We're so pleased to introduce our last Bright Rx: Easy Summer Salads contributor, Claire. Claire Fontanetta is part of the social team here at Brightland, and is the co-founder of Metta Society, a boutique social media marketing agency that specializes in analytics-driven social strategies for beauty, lifestyle, and fashion brands. While, over the last seven years she has honed in on her career as a Beauty Editor at Refinery29 and Marie Claire magazine—working hand-in-hand with brands like Revlon, Shiseido, Reebok, and Sephora—Claire is a firm believer that self-expression manifests in many forms. Her love of cooking, interior design, entertaining, drawing, and writing all play a big part in her creative pursuits.
Q&A With Claire Fontanetta
Brightland: What is your favorite way to unwind at home?
Claire: I unwind after a long day by cooking a nutritious dinner, followed by reading in bed with a cup of tea—or glass of vino, depending on the day. Some days if I really feel like indulging, I'll draw myself an essential oil-infused bubble bath and listen to an educational podcast. Stuff You Should Know, Fat Mascara, The Daily, Stuff To Blow Your Mind, Ted Radio Hour, Hidden Brain, and How I Built This are all on rotation at the moment.
Brightland: What do you like to keep out on your kitchen countertop or "kitchen shelfie"?
Claire: We're in the process of renovating our kitchen at the moment, but typically, I love setting out a cookbook or two that I can easily crack open when I'm lacking inspiration in the kitchen. Cook Beautiful by Athena Calderone, NOPI by Ramael Scully and Yotam Ottolenghi, Taste & Technique by Naomi Pomeroy, and The Art Of The Perfect Sauce by Lorilynn Bauer and Ramin Ganeshram are a few that I'll regularly flip through.
Brightland: What does living in a golden state meant to you?
Claire: To me, living in a golden state means to go through life with a sunny disposition and to embrace a positive outlook—be it via your relationships, your career, your passions, or otherwise.
Brightland: If you could host a dinner party at home and invite 3 guests, who would they be, what would you serve and what music would play in the background?
Claire: That's a really tough question! Probably Oprah, JK Rowling, and Madonna. I'd probably serve up my "famous" (a relative term) Moroccan Veggie Tagine with herbed Couscous—my go-to combo for entertaining larger parties. As for music, I've been really into Caravan Palace lately so I'd probably throw that on to get the party started!
Brightland: What is your favorite independent magazine to feel inspired by + learn from?
Claire: To be honest, the only magazines I subscribe to are Cherry Bomb and Marie Claire (to support my former colleagues!), but I mostly draw inspiration from Instagram. Some of my favorite accounts are: @vogueliving, @eyeswoon,
Claire's Vegan Panzanella
Ingredients:
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 English cucumber, cut in quarters
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp of Brightland's ARDOR
- Bunch of basil
- 1/4 French baguette, cubed
To me, living in a golden state means to go through life with a sunny disposition and to embrace a positive outlook—be it via your relationships, your career, your passions, or otherwise.
Directions:
- Set your oven to broil on high.
- Prepare your croutons by placing the cubed French baguette on a baking pan. Drizzle with 1 tbsp Brightland Ardor, sprinkle with Maldon salt and freshly ground pepper. Broil on high for 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Prepare your veggies. Using a mandoline, thinly slice the onion and peppers. Quarter and cube the cucumber and half the cherry tomatoes.
- Combine all chopped veggies, Brightland's ARDOR (or Brightland's AWAKE if you're sensitive to spice), toasted French bread, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper (to taste) in a large bowl. Top with chopped basil and serve immediately.
- Enjoy!