As most of you know or will come to know, we at Sterling Engagements love holidays! If we could celebrate every single one, we would, and so very often we do.
From Saint Patrick to Snakes, there is a whole rich history of how this day came to be, including the St. Patrick's Day parade which truly introduced the idea of celebration to America. But what many remember most about St. Patrick's Day, is the spirit, wearing green and pinching those who don't, the extra luck and of course fabulous food and drinks!
So in honor of one of our favorite holidays, here are some of the best recipes around from
Epicurious that we believe contribute in making this day so great!
Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs
2 russet (baking) potatoes (about 1 pound)
1 large onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped coarse
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons bottled beet horseradish
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 pound cooked corned beef (from a 3- to 4-pound corned beef brisket), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
fried eggs as an accompaniment
Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Add potatoes to a large saucepan of boiling water and boil 6 minutes, or until just tender. Drain. In a large non-stick skillet cook onion and garlic in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is golden. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in broth, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes. Add corned beef, potatoes, and salt and pepper to taste and cook over moderate heat, turning hash, until browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Serve hash with fried eggs.
To make corned beef:
In a kettle combine beef with cold water to cover by 2 inches and bring water to just a boil, skimming froth. Simmer beef, covered, 3 hours, or until tender. Remove kettle from heat and let beef stand in cooking liquid 20 minutes. Transfer beef to work surface and trim fat. Use beef as part of a boiled dinner and/or for making corned beef on rye. Corned beef keeps, covered and chilled, 4 days.
Irish Soda Bread
4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup dark raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 cup cold milk
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper. Sift the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt together into a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse meal. Add the raisins, caraway seeds, and milk. Mix the dough until just combined; avoid overmixing as this will cause the dough to toughen. Turn the dough into a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a ball. Form the dough into two equal loaves, or cut into sixteen equal pieces to make rolls. Dust with flour and lightly score an "X" across the top of each roll or loaf with a sharp knife. Bake the soda bread until it is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about eight to ten minutes for rolls and twenty-five minutes for loaves. Wrap the bread in a tea towel directly out of the oven. Cool the soda bread in the tea towel on a wire rack before serving. It can be held at room temperature for up to two days or frozen for up to four weeks.
Corned Beef with Cabbage
4 lb corned brisket of beef
3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
6 to 8 small onions
1 teaspoon dry English mustard
large sprig fresh thyme and some parsley stalks, tied together
1 cabbage
salt and freshly ground pepper
Put the brisket into a saucepan with the carrots, onions, mustard and the herbs. Cover with cold water, and bring gently to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in quarters and add to the pot. Cook for a further 1 to 2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are soft and tender. Serve the corned beef in slices, surrounded by the vegetables and cooking liquid. Serve with lots of floury potatoes and freshly made mustard.
Chocolate-Whiskey Soufflé Tarts
For crust
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon (scant) salt
For filling
10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
Pinch of salt
4 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
Sweetened whipped cream
Chocolate shavings (optional)
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend all ingredients in processor just until dough gathers together. Shape dough into log. Cut into 8 equal rounds. Press 1 round over bottom and up sides of each of eight 4 1/2 x 3/4-inch tartlet pans with removable bottom. Pierce crusts with fork. Bake crusts until pale golden, about 18 minutes. Cool in pans on rack.
For the filling:
Set aside generous 1/3 cup chopped chocolate. Place remaining chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water); stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in whiskey, vanilla, coffee and salt, then yolks. Beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold half of whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in reserved 1/3 cup chopped chocolate, then remaining whites. Divide mixture among crusts. Freeze at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and keep frozen.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Push bottom of frozen tartlets up to release from pan sides. Arrange tartlets on pan bottoms on baking sheet. Bake until filling puffs and begins to crack, about 20 minutes. Place tartlets on plates. Spoon whipped cream alongside. Top with chocolate shavings, if desired.
