Table of contents for April 2017 in Sunset

AT THE ENTRANCE to Cornerstone Sonoma, where the Sunset Test Gardens and Outdoor Kitchen are located, a sweet little cottage with a white picket fence beckons visitors like something out of a Thornton Wilder novel. Brides often rent it when they book their weddings on the property; at last year's Celebration Weekend, we used it as our medical station (as well as an impromptu green room for Food-stage headliner Ayesha Curry). Several months ago, I found myself wondering: What would it take to convert a tiny dwelling from the 1900s into a cutting-edge connected home? And thus the Sunset Smart Cottage was born (page 54). Be one of the first to see it in action at our 2017 Celebration Weekend (from $35; May 20–21; sunset.com.com/cw). What's exciting to me about…

California With wide, bold rosettes that fold open on sunny days, it's no wonder this heat-loving species is the Golden State's official flower. In San Francisco, go for an urban hike 475 feet to the top of Bernal Hill for the explosion of orange California poppies that takes over this normally brown peak. The dog-friendly trails also offer views of the Golden Gate Bridge to the northwest and the Bay Bridge to the northeast. sfrecpark.org. Utah Zion National Park's red rock canyons may not seem hospitable to flora, but in fact the sweeping landscape is home to more than 1,000 species of plants, including the prickly poppy, which flowers in open swaths from March to June. Admire its gauzy, crinkled petals along the park's dozens of trails, or have an…

AT THE HEIGHT of California's drought, Sue Smith and Georganne Rosenberger did everything they could think of to save water at their Albany, California, home—including letting their front lawn die. "It was the zeitgeist," says Smith. "Everyone was doing it." But last year, tired of the grim landscape, they enlisted the help of garden designer Rebecca Sweet (harmonyinthegarden.com). As they learned from Sweet, simply letting a lawn die—however well intentioned—isn't actually the most sustainable choice. "Established trees, bees, and birds all suffer," says Sweet. "Having a low-water garden helps the ecosystem survive a drought." To bring lushness to Smith and Rosenberger's yard, Sweet clustered large swaths of plants in jewel tones that echo the home's colors. Though nearly all of the plants are low-water once established, the designer took a…

If you're feeling outsmarted by smart-home technology these days, you're not alone. While the Internet of Things is intended to simplify life, the vast number of options can be intimidating. We get it: In fact, we're currently hard at work designing what we're calling the Sunset Smart Cottage, a high-tech, high-design space we'll be revealing at this year's Celebration Weekend in Sonoma. From life-changing gadgets to clever decor solutions, here are some of the most genius discoveries we've made so far. ASHLEY REDMOND OF DECORIST 1 SIGN ON FOR A MAKEOVER A truly smart home starts with good design—and a newish crop of virtual decorating sites make that a possibility for almost anyone. These budget-friendly services will match you up with an interior designer who will tackle your problem rooms…

SAVORY SPRING GALETTE SERVES 6 / 45 MINUTES Lighter than a quiche, this seasonal galette can be baked ahead and reheated, making it especially handy for a midweek dinner party. 2 tbsp. unsalted butter 1 cup chopped leeks (about 2 medium leeks) 5 large thyme sprigs, plus about 1 tsp. tiny tender sprig tips for garnish ½ tsp. kosher salt 1 (8 oz.) pkg. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed 6 oz. slender asparagus (about ½ in. thick), trimmed and cut into 2-in. pieces ½ cup fresh or frozen English peas ½ (14.1 oz.) pkg. refrigerated pie pastry 4 oz. fresh goat cheese 1 tbsp. heavy cream 1. Preheat oven to 425°. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add leeks, thyme sprigs, and salt; cook, stirring often, until…

"It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter." That's what John Muir wrote of Yosemite in 1868, and it still holds true today. To celebrate our May issue devoted to camping and the great outdoors, we're partnering with Rush Creek Lodge (rushcreeklodge.com) to give away a four-night Yosemite adventure (worth $5,000) for a family of four. What's included: Villa lodging; three daily meals/person; tours of Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, and the high country; and adventure gear. For more on this Instagram contest, go to sunset.com/yosemitecontest—and heed the words of Theodore Roosevelt: "Our people should see to it that they [the national parks] are preserved for their children and their children's children forever."…

BEST BEACH READ WHERE SURFERS GO TO CHILL The idea for Surf Shack: Laid-Back Living by the Water (Clarkson Potter; $35) came to Nina Freudenberger after moving to Venice, California, from New York City and observing her neighbors' easy, evocative homes. Traveling from San Francisco's Outer Sunset and Malibu's Paradise Cove to Sayulita, Mexico, and even Australia and Japan, the SoCal interior designer profiles the coastal cabins, midcentury trailers, hilltop haciendas, and weathered fixer-uppers owned by surf-loving luminaries like TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie and artist rep Sofie Howard (whose outdoor shower is pictured here). "These are not flawless residences with unwaxed surfboards mounted on walls as decoration," Freudenberger writes. "If I learned nothing else on this adventure, it's this: Create a home around something you love doing, and it can't…

