This past week I had the pleasure of spending a day in the kitchen with Joy, the author and blogger of the insanely addictive, Joy the Baker. And yes, somehow she’s even sweeter/funnier/more skilled in the kitchen than you can imagine. We met a couple of months back over lunch and talked about how fun it would be to do something together, so we decided to throw a fall brunch at my place – complete with a ricotta frittata, chai spiced cinnamon rolls, a bloody mary bar, and party favors (little cellophane bags filled with Halloween candies, tied with colored twine, and finished with a leaf). You can find the recipe to her cinnamon rolls here as well as my three tips for making a bloody mary bar at home. Bloody Mary Bar (from my book) 1. Use low sodium tomato/vegetable juice. This lets people control the amount of salt. 2. Freeze some juice ahead of time in ice cube trays. They look cute and will keep your drinks cold without watering them down. 3. Corral everything into a tray for a streamlined look and offer several options for garnishes – my go-to’s include: celery, stuffed olives, and pepperoncinis. What goes into my bloody mary (adjust to your taste): Low-sodium vegetable juice, vodka, prepared horseradish, tabasco, diced celery, diced shallot, celery salt, salt, pepper, lime juice, and worcestershire sauce. P.S. Here’s the link to my dress.
