Table of contents for March 2016 in Sunset

FULL DISCLOSURE: I have a mild addiction to Instagram. My dream Sunday might start with a cup of coffee and a leisurely scroll through my feed before the morning paper. The social media platform has become not only my secret source of future Sunset ideas, but also a quick hit of daily inspiration. And frankly, it fulfills my voyeuristic tendencies: Several times a day, I lose myself down the virtual rabbit hole of other people's (highly curated) worlds. Visual storytelling is of utmost importance to me—and hopefully that is reflected in this issue devoted to color that you're holding in your hands. From an unexpected garden palette to a gorgeous carrot tart, the stories in these pages feel like a modern celebration of spring. Rather than hit you over the…

WHEN YOU swap out a lawn for unthirsty plantings, don't forget your four-legged friends: They'll still need a place to fetch or sprawl comfortably in the warm sunshine. In the lawn's place, try Kurapia (Lippia nodiflora), pictured here; it's a creeper that stays just 1 to 3 inches tall. Once established, it needs 60 percent less water than traditional lawn grass. In California, Lippia has a reputation as an invasive weed, but this new strain from Japan won't spread; it's sterile and has no viable seeds. Delta Bluegrass Company is the first to grow it in sod form. It's not recommended above elevations of 5,000 feet or in temperatures below 20°. deltabluegrass.com/kurapia. 3 MORE PLANTS TO CONSIDER SILVER CARPET Dymondia margaretae grows into a very flat (just a few inches…

SAVORY CARROT RIBBON TART SERVES 6 TO 8/1¼ HOURS With its tangle of bright carrot strips and bits of spicy chorizo, this beautiful tart makes an exciting appetizer or even a light main dish. An all-butter puff pastry, such as Dufour, gives especially flavorful and flaky results, but it's delicious made with any kind of puff pastry. 1 sheet (14 oz.) or 2 sheets (17.5 oz. total) frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions 1 tbsp. beaten egg 5 medium rainbow carrots with tops (1¼ lbs., any colors except purple; if no tops, use flat-leaf parsley) ½ cup diced Spanish chorizo 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil ½ tsp. kosher salt ¼ tsp. pepper 3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, divided 1. Preheat oven…

Easter rainbow Roam your kitchen! It's full of foods you can use to dye eggs for an Easter hunt. Here's how to make some of our favorites—and although no two eggs ever turn out the same, they're always beautiful. HARD-COOK EGGS It makes them sturdier. Dye right away, or chill. PICK DYE CONTAINERS Stick with glass, ceramic, or plastic for best color, and just big enough so eggs fit snugly. MAKE / CHOOSE THE DYE Anything from simmered onion skins to bottled grape juice works; you need enough to completely cover the eggs (about 1 cup per egg). Then stir in a color-setting agent. Alum, a powder used to make pickles crisp, creates the deepest color (find it in your grocery's spice aisle). Baking powder and distilled white vinegar produce…

There is a rushing stream of water flowing down the street in front of Malin Akerman's Hollywood Hills home. The moody sky, as dark and mottled as a bruise, is dumping sheets of rain. Through a rustic, wooden gate, down a short walkway paved in fieldstone, the house is bustling but quiet. Fairy lights strung on a terrace shine optimistically. A fire roars in the fireplace to fight the chill, as the photographer sets up a shot. On the lower level, a stylist arranges a rainbow of cheery ensembles for the day, working hard to keep the rain from dampening spirits. The hush is interrupted by occasional giggles coming from a bedroom, where Akerman is playing with her toddler son, Sebastian. When she appears, wrapped in a light-gray sweater, her…

WHEN KRISTEN MURRAY was growing up in Southern California, her family celebrated Easter brunch with a sunny blend of local citrus and ingredients that honored their Norwegian heritage—salmon, dill, and coriander. At Maurice, Murray's jewel box of a cafe in Portland, you'll find the flavors of her childhood along with French-inspired goodies (like brioche and tarte tatin) that she's learned to make as a pastry chef in San Francisco, France, and beyond. You'll also find a touch of quirkiness. (For starters, Maurice is named after her pet rabbit.) But you won't find brunch. "We are a modern pastry luncheonette, wine bar, dessert spot, oyster-loving petit cafe … somewhere between France and Norway," reads a sign at the counter. We get it. Still, we begged Murray to share some off-the-menu childhood…

