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A Visual Feast |
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Written by Stephen Exel
Photographs by John Granen and Peter Krumhardt
Produced by Linda Humphrey
Recipes begin here.
What term best describes a hostess who lights her terrace with antique Venetian chandeliers and $10 fixtures she's spray-painted hot pink? Insouciant? Daring? Inspired? With Seattle's exuberant foodie Heather Christothoulou, you get all that and more.
When the weather turns balmy, the Christothoulou get-togethers move from inside their home--perched on a hillside overlooking Seattle's skyline--out to the expansive multi-tiered terrace spanning the rear of the house.
Perennial, rose, and herb gardens, 10 different fruit trees, and several varieties of wisteria and honeysuckle perfume the setting. An old stone fountain plays merrily in the background. It's a relaxed, easygoing backdrop for the eye-popping spring luncheon Heather has planned for close friends.
Heather inherited her eye for colorful style from her mother. "I'd come home from school, and the living room would be repainted raspberry," she says. Helping Mom as sous chef and table-setter put Heather on course to a fine arts degree from the University of Washington, a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, and careers as a pastry chef and caterer (with a reputation for cooking in cocktail dresses and heels). These days, the mother of 2-year-old Pia and 5-month-old Colette focuses her prodigious energies on entertaining at home.
To create her lushly layered table settings, Heather often finds her starting point in one simple object. For this fete, it was a collection of pink glassware. "Then I started to look for intensity. There's strength in going to the opposite side of the color wheel. That's when I found the green plates," she explains. "Vibrant color equals happiness and excitement."
In came plump green figs from the garden, out came a mouthwatering watermelon-colored table runner, and up went those hot-pink chandeliers. Raspberries filled silver bowls, and porcelain ginger jars borrowed from the living room anchored the table. "I think if people shopped in their own houses, they'd be surprised by what they find," Heather says. "Also, walking through the garden for flowers and produce can dictate the colors I use."
Heather begins to set her table two or three days before a party, giving her time to add and take away items. Her fine arts background takes over--saturated colors, contrasting textures, and unexpected table props refine the opulent look. The do-ahead scheme is part of her approach to entertaining.
"One important skill I took away from catering was organization," she says. "Whatever you can do ahead, do. I'm a fan of having as little as possible to finish after guests arrive. There's nothing worse than being caught in your apron. Give yourself time to get ready so you look composed. People sense the relaxed energy in the kitchen and the food."
Heather prefers a long, leisurely meal, so her menu usually consists of multiple courses that balance sweet, savory, and acidic flavors within each course. She emphasizes seasonal and local ingredients, and shops small purveyors. "Seattle is getting better and better at people specializing in one great thing."
While guests gather, she serves up the Pink Drink, a sophisticated blend of ruby-red grapefruit and pomegranate juices and vodka; its frosty color is inspired by the table setting. Heather passes around the vintage pink-hued glasses, and for just a moment, you can imagine her as the glamorous fashion editor in the Audrey Hepburn film Funny Face intoning, "Red is dead, blue is through, green's obscene, brown's taboo! Think pink!"
The first course is Cauliflower Soup. Just-picked chervil garnishes the ethereal pure-white soup, its delicate licorice-parsley taste a lovely foil to the humble cauliflower and onion.
Roasted-Beet Salad takes your palate down a different road, an incongruous left turn that Heather adores. Peppery arugula, tangy goat cheese, earthy roasted beets, and toasted walnuts are dressed with walnut vinaigrette sweetened with honey. It's a moment when your mouth just goes "mmmm."
Pan-seared branzino (Mediterranean sea bass) topped with artichoke hearts and morel mushrooms follows. "Spring means fresh, subtle, and light," Heather says. "The flaky texture and crispy skin of the branzino, the astringency of the artichokes, and the assertiveness of the morels are a wonderful, instinctual balance of flavor. Every element speaks to the season."
Prepare yourself for an over-the-top dessert: Lemon Poppy-Seed Layer Cake. It's a pull-out-all-the-stops affair, monumental in stature but simple to make. Lemon and buttermilk give the cake zip, toasted coconut adds crunch, and the lemon-curd filling is creamy and mouth-puckering. "It's our family's go-to spring dessert," Heather says.
The afternoon slips away. The Pink Drink is having a mellowing effect. The terrace view is commanding, the conversation settles. Heather wraps up a take-home gift, something homemade such as fig chutney or sablé cookies. You can't wait to come back, knowing that the next time will be equally delightful and totally unexpected.
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