Entertaining

Cook, Decorate and Celebrate this Holiday Season with Ideas and Inspiration from Atlanta’s Top Chefs and Bloggers

Kevin Francis O’Gara

Setting the Scene with Kevin Francis O’Gara of Kevin Francis Design

A happy hosting pair, Kevin and his brown standard poodle Leopold love having friends and family over for seasonal gatherings indoors and out. @kfogara, @kevinfrancisdesign, www.kevinfrancisdesign.com

Decor Tips

Some suggestions for spicing up your tablescape:

• Use citrus for a pop of color in table settings during the winter. Bonus points if you can find some at the market with leaves still on them.

• I love to stick to shades of green for flower arrangements since there’s such a lack of it outside.

• Brass accents are a great way to warm up your tabletop and look so lovely with candlelight. Outdoor entertaining can still be cozy even as the temperatures drop.

• To keep things toasty as the sun goes down, try throwing sheepskins on your dining chairs.

• Add insulating curtains to your porch.

• Use lots of large pillar candles to add a warm glow to your dining area. Finally, entertaining can be stressful, especially during the holidays, so give yourself easy options when it comes to dinner plans.

• I like to have Marcona almonds, rice crackers, dried apricots and goat cheese on hand to set out for last-minute hors d’oeuvres.

• Having a lasagna or flatbread pizza in the freezer that you can dress up with fresh herbs, an arugula salad and a nice bottle of wine gives you an approachable option for when it’s just too busy to cook a full meal for guests.

A Shareable Dip with a Twist by Deborah VanTrece of Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours Entertaining

Deborah VanTrece

After 25 years of exploring the world as a flight attendant and now chef, Deborah VanTrece is finely attuned to the vast depth of worldwide cuisines and what foods excite and inspire. Established in 2014, VanTrece’s critically acclaimed restaurant Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours serves up “global soul food.” Of this delicious rice dish, she says, "It’s named after my grandmother because she devised it as a way to make me eat spinach. And it worked! I add some of my favorite flavors— vinegary artichokes, the combination of cheeses—until the result becomes the best spinach and artichoke dip you’ve ever had, but with rice.” @chefdeborahvantrece, www.twistedsoulcookhouseandpours.com

Spinach Dip with a twist

Photos courtesy of © The Twisted Soul Cookbook: Modern Soul Food with Global Flavors by Deborah VanTrece, Rizzoli New York, 2021. Images © Noah Fecks Grandma Lue’s Spinach Rice

A side dish that will make you love eating your spinach

A Guilt-Free Side Dish by Jenny Levinson of Souper Jenny

Jenny Levinson

Atlanta’s favorite soup slinger, Jenny Levinson found her passion for food and the inspiration for her signature recipes during an 18-month trip across Europe, the Middle East and Asia in the late ’90s. Since then, she has spent more than 20 years serving up her healthy, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan soups, salads, and sandwiches to hungry customers at her five community cafes. “This dish is one of my holiday favorites and is a great way to sneak veggies into your kids,” says Jenny. “The Parmesan gives it that comforting mouthfeel of high-carb mashed potatoes, but you won't walk away from the table stuffed.” @souperjennyatl, www.souperjennyatl.com

Cauliflower and Fresh Herb “Mashed Potatoes”

A sumptuous side dish without the guilt Ingredients

A Magnificent Main Course by Kevin Gillespie of Red Beard Restaurants Entertaining

A Georgia native, Kevin Gillespie grew up surrounded by his large, extended family, where he watched his granny, Geneva Gillespie, cook each day. After rising to fame following his finalist appearance on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” the red-bearded, tattooed chef has established some of the most recognizable restaurants in Atlanta, including Gunshow and Revival.

While perusing a cookbook on royal court cuisine, he stumbled upon an extravagant dish fit for a special Gillespie Thanksgiving: a whole pork loin with apples, dates and duck liver. He adapted it into this dish, which includes bacon fat and dried fruit. It may be a little complicated, but it’s worth whipping up for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other fantastic feast. @chefkevingillespie, www.redbeardrestaurants.com

Pork Rack Stuffed with Dried Fruits

A monumental main dish

An All-American Dessert by Veronica Dalzon of Monster Cravings Cookies

Veronica Dalzon

For stay-at-home mom turned cookie queen Veronica Dalzon, dessert comes first. After some inspiration from her wedding venue’s fresh-baked stack, she aspired to create the best chocolate chip cookie around. The aha moment to start her company Monster Cravings Cookies came when people would ask, “Where did you buy these cookies?” Since then, she’s turned her beloved pop-up into a now permanent stall at the new Chattahoochee Food Works. There’s nothing more American than apple pie, so for her dessert, Veronica took her love for the fruit-laden delicacy and put it in cookie form. @monstercookies_atl, www.monstercookiesatl.com

A dessert you’ll definitely want to leave room for

Apple Pie Cookies