Traditional LA Home with Pops of Modern Decor: Publicist Molly Schoneveld

Photography by  Jessica Sample and Ragan Wallake 

Molly Schoneveld is a Los Angeles based publicist and founder of lifestyle blog This Yuppie Life. Molly's lifestyle PR business focuses on tv, actors and interior designers which has truly been keeping her busy in a town filled with A-list actors and designers. Her home features traditional decor elements blended with pops of refreshing and colorful contemporary additions. You'll really enjoy this home tour along with getting an insider perspective on the lifestyle PR industry in Los Angeles. Here we go!

Jacquin: What is one of the main differences you've noticed between working with your actor clients versus clients in interiors & design?

Molly: There’s a lot that is similar actually, but the main difference is the type of outlets you’re working with. Entertainment is such a small industry, so when you are an entertainment publicist, you have pretty much worked with all the same people for years. Depending on the actor’s project, you are usually pitching more mainstream media i.e talk shows, fashion magazines, major newspapers. You also have the support of the network or studio, so there is a lot of collaboration and you are trying to time press to the project’s release. There can be travel involved and a lot of coordinating schedules if the client is still in production. With actors, the job can be 24/7, it’s fast paced and really intense at times. There is usually a lot of filtering incoming requests too. 

With designers, it is usually slower paced. I am typically hired in two different ways: to place a specific project or to try and raise the profile of the designer through profile pieces and giving expert opinion. If I’m placing a project, you really have to go to one outlet, wait for an answer, which can be weeks or even months, and then move on. If my job is the later, there can be a lot of homework on the client’s part and I’m obviously pitching design and lifestyle magazines more than mainstream media. 

Jacquin: How do you unwind at home from busy work life? What are your favorite hobbies?

Molly: Ha! The struggle is real. I work a lot on my blog in my spare time, so lately it does feel like I’m always working. I love massages and get them as often as possible. I love trying new restaurants and cooking, so my life heavily revolves around food. I love to travel, so having even a weekend getaway is huge for me in terms of recharging. And when I can’t get away, you will find me cozied in bed watching reruns of “Sex and the City.”

Jacquin: Tell us about your decorating style. What has been your favorite design purchase so far?

Molly: I would say I am more traditional mixed with modern eclectic. I love the contrast of black and white, which you will find throughout my home. One of my favorite design purchases are the green drip glaze lamps in the living room (shown above) because they were the first purchase we bought when we first started caring about design beyond Pottery Barn. This lamp is usually the first thing people compliment in my house (besides the kitchen).

Jacquin: What are your "go-to" selections for entertaining at home?

Molly: My friend Ragan and I actually started a dinner party series where we invite other women business owners for cocktails, dinner and conversation. I learned so much about what works and doesn’t work. For instance, I think food looks best served on a solid colored plate—at home I use white. It’s also so much easier and cheaper to mix up your napkins and other décor rather than buying new plates every time. I did recently purchase black matte plates that I layered white salad plates over and they are inexpensive and stunning. One of the best things I served at a dinner party was a mini olive oil cake with Eucalyptus ice-cream that I recreated from Hotel Eden in Rome that was quite possibly the best dessert I’ve ever eaten. It went over very well! 

** See the recipe below for this crowd-pleasing Eucalyptus Ice Cream! **

Jacquin: What PR tips would you give to business owners like myself looking to plan their 1st launch event?

Molly: Relationships are everything. That’s also just true in life. If you can’t afford to hire a publicist, pick a couple of publications that you want to be in, and then try to find a way to reach the editor that covers your type of business. If you own a shop, invite publications to visit. If you are a designer with a project, introduce yourself via email and (this is important) include a small paragraph about yourself and the project and ONE photo. Nobody has time to read a 2-page email and editors hate getting tons of images via email that will clog their inbox. If you are going to work with a publicist, remember that they are an extension of your team. The more available you are to them and the more information you provide, the better your relationship will be and the better results you will get.

Jacquin: What are your favorite places in Los Angeles for home decor?

Molly: My client Hammer and Spear in Downtown LA is amazing. I rarely leave without buying something from their small goods section. I also love 45Three, which is a little bit of an insider’s secret—that’s where I got my green lamps! I also love Consort, which is really close to where I live. They have the coolest hand sculptures and accessories. 

