Design Editor: Food and Drink

Stylist Matthew Mead has a wonderful new book, right in time for the holiday party season. "Entertaining Simple" is packed with tips and recipes to help you entertain in style. With a creative background with magazines (Country Home), retail (Pottery Barn) and television (HGTV), you've got your perfect guide for every season.

Matthew was kind enough to do a quick Q&A with me about his entertaining style:

What's on your party playlist?
Depends on the party... but I love Moon River and light jazz as well as 40's big band.

We all struggle with what to bring to a party. What do you think is the perfect host/hostess gift?
Besides my new book, "Entertaining Simple", I think a hefty stack of embroidered or patterned cocktail napkins... a delicious box of chocolates from Harbor Candy in Ogunquit, Maine (not to share... just for the host) A vintage ice bucket.

Do you have a go-to cocktail you like to serve?

Pineapple Pleaser

1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1-ounce vodka
1-ounce orange liqueur
1 ounce pomegranate juice
1/2-ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
Turbinado sugar, for the rim (optional)

Chill a martini glass in the freezer. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the pineapple juice, vodka, orange liqueur, pomegranate and lime juice. Cover and shake vigorously, until combined and chilled, about 30 seconds. Strain and garnish with chilled orange slices.

*Checkout his website and blog for more inspiration, recipes and downloadable templates.

Good news for D.C. area fans of the Butter Queen:

Tickets are still available to attend Paula Deen's presentation at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show. She is one of my favorite ladies and I'm not missing it!

A bonus from Paula arrived in my inbox this week:

I do these shows every few months and it's just a blast being up on stage and chatting about my life and the folks I've met and even throwing in a bit of cooking every now and then.

I've worked it out with the folks at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show to get y'all a 25% discount on tickets! I really look forward to seeing all of you in November.

So, get to shopping before the tickets run out! Tickets to the VIP Lunch are already gone so you need to hurry. Just click here and when you check out use the discount code BUTTER to get 25% off your ticket purchase..