Hosting an Al Fresco Soirée

From the menu, recipes, tips, and tablescapes, here’s advice from a pro

If you’ve followed me for even a day, you probably know by now that I love to cook—and I cook a lot. But truth be told, I’m not a huge entertainer. Unless I have some help. For example, when we lived in LA, I hosted dinner parties with fun groups of women at my house alongside my friend Gaby. We’d cook together—and by we, I mean she, did most of the cooking while I scurried around setting the table, arranging flowers, and stocking the powder room with fancy soaps and pretty hand towels.

My biggest struggle with hosting? I let perfect be the enemy of good. The thought of cooking for a group—with delicious recipes timed just right, a stunning tablescape, and all the right details like the playlist and kids’ activities—needing to be perfect can overwhelm me to the point of skipping it altogether (most of the time).

Recently, I caught up with my friend Brittany, who lives in Montecito and teaches people how to shop and cook for themselves and their families. She’s a pro at hosting, meal prep, and planning, so I thought it would be fun to have her help us navigate the pain points of hosting an al fresco soirée. My goal is to make summer entertaining for all of us feel easy and doable! From the menus, recipes, tips, and tablescapes, here’s her advice: