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July 17: Madison, WI // Yoga + Watercolor

Hi friends,

Every summer I find myself daydreaming about the Mediterranean, especially Italy.

A shady table under a vine-covered pergola. A breezy caftan. A bowl of olives. An Aperol Spritz with a slice of citrus. A plunge in the sea. A perfect bowl of pasta. A long outdoor dinner. Oh, take me back!

In Italy while shooting *The Forest Feast Mediterranean*

While I can’t exactly teleport myself to a Greek island this week, I can make a few summery recipes and pretend. Let’s create a Mediterranean staycation at home.

Here’s the formula:

☀️ Put on a caftan (or your closest approximation).

☀️ Make a Mediterranean-inspired drink (perhaps a spritz! recipe below).

☀️ Put together a colorful spread of salads, appetizers, dips, and bread (flip through The Forest Feast Mediterranean for ideas). Invite people over!

☀️ Catch the sunset by the water (even if it’s a pool)

☀️ Eat outside. Turn on the twinkle lights. Light some candles.

☀️ Stay at the table longer than usual.

For music, I’m currently loving Cesaria Evora, especially in the morning while I sip my coffee on the front porch. (I mean, if I close my eyes I might as well be on a sailboat off the coast of Portugal!)

For a movie, you can't go wrong with Mamma Mia! (Greek islands!), Under the Tuscan Sun (Italian villas!), Before Midnight (olive groves, seaside dinners, and a dreamy Greek summer), Stealing Beauty (sun-drenched Tuscany, artists, and wildflowers), or The Talented Mr. Ripley (gorgeous scenery, questionable life choices). Project it on a sheet in the backyard, or simply bring your laptop outside for movie night al fresco!

As for food, I’m pulling out a few favorites from The Forest Feast Mediterranean:

I could eat this every day of summer and never get tired of it.

While visiting the Ligurian Coast I had the best bowl of pasta with a walnut-marjoram sauce typical of that region, Salsa di Noci. Flavorful and light, it’s perfect for my Mediterranean summer at home. Here’s the recipe from the book (thin it out using warm water.)

THE bowl of pasta that inspired the recipe in the book. YUM!

Monterosso al Mare, Italy — Cinque Terre. (and the paint color I am forever striving for!!)

Make a traditional version by skipping the grapefruit and thyme and simply adding a slice of orange. Make it N/A by using a non-alcoholic sparkling wine and skipping the Aperol and adding a couple shakes of Angostura bitters.

After our 3-month trip to shoot the cookbook, I convinced my editor (and Jon) that I “needed” to go back to Italy for a few more photos :) I brought my friend Jodie along for a 4-day whirlwind trip that October and she snapped this photo of me (and many others that appear in the book). I was sipping a spritz from a plastic cup that I purchased on the beach in Cinque Terre, then took one of the best ocean dips of my life!

At home, bonus points if you decorate the table with lemons, wildflowers or herbs plucked from the garden (or grocery store).

For dessert, buy a tub of the fanciest gelato your grocery store has to offer. Then maybe pour a shot of (decaf?!) espresso or coffee on top and you’ve got yourself an affogato. You’re practically in Italy now.

No passport required. Just a few good recipes, something cold to drink, and a willingness to daydream!

If you need me, I’ll be over here eating olives and living out my imaginary Amalfi Coast summer. I’m also half way through the book A Year in Provence which I am really enjoying! It’s a funny memoir by Peter Mayle about his first year living in the south of France. Filled with markets, gardens, food, wine, and colorful local characters, it's a delightful reminder to slow down and savor life's simple pleasures.

Cheers to the weekend!

Erin

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Mediterranean Summer Staycation

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