Fare ’88 Fosters Planned Party Goodies

Good times sometimes just happen, but not parties. They’re created, though sometimes with a bunch of frustration.

With that in mind, Los Angeles Planned Parenthood Guild is putting a new touch on its Fantasy Food Fare ’88 on Feb. 4 at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. The idea, say benefit co-chairs Susan Judd, Carolyn Gold and Adria Cowitt, will be to show how to entertain effortlessly.

The trio has assembled chefs, restaurateurs, party planners, caterers, cooking teachers, winery owners, florists, food specialists, musicians, boutique owners and designers of table settings to share advice. Guests will be able to sample foods whipped up by the experts; floral arrangements will be on view; tunes will waft from musicians.

Committee stalwarts include Susan Levich, Diane Bishop, Judith G. Jones, Sue Allen, Elli Golub and Karen Berk. Mickey Bodek and Dottie Gosden co-chair the Gift-Rapt Hostess Booth where benefit supporters can buy gifts. New, too, is the Planned Parenthood cookbook edited by Norene Nye.

Fantasy tickets are $50 for the morning (10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.), $75 for the evening (6 to 9), and include a mini-supper and wine tasting. Silent auctions at both times are designed to assure Planned Parenthood (the largest private nonprofit provider of reproductive health services in the county) of a good profit, says Sue Bunzel, guild president.

TWELFTH NIGHT: As the story goes, at Warner and Carol Henry’s Twelfth Night party several years ago, the pastry chef made a marzipan pea for the ladies and a marzipan bean for the gentlemen, and each was carefully tucked into one of two desserts for a surprise finding in honor of the new Twelfth Night king and queen. The problem: The recipients ate the pea and the bean, and Warner and Carol had to substitute at their own party for king and queen.

No such problem the other evening when 160 attended the Henrys’ Epiphany (commemorating the Magi visiting the Christ Child) black-tie gala at the California Club. Warner Henry calculated it was the 31st Henry Twelfth Night party in a series started by his father, Warner (better known as Pop), and mother, Fran, both now deceased.

As at least four in-the-know waiters hovered anxiously, Robert H. Carpenter discovered a pea (wrapped in foil) in his chocolate mousse, and then there was an elated cry from Ruth Shannon when she found the bean half-way through her white chocolate mousse. They then stepped up for the fanfare of the transfer of crowns from Madeleine Landry and Danford Baker. Among those watching the fun--Binnie and Geoff Beaumont, Ed Shannon, Joe and Alice Coulombe, Mary and Phil Hawley, Suzy and Don Crowell, Elayne and Tom Techentin, Barbara Hillman, Eliane and Peter Berger, Bob and Cheryl Baker.

ZANINESS: The Guild for Big Sisters event chair Sarah Purcell and her helpers including Sheri Sadler Wolf are cooking up all sorts of zaniness for their comedy fund-raiser “Live on Saturday Night” Jan. 23 at Hollywood Palladium.

The lineup includes Chevy Chase as host and auctioneer, Bob Goldthwait, Byron Allen and Terri Garr. George Schlatter of “Real People” and “Comedy Club” will produce the event. Chase will auction a Cadillac, a Suzuki, a fur coat, an Oriental rug and dinners at Chinois, Jimmy’s and Michael’s. Big Sisters is the one-to-one prevention program helping girls 6 to 16 from multi-problem homes.