decor, Formalities

Buffet-Style Summer Suppers

We threw a midsummer buffet supper last week, and – much to my surprise – the weather cooperated. The sun came out; it didn’t rain for an entire day, and the thermometer hovered at a civilized 80 degrees. Very un-Washington-like, and so perfect! It’s my favorite time of year to have a party, because I can go into the garden and pick all kinds of flowers and put them into one-of-a-kind arrangements, which gives me such pleasure. It’s very spontaneous, […]

Day at the Beach Essentials
Summer, Travel

A Day at the Beach

If you’re hard at work in the sticky-hot city with no vacation plans in sight, doesn’t a day at the beach sound like heaven? A few hours to frolic, to think, and to do absolutely nothing: that could change your whole perspective on life. With that in mind, here are some items to help make your day at the shore as memorable as possible. They are all available online, so no effort required; just put those fingers to the keyboard, […]

Jeremy Bernard Chicken with Rainbow Chard
Dinner, Entrees, Food, Gluten-Free, Summer, Tales from the White House

Jeremy Bernard’s Chicken with Rainbow Chard

I’m thrilled to have a recipe today from my good friend Jeremy Bernard, who knows a lot about hospitality. His recipe for chicken with rainbow chard is beyond delicious; we were all scraping our plates. Jeremy left the White House, where he was Social Secretary to President and Mrs. Obama, and well – I’ll just let Jeremy tell his own story: Having left my position as White House Social Secretary, I arrived back in California to the cool mornings and […]