It took me a whole twenty four hours of thinking before I realized that these ingredients are exactly the elements needed to make a classic Nicoise salad. I already had black olives and tuna in the pantry, so bam! — I made a delicious and easy Nicoise salad. Actually, the salad was so good, I made it four times! If you put together a big batch, it keeps for a couple of days. Traditionally a Nicoise salad is composed and all the parts are arranged separately on a platter, but my version is a chopped salad. It’s perfect for a picnic!

Nicoise Salad

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1-inch circular chunks
Salt
1 teaspoon capers, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 heaping tablespoon parsley, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups green beans, trimmed
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 5-ounce cans tuna in olive oil, drained
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped

For the anchovy vinaigrette:
6 anchovies, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup oil

2 cups chopped red leaf or butter lettuce, optional for serving

1. Place the potato chunks in a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Season generously with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium high and boil for 12 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and a fork pierces easily into the flesh. Do not over cook, you want the potatoes to hold their shape rather than turn into mashed potatoes.
2. While the potatoes cook, combine the capers, shallots, parsley, and oil in a small jar. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Shake to combine.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, remove them with tongs and place on a cutting board. Do not drain the boiling water.
4. Add the green beans to the water and boil for 1 minute until the beans float and are bright green.
5. Drain the green beans and immediately place into a bowl of ice water.
6. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, but still warm, chop into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2-inch dice. Place in a large bowl and drizzle the caper shallot dressing over the potatoes. Toss to combine. Set the bowl aside.
7. Drain the green beans and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add the green beans to the bowl with the potatoes. Add the eggs, tomatoes, tuna, olives, and parsley to the bowl.
8. Make the anchovy vinaigrette by combining all of the ingredients in a small sealable jar. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Seal the jar and shake well to combine.
9. Pour the vinaigrette over the bowl with the tuna, eggs, and vegetables. Using a large spoon, gently toss everything together to make sure all of the ingredients are coated in dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt or pepper if necessary.
10. Enjoy the salad as is or arrange the chopped lettuce evenly over four large plates. Divide the salad evenly over the top of the lettuce. To eat the salad later, pack in plastic airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Makes 4 dinner sized salads.

• Start by naming the party — Valentine’s Day Dinner, Emily’s Bridal Shower, The Brooklyn Mash-Up — at the top of the menu.

• Underneath the title, list the dishes in the order that you are serving them.

• If it’s a buffet menu, group like items (desserts, salads, cheese dishes, etc.) together.

• Don’t forget to list any cocktails or drinks on the menu.

• Write the date somewhere on the menu. A year or two from the party when you stumble across the menu, you’ll be happy you did.

• Think like a chef and make the food sound delicious. If you’re serving baked brie as a first course, call it something more glamourous like oven-warmed brie with honey drizzle.

• Add the farm or producer’s name, if you know it. Instead of mini berry pies call them berry tartlets or better yet seasonal berry tartlets or Green String berry tartlets.

• Use a different language. I once threw a going away dinner for a friend moving to Spain. The menu was half written in Spanish!

• Keep things simple. Try not to go overboard and write out all of the ingredients to a dish.

• Get creative with the design and add flourishes, artwork, or stamps.

1. He drives me around. I don’t have a car and haven’t really driven in about 6 years. Luckily my dad doesn’t mind playing chauffeur and takes me to Petaluma from the city a few times a month. He’s also been known to take a group of us girls wine tasting!

2. He’s a wonderful cook. He is the person who taught me how to make pasta carbonara and brownies. He also makes me things like shrimp and grits for breakfast!

3. He appreciates Spain just as much as I do.

4. He loves trying new restaurants and is always willing to bring me along.

5. He surprises me with little things, like Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam cheese or Three Twins Sea Salted Caramel Ice Cream, that make me incredibly happy.

6. He performs the manly jobs in the kitchen like shucking oysters, carving meat, grilling, and deep frying turkeys. Plus, he’s always willing to help me batch cocktails or throw a party!

7. He’s madly in love with my mom and still enjoys seeing her dance in a miniskirt on a bar after three top shelf margaritas.

8. He answers my stupid questions about sports — and only makes a little fun of me while at it.

9. When at a beach bar or other fabulous location, he’s the first one to ask, “do you want another drink?”

10. He supports me in everything I do and loves me just the way I am, which is really the best thing a parent could ever do to a child, right?

I say challenge because there are not a lot of passion fruit cocktail recipes out there and while I came across a few good passion fruit sangrias, I really wanted to do a spirit-based beverage rather than a wine-based one. Also, passion fruit juice is surprisingly difficult to find. I checked the Mexican market and could only find guava and tamarind nectars. Luckily there’s the Perfect Puree of Napa Valley! The Perfect Puree produces fresh fruit and vegetable purees that are used all over the nation by chefs and mixologists. They have a ton of flavors, ranging from apricot to pomegranate — including passion fruit. To use their purees, you simply dilute with equal parts water.

