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As much as Dixie Carter adores the glamorous trappings of her palatial 17-room Beverly Hills house, she loves her not-always-graceful guests even more. Carter, 61, who plays the acid-tongued Randi King on CBS's drama Family Law, remains amused by costar Julie Warner's performance during her debut appearance for dinner last winter: "Julie was gesturing, and smash! a glass broke. Later I gave her another glass, and she was gesturing again and smash! she broke another. But no matter. I don't care if they match, and I always ask for champagne glasses as a gift."
Not that mismatched glasses could lower the luster of Carter's 300-sq.-ft. dining room, where, along with actor husband Hal Holbrook, 75, the McLemoresville, Tenn., native frequently tosses formal dinner parties for 10 to 12. Here an elaborate chandelier provides soft light, a Lalique crystal vase always displays roses, a portrait of Carter by contemporary artist Ciccone sparks conversations, and a large French tapestry adds an Old World aura. "I love pinks and reds and purples," says Carter, pointing to the thick lavender silk moire draperies. The red damask cloth that will cover the table through the end of the holidays was custom-made by the tony Pierre Deux shop in Beverly Hills. "I buy everything there," says Carter. If only her guests knew what was underneath the yards of expensive fabric. The dining table is nothing but a piece of plywood on a platform. "This has always been my table," says Carter, who uses it as a base for a changing array of table dressings.
When it comes to entertaining, however, Carter doesn't cut any corners. A housekeeper plus other staff make sure the house is spotless. Full-time chef Juan Castillo, helped by two part-time assistants, prepares all the dinners. One favorite party menu according to Carter is, "Cold soup -- because who knows when we'll actually sit and eat, given the long cocktail hour -- Cornish game hens with wild rice, asparagus, salad, the best wine, champagne, of course, and something light and lemony for desert." But it's not just the well-set table that makes Carter a great hostess, says longtime pal (and current castmate) Kathleen Quinlan. It's the way she "Makes people feel welcome."
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