Earlier this week the women that constitute the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum gathered at the Meadows Museum to discuss their annual agenda. Immediately following the meeting, attendees stayed to watch a presentation from author, chef, and television personality, Christy Rost.
Standing next to a table adorned with candles, carefully chosen dishes, and pots of roses and heather that the women’s council ladies especially appreciated, of course, Rost detailed how to create a “tablescape” for spring entertaining.
Rost’s historic home, named “Swan’s Nest,” in Breckenridge Colorado, was built in 1898 and comes with its very own gold vault
Rost lives in Preston Hollow, splitting her time between doing local events and filming television shows in her scenic historic home in the mountains of Breckenridge, CO. But her passion for teaching others the craft of hospitality was cultivated in Dallas.
“I grew up entertaining because my parents entertained a lot. I’m one of four girls in my family, and every one of my sisters is a phenomenal cook. I’m the only, however, that took my passion, followed it, and made it my career,” Rost explained to the women’s council.
She says that career started when she regularly wrote a column for the Park Cities News years ago, titled “The Art of Entertaining.”
When Rost landed a gig with Good Morning Texas, 14 years later, she discovered that she had a knack for teaching cooking and entertaining tips on live television. Not too long after that, Rost had her own show in Fort Worth titled “Just Like Home,” which ran for 12 years.
Christy Rost presents her Thanksgiving special on PBS annually every November
Rost moved to national television when she did a holiday special for PBS called, “A Home for Christy Rost: Thanksgiving,” filmed in her second home in Breckenridge. It was so successful that the special was picked up to air nationally every November.
Rost told the Women’s Council that the first year she did the PBS show, a man wrote to her saying that he hadn’t celebrated Thanksgiving in years because it was a sad holiday for him, but after seeing Rost’s special, he decided to have some friend over to celebrate.
The memory brought tears to Rost’s eyes. “I thought to myself ‘Wow, the positive power of television,’ and the gift of being able to be a guest speaker and share my passion.”
Switching gears, Rost then presented to the women’s council several visually appealing ways to fold linen napkins, which were so simple that the ladies began to applaud.
A photo from Rost’s third and newest book, “Celebrating Home.”
“Getting ready for company doesn’t have to be expensive, nor does it have to take up much of your time, it just has to show a little thought. That way when your guests come, they feel so special, because you took the time to do something a little extra for them. That has been my philosophy all of my life, when it comes to entertaining,” Rost says.
Christy Rost will perform live on channel 47 this Friday from 9-11 a.m. to teach how to prepare European hot chocolate and beef burgundy. “I’ll be presenting ways for us here in Texas to feel like we are participating in the wintry snow activities at the Winter Olympics,” she says.
I was able to speak with Rost the day before her presentation to the Women’s Council. She told me that this year she is most looking forward to teaching, cooking and traveling during her culinary cruise slated for this October, which you can learn more about and register for here. Learn even more about Rost, her books, and her historic home in Breckenridge, here.
