Dinner Party Diaries

Cheese & Charcuterie Board Paired with Philippe Fontaine Champagne “Cuvee Des Lys” Mixed green salad with blood orange and almond brittle Radish toast with Affinois cheese and bourbon smoked sea salt Paired with Elisa Gueneau Sancerre Blanc “Les Griottes” 2018 Salmon with whole roasted tomatoes Spring pea risotto and asparagus with lemon zest, mint and parmesan Paired with Domaine Marion Pral Morgon “Les Charmes” 2019 Brown butter almond financier with seasonal fruit compote Paired with Domaine de Châteaumar Côtes-du’Rhône Pearle de Rosé 2020 menu + wine

a Modern day affair

The Components of how to pull off the perfect at soiree, effortlessly and not complicated

PHOTOS BYADRIAN MORALES STYLING & CREATIVE DIRECTION BY COURTNEY KIVELA ROBINSON

”Spring is here…we can’t go out and properly celebrate, so why not do it at home”, Ledja Cobb exclaims, wife of David Cobb, grammy award-winning music producer and avid hostess extraordinaire. And that she did. With a little help collaborating with The Nashville Edit, a home celebration is exactly what you could call it. Bringing together close friends (none too fabulous), celebrity private chef Rahaf Amer of 5 Loaves Nashville with a spring-like menu that looks and tastes like spring, a sommelier with amazing wine pairings sent in by Jamie Trott of JP Bourgeois, a sustainably minded tablescape artiste Taylor Colson Horton of the creative consulting group And Delight Reigned, beautiful floral arrangements from local Rose Hill Flowers made for the enjoyable and creative evening. The takeaway gifts for the guests- signed vinyls from Jason Izbell, Lord Jones gummies, and Rose Hill arrangements, given to each guest in brown paper cones as they left for the evening. A fabulous and effortless dinner party indeed!

Having an assortment of plates or platters is always key to ensure your chef has fun and different canvases for the food!"

Rahaf Amer, 5 Loaves Nashville.

SALMON SECRET Celebrity private chef Rahaf Amer (@5loavesnashville) shares her secret to cooking the perfect salmon. “Most people have difficulty cooking salmon on a skillet, but I have found that baking it at 425F for 8-9 minutes (the magic number for almost every fish), will get you crispy skin and a succulent salmon filet.

SET THE MOOD

There is an intimacy in bringing the outside in. I think it not only creates a welcoming environment, but it sends a little nod that you took the time to clip something from your yard and share it.

Candles are always a nice change, I love these colorful ones to match the vibrant spring colors in the arrangments

I am a full believer in using the china, breaking out the silver, and sipping your favorite drink from a festive glass. If not, it is just going to sit in your shelf and collect dust. So they might as well be used!

Champagne is the most versatile wine from a pairing perspective, even with a steak”

- Jamie Trott, sommelier and of JP Bourgeois Wines

Bring the outside in” - Colson suggests, by bringing moss in from the outdoors, as the building block to create a stunning and unique tablescape.

FLORAL TIP

“Make your flowers last by sending them home with your guests at the end of your party. rosehillflowers.com

the take away

ABOUT JP BOURGEOIS: JP Bourgeois focuses on small family vineyards in France, Spain, and Slovenia, with a special passion for organic and biodynamic wines, female winemakers, and those with a unique story. JP Bourgeois, himself, grew up in Bordeaux and has spent over a decade sourcing these wines and building relationships with the people behind them. 1/3 of JP Bourgeois producers have women as winemakers, a shockingly high percentage given the lack of women winemakers in Europe.