entertaining

The first time I had spinach dip was in college and it was served in a large hollowed-out bread bowl. It was not healthy food by any means, but I can admit it, the whole thing was delicious. But that was in the Midwest, I don’t see many bread bowls being served in Northern Cal. […]

The Super Bowl is approaching, and whether you are a football fan or not, it’s a time for fun casual gatherings and tasty snack food that is undoubtedly indulgent and unhealthy. I have always maintained the belief that all things in moderation are fine. Honestly, I believe that. I feel this approach prevents being too […]

Brie en croute is essentially a brie wheel wrapped in a pastry dough and baked until golden. “En croute” (pronounced “on KROOT“) is simply a food that has been wrapped in pastry dough and then baked in the oven. The dough can be an ordinary pie dough or more commonly, puff pastry. Brie en croute is a […]

I can’t believe it’s almost been a year! This is the 12th (and final) installment in my Changemaker series. This series has been a very meaningful one for me. I have truly enjoyed sharing some amazing people, organizations, and foundations making positive changes in our world. There really is a lot of good and kindness […]

My featured Changemaker is Suzen O’Rourke who is a pioneer in the field of culinary team-building and founder of a cooking school Cooking by the Book (or “CBTB”) in New York City. Suzi (as many call her) is also a dear friend and mentor. Suzi is one of the feistiest, most dynamic people I have ever met, […]

This is a Havana cocktail and I love this drink almost as much as I love the song Havana by Camila Cabello.  A rum-based drink that is served “up,” this is smooth and fruity from the very first sip.  The trick to this tropical beauty is the pineapple-flavored rum I used to kick up the tropical […]

Unless you’ve traveled to Peru, chances are you have never tasted chicha morada. I have Erik Burmeister to thank for introducing me to this delicious Peruvian specialty. Chicha morada is a non-alcoholic Peruvian beverage made from purple corn called “maiz morado“.  “Chicha” is common in South and Central America–it is a fermented (alcoholic) or non-fermented […]

I love Summer! Summer is the season for abundant fruit selection. From grocery stores to farm stands, gorgeous, flavorful enticing fruit surrounds us. Just looking at the bountiful selections makes me feel healthier. I have blogged about how to make an irresistible winter fruit platter. Here, some of the same principles apply: focus on fruit that is in […]

I could live on tuna tartare. Seriously, straight up or on a cracker, I love the stuff.  If you know me at all, you know I order tuna tartare–or any kind of variation of it–almost everywhere I go no matter what the season. In all honestly, I prefer fresh raw tuna over the cooked stuff. […]

Gravlax is a huge favorite of both mine and my husband. Honestly, I prefer to eat salmon like this or sashimi-style rather than cooked. The most common question I’ve heard about gravlax is how it is different from smoked salmon.  Being a New Yorker (yes, even after living on the West Coast all these years […]

A charcuterie board is a great, easy go-to for entertaining and it works year-round. If it is made well and is visually appealing, it will be desirable to any non-vegetarian guest. Seriously.  Most people love a great charcuterie.  The word, pronounced  “shar-cute-er-ree”, means “pork-butcher’s shop“. The word is derived from the French word “chair” (meaning meat) and “cuit” […]

A pomelo or “citrus maxima” is a citrus fruit similar to a grapefruit. I don’t think I ever saw one until I moved to California.  Pomelos are native to South and Southeast Asia and are popular during the mid-autumn or mooncake festival. Pomelos are typically large, pale green to yellow when ripe, with sweet white, […]

A Greyhound is a cocktail consisting of grapefruit juice and either gin or vodka; it is traditionally served over ice.  “Greyhound” is also the nickname given to my husband by a friend in law school due to his tall, thin physique.  Although the two are unrelated, I have an affinity toward anything greyhound-related. So this […]

My older son believes that he could live on mozzarella sticks—they are his guilty pleasure.  When I was his age, I loved them as well.  For lunch, my friends and I would often head to Mama’s Pizza on Broadway on the Upper West Side, right around the corner from our school.  We would munch on […]

Chef Charlie Ayers is my featured Changemaker this month.  Ayers is often known as the “Google Chef”.  Yes, he was the mastermind behind the incredible, innovative, earth-friendly food originally served on Google’s Mountain View campus (which everyone in NorCal who does not work for Google has heard about for years). Google’s food offerings became the standard […]