Hostess with the most

Tracy Edmiston, center, creates at-home dinner parties for clients through her business, The Cook’s Bookmark.

Tracy Edmiston is bringing back dinner parties.

Her personal chef business, The Cook’s Bookmark, creates at-home dinner parties without the work. All a client needs to provide is the dining table, and Edmiston does the rest. Like Cinderella’s helpers before the ball, Edmiston and her crew arrive with dishes, linens, silverware, glasses, food and flowers.

The Cook’s Bookmark eliminates all the reasons why clients might drag their feet on hosting.

Edmiston, a former high school French teacher and mom of two young children, was looking for a creative outlet when in 2018 she started her blog, The Cook’s Bookmark. She then began hosting dinner parties for friends. What started as a way to get together for fun and to hone her wine pairings (Edmiston is a level 1 sommelier) quickly turned into a business in June 2021 as word spread of this dinner party fairy godmother.

Rather than full-course meals, Edmiston does several mini courses for a tasting-menu-style dinner. In summer, dishes tend toward heirloom tomato tartlets and mini lobster rolls. Winter dishes include soups and truffle risotto. All dinners include a charcuterie board, something Edmiston delights in curating.

“I hand select each cheese. So it’s two bites of the best goat cheese. A bite of an excellent gouda,” Edmiston says. “It’s about the thought that’s put into it. That’s what makes this special — the thought and care put into each bite.”

Each course is paired with wine, and Edmiston comes to the table with each course to speak on the wine pairing.

The Cook’s Bookmark books months in advance. Information can be found at thecooksbookmark.com.

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