A little Billie Holiday, a glass of wine, and I am ready to begin my adventure into blogging. I will be the first to confess that I’m not a professional chef, I don’t throw parties for a living, but I like to think I have figured out a thing or two about how to throw together a gathering. The three most important ingredients that keep your guests coming back for more are good food, good ambiance, and a bit of the spirits. (especially Olive Tapenade).

My evolution into appreciating great food started about ten years ago when I moved from my snowy home state to Arizona. I never imagined that a desert would teach me to expect more from the food I ate, the places I dined at, and the businesses I frequented to help me achieve a fresh and memorable gathering.

Since moving back to the frigid climate of my home state I have tried to apply these same principles to entertaining family and friends, but honestly, it has not been without its challenges. I realized how deeply rooted I had become in my shopping routines and farmer’s market spoils while living in the produce-rich southwest. Trying to reproduce my old ways only left me more frustrated. I quickly realized I would have to abandon that idea and embrace a new way.

Using Fresh Ingredients

I always start with ingredients that are fresh, full of color, and have bold flavor. I enjoy being able to easily identify what is in my food. What I consume for myself is just as important as the food I prepare for others. I believe food is at the center of any moment. Moments should be what we strive for when we gather family and friends. Good eats and the ingredients used to prepare them should inspire the foodie inside you and if you’re lucky the same should be true for your guest.

Recipe: Olive Tapenade

Inspiration can come in small packages, and that is true of small dishes, too.

A staple and party favorite at almost every gathering I have is a freshly prepared olive tapenade for my guests. Tapenade may have originated in the Mediterranean, but it is alive and well in the Midwest.

Tapenade can be found prepared many ways and available in most grocery stores. Now you could run down to your local store and buy something already prepared for you, but how wonderfully delightful would it be to share with your guest that the tapenade you were serving was prepared with your own hands?

Serve this spread with some of your favorite crackers or bread and you have elevated yourself to rock star status.

Ingredients (other recipes may call for capers, pimientos, red peppers and fresh sprigs of herbs):

1 cup of garlic filled green olives
1 cup of Kalamata olives, pitted
Cracked pepper
¼ cup of thyme chopped
1/3 cup of olive oil (I often times eyeball this ingredient)

Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend. That’s it. Enjoy!