Peggy Dark grew up in Ventura in a family of devoted cooks, and following that tradition, eventually founded The Kitchen for Exploring Foods, one of Southern California’s premier catering firms. On Saturday, January 16 at 3:00 pm, Dark comes to the Museum of Ventura County to sign the new book “Fabulous Parties: Food and Flowers for Elegant Entertaining,” which she wrote with florists Mark Held and Richard David of Mark’s Garden. Along with food tasting, the event will include Dark’s discussion about the book, which adapts the principals of planning lavish large events to the more intimate scale and budget of home entertaining. She will also talk about how her career was influenced by her family and her hometown of Ventura.

Attendance is $15 for the general public, $10 for museum members. Call 805-653-0323 x 10 to make reservations. Because there is limited space, reservations are on a first-come, first-taken basis.

Dark, a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara, co-founded The Kitchen for Exploring Foods in Pasadena in 1984, a catering and gourmet take-out business with a devoted Southern California following. Mark Held and Richard David are the owners of Mark’s Garden in Los Angeles, recognized in 1999 by the London Financial Times as one of the outstanding florists in the world.