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The Junior League Kitchen Tour is coming up this month in the Garden District, and you won’t want to miss it. The sixth annual Kitchen Tour Kick-Off Party, sponsored by Peoples Health, “An Evening with Chef Nathanial Zimet at Latrobe’s on Royal,” will take place Thursday, April 14, from 7 to 10 p.m. and will include Zimet (of Boucherie) performing live cooking demonstrations. There will also be live and silent auctions with items you will die for! The tour itself is Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and tickets to each, visit jlno.org or call 891-5845.
I chose a spectacular kitchen for my column, designed by Dr. Troy Scroggins and Patrick Miller so that they could entertain and cook in the same room. They even have a spectacular wine cellar in the kitchen with a table that seats up to eight comfortably.
Invite guests and tell them to get ready to prepare a course and to serve it. Sounds a little intimidating, but you’ll have everything ready for them – even decorated aprons for when it’s their turn. Using favorite cookbooks, pick out an appetizer, salad, main course and dessert. When guests arrive, offer them a cocktail, wine or champagne, and then have them look under their apron for the partner they will team up with to prepare a course. (Never let them partner with the person they arrived with – it’s more fun this way.) Have the cookbook out and all of the ingredients ready to go for each course and start right away. Make sure that you choose dishes that won’t take too long to prepare. Go from course to course, changing wines along the way if you choose. This party is so much fun, but you probably won’t finish the meal until late, so start early!
