Fireside Cocktails in Better Homes and Gardens

I am so excited to be included as a Style Maker in the September issue of Better Homes & Gardens Magazine! After seeing this campfire cocktail post I did, the magazine asked me to come up with a special fall menu that would be fun around a firepit. Because we have more space outdoors than in, we actually host a lot outside year-round (thanks, California).  When it starts to get chilly, we light up the firepit and pass out blankets and warm drinks. For this article, I came up with a Hot Pear Toddy that can be made in the crockpot as well as some spiced nuts and a build-your-own endive cup bar.

The magazine flew a couple editors and photographer David Tsay out for a day-long photo shoot which was so much fun! (Ezra was just 10 months old in the photo!) See the slideshow and the whole menu, along with my entertaining tips in the September 2015 issue of BHG and online here. Also online they have a free downloadable party kit which includes printables of my watercolor buffet signs. 

Cheers!

Photos by David Tsay (all except magazine shots)

Roasted Eggplant Salad

This is the type of salad I wish was always prepped and waiting for me in the fridge. I love it!  It’s simple and flavorful and you can easily add other items like a grain or fresh mozzarella to make it even heartier. Also, it’s easily made ahead of time so it’s great for entertaining. The recipe is inspired by an Ottolenghi salad that was in Bon Appetit last summer.

This summer I am growing nasturtium flowers in pots for the first time, just for salads, and I’ve found them super easy to grow! And those vines you see are hops. I’m growing them mostly for decorative purposes since they grow super fast and will trail my string of lights in no time!

Happy summer cooking!

Crispy Spiced Purple Cauliflower

Have you ever had purple cauliflower before? Tastes just like the normal kind, but so much prettier! This recipe is an adaptation of the Cinnamon Cauliflower recipe in my cookbook. Just slice a head of purple cauliflower into florets on a baking sheet then sprinkle the whole sheet with a half teaspoon each of the following: cinnamon, smoked paprika, chili powder, sesame seeds and garlic powder. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper, plus 1 T sesame oil and 3 T olive oil. Roast at 425ºF for about 30 minutes or until a bit golden and crispy. Happy cooking!

Cocktail: Peach-Basil Sangria

Hello, summer cocktail! This white wine sangria is super easy and oh-so-tasty.   I included it in a 4th of July Menu for InStyle Magazine last summer and this week I was excited to have Camille Styles feature it.

Cheers!

Spring Gardening

Baby Ezra (he’s almost 9 months now!) helped us put in the garden yesterday evening. I can’t wait for summer squash, green beans, nasturtiums and lots of dahlias! I planted extra flowers to use as photo props, as I am spending all summer shooting my next cookbook, an entertaining focused book with menus for different occasions!