Dinner Party/Hollywood History

Went to an all ladies potluck dinner party this past weekend at a really beautiful home up in the Hollywood Hills. And if the house wasn’t seductive enough simply at face value with all it’s nooks and crannies, rumor has it that Charlie Chaplin once owned it and used to house one of his mistresses there.

I put together a pretty delectable cheese plate – a brie along with one other creamy variety that I can’t recall, paired up with oven roasted tomatoes or peach and pear preserve purchased from (my new obsession) The CheeseStore of Silverlake. Oh and a crusty baguette, of course. My sister completed the mise en scène with spicy cocktail nuts, which she drove down from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.

The evening’s hostess prepared eye-poppingly fresh capellini with cherry tomatoes, garlic and basil, which we ate alongside mussels in a white wine sauce. A perfect light meal, with the promise of summer in every bite.

But of course, there has to be dessert and what we had was a sampling of all things sweet and good – green tea tiramisu (so delish!) and a gooey caramel brownie served alongside a scoop of cool vanilla gelato.