Entertaining Outdoors

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Entertaining outdoors has been such a surprise pleasure during these difficult times. As the weather turns chilly, I’ve done several things to make sure we can continue the fun. First, for safety, I only entertain people from one “household” at a time so I put chairs at both ends of a 6-foot dining table or both sides of a 5-foot square coffee table to ensure social distancing. Second, although we’re sitting far apart, I want it to feel cozy, so I fill the tables with flowers and candles. Third, I set up outdoor heaters or build a nice fire, plus cushions and blankets for each person so we’re nice and warm under the stars. And finally, since entertaining outdoors is more work than serving inside, I make really easy no-cook appetizers for cocktails and very simple lunches and dinners. This is the time when a take-out pizza and a big Caesar salad makes the best evening for everyone, even the host.

OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING

For recipes, go to the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook Index

*denotes Barefoot Contessa cookbook recipes

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Take-out pizza

*Caesar Salad

Affogato – vanilla ice cream with hot espresso poured over it

Store-bought chocolate chip cookies

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Antipasto – store bought

*Lasagna with Turkey Sausage

*Roasted Broccolini & Cheddar