We’re spoiled in Southern California with al fresco weather nearly year-round, but that distinct summer vibe—think flip-flops, beach towels, late sunsets, and barbecues—is hard to replicate in the others seasons. That’s why I’ve been fighting my laziness and making sure I tick off all the summer goals I made mental note of in June. Things like heading to Sunset Cliffs to watch golden hour on a weeknight or hanging out in Imperial Beach on a Friday evening when the farmers market turns the pier area into one big block party. And also picnics, tons and tons of picnics.

There’s no shortage of good picnic spots in San Diego, from Balboa Park and Mission Hills’ Pioneer Park to Windansea Beach and even the area outside our baseball stadium, Petco Park, but my favorite is Kate Sessions Memorial Park in Pacific Beach. The wide, grassy space (on a sloping hill) has trees, ocean vistas, skyline views, and a very lax policy on keeping dogs leashed (you didn’t hear it from me). It’s also where I chose to ring in the big 3-0. It’s a really special, really beautiful spot.So with the spirit of summer in mind, here are six steps to to plan your next picnic party:

The type of pack. Baskets are a sweet nostalgic touch, but I also have a cool backpack that comes with insulated pockets, slots to store plates and utensils, and even a clasp on the outside to secure a rolled-up blanket. It’s a great option if you’ll be biking to your picnic destination.

The tools. I highly recommend packing real plates, glasses, and cutlery. Beyond the argument for being eco-friendly, it’ll feel more like a proper meal. Don’t forget napkins, cutting/cheese knives, a bottle opener, salt, pepper, and a bag to store all of your trash. (Do not be a litter bug.) But my favorite tip of all is to bring a big Zip-loc because once you open those cheeses, the Zip-loc will be a safe place to store the now-unwrapped fromage.
The food. I like to include at least one veggie side, a serving of fruit, one cheese and/or meat side, one main, and a dessert that can withstand heat unless you have a proper cooler. On this day with my girlfriends, I packed baby carrots, grapes (the organic ones at Trader Joe’s are the best), caprese salad skewers (which look very impressive but are stupid simple to make), this Greek chickpea salad, and to make the meal a bit fuller, we added a cheese platter. Using my handy cheese guide, I combined goat, cow, and sheep’s milk cheeses for variety and added dried cherries, pesto, crackers, and sliced baguette. For dessert, we had chocolate pirouettes.

The drinks. Wine and beer are good options, but I hardly ever drink alcohol. Maybe a glass of wine or a sangria here and there, but 99.9% of the time, I want a virgin cocktail that tastes “fruity and fizzy,” as I often tell bartenders. A lot of the carbonated options out there are full of artificial flavors, but the new IZZE Sparkling Water is USDA Organic Certified—made with organic natural flavors and organic cane sugar. The twist-off bottles come in three flavors, including Mandarin Lime, Raspberry Watermelon, and (my favorite) Blackberry Pear, and it’s an ideal refresher in the heat—a bit bubbly, a bit sweet. A low-calorie drink, IZZE Sparkling Water has just 10 calories per 12-oz serving and a hint of organic pure cane sugar (1-2 grams). Lately I’ve been taking them to work for that inevitable 3 p.m. need for sugar. Between the bubbles and the sweetness, it’s satisfying and in the time it takes to drink, I forget about that donut/pastry/cookie I wanted.

The cool factor. Coolers, insulated bags, ice packs—there are a variety of ways to ensure that your food and drinks stay fresh. Some people pack cooler items on top of your basket because heat rises, but we separated our foods into separate bags by temperature. (My S’well bottle is amazing at keeping hot things hot and cold things cold.)

The extras. Grass can get a bit damp, so make sure to pack a thick enough blanket that will keep everyone dry and comfortable. 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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And Breakfast Republic’s menu is equally flamboyant, with pancakes in flavors like Oreo, churro, and mint chocolate chip (choose three different varieties to make the very awesome pancake flight), veggie tostadas, jambalaya, S’mores French toast, and a beer and sausage sampler amongst other items. There’s also Cafe Moto coffee and 20 beers on tap, along with a chance to buy some Breakfast paraphernalia, like tees and their very cute coffee mugs.

