Alyssa Ponticello: All In Good Taste
STYLE | TRAVEL | FOOD
By Jaclyn Tracy
What motivates you?
First and foremost is gratitude. It might sound corny, but having gone through some difficult life moments in the past, I feel so grateful for each new day that I wake up and am blessed with another day of life and that motivates me to want to make the most of my day and my time. A few other things that motivate me- my husband, wanting to make a difference in the world, impact over influence, being in my kitchen and cooking and gratitude for getting to share my passions with others via my work and knowing that I’ve maybe made even the smallest difference in someone’s life, whether it’s helping with a product recommendation or giving them confidence to cook or simply just a pretty picture for someone to enjoy when they’re having a rough day.
What inspires you from a home design perspective?
To be honest, I’m a bit of a slow decorator, I like to take my time, to create a space with intention, one that is ever evolving and changing, just like life (we’ve been in our current home 3+ years and it's already gone through several renditions and I’m still nowhere near done decorating it). So when it comes to the home I’m always incredibly inspired by nature. It’s beautiful yet simple, intentional and minimal, it’s not in a hurry, it takes its time, just how I like to approach home design. So you’ll definitely find a lot of natural elements, like stone, wood and linen, throughout my space.
I’m also inspired by vintage pieces and the stories and history they hold. Searching through thrift stores to find pieces forces you to slow down and more thoughtfully decorate your space in a unique way with pieces that hold meaning and memories. I also get a lot of vintage pieces while traveling so it’s fun to have those memories of different trips and places woven in throughout the home. Plus, I love that vintage pieces are a great way to sustainably outfit your home.
What are your favorite recipes to cook and why are they your favorite?
My favorite recipes to cook usually involve pasta, fresh produce and family memories (or some combination of all three). Coming from an Italian-French family and one that raised much of our own produce, or sourced items locally (I remember at one point that we would actually get milk delivered in glass bottles from a local dairy farm!), I always find myself drawn to recipes that utilize seasonal cooking and enhance already good provisions with just a few simple steps and ingredients, with a little decadence thrown in here and there (because life is short, after all). A few of my particular favorites at the moment include this seasonal pumpkin version of a spicy vodka sauce, this slow roasted turmeric salmon with coconut crisp, this butternut squash pizza (we do pizza night every Friday in our household and this one is always a favorite this time of year) and I love a good salad, especially this one that’s loaded with all sorts of fall goodness.
Let's talk about drinks. What is your top go-to cocktail?
Depending on the time of year (and the meal I’m enjoying with said cocktail), I tend to rotate between a few classics- a spicy mezcal margarita or ranch water, a dirty martini (extra dirty, please!) or a negroni, more specifically a bianco negroni made with mezcal. And when I feel like switching it up this cocktail made with jam (instead of mixers) is yummy (and a great way to use up jam) and this olive oil one is a fun one that uses aquafaba (aka the liquid in a can of chickpeas)
Alyssa’s bianco negroni cocktail recipe
Alyssa’s olive oil cocktail recipe
How do you transition your home and style into the fall season?
My motto, always, is to keep things simple and clean. So I typically like to do a big seasonal clean out and donate, upcycle, appropriately recycle, or re-home pieces that aren’t getting any love to clear out and start my home and closet with a fresh space for a fresh new season. For fall specifically, I make sure I have a few good sweaters, blazers and boots ready to go and tend to start gravitating towards warmer, darker tones (a lot of chocolate browns at the moment). As for the home, I like to make things cozy with darker linens, a few more blankets draped around the home, a warm candle and I love adding a few simple nods to the season through things like a wooden bowl of apples or squash on the table or branches instead of flowers in my vases.
“I typically like to do a big seasonal clean out and donate, upcycle, appropriately recycle, or re-home pieces that aren’t getting any love to clear out and start my home and closet with a fresh space for a fresh new season.”
— ALYSSA PONTICELLA
How do you take care of yourself?
Taking care of myself is a mix of daily non-negotiables and life changes I’ve learned to incorporate over time. Learning to set boundaries has been huge for me. Learning to step back and assess if something truly serves me or if I just feel like I should be saying yes. Saying no more. Staying informed but taking breaks from the news. Acupuncture has also become a non-negotiable self care ritual that I started incorporating this year. It has truly been life changing for me and has worked wonders with everything from stress and panic attacks to better sleep and digestion. And of course, getting sleep, moving my body, 10K steps a day, daily gratitude journaling, eating lots of fresh produce and taking supplements.
Favorite places to travel?
I truly love exploring where I live in California. Having grown up on the east coast and in the midwest, the west coast is a whole new world to me (we moved here about 6 years ago) and I’m constantly in awe of the vast array of beautiful options, from sea to mountain to desert to wine country to wilderness and beyond, that the state has to offer. You truly never run out of places to explore here. However, one of my absolute favorite spots, that I return to year after year, is Big Sur. It’s just such a breathtaking, special, magical place and unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. I also absolutely love Italy! I still have family there and every time I visit it just feels like home. Plus, you can’t beat the wine and food!
Favorite sustainable brands?
You know I love all things SISTAIN! I also love West Bourne for provisions, If You Care for compostable kitchen items (like parchment paper), Girlfriend for workout gear, KOTN and Pact for clothes and underwear and the OG Dr. Bonner’s for soap.
Words to live by
One thing about me is that I live for a good quote! One of my favorites is “Nobody ever made a difference by being like everyone else”. I think in today’s world of social media it can be so challenging to not want to constantly compare yourself to others and to feel like you aren’t doing enough or that you aren’t enough. I truly appreciate this quote’s reminder to be yourself and stick to your goals, dreams and visions because it’s your uniqueness, not following along with everyone else, that will have the greatest impact on your community, those around you and the world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaclyn Tracy is the founder of SISTAIN. Her goal is to make a greater difference by educating, activating and making sustainable consumerism not only easier, but aspirational. She believes success is in the collective impact, getting a whole group of people to change their behavior by committing to choosing sustainable brands, less waste and imperfect progress.
