After the blogger brunch I put together during fashion week in February, I was suddenly determined to do more entertaining. This isn't an easy task in most New York apartments (especially if you're not particularly domestic, cough cough) but I really wanted to make it happen. That's why I was so excited to hear from Kitchensurfing, a service that pairs you with a local chef who will prepare a seasonal meal for your guests using their ingredients and your kitchen. All you have to do is decide what kind of event you'd like to host, tidy your apartment, and let Kitchensurfing do the rest!
I worked with Alex, a.k.a. the Breakfast Bachelor, who whipped up a delicious menu featuring spring produce like rhubarb, ramps, asparagus, and baby greens. I was a little skeptical that he'd be able to whip up brunch for twelve guests in such a small space but he was a total trooper and the food was out of this world. We started with rhubarb mimosas (YUM and I finally learned how to open a bottle of champagne!), herbed buttermilk biscuits, strawberry fennel salad, a spring quiche, and apricot-glazed bacon for everyone else (I've been a vegetarian since college but I'm told it was delicious!). He made blackberry almond doughnuts from scratch for a sweet treat and I picked up macarons from François Payard (my favorites in New York... don't tell Ladurée!).
Loved having an excuse to use my cobalt tumblers!
Oh hello, Rory. Today's lesson: if you give a dog a bite of quiche, he'll want a macaron to go with it. ;)
I didn't have enough table space or seating for everyone so we just made a big circle of chairs and everyone ate on their laps. Sure, it wasn't a formal dinner party but everyone was a great sport and it was so fun to invite a bigger group of friends over to my new apartment! It was seriously encouraging to see what Alex was able to pull off with limited counter space, serving pieces, etc. Now I have no excuse not to do it again! Maybe I'll even try my hand at the cooking ;)
Kitchensurfing paid for this brunch in exchange for spreading the word on Design Darling but I can't wait to work with them again on future get-togethers, especially if I were splitting the cost with friends. If you're hosting an event (birthday party, wedding shower, work gathering...) and don't want to worry about food prep, I can't recommend Kitchensurfing (and Alex in particular!) more highly. And as a special treat for Design Darling readers, they're offering $50 off your first booking through this link!
