Latest / Letters from Jeannie: Hosting and Intentional Living / The Seventh Guest Had Teeth

Transcript

The Seventh Guest Had Teeth · Letters from Jeannie: Hosting and Intentional Living

• 0:00
  [music]
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Hi friends, it's Jeannie.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to Letters from Jeannie.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: October is our month of celebration and this week I'm taking you to
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  SPEAKER_00: a birthday dinner under the oaks in my backyard.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's called The Seventh Guest Had Teeth.
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  SPEAKER_00: You'll understand by the end.
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  SPEAKER_00: Grab something warm to sip and let's
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  SPEAKER_00: go.
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  SPEAKER_00: I grew up in the sand hills of South Carolina where I enjoyed fall excursions
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  SPEAKER_00: through the woods with my brothers.
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  SPEAKER_00: Our squeals echoed along with the crunching of sounds of pine straw
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  SPEAKER_00: and cones underneath our feet.
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  SPEAKER_00: Towering sappy pine trees and the fluttering of scrub oak leaves surrounded us
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  SPEAKER_00: as we played in the woods.
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  SPEAKER_00: The smell of fall was obvious as October ushered in warm light and cooler days.
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  SPEAKER_00: On October 5th, 24 years ago, Joseph and I got married in South Carolina.
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  SPEAKER_00: I found myself out there searching the forest for pine straw, pine cones, and magnolia leaves.
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  SPEAKER_00: I have never gotten the forage,
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  SPEAKER_00: the crisp air, and the smell of fall as I prepared for my wedding day.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was a reminder of my sweet childhood memories and the anticipation of a beautiful beginning.
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  SPEAKER_00: Forage and Flame grew from my childhood foraging in the woods of South Carolina.
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  SPEAKER_00: October is our month of celebration that begins just before our anniversary
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  SPEAKER_00: and builds to Joseph's birthday on the 20th.
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  SPEAKER_00: This year,
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  SPEAKER_00: I marked the month with a shared birthday dinner for Joseph and Stephen,
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  SPEAKER_00: his dear friend and a godparent to our children,
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  SPEAKER_00: under the oaks at our lakefront home in Houston.
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  SPEAKER_00: Of course, I went foraging again.
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  SPEAKER_00: I trekked through the leaves,
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  SPEAKER_00: I clipped branches, and I pulled my wagon full of foliage and discarded branches.
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  SPEAKER_00: I jumped a couple of fences and a grinning sheriff shook his head
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  SPEAKER_00: while helping me pull my wagon up a levee.
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  SPEAKER_00: I strategically positioned branches and timber to make my backyard feel like a forest.
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  SPEAKER_00: I foraged the yards of gracious friends and enlisted my landscaper
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  SPEAKER_00: who brought many bags and of fall foliage and found pine straw to make
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  SPEAKER_00: the backyard look like the South Carolina woods I grew up in.
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  SPEAKER_00: The table was covered with moss green velvet tablecloth with a centerpiece
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  SPEAKER_00: of magnolia, pine and berries.
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  SPEAKER_00: I arranged tall glass candle columns that caught the sunlight as the sun began to set.
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  SPEAKER_00: Each place setting had a Zenfadel colored linen napkin tied with a black ribbon
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  SPEAKER_00: and fresh rosemary.
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  SPEAKER_00: I smoked cocktails under a glass cloche,
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  SPEAKER_00: and the night ended with a dahlia-covered birthday cake.
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  SPEAKER_00: Joseph twirled me across the newly laid acacia wood decking covered in leaves at sunset.
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  SPEAKER_00: And the centerpiece?
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  SPEAKER_00: I made it in five minutes from leftover foraging,
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  SPEAKER_00: including the berries from the previous week's Central Market Fresh Floral Haul.
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  SPEAKER_00: I made the centerpiece in five minutes from foraging, and it cost me nothing.
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  SPEAKER_00: The five signature elements.
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  SPEAKER_00: Signature scent.