Once I found the passion fruit puree, it was time to work on the cocktail. I wanted something light and refreshing, that was easy to drink and somewhat boozy. Rum and gin were my top spirits, but after considering the rest of the menu, I chose gin. A rum concoction could end up being a little too tropical. It took four tries, but I finally perfected the recipe and I’m proud to say that the resulting drink is the best cocktail recipe I’ve ever created! It’s fruity, well-balanced, and wonderful. Since I was making it for a bridal shower, I came up with the fun name. The groom’s last name is Fry and alliteration is one of my favorite literary devices, so that’s that. Below I’ve included details on how to make a single drink and how to make a batch of 30 drinks.

A Passion For Fry

1 1/2 ounces gin (I used Plymouth)
3/4 ounce passion fruit juice
1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 ounce mint simple syrup, recipe
1 ounce sparkling wine

1. Combine the gin, passion fruit, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice.
2. Shake well to combine. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
3. Top with sparkling wine and enjoy immediately.

Makes 1 drink.

To make a large batch:

5 cups + 5 ounces gin
2 3/4 cups passion fruit juice
2 cups fresh-squeezes lime juice
3 3/4 cups mint simple syrup, recipe below
1 bottle sparkling wine

1. Combine the gin, passion fruit, lime juice, and mint simple syrup in a punch bowl. Refrigerate over night.
2. Add the champagne and serve immediately with glasses and ice.

Makes 30 drinks.

Mint Simple Syrup

1 bunch of mint
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water

1. Place the mint, sugar, and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar.
2. Once it has boiled, remove the pan from heat and set aside to steep for about an hour. Strain the mixture into a jar. Discard the mint.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Please note that to make the cocktail batch, you’ll need to double this recipe, so 2 bunches of mint and 3 cups each of sugar and water.

• Style Me Pretty has a gallery of a 30th birthday party at Hog Island Oyster Company that makes me want to throw a party or even plan a trip out to the farm! Who is with me?

• Snippet and Ink featured a bunch of different ways to wear flowers in your hair.

• The Sweetest Occasion’s lime and ocean color palette is my new favorite color pairing for summer.

• Designlovefest’s flower bomb makes me wish I had a car!

• “Seek out the raw, unedited, unfiltered, and uncaptured, never to be filmed moments of your life, every single day.  Run wildly, love softly, and let your heart soar and expand, and take in more even when its too much.  Close your eyes and dance to the music you are listening too, sing the words out loud, even if you are in a public place like an airplane.  There is a fire lit within you, and you are the one that needs to carry the torch and stoke the flame.” Plenty of words to live by from my eloquent, wise-beyond-her-years sister. Find more on her blog, I Will Arise and Go Now!

• I just signed up for the Positive Prescription weekly newsletter. By socialite and doctor Samantha Boardman, it promises mind tonics, positive RX, and visual prozacs!

• While I’m the subject of positivity, Refinery 29 reports on a study that says we need seven hours of time to ourselves to live a balanced life.

• Finally, Thrillist SF invited me to participate in a traditional kopstootje. Don’t know what that is? Watch the video!

Roasted Red Pepper and Turkey Sandwiches

1 slab/loaf focaccia
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cups store bought pesto
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry, sliced into 1-inch strips
12 thin slices herb-crusted turkey breast
8 slices provolone cheese
15-20 fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat the broiler.
2. Carefully slice the focaccia in half lengthwise. You don’t want the sandwich to be too bready, so using your fingers gently remove chunks of bread from the inside of both the top and the bottom of the bread. Reserve for another use.
3. Broil the cut side of the focaccia until it’s toasted and lightly golden brown. Transfer to a work surface and let cool for a minute.
4. While the focaccia broils, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and sriracha in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Spread the mixture on the top half of the toasted focaccia.
6. Spread the bottom half of the focaccia with the pesto, making sure that the entire surface is covered in pesto.
7. Cover the pesto with the roasted red pepper strips, pressing them into the bread and evenly covering the entire slab of focaccia.
8. Layer the turkey over the roasted red peppers, overlapping slices as necessary. Cover with the cheese slices making sure that it evenly covers the entire slab of focaccia. You want each bite to have pesto, pepper, turkey, and provolone in it!
9. Cover the provolone with an even layer of fresh basil leaves. Season the entire sandwich generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Close the sandwich by covering the basil with the top half of the focaccia that is slathered with the mayonnaise sriracha mixture.
10. Wrap the entire sandwich in foil or plastic wrap and place in the fridge with a can of tomatoes (or other heavy object) on top of it for a few hours and up to overnight.
11. Unwrap and if serving as an appetizer, slice into 1-inch squares and spear each one with a toothpick. Otherwise slice into 4 or 6 sandwiches. Serve immediately.

