food
OUTSIDE Taking its cue from the lush traditions of Southern cooking, this alfresco summer supper is one even the host can enjoy.
In the annals of dinnertime hospitality, there are many strategies for “making it look easy.” Perhaps the most ingenious and diabolical of them is having it actually be easy. That’s the skinny on this outdoor dinner, perhaps with guests still drying off from a cooling dip. Setting the scandalously simple agenda is one of the to-die-for Southern-style recipes featured in celebrity chef and lifestyle expert Alex Hitz’s new tome, The Art of the Host: Recipes and Rules for Flawless Entertaining (Rizzoli New York). It’s a master class on hosting dinner parties, family brunches and holiday get-togethers with that unbeatable combination—delicious food and stunning presentation. And yes, many recipes are startlingly low-hassle. Everything served at this outdoor Los Angeles repast, for example, was prepared ahead of time and served cold—except for the chicken, which was extra tasty when warmed up slightly. Hitz’s hits include ideas as simple as adding a slice of lemon in a glass of water to inject color into your tablescape, or as clever as the blue-and-white gingham that serves as design inspiration. Your guests will toast your taste—and you’ll brazenly join in.
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HUBERT WH ITE S P RING/S U M M E R 2020
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ART OF THE HOST: RECIPES AND RULES FOR FLAWLESS ENTERTAINING
Take It
