May Dinner Party
(with guest chef Holly Coppedge!)
Hello from sunny Southern California! If you like tacos, kimchi, seasonal produce, and bright flavors, you’re in the right place.
Every Friday, I share California Cuisine recipes to inspire you, no matter where you live in the world.
Looking for a recipe from a previous newsletter? The Recipe and Resource Index was just updated! Take a look.
Casual Dinner Parties
Every month, paid subscribers receive a dinner party post that includes recipes, conversation-starting questions, and even a Spotify playlist.
My goal: make throwing together a casual dinner party super-duper easy!
So many peeps have prioritized “having dinner with friends more often,” but it doesn’t have to be fancy, fussy, over-the-top, and perfect. How about a relaxed, wear your favorite t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops, and come over for supper kind of night? That’s California-casual!
2 Cooks 1 Table
Because I am a fan of so many talented food writers (and I know you are too!), each monthly dinner party includes recipes from a guest chef.
This month, I’m so happy to be collaborating with Holly Coppedge ! She is a food blogger and recipe developer who also writes a newsletter, Detour Ahead!, where she shares recipes and RV travel stories.
You saw several of her delicious recipes earlier this month in the May menu plan!
We met online through the Substack platform and quickly bonded over our love of all things Tex-Mex (and Torchy’s queso!).
I had such a fun chat with Holly about her cooking philosophy, where she gets her inspiration, and raising kids who love food! Listen to the podcast, linked below.
Holly and I had fun coming up with today’s dinner party plan!
In this month’s menu, we kept to the Nachos theme for May. So, you’ll find Holly’s scrumptious San Antonio-style Loaded Shrimp Nachos as well as her recipes for Candied Jalapenos and Easy Guacamole. I rounded out the menu with Mexican Street Corn (Elotes) and a refreshing Michelada (made with regular or non-alcoholic beer). You are going to love this menu!
Don’t feel like making every recipe? Make it a community effort by having guests prepare and bring one (or more) of the dishes. Many hands make light work!
Spotify Playlist
As always, there is a playlist I’ve put together for you! In line with today’s menu items (and a hat tip to Holly’s Texas roots), this one is two hours of old-school Country music that you can enjoy while prepping dinner or as guests arrive. I love the free version of Spotify for all my playlists!
Conversation Starters
Usually, no one is at a loss for words when it’s a gathering with good friends. But! It is fun to throw out a question or two, either before the meal or as dessert is served.
Two questions that Holly and I thought would spark some fun conversation:
The rest of today’s post is for paid subscribers. You know I’m fond of you all, but once a month, I treat my paid subscribers to a post that is just for them. Won’t you join us?
***If you sign up in May, you’ll receive a special gift: my new ebook Sunny Weather Mocktails, which includes 8 zero-proof drinkies that are perfect for summertime sipping!
