Lulu Powers - Lulu Powers Food to Flowers

To my husband, Stephen Danelian, A.K.A. STEVIE D, MY ROCK. YOU MAKE
ME A BETTER PERSON EVERY DAYTHANK YOU!

And to my mom, Patti P.; my sisters, Sue, Julie, Sarah, and Molly;
and my dear brother, Byrne. THANKS FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR ME
YOU MAKE ME TICK!

In honor of my father, James Beston Powers, MY BEST FRIEND, WHO
ALWAYS LOVED AND INSPIRED ME. ITS PUURRFECTTTT! Toy always . GO SOX!

To my Auntie Mame, Patti Altman, WHO TAUGHT ME THAT ENTERTAINING
IS FUN AND THAT ITS OKAY TO HAVE ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST.

To my dear friend Andrea Coscia, WHO ALWAYS SAID, YOU CAN DO
ANYTHING, LB. YOUR QUICK WIT IS SORELY MISSED.

To Alma: WELL, YOURE IN THE BOOK. YOURE UNFORGETTABLE. I MISS YOU,
BUDDY!

I grew up in a boisterous family of six kids in Connecticut. My first memory of entertaining is of refilling drinks from the bar and serving mushroom croustades at my parents parties, where my four sisters and brother and I would all make an appearance. Even at eight years old, I knew the party was a success when people were laughing and having funand theyd still be talking and laughing at 1:00 A.M. , when I put myself to bed. My parents loved to entertain, and our house was like Grand Central Station with people stopping by all the time to eat and visit. So it wasnt a surprise that after cooking for endless cocktail and dinner soiresnot to mention all those kidsmy mom opened her own catering business. With no formal training, my mom planned parties for anywhere from twenty to six hundred people without batting an eye.

My mom hired my sisters, our friends, and me. I loved being an integral part of the homespun kitchen crew, otherwise known as the Patti Powers Country Cuisine staff.

At fifteen, having worked for my mom for several years, I lied about my age and got a job as a counter girl for Sarah Leah Chase, a famous Nantucket gourmand who owned a gourmet food shop called Que Sera Sarah. I soon realized after my first summer there that I was more knowledgeable about food than I thought. My customers listened intently as I suggested creative food pairings and how to prepare simple yet amazing desserts.

Fast forward a few years. I was holding cooking classes in my urban New York City apartment and was eager to share my expertise with others. But my true culinary adventure began when I moved to Los Angeles to become a television writer. After helping a friend with her childs birthday, three mothers asked me to cater their kids parties and Lulu Powers Food to Flowers was born. One celebrity gig led to another and before long I was a private chef to a cache of major Hollywood stars.

Eventually I started teaching casual cooking classes, this time in a more expansive kitchen in L.A., instructing my students in the art of cooking as well as entertaining. I gave them ideas for delicious and beautiful party food and taught them how to throw a successful cocktail party for thirty.

Ive thrown thousands of soires since helping my mother grow her business, from intimate dinners for two to colossal fifteen-hundred-person fetes. (An education that really began when I learned that a drink should always be served with a cocktail napkin.) Now I want to share the entertaining acumen Ive accumulated over the years with you.

Entertaining can be a scary word. Hosts and hostesses often start out excited, filled with good intentions, but quickly become overwhelmed and anxious when, as the party nears, they havent yet decided what to cook or how to serve it.

Ive walked friends and clients through what I call Party Phobia, and so far everyones come through with flying colors. Even if it seems that everything is going wrong, the worst thing that could happen is that you have to order pizza. Fear is like fire: you can either cook with it or let it burn youliterally! One night I was invited to dinner at a friends house. We were at the table when I smelled something burning. It turned out that the apple tarts had burned and dessert was ruined. But like an actor who needs to improvise after forgetting his lines, so must the cook. I ushered my distressed friend to the kitchen and we effortlessly whipped up another dessert. With vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, and chocolate chips at hand, I showed my wide-eyed friend how to make a two-minute peanut butter sauce. We topped the ice cream with the quick confection, sprinkled on some chocolate chips, and dessert was saved.

When using this book, remember that you can use any of these recipes for any of the parties. Just pick and choose. Youre the chefbe creative!

My philosophy is that you should adapt recipes to your taste; you shouldnt have to replicate them exactly. Make these recipes and ideas your own and come up with your own signature dish or party. And most important, trust your instincts!

Its always better to have more food than less; I dont mind having leftovers. After you throw a few parties, youll get a feel for how much food you need and what your friends like.

I live by my favorite saying from Auntie Mame: Live, live, live. Lifes a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.

Here are a bunch of tips and shortcuts to take the stress out of entertaining and help you throw a flawless party. Ive collected these tips throughout my years in business, from my first job working for my mom, a caterer, up through the thousands of parties Ive thrown or planned for friends and clients. Ive seen it all, and trust me: once you know these tips you can throw a great party too.

THE BEST-KEPT SECRET: PARTY RENTALS

Rentals take the stress out of any party, and these days you can rent everything from glasses, plates, serving platters, and silverware to doughnut makers, coffee machines, and In-N-Out Burger trucks (an incredible family-owned hamburger chain based in Los Angeles with outrageously delicious hamburgers and fries); even Carls Jr. rents mobile catering trucks. But check your local area for rental ideas. In Nantucket you can rent an ice cream truck, and in Connecticut I discovered a great pizza truck that will cater any event. Find a fun rental and plan your party around that.

If you have enough room to store an extra fifty wine and/or Champagne glasses, great. If not, rent. If you do have storage space, you can always buy good, inexpensive glasses at stores like Cost Plus World Market, Target, and many others. And if your budget allows, renting dishes, silverware, and glassware makes throwing a party even easiermost companies drop off and pick everything up, and you dont have to wash a thing or worry about breaking one of your own glasses or plates.

Adding something unexpected to a party is always a great idea, and fun things like photo booths, cotton candy machines, and chocolate fountains are a few ways to add a twist to the event. Ive rented photo booths for holiday parties and weddings, and theyre a huge hit. Who doesnt love to poseand then have the instant gratification of that little photo strip? And chocolate fountains turn adults into little kids and put a smile on everyones face.