From Sarah Winward on Ruffled Blog: I love the idea of a cozy winter wedding in a historic building. Perhaps the environment is a bit dark with only some chandeliers and windows for light… we would use lots of candles in tarnished candlesticks to make the tables glow. In this centerpiece arrangement rich orange and blues are contrasted with flowers that are a true white, a perfect color combination to match the moody but elegant venue. Amaryllis are a wonderful flower for winter weddings, they are large, and have a shape similar to a lily, with several blooms on each stem. Privet berry, kumquat and ranunculus (a few of my winter staples).

Last night at my place I hosted my first gathering of the year, a vegetarian themed potluck for a “book club” that I am so happy to be a part of.  We have some very insightful and talented individuals in our little group including artists Hyatt Moore and Anne Moore so I thought you would enjoy checking out this painting done by Hyatt in 2000 of The Last Supper with the Twelve Tribes to celebrate my first supper {gathering} of the year.  Someone certainly knew how to gather folks to the table didn’t they.

So, about the “book club”, it has an unusual format and what makes it so unusual is that each individual reads the same chapter of a designated book and writes a 1 page summary on a thought that resonates with them and makes it one of life’s great truths.  What a shocking and pleasant surprise the book of Ecclesiastes has turned out to be!  Yes folks, I said Ecclesiastes, like in the bible…  So, if any of you are tired of the same old, same old, churchy studies and want to try something new then appoint a leader, pick a book, read a chapter, and open your home to some great conversation, food and comradery.  I am looking forward to starting a new book next week and send out a big thanks to Hyatt Moore for leading so well, in fact you should check out his blog Blank Slate.

P.S.  Yes Nancy, I am doing my homework.

P.S.S.  I guess my mushroom stuffed eggplant was a hit, because several of the guests asked for the recipe.  You can find the true recipe in Food & Wine, but anyone who knows me well, knows that I am terrible at following recipes so you can find my variation of the recipe below…

Mushroom & Eggplant Casserole –  Serves 4

• 4 Italian eggplants (2 1/2 pounds)
• Salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups stale baguette, cut into 2 inch cubes, soaked in 1 cup red wine
• 4 ounces fontina cheese, cubed
• 4 ounces shredded parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Prepare all ingredients
2. In a bowl toss bread with wine and set aside.
3. Cube eggplants into 1 inch cubes.  Salt the eggplant and let stand for 30 minutes. Pat dry.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Toss the eggplants with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet.  Add 1/4 cup of water, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until tender.
5. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook over moderate heat until tender; transfer mushroom mixture & eggplants to a bowl.
6. Now, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet, add the garlic, onion and sauté until tender. Add the cumin and butter and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add this to the mushroom & eggplant mixture.
7. Gently stir in the wine-soaked bread, cheese, broth and place in a baking dish.
8. Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350°, then uncover and broil casserole until browned, 2 minutes.
9. Top with the parsley and serve.

• NOTE:  If you make casserole a day in advance, bake covered for 1 hour 350°, then uncover and broil casserole until browned, 2 minutes.

I want to hear your stories from London to LA!