Recipe for Homemade Eucalyptus Ice Cream

*Makes approximately 2 quarts*

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• Approximately 10 eucalyptus leaves - (I used Eucalyptus glaucescens which has round leaves and are easy to find in floral shops or Whole Foods. If you are using a larger leaf, like what we used for garnish, you won’t need as many.)

Instructions: 

Step 1. Bring the milk, half and half and sugar to 165 degrees. Then, turn down the heat and add the eucalyptus leaves and steep for approximately 20 minutes, tasting every 5 minutes to make sure it isn’t too strong. 

Step 2. Add the milk mixture to the egg yokes in a separate bowl, whisking constantly. Let cool. Chill in the refrigerator over night (or until very cold). 

Step 3. Then, churn per the instructions in your ice cream maker manual.

ENJOY!

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Eating healthy - The "Everything You Need Salad"

In an epic Pinterest search for healthy eating resources recently I came across the blog of Maria Koutsogiannis of FoodByMaria. I was drawn in by her passion for using healthy eating as a tool for living your best and healthiest life, all while still keeping a relaxed approach toward the whole thing. While I'm not vegetarian, Maria's plant based recipes were just the kind of recipes I was in search for to inspire me. Today I chat with Maria about her mission in the realm of food education, and I share her simple, delicious, and healthy recipe for the Everything You Need Salad, which features filling vermicelli noodles. You'll want to Pin this recipe for later!

Jacquin: I love that FoodByMaria encourages healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle! How do you manage to eat healthy on a daily basis? Do you do any meal-planning before you begin each week?

Maria: This can be a tough one because I do need to make many meals in a week in order to keep up with my Instagram feed and blog. At the beginning of my journey I did a lot of meal planning, but as I became more comfortable with my eating and insane appetite I realized that it was completely ok to eat the foods I made for later in the week, all in a day if my body required it. 

With eating lighter, healthier foods you'll find that you're hungry more frequently. I simply stick to eating whenever I need to, satisfying my belly and ensuring that I am happy with myself and my health choices. The foods I eat fuel me throughout my day, help raise my body confidence and keep me strong for the gym! 

Jacquin: What is your favorite dessert recipe you've featured on your healthy eating website?

Maria: Hands down my Cashew Cake! It is delicious, nutritious and extremely easy to make! I would recommend this cake to anyone, even people who claim they are horrible in the kitchen! Yum!!! 

Jacquin: What does FoodByMaria have planned to promote food education awareness? What does food education mean to you? 

Maria: Oh, well where do I begin here! I have a lot planned. I work very closely with my community and plan to create programs around the city helping young children gain confidence to believe in themselves and become more comfortable with food in and out of the kitchen.

Food Education, to me, means spreading a positive, unbiased opinion to the general public about food, its benefits and how, if consumed responsibly, it can change your life, heal you and help you live the amazing life you deserve. 

Jacquin: What is your go to snack when wanting a healthy, energy boost and tasty snack all-in-one?

Maria: I have quite a few go to options. I would have to say my favourite is a simple ol' Avocado on Toast with sundried tomatoes, cashew cream cheese and chillies. I also love Kimchi. Just straight up, it really helps me with my belly!

Now back to our recipe... Here's the recipe for the Everything You Need Veggie Bowl! This bowl of goodness can be enjoyed for lunch or as a fresh, light dinner. This salad serves 2 so double this recipe for a family or group, or if you're looking to have left overs. 

This recipe is:
-Super easy to follow.
-Simple to make. 
-Uses healthy and local ingredients.
-High in healthy fats.
-Filled with antioxidants from leafy greens
and lastly, it is DELICIOUS!

Everything You Need Veggie Bowl

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of mixed greens
• 2 cups of cooked vermicelli noodles 
• Soy sauce
• Sriracha hot sauce
• 3 baby cucumbers, chopped
• 1 avocado, cut length wise - this adds so much creaminess
• 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 5 english radishes, roughly chopped - adds some heat
• 5 regular radishes, roughly chopped - for colour and freshness
• 10 snap peas, I cut them down the middle after removing the spine, and end bits!

