AUDREY INES YEO
OWNER AND DIRECTOR OF WORKSHOP
The contemporar y ar t gallerist first star ted throwing dinner par ties when she was in college in Los Angeles. “My love affair with Californian produce and wines star ted there, and I also had a Brazilian room-mate who loved to host and cook,” says Audrey. This year, she plans to hold a par ty in between Christmas and the New Year. “I will make roast duck stuffed with peaches, and will probably also make a rich pasta dish—angel-haired pasta with salted egg cream and smoked fish roe,” she says. The pasta pairs well with champagne, and her bubbly of choice includes Perrier-Jouët and Dom Pérignon. Candles are a must as well, as “scents really affect moods.” She likes using Diptyque candles with a cedar or woody scent.
Create an eclectic table setting. “I mix and match items from all my travels. I have pottery from Brazil, glassware from Columbia Market in London, kitchen towels from Paris, and plates from Bloomingdales and Crate and Barrel. America has very nice Martha Stewart-inspired cookware and I bought a lot of them during my eight years in the US.” Make one crowd-pleasing appetiser. “A simple one I make is baked brie stuffed with jam and nuts, covered with puff pastry. Cut your baked brie into two, stuff it with homemade or bought jam, some walnuts and pine nuts. Wrap everything up in puff or filo pastry and bake it in the oven according to the instructions. Serve with baguette.” Invite six to eight people. “That’s the magic number for a party. The number is small enough to open the best wines and splurge on excellent groceries, yet big enough for varied conversations.” Stage something novel at the party. “Other than good company, good art and an interesting appetiser, will get people talking. Once I invited a friend who was a singer to start off the evening by singing one of her newest compositions and she used cutlery as percussion. The other guests were delighted. Such surprises really kick off a good evening and the ice is broken amongst all.”