• Pink Pepper Berry
    Drinks

    Pink Pepper Berry

    When you’re in the mood for refreshing berry flavor with a hint of spice, turn to the Pink Pepper Berry, which can be made as a non-alcoholic drink or cocktail. Unlike other peppercorns, the pink variety are actually berries, making them a fitting addition in the form of an infused simple syrup. Fresh strawberry puree lends the majority of the berry flavor, with tarragon and a squeeze of lime adding the right balance. Since friends and family who don’t imbibe aren’t often treated to individual pours, break out a set of bar tools to make the scene festive. Just keep track of which set is for which version. If you…

  • Painting of tiny peach
    Living

    Tiny Fruit

    If you’ve been reading and cooking along with me, you may have noticed the painting that squiggles its way between Thirsty and Radish at the top the page. The inspiration for the Thirsty Radish name, it encapsulates a creative approach to life in and out of the kitchen. While that painting is larger than it appears, often I paint tiny fruit. These little rough-edged creations make their way to notes that I write, having no other purpose than brightening the day for the recipient. Once in a while, I plan to share a tiny fruit to brighten your day and let you know how much I cherish our community of…

  • Roasted Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad
    Food

    Roasted Cherry Tomato and Corn Salad

    Over the weekend I found some ripe cherry tomatoes, and my first thought was to pop them in the oven to intensify all that flavor. Even in the heart of summer, I don’t shy away from the oven. Some people prefer the slow tending of meat over a grill, but I prefer keeping a watchful eye over a sheet full of slowly collapsing tomatoes. As I popped each one off the vine, I thought of how my father would stop by just to search my overgrown plants for the tomatoes that were ready to be picked, and which I might have missed. Most of the time I didn’t even know…

  • Beach Style Bedroom
    Living

    Wake Up to Beach Style: A Coastal-Inspired Bedroom

    After a restorative vacation, many of us wonder how to hold onto a relaxed feeling as we settle back into our daily routine. If you’ve vacationed near the coastline yet live farther inland, the contrast can be more than a little jarring. Salty ocean air and wave after wave of every blue imaginable promote calm in a way that many other settings just can’t match. Infusing the bedroom with coastal style goes a long way toward recapturing that vacation feeling, and it doesn’t have to involve a single nautical pattern. Instead of relying on themed accents, focus on updates that play to the senses to bring serenity and beachy vibes…

  • Rum Raspberry Dessert Sauce
    Food

    Rum Raspberry Dessert Sauce

    We are in the midst of a heat wave, and the Fourth of July is almost here, which means many of us will be scooping ice cream, gelato, and other frozen desserts at picnics and barbecues long into the weekend. Velvety chocolate sorbet and rich vanilla bean ice cream and are at their seasonal best when paired with slightly tart berries, so this week I’m serving up a rum raspberry dessert sauce that you can use to top just about any flavor. (I’m looking at you, coconut and blood orange!) The only danger is eating it by the spoonful before your icy treat even nestles into the bottom of the…