Synopses & Reviews
Sandy Hill is rich in imagination, style, taste, and experience. She has climbed the highest peak on every continent. She has kayaked the Arctic and ridden across the Masai Mara in Kenya on horseback. She owns a vineyard in California, and she throws parties that are the talk of whatever town she's in.
Memorable entertaining, for her, is not about the easy this and store-bought that—if it's simple, why bother? It's about inspiration and preparation, about making every occasion as grand as you would if it were the last thing you'd ever do. To that end, she engages her full imagination, rolls up her sleeves, asks her guests to be co-conspirators, and creates gutsy, one-of-a-kind events of all sizes and shapes at her ranch in wine country.
The results range from the intimate to the ultimate: rowboat suppers for two and July Fourth blowouts for hundreds; Mexican luncheons to celebrate the harvest and feasts honoring Hindu gods; treasure hunts; poetry readings, grape picking and wine tastings; bachelor parties and wedding picnics; and bona fide holidays such as Father's Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as you've probably never imagined they could be. These are parties at which the energy flows both ways, from prepared and inspired hostess to willing and active guest, where people sing or cook or ride for their supper, then talk about it for years to come.
But for all these parties' grand gestures, they're not about precious perfection. The decorations and menus are real and re-creatable. The recipes, 125 in all, run the gamut from new twists on traditional American and Mexican food to rustic Italian, Spanish, Indian, and Scottish, and each is paired with a specific wine, beer, or cocktail. And while you may never have an elephant on hand to give your guests rides at a party, there's nothing to stop you from equally singular flights of imagination, from guests in costume to colorful table linens or the sheer beauty of a natural backdrop. So go on, dream a grand party, with Fandango as your guide.
Review
"To thumb through the pages of Fandango is to enter an idyll, and to imagine a better, tastier and more beautiful life than the one we’ve been living."— Jay McInerney, author of Bright Lights, Big City
Review
"If Santa Barbara County wine country ever needed a poster girl, it could do no better than Hill."—The New York Times Magazine
Review
"The best word to describe Sandy is intrepid. She is also adventurous, creative...and generous. Everyone can learn from these uniquely 'Sandy' events. They mark the occasions of our lives, and Sandy shows us how to celebrate with style."
—Martha Stewart, in her foreward
Synopsis
Fandango: an impromptu gathering, of open-ended duration and unspecified number of guests, that may include dining, sport, music, dance, and other entertainment—and always fun.
Synopsis
Sandy Hill has climbed the "seven summits," the highest mountain on every continent, toured the Arctic by sea kayak, and ridden across Kenya on horseback. She owns a vineyard in California, and throws parties that are the talk of whatever town she's in. So it's no wonder that, for her, memorable entertaining is not about the easy this and store-bought that. It's about inspiration and preparation, and making your guests co-conspirators. At these parties energy flows both ways, from prepared and inspired hostess to willing and participating guest, where everyone sings or cooks or rides for his or her supper, and then talks about it for years to come. The results range from the intimate to the ultimate—rowboat suppers for two and July Fourth blowouts for hundreds—with 125 great recipes that run the gamut from traditional American and Mexican to rustic Italian, Spanish, Indian, and Scottish, each paired with a wine or beer.
Here is inspired, imaginative entertaining from one of the leading arbiters of taste and style in a spectacular, oversized package that captures the essence of these delicious celebrations and reveals the beauty of California's wine country.
About the Author
Sandy Hill has worked as an editor, a contributor, and a writer for numerous publications, including Vogue, Mademoiselle, Brides, Condé Nast Traveler, Allure, Mens Journal, and USA Today. She may be best known for her successful quest to climb the “seven summits,” the highest mountain on every continent, including Mt. Everest, about which she reported on camera and online for NBC News. In 2000, she realized another dream, to own a vineyard and ranch in California. Sandy now divides her time between her Oak Savanna Vineyard (located in Santa Barbara County), New York City, Miami, and Alamos, Mexico.
Table of Contents
Contents FOREWORD BY MARTHA STEWART 1
INTRODUCTION 2
STEPHANIE VALENTINE 5
A NOTE ON THE WINE SELECTIONS 6
Wedding Picnic 9
Releasing a New Vintage 21
Fandango: A Fiesta Luncheon 43
Bachelor Party 65
Beach Ride 81
Indian Feast 95
Truffle Dinner 111
Father's Day 127
Treasure Hunt and Family Cookout 141
Dinner for Two 159
Vintners' Potluck 169
Independence Day Blast 179
Elevenses: A Dove Hunters' Brunch 203
Harvest 215
La Cosecha 227
Dinner for Dead Poets 241
Thanksgiving 255
Christmas Eve 275
PARTY PLANNING NOTES & RESOURCES 293
PHOTO CREDITS 307
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 308
INDEX 309