Salad dressing:

• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• Juice from half a lime
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
• 1½ tbsp water
• dash of salt, and fresh cracked pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1. First prepare the salad dressing. Add all of the ingredients listed for the salad dressing into a small bowl, and stir well with a spoon. If you do not like the consistency just add a bit more water, to lighten things up! (OPTIONAL: Pour the finished dressing into a squeeze bottle so you can drizzle it evenly over the salad at the end. This makes for a nice presentation.)

Step 2. For the noodles: Use half a bag of vermicelli noodles or more. Boil your vermicelli noodles in a pot of water according to the instructions on your specific brand (generally 4-5 minutes). Then strain your noodles. 

Step 3. Add 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp of Sriracha to your cooked vermicelli noodles. Stir the noodles around gently with a fork them set them aside. (snap peas, english radishes, regular radishes, cucumber, avocado, cilantro, and one celery stick)

Step 4. Add your greens to a deep bowl then arrange your chopped vegetables around the edge of the bowl. 

Step 5. Lastly place your noodles in the center of your bowl, or arrange the salad any creative way you like.

Step 6. Finish off this bad boy by adding the dressing to the top of the salad. I used a drizzling motion, and definitely over did it - but I totally expect you guys to do the same! This dressing is FABULOUS.

Visit FoodByMaria for more healthy recipes!

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Entertaining with Style: Cooking Sous Vide and with a Blow Torch!

Today's Entertaining with Style post is all about cooking sous vide and we're featuring the Sansaire cooking brand. Sansaire's technology is changing the way people cook at home, making traditionally professional-grade cooking tools available to the home chef. Valerie Trask, Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of the company, shares one of her recent culinary adventures with Interiors by Jacquin blog. 

What is sous vide... 

Sansaire makes a sous vide precision cooking device and a Searing Kit with a blow torch and searing tray. While fancy restaurants have been using this technology for years, we helped make it accessible to home chefs. This method takes the guesswork out of preparing perfectly cooked meals. By maintaining a constant and exact temperature, Sansaire sous vide device makes cooking time less important. Not to mention it's ideal for hosting because with a sous vide device all of the preparation work can be performed well before guests arrive. Hosts can finally focus on their guests instead of meal preparation, which helps us all to be the relaxed hosts we truly want to be.

"Sous vide" is French for "under vacuum" and refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food and cooking it in a temperature controlled water bath. The intent is to cook the item evenly, ensuring that that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, all while retaining the food's moisture.

A Tradition of Entertaining:

Every summer, myself and a group of 10-20 hyper-urban Seattleites flock to a cabin in a small town to play like the locals and eat like the kings. While cooking is not officially competitive, we divide and conquer meal preparation and people go big. To add to the challenge, our combined food allergies and preferences along with the sheer volume of people is a feat for us all as cooks. Typically my dinner parties are no larger than eight guests, but for a group of our size we alternate hosting the meals on fun trips like this one, which allows time for relaxation in between preparations. 

Like any proud co-founder, I wanted to show off the breadth of Sansaire’s cooking devices while preparing a meal that anyone could enjoy, which meant that I had to be sensitive to vegetarianism, lactose-intolerance, and gluten allergies. No problem! My menu and advanced cooking tools made this complicated task completely do-able.

On the menu: 

• Sous vide vegetable hash with colorful fingerling potatoes, beets, carrots, and onion (meat-, gluten-, and dairy-free)
• Sous vide egg with a velvety yolk (meat-, gluten-, and dairy-free)
• Buttermilk biscuits with homemade blackberry jam (meat-free)
• Brûlée peaches (meat-, gluten-, and dairy-free)

The Setting... plus making the most of limited resources:

This year for our group dinner we rented an adorable home on Orcas Island, in northern Washington State. They say that constraints breed creativity, which was certainly the case for this trip. The ferries to the island were overbooked, so our group maxed out our ability to carpool, therefore, forcing us each to pack modestly. For me, that meant I wasn’t able to bring tableware and table décor. Instead, I was forced to wing-it and rely solely on what I could find.

