A Boys Birthday Bash

Hang up the bunting banner, stock up the bar cart, and send out your invitations. It's party time.

My fiancé and my childhood best friend were both celebrating birthdays just days apart, so I took charge to host our friends for bourbon drinks and sophisticated (and very simple) snacks.

I began with a quick farmers market grab of sunflowers and a trip to Miss Cordelia's for cheese, charcuterie and other appetizer ingredients. Though the presentation might have made this look like an all-day labor, the assembly was absolutely easy. Keep scrolling for step-by-step creations to throw together a cocktail party in a matter of minutes!

The hors d'oeuvres...

Mozz pops

1. Take a package of mini fresh mozzarella balls, rinse in water and pat dry.
2. Place each mozzarella ball on a mini party skewer.
3. Place store-bought or homemade basil pesto in a dipping bowl.
4. Serve on a slate tray with even ends of mozzarella bites

Cheese + charcuterie

1. Place mini plates of brie, goat, and gouda on a large cutting board.
2. Add a side of honey or grain mustard.
3. Accompany cheese wheels with cheese knives.
4. Fan charcuterie (I like soppressata) and fig grain crackers around the cheese.

Pork belly and peach flatbread pizza

1. Prepare pork belly the morning of the party.
2. Thirty minutes before guests arrive, top store-bought flatbread crusts with all recipe toppings.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
4. Allow to cool slightly before slicing in squares to serve.

Homemade guac with fresh cilantro and heirloom tomatoes

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Sizzling Grilled Sides

Summer is made for dinners al fresco with nearby neighbors and new acquaintances. You might not have realized that your July barbecues and patio hangouts were, however, in celebration of an under-appreciated and effortlessly natural holiday--National Grilling Month.

To celebrate, I'm sharing some secrets with my Midtown specialty grocer The Fresh Market for cooking juicy, flavor-packed grilled sides at your next outdoor spread. All you need is begin a well-oiled or "au natural" charcoal grill...and a bottle of chilled white wine, of course.

Ciabatta Bruschetta I am a huge fan of ciabatta bread for the grill, either to load up a tomato mozzarella medley, dip in olive oil or sprinkle with parmesan. To prepare, slice the loaf horizontally and drizzle each slice with olive oil and freshly chopped garlic. Grill for roughly 3 minutes on each side. I love to snack on a few Castelvetrano olives while the ciabatta crisps and caramelizes. The Fresh Market's "Grill Master" Peter Mays recommends to, before serving, sprinkle the ciabatta with sea salt and basil.

Grilled Asparagus + Brussels Bright green vegetables not only look gorgeous, but they also enliven any spread or supper. Not to mention, you'll feel healthier when a few stalks of asparagus are paired with rich grilled entrées and carbs. The key to these vegetables is to coat evenly with olive oil, squeeze lemon while they're sizzling on the grill, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes to serve warm or at room temperature.

Potato Salad To grill, slice red skin potatoes in half inch rounds, drizzle with olive oil, place on grill and cover for about 5 minutes. Flip potatoes and repeat. Roughly chop potatoes and toss with sliced scallions, lemon juice, a spoonful of course grain mustard, salt, pepper and fresh parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This post is brought to you by The Fresh Market. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors.

Peach and Pesto Crostinis

Summertime patio hangouts and house parties call for the most coveted fruit of the season—peaches. The color and complexity of the ingredient stands well on its own; though when caramelized on a crostini or marinated with honey, the heightened flavors welcome a perfect sweet and savory combination. Surpass the standard presentation and test this peachy rendition, now featured in the June issue of Good Health Magazine!

Makes 8 servings

Basil pesto:

1 packed cup of basil ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted ½ garlic clove, roughly chopped Juice and zest from ½ a lemon ¼ cup olive oil A few pinches of red pepper flakes Sea salt & pepper

Crostini:

½ French baguette, sliced on the angle 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 ripe peaches, sliced Basil pesto 4 slices fresh mozzarella, halved Sea salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or turn broiler on high). Brush crostini slices with olive oil and place on baking sheet. Bake/broil until slices are golden and toasted.

2. Spread each crostini with basil pesto, followed by peach and mozzarella slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to the oven to lightly melt cheese and caramelize the peaches. If preferred, serve at room temperature.

Tofu Avocado Lettuce Wraps

Daylight savings and this seriously addictive spring weather have prompted a post-work routine of River-view runs (when I'm not at Loflin), followed by creative dinners on the patio. During the last documented occurrence, I toyed with a one-pan chicken sausage sauté. This time at Whole Foods, however, the tofu caught my eye. I was initially intimidated by the cooking process of tofu, but my friend  Jeanine Donofrio appeased my suspicion through her new Love and Lemons cookbook. I felt immediately inspired by the pages' bright colors and wholesome ingredients. Here's my attempt at Jeanine's well-followed style and technique...

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Makes 4 servings

Bibb lettuce leaves 1 14 ounce box of extra firm tofu 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 glove garlic, minced 1/8 teaspoon black sesame seeds 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 1 lime 1 teaspoon honey Heirloom carrots, shaved Radishes, shaved 1 avocado, cubed Srirarcha

1. Remove tofu from package and slice into 1-inch cubes. Carefully blot tofu with a paper towel to remove water.

2. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, juice of a lime, and honey. Toss tofu in oil mixture and allow to marinade for 15 minutes.

3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tofu in batches, ensuring that tofu pieces have at least once inch between them. Cook untouched, until pan-facing side is caramelized and golden. Flip and continue to cook. Remove tofu from pan and add remaining batches until all is prepared.

4. Layer carrots, tofu, avocado and radish on lettuce leaves. Top with srirarcha and serve.

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