You love wine, your spouse loves baseball. In Arizona, you'd both be in luck. March is spring training and a crowd-free month to explore the state's burgeoning wine scene. Artsy Verde Valley is just north of Phoenix (the spring training hub). Sonoita/Elgin and Willcox are nearer to Tucson. Winemakers here are producing everything from vibrant Malvasia Biancas to elegant, moody red blends. The varieties may be (mostly) familiar, but their character is a unique result of this place. "We're overcoming the perception that Arizona couldn't possibly produce great wines," says Rob Hammelman, who in 2010 launched Sand-Reckoner Vineyards in Willcox with his wife, Sarah (at right). A pioneering spirit and sense of unfettered experimentation drew Hammelman to Arizona after a multicontinent wine journey. "I could have gone to a more…

DARK & DRAMATIC 1 GOTHIC GLAM ANNIE MAY and Barbie Palomino aren't afraid of the dark side. The Los Angeles designers behind BAM Design Lab (bamdesignlab.com) jumped into the deep end of the spectrum when a client told them he wanted his downtown loft to have a dash of luxe nightclub style. "He's an artist, musician, and actor, and travels a lot," May says. "He's seen everything, so going dark was a way to be original." ¶ May and Palomino, aware of most people's fear of black rooms, created a design with a range of finishes in gray. But to their delight, the client told them to go even darker. They complied, covering one 11-foot-high wall in the loft's main living space with plates of oxidized metal. The other walls…

We're somewhere on the outer flanks of Mexico City's busiest market when Arturo Anzaldo asks me the question: "How do you feel about bees?" It's after breakfast and the air is thick and gauzy with the smell of cooked meat. Arturo walks a little ahead of us, trim and alert, a small messenger bag pressed to his waist. Vendors shout out from behind their stalls—"¡Pásele, güero!" (Come here, white person!) "¿Qué te damos, joven?" (What can we give you, young man?) Even by Mexico City standards, Mercado de la Merced is bewildering. To enter it, you wander through a chaotic street bazaar that stretches for blocks in every direction. The market itself spans the length of four football fields near the Centro Histórico, and is broken up into mini neighborhoods:…

Mini meadow Succulent stars, including a blooming echeveria hybrid and a trailing Cotelydon hybrid, nestle between mounds of soft "Elijah Blue" fescue and bright green thrift (Armeria maritima "Armada White"). At far right, the silver heart-shaped leaves of a Pelargonium sidoides spill over the edge of the planter. PRO TIP: Incorporate thrift into more of your plantings. The unsung plant is a playful and sturdy champ, forming tufty evergreen mounds topped with lollipop blooms in white, pink, or red. The big chill In the center of the container, a hybrid echeveria sits like an unfolding lotus, but one with far more staying power than the fleeting flower. Small, almost iridescent ghost plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense) echoes the shape and color of the larger succulent. At right, purple-leafed heuchera picks up the…

CHICKEN DAN-DAN NOODLES SERVES 4 / 35 MINUTES Welcome to our easy version of this Sichuan street-food classic, with ground chicken instead of pork, and fresh vegetables rather than preserved Chinese ones. A dan-dan is the pole, balanced on the shoulder, that vendors use to tote containers of noodles and sauce. ½ lb. fresh, thin Chinese-style egg noodles (chow mein)* or dried chow mein 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger 2 tsp. minced garlic 2 tbsp. cornstarch 3 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce ¾ lb. ground chicken ⅔ cup low-sodium chicken broth 2 tbsp. creamy old-fashioned peanut butter 1 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar 2 tsp. each Asian chili garlic sauce and hot chili oil, plus more to taste 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil 2 tbsp. canola or safflower oil ¼ cup sliced…