by: Kim Labarbera

What's wrong with this picture?

I used to serve delicious dinners with wonderful desserts (yes, I've checked around and they were wonderful) but, I knew that there was something missing. After working in the Food Service Industry, I learned that the little things complete the big picture.

It's not so hard

•For instance, the use of doilies placed on a dessert plate when serving a fine piece of cake. A nice espresso goes extra well with pastries (use espresso cups and saucers.)

•You can use wine or champagne glasses to serve desserts a la' mode. Chill your glasses before your guests arrive, then add some flavorful pound cake and ice cream. Try to have at least two flavors of ice cream to choose from.

Dessert ideas!

•Serve flavored coffee and fresh fruit. It can pass as dessert all by itself, if necessary. Don't forget the Decaf.

•Keep frozen desserts, around. They are perfect for the unexpected get-together. Most of the fancier desserts can be frozen. Give it about a half an hour to thaw in warm weather. This works perfectly for a late night dessert party.

•Keep some butterscotch, chocolate sauce or caramel on hand for cake decoration. Nice thin swirls across the dessert plate work especially well with, Torte or Cheesecake. Mini chocolate chips are always great for Chocolate Cake, coupled with fresh raspberries.

A seasonal dessert that makes a great impression.

•Begin with a carton of large ripe strawberries. Clean them but leave on the stems. Melt about 2 to 3 large dark chocolate bars, per carton in the microwave, in a pyrex measuring cup. Be very careful not to burn the chocolate. Hold strawberries by the stem, dipping them one by one into the cup. Place them on a large plate with wax paper. Try to dip just over half of the strawberry. Chill for about 45 minutes. Serve with Columbian coffee or even cappuccino if desired.

Other tips

•When hosting a dessert party, try not to serve pies. Fruit pies in particular are too informal. They interfere with the mystique of the affair.

•Always pre-slice your cake, but serve it to guests, one at a time. Do not have the cake already on the plate, unless your dessert is following dinner.

•Dessert parties are becoming more popular and a little more sophisticated, so use soft lighting and candles.