Holiday Party: Cava Sangria Punch

I love how pretty this punch bowl recipe looks for a party. It was inspired by our favorite neighborhood cafe in Barcelona while researching The Forest Feast Mediterranean. In Spain, it is typically served in a pitcher but it’s perfect for a party to make it in a bowl

Note: Double the recipe for a mixing bowl or simply add equal parts juice and prosecco (or, like the recipe, add slightly less juice for a less sweet version). You can use any type of fruits that are in season. I used figs, cranberries, persimmons, apples, pomegranates, clementines, star fruit and edible flowers. Slice them thinly so they’ll float. (Tip: the pom seeds only float on top of larger items.)

Check out the video demonstration here.

Cava Sangria

1 bottle Cava or any dry sparkling white wine (750 ml)

2 c white grape juice (480 ml)

Mix in a pitcher with:

1 c raspberries (165 g)

1/2 grapefruit cut into triangles (peel on)

Serve chilled or over ice.

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For more holiday-centric party ideas, you might like:

Green Kale Dip

Holiday Appetizer: The Cheese Ball (video)

Holiday Cocktail Party

COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY! The Forest Feast Mediterranean

It’s the holidays so I thought what a perfect time to do a The Forest Feast Mediterranean book GIVEAWAY!

From now until midnight Pacific Time on 12/9/19 you can enter to win two copies of "The Forest Feast Mediterranean" — one for you and a friend. Click here and find all the details on Instagram.

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#theforestfeastgiveaway ends at 12:59pm on Monday, Dec 9. No purchase or payment necessary. We'll announce the winners on Instagram on Tuesday Dec. 10, 2019. USA only (sorry!).

The Forest Feast Gift Guide!

With the holidays fast approaching I’m sharing some of my favorite gift ideas for kids, family and friends!

Kids

Joie Fruit & Vegetable Chopper: My kids love to help out in the kitchen while cutting up fruits & veggies with this tool.

The Forest Feast for Kids: Simple and easy recipe ideas that incorporate creative ways to add more vegetables and fruits into your children’s meals.

Hedley & Bennett ‘Tug Boat’ Kids Apron: These aprons are good quality and I love the unisex design. The kid versions are especially cute!

Kids Digital Camera: My oldest loves to take pictures (like his mama!) and this is a fun and affordable starter camera for kids.

The Adventures of Lily Huckleberry in Japan: A beautiful children’s book for bed time stories. Ezra loves it! The beautiful illustrations are by my friend Audrey, and it’s the 2nd in a travel series for kids to learn about new places.

Cooks

Umami Mart Salt Set: This set of 3 finishing salts consists of matcha, umami, and yuzu salts and would make a great gift for fans of Japanese cooking and home chefs. I’m a little obsessed with the Umami Salt and could easily put it on everything.

Cherry Bombe magazine subscription: This biannual indie magazine celebrates women and food and features gorgeous work from chefs, writers. food stylists, photographers, and illustrators.

Home Made in the Oven: This new book by my friend, the Dutch author Yvette Van Boven, has amazing illustrations and delicious ideas.

The Forest Feast Cookbook: My very first cookbook and a New York Times bestseller! Filled with beautiful illustrations and delicious vegetarian recipes.

The Forest Feast Meal Planner & Shopping List: This meal planner is a thoughtful gift for cooks and features watercolor illustrations and a grid to organize meal planning throughout the week. I love that it has a magnetic backing to hang on the refrigerator and a perforated shopping list to take to the store.

Travel

The Forest Feast Mediterranean: My latest book is a great way to bring a taste of the Mediterranean home (especially during the colder winter months!) when in need of a taste of summer or tapas from Spain!

The Forest Feast Notes (Journal): I love to keep a journal during our travels abroad so that I can go back and remember all of the special moments and meals we experienced.

Olive Oil Subscription: This is a great shop in SF’s Noe Valley and they offer several seasonal subscriptions for olive oils and vinegars.

Host

Beeswax Candles: I can never get enough of these toxin-free beeswax candles. They are perfect for dinner parties and/or everyday.

The Forest Feast Gatherings: My second book is packed full of colorful entertaining ideas, pretty spreads, (like this one) and plan-ahead appetizers perfect for dinner parties and celebrations alike!

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera Bundle: This camera prints photos in a matter of seconds, just like Polaroid cameras did back in the day! This would make a great gift for the host who loves to entertain.