I was pleased to discover that the outdoor table was nestled into a small clearing in a gorgeous garden of lavender and roses, which was all surrounded by wildflowers and tall grass. Bingo! In addition to a colorful bouquet of fresh flowers from the garden, I was able to use lavender stems as napkin holders, a sheet as a tablecloth, and wildflowers as a decorative plating accessory. The white tablecloth, the colorful foods, and the bright flowers came together terrifically. Everyone was blown away by the presentation, especially knowing that it had been pulled together with limited resources. Quite the success!

Preparing the meal:

I prepared a sous vide veggie hash the night before. This way, the morning of I could enjoy a more relaxed pace. I worked with a wide array of brightly colored vegetable colors ––each of which I wanted to maintain its own integrity––so I prepared beets, carrots, onions, and two different potato varieties all separately. In an effort to maintain some textural diversity, I left the red peppers raw and crunchy, but used the Sansaire Searing Kit to blacken the skins.

Aiming for sweet-but-seasonal, I used the Searing Kit to brûlée the peaches. It was a simple way to incorporate fresh fruit, yet show creativity. As a 5’1 girl who wears dresses daily, I always love busting out a blow torch at dinner parties! Making the brûlée peaches was the easiest aspect of the meal, but it garnered me the most style points. Using a searing kit really adds wow factor to your meals, especially when you want to impress guests.

Cooking eggs for twelve people would normally be a stressful task, but I prepared 24 eggs by simply cooking them sous vide in their shells for 23 minutes at 72 degrees C/161.6 degrees F. The result was a medium firmness velvety texture, which is harder to achieve than expected without a sous vide device.

I don’t usually venture into mixology; but there’s a first time for everything so I expanded my horizons with a unique breakfast cocktail. I sous vide cooked and blended lychees, combined with sparkling wine to make a phenomenal mimosa. I made fresh buttermilk biscuits with my grandma’s fresh blackberry jam to round out the meal.

Here's how to make my Brûlée Peaches!

Cut the peach in half, remove the pit, sprinkle with raw sugar, and torch the top until you reach the desired crispy amber color. Serve as is or top with vanilla yogurt or ice cream and a dash of cinnamon. It's that simple!

If you're looking to impress your family and friends with gourmet quality meals, Sansaire's cooking devices will certainly assist you. Visit the Sansaire website to learn where you can purchase Sansaire's Sous Vide cooking device and Searing Kit. 

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Start Your Week with This Great Web Roundup

As you gear up for the week ahead, take a look at these great articles from across the Internet. This web roundup is sure to inspire you in one way or another. Plus try out this fab recipe for Key Lime Poundcake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Icing. You'll find the amazing recipe at the bottom of this post. Have a fantastic week!

Don't miss these great articles!

• This is How To Finally Stop Complaining About Everything - Self

• 5 Amazing U.S. Road Trip Ideas - Waiting on Martha

• Why You Should Be Deep Frying Your $50 Steak - Bon Appetit

• Top Independent Magazines #GoodReads - Politics & Fashion

• The 6 Most Luxurious First Class Airline Cabins - Architectural Digest

• Quick Asymmetrical Skirt - a pair & a spare

• 25 Reasons Why Turmeric Can Heal You - Mind Body Green (more info here) - This is why I like to take turmeric capsules and use a DIY turmeric face mask at home. :-)

• The Museum of Modern Art Posts 65,000 Works of Art Online - Mental Floss (What a great resource!) 

And in case you missed it...

Interiors by Jacquin blog has been selected as one of 2016's Top 90 Interior Design Blogs Worth Following as part of Marché Magazine's new rankings. 

Marché Magazine is the publication affiliated with Trove Market, an online marketplace to buy and sell used furniture and decor. Marche Magazine combed through over 2,000 interior design blogs in their search to determine the top 90 interior design blog worth following this year. Interiors by Jacquin has been ranked #7! Yay! Head over to the website here to see the full rankings list for 2016.


Plus, a delicious dessert recipe! 

Try out this recipe for Key Lime Poundcake with Key Lime Cream Cheese Icing. Yum!!

Get the recipe here. 

Enjoy!

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Chinese Chicken Noodle Samosas - A Global Recipe

Ever wondered whether a samosa can be created with a unique Chinese spin? Well, then look out for this recipe for crisp Chinese Chicken Noodle Samosas. They are a gorgeous and delicious treat.