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  SPEAKER_00: Before the guests arrived,
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  SPEAKER_00: I lit smoke and vanilla from my Pivotal Moments collection because I wanted
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  SPEAKER_00: the night to feel warm and unhurried.
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  SPEAKER_00: I felt everyone deserved an evening to just exhale.
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  SPEAKER_00: I set the candle between the bar and the table,
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  SPEAKER_00: not on the table,
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  SPEAKER_00: so the scent moved from the cocktails to the dinner along with the guests.
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  SPEAKER_00: The amber note felt romantic, whispering that something was coming, and it certainly was.
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  SPEAKER_00: The hint of birch and smoke matched the smoked cocktails waiting at the bar.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was precisely the mood I wanted for the night.
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  SPEAKER_00: The welcome drink.
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  SPEAKER_00: Since the night celebrated my husband and Steven,
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  SPEAKER_00: I wanted a drink with more depth that would complement the Forage and Flame theme,
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  SPEAKER_00: yet be fun to make.
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  SPEAKER_00: Joseph loves apple cider.
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  SPEAKER_00: For him, there's no fall until the apple cider hits our fridge.
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  SPEAKER_00: So I created a cocktail version, the Smoke Apple Cider Old Fashioned.
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  SPEAKER_00: I knew nothing about bourbon,
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  SPEAKER_00: so I really dug into it and asked everyone I could until I found one that matched
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  SPEAKER_00: the mood of the night.
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  SPEAKER_00: I found a bourbon that's fruity with apple and pear,
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  SPEAKER_00: sweet with vanilla and caramel, and warmed by oak, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
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  SPEAKER_00: After all that research and paying attention to every detail,
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  SPEAKER_00: I decided to take on the role of bartender.
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  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I did.
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  SPEAKER_00: I bartendered away.
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  SPEAKER_00: I have to say it was definitely a good thing.
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  SPEAKER_00: The bar sat under an LED chandelier I hung from the oak tree.
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  SPEAKER_00: The puffs of smoke from the crochet were just beautiful and
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  SPEAKER_00: the applewood fragrance inspired a new pivotal moments fragrance for me.
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  SPEAKER_00: For those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks,
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  SPEAKER_00: I made a mocktail with the same apple cider base,
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  SPEAKER_00: topped it with sparkling apple cider,
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  SPEAKER_00: and smoked it too, so everyone enjoyed the experience.
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  SPEAKER_00: I included two more zero-proof drinks as well.
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  SPEAKER_00: There was a large pitcher of pomegranate rosemary spritz and apple cinnamon water,
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  SPEAKER_00: which sat in a drink dispenser on a marble pedestal.
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  SPEAKER_00: The pomegranate rosemary spritz is so easy and so pretty in the glass.
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  SPEAKER_00: The full recipe is in the written letter on Substack.
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  SPEAKER_00: The table.
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  SPEAKER_00: To make room,
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  SPEAKER_00: I rearranged my flower beds to create a space for a long table for six
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  SPEAKER_00: while maintaining intimacy.
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  SPEAKER_00: A green velvet tablecloth created texture for the table.
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  SPEAKER_00: I placed off-white dinnerware on top of a woven placemat with black mat flatware.
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  SPEAKER_00: The menu was tucked inside the burgundy linen napkins tied with a black satin ribbon
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  SPEAKER_00: and adorned with a sprig of rosemary.
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  SPEAKER_00: Down the center of the table, long white tapers burned inside tall glass candelabras.
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  SPEAKER_00: The seating, wooden crossback chairs with soft white cushions kept the setting rustic.
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  SPEAKER_00: The LED chandelier glowed from the oak over the bar.
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  SPEAKER_00: And string lights filled the trees.
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  SPEAKER_00: I pulled pumpkins from my front yard and laid them carefully around the table area
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  SPEAKER_00: to mimic the woods I played in as a child.
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  SPEAKER_00: The birthday boys each sat at the head of the table opposite each other.
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  SPEAKER_00: Stephen's wife sat to his left, gracefully holding hands.
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  SPEAKER_00: I sat to Joseph's right, watching his delightful expressions.
