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This week’s dinner party is a bit different than our standard affair. With the whole family in Pacific Grove at the beach, I took on making a spread of cold salads for dinner. There’s a lot of tradition here: we used to visit a gourmet deli called Tutti’s in Montecito and each pick out a…

By chance, we planned our family weekend in Pacific Grove on the day of the annual Feast of Lanterns. I hadn’t known anything about this celebration before we arrived – it’s exactly the kind of thing I like. Started in 1905, the city celebrates a Chinese legend each summer with a boat parade, performance and…

Pacific Grove sits at the furthest point of a peninsula beyond Monterey and Pebble Beach. Its famously-rocky coast is packed full of kelp, otters, seals, birds and whales and the town has an adorable victorian charm, with a few small hotels and a municipal golf course. It is the ideal setting for a murder mystery…

Thanks to reader Cari’s suggestion, I tackled an entirely new theme for this week’s party: rustic Italian. I don’t know if my menu meets authenticity standards; it’s mostly the rustic Italian of my imagination. I was excited to try two things I’d never cooked before: polenta and whole trout. Menu Appetizer of seeded bread and…

Busy, busy getting ready for tomorrow’s dinner party and the beach weekend ahead. While I work to prepare a rustic Italian meal, here’s a look at a quick running-around-town outfit. Layers are a must in our breezy San Francisco summers: Sunglasses – I love buying men’s sunglasses. Usually cheaper and a bit more stylish. I…

Here’s the great thing about throwing a dinner parties: once you start inviting people over, they start inviting you back!  We’re not even to our second event in the Weekly Dinner Party Challenge and had our first invitation out. Last night, Rob and I walked two doors down to have dinner with a friend from…

I am counting down the days to a big family weekend at the beach! We are headed to Pacific Grove, just south of Monterey and north of Pebble Beach, to take over two vacation rentals right near the coast. The weather in Monterey can be foggy and cool, especially in the mornings at the coast,…

Gorgeous food, easily prepared. Great conversation with friends. Meeting new people. Last night’s dinner party was everything I love about hosting!  Here’s the play-by-play guide: Spanish-inspired Menu Appetizer of Spanish cheeses Mussels in a chorizo, chickpea, tomato broth Fresh tomatoes with kale pesto dressing Roasted cauliflower Warm crusty baguette Dessert of grapes and spanish dark…

Everything is ready for tonight’s dinner party. I stocked up on cheese and chocolate at the Spanish market, Nosa Ria, down the street, made a centerpiece out of dark red dahlias and prepped a chorizo-chickpea broth for the mussels. Now, just to get dressed for tonight’s dinner party! Skirt – A full volume, high waisted…

It’s been quite a year already. Out of the last six months, I’ve been traveling for five: France, Hawaii, Turkey-Greece-Croatia and Alaska. Whew! Now, we’re back in San Francisco and I’m taking on a new adventure. It’s no secret that I’m a bit agoraphobic when it comes to social life. I’d much rather have a dinner…