LOCALLY MADE THRUX LAWRENCE STETSON HATS GREATSCHOOLS SCORE 10 (OUT OF 10) INVENTED HERE CONSUMER DRONES BY XCRAFT BIKE TRAILS 39 MILES PREFERRED POUR SUMMIT CIDER POPULATION 45,848 PRIME DATE NIGHT A HIKE AROUND TUBBS HILL, PINTS AT CRAFTED TAP HOUSE + KITCHEN, AND A THAI PIE FROM FIRE ARTISAN PIZZA MEDIAN SINGLE FAMILY HOME $228,000 TOURIST ATTRACTION COEUR D'ALENE RESORT GOLF COURSE'S FLOATING GREEN POINT OF VIEW Nick Smoot, CDA native son and Innovation Den founder AFTER COLLEGE, NICK SMOOT lived in L.A. to work in the startup world, but the traffic started to wear on him. So four years ago, he moved back to his hometown, Coeur d'Alene. "Here you can go boating, hiking, play a round of golf, and attend an opera in the same day without…

[The following content appeared in the Northern California edition.] GARDEN WE LOVE A warm welcome For years, this Denver house was practically barricaded by hollies and junipers. But today a flagstone path, moss boulders, and a mix of hardy perennials guide guests to the entry. "We wanted the front yard to be more welcoming from the street," says Sheila Schultz, a container designer (denverdirtygirls.com) who shares the home with her husband, Jim. Sheila worked with landscape designer Lynne Reardon to create the gently curving path, then planted soft Turkish veronica (V. liwanensis) between the stones, golden "Angelina" sedum at the beginning of the path, and "Fireball" bee balm behind it. Other major players include "Rozanne" geranium, red and yellow ice plants, and "Crimson Pygmy" barberry. PLANT Early in the month,…

The first time I tried Joshua McFadden's cooking wasn't at his acclaimed Portland restaurant, Ava Gene's, but— appropriately enough—in a lush field outside the city. The event was a private farm dinner, and as course after course of vegetable-centric dishes arrived at the table, I was struck by how each one captured that moment in late summer. Tomatoes so ripe and juicy they served as salad and sauce for thinly sliced beef. A bowl of freekeh with the sweet pop of grapes, plus big, bold leaves of parsley and mint. The flavors were so vibrant, they seemed to need only a splash of acid or good olive oil to make them sing. When I met McFadden after dinner and learned he had been a farmer before opening Ava Gene's, the…

MICROWAVE COOKING HACKS When it comes to smart home devices (see page 54), don't underestimate the good old microwave. Some of our favorite ways to use it go way beyond reheating leftovers. LIGHTNING-FAST JAM You don't need any canning equipment to make great jam—this recipe calls for just 15 minutes and a microwave. Low in sugar, the jam gets an exciting lift from Meyer lemon. It keeps in the refrigerator up to 6 weeks. Strawberry Meyer Lemon Jam MAKES ¾ CUP / 15 MINUTES, PLUS 15 MINUTES TO STAND 1. In a 2-qt. glass measuring cup or bowl, combine 2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered; ¼ cup sugar; zest of 1 large Meyer lemon; and 2 tbsp. Meyer lemon juice. Let stand until very syrupy, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. 2.…

WHEN I FIRST CAME TO L.A. as a tourist, it sucked," says Giorgia Ori, walking alongside rush-hour gridlock and looking every bit the opposite of a tourist in her silk black jumper and army jacket. "But I've figured out the trick," she adds. "You have to actually live here for the city's secrets to open up to you." I've been following the 25-year-old photographer through downtown L.A. for more than an hour, watching as she canvasses the neighborhood in search of the perfect shot. She bounces from block to block, steadying her camera in front of whatever catches her eye: a faded mural, an empty bus stop, the torn mesh net surrounding a construction site. I'd expected a 20-something's introduction to travel Instagramming, full of overexposed Valencia-filtered sunsets and latte…

The first time Jason and Laura O'Dell checked out a mouse-friendly, woebegone 1963 A-frame at the edge of Big Bear Lake, they swept their two young kids into their arms so they wouldn't touch anything. Yet as fans of the iconic architectural style, the couple was smitten. "A-frames are modern yet rustic," says Jason. "And it's hard to beat 28-foot-high ceilings with triangular windows." Less than two years later, following a major shake-up inside and out, he and Laura have created a weekend retreat for themselves and their two kids—Shaun, 6, and Layla, 3— that's worth braving the bumper-to-bumper traffic from their home in Los Angeles. Jason and Laura aren't ones to pass up a design challenge. Shortly before discovering the cabin, the couple—who sell their own line of wallpaper…

DOES YOUR LASAGNA slide apart when you cut it? Is it limp and wet? And does it taste sort of … blah? There's a cure for your lasagna woes, says Thomas McNaughton, chef and co-owner of Flour + Water in San Francisco (and several other Bay Area restaurants where pasta reigns supreme). Great lasagna, he says, is all about architecture and texture. "You want dense, even layers and a crispy top and edges," he says. "No soft and mushy; when you cut it, you should get a clean, straight line." McNaughton honed his pasta-making skills in Northern Italy, the epicenter of fresh pasta, but when it comes to lasagna, he loves the Italian American kind he grew up with in New Jersey, made with dried semolina noodles. "They're firmer than…

"THIS WINE IS giving me a taste memory of a taste I've never even had!" says Nino Padova, rather mysteriously. The memory, apparently, is of sitting with his grandfather in Italy, drinking marsala. In fact, the wine we're sipping is slightly oxidized, sherrylike, but fresher. And it's orange. "The flavors you get out of this wine are something you won't get in any other wine. That's what excites me," says Alex Bernardo, owner of Vineyard Gate Selections in Millbrae, California. A Sunset colleague and drinking buddy of mine, Nino has been extolling the virtues of Alex and his shop for a very long time, so today I'm shadowing him to learn just exactly what inspires such loyalty. We're already immersed in discovery. While both of us have run into orange…