktail Napkins
Eddie said specifically that you should have linen cocktail napkins, but there are plenty of pretty cotton napkins. Using cloth, rather than paper napkins, just shows your guests that you have gone the extra mile. These napkins are a cotton linen blend, come in several colors, and in both cocktail and dinner sizes. They are reasonably priced with good reviews.
Celery Bowl
Although this was a random suggestion, at least to me, he said you need a celery bowl. This is a bowl that was used in Victorian times to serve celery, and it is good shape and size for serving lots of items. My mother has one just like the photo, and we found several in different styles and colors here. Just type in celery bowls, and a lot of them will appear.
We hope this post was helpful. I have several items that I would add to this list, and so, we will have another post with our own suggestions for an entertaining kit.
Take care.
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