At the Table - A Tartine Affair with Art in the Find

So, you're hosting a dinner party. What should you serve? What should you sip? What should you wear? And most importantly, how should you style your table? Meet my newest food & styling series, "At the Table," where San Diego stylist/blogger Conni Jespersen and I hand over our hostess tips to inspire your next gathering. We think you'll love it. I mean, who doesn't love entertaining?! The elegant, charming Conni and I met through Twitter (imagine that) after I discovered her blog Art in the Find during my March trip to San Diego. I yearned the opportunity to chat and collaborate over a cup of coffee, so we did just that...cross-country on Google Hangout. We sipped our caffeine, shared our stories and quickly conceptualized a blog series. Conni, the stylist, will develop the look/table around a concept, and I, the foodie, will develop a thematic menu that reflects the scene. This co-blogging conversation will combine the best of both entertaining worlds into one go-to resource!

Our first concept for "At the Table" is A Tartine Affair. A French-inspired bistro gathering combines rustic tableware with a family-style array of ingredients for make-your-own open-faced sandwiches, fancily known as tartines. Today, I'm sharing a menu that screams springtime socializing, and Conni is sharing her table styling expertise. Head over to Art in the Find to plan your decor for A Tartine Affair...

INGREDIENTS (Add or delete as much as your guests prefer) ::

French baguettes Tomato Radish Avocado Strawberry Arugula Rosemary Basil Mozzarella Feta Red pepper flakes Maldon salt & cracked black pepper Fig preserves Olive oil Balsamic reduction

1. Slice baguettes on the diagonal and drizzle with olive oil. Toast until golden.

2. Cut and dice ingredients for easy grabbing by guests. Tip: Cut basil into ribbons and leave rosemary sprigs whole when displaying them at the table. Minced herbs result in a mess when handled by others.

3. Assemble the tartines! Give guests the freedom to mix and match as they choose. I prefer strawberry with feta, avocado with red pepper flakes, and tomato with mozzarella and basil.

I love that rather busying the table with centerpieces, Conni allows my menu to take center stage with a runner of colorful ingredients against natural wood. Are YOU in need of any inspiration for your future dinner table? Share your requests in the comments for me and Conni. And, in the meantime, be sure to follow Art in the Find on Twitter and Instagram -- the place where this collaboration all began.

Lemon Drop Margarita

If you have not yet noticed, Cinco de Mayo is (somehow) already around the corner; so a toast is in order. A tequila toast, that is.

Springtime happy hours are suddenly abounding more often than coffee dates, giving me the opportunity to sip on outstanding cocktails across the city. Salty Sow's lemon & sugar rimmed champagne cocktail inspired my garnish, and my recent discovery of Partida tequila led to the cocktail's essential ingredient. Plus, tonight's margarita run, during which forty of my closest girlfriends will hop from place to place for Austin's best margaritas, has arrived at the perfect time. Grab your Partida tequila and stir up a Cinco de Mayo celebration!

1 ounce Partida tequila 1 ounce lemon juice 1 ounce simple syrup Club soda Zest of one lemon 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1. On a small plate, lightly mix zest and sugar. Use the lemon to rim an 8 ounce glass with juice, and then place the glass upside down onto the plate of sugary lemon zest.

2. Fill the glass with 4-5 ice cubes. Pour tequila, lemon juice and simple syrup into glass and stir. Top with club soda and a thin slice of lemon.

Perfect Pairings for Dark Chocolate

Have you ever had a chocolate addict moment? Ever needed an excuse to take a bite of dark chocolate, perhaps during a busy afternoon at work or for a longing midnight snack?

Well, I am now giving you permission to indulge. Ghirardelli epitomizes the ultimate luxury, especially its Intense Dark bar (with 72% cacao!) that I recently tried. The dark richness provides a satisfying indulgence -- and pairing it with a glass of La Crema pinot noir and tart raspberries accentuates the Ghirardelli flavor even more.

