For all the Lost fanatics trying to decipher the “Last Supper”-like cast photo, we offer 15 fantastic tropical island-inspired dishes like a kale and sweet-potato soup inspired by Caribbean callaloo,, a spicy lobster-noodle salad (pictured) and a curry crab rundown.

I threw a holiday open house a few weeks ago and learned a few lessons for next year. Hot hors d'oeuvres were a big hit: I'll definitely serve fried wontons and Chorizo-Filled Dates Wrapped in Bacon (above) again—both can be cooked ahead of time and warmed in the oven during the party. I'll only set out food that can be picked up with one hand: When we passed a platter of Smoked Bluefish Pâté already spread on crackers, it disappeared; anything left in a bowl for people to serve themselves tended to linger.
As for non-food lessons, I finally found a solution to the snowy-boots-on-wood-floors problem: a four-foot-square "Waterhog" floor mat from L.L. Bean. The look is utilitarian, but it's a big improvement over the piece of painter's paper my husband has taped down in the past, which made the entryway look like a construction site.

Over the holidays, I went to a festive holiday dinner party in Los Angeles that was catered by Heirloom LA, a modern, trendy (and cute) catering couple who made a fantastic family-style dinner. Matthew Poley is in charge of the savory and Tara Maxey the sweet. Other than the bite-size, twice-baked potato hors d'oeuvres, I'd say the biggest treat of the night was digging into their signature lasagna cupcakes-crisp on top, soft and melty inside. Another favorite dish was a side of garlicky sautéed kale laced with lots of red wine vinegar, which paired perfectly with a platter of crusty grilled steak slices. I was super-impressed by the food, which was simple and perfectly cooked. And I loved that the meal was served family-style; it lent a homey, casual vibe to the night and set the perfect tone for a bustling holiday party. I can't wait to see the caterers again when I'm back in L.A. in May.

When he isn't fist pumping, tanning or scavenging for women, Mike "The Situation" from MTV's Jersey Shore (2.5 million viewers' guilty pleasure—and mine, too) is cooking.

In the controversial reality show's latest episode, The Situation and his male roommates decide to make an "unbelievable dinner" and stay at home with Nicole "Snooki," who is recovering from being punched (by a man!). "There's going to be a feast on the dinner table, but 'The Situation' has got it under control," he says.

When The Situation refuses to help clean up after the "feast" of lobster, steak, asparagus, grilled corn and salad, his short-lived flame Sammi "Sweetheart" picks a fight with him. (In a previous episode, the two flirted while preparing sausage and peppers together.)

His retaliation: "From now on you are excluded from dinner then. You are excluded from surf and turf night. You are excluded from ravioli night. You are excluded from chicken cutlet night."

 

Oh no! Anything but chicken cutlet night!

Here are some recipes for Sammi and anyone else who might get banished from one of The Situation's "crazy meals" in a future episode:

Surf and Turf Night
Eric Ripert's Surf and Turf

Ravioli Night
Shrimp-and-Lobster Ravioli
Pecorino Ravioli with Walnuts and Marjoram (pictured)
Sweet-Potato Ravioli with Brown Butter

Chicken Cutlet Night
Chicken Stuffed with Spinach
Chicken with Cherry Tomato Pesto Sauce
Anne Byrn's Chicken Piccata with Artichokes and Olives

 

A few months ago, wine editor Ray Isle and I enjoyed some amazing caviar at Atelier Robuchon, made all the more intriguing because Joël Robuchon called it his official caviar and said it came from China. We were hoping someday we'd be able to buy tins of it to serve at parties, and now we've just about gotten our wish. Epicure Pantry, supplier to many of New York's finest chefs, just released a version called Kaviari "Kristal," made from the eggs of Schrencki sturgeon farmed in China, and selected and packaged by the Paris-based Kaviari company. Kaviari is guarded about its sources, but assures that these are among the best fish farms in the world. What we do know: The eggs are plump, briny and buttery, with a lovely pop and a clean finish. They'd be great on their own or on a blini; to offset the splurge-level cost ($138 for 50 g/1.75 oz), pair them with a terrific value Champagne.

What can someone like me, a girl living in Queens, NY, possibly learn from a bunch of Park Avenue socialites with names like Muffie Potter Aston? A lot, I learned, after I read Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations, a new book by New York Times columnist Florence Fabrikant; it's a compilation of recipes and entertaining tips from some of the city’s most celebrated hostesses and members of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (proceeds from the book will go to the center). Here, a few surprisingly down-to-earth tips from high society that I'll actually adopt:

1. Be worldly—follow the Swedish tradition of eating birthday cake for breakfast on your birthday.
2. Drink a cocktail before party guests arrive—it'll loosen you up and make you a better hostess.
3. Be a gracious and unflappable hostess, unperturbed by spilled wine or a crying child. Note: See #2, which will help.
4. Lottery tickets make great place cards—that’s one way to make it to Park Avenue.
5. Note for next year: Hand out to-go wine cups for parents accompanying trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

 

The dinner-theater concept sounds like a throwback, but director Marlo Hunter is trying to make it hip again with Eating Their Words. Hunter enlists noteworthy writers and actors for an evening of short plays to be performed at a top NYC restaurant. As part of the action, the actors sit at a table and eat a dish; immediately after the performance, the audience is served everything they've just seen the actors enjoy. The next Eating Their Words event, on Monday, October 19, will be at Tocqueville restaurant, with works by Pulitzer Prize finalist Theresa Rebeck and playwrights Jonathan Marc Sherman and Sam Forman. Tocqueville chef-owner Marco Moreira has created a menu to complement the plays, including schmaltz roasted country chicken and a bittersweet chocolate tort. Tickets must be purchased before Sunday, October 18.

Eighties Revival Special Part 3: Gordon Gekko, the Wall Street financial villain who symbolized the decadence of the Eighties, is back: Director Oliver Stone has just started filming Wall Street 2. Relive Gekko’s excess with luxe hors d’oeuvres like pancetta-wrapped mussels, goat cheese-stuffed mushrooms, and deeply savory prosciutto-fontina pinwheels (pictured).

The recent obsession with learning to butcher  and cooking an entire animal from snout to tail meant that my Fourth of July weekend was packed with pig-roast invitations, rather than the typical burger-and-beer barbecues of years past. When my friend Tiffany introduced the idea of hosting a pig roast to her husband, Santi, she assumed they would have the event catered. But, ever resourceful, Santi Googled "pig roast" and landed at a site called Three Guys From Miami, which provided instructions for a Cuban-style DIY pig roast. Santi followed the directions to construct his own roaster (now a fixture in the backyard), ordered a 55-pound hog from his local butcher and spent the night massaging the pig with his own special rub. I was skeptical, but after the pig cooked for six hours over indirect heat, we had a delicious feast for the Fourth.

 

Today on Etsy.com, the world's largest online market for all things handmade, F&W's amazing style editor, Jessica Romm, picks out some great things to buy for a clambake, including nautical-themed items like this sailboat (left). Over the summer F&W editors will pick more of their favorite Etsy party items; what can we say, when it comes to entertaining, we like to shop as much as we like to cook. For more clambake recipes, click here.