Sweet Soiree
BY CATHY HORTONPHOTOGRAPHY BY RIMAS ZAILSKAS
Entertaining is a sweet science, and one that Bill and Jana Humleker and their family have practiced long and well. Their Flat Rock home is particularly well suited to the craft — a welcoming environment that honors generations past with photographs and keepsakes, and opens itself to making new memories. So when their daughter Lindsay, a student in the pastry and baking program at the Culinary Institute of America, completed an internship at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach, Florida recently, they determined that a celebration was in order.They would showcase her skills at an intimate soirée — a few friends for dinner and, most importantly, Lindsay’s decadent desserts. But the idea itself was an invitation to indulge; before long the guest list had swelled to over 70 and the little dinner party had become an event.
On a picture perfect afternoon, an expectant crowd shared cocktails and conversation on the patio, where the buffet table offered light, yet tantalizing fare; a menu designed as a prelude to the grand finale to come.
While the guests enjoyed turkey breast with lemon rosemary beurre blanc, wild rice salad with figs, pecans and cranberries bathed in raspberry vinaigrette, champagne tarragon shrimp, complemented with flatbread from Hendersonville’s Expressions Restaurant and edamame, fennel and artichoke salad from Grove Street Café, they kept an eager eye turned towards the house, where the main event was undergoing final preparations.
After an interlude to enjoy the breezes and the fine wines selected by Sommelier Kimberlee Young of Purple Sage Wine Shop, the gathering moved indoors to find the dining room transformed into a veritable patisserie.
A stunning array of confections were presented on family heirloom serving pieces, from mango and papaya pyramids with spun sugar halos, to a triple chocolate apricot torte complete with variegated chocolate fans. White chocolate mousse surrounded by strawberries perched atop a dark chocolate biscuit base, competed for attention with the goat cheese and lime cheesecake on pâte sucrée, bejeweled with a balsamic fan garnish.
Lindsay’s creations invited immediate admiration and indulgence. “People were like kids in a candy store!” Jana noted proudly. Superlatives abounded. Family friend Mary McGlashan exclaimed, “The desserts are works of magic and art!” Chef Karen Conley agreed, “Your desserts leave me speechless. They are exquisite, to say the least.”
Raising a glass of champagne to toast his daughter’s accomplishments, Bill savored the moment, delighting in Lindsay’s glow. “I can hear the ‘happy’ in her voice,” he said, smiling.
As the evening wound down, and the last forkful of pastry was finished, the Humlekers bid “sweet dreams” to their guests. “Good food and good friends make an occasion that leaves you happy at the end of the evening,” Jana noted. “It’s more than just the cooking…it’s the friendships and family that matter.” How sweet it is.
