Welcome to The Lounge
If you love to entertain, throw dinner parties, or cook at home with friends, TheBrownLounge.com has fresh menu and party ideas for you! Each week you’ll find new recipes, and meet passionate personalities from the food world on our FoodieTV show. Tune in weekly to Holly Brown and her friends, then get the party started!
Latest Recipes
Party Ideas and Menu Options
Appetizers/Hors d'oeuvres
Appetizers are the first course in a meal at the table, whereas Hors d'oeuvres are meant to whet your appetite prior to the meal. Either way, they both get a meal off to a great start!
Featured Favorites
I crave certain dishes over and over. They’re my favorites and they’ll be yours too. See what we’re cooking on a regular basis and why our friends keep coming back for more!
French Food Inspiration
The French have it right when it comes to food. They take their time, drink wine, and socialize over a meal. Deliciously simple French classics are perfect for entertaining at home.
Gluten-Free & Fabulous
Even if you aren’t allergic to wheat, you can reap digestive benefits by reducing or eliminating gluten in your diet. Our menus will inspire you to try.
Great Grilling
I admit it, grilling is typically the domain of my husband and his meat…no pun intended. If grilling is your thing, we have some great menu ideas and tips anyone can use.
Italian Cuisine
Some of my best friends are Italian, so I’m fortunate to be around wonderful cooks and the best “peasant food!” Try our country Italian cooking ideas at your next dinner party!
Just Desserts
“Dessert first” is a common refrain among dessert fans. I prefer to reserve it for the grand finale. If dinner is theater, then dessert should leave the audience begging for a curtain call!
Main Dishes
Every delicious dinner party begins with a theme. The main dish is usually the source of inspiration. Try our mouth-watering menu ideas to inspire your next gathering!
Mediterranean Cuisine
There's a reason why the Mediterranean Diet is so popular. Our recipes reflect food from countries all around the Mediterranean Sea.
Mexican Fiesta
Growing up in California, I ate a lot of great Mexican food. I love a great chili relleno and potent margarita. Mexican food is dish delish and mucho fresh when you make it at home!
Party Plans
Let us inspire your next dinner party with a complete menu plan. Our recipes, videos, tips, and drink pairings make dinner party planning easy, so you can enjoy being the host with the most!
Pasta Perfect
I love Pasta so much that I nearly opened a restaurant called, “Pasta, Fish and Jazz”. The perfect menu for me includes fresh pasta, great seafood, Jazz music, and of course friends!
Salads & Sides
Textures, colors, and tastes on the plate, and throughout the meal, should complement not compete. Try our salads and sides in your menu plan and get lots of compliments!
Seasonal Specialties
Some dishes are beloved around a holiday. We love making, serving, and eating them, then wonder why we don’t cook them more often. Here are some of our favorites!
Spanish Cuisine
Traveling to Spain is a culinary inspiration. Spain’s simple food, Rioja wine, and tapas culture are featured in many of my dinner parties. Pair tasty “small plates,” with a glass of vino!Succulent Seafood
Seafood is one of my favorite foods! Our tender, tasty preparations cover the gamut from salmon to shellfish so you can anchor your menu with this versatile, vitamin-rich protein.
Wine & Spirits
It’s great to be married to an award-winning winemaker and first-rate bartender. We always get the party started with cocktails. See how we “shake up” some of our favorite drinks!Foodie News and Events
Click on an Episode Below to Listen:
Spring Dining – Holly talks about simply Spring dining. How to select, store and serve fresh Spring produce. Episode 3 - Thu, May 16th, 2013 
Festive Food and Fun Fiestas for Cinco de Mayo – Holly brings her Mexican Fiesta expertise to the table just in time for Cinco de Mayo this Sunday! Episode 2 - Thu, May 2nd, 2013 
Mediterranean Meals with Erin Coopey – Holly and Erin talk with the ladies about cooking Mediterranean Food for Health and Happiness. Episode 1 - Thu, Apr 18th, 2013Holly's Recent Blog Posts
How to Select, Store, and Serve Spring Produce
As Spring peaks, produce choices abound! Fruits and veggies can (and should) be incorporated in everything from appetizers, to pasta dishes, seafood preparations, to t...
Why I Love Mexican Food!
Who doesn't love savory, spicy Mexican food?! Most of us have a favorite Mexican restaurant we enjoy and frequent regularly, but fresh and delicious Mexican food is e...
Mediterranean Cuisine Inspires our Palette and Nourishes...
The Mediterranean Sea is a deep blue jewel, surrounded by 21 countries. From Southern Europe, to Northern Africa, and the Middle East, Mediterranean Cuisine is vibrant...
The Art of The Pantry
The pantry is making a comeback as part of a resurgence of nesting and home-keeping since the late 1990s. It’s one of the most requested features in American homes tod...
It’s Sustainable Seafood Season Just for the “Halibut!”...
Wild-caught Pacific Halibut is a versatile, mild whitefish. Alaska is home to 75% of the halibut caught in the United States. Alaskan Halibut season starts in Mid-Marc...
The Joys of Easter Brunch
Easter brunch is one of my all time favorite food holidays. I love the fresh spring fruits and veggies that add color and texture to any Easter spread. Asparagus, citr...