Take a look:

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Maybe it’s because—and I speak for myself and many of my 30-something friends—we prefer quiet nights in versus ragers, dinner parties versus bottle service. And when we entertain, we want to entertain at our best, and a sophisticated cheese platter is at the top of the list.

So I turned to the beautiful new Little Italy fromagerie The Cheese Store of San Diego for some advice on how to create a chic, design-minded spread. Together we created two options to suit every cheese lover: one classic platter, one adventurous platter. Read ahead for helpful serving and pairing tips from owners Aaron, Marci, and the whole Cheese Store gang, along with photos by my talented friend Chantal Pasag of Pasagraphy.

It’s party season—time to get your cheese on:

The Cheese Store hosts a lot of fun events, like cheese 101 workshops and the upcoming Baja-inspired event (above right, “Hola Little Italy”). It doesn’t hurt that the space is beautiful, and the shelves are also stocked with delicious foodie finds, like jam from L.A.’s Sqirl. And the infographic wall (below) is just asking to be Instagrammed.

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The Classic Cheese Platter
Brunet (goat’s milk), Brebirousse D’Argental (ooey-gooey; from sheep’s milk), Manchego (hard sheep’s milk), Prima Donna (Gouda)…with Marcona almonds, dried fruit, honey, and fruit cake
I learned this super easy cheese marker tutorial from Little Blue Boo. Cut a used wine cork in half and make a 1/8-inch incision so you can slide a piece of cardstock in place.

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The Adventurous Cheese Platter
Couronne de Touraine (goat cheese), Lou Bren (sheep’s milk), Red Rock (cheddar), and Bellamy Blue (blue cheese)…with olives, lemon jam, dried fruit, bourbon maple syrup, and carrot crackers

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Tips + Tricks from The Cheese Store of San Diego

How many cheese to start with? Three to four varieties is optimal, but you could stretch that to 5.

How about a mix of textures and flavors? A variety of textures is key, from soft and semi-firm to hard and blue. It’s a good idea to also select different milk types, like sheep, cow, goat, or even water buffalo, so you can really get the flavors out of each cheese. Mixed milk cheeses, like Pilota from France, are a great option so you can kill two birds with one stone. In the end, it’s all about what tastes good to you.

Pairings! What works? Sparkling water, plain crackers, or baguette will help clean the palate. Then:
– Fresh fruits, like apricots, go well with light, fresh, unripened cheeses like ricotta or crescenza.
– Dried fruit pairs well with blue cheese, washed rind cheese, an aged Gouda, and triple cream cheeses.
– Jams are a fantastic accoutrement. Try fig and strawberry jam with goat cheese.
– Honey with blue cheese is a sure hit, as well as with triple creams, Pecorinos, or Parmesan.
– Cured meat (think salty prosciutto or speck) go well with Parmesan or mozzarella.
– A current favorite pairing: a fleur de sel caramel with goat milk Gouda, as well as Meyer lemon ginger jam with La Tur, a soft mixed milk cheese from Italy. It’s like a cheese Danish in one bite.

And for the drinks? Just like with food you want to pair beverages with cheese that are either contrasting or similar in flavor.
– Maybe a bold red wine with a rich Alpine style cheese like Challerhocker.
– A light blonde beer or French rosé paired with a light, soft-ripened goat cheese or fresh cheese is perfect for summer.
– A malty beer with an aged Gouda.
– A Porter with a triple cream (think of it like a coffee and cream combination).
– A fruity cider with an aged cheddar is always a good match.
– A bitter IPA with a cheddar or soft-ripened goat cheese works well, too.
– Sparkling wine goes well with just about any cheese.

Now that the platter is in place, how should we serve it?
– Take cheese out of the refrigerator one hour before serving, unless it’s a particularly oozy cheese, then take it out 30 minutes before.
– No need to separate strong-smelling cheese from milder ones, but it’s always a good idea to display them on a cheese board from mild to strong. This way a strong blue doesn’t ruin your palate for a soft fresh goat cheese.
– Allow 2 ounces of cheese per person, or if you have other appetizers, then 1.5 ounces per person. You may need less of a stronger cheese, like blue cheese, but a triple cream is always the first to go! Always up that one. 

