Alex Hitz and Occasions To Celebrate

Alex Hitz is a classically trained chef, top-selling author, former food editor and columnist at House Beautiful magazine, and according to The Wall Street Journal, “the very best host in the world.”  What I particularly appreciate is his sense of celebration and generosity that informs what he does best – bringing people together to be happy and cared for -- and doing it with style and wit.

His third book, Occasions To Celebrate, with photographs by Iain Bagwell, is a beautiful how-to guide to entertaining.  His advice is specific and useful, and his more than 100 appealing and seasonal recipes, many of them drawn from his southern roots and a childhood spent in France, are within reach for both beginners and practiced home cooks.  However, in my conversation with Alex, we talked less about recipes and more about the often-intimidating tasks associated with being a host. In this podcast episode, we share a collection of Alex’s opinions about entertaining, from how to keep it simple to the best way to manage politics at the dinner table. So if you want to entertain, no matter your budget or the size of your home, or how many salad bowls you may own, listen to Alex.