This recipe is brought to us by talented food blogger Farrukh Aziz Ansari of Cubes N Juliennes blog. Farrukh resides in Bangalore, India where she enjoys preparing inventive meals for her husband and two children. Farrukh especially loves surprising her family with unique variations on traditional recipes. Today's recipe for Chinese Chicken Noodle Samosas happens to be Farrukh's son's favorite snack! Whenever it comes time to make this tasty treat, she prepares them in bulk and freezes the samosas for a quick snack for weeks to come. Then whenever the crispy snack is in demand, she just fries the samosas right out of the freezer, which inevitably leads to an extremely happy son and family. Here's how to prepare your own Chinese Chicken Noodle Samosas at home.

Ingredients:

• 25-27 samosa wraps (or make your own samosa wraps with these directions from Williams-Sonoma)

• 400 grams, boneless chicken that has been boiled and shredded (or about 1 pound of chicken)

• 150 grams of hakka noodles (You can use any hakka noodle flavor or substitute with another Asian noodle type if necessary. 1 pack of hakka noodles should be enough.)

• 2 cups of shredded cabbage

• ¼ cup of finely chopped carrots

• ¼ cup of french beans finely chopped

• 1 cup of spring onion greens, chopped

• ½ cup of spring onion bulbs, finely sliced

• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped garlic

• 1 tablespoon of grated ginger

• 2 teaspoons of dark soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce (or oyster-mushroom sauce)

• 2 tablespoons of red chili sauce, or to taste (Sriracha hot sauce)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 3 tablespoons of sesame oil

• 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour

• Water (to make a paste)

Instructions:

Step 1 - Boil the noodles as per packet instructions. Set aside.

Step 2 - In a wok or round bottom pan, heat sesame oil. Add garlic and ginger, fry until light brown and aromatic. Do not burn it.

Step 3 - Add sliced spring onion bulbs and fry for 2 minutes on high heat.

Step 4 - Add finely chopped french beans and sauté on high heat for few minutes until raw smell is no longer present. Add carrot and shredded cabbage and toss on high heat for few minutes (No water released from cabbage should remain, so toss well on very high heat taking care that it doesn’t burn.)

Step 5 - Add all-in-one  sauce, red chili sauce, dark soy and toss well. Then add capsicum and toss well for couple of minutes.

Step 6 - Add shredded chicken, boiled noodles, salt and pepper, toss well such that everything is mixed well. Remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Step 7 - Add chopped spring onion greens to the chicken noodles mixture and mix well. Sit aside.

Step 8 - Make a paste of 3 tablespoons flour mixed with a little water to create a paste. 

Step 9 - Make a cone shape out of the samosa wrap, fill with the prepared mixture and wrap the sides to form a triangle. Seal the edges using a flour paste. Do not overfill the cone with the mixture as it may cause the samosa to tear or overflow.

Step 10 - Repeat the same procedure till all of the mixture is used. At this stage if you to freeze them, place the samosas on the tray such that they don't stick to one other and freeze them for few hours. Once frozen, take them all and store them in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

Step 11 - Heat oil in deep frying pan, or a kadhai.  Once oil gets hot, reduce the heat to medium-high and fry the samosas well, till crisp and golden brown.  Do not fry on high heat to avoid burning of the samosas.

Cubes N Juliennes is a clear evidence of my passion for cooking. The exotic food blog has turned my daily home-made dishes into a gastronomic collection of recipes, depicting a variety of cuisines and cooking styles. I always ensure to give my best in whatever dish I make for my family. I feel so glad when I see my small beautiful family relishing the food stuffs made by me. What more could a mother and wife ask for than seeing her family adoring the food she prepares and earning accolades from them!! This is what makes me the gladdest mother and wife.

- Farrukh Aziz Ansari

Stop by Cubes N Juliennes, a truly inspirational food blog, and say hello to Farrukh! Farrukh also has a beautiful Instagram page where she shares her latest gastronomic creations, so be sure to follow Cubes N Juliennes on Instagram, as well. Bon appetit! 

*Click here for more recipes on Interiors by Jacquin*

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