Entertaining by the Sea

From a lunch around a weathered picnic table set with mason jars full of herbs under a pergola and a vintage boat picnic to cocktails on the deck overlooking the marshes and a dessert party of bakery favourites in an open-air garage, this book is brimming with ideas for entertaining with ease during the warm weather months. Designer Tricia Foley has gone to her creative friends and influencers to collect their advice. Presented are beautifully photographed joyous gatherings at their beach retreats that reflect an artful—sometimes bohemian—approach to today’s entertaining. They provide the details for memorable occasions, from arranging garden roses or wildflowers to setting relaxed tables with a mix of heirlooms and new accoutrements and selecting delectable menus to organising a bar on a white lacquer tray. Included are go-to recipes for light summer fare: lobster-salad lettuce wraps, salmon with grilled lemon slices, peach almond cake, musk-melon daiquiris, and more. There are sidebars with tips on setting an outdoor table using a beachy blue-and-white tablecloth or burlap, placing white stones to hold down napkins, using clamshells for salt and pepper, and stocking the pantry to make gatherings a breeze.

Tricia Foley is a lifestyle authority whose clients have included Ralph Lauren Home and Wedgwood. Foley’s design work has been featured in such publications as Elle Decor and Martha Stewart Living. She is the author of numerous books, including Life/Style. 

Marili Forastieri is a lifestyle photographer, whose work has appeared in many publications, including Elle Decor and Hamptons Cottages and Gardens.