Besides chocolate, my other standard indulgence is treating myself to a glass of cabernet. I then figured, Why not put the two together?! The luxurious La Crema brand matches the premier Ghirardelli standard.

I added the raspberries to offset chocolate's sweetness with a subtle tartness. The juicy raspberries add a fresh pop of color and tang -- plus, berries are in season and ultimately have become my kitchen staples.

On that seasonal note, I am thrilled to be attending Austin's FOOD & WINE Festival for the first time this upcoming weekend with an infamous grand tasting of hundreds of restauranteurs, chefs and products, including Ghirardelli. The wine will be pouring (maybe La Crema?), Ghirardelli will be served, and sunny 90-degree weather will collectively create a perfect atmosphere!

What would you pair with your Ghirardelli Intense Dark chocolate? Please share in the comments, or upload your own pairing on Instagram using the hashtag #IntenseDark, like I have shared on my Instagram!

This post is in partnership with Ghirardelli. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

Lavender Lillet Cocktail

I'm packing up the final accessories for my extra-long weekend home in Memphis, which will involve a house packed with family, food and catch-up sessions with long-time friends. My annual trek home for Passover (this year's Seder will host 52 people!) marks the entrance of Spring in its sweet entirety....and I could not be more thrilled. How appropriate that I crafted this lavender lillet cocktail with Camille this past week as a celebration of Spring and its dainty details, such as this lavender focal point. As Camille points out in our recipe, "There’s something about lavender that’s feminine and just plain pretty, don't you think?"

Not only did this four-ingredient spritzer photograph beautifully, but its floral undertones provide an unmatched palate -- oh, and don't forget a splash of refreshing bubbly on top! Keep reading for the recipe...

Makes 1 serving

for the lavender simple syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon dried lavender

for the cocktail:
2 oz. Lillet
1 oz. lemon juice
splash of bubbly
sprigs of lavender, for garnish (optional)

1. Make lavender simple syrup: in a medium saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon dried lavender to a simmer until sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and cool completely.

2. In a glass or flute, add Lillet, 1.5 ounces simple syrup and lemon juice. Top with a splash of bubbly and garnish with a lavender sprig.

seen on camille styles

Sunshine Smoothie

It's Friday. Thank goodness. I'm heading soon to Josephine House for a girls' lunch before I spend the afternoon in as much sunshine as my mind can handle. Trying Qui tonight for dinner...looking forward to sharing that experience with you. Until then, I've been dying to share my new favorite smoothie recipe! I crafted the drink for Camille Styles' Bottoms Up series last week with the new in-season staples in mind: mango and papaya. 

Check out the full post here, or view the recipe below ::

sunshine smoothie

1 cup fresh papaya
2 cups frozen cubed mango
Few sprigs of mint
2 cups coconut water
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon honey
Pinch of sea salt

1. Cut the papaya into cubes and place in blender. Add mango, a few mint leaves, coconut water, lime juice, honey, and salt.

2. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint.

photo by jessi afshin

Spring Pea and Proscuitto Crostini

Happy Monday! A sunny, dreamy weekend at the horse races with my boyfriend -- my spring dress finally liberated from the closet, my Bloody Mary and bet in hand -- prompted this springtime staple. For a party of one, go "tartine" style by spooning the English pea spread on a large toasted slice of bread. For a gathering of many, use a slender baguette to create bite-sized appetizers when sliced on the diagonal. You can't skip out on the mint garnish, which screams "Hello Spring!" in every bite. It's fabulous. Enjoy, and don't forget to soak up a few rays of sunshine this afternoon...

spring pea & proscuitto crostini

Makes 6 small servings

1 demi French baguette, sliced on the diagonal

6 thin slices proscuitto

1 cup steamed English peas

1 teaspoon mint, coursely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Brush baguette slices with olive oil and toast until golden brown.

2. Gently mash peas with a fork and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Place peas on each crostini, and garnish with a slice of proscuitto and sprinkle of mint! Serve warm.

adapted from martha stewart