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  SPEAKER_00: Our newer married couple sat across from us.
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  SPEAKER_00: Looking so very much in love, smiling and enjoying the moment.
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  SPEAKER_00: What to wear?
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  SPEAKER_00: I asked everyone to come dress in the colors of fall and the weather cooperated.
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  SPEAKER_00: They showed up like they were ready to begin the fall season.
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  SPEAKER_00: I wore a gold lace Zimmerman gown with a high neck and flowing sleeves.
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  SPEAKER_00: The ladies came in black satin with a touch of feathers and an olive green halter jumpsuit.
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  SPEAKER_00: The gentleman wore brown and gray tweed jackets and one came in a cozy cable knit sweater.
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  SPEAKER_00: Olive, gold, chocolate brown and black.
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  SPEAKER_00: Rich, warm and a little dramatic yet sophisticated just like the table.
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  SPEAKER_00: Make no mistake, this affair was truly for the grown and bougie.
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  SPEAKER_00: The one detail.
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  SPEAKER_00: This element was non-negotiable.
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  SPEAKER_00: The setting had to mimic the woods I played in while growing up in South Carolina.
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  SPEAKER_00: I supervised every step too.
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  SPEAKER_00: I laid the acacia wood decking under the table so everyone could move freely without stumbling.
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  SPEAKER_00: The flooring was easy to do and my landscape crew finished it in under four hours.
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  SPEAKER_00: Then I covered the flooring and the ground around it with oak leaves,
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  SPEAKER_00: pine straw, and pine cones, And magnolia seed pods.
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  SPEAKER_00: I place fallen branches around the table in flower beds with more pine straw
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  SPEAKER_00: and vines removed from the surrounding terrain.
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  SPEAKER_00: I move pumpkins from the front yard display and place them strategically along
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  SPEAKER_00: with large hurricane candle holders with LED flickering candles.
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  SPEAKER_00: When all was said and done, the setting looked like the forest I grew up in.
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  SPEAKER_00: A table does not need to be perfect.
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  SPEAKER_00: What counts is how you make guests feel.
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  [music]
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  SPEAKER_00: The menu.
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  SPEAKER_00: I created the menu and recipes, then hired Chef Sade of Sade Eats to prepare it.
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  SPEAKER_00: I needed to be fully present to honor Joseph.
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  SPEAKER_00: After a little chat with the chef, I allowed her to add her own touches to the recipes.
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  SPEAKER_00: Simple food, full of flavor, and done perfectly.
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  SPEAKER_00: Every dish was a show stopper.
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  SPEAKER_00: Starters.
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  SPEAKER_00: Brown butter fig and thyme butter board that I made myself and that everyone raved about.
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  SPEAKER_00: You know it's good when your guests send you photos of them enjoying the butter days
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  SPEAKER_00: after the party.
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  SPEAKER_00: The secret is browning the butter until it smells like toffee,
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  SPEAKER_00: then whipping it back into soft butter so it becomes really fluffy.
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  SPEAKER_00: Brown butter.
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  SPEAKER_00: Fig, thyme, and a little orange zest, whipped until it's fluffy.
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  SPEAKER_00: You'll find the full recipe in the written letter.
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  SPEAKER_00: Next starter was the plantain crab guajilo alioli.
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  SPEAKER_00: What a tongue twister, but these were like excellent.
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  SPEAKER_00: We also followed with roasted pear burrata with gremolata,
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  SPEAKER_00: honey raspberry coulis, and watercress.
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  SPEAKER_00: Warm roasted pears over creamy burrata with a bright gremolata and a honey raspberry coulis.
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  SPEAKER_00: That recipe is also in my written letter too.
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  SPEAKER_00: Mains and Sides.
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  SPEAKER_00: There were two mains,
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  SPEAKER_00: brown butter Chilean sea bass with lemon caper butter and a beef tenor loin
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  SPEAKER_00: with chimichurri and buttered parsnip puree.
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  SPEAKER_00: The sides were very simple and full of flavor.
