Last week, a very special member of the FOOD LA LA family transitioned to the other side and our world stopped spinning.
I met Kristan in 2018–a bubbly, energetic, super-organized, and fun-loving wedding planner, we schemed up a few ways we could work together. And when the pandemic shut it all down, Kristan and her husband Paul were among the very first founding members to join us in the FOOD LA LA COOKING CLUB. For weeks, months, and years, we cooked and cocktailed together.
Kristan was the cheerleader that made every small business owner feel like they can (and should) take over the world–what a gift. She was always so excited about the new topics and recipes we were teaching, was often the first to open our emails, and would always send me little notes to say “Great class!” “So fun - we just tried (fill in the blank of something delicious)!” “Do you need help figuring out your tech? I think Paul could be helpful!”
If we could have afforded her, we would have hired her onto the FOOD LA LA squad for her hawk-eye attention to detail–she'd often catch a little silly error in a recipe and send me a quick note to make sure we fixed it so others wouldn't be confused or end up with super-salty crepes. She was in the rowboat with us.
She loved food, wine, cocktails, learning new things, and making even the tiniest moments an experience. And she made our world so much brighter.
Hearing the news of Kristan made me think about what we're really doing here at FOOD LA LA. Is it teaching people to cook? Or is it something deeper? The truth is, you'd all be just fine if you never made your own vinaigrette or didn't “up your filet game”. So what are we doing here?!
It's a big question, but after lots of cups of tea and a couple important chats, I think we're building a community where people feel seen. Where a medium like food and drink can offer moments to be creative, connect, share, see, and be seen. Whether our human selves consciously realize we need that or not.
Our lives are a tapestry of changing seasons and sometimes they're joyful, and other times they're excruciating. And we need those interstitial moments of seeing each other to keep us grounded and knowing that another joyful season is on its way.
In her Instagram profile, Kristan shared that she was a member of the FOOD LA LA COOKING CLUB. The first time I saw it, I felt so seen. She never could have known that that tiny little gesture would have made me feel like I was doing something right. But it was just Kristan being Kristan. And I just hope that if she was excited enough to shout her membership from the internet's rooftops, that in some way, we made her feel seen, too.
Kristan S., FOOD LA LA COOKING CLUB MEMBER OF THE MONTH
To celebrate Kristan's beautiful, sparkling, and everlasting spirit, we created a special cocktail.
Vieux Carré pour Cora
In Loving Memory of Kristan
There are people who don't just attend a party, but leave it more joyful, more thoughtful, more alive—people like Kristan.
Wedding planner by day, hostess by night, and eternal curator of beauty, warmth, and wit, Kristan lived her life like she hosted it: fully, graciously, with deep-rooted sparkle. Whether she was planning someone else's dream day or hosting a night of filet mignon and laughter, she brought her full heart to the table.
We honor her the best way we know how: with a cocktail that carries her memory in every note.
Vieux Carré pour Cora is inspired by Kristan's own discovery of the classic Vieux Carré, her love of Woodford Reserve, and the quiet ritual of winding down after a long day. It's layered—like her—elegant, a touch surprising, and warmed by the comfort of things handed down. The name "Cora" echoes her grandmother Jean Cora, whose spirit lived on in Kristan's work and love. It feels right to carry that name forward now, into this toast.
With coffee-kissed bourbon, a graceful swirl of Calvados and amaro, and a grapefruit rosette like a final flourish on a perfect evening, this drink is not just something to sip—it's something to sit with.
So gather what you need. Stir slowly. Inhale deeply. Raise your glass.
To Kristan—who loved fully, planned beautifully, cooked joyfully, and left a little more twinkle in every room.
INGREDIENTS (1 COCKTAIL):
1 oz Woodford Reserve Bourbon
1 TBS Coffee Beans (light roast)
4 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters
4 dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 oz Berneroy Calvados
1 oz Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
0.5 oz Cardamaro Vino Amaro
Garnish: Grapefruit peel
STEPS:
Cowboy coffee infusion*: Combine bourbon with coffee beans and let infuse for ~6 minutes. Strain coffee beans and set infused bourbon aside.
Grapefruit rosette garnish: Peel a long grapefruit peel (with knife or peeler), then roll into a rosette and spear with metal cocktail pick. Set aside.
Combine & stir: In a stirring glass add Peychaud's and Angostura bitters, coffee infused bourbon, calvados, sweet vermouth, and vino amaro. Fill with ice and stir for 15- 20 seconds or until is chilled.
Pour & strain: Carefully add a large ice sphere or cube to cocktail glass and strain cocktail on top. Peel an additional grapefruit peel. Hold above cocktail and squeeze, peel-side down over top to release the oils. Rub peel around the rim then discard. Place grapefruit rosette on top. Sip and reflect.
*Cowboy coffee infusion: is a celebration of Kristan’s love for 90's country music and her adoration of Nespresso.