Life as a Chef's Wife: inspired.

This picture saved the day....

107_38 Radishes with Butter and Salt.jpg

How you ask can that save the day...well, I needed inspiration. My devoted chef had a French Wine Dinner planned & I knew in the midst of a full day in the Kitchen-he'd have no time to tend to the table.

I on the other hand, had a full day too but looked at my fun party books. Nada. Looked at my fav party blogs. Nada.

Looked through my fav french cookbook which happends to be Ina Garten's (simply because it is simple).

The picture always makes me smile. It is so Frenchy French & colorful...IDEA!

Why not use that as a "French Dinner Centerpiece"

and that's just what I did....

Took white butcher paper down the center

Placed several cake pedastals down the center to give it height.

Then set it with new yellow & white kitchen towels as napkins.

Hap-hazard-ly placed lots of wine glasses strewn down the middle as well, after all it was a bring your own wine dinner & more bottles open, more glasses shared the better.

Then I took branches off my olive trees & placed them in sparse spots. Took small souffle looking ramkins filled with kosher salt. And simple french votives placed in rows of 3 throughout.

And of course a couple long white plates with bagettes & butter.

The color- came from .49 bunches of radishes placed on top of the pedastals. Lovely, and french without Eiffel Towers & Poodles.

Voila!

A few notes in French

And we had a fantastic dinner party! Then of course along with My Devoted Chef introducing the first course, he explained my table. Which then lead everyone to EAT my table! Ha!