Claire Cheney is known among friends and colleagues for her love of entertaining, including cooking, baking and throwing amazing parties! So, when EY approached her with the idea of writing for EntertainingYourself.com, we were thrilled that she enthusiastically said YES! Her first two articles have added a delicious new flavor to the site and with her new job working for a chocolate company, we anticipate this is just the beginning.

EY: You seem to have so many interests; what would you say are your top five?

Claire: Cooking, Making Cocktails, Writing, Reading & Playing Outside.

EY: So tell us, what is your favorite food?

Claire: Fresh Fig with fresh goat cheese and honey

EY: Of course, Figs! We should have guessed. OK then, what about a favorite cocktail?

Claire: For a bad day: Campari and Soda with an orange slice!

EY: So how about a few recommendations for our readers?

Claire: If you like 1) Craft Cocktails, go to Boston’s Fort Point to the bar called Drink; 2) Cuban food, go to El Oriental in Boston’s Jamaica Plain; 3) awesome, cheezy sunsets, go to Santorini, Greece; 4) Turkish food, go to Ciya Sofrasi in Istanbul, Turkey; 5) blueberries, go to the Maine Wild Blueberry Festival in Union, Maine; 6) raw oysters, go the Oyster Shucking Championship on Prince Edward Island.

EY: WOW! That’ll keep us busy for a bit. Any last thoughts for our readers?

Claire: “Follow your inner moonlight. Don’t hide the madness.” – Allen Ginsberg. And if all else fails:Eat something and go to sleep!