Winterthur's Chinese Parlor

Of the many images that I have filed away in my head, two images in particular have made the greatest impressions on me: those of the Chinese Parlor at Winterthur. Specifically, detail photos of the Chinese Parlor's magnificent Chinese paper mingling with damask furnishings.

Found for Henry Francis du Pont by Nancy McClelland, the parlor's superb Chinese paper needs no decorative assistance, but when photographed partnered with that yellow damask, camelback sofa, seen above, or those vivacious green damask curtains, below, the paper appears to brim with color and vibrancy.  And to the series I can now add a third image, which I recently found in American Elegance: Classic and Contemporary Menus from Celebrated Hosts and Hostesses: a table set for an imagined "Before the Theater" dinner, which was conceived by Mario Buatta.  Placed in the Chinese Parlor with a green damask sofa and chair providing seating, the setting seems to blur the line between decoration and reality.  It's as if this elegant dinner is but one of the paper's myriad scenes, playing out as Chinese figures merrily go about their business in the background.

By the way, if you're wondering why some photos show yellow damask while others capture green versions, it has to do with the seasons.  The room's curtains and slipcovers are changed out seasonally, with some seasons ushering in yellow damask or silk taffeta, while other seasons are heralded by the color green.

Image #1: House & Garden, October 2002, Simon Watson photographer; #2: House & Garden's Complete Guide to Interior Decoration, 1960; #3: American Elegance.

Dining with Mario

There seemed to be a lot of enthusiasm for last week's post on tablesettings, so if you'll indulge me, I've got one more for you. But the twist is that all of these photos feature "tableware at its finest in innovative settings by Interior Designer Mario Buatta"- to quote the November 1977 House Beautiful article from which these photos came.

This post seems especially timely, too, considering that Mario's work for Hilary and Wilbur Ross is featured in the July issue of Architectural Digest. Have you seen the article yet? All I can say is thank heaven for Mario Buatta!

And when you look at the photos below, I think you'll see plenty of the ol' Mario Magic.  Other than the quality of the photos (they were taken in 1977, after all), everything still looks fresh today.

In the photo above and at top: Interlude china and Castle Garden crystal by Lenox and Reed & Barton's classic Francis I flatware were set on a cloth made from China Seas' Ball fabric. (I don't think this print is in their current line-up.) The best part of this setting, though, has to be that beautiful bevy of blue and white porcelain.

This "English Country" table is set with Gorham's Minaret china and Chantilly sterling flatware and President crystal by Gorham. The grass green napkins are by Vera, while the cloth is Madeleine chintz from Clarence House. I wonder if the lettuce tureen and earthenware rabbit were part of Mario's collection. I also find the library setting very cozy.

The sweet ribbon print fabric is Brunschwig & Fils' Cecily Ribbon and the china is Indian Tree by Aynsley. The crystal is Eileen by Waterford and the flatware is French Empire.

A more subdued setting thanks to the neutral tones of Dragon Sorrell china by Royal Worcester and a tablecloth by Fabrications. The flatware is Grand Majesty by Oneida.


All photos from House Beautiful, November 1977; Feliciano photographer.

Food For Thought

Whatever happened to porcelain-handled flatware, earthenware tureens, table centerpieces of flowering plants in wicker baskets, cabbageware plates, faience, floral print cloths and napkins, and all of the other traditional, charming table accessories that one used to see so often?  Not that any of this tableware is obsolete.  In fact, I am sure that many of you set your tables with one (or most) of the aforementioned items.  It's just that the current vogue for spare, minimal tableware seems to relegate the old and the jolly to the annals of yesteryear's tablesetting books or, even worse, to the backs of kitchen cabinets.

Look at the 1980s-era table setting above.  At Hélène Bouilloux-Lafont's house in France, a table was set for a casual breakfast.  Blue and white china, a strawberry teapot, and cabbageware dishes filled with fruit were considered fashionable for dining in the country.  But today, tables in the country are set much as they are in town.  The china is monochromatic as is the table linen.  Glassware is bereft of any ornamentation.  (Sometimes it is even bereft of stems!)  Flatware is little more than tines, blades, and bowls attached to plain metal sticks.  It's all so serious.  Where is the fun?  Where is the imagination?  Where is the strawberry teapot?

