get to know Rebecca

The idea for Fieldhouse Kitchen came about after I moved into a small New York City studio apartment and missed cooking and entertaining for my family and friends.

I spent my childhood summers at my grandparents' summer cottage on a small Maine island in Penobscot Bay. Whenever I had the house to myself during many teenage summers, I would invite friends over for a casual barbecue dinner on the sun porch or sometimes host ambitious four-course, sit-down meals in the dining room with mussels plucked off our beach out front. I hosted so many breakfasts with stacks of Maine blueberry pancakes and the like that my friends dubbed the house Bec's B&B after many summers.

For me, entertaining is not simply a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.

I love simple food that's fresh, healthy, and easy to make, and even more than that, I love sharing it with others.

While I love a great dinner party, hors d'oeuvres are my thing. I’ll sometimes post popular dinner recipes here, but you’ll likely see more ‘small bites’ and celebration inspiration.

In 2022, I formally launched Starboard, an exploration project in Port wine that’s on a mission to uncork the world’s only digital-first, crowdsourced Port wine, brought to you by you. I invite you to join the venture.

Q. What's with the name Fieldhouse?

It's a family middle name that got passed down to me. My sister got Catherine. I got Fieldhouse.

Q. Do people ever call you Fieldhouse?

Yes. Once my best friend in college, P.J., learned my middle name, she decided to only call me that and insisted others do the same. Not many people in college even knew my actual first name.

Q. What's with all the Maine references?

It's home. I spent the first few years of my life in Camden, Maine, and every summer on a small island right off the coast from there at my grandparents' cottage. I was three weeks old when I first visited the island and I've always had a strong connection to it. It's a special place. The air is clean, the water's cool, the stars are bright, and all my most celebrated family moments have taken place there. It’s where I discovered my love for bringing people together around a table with food made from simple, quality ingredients. Maine is in a league all its own.

Q. Best and worst advice you've been given?

"Figure it out." —my Dad.

Q. Have you figured it out?

I don't even know what "it" is yet. So no.

Q. What are some pantry staples you always have on hand that are essential for making the majority of your recipes?

Here are some things I keep on hand at all times that are necessary staples for making any meal great:

• Sea salt and black pepper grinder (I love pepper)

• Good quality extra virgin olive oil (I use Kardamas from an oceanside farm in Greece, which my friend’s family owns)

• Dijon mustard

• Lemons

• Mixed nuts that I upgrade and turn into my Maple Roasted Bar Nuts

• Is wine a pantry staple?

Q. What are your go-to dinner party essentials?

• Candles. I always make sure I have fresh tapers, pillars, and tea lights on hand.

• Fresh flowers, cut low so you can see one another across the table. I opt for simple arrangements without much variety. A little goes a long way with gorgeous soft blue hydrangeas, for example.

• Wine (Port is a must) and whatever my guests prefer to drink. I always stock the bar with their favorites and splurge on a great bottle of Port wine. It’s a wonderful, fun, and surprising way to keep the dinner party going.

• Menus. I have printed FK ones that I then handwrite in the different courses.

• Music in the background. A great playlist goes a long way. “Hey, Alexa, play ‘Fieldhouse Kitchen’ on Spotify.” You’re welcome.

• Fine hand soap because the bathroom should never be overlooked. Keep it sparkling clean and stocked with toilet paper, a scented candle, and accessories that elevate hand washing. I opt for Molton Brown but I’ve yet to meet a luxe hand soap I didn’t like.

Q: Describe your food and cooking style.

Simple. Food and cooking can become pretentious, overwhelming, and egotistical very quickly. Fieldhouse Kitchen is an approachable way to bring people together. I want to show people that it's possible to bring people together with ease and create flavorful, healthy, celebration-inspired meals with just a few fresh ingredients.

Above all, I want them to indulge in the art of entertaining. Put down the devices, turn off the TV, and make conversation. There’s a reason I have no photos of dinner parties in action — who needs to look at a screen? Food has a wonderful way of connecting us all and reminding us of what's most important.