Q   Food as a centerpiece for my holiday table? HELP!

A   Food as art is both festive and functional at the holidays and throughout the year. Take another look at those empty vases from fresh flowers long gone, that one glass in the cupboard that matches no other, the Mason jar that once held your aunt’s homemade pickles or the china bowl you inherited but cannot use to serve hot food---all vessels for designs that you can create quickly using food. From fruits and vegetables to candy and nuts, the produce market and your imagination unleash the possibilities. Here are a few ideas to get you started from The Classic Catering People’s Event Planning Team:

OUTDOOR IN
With a large bowl, unusual shaped dish or cooper saucepan as a base, measure a wedge of floral foam to fit tightly into the base of the vessel. Once cut, soak the foam and allow it to drain before you place it. Gather a combination of holiday flowers and greens (plentiful at this time of year are amaryllis, holly, pine and magnolia) and begin to create an arrangement with varying heights and colors. Raid the pantry for red pears, green apples, Italian eggplants, yellow peppers and deep purple grapes to “fill” the bowl. You may find using floral sticks or wires to fine tune the positioning of these denser objects.

A TOUCH OF GOOD CHEER
Fill a variety of stemware pieces with holiday-colored candies for an elegant and tasty addition to your dessert buffet or, on tables throughout the house, fragrant spiced nuts for an anytime snack.

LEGUME ART
Remember sand art? The holiday version of this childhood creation is based in dried beans, lentils and split peas. Simply fill one or more narrow