As much as I understand the practicality of plain tableware, I am also pretty certain that a beige colored plate won't enliven your table, or your mood, the same way a cabbageware tureen does.

Before we get to the table, let's discuss this room.  I think it is perfection, although the blackamoor vase is a little incongruous considering the room's decor.  This was the Essex home of Peter Coats, who I am assuming is the same Peter Coats, a noted landscape designer, who was involved in a relationship with Henry "Chips" Channon.  Anyway, looking at the table, you'll see there is not much more than a cabbage tureen, plates, simple stemware, and a bottle of Rosé.  So simple, and yet, so chic.

See?  Flowers in wicker baskets.  Very charming.  But what makes this table so very pretty is that floral cloth and napkins.  The blue and white check fabric in the room doesn't hurt, either. (At Château de Saint-André-d'Hébertot in Deauville, France.)

Jacqueline Hagnauer set this table in her home in Provence. The cloth was an Indian print, upon which small slipware plates and "Pont-aux-Choux" place plates were placed. Pink, green, and clear glasses were positioned at each setting. Note those Lilliputian-sized cabbageware salt cellars or mustard jars, as well as the trompe l'oeil basket of cherries.

A Tiffany tablesetting created by Mrs. Angier Biddle Duke.  The "Blue Canton" china looks smashing against the orange chintz cloth.  And that basket, filled with chrysanthemums and cornflowers, helps to tone down any formality at a "Country Supper on the Back Porch".

Kenneth Jay Lane Entertains

"Kenneth Jay Lane Entertains".  Such a simple title for this March 1977 House Beautiful article.  And yet, were any other words really needed to persuade the reader to peruse the article?  After all, Kenneth Jay Lane's fans are legion.  (I for one will never part with my KJL Maltese Cross cuffs, dragon bracelet, and panther ring.)  And an article that also chronicled his dinner parties?  Even better!

Lane (that's him above, holding what appears to be one of those coveted Tiffany & Co. heart-motif silver repoussé cups) has long had a yen for the exotic, most notably his collection of Orientalist art.  And his home has always reflected this passion, stuffed to the gills with treasures and mementos garnered on far-flung excursions.  His dining room, seen below, is no exception.  It was tented to resemble a Moroccan tent.  And would it surprise you to know that under that tented ceiling, Lane liked to serve his guests Moroccan food (especially couscous), which was prepared by his Moroccan chef?

The article's photos show what Lane's dining room looked like at such feasts.  For smaller affairs, a round table was set with dinnerware from India, carafes from Japan, and a tagine that I assume came from Morocco.  Lane also used mismatched dining chairs.  If the guest list grew at the last minute, he simply pressed one of the room's skirted tables into service at a corner banquette.  Lane mentioned that he took his dinner parties in stride, saying "I never worry and always hope."  Great advice, although I do think that having a Moroccan chef certainly helps...a lot.

All photos from House Beautiful, March 1977

A Paella Party

I so enjoy food and entertaining articles from the late 1960s and early 1970s because hosts and hostesses were then just starting to forgo elaborate dinner parties and numerous courses in favor of a simple style of entertaining. These bygone articles about one-pot dinners, make-ahead recipes, and stylish, comfortable table settings still inspire today, especially considering that most of us continue to prefer simplicity over fussiness when preparing our meals.

The photos featured in this post came from a 1971 House & Garden article. The fetching couple was Adriana and Dan Rowan, whose name some of you might recognize from the television show "Laugh-In". I admit that it was Mrs. Rowan's pink and black paisley hostess gown that initially caught my eye, but I also found the Rowans' dining room so attractive with its tile floor, the potted flowers placed everywhere, and that chic yet casually set table.  Terracotta potted tulips, Mexican tin chargers, brown earthenware plates, and plain crystal stemware were the proper accompaniments to a dinner in which paella was the main course.  (As Mrs. Rowan noted, "I like to cook in five languages- French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Mexican.")  And Mr. Rowan assisted in the preparations, too, by choosing wine from his well-stocked cellar.

