Contributor

Svitlana Flom

Editor-in-chief, Art De Fete

Note to readers: Contributors to the blog platform, which was decommissioned in 2018, were not HuffPost employees, were not paid by HuffPost for their stories, and their opinions do not represent HuffPost.
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My name is Svitlana and I must confess, four years ago I didn’t know what fennel was -– or asparagus, kale, celery root, artichokes or cranberries, and could never have fathomed eating them.

I came to the United States in 2007 as a graduate student from Ukraine and earned a Master’s Degree in Political Science. My food adventures began when I met my husband and we began exploring the food scene in NYC and other great cities around the world.

I quickly learned that cooking is an art form. I became inspired to create not only excellent food but also elegant, luxurious presentation -– a Fete.

Sophisticated food, smart preparation, and elegant entertaining became my passions. I love to challenge myself in the kitchen and entertain guests at home. After encouragement from friends and family, I decided to start Art de Fete to share these passions.

I plan meticulously, research extensively, use interesting ingredients, and choose decorations and wine pairings. While the recipes featured on my blog are sourced from different cooking shows and magazines, I tend to add my twist discovered through trial and error. Because I am a visual person, I devote as much attention to the presentation of each dish as I do to ingredients and preparation. I never follow the rule of “do not test new recipes on your guests” but our friends and family have yet to complain. However, my husband is my ultimate guinea pig, as well as adviser, editor and best friend.

I created Art de Fete with the hopes that I can help others who share my love for food and elegant home entertaining. I design full dinners and recipes with step-by-step directions and detailed photos, thematic décor and music -– everything needed for a celebration at home! I’m confident that you will find Art de Fete useful in elevating the elegance of your dinners. With a bit of curiosity, some planning skills and desire to experiment, you’ll never have a dull moment!