Kate Spade New York - All in Good Taste

1. salad fork

2. dinner fork

3. bread plate

4. bread knife

5. placecard (using nickname in lieu of proper name)

6. ice cream spoon

7. cake fork

8. charger

9. dinner plate

10. saucer as salad plate

11. teacup as soup bowl

12. wine glass

13. water glass

14. knife

15. soup spoon

Editor: Holly Dolce and Rebecca Kaplan
Production Manager: Denise LaCongo

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014959566

ISBN: 978-1-4197-1787-1
eISBN: 978-1-6131-2813-8

Text copyright 2015 kate spade new york

Published in 2015 by Abrams, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Abrams books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact specialsales@abramsbooks.com or the address below.

115 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011
www.abramsbooks.com

contents

theres nothing i love more than an evening at home hosting friends with my husband, simon, and our two dogs, stanley and lulu. they make our house a home. ill make any excuse to put fresh flowers on the table, pop a bottle of bubbly and break out the fine chinawhether its for a chinese takeout or a homemade pot roastand spark interesting conversation that trickles from the dining room to post-dinner chats in the garden over a delicious dessert.

my signature

sponge cake

INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs

179g castor sugar*

56g plain flour*

35g corn flour*

1 level tsp baking powder

whipped cream

homemade raspberry jam

*this converts roughly to 6 oz castor sugar, 2 oz plain flour, 1 oz corn flour

DIRECTIONS

preheat oven to 350f. line two 8-inch sponge tins. sieve flour, baking powder and corn flour together. into two separate bowls, separate eggs and whisk egg whites until stiff. whisk in sugar. whisk egg yolks then add them to the egg white and sugar mixture and whisk altogether. fold in the flour, baking powder and corn flour, mix until smooth and divide batter between the two tins. bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cakes are risen, golden and feel springy to the touch. remove and let cool for a few minutes, then release by running a knife around the edges of the tin.

place cakes on a wire rack to cool completely. sandwich with whipped cream and homemade raspberry jam.

president & chief creative officer

kate spade new york

entertaining

if it doesnt go awry, then it isn't a party

gracious notes for the spirited hostess

above all, remember that the secret to a memorable party is putting people in a good moodeveryone dancing, laughing, being witty, flirting and celebrating. and not sweating the small stuff.

dana,

its safe to say i have never laughed so much in all my life. i think laughter may have even spilled out of the living room. (along with some champagne on your rug.) thank you for a wonderful evening!

kristen

sophie,

last nights dinner was a most unusual eveningand all the more fun for it. (next time well all be at least semi-proficient at flambing our desserts.) thank you for my new books!

xoxo,

me

setting the scene

make preparing for the party as fun as the big event, with charming twists and personal touches designed to surprise and delight.

pick one thing and do it en masse:

string a thousand fairy lights above the garden.

put out one hundred pillar candles.

cover a table in six tiered cake stands instead of one.

coat a ceiling in helium balloons (or hang at least thirty).

fill large hurricane vases with foil-wrapped chocolates.

cluster three christmas trees together for the holidays.

place one or two disco balls on the floor of every room to cast a slight shimmer on white walls.

then, around the house, add a few extra touches:

replace overhead and lamp lightbulbs with flattering twenty-five-watt bulbs.

put a discreet piece of tape over dimmer light switches once youve set the mood.

write hello gorgeous on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick.

hook nice wooden hangers on your shower rod to turn it into a coat check.

place floating candles in the bathtub (if not using the bathtub rail as coat rack).

lay a fancy ashtray outside for smokers.

lightly perfume the air by simmering fruits and spices on the stove (orange, cinnamon and cloves in winter; lime, thyme and mint in summer).

adorn the bathroom with a dish of mints, box of tissues, crisp hand towels, extra rolls of toilet paper, a fresh gardenia in a bud vase and a chic bottle of liquid hand soap.

any obscure, weird, vintage or hybrid thing you want, you can probably order from etsy.

a gardenia is one of the worlds most fragrant flowers.

dont forget

a box of matches

more ice than you think you need