Prep Your Kitchen For Partying...

...AND For Everyday Living! Colin Cowie Shows How

(CBS)  Make your kitchen a hotspot in your home. Indeed -- make it a destination!

The advice came from none other than master entertainer and party-planner to the stars Colin Cowie Wednesday as he began a three-part series, "Early Show Kitchen Extravaganza with Colin Cowie."

Keeping your kitchen in tip-top shape is never easy. In his new book, "Colin Cowie Chic," he shows what it takes to have an organized kitchen that meets all our entertaining, and dsay-to-day living needs.

Cowie notes that the kitchen is where many of us end up spending most of our time. It's not only where we cook, but where we do homework with the kids, where we pay our bills, where we work on our laptops, etc.

It's also a hub of activity for parties, and we need to be ready not only for planned get-togethers, but impromptu ones.

HOW TO ORGANIZE THE ESSENTIALS WE NEED TO ENTERTAIN AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE:

GET WHITE CHINA!

A good set of white china is definitely an essential. It's a great template and enables you to accessorize with color, whether with a colored napkin, colored plate, or colored glass. It enables us to dress it up or dress it down. Cowie is a big believer in using everything we have. It's not necessary to keep your "fine" china away for special occasions. Use it! You can mix it with your everyday china. For instance, Cowie might set the table with his white china and use a baccarat $200 glass next to a $5 glass from Crate and Barrel. Stack the china in an organized fashion in your cabinets. Put all the china together and put all the crystal and drinking glasses together. Don't mix-and-match in the cabinets.

REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER

IN THE FREEZER:

Make couture ices cubes. They're great for entertaining on the spur of the moment. It really takes your cocktail or any other drink to another level. Also, there's something called samoosas that Cowie says MUST be in your freezer at all times: They're excellent for sudden entertaining. They go from the freezer to the frying pan. No need to defrost. These have pastry dough filled with meat and spices; there's is a vegetarian version, as well. The ones on the Early Show set were made by Audrey Peter.

Stock your freezer with:

Gourmet Ice cubes in the drawers
Frozen vodka
Extra bags of ice
Frozen samoosas
Frozen veggies
Soups frozen
Chicken stock

IN THE FRIDGE:

Order is key for both the freezer and/or refrigerator. Have all the labels facing forward; have everything in groupings. Another item great for keeping organized in the kitchen is do-it-yourself vinaigrettes; they're easy and fun. There should always some on hand. (see vinaigrette recipe at the end of this story)

Stock your fridge with:

Juices
Flat and mineral water
Wine
Orange juice
Eggs
Two bottles of champagne
Mustards -- Dijon, honey mustard
Jelly
Butter
Breads, including Ezekeil bread, which you can find this in the frozen section of Whole Foods)
Mixed greens, washed and ready-to-eat
Squeeze bottle filled with salad dressing
Tomatoes
Cleaned scallions (in a food storage bag)
Lemons
Limes
Arm and Hammer baking soda

[rosie257]

I love the squared white china. Esp the bowls. Anyone know where to find? PotterBarn has similar plate but not bowls...they have a lip around them.