Straight to the Hips Baby, Seasons Around the Table & Apple and Pear Crumble with Jessie-Sierra Ross

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Jessie-Sierra Ross, founder of Straight to the Hips, Baby, and author of “Seasons Around the Table: Effortless Entertaining with Floral Tablescapes & Seasonal Recipes.”   Ross took the leap from prima ballerina into the food and cooking world, after she retired from professional dance.    “I started cooking at my mother's side at six or seven years old, just fascinated by not only the chemistry of bringing food together and the sort of food is love aspect, but also just spending quality time with my family,” Ross explains. “That passion for food continued to grow with me, even if I couldn't always indulge: my daily staples were yogurts, oranges and bowls of chicken soup, but that didn't stop me from the occasional cocktail and slice of brie.”   Once Ross’ blog took off, she started doing food photography and styling, magazine articles and TV work. Her recently released cookbook, “Seasons Around the Table,” covers the four seasons, and melds garden, home decor, lifestyle and food and drink. The linchpin is entertaining: inviting people to the table and creating beautiful tablescapes for people to enjoy.    “There's nothing better than a little coffee, a little cake and a little kibitz,” she says. “We eat to remember, we eat to connect, we eat to nourish, we eat to love.”    Jessie-Sierra Ross talks about her backstory and how it led to “Seasons Around the Table,” along with tips for simplifying the entertaining processes, creating showstoppers, and bringing family history to the table. She also shares her recipe for apple and pear crumble, which you can find at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.    “It doesn't have to be a special occasion to make a special meal,” she says. “Focus on the flavors, focus on the food and obviously the guests.”   Learn more at StraightotheHipsBaby.com and follow @StraighttotheHipsBaby on Instagram and Jessie-Sierra The Last Bite on Substack.  For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.