KDH Weekend Diary: Wine, Cheese, Steaks, & Homemade Pie~ A Perfect Recipe For A Fabulous Dinner Party In Amagansett!...

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Vicky Dulai, Kelli Delaney and my husband, Dr. Mark Kot, chat fireside at the Kazikcas soiree..
Lucy treated guests to a variety of delicious artisanal cheeses from her shop, Lucy's Whey. Her favorites? Dunbarton Blue (a cheddar-blue), Coupole (an aged goat) and Kunik (a triple-creme mixed milk, goat and cow's milk). Ditto.

 

My sister Kim is visiting us in the Hamptons with my godson Brady, so we are having lots of fun indulging in restaurants, shopping, and socializing. Over the weekend we headed to Amagansett for a dinner party at Lucy’s and Joe Kazickas bucolic home. Lucy is the cheesemonger/owner of Lucy’s Whey in East Hampton [my fav cheese shop in the Hamptons!] and Joe is the managing partner of Hamptons OnLine LLC, and co-founder of Rosehip Partners, a real estate company that developed and operates the website www.hamptonsrentals.com.

We joined two other fun East Hampton couples: Lorna and Bill Dreher, and Vicky Dulai with her husband Jamie Young. A longtime friend of Lucy’s, Vicky describes the Kazickas home: “Lucy and Joe have such a welcoming home, it’s beautiful and warm. They are also totally laid back and effortless hosts. Lucy is highly efficient and organized. She starts the evening with hors d’oeuvres while Joe offers the guests a drink. Lucy’s domain is the food and kitchen, Joe’s domain are the fireplaces [four burned all night!], the grill, the bar and the music.”

Vicky adds, “They work together the entire night entertaining their guests and supporting the other when needed. Lucy understands timing and transitions from drinks to dinner at the right time. Joe notices when the music is too loud, or a guest has an empty wine glass and makes adjustments.”

KDH loves to bake, so Kim and I spent Saturday afternoon picking up ingredients at Schmidt’s and baking our homemade pies. I made a mixed berry [raspberries, blueberries and blackberries] and Kim made a chocolate cream pie with her secret whip cream recipe that calls for powdered sugar, not granulated.

Now is the time to be making plans with your friends who live farther East before the crazy summer season traffic descends upon us. We had a leisurely, pretty ride through the back roads to Amagansett, and I always like to discover a new little road in the Hamptons that I have not seen before. What a perfect evening!

Here’s my KDH Dinner Party Diary…..

 

Ziggy the Standard Poodle charmed my sister Kim into slipping him a hunk of Havarti...
Vicky (left) is the founder of Hamptons Babysitters and also works for The Sarlo Foundation, with Lorna Dreher (center), and our hostess Lucy Kazickas.
Chateau Simard proved to be the perfect pairing for the juicy steaks from Citarella.
"Lucy's artisanal cheese selection was varied and delicious; almost a meal in itself," says Kim. (loved this painting by H J Kihl!)
This serene painting by local artist Janet Jennings hangs in the entry way.
My husband collects traditional landscapes and seascapes so he was curious to check out Lucy & Joe's more contemporary collection.
"It's the personal kind of design touch that comes with being together for 36 years," shares Vicky, of Lucy and Joe's Hamptons home.
Yep~ orange is the color of the moment! Lorna filled me in on the hot new items that hit her East Hampton boutiques this week at Eres and Bonne Nuit. Note to self: commence spring shopping.
Fun Fact: "Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller spent a happy summer here, the pictures show her dancing amongst the trees and sitting in the living room on the phone." shares Joe.
The candlelit table setting was warm and inviting with soft organic table linens Lucy found in Italy...
Lucy lived on a boat at one point and "incorporated inspired design details from her experience into her Hamptons kitchen"~ like this big, great plate warming drawer tucked into the center island. I need one of these!
"Growing up my mother was a great entertainer. She cooked amazing meals and I watched how it brought people together. Good food and wine shared with friends is a bonding experience. Hosting parties is just FUN!" shares Vicky, who makes mean mashed potatoes!
Fresh veggies were sautéed in olive oil with shallots, garlic, and yellow onion by Vicky.
Jamie (right) marinated the enormous steaks in olive oil, vinegar, sea salt, pepper, dijon mustard, and a spice rub sent from Mom, while Bill generously labored as grill master.
The giant steaks were perfectly cooked by Bill. Merci!
Ta Daaaaaa! Dinner is served!
Freshly baked pies and eclectic artisanal ice creams took center stage after dinner.
"Lucy surprised us with an artisanal ice cream tasting featuring exotic flavors like goat cheese raspberry and whiskey pecan. The group favorite was the Lemon, and mine was the rich chocolate," shares Kim.
KDH baked a mixed berry pie for dessert and my sister made a chocolate cream pie~ consensus? Kim's pie won out!
Jamie (who is Joe's partner at Rosehip) brought his A-game to the B-Board after dinner. Not sure who won this match, but Bill does hold the title of club champ on the Maidstone links. Do those skills translate?
"Something has to be said for breaking bread together, you share your ideas, your thoughts and lives," shares Vicky (pictured with our host Joe Kazickas).