Embracing Seasonal Cooking and Home Entertaining

It’s here! It’s here! My brand new sparkling book has arrived! Introducing my fourth child (only slightly kidding!), Seasons Around the Table, published by Schiffer Publishing! Now on pre-order and releasing this October! Filled with our signature “light & bright” infused photography, floral tablescapes, and delicious step-by-step recipes. This cooking and home entertaining book is the perfect holiday gift for your favorite cook, host/hostess, or home gardener!

Discover the Essence of Modern Home Entertaining

I am a big believer in eating and cooking seasonally. As the title alludes, I’ve filled the pages of my book with 16 complete seasonal menus, comprising over 100 recipes. Seasons Around the Table embraces the variety and versatility of the ever changing growing seasons. With original themed menus and pantry-friendly dishes, you will become the person who hosts! All complimented with seasonal table decor ideas and instructions.

How Seasons Around the Table Brings the Calendar to Life

Seasonal Cooking and Home Entertaining can be intimidating for many new cooks and hosts. As a matter of fact, I didn’t host my own first big dinner party until my early thirties! I was a late bloomer, but I’ve learned so much over the years of hosting gatherings around my dinner table. In particular, I realized that having a plan ensured that I was prepped to create the parties of my imagination. I’ve shared my tried and tested techniques for tailoring floral infused parties and detailed easy plans to follow. Shopping becomes a breeze with my table decor notes, and hitting the flower market a pleasure! Seasons Around the Table will show you how I streamline events with four unique holiday or event menus for each of the four seasons, with 4-5 recipes each to guide you in the kitchen, and it won’t stop there!

The Journey Behind the Book

Writing a cookbook has been a dream of mine since I launched Straight to the Hips, Baby. I’ve poured my passions for from-scratch cooking and modern entertaining into this light & bright floral tablescape filled guide. But recipe creation and food photography styling doesn’t happen in a vacuum! Read on about what inspired Seasons Around the Table, and how it can encourage you to create your own unique food experiences for family and friends!

Inspiration From the Garden and the Farmer’s Markets

I think most of you know that I was a “city kid”, for most of my life. The rumble of traffic and sirens of firetrucks were white noise to me, and the rushed hustle & bustle of city life was all I ever knew. However, I was lucky enough to grow up in front of a little section of forest still left within the city bounds (actually it was the remnants of an old quarry) and my parents made the most of it! My childhood was filled with spring gardens full of sugar snap peas and small beds of cherry tomatoes, and tall drooping sunflower heads nodding during the long summer days. These are the memories that I cherish most of home. Most importantly, my mom made sure we knew that foods were grown and not just bought from a shelf. Those lessons very much stayed with me as a future cook!

From Family Stories to Published Pages

Moving from my fast paced life in Boston to the relative pastoral scenes of Western Massachusetts brought me back to the essence of that farm-to-table lifestyle introduced to me as a child. It’s not just the ingredients that inspire my work, but also the values. Family and family recipes are very important to me and energize the unspoken food history every person possesses. Woven through the pages of Seasons Around the Table are some of my refreshed old family favorites and scenes that remind me of gatherings through the years. Food is such a tremendous part of every culture, and taps into our collective need to connect with our communities.

“Laughter is brightest where food is best.”

An Irish Proverb

Explore the Best Home Entertaining Cookbook: Inside Seasons Around the Table

Celebrating the Uniqueness of Each Season with Fresh Flowers

You’ll notice there’s a heavy emphasis on fresh flowers and herbs within the the covers. Everything from small floral tablescape details to original cocktails is festooned with fresh flowers! My brand of entertaining prioritizes the beautiful as well as the accessible; edible florals are a colorful and convenient way to make any occasion special! I’ve made sure to outline my guides to food safe and edible flower lists with several helpful indexes to help you on your edible flower journey. Additionally, there is also a nod to the power of color to tell a story or visually translate a time of year. I have designed tutorials and written explanations for color themed tablescapes and floral arrangements as well.

Ideas to streamline home entertaining with ease

Home entertaining isn’t just about the time in the kitchen or setting up a pretty table! I’ll show you my preferred ways to set up for formal and informal events without the unnecessary complexity of parties of old. I’ve done all of the menu planning so that you aren’t stuck by the stove and can enjoy the party too! I’ve also made a key point to accommodate special dietary requests or preferences as well. I want this book to act as your go-to “all in one” party planning guide, right at your fingertips! From menus to tables, recipes to easy home entertaining tips, you will become known as the “person who hosts” with this handy book!

Where to buy your copy

You can find Seasons Around the Table at all major bookstores, retailers, and online platforms!

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