How To Host An Iconic Summer Soirée

Food stylist Rebecca Taylor offers her practical tips for hosting an unforgettable summer soirée and shares how she uses her Caraway cookware to create an effortless and cohesive tablescape. Ready to elevate your hosting toolkit? From now through June 23, take 20% off our Iconics Collection.

How did you come to work in food creation and styling?

I’m an artist first and foremost, and I’ve explored many creative mediums throughout my life. I started my career as a trained musician, and I like to tell people that the creative outlets of music and food aren’t that different. Both are universal languages and serve as canvases for my original ideas. I needed a break from songwriting, so I started traveling solo. During my travels, I found myself cooking, exploring unique dishes and drawing plates of food I envisioned. These culinary explorations were a way for me to stay inspired and connected to my creativity. It started as a hobby, and soon turned into a professional pursuit. The more I shared my culinary experiments, the more opportunities arose

When styling a table, where do you find your inspiration?

My aesthetic point of view is rooted in the natural beauty and vibrant community around me. I draw inspiration from foraging and playing with seasonal produce. When I travel out of the country, I explore local markets to source new and interesting ingredients. I’m most inspired by textures and shapes. Like an outfit, I always have my eyes peeled for interesting layers I can add to a dish whether it is a garnish or serving vessel. I once made my own dessert plates using tree bark for a dinner party.

How does the cookware you use influence the serving and styling of a table you set?

Neutral colors are a huge part of my world as a stylist to allow space for my food to pop. Having sleek Caraway cookware is beautiful enough to keep on my everyday stovetop, yet perfect for styling a spread. If you want to impress your guests in a relaxed way, styling a table to serve dinner in your cookware is such a great way to achieve that effortless host feel. It’s half the dishes you’ll have to do and brings a cohesive look to your table.

How does our Iconics Collection help to instantly elevate your home decor?

The Caraway Iconics Collection is the backbone to my kitchen style and design. I like a kitchen with personality and taste, and people have said my home feels like a shop. I display the things I love so that my space reflects my style. We built a slender shelving unit to hang on our wall in the kitchen which houses things like nice oils, cook books, homemade pickles and fermented foods. My Caraway Cookware always stays out on display, making the kitchen feel classy and styled.

What are three easy ways for someone to instantly elevate their tablescape?

• Make sure there's varying levels on your table. It looks so beautiful to have a full table with peaks and valleys and not just a flat spread. Try propping up a dish on an upside down bowl, or serving fresh fruit on a cake stand. Add tall candles or play around with height from flowers (you can forage leaves from citrus trees or olive branches too).

• It’s all in the details. One of my favorite things to add to a table is a compound butter. You can chop any herbs or edible flowers, fold it into the butter and serve it alongside bread. It’s beautiful to slice into rounds and is always a conversion piece.

• Choose a theme or color palette. One of the best ways to achieve a pleasing aesthetic is to stay within a range of colors that work together and compliment the food. I avoid patterned plates if my menu has an interesting design. You can mix and match styles of serving spoons, but keep them all rose gold or all silver depending on what you have. My black Iconics Collection Caraway pans look elegant in all black with gold handles. I’d choose either black or gold serving utensils or you can give it a rustic look by adding in wood pieces.

Any final words of wisdom or inspiration for those looking to go from a home cook to a home host?

The first thing that came to mind was - have fun! I think personal style and hosting should come from an authentic place that feels like you. When guests come to enjoy your space, your food and company, they should feel invited in. The best way I know how to do that is by being myself. A dinner party can be whatever you want it to be, try not to sweat the small stuff. If you want the most relaxed experience as a host, curate a menu that’s easy to execute and serve day-of. A menu with chilled or room temp dishes can all be prepped ahead of time and assembled quickly. When cooking for large crowds, it’s probably best to put something in the oven rather than pan sear things individually. Keep in mind cook times so you can enjoy your guests instead of being their private chef. I like to go for a menu with set-it forget-it items and to serve them straight out of my Caraway pans. You’ll impress guests by your sense of ease and sleek plating.

Ready to host your own unforgettable event? Our Iconics Collection is 20% off until this Sunday, 6/23 at 11:59PM ET. and don't forget to check back to see what we'll be serving up next during Caraway Month.