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Today I’m rounding up some fruity and fizzy mocktail ideas. Drink up! ‘Tis the season.

Cantaloupe and Kiwi Agua Fresca (via Foodness Gracious)

Blueberry lemonade (via Damn Delicious)Cucumber-lime mocktail (via The Food Charlatan)

Strawberry Mango Cooler (via Miss in the Kitchen)Peach lemonade (via Brit + Co.)

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I’ve rounded up six to-go lunch ideas, all of which are vegetarian, because that’s how I roll when I cook for myself:

Sesame-ginger soba noodle salad (via PopSugar)

Mason jar chickpea salad (via Cookie + Kate) Side note: I love these choose-your-own-adventure grain bowls that are filling without weighing me down into a post-lunch food coma. Bon Appetit has a fun quiz to find out which lunch bowl you are.

Caramelized cauliflower, roasted red pepper, and quinoa salad (via Naturally Ella)

Red pepper & goat cheese panini, though I would take it unpressed and cold for the office (via Pinch of Yum)

Smoky tempeh wrap via (Happy Healthy Life)

Cherry tomato, arugula, and sorghum salad, though I use pearl couscous (via Cookie + Kate)

Follow me on Pinterest for more recipe, style, decor, and travel inspiration!

First photo via

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Chocolate walnut cinnamon rolls (via The Little Epicurean)

Carolinea typeface (via Creative Market)

DIY painted coasters (via The Lovely Drawer)

Turtleneck style (via Who What Wear and We Wore What)

Cuban-style black beans with coconut cream rice (via The Clever Carrot)

Follow me on Pinterest for more picks!

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I’m so in love with the new Kettle & Stone in Mission Hills. The cafe serves locally roasted WestBean coffee, and though $4 for a 12 oz. latte is on the steep side for me, the quality was all there. Plus, it’s worth the money for their amazing sidewalk seating. Lewis Street, where Kettle & Stone is located, has a variety of boutiques, which makes for just the right amount of foot traffic as you sip. On Saturday, we had a perfect mix of friendly people and even friendlier dogs. Good coffee + a gentle breeze + shade on a hot day + amazing doggies—it wasn’t a planned Valentine’s Day excursion, but I was certainly feeling the love.

Another cool part of Kettle & Stone is that it shares a space with the new gift boutique Mod About You. Think of it as a mini Pigment or Progress, with a similar style of products, including stationery, jewelry, home decor, and baby clothes. A very chic addition to the area.

A visual explanation of the charming sidewalk space by Kettle & Stone. I can’t get over Teddy’s expression. What a lovable maniac.

A beautiful bouquet I spotted in Mission Hills. Blackberries in bouquets is my new favorite floral add-on.

The profiterole trio at Stake Chophouse & Bar, a new restaurant that opened on Coronado Island in November. We were invited to try the menu, which is heavy on surf and turf, and dry-aged meats in particular. I stuck to veggie sides—and this massive dessert. No matter your stance on meat, I think we can all agree on banana nutella ice cream sandwiched between two pastry puffs.

We don’t take Valentine’s Day all that seriously, but since Eaman and I usually hang out on Saturdays anyway, we fancy’ed up our usual routine with a picnic in Mission Hills’ Pioneer Park. The spread included my favorite cheese from Venissimo (boschetto—try it), $6 olive oil crackers also from Venissimo that are 100% worth the money, and marinated olives. It was 80+ degrees this past weekend, and when it’s that hot, this is the only meal that sounds appetizing. That, and profiteroles with ice cream.

Isn’t Pioneer Park beautiful? It’s wonderfully quiet, green, and shaded, and even though it’s not an off-leash park, we always let Teddy roam freely. So far, no one has seemed to mind. It’s very much a sit-under-the-trees-and-cloud-gaze kind of space.

