Spring has sprung here in Charleston! Weddings are in full bloom this season with bright, lively designs and cheerful colors. Check out a few of our favorite inspirations for the season, and feel free to share your own!
We’ve all seen a s’mores bar at an event before, but local company Haypenny Confections is kicking it up a notch. Haypenny Confections is a new local company that offers artisan small-batch s’mores for any size event. From an intimate dinner party of 6 to a wedding for 300 – they’ll customize hand-crafted marshmallows, graham crackers & chocolate for your event and the set- up is adorable! We were lucky enough to have a tasting of these lovely confections and we can’t recommend them highly enough!
Personalization is what makes an event memorable. From serving your favorite foods and a quintessentially “you” cocktail to representing your style in the place cards and style of china, the look and feel of the details of your events are what stick out in photos and in your guests memories.
When thinking about your menu- have a discussion with your caterer about how you would like food displays to look. Many custom options are available. We recently worked on a lovely rustic rehearsal dinner at Middleton Place Stable Yards. Check out the great dessert display, featuring cake stands from OOH Events and Curiosity.
Incorporating fun decorative items like mason jars, fresh produce & exposed rustic wood rounds is an easy way to create budget friendly decor that leaves a lasting impression!
It’s that time of year again…Fall wedding season! We can’t wait until the crisp fall weather sets in and we cozy things up with warm colors and lots of candle light. Check out our inspiration below and tell us about yours!
It’s labor day, so let’s start with the cocktails…a Moscow Mule is the perfect end-of-summer beginning-of-fall cocktail. The lime screams the warm summer months and the spice of the ginger is reminiscent of spiced fall flavors, a perfect blend for the seasonal symbolism of Labor Day.
Whip up a moscow mule with:
Start with a cup full of ice
Mix in 1 part vodka
Add Juice of one fresh lime
Top with high quality ginger beer (I like Reed’s- it’s spicy and bold and works nicely with the citrus)
Now, on to the food.
Use labor day as one of the last times to break out the grill at the beach and enjoy casual fresh food with local ingredients.
Catch the last of summer tomatoes and combine with garlic, fresh basil and balsamic vinaigrette to spoon over garlic rubbed char-grilled crostini.
Follow it up with the last of summer sweet corn buttered, salted and peppered- simple and delicious.
For your entree, head to a local seafood place or butcher and get a good cut of meat or fish. Keep it simple- olive oil, salt, pepper- maybe some fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon.
Serve it with a refreshing green salad with feta and cucumers and end the meal with perfect summer peaches and another cocktail. Cheers to labor day! We hope y’all enjoy it!
Duvall Events was featured in an event planning article in the People section of the Post and Courier this weekend! Check out the tip from Event Coordinator Isabelle below!
We had our chefs come up with a fun seasonal summer menu to emphasize the delicious bounty of South Carolina ingredients. Enjoy with a refreshing gin and tonic!
Summer Charleston Menu
Firecracker Pimento Cheese on Fried Green Tomato with Bull’s Blood Micro Green Garnish
Fingerling Potato Salad with Benton’s Bacon Vinaigrette
Crab Cake Deviled Eggs Stuffed with Blue Crab
Cheerwine BBQ Braised Short Ribs
Grilled Corn Grit Cake with Charleston Shrimp and Heirloom Tomato Horseradish Salad
It’s Mother’s Day weekend and we’ve all got someone in mind to celebrate. One of our favorite ways to show people we love them is some good ol’ home cookin’. Make your mom a breakfast and shower her with flowers and gifts this Mother’s Day. We think homemade strawberry (in season!) scones will do the trick. Check out this recipe below from Ina Garten and thanks to all the moms out there!
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended. Toss the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, add them to the dough, and mix quickly. The dough may be a bit sticky.
Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.
Cooking the perfect turkey once a year is a daunting task. We asked our chefs to impart some of their gastronomic wisdom upon us. Here’s what they came up with…
The Brining Debate
A Classic Brine
If you have space in your refrigerator and a sanitary container that can hold a 12-20lb bird, brining can be a great way to achieve the moist meat you’re looking for.
Brine your turkey overnight (1 gallon water: 1 cup of salt: ½ cup sugar). The amount of brining solution needed will depend on the size of your bird. Make sure all of the skin of your bird is covered in brine and adjust the ratios accordingly.
Brining Made Simple
For many people, brining is a daunting and difficult task in a home kitchen.
If brining overnight is not an option, liberally sprinkle both sides of your turkey with a coarse, pure salt like kosher or sea salt, and rub it in. Feel free to add freshly chopped herbs and garlic to the mixture for extra flavor. Cover and let it rest on a plate in the fridge for an hour. Rinse the meat well, dry and procede with your original recipe. (Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything)
General Turkey Tips
Don’t trust the red popper that comes in your turkey- invest in an instant read thermometer.
Stuffing your turkey can draw our moisture- consider baking your stuffing (or dressing) on the side in a separate dish.
A Guide to Defrosting Your Turkey*
6-8lb turkey – 18-24 hours in the fridge – 4-6 hours in cold water
10-12lb turkey – 24-36 hours in fridge – 8-12 hours in cold water
14-18lb turkey – 36+ hours in fridge – 12-16 hours in cold water
18+ lb turkey – 48+ hours in fridge – 18+ hours in cold water
A Guide to Roasting Your Turkey*
All of these times are approximate. Your turkey is done when a thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh reads 155-165.
8-12lb turkey – 2 ¾ to 3 hours unstuffed - 3-3 1/2 hours stuffed
12-14lb turkey – 3 to 3 ¾ hours unstuffed – 3 1/2-4 hours stuffed
14-18lb turkey – 3 ¾ to 4 1/4 hours unstuffed – 4 – 4 ¼ hours stuffed
20-24lb turkey – 4 ½ to 5 hours unstuff ed – 4 ¾ to 5 1/4 hours stuffed
24-30lb turkey – 5 to 5 ¼ hours unstuffed – 5 ¼ to 6 ¼ hours stuffed
Let the turkey rest at least ½ hour in a tin foil tent before serving.
*Thanks to Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything and our amazing chefs at Duvall!
Looking for fun and festive Thanksgiving decoration ideas? Our Decor Department loves these simple and natural centerpieces. Pick a surface of your choice (pumpkin, squash, candle, mason jar come to mind) and a grain of your choice ( lentils, bulgar, wild rice and split peas are all nicely textured and colored). Simply spray the surface with non-toxic glue and roll in assorted grains.