Little about this dining room or the table looks dated, and I think the same can be said for that hostess gown too.  (The kitchen's linoleum floor and double ovens, on the other hand, scream 1970.) In fact, considering that paella, still a popular entertaining dish today, was on the menu, you might not know that this dinner party took place over forty years ago- until you see photos of the kitchen, of course.


Menu

Salted Soybean Nuts and Crudites

Paella

Green Salad with Raw Vegetables

Cheese Garlic Toast

Fruit Salad with Cointreau

Cheeses: Gourmandise, Blue, Swiss, Brie

Wine: Pouilly Fumé la Doucette 1964

Entertaining with Charlotte Ford

I love to read old articles on hostesses and their styles of entertaining. Sometimes, I glean practical tips, while other times, the sheer elaborateness of their dinners and parties provides me with moments of escapism. Try as we might, duplicating some of these old parties often requires the patience of Job and a bank account worthy of Croesus.

One hostess who seems refreshingly practical is Charlotte Ford. I found this article about her in a 1977 issue of House Beautiful, and at the time the article was published, Ford was a busy working woman designing a line of clothing. With her hectic workday schedule, Ford admitted that she was only able to entertain about once a month.  Taking a more casual (for that time) approach to entertaining, Ford eschewed long, laborious dinner parties of numerous courses.  Instead, she said that she preferred to serve an appetizer, an entree of turkey (according to Ford, men particularly seemed to love turkey) and a vegetable, and, to end the meal, either a salad and cheese or dessert.

What especially caught my eye were Ford's lovely dining tables.  Preferring to set two round tables for six, Ford laid her table with French-made china designed especially for the Ford family, Baccarat crystal, and those lovely Porthault embroidered mats and napkins.  I think Ford's table linens are my favorite part of the entire article.  You'll also notice the little cigarette holders, an accessory that, at that time, were practically a requirement on well-set tables.

Times may have changed, but a beautifully set table never goes out of style!

All photos from House Beautiful, June 1977

Chuck Williams and His Earthquake Shack

A week ago today, Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams celebrated his 97th birthday.  Could an enthusiasm for good food and hard work be the secret to his longevity?

You might remember that I posted a few 1970s-era photos of Williams' San Francisco kitchen a few months ago.  (Click here to read that post.)  After that post was published, a reader, Robert Ruiz, very kindly emailed me a 1989 Architectural Digest article which featured this very same home.  I am showing the AD article photos here.

According to the article, Mr. Williams bought his "earthquake shack" in the early 1960s.  In the wake of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the city built and situated small clapboard dwellings in Golden Gate Park for those left homeless by the disaster (twenty thousand people, in fact.)  A year later, with the city's residential district mostly rebuilt, the city offered to give those cabins to those who were living in them on the condition that they move them to permanent, residential sites.  Williams' shack was moved by horse and buggy to its current location on Nob Hill, near the intersection of Sacramento and Leavenworth. 

When Williams bought the shack, it was little more than four rooms with an outside bath.  No surprise that he embarked on a renovation, one that appears to have modernized his home without losing any of its historical charm.  Part of the renovation entailed going down into the ground into a primitive storage cellar, a space that eventually became Williams' small but efficient kitchen and dining room.

What you'll see in these photos is an abundance of country antiques, many of which Williams picked up during his European travels.  There are oak gate-leg tables, Luneville plates, faience, cooking accoutrements, and books.  What a delectable combination!  The article also mentions Williams' preferred style of entertaining.  Just as he exclaimed in the 1972 article about which I previously wrote, Williams kept the size of his dinners and lunches to around four to six guests.  In good weather, cocktails, after dinner coffee, and weekend lunches were (and perhaps still are?) held on the terrace just off of his kitchen and dining room.

On another note, Robert also mentioned that the recently published biography on Williams, Merchant of Sonoma: Pioneer of the American Kitchen, is an interesting read.  The book not only includes some of Williams' favorite recipes, but it also features pages devoted to some of the now-essential cooking equipment that Williams helped to popularize, including the Kitchen Aid mixer, Le Creuset cookware, and the Apilco cow creamer.

Sounds like hearty belated birthday greetings are in order.  A happy belated birthday, Mr. Williams!

The dining room that is located on the ground floor.

A sitting area on the ground floor where guests relaxed.

An oak dresser holds Luneville ceramics.