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  SPEAKER_00: Crispy rosemary smashed potatoes and charred lemon garlic broccolini.
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  SPEAKER_00: For dessert, the birthday cake was made by Senza Pari.
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  SPEAKER_00: The bottom layer was vanilla and raspberry.
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  SPEAKER_00: The top layer was a chocolate fudge cake with salted caramel.
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  SPEAKER_00: The entire cake was made to look like a garden.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was dressed with fresh flowers, dried oranges, and pears.
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  SPEAKER_00: No question was needed for the night.
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  SPEAKER_00: I usually have a question ready for the table.
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  SPEAKER_00: Well, we didn't need one.
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  SPEAKER_00: The conversation flowed naturally.
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  SPEAKER_00: So much joy, so much laughter, stories no one planned to tell.
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  SPEAKER_00: Then we had an unexpected guess, and you never guess what it was.
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  SPEAKER_00: We were sitting there quietly, and suddenly...
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  SPEAKER_00: Out of the corner of my eye, I see an alligator.
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  SPEAKER_00: An alligator swam right up to the shoreline at my backyard gate.
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  SPEAKER_00: I guess the gator didn't want to miss out on the party.
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  SPEAKER_00: The goodbye ritual.
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  SPEAKER_00: It was important for each couple to carry a small part of the night home.
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  SPEAKER_00: So I made each couple a basket.
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  SPEAKER_00: Inside, there were ingredients for the smoked apple cider,
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  SPEAKER_00: old-fashioned, except, of course, for the bourbon.
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  SPEAKER_00: I included my spice cider syrup,
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  SPEAKER_00: applewood chips,
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  SPEAKER_00: dried orange slices, and a cinnamon stick so they could pour the same drink at home.
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  SPEAKER_00: There were also a buttercrock of the brown butter fig and thyme butter from
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  SPEAKER_00: the board, along with a loaf of sourdough to go with it.
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  SPEAKER_00: A smoke and vanilla candle for their own moments to exhale.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: And two throws for comfort during the cool night air and for many more cool nights to come.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: The playlist, songs that took each of us back somewhere.
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  SPEAKER_00: Musical selections from Smokey Robinson,
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  SPEAKER_00: Thames, Anita Baker, Al Green, Gregory Porter, and Fila Cuti.
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  SPEAKER_00: The playlist is linked in the letter so you can listen along.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: The Shop My Collection.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: You can find the items I use and similar ones in the Forge and Flame collection.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: From the napkins, stemware, smoker, cloche, the throws in the goodbye basket, and what I wore.
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  SPEAKER_00: It's all linked in the letter.
• 13:51
  [music]
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: Dinner for Six was perfect.
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  SPEAKER_00: No agenda,
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  SPEAKER_00: no question cards,
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  SPEAKER_00: just joy,
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  SPEAKER_00: real conversation,
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  SPEAKER_00: two birthday boys a day apart, and one alligator who wanted in on the party.
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  SPEAKER_00: The forest came from my backyard, my friend's yard, and a walk in the woods.
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  SPEAKER_00: The centerpiece took five minutes.
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  SPEAKER_00: The memories will last a lot longer.
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  SPEAKER_00: If you want a letter like this in your inbox every month,
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: with the table, the menu, and the story behind it, subscribe and pull up a chair.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: What's the most unexpected guess, two legs or four leg, that ever showed up at your table?
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: Leave me a comment in the letter.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: I read every one.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: Live with intention.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: If this dinner made you want to set a table of your own,
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: my cookbook,
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to My Table, has 35 recipes that work on a Tuesday and while on a Saturday.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: Order it directly from me.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: And you get my effortless hosting guide too.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the candle I lit before everyone arrived,
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  SPEAKER_00: that was smoke and vanilla from my Pivotal Moments home fragrance collection.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's warm, a little smoky, and it went home in every goodbye basket.
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  SPEAKER_00: Both are linked in the letter on Substack.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're listening on Spotify or Apple, follow along so next Sunday's letter finds you.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: Until then, take care of yourself.
• 15:27
  [music]