Eric Ripert | Avec Eric

Thank you for your entries. Our Market Table Photo Contest is officially closed, and the winners will be announced shortly. Please join us again for the next Dinner Social in December.

In order to further create an interactive dinner party we have set up a photo contest. It is always nice to capture the memory of a great experience with a photograph. We want to see what you can do and what you have made! So during the party, take plenty of pictures showing the dinner you have created. After everything is cleaned up and the guests have left, post your photos in our gallery and please feel free to share a short story or description of your dinner party with us and others.

Lou Manna, a wonderful food photographer and I will look at your pictures and choose our three favorites entries, each of which will win an Olympus Stylus 1030SW camera, which is the camera I use. We will be looking for beautiful photographs of enticing and elegant food. Be sure to look at the food photography tips we have posted on the site if you need some extra help or advice. The contest ends November 17th, we cannot wait to see what you will post.

Read the full contest rules.

Wine can be more than just something to drink with a meal – it can complete a dish. I like to pair a different wine for each part of the meal: the canapés and appetizer, the entrée and the dessert. By moving from wine to wine you create distinct pairings – it gives your dinner a simple sense of elegance and allows each dish shine individually.That does not mean you should have to spend a great amount of money or look for a precise vintage or winery. It also does not mean you have to follow the traditional rules – you should drink what makes you happy and what you think your guests will enjoy the most. But if you need some guidance, I have chosen wines that I think would complement the meal.

When you prepare for a large dinner ahead of time, it’s easy to enjoy your company on the day of the party. When I put together the menus, I try to put together dishes that could be partially prepared ahead of time so that on the day of the party you will only have a few things to do rather than be stuck in the kitchen for most of the day. Dinner parties are about being together with people you enjoy and sharing food with them. They should be fun for everyone – including the host.

For our first Dinner Social, I have put together a market dinner - a meal made with the bounty of the fall harvest that you can find at your local farmers’ market. Summer is over and it is time to celebrate the Autumn with rich, seasonal foods like pumpkin soup and duck. These are foods that warm a house while you are cooking and create a comfortable, inviting atmosphere for a dinner party.