Ten years ago, three members of BV Conversations were doing the things message board denizens do -- posting articles, pontificating, debating -- and it was here that Jeniece Isley and Shakara Bridgers became acquainted.

"We actually didn't like each other, because I was an Internet gangster, and Jeniece is from Brooklyn so she thought she was fly," laughs Shakara. "However, once I moved back to New York and we met face to face, we instantly hit it off and became best friends."

Jeniece, who met Joan Davis on another BV message board, introduced Joan to Shakara and it became "three the hard way," socializing, networking and attending family functions together -- even remaining in touch on the BV Boards during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The fun-loving trio found that they shared a passion for cooking, and the Get 'Em Girls was born.

Their first cookbook, published in 2008, 'The Get Em GirlsGuide to the Power of Cuisine: Perfect Recipes for Spicing Up Your Love Life' was all about wooing that special someone with vicious vittles. Their newest offering, 'The Get Em Girls Guide to a Perfect Get-Together' is about entertaining and, of course, more food.

"When you think about cooking delicious food, ideally you want to share it with someone," explains Shakara. "We came up with the idea for 'The Get 'Em Girls' Guide' because we would get together as girlfriends, eating and enjoying each other's company, so we figured we couldn't possibly be the only ones hanging out at home with our friends and family."

Since summer is upon us, the Get Em Girls give us some tips on making our summer soirees with no muss, no fuss and much fun!

What are the three most important things every host or hostess must consider when entertaining?

I think every host or hostess should consider their guests' likes and dislikes first and foremost. There's nothing like cooking a fabulous steak dinner for a bunch of vegetarians -- it makes for a lot of leftovers and a hungry crowd. Next, keeping it simple is key to not feeling overwhelmed. There's no need to order floral arrangements and call in an event planner for poker night with the girls. A few candles and cut flowers will do the trick. Enjoy yourself would be third -- a fabulous party is only fabulous if you get to enjoy it, too. Chances are if it's not a good time for your guests and for you, you'll probably never want to host another get-together.

Why do you think food is such a large part of African American culture?

Good food is like good music. It's soul soothing. Like a good song can take you back to a place in time, so can a good meal. Often times, the family getting together over great food prepared lovingly by someone can mean the world to you. So whether it's during the holidays, a family reunion or Sunday after church, you know that where's there's good food there's love.

Are there any types of foods that you enjoy but don't cook? Would you ever like to learn another cooking style (Greek, Middle Eastern, African, etc.)?

There aren't many types of food that we don't enjoy. Indian food is a definite fave, however the cooking techniques used to prepare many of our favorite dishes are pretty difficult to master if you've never tried them. Really authentic Naan bread is absolutely delicious, but the idea of baking it on the walls of a tandoor oven probably wouldn't work in our little NYC kitchens.

Who taught you how to cook?

None of us have been formerly trained. We all learned from our parents and grandparents. We took techniques that our parents taught us and updated them by using techniques that we've learned through our travels. There are so many ways to achieve great flavor besides frying and smothering everything, and we set our minds to learning about them. We also have an amazing executive chef, Therese Nelson, who is formally trained, and she's great with showing us ways to make delicious dishes taste just like our mama made them in new and exciting ways.

How do you love food but stay healthy?

When we wrote the first book, we tested every recipe ourselves, and that definitely didn't help our waistlines. So this time around, we decided to test the recipes on family and friends. That way we could spread the caloric love. We really just try to stay as active as possible and eat in moderation. We are in the process of losing weight and documenting our journey for an upcoming book.

Please retell how you guys met on the BV community boards.

Having friends on the Internet 10 years ago was taboo. The term "social networking" was unheard of, but it existed. People thought we were crazy; however, we were just a group of young working professionals having fun. We would have parties and meet up in other cities, but we would also pass on job referrals and attend family functions together. Even on September 11th, we kept in touch with one another through BV. To this day, a lot of us still are friends. The executive chef we mentioned earlier is the daughter of an original Mahogany Love message board member.

How is the shift into "business" ventures going?

It's going well. It's a blessing that none of us would have ever dreamed of. Initially our goal simply was to write a cookbook series, but we soon realized that we have a brand that so many other people can relate to. We've all worked in corporate America, so it seems natural for us to devote just as much time, effort and energy into our own company. 'The Get 'Em Girls Guide to the Power of Cuisine' and 'The Get 'Em Girls' Guide to the Perfect Get-Together' are two awesome books that every woman should have in her arsenal. So pick up your copy today and feel free to also stop by our Web site, www.getemgirls.com. Whether you need to know where to find the latest must-haves in fashion, how to pick the perfect peach for your delicious cobbler, how to tell if it's time to dump the zero you've been dating or quick-fix tips on your new home repairs, we've got you covered. Oh and did we mention we have a boutique catering company, too? From sushi to fried chicken, we do it all (wink).