Giving Back

For those who would prefer a donation to a charitable cause (hint: Giving Tuesday is coming up!)…

The Edible Schoolyard Project: Started by Alice Waters in 1995, the mission of the Edible Schoolyard Project is to build and share a national edible education curriculum for pre-kindergarten through high school.

Community Services Agency is near and dear to me, as a local non-profit that fights poverty in my community (and Jon is on the board!). I also buy pottery at their annual Empty Bowls fundraiser every year to use in my photographs.

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Happy Holiday shopping! Please remember to support your local bookstores and shops whenever you can.

Disclosure: The Forest Feast participates in the Amazon Affiliates program and will receive a small percentage if items are purchased through the Amazon links above.

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash...

For those of you looking for gluten free ideas for Thanksgiving, try this Spaghetti squash dish from The Forest Feast Mediterranean, inspired by our time in Italy. Buon appetito!

Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash

Cacio e pepe (which translates to cheese and pepper in Italian) is a very simple pasta dish I have adapted by substituting spaghetti squash for the pasta. This dish calls for a good amount of freshly ground black pepper and finely grated Parmesan cheese.

CACIO E PEPE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

1 c (50 g) finely grated Parmesan

2 T olive oil

1 T butter

lots of black pepper

salt

Cut a medium (approx. 2 lb/910-g) spaghetti squash in half lengthwise & remove all the seeds and strings. Place on a baking sheet cut-side up & sprinkle with olive oil & salt.

Bake at 375° F (190°C) for 1 hour. You’ll know it’s done when you scrape a fork on the flesh & it separates easily into spaghetti-like “noodles.” If not, cook for 10 more min. When ready, using a towel to hold the hot squash, scrape all the “noodles” into a mixing bowl.

While hot, mix in the remaining ingredients (cheese, olive oil, butter, pepper, salt). Enjoy hot!

For more veggie side ideas for your Thanksgiving menu, check out this story from Mother mag posted yesterday.

And for more squash ideas…

Yellow Squash Ribbon Quiche (vegetarian)

Roasted Acorn Squash with Sage Butter (gluten free)

Coconut-Curry Butternut Soup (vegan)

Sweet Potatoes Two Ways

Thanksgiving is around the corner. If you are looking for some new sweet potato ideas, here are a couple of Mediterranean-inspired options from my new book — one sweet and one savory!

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Hazelnuts

One of my favorite ways to experience new cities is by staying with friends who are locals. While we were in Barcelona researching recipe ideas for The Forest Feast Mediterranean, we were invited by friends to celebrate Todos los Santos (All Saints’ Day) at their home. The meal included sweet potatoes with roasted chestnuts. For this version, I used hazelnuts instead, which are more readily available and also delicious!

BAKED SWEET POTATOES WITH HAZELNUTS

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

3 medium sweet potatoes

dollop of butter

1 t honey

sprinkle of cinnamon

chopped hazelnuts

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Wash sweet potatoes and prick them several times all over with a knife & place on baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes (when a knife goes in easily, they are done).

Slice potatoes in half lengthwise, then score them in a grid. Top each with a dollop of butter, honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon & chopped hazelnuts.

Note: When serving these on a buffet with several sides, I look for small sweet potatoes (or you can quarter them after they’ve been cooked) for individual-sized portions.

Sweet Potatoes with Feta Dressing

Here’s a savory Mediterranean-inspired recipe from the new book. It is easy to prepare in advance and can be served at room temperature, making it perfect for a gathering like Thanksgiving.

SWEET POTATOES WITH FETA DRESSING

recipe from The Forest Feast Mediterranean

4 medium sweet potatoes (no need to peel)

2 T milk

1/3 c (50 g) crumbled feta

1 T olive oil

2 T rice vinegar

pinch of nutmeg

scallions (chopped)

Cube sweet potatoes & lay out on a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast potatoes at 425°F (220°C) for 30 min or until fork tender.

For dressing, use an immersion blender to combine the milk, crumbed feta, olive oil, rice vinegar & nutmeg. Drizzle potatoes with desired amount of dressing & sprinkle with chopped scallions.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Happy Thanksgiving!
xoxo

For more sweet potato recipes ideas, check out my…

• Sweet Potato Pizza

• Sweet Potato and Lentil Tacos

• Lentil & Sweet Potato Salad