Cool off with a Watermelon Cocktail on National Watermelon Day

It's National Watermelon Day and we're in the midst of a heatwave. Other than a cold slice of watermelon, the thing I'll be looking forward to at the end of the day is a watermelon cocktail. This riff on the Americano combines Campari, sweet vermouth, bottled watermelon juice and Dry Sparkling Watermelon. Proportions are dialed back…

August 3, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

Cover Reveal: Hooking Up by Helena Hunting

Say hello (hellllooooo) to the cover of Helena Hunting's upcoming release, Hooking Up. The standalone rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of the Pucked series, follows Amelie Whitfield on what should be one of the best days of her life, her wedding day. Her new husband it seems, is a little less than committed.…

August 2, 20170Comments

Pizza Recipes

Make this Tonight: Zucchini Pizza with Feta and Garlic

We're deep in the heart of the summer and zucchini is getting cheaper every week. We're talking 99 cents a pound cheap. And if you've got a neighbor growing zucchini, it might just be free. This zucchini pizza with feta and garlic was inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi's latest Guardian column in which he celebrates his love for…

August 1, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

Chris Bianco Demystifies Pizza & More in BIANCO: Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like

James Beard award winning chef Chris Bianco's new cookbook, BIANCO, demystifies the pizza fundamentals that made him a big papa of artisanal pizza, and delivers simple, straightforward recipes in which the ingredients are as important as the intention. ****************** A few years ago we visited Phoenix for a wedding. Other than the nuptials, Pizzeria Bianco was on…

July 25, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond | Review

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley 5 stars In The Marriage Pact, a therapist and his musician-turned-lawyer wife find themselves invited to join a secretive, exclusive community dedicated to ensuring a successful marriage that lasts forever. By any means necessary. Set against a backdrop of San Francisco Bay Area affluence,…

July 21, 20170Comments

Just for Fun

Here’s Your Next Binge Listen: Jules and James

Image Credit: Jules and James/Through the 4th Wall Romancing the Podcast: In an age where you’re more likely to text than actually call someone on the phone, Jules and James is a delightful way to eavesdrop on an accidental, then ongoing, conversation. ********************** I’ve been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for a serial fiction podcast…

July 10, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

The Party by Robyn Harding | Review

**ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley** Birthday. Booze. Boys. Tragedy. Revenge. Mid-life Crises. Comeuppance. Robyn Harding's The Party exposes when what *looks* perfect is terribly, terribly flawed. 3.5 stars The Party opens on the day of Hannah Sanders’ 16th birthday, diving right into establishing the family dynamic. Dad Jeff is a…

June 27, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden | Review

Cucumber, Celery and Apricots with Pistachios from Josh McFadden's Six Seasons. **ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review** 2017 seems poised to deliver a bumper crop of vegetable cookbooks. Josh McFadden, chef of Portland's Ava Gene's, rolled out Six Seasons in May; Chef Jenn Louis' Book of Greens and Jeremy Fox's On Vegetables both came…

June 22, 20170Comments

Restaurants

First Look: Chef Jason Wilson’s the Lakehouse Opens in Bellevue

The Lakehouse opens today at the Lincoln Square Expansion in Bellevue. Helmed by Jason Wilson, chef-owner of Seattle's Miller's Guild, the restaurant is an elegant interpretation of northwest vacation homes of the past. It reads like an architect's getaway with artisan touches throughout the space, from hand thrown stoneware dishes to custom knives made by a bladesmith in…

June 15, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

5 Stars: Dating You Hating You by Christina Lauren | Review

Forget he loves me, he loves me not. In Dating You Hating You, it's, "I'll get the job, I'll get the job not." **Review copy provided by the publisher** In Dating You Hating You, Evie and Carter are talent agents who hit it off at a party and then find themselves competing for a single job.…

June 6, 20170Comments

Michelle

Cool off with a Watermelon Cocktail on National Watermelon Day

Cover Reveal: Hooking Up by Helena Hunting

Make this Tonight: Zucchini Pizza with Feta and Garlic

Chris Bianco Demystifies Pizza & More in BIANCO: Pizza, Pasta and Other Food I Like

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond | Review

Here’s Your Next Binge Listen: Jules and James

The Party by Robyn Harding | Review

Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden | Review

First Look: Chef Jason Wilson’s the Lakehouse Opens in Bellevue

5 Stars: Dating You Hating You by Christina Lauren | Review

Review: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

Book Review: Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Book Review: Just for the Season by Rachel Griffiths