There are those times when you should be sure, but you’re not quite…Cooking for new people, in a new club, in a new town - it’s the trifecta of covered dish anxiety. Even the seasoned hostess could get a case of the jitters.

Last week, we watched the Chiefs play the final game in their lead up to another Super Bowl vistory. Friends joined us in the carriage house for local beer on tap from @Nansemondbrewingstation, Bar-b-que sliders (because Brian is from Kansas) and chocolate pudding. It’s a strange menu, I’ll admit. But, everything had a purpose. If the Chiefs didn’t win, I had to hedge my hospitality bets with some serious comfort food.

“She is the best hostess,” they said. “That was the best party,” they raved - Want to know my secret? It was the frozen whiskey sours!

Before we moved to Suffolk, we lived in a wonderful Virginia community called Fawn Lake. Some of the best hostesses I’ve ever known entertained there. One particularly amazing lady often served this cocktail. Everyone loved it - to the tune of, Yes, to “seconds?” And Absolutely, to, “a little more?”

"When I served this New England clam chowder to my husband, Brian, he looked at me like I'd just discovered fire. 'Where have you been hiding this soup magic?' he asked. Apparently, my kitchen had been keeping its clam chowder secrets better than Area 51. Now, I'm the proud chef of a dish that's convinced my husband I'm a culinary wizard.”

You’ll love this dreamy clam chowder. It’s hearty - filled with tender briny clams, and a creamy broth that tastes like velvet feels. It’s the perfect soul-soothing dish for chilly days.

Try My Friend Vikki’s Apple Cake (Which She Stole From Her Good Friend Carol) - Its super moist and perfect with your morning coffee, for an afternoon snack or for dessert with a dollop of whipped cream - or for absolutely no reason at all. It’s just the right amount of sweet!

We love to have a fresh cake on hand at The Truitt House (you just never know when a friend might drop in!), and lately we have been loving this fresh blueberry breakfast cake. We’ve made it so often lately that it may just have become our new summer house cake!

The delicious heat of the summer just begs for cool food. Nothing says simple and refreshing quite like a good chicken salad, served on a bed of greens or a fresh, buttery croissant.

If ever there was a dish that will change your life, it’s this one. Julia Reed shared this recipe in her cookbook, Julia Reed’s South, which I’ve read cover to cover more times than I can count. I’ve adapted the recipe slightly to fit our taste.