Serves 10-12 as an appetizer and 4-6 as a lunch sandwich.

$1 oysters at Bar Crudo‘s happy hour.

Smoked trout and white bean salad.

Homemade French bread pizza.

Chips and amazing chipotle salsa at La Condesa in St. Helena.

Bloody Mary on the ferry to Vallejo. The bartender makes his own horseradish!

Easy appetizer of cotswold with mustard and toast and roasted peanuts.

Tagliatelle, truffles, and a 6-minute egg at Mason Pacific.

• Camille Styles’ summer crush cocktail recipe reminds me that I need to get a bottle of Lillet.

• I can’t wait to try this Martha Stewart recipe for one-pan pasta.

• If you watch The Bachelorette, you’ve got to read Lost Angeles’ hysterical weekly recaps.

• Uh-oh, Jezebel’s got details on a new study that says we start turning into our mothers at my exact age.

• In other study and aging news, The Atlantic reports that wearing sunscreen daily reduces wrinkles!

• A Beautiful Mess’ post on cocktail sticks is what inspired me to make them for the shower.

I made shaved zucchini salad, smoked trout with white beans and zucchini, and zucchini with scrambled eggs, but my favorite use for the excess of zucchini was this pasta dish. It’s super flavorful thanks to a marcona almond and herb pesto, plenty of lemon juice, and a little bit of cream. Although there are a few steps, this easy meal comes together in about 30 minutes making it perfect for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner.

Zucchini String Pasta

For the pesto:
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1/4 heaping cup fresh herbs (parsley, mint, oregano, thyme, or cilantro – use a combination of what you have on hand)
1/4 cup marcona almonds, toasted
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pasta:
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
2 servings spaghetti or angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandoline
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
2 tablespoons cream
Freshly ground black pepper and finely grated parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Start by making the pesto: In a food processor, combine the garlic with the herbs, almonds, and cheese.
2. Zest the lemon and add to the processor. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze half of the lemon juice into the processor.
3. Process until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the oil, cream, and season generously with salt and pepper. Process until you have a thick paste like mixture.
4. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. If it is too thick, add more oil. If it is too herby, add a little more lemon juice. If it’s too lemony, toss in a little more cheese. Once the pesto is perfected, set aside.
5. Next make the pasta: Bring a large pot of water, seasoned with 2 teaspoons of salt, to a boil. Add the spaghetti or angel hair and cook one minute less than instructed on the outside of the pasta package. If using angel hair, which cooks in just a minute, wait until the following sauce is almost ready. Do not drain.
6. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
7. Stack the thinly sliced zucchini pieces and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch pieces that are roughly the same size as the spaghetti. You want to make strings of zucchini. Repeat until all of the zucchini is sliced.
8. Add the zucchini to the pan and cook, stirring, to make sure that everything doesn’t stick together, for 4 minutes.
9. Add the red pepper flakes and season with salt and cook for another minute.
10. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes.
11. Add the herb pesto and stir to combine everything. Add the cream and stir, simmering for 1 minute.
12. Add the cooked pasta and a little bit of cooking water to thin out the sauce. Add more pasta water if necessary. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss everything to combine the pasta with the zucchini and coat the pasta in the pesto.
13. Serve immediately with freshly ground black pepper and finely grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 2.

• RSVP stands for répondez s’il vous plaît, which means ‘please respond’ in French.

• So, when an invitation says RSVP, it’s asking you to respond. This means you reply either accepting the invitation or declining the invitation.

• It’s rude to ignore an RSVP and simply not show up to the party. When guests do this to me, I make a note and won’t invite them to my next party.

• Likewise, it’s rude to RSVP yes, then not show up. If you’ve agreed to attend an event, you should go to it. A good hostess will make note of this, the guest who says yes, but then is a no-show. Tell me you’re coming and you don’t? I immediately place you on my blacklist.

•  It’s advisable to respond in a timely manner. The hostess has a lot of things to figure out that depend on knowing how many guests are attending the party. Don’t wait till the night before the party to RSVP.

• RSVPing is simply a common courtesy. The hostess has taken the time to put together an invite and send it to you. It shouldn’t be too much to ask that you reply.

• When you reply, keep the message short and cheerful. It’s polite to ask the host what you can bring to contribute, but is not necessary. A good hostess will let you know if she needs you to bring something to the party.

• After the event, send a thank you note!