entertaining

ENTERTAINING

Dinner Party

Bella Toscana : Gather friends for an Italian-themed night filled with authentic fare and warm hues.

Photos by Annabella Charles Photography

Chicken Breasts With Marsala And Red Peppers

Ingredients
6 boneless, skinless chicken
breast halves
½ cup flour - for dredging
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced length-wise
1 cup Marsala
About ½ cup water
Chopped parsley for garnish

Directions
1. Butterfly the chicken breasts by carefully cutting them open horizontally. Flour each on both sides.
2. In a large pan, brown the chicken breasts in olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper each side. Remove chicken breasts and set aside.
3. Add sliced red peppers to the pan and sauté on high heat 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. Return chicken to pan, and add Marsala and water.
4. Cover the pan and cook until juices run clear, not pink, when chicken is pierced with a fork (6-8 minutes). Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Gorgeous watercolor invitations by Natalie Chang of Natalie Chang designs were a gorgeous detail adding to the party theme. Chang also created place cards and menu’s for each guest.

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The centerpiece is full of late summer dahlias and crab apples in a ceramic urn that also contains spray roses, china berries, millet, and pincushion protea

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A bright kelly green with pops of coral, gold, ivory, and peach set the tone for the Tuscan dinner.

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The gold beaded Belmont chargers anchored each menu and the ivory satin napkins were folded in a long dramatic style, placed beneath each charger to compliment the look.

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Gorgeous watercolor invitations by Natalie Chang of Natalie Chang designs were a gorgeous detail adding to the party theme. Chang also created place cards and menu’s for each guest.

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Santa Christina
This alluring red wine contains more sangiovese than the average bottle to produce a deep crimson hue and strong, aromatic body.
Cork and Barrel, $15

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Antinori Toscana
Each bottle of this delectable spirit is the product of nearly two years of precise processing. Pure Tuscan grapes are refined for 12 months in an oak cask, followed by 8 months in the bottle prior to release.
D’Vine Winery,$25

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Florentine Sponge Cake

Ingredients
250g All-purpose Flour, sifted
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or 50g lard)
1 cup Milk
Grated Orange peel from 1 Orange
½ tsp. Saffron powder
90g Sugar
2 Eggs
¼ Tsp. Salt
Powdered Sugar to decorate

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients and beat thoroughly until the batter is smooth and thick with no lumps.
2. Grease a shallow rectangular baking pan and pour in the batter (the schiacciata should be about 2 cm high). Bake at 150°c for 30 minutes. Sprinkle plenty of powdered sugar on top of the cake.
3. If you want and have a sweet tooth, you can slice the cake and fill it with whipped cream

Sources:
Event Design
Social Butterflies
901.828.9321, Sb-events.com

Photography
Annabella Charles
annabellacharles.com

Floral Design
Haute Horticulture
901.457.1909, hautehorticulture.com

Catering
Ziparos
901.251.3759, ziparos.com

Chargers, Napkins, Rentals
Mahaffey Tent and Party
901.457.1909, mahaffeytent.com

Invitation and Paper Details
Natalie Chang Designs
Natalie-Chang.com

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