The “Power of Love” exhibit at the Chicano Art Gallery in Barrio Logan features works by artist couples. We went to the opening show on Valentine’s night before heading over to Border X Brewing and Salud! (remember both from this post?). The artwork will be on display until February 25.

Came out of the Travel & Adventure Show, held at the San Diego Convention Center this weekend, with plenty of ideas and inspiration.

Yesterday at the Grape Street Dog Park in South Park, one golden retriever kept sitting in the elevated water fountain. It must be his schitck, because I’ve seen him do it before. I think his reasoning is half to evade the other dogs chasing him and half to show off. Teddy went to investigate the situation, and another golden followed suit. Them goldens, they stick together.

Happy Monday!

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My family was in town last week and when we get together, we’re not, how you say, a very active people. My parents aren’t the hiking type, they’re not much for the beach, and they’d rather eat out than “trouble me” with having to cook for them. (My mom saves the cooking for herself when I go back to New Jersey.) Paired with last Friday’s surprising (and welcome) downpour, we ate out four days straight. The closest we got to eating at home was picking up takeout. And as much as I loved my meals at Puesto, Cafe 21, Amarin Thai, Hanna’s Gourmet, Grill House Cafe, Cafe 976, and Extraordinary Desserts, this week is all about recalibrating with healthy food.

Yesterday I made one of my new favorites, a freekeh “salad” with caramelized shallots, chickpeas, and yogurt, a recipe that I spotted in a recent Martha Stewart Living issue. What is freekeh, you ask? It’s an ancient grain derived from the Middle East that’s packed with protein and fiber and sold at speciality grocerers like Whole Foods, where I got mine, and online. It reminds me a bit of bulgar and barley, so if you can’t find freekeh, I think it’s safe to sub one of those two and adjust cooking times. (FYI, I used cracked freekeh, which worked just fine.) This recipe also incorporates pomegranate for a nice dose of seasonality and sweetness.

The great vegetarian food blog Cookie and Kate has a great note about cooking freekeh. I’ve tried both of her techniques—letting it cook long enough to absorb its moisture and yield a risotto-type consistency as well as cooking until tender and then letting the freekeh steam for 5 minutes to get a fluffier texture—and I prefer the latter method, which I used this time around.

Take a look:

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A vegetarian pho that takes just 30 minutes to make (via Oh My Veggies)

A 3-minute skillet pizza (via Christelle is Flabbergasting — you’ll need to translate the page from French to English)

Easy chickpea curry with coconut rice (one of my all-time best recipe discoveries; via How Sweet It Is)

Butter-basted eggs (via Saveur)

Vegetable quinoa soup (via Two Peas and Their Pod)

Baked berry oatmeal (via Apple of My Eye)

 You can see more of my recipe stash on my Pinterest page!

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Xerox after xerox after xerox. That’s what I remember when I think of Orangette blogger Molly Wizenberg’s part-memoir, part-cookbook A Homemade Life. I read the book years ago, but I revisit it from time to time via the many, many photocopies I made of all the amazing recipes in the book. In A Homemade Life, Molly talks about family matters, her blog reader-turned-boyfriend-turned-husband, and all the meals in between that made those relationships meaningful. It’s thoughtful, sincere, and hunger-inducing.

I remember being so enamored with the recipes that I wanted to hold on to them all. I guess I should’ve just bought the book, but I was cheap and gave the book back to the library after Xerox-ing the recipes for free at my office job.

But why bring this up now? Because it’s apricot season! And the summer fruit just happens to be the focal point of one of my favorite recipes from the book: pistachio cake with honeyed apricots*. It’s a moist, light cake with a slightly nutty flavor, thanks to the pistachios (duh) and the nutmeg (though I used cinnamon). For all times outside of apricot season, nectarines have worked just as well.

And just so you know, it has won over all my friends—from those with a sweet tooth to those who swear they hate cake. So there you go, your next crowd-pleasing dish. Check it out:

*Interestingly, Molly doesn’t have this recipe posted to her blog, but she does have a recipe for its cousin, the pistachio-apricot oatmeal cookie.

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