By Colin Cowie
Entertaining & Design Authority

Fall is Fantastic!
Fall is an ideal time to make some changes or enhancements to the way we live in order to segue into the winter season. Whether it's your wardrobe or the interior of your home, we need to prepare for cooler temperatures. Cottons and silks are replaced with light wools, soft flannels and hopefully a bit of luxurious cashmere too.

When it comes to the kitchen and the cocktail cabinet, I look forward to hearty stews and stocking my freezer with winter soups I can reheat on a last minutes notice on a cold night. Some of my favorite seasonal ingredients are just around the corner and in my own home I like to serve venison, turkey, winter squash and roasted potatoes. Since we are wearing heavier sweaters and less form fitting clothes my calorie count isn't as strict as it in summer.

It's also fun to experiment with coffee, chocolate, bourbon and scotch based cocktails. Their rich flavors and heavy aromas are hard to resist on a cold damp night. With meals, pair your winter dishes with heartier reads such as big Borolo's and cabernets. My first party of the season is coming up quickly. I’m moving into a new apartment in the city and in order to “feel at home” about 20 friends are coming by for drinks and dinner. We’ll christen the new place with a delicious buffet of Caesar salad, roasted chicken, couscous, and a gratin of pasta made with buckwheat pasta and prosciutto. The dessert will be simple, a delicious flourless chocolate torte with my favorite Graters Ice Cream shipped in fresh from Cincinnati. And for the health conscious, baked apples topped with honey and chopped nuts. I can’t wait!

Maybe this year, I can once again try to be ahead of the curve and get a jumpstart on my holiday shopping. No matter how well prepared I am there is always that mad rush after Halloween that doesn't end until after Christmas. Thankfully the glamorous collections I’ve designed for HSN will take care of most of my gift needs. From elegant gold rimmed glasses and gorgeous gold rimmed plates, to table jewelry including vases and linens, to delicious prepared foods that are cocktail party chic; I’m set. And some more exciting news, I also have a new wedding book coming out, titled Wedding Chic. It’s a resource book for the bride to be with more than a 1,000 color images and tips for designing and planning extraordinary wedding celebrations. It’s a busy time of year, but I love the holiday rush and look forward to the time spent with my family and friends catching up on one another’s lives.

Happy Fall.

Colin