Search Results for: salt cellar

November 28th, 2013 No Comments

introducing five new incredible sea salts from chef dante giannini

Chef Dante Giannini has just created 5 new finishing sea salts. “I feel salt is such an important part of a composed dish. A pinch of the appropriate finishing salt can elevate a dish from good to outstanding.” Dante says. His collection of 5 sea salts are Garlic & Thyme, Three Herb, Chili & Lime, Fennel & Parsley and Ginger, Garlic & Sesame.  These salts can be used on fish, proteins as well as vegetables and even salad greens. They are $12 for each 4.5 ounce jar. Contact Dante at 914-494-3392 or thefarmtoforkchef@gmail.com to purchase. These would make the perfect … Read more

August 20th, 2013 No Comments

summer table settings made up of bountiful vegetables (and where those glasses should actually be placed)

This table setting caught my eye. As I noted yesterday golds are still making a showing for tabletop items, from candles to candle sticks to flatware. It’s slowly been folded into the trend market for the past 5 years and it’s still holding tight. But let’s talk about summer vegetables for centerpieces, votives and even salt cellars. How creative this is to use lettuce as individual salt and pepper cellars- and a radish hollowed out for a votive holder. These are clever ideas and using vegetables as your centerpiece in late summer certainly can be elegant and seasonal. Using a … Read more

July 23rd, 2013 No Comments

create a dramatic table setting with black, peach and pale pink

I love these black compotes and bowls that I have on my online store, little blue dish. (They are made by an Italian glass company called Nason Moretti.) I like to fill vessels with candy for quick and easy centerpieces and also fill the felt favors you see tied with black polka dot ribbon with candy as well for guests to take home. This color palette could really work for any season and any occasion- and for more formal gatherings add a calligraphed place card for each guest within the palette. I alternated black cards with cream calligraphy and … Read more

May 28th, 2013 No Comments

add this week’s seashell color palette to your table this summer

This week’s palette may not be one you’d automatically think of when you think of summer entertaining. Sometimes these creams, tans, rusts and pinks are associated more with fall. But as you can see taking cues from the beach and seashells, this soothing palette is wonderful for summer tables. If you didn’t realize I have a shop too with tabletop, decor and garden items, all personally selected by me. If you haven’t already, please head over to take a look.  It’s my favorite items and vendors collected from all my years of editing and styling for magazines. Our Read more

April 30th, 2013 No Comments

setting a table: turn your knife in towards your plate (if you are dining with friends)

Did you know that back in the day when men carried knives and weapons around with them all the time they would put their knives up on the table when sitting down to eat. If they were amongst friends, they would put the sharp edge of the blade in towards the plate to show that they did not mean to threaten their friends. This has stayed true throughout the centuries. When setting the table the knife blade should be turned in. The water glass should sit directly above the knife. Your plate and silverware should be about 1″ from the … Read more

January 15th, 2013 No Comments

tabletop: mix old & new, metallics with black & white to create a very personalized setting

Pull out your favorite things from your cabinets….maybe even your grandmother’s china that’s been boxed in the attic to create an eclectic mix of old and new. Look around your house too, maybe you have a collection of small boxes, a gold leaf plate on your nightstand that holds your earrings- pull it all together to group on your table or sideboard. That little dish could now hold candy or sugar cubes, boxes could hold tea bags.. and so on. Black and white are so classic that the color palette is a great cohesive glue to allow you to combine … Read more

November 13th, 2012 No Comments

simple thanksgiving decor -burlap & votives

A lot of people stress out about setting a table for Thanksgiving and I get a lot of questions about how to set a unique table without breaking the bank. BURLAP. I love taking burlap from the local garden supply store (about $1 per yard) and using it as a textural and inexpensive tablecloth. It’s simple and unexpected, but it will be welcomed by friends and family as a refreshing change from the usual cloth. My ‘stylist’ secret to making a burlap cloth work is to mix in high and low tableware. Here I’ve mixed in simple wood salt … Read more

October 23rd, 2012 No Comments

add layers of texture to your table setting

By layering different textures when setting a table you can add visual interest. Here I set a deep gray wood table with charcoal gray felt placemats. Then I added horn handled flatware and glazed china with a fine gauge gray linen napkin. A little whimsy never hurts either. I love to use these faux birds (see photos below) which you can find at most any craft store. I placed a bird in a cup of peanuts leaning over a glass tumbler like he’s going to take a drink. Individual little cups at each placesetting are a nice detail- whether you … Read more

August 14th, 2012 1 Comment

tuesday’s tabletop: succulent centerpieces

I was asked to design a table for Hampton Cottages and Gardens for the Hampton Classic (an equestrian competition). It was very last minute and the event was outside in very hot, humid temperatures. Traditional flowers might not hold up in the heat- so I chose to use different varieties of succulents, so I was sure it would look crisp and clean. I used different sized Jars bowls and Mud Australia bowls (available from my store) to plant the succulents in and topped off the dirt with small white seashells to finish the centerpieces. The tables were all … Read more

August 7th, 2012 No Comments

tuesday’s tabletop: tomato placecard holder & corn grit votive holder

Personalizing a lunch or dinner for friends can be very easy and not so overwhelming. Here using the colors in our tomato color palette this week, all I did was take a toothpick, a piece of paper cut into a flag shape with my friends’ names and poked it into a cherry tomato as a place card holder. This could be an easy lunch or dinner for friends and family. I used fresh vegetables along a cutting board as the centerpiece and served corn soup with cherry tomatoes and crackers as the starter. I took dry corn grits and filled … Read more