Two views of the kitchen. When this article was written (1989), the range was over thirty years old. Williams said that he was devoted to it and knew its quirks quite well.

An exterior view of the clapboard earthquake shack.

All photos from Architectural Digest, 1989, John Vaughan photographer.

My Beverly Hills Kitchen

I recently received a review copy of the new cookbook My Beverly Hills Kitchen: Classic Southern Cooking with a French Twist, by Alex Hitz, and I can't begin to tell you how anxious I am to start cooking from it.  (I had hoped to cook one of the recipes over the weekend, but I was stuck in bed with a bad cold.)  So, which recipe should I try first? Chicken Country Captain? "She" Crab Soup? Salmon Pot Pie?

One of my biggest complaints about a lot of entertaining and party cookbooks is that the authors tout recipes that are supposed to be novel, new, and FUN, when in reality they come across as being fussy and cute.  This is why most of us are such fans of Ina Garten.  Her recipes are classic, tried and true, and tasty.  And although I haven't yet cooked any of Alex's recipes, I have a strong hunch that the same thing can be said of his.

The book is chock-full of recipes for Hors d'Oeuvres (Crab Tarts, Dorothy's Cheese Straws), Soups (Cold Pea Soup with Mint, Shrimp Bisque), Salads (Crab Salad with Bloody Mary Aspic), Eggs, Cheese, Grits, and Quiches (Soufflé "Suissesse", Brooke's Confetti Grits), Vegetables and Side Dishes (Hash Brown Cake, Stewed Tomatoes), Seafood (Pecan-Crusted Salmon with Sauce Gribiche), Chicken, Turkey, and Pheasant (Chicken Pot Pie, Robert's Turkey Hash), Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork (Erlinda's Exquisite Short Ribs, Pulled Pork with Carolina Barbecue Sauce), Biscuits, Rolls, Bread, Pastry, and Crepes (Yeast Rolls, Sally Lunn Bread), and finally, Dessert (Peggy's Apricot Mousse, Priceless Pecan Bars).  See what I mean about chock-full?  What I also appreciate is that there is a chapter on sauces, including recipes for Orange Mayonnaise, Cucumber Sauce, and Hollandaise Sauce and its many variations.  While I often serve beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin, or poached salmon at my dinner parties, I will admit that I don't always serve a sauce on the side.  I'm certainly going to now.

The book is being released today, so if you're looking for a new book that will entice you to start cooking and entertaining, get thee to the bookstore and check out Alex's new book.  If you live in Atlanta, you might want to consider attending one of Alex's book signings next week.  Click here for more information.

Palm Beach Entertaining

I do enjoy books on entertaining, and this fall there are quite a few new book releases that look intriguing. One that I just finished reading is Palm Beach Entertaining: Creating Occasions to Remember by Annie Falk. The book, a fun and zippy read, is filled with lush photographs of food and table settings, but what I appreciate even more are the recipes and tips provided by some of Palm Beach's leading hosts and hostesses. After all, those Palm Beach denizens really know how to throw a party.

With recipes like Vegetables Provençal, Cheese Grits, Chicken Hash, and Chocolate Bundt Cake, this book promotes a traditional yet comfortable style of entertaining right down to the Tiffany flatware and Blue Canton china. And really, I think that's how most of us entertain. Exotic and new is fun to try along the way, but inevitably, we always come back to the tried and true classics. I think that after reading this book, you'll find a few new ideas and dishes to add to your entertaining repertoire.




Lunch with the Ladies at the home of Victoria Amory. The menu included Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tarts, Turkish Eggplant and Yogurt Salad, and Shrimp Skewers with Cumin and Honey.




Dinner in the Country at the Pine Creek Sporting Club home of Karin and Joe Luter. This menu featured Cornmeal-Crusted Quail and Wild Turkey Pot Pie.



The well-outfitted butler's pantry of Lars Bolander and Nadine Kalachnikoff.




Gathering at the Lake House with Talbott Maxey and Kit Pannill. Dishes include Roasted Caprese Salad and Ham Rolls.


All images used with express permission of the publisher. Copyright Palm Beach Entertaining: Creating Occasions to Remember by Annie Falk, Rizzoli New York, 2012.