Blogger Babble: Noria Morales of At First Bite

By Emily Hsieh
April 13, 2010

A longtime fashion editor, Noria Morales has a very discerning sense of taste—one that extends from the sartorial to epicurean. Her passion for the former was well-sated by her day job as an editor at Lucky magazine. As for the latter, this self-described “someone who dreams of food, of all the things I can do with it and all the places I can go to eat it,” was moved two years ago to launch a culinary blog, At First Bite.

Having recently left her full-time post to concentrate on At First Bite (she'll also be serving as the Manhattan-based fashion editor for regional lifestyle magazine The Improper Bostonian), Morales has made it her mission to seek out all the best restaurants and recipes worth indulging in. Her palate skews toward fresh, seasonal, unfussy foods, and when the frequent hostess is in entertaining mode, her table-setting style is similarly classic and straightforward: “I like things with a rustic feel. I’m attracted to old Americana—it’s pure, it’s homey and makes people feel comfortable. It’s good to mix found objects with a beautiful patina with more modern pieces; it’s all about getting the right balance," she says.

“A few years ago, my friends and I were in the Cote d’Azur in France for a summer wedding,” Morales recalls. “The kickoff lunch was at Club 55 [a St. Tropez hotspot]. We spent a sunny afternoon at a big table on the beach drinking lots of wine and sharing fresh, simple food. It felt so easy, bohemian and chic and was one of the best afternoons ever. That’s what I strive to recreate whenever I entertain.”

Continuing her fantasy of the perfect dinner party, Morales says, “I plan menus based on what’s at the farmer’s market. For spring, I’d start with local cheese, and maybe continue with an asparagus salad with a runny egg on top. I like things that people can dig into [and that aren't] too fussy. I’d serve rosemary crusted lamb chops on rustic wooden serving boards, and then finish it all off with an apple galette, which is super-easy yet pretty, and looks like the kind of thing that took all day to bake. The key is to keep things simple and low-maintenance—it’s the only way you’re going to have fun at your own dinner party.”

Here, Morales shares the tools she relies on for making entertaining effortlessly chic:

1. Set of 36 Glass Wedding Votive Candle Bomboniere Australia (buy it now price, $44.71) and 2. Vintage Blue Glass Owl Votive Candle Holder (sold for $10.99) "Candlelight is imperative if you want your guests to feel indulgent and beautiful. Seriously, everyone looks good in candlelight. You can buy a big stock of basic clear votives and put them everywhere! For the table, I might add a couple of colorful vintage votives. I love this blue one."

3. Set of 12 Old Blue Ball Mason Canning Fruit Jars (sold for $37.88) "Flowers make a place feel special and fresh. I buy one or two bouquets of a single flower (peonies, anemones and roses are my favorite) and for a casual party, I love using vintage jars as vases, like these mason jars with their pretty aqua color. Don’t forget to stick one in the guest bathroom."

4. Vintage Crochet Table Runner (buy it now price, $5.99) "A table runner is the quickest way to transform your table into something gorgeous. I was amazed at how many beautiful crocheted runners there were on eBay; this looks like a family heirloom."

5. New Monotone Buti Napkin-Table Linen (buy it now price, $4.99) "Don’t dare think of using paper napkins, even if the packaging says "fancy dinner napkins." Table linens are civilized, and I love a bohemian print like this. It would look amazing with my table runner!"

6. Primitive Wooden Russian Bowl (buy it now price, $79.99) "I’ll never forget the striking presentation of a rustic wooden bowl filled with super fresh vegetable crudités at Club 55. This is a hand-carved wooden trough, and I would fill it with fresh fruit and whole vegetables for display and to eat!"

7. New Norpro Marble Utensil Holder and Wine Cooler (buy it now price, $21.99) and 8. Vintage Russel Wright American Modern Water Pitcher (buy it now price, $95) "Having refreshments ready for arriving guests is key to setting a good flow. It also keeps people busy if you’re still wrapping up in the kitchen. Keep white wine chilled in classic marble coolers, and mix up a punch to offer in a pretty pitcher. I love this sleek, modern Russel Wright version. Later, you can use it for ice water."

9. Set of Two Old Bread Cutting Boards (winning bid, $122.50) "When I serve food to my guests, I want them to feel a connection to where the food comes from—say, the greenmarkets and farmstands. There’s no better way to say that than to use antique bread boards from an old farm as serving trays. I’d use them to feature local cheeses and a crusty baguette, and later to present the main course."

10. Mosser White Milk Glass 10in Cake Stand Plate (buy it now price, $49.95) "Congrats, you just pulled a gorgeous apple galette from the oven. Display it! A pretty dessert is eternally appealing. I adore simple white cakestands because they add a new dimension to a food display. Use them not just for dessert, but also for displaying hors d'oeuvres."

11. New 4 Sea of Luxury Milan White Luxury Hand Towels Frette (buy it now price, $38) "Remember that the bathroom is just as much a reflection of your taste as the rest of your house. Make sure it’s clean, add votives and a jar of flowers and put out the nice hand towels. Frette is of the highest quality, and it will signal to your guests that you care about them."

12. Vintage Peugeot Panier Wine Decanter Scarce (starting bid, $49) "This is an absolutely beautiful vintage decanter. Why wouldn’t you fill it with red wine? If you’re opening a special bottle this night, decanting is important to allow your wine to open up and realize its maximum potential. Plus, a bird decanter is much more interesting than the old 750 ml bottles."

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