3 Recipes for a Perfectly Imperfect Summer Gathering
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Food & Drink
3 Recipes for a Perfectly Imperfect Summer Gathering
July 12, 2022
Cumbersome as it may seem, there’s beauty in summer heat—much like a set table—in that you know it won’t last. This is a sentiment designer Devon Liedtke aims to celebrate with her curated tabletop in the Texas countryside that she’s paired with our Pacific Dinnerware and three perfect recipes.

3 Recipes for a Perfectly Imperfect Summer Gathering
Rip & Tan: Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind these dishes?
Devon Liedtke: Summer, plain and simple. A walk through the farmers market screams summer. Stone fruits, heirloom tomatoes, and summer citrus.
Rip & Tan: Which ingredients are you most looking forward to working with this summer?
Devon Liedtke: We are headed to Maine this summer and spending a few weeks with my family. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of summers in Maine beating the Texas heat.
I am looking forward to trying a lot of new recipes with my dad and a lot of laughs around the table. I see seafood, fresh pasta, and blueberry pies in my future.
Rip & Tan: How would you describe your general approach to entertaining? What do you find yourself enjoying most about the process?
Devon Liedtke: I find that it’s all very creative. Unlike designing a home, when you set a table, the commitments are temporary.
I love everything from grocery shopping, getting inspired to cook based on the ingredients I find at my local market, arranging the flowers, setting the table, thinking of the colors and flavors, the Sonos playing my favorites tunes, and my kids dancing in the background. I enjoy it all! I lied; I don’t enjoy the dishes.
Rip & Tan: Tell us about this tabletop. What’s your approach to curating a seasonal table and how did you tackle this one?
Devon Liedtke: Effortless, tonal, and understated—a dinner in the Texas countryside.
Rip & Tan: Whether you’re plating for an entire party or a night in with family, what are some of your tabletop essentials?
Devon Liedtke: I usually keep it pretty simple. Beautiful pottery and fresh blooms, always. On this table, I worked with a local ceramist to design these vases. I had the shapes and finish in my mind, and it was so neat to work with them to bring them to life and use them in this setting. They worked perfectly with my Jenni Kayne dinnerware, if I do say so myself.
"Unlike designing a home, when you set a table, the commitments are temporary. I love everything from grocery shopping, getting inspired to cook based on the ingredients I find at my local market, arranging the flowers, and setting the table."

Rip & Tan: When in doubt, what are some simple ways to elevate a spontaneous gathering?
Devon Liedtke: Fun tunes! My husband and I love to dance. Albeit, we are terrible dancers, there is no shame in our dance game! All of our family dinners end in a dance party. I don’t know that our dancing elevates anything, but it makes it fun!
Rip & Tan: Hosting can be stressful—how can we embrace a more simplistic mindset when it comes to entertaining?
Devon Liedtke: My philosophy is to keep it simple. I have a color palette I live by. From fashion to setting the table, I usually keep things in the same color palette and that alone simplifies things in so many ways.
Rip & Tan: Whether it’s as simple as warmer weather or a new recipe, what’s bringing you the most joy lately?
Devon Liedtke: This is easy: fresh blooms and my babies!
Rip & Tan: This season and beyond, what does living well mean to you?
Devon Liedtke: I recently read a quote that said something to the extent of “there is a difference between living and feeling alive.” Lately, I have been trying to chase what makes me feel alive in work and life. I am excited to see where that takes me.



"Lately, I have been trying to chase what makes me feel alive in work and life. I am excited to see where that takes me."
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