The Heart of the Table | A World of Inspiration
A Tasty Trip Down Memory Lane
New Zealand held so many phenomenal moments during our recent trip. If you’ve been there, you know how incredibly special it is. The locals keep the towns pristine and welcoming, and they love to show off a profound appreciation for their land.
We visited Christchurch, a small coastal town on the South Island. Our tour guides arranged a visit to a small sheep farm deep in Canterbury. We were warmly greeted by the farmer, his gorgeous wife, and their adult daughters, and we were even treated to a live sheep-shearing demonstration. What a show!
A Familiar Feast Across the Globe
After a brief tour of their gorgeous 1840ish farmhouse, we were escorted outdoors, where we were met with a Martha Stewart-inspired luncheon table seating fifty guests! The table was set with heavy linen cloths and napkins, vintage silver flatware, and freshly clipped wildflowers in mason jars.
The table sat under the flowing canopy of a recently erected tent, shading us perfectly from the warm New Zealand sun. Lunch was served buffet style and featured a garden-fresh salad, whole roasted salmon filets, boiled potatoes, and a main course of baked chicken pieces swimming in a delicate sauce of wine, olives, dates, and capers.
A Toast in Canterbury!
The Thread That Binds Us
We all passed around chilled bottles of rosé wine and dove into lunch. It took only a couple of bites of that chicken dish to bring back huge memories of my early catering days. I could swear the dish was Chicken Marbella from the classic Silver Palate cookbook. What a lovely coincidence! I traveled fourteen hours across the globe, only to be served the exact same meal I’ve made over and over again for my own clients.
I confirmed this with the generous Lady of the Manor. Her smile was absolute perfection when she realized that we had a deep passion for cooking and entertaining in common. She grabbed my hand and excitedly took me back into her farmhouse kitchen to show me her well-worn cookbook collection. What a treat.
From the Archives: The Cross-Global Feast
Bringing It Home
When my pals came to Florida for a recent visit, we put together a girl’s night supper that featured none other than that exact Chicken Marbella dish. I served it with poached asparagus and a Green Goddess avocado dressing, alongside a recipe from my new book. As a further retro treat, I added yummy yeast rolls from an old Junior League cookbook—another reliable tome from my busy catering days.
The meal was a true treat. When I think of where I’ve been and where I am now, and all the incredible places I still have left to visit, I can’t help but be reminded that good, honest food never really changes. It remains the one golden thread that binds us all together.
From the Memoir to the Kitchen
Inspired by the whole roasted salmon filets shared under the canopy in Christchurch? Discover our Master Blueprint for an elegant Salmon Mousse to share with friends.
View Salmon Mousse in The Vault