On Wednesday evening
Whole Foods Market on River Street in Cambridge hosted an Affordable Holiday Entertaining Party. Bloggers gathered in the cozy community room where we were treated to spreads of tasty appetizers, wine and beer samples and desserts galore. The tabletops of food were artfully presented, arranged among them festive touches of evergreen boughs and pine cones with pops of red flowers and berries. (Apologies in advance for the mix of lackluster quality iPhone photos. My camera was on her last leg of battery.)
Whole Foods employee Sean kicked off the evening with a lively and engaging presentation at the cheese table.
Yes, there was an entire table devoted to cheese.
The star of the cheese table for me was the goat cheese! It was presented in multiple forms including wheels, logs and dips; demonstrating how you can take advantage of its versatility to create a number of simple appetizers.
The wheels offered bites of the creamy and tangy cheese accented with luscious olive oil, encrusted in a light panko bread crumb fry and seasoned with sage. Some of the logs were preserved in their original form, rolled all fancy in chopped nuts, herbs and honey.
My favorite of the goat cheese preparations was the dips, paired with fresh baked light and crispy tortilla chips.
The roasted tomato and basil was tasty and familiar, yet the Peppadew (pictured) stood out for its unique silky sweetness that finished with just a dash of heat.
The plot thickens over at the hors d’oeuvres table where I learned Whole Foods offers prepared trays for purchase by the dozen! ($10 for 1 dozen, $18 for 2 dozen.)
Since living in the North End I have become a huge Arancini fan.
I enjoyed a sample of the chicken and spinach but was more intrigued by the pea and proscuitto. Traditional arancini is meat(ground beef) and pea coated generously in marinara sauce. Proscuitto offered a twist that pairs nicely in a ball of fried rice and peas.
The chicken satay was flavorful complimented with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. The Swedish meat balls and the goat cheese and bacon stuffed mushrooms were a welcome addition to the appetizer spread. I worked my way through the beverage table tasting first the seasonal beer from local
Cisco Brewers of Nantucket. Santa’s Beered is a deep reddish brown hoppy ale with scents of pine, and flavors of pepper, nutmeg and cloves. I wished I could have sipped an entire bottle!
Various wines were featured, such as $3 bottles(!) of a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon from
Three Wishes. My favorite though was a sneak peak of a Spanish wine that will soon be sold exclusively at Whole Foods River Street.
I enjoyed the always palate pleasing Mionetto Prosecco. All these wines, beer and bubbly are affordable buys at under $10.
Can't forget dessert!
Vanilla on vanilla and chocolate on chocolate cupcakes with fun snowflake and candied sprinkles.
And a plate full of cheesecakes, of which I tried the vibrant and refreshing Key Lime Pie.
The Whole Foods expert staff members were as welcoming and friendly as they were knowledgeable about the products and prices. Thanks to David Remilard the Marketing and Communications manager and his team for an informative evening showcasing delicious samples of holiday food and wines. Oh and for the SWAG bags!
Tis the season for holiday entertaining!
.....and shopping. {Above and below photos compliments of Megan.}
Bridget,
Megan and I were browsing the vast wine selection after the event when a super sweet Whole Foods staff member offered to take our photo. Don't judge!
Whole Foods employee Sean kicked off the evening with a lively and engaging presentation at the cheese table. 
Yes, there was an entire table devoted to cheese.
The star of the cheese table for me was the goat cheese! It was presented in multiple forms including wheels, logs and dips; demonstrating how you can take advantage of its versatility to create a number of simple appetizers. 
The wheels offered bites of the creamy and tangy cheese accented with luscious olive oil, encrusted in a light panko bread crumb fry and seasoned with sage. Some of the logs were preserved in their original form, rolled all fancy in chopped nuts, herbs and honey. 
My favorite of the goat cheese preparations was the dips, paired with fresh baked light and crispy tortilla chips. 
The roasted tomato and basil was tasty and familiar, yet the Peppadew (pictured) stood out for its unique silky sweetness that finished with just a dash of heat. 
The plot thickens over at the hors d’oeuvres table where I learned Whole Foods offers prepared trays for purchase by the dozen! ($10 for 1 dozen, $18 for 2 dozen.) 
Since living in the North End I have become a huge Arancini fan. 
I enjoyed a sample of the chicken and spinach but was more intrigued by the pea and proscuitto. Traditional arancini is meat(ground beef) and pea coated generously in marinara sauce. Proscuitto offered a twist that pairs nicely in a ball of fried rice and peas. 
The chicken satay was flavorful complimented with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. The Swedish meat balls and the goat cheese and bacon stuffed mushrooms were a welcome addition to the appetizer spread. I worked my way through the beverage table tasting first the seasonal beer from local Cisco Brewers of Nantucket. Santa’s Beered is a deep reddish brown hoppy ale with scents of pine, and flavors of pepper, nutmeg and cloves. I wished I could have sipped an entire bottle! 
Various wines were featured, such as $3 bottles(!) of a Chardonnay, a Merlot and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Three Wishes. My favorite though was a sneak peak of a Spanish wine that will soon be sold exclusively at Whole Foods River Street. 
I enjoyed the always palate pleasing Mionetto Prosecco. All these wines, beer and bubbly are affordable buys at under $10. 
Can't forget dessert! 
Vanilla on vanilla and chocolate on chocolate cupcakes with fun snowflake and candied sprinkles. 
And a plate full of cheesecakes, of which I tried the vibrant and refreshing Key Lime Pie.
The Whole Foods expert staff members were as welcoming and friendly as they were knowledgeable about the products and prices. Thanks to David Remilard the Marketing and Communications manager and his team for an informative evening showcasing delicious samples of holiday food and wines. Oh and for the SWAG bags!
Tis the season for holiday entertaining!
.....and shopping. {Above and below photos compliments of Megan.}
Bridget, Megan and I were browsing the vast wine selection after the event when a super sweet Whole Foods staff member offered to take our photo. Don't judge!
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