Standard designs as well as custom stands are available. Custom designs can include a stand that focuses on the design of the cake. For instance, if the cake contains a floral pattern, the stand could subtly suggest a certain element of the design, such as a flower or vine. Another option would be to include an architectural element or logo of a particular venue you are working with. The design possibilities are virtually unlimited!
Whether one of their exquisite standard designs or a spectacular custom design is preferred, I can assure you this type of stand cannot be found anywhere else! Be sure to visit the Robert Edward Woodworking website or contact Robert directly at (201) 393-0507 for more information. 
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We are thrilled to showcase our gorgeous "Royal Opulence" tablescape that we designed for the 10th Annual Angels Luncheon yesterday at the Four Seasons Westlake Village. This amazing event benefits the Alliance for the Arts and helps raise funds to bring Preforming Arts into children's lives. 
The "Royal Opulence" concept came to play when we envisioned the ballroom at the Four Seasons, with such a regal ambiance, we knew we had to go big! After deciding to play off of the regal and royalty theme, we brainstormed to decipher what elements we wanted to incorporate. It was fairly easy to determine that this was a table that would incorporate a color palette of reds and maroons, golds, oranges and even purple. Flowers would be easy to design with such a vibrant group of colors and we go into detail about this further down in the post. The very next thing to come to mind was Linens! Immediately, we knew that this was a table that had to have the stunning designs of Wildflower Linens. 
After selecting linens, the rest seemed to just fall into place. Classic Party Rentals was able to assist us with all of our china and rental needs. Between the chargers, glassware and amazing flatware the visual just continued to get better and better. Implementing the luxurious weaved baskets of fresh fruit was an addition that was a must. When we picture royalty and feasts, fruit just had to be on the table as part of the decor. Plus, the additional textures each type of fruit was able to add was great. 
This table was all about extravagance. Each element of the design contributed something different. In addition to the overall table, it was important for us to highlight the individual seat as well. We chose to do this in two separate ways. The first was to add a small trio roses, which complimented the color scheme from the centerpiece in the middle, to each chair. This looked beautiful against the red satin chair covers and additionally enhanced the centerpiece by extending a small piece of it to each individual. 
The second way was to add a sweet treat for each guest to feast on from our friends at Jamaica's Cakes. We described our tablescape to Jamaica and collaborated in designing mini cakes with royal designs on the exterior and rich delicious flavors inside. The cakes were a huge hit and ever so tasty as well!
Now, last but not least, we have the flowers! The flowers were our favorite aspect of this table. Together, with Stephanie and Kelly at Far East Wholesale Flowers, we designed a royal centerpiece using an array of Sumatra Lilies, Orchids and 4 different kinds of Roses. We used an array of two-toned crystals to drape from the centerpiece and glimmer as the light hit certain angles. Kelly took our inspiration and created an extraordinary piece exceeding our expectations. 
On April 1st, LA Style Unveiled debuted their fabulous resources on How to Plan your LA Wedding. This lush library filled with the best of the best is amazing. Be sure to check it out and learn about all the great Los Angeles vendors from selecting your Venue through planning your Honeymoon. Also, don't' forget to check out Sterling's listing under their Coordinators section. The Style Unveiled team took careful consideration into putting together a collection of LA's finest. We are so pleased to be a part of the Style Unveiled family and look forward to working together again in the future! 
This beauty is a few of kind limited edition that uses real VINTAGE lace! How awesome is that... The aged lace can take the place of your "something old" and Peterene is kind enough to stitch a tiny blue bead inside for your "something blue" too! With a watermelon red chiffon base, the vintage black lace borders the garter and is also used on the edges of the beautiful rose in the center. 
A beautiful lace motif embellishes one corner and a delicate crochet edging extends around the entire handkerchief. The lace on this handkerchief is hand crocheted! The classic corner motif has been described as an Angel or a Pineapple design. You may choose from White or Ecru handkerchief, and the size is approx 12" square.
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