Though summer is starting to feel the elbow of fall, I’m still in a picnic kind of mood (to be honest, I’m ALWAYS in a picnic mood). I’m sure we have at least a few more of these soft, blowsy days left here in Seattle, where we’re enjoying the height of Northwest summer time. It’s the kind of sultry, seductive weather that makes it a sin not to take your food into the garden or onto the water.
While attending cooking school in Paris, my classmates and I developed a Sunday tradition during the summer months. None of us had much money, but we had lots of interest in exploring France, enough change for a Metro ticket, and plenty of burgeoning cooking skills we were dying to test—away from the critical eyes of [...]
This month’s Veranda Magazine includes a beautifully photographed (Colleen Duffley) article focused on a selection of my cocktails from The Backyard Bartender. There’s an interview with me, too. It is sooo gorgeous— Veranda really made me feel like star.
You can download the PDF to read the full story, including 11 of my summer sipper recipes!
This innovative sweet-sour recipe was originated by the talented bartenders at Serafina restaurant in Seattle. They are pals, so they shared. As pomegrante molasses has become a more popular ingredient, you may have become familiar with it’s seductive flavor. If not, now’s the time to invest (about $3) in a bottle.
Blackberry Margarita
Blackberries are such a transient, delicate crop I think it’s wise to enjoy them every which way you can while they last. When I make straight up drinks like these, I think it’s not only important to use fresh fruits and herbs, as needed. I also want to enjoy top shelf liquor, like the [...]
I made this recipe (adapted from Secrets From a Caterer’s Kitchen) for a potluck at a friend’s house. We do this every Sunday and ususally come up with some pretty terrific impromptu combinations.
I first tasted this fresh, complex salad on a visit to Istanbul (sorry for the location-dropping, but it’s true). I was with my friend Susan (a chef and restaurant owner). After two bites, we quit eating, locked eyes, and starting pulling the salad apart while the staff looked on in horror. We sat there, in that exotic cafe, on a bustling Turkish street, and analyzed our salad until we thought we could replicate it at home. It was that good!
BEST-OF-THE-MARKET COOKING PARTY
I really, really love parties. I love going to them and (hey, it’s my job) I love giving them. And I’m as lazy and overworked as you are. So this new age kind of collaborative cooking party has become my favorite way to entertain.
I invite 6 to 10 friends over to [...]
According to Bon Appetit, vegetarian parties are the trend for 2010. And what a good fit for all of the things that light my lamp. Healthy. Sustainable (or at least, could be). No worries about how the animal or fish was treated. No need for special dishes for the vegetarians. And, usually, it costs lots [...]
I was inspired to write this post up by my newly-scheduled martini festivities in Florida next month. The photographer who shot my cocktail book, Colleen Duffley, has opened a remarkable art gallery/salon/event space on the gulf coast of Florida called Studio b. I’ve been invited to sign books and create a special “pink martini” for [...]
