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It may be a little late to snag one of these Linen Deck Towels in time for the long weekend, but I will definitely have them on hand for the rest of summer.
I love linen – sheets, pants, jackets, couches, napkins, you name it – it’s a fabric that just exudes simple luxury. And the thought of spending the summer with linen under my bum sounds just fabulous. Take ‘em to the beach, backyard BBQs, deck parties, anywhere that has sunshine (and maybe a cocktail).
They would also be the perfect present for summer birthdays or as a thank you gift for any summer travels.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend! Hope it is filled with food, drinks, friends and fiestas … and a few little luxuries too!
Images via Deck Towel via Design*Sponge
Just in case you want to have another tequila cocktail option for upcoming BBQs this weekend, here is one I have been enjoying from The Breslin. Good food and better drinks are definitely on the final week(s) agenda.
This one is more herbal, less fruity than the strawberry-black pepper drink. That one is perfect for daytime, and maybe switch to this as the sun goes down. And if you are serving both of these this weekend, it’s not to late to invite me over!
I haven’t recreated this one yet, so I don’t have exact amounts, but if you get to it before me, let me know how it goes in the comments.
Here is how it’s listed on the menu:
Moon Safari blanco tequila with fresh pineapple, tarragon and fresh lime juice –If you are unsure of how the tarragon works here, suffice it to say, there was more than one round ordered and consumed. I think I am now trading this slightly licorice-y herb for basil in all my summer cocktails. For now anyway.
Because at this rate, I am going to have a whole new tequila love affair by next week. Yikes – let’s hope not.
I am going to guess that you haven’t had a strawberry margarita in quite a while. And considering that too many are made too syrupy sweet, that is a good thing.
But I have one that will make you remember the genius of the tequila and strawberry combo. Well, rather Back Forty has one, but for upcoming Memorial Day BBQs and parties, I’m going to call it mine, and I think you should too.
What makes you come back for another one on this drink is the black pepper. The rim is coated in a mix of sugar and freshly ground back pepper and it is amazing. I love when pepper is in a bloody mary rim mix, but there it is salty and expected. Here, twinged with a hint of sweet, it is the best kind of almost-summer surprise. Kind of like strawberries themselves. When perfectly ripe, way better than you remember or imagined.
But for all the allure of the rim, the drink itself it simple.
The countdown is on. By next weekend we will be back in California. I can hardly believe it how quickly the time has flown by. I know there are about 1,001 things that I wanted to do/see/experience in this great city that just didn’t happen. But I also know that we had another 1,001 adventures we could have never imagined when just visiting.
So for out final week (plus) – what should we do? I have a little list of ideas, but I’d love you hear from you!
Any hidden gems that you New Yorkers think we must check out? Or you non-NY’ers, places you want to go, things you want to see? Let me know in the comments or via email, and I’ll try to check them out. I’ll even try to remember my camera so you can see it all come to life – since I doubt there will be many recipes on these pages for a bit.
So have at it – restaurants, museums, galleries, food carts, home stores, flea markets – you name it.
And whatever we don’t get to – well, I have a feeling we will be back soon!
Images: Top – overlooking the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park; Bottom – a lovely lunch at Motorino.
About a month ago, I had a full Eddie Ross weekend. You may recall that I went to his Color & Candlelight event, but I also went to the Chelsea Flea Market with Eddie, Jaithan and a few others. It was such a treat learning tips and tricks from him – the man is a master at finding hidden gems.
I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but I always have my eye on flatware – I love mixing in different pieces – ivory spoons or mother of pearl knives, so when I found these vintage horn knives I was instantly smitten.
They have a few nicks and cracks, but overall are in pretty good shape. I just need to take them for a quick sharpening and they are ready for the table.
And after this recent swing of New York adventures, getting back to the table will be a welcome change. And I love that I will have an NYC find waiting for me.
What are your favorite flea market/thrift store finds? Or items that you remind you of other places?
Not too long ago, I made my first twitter inspired meal. I know there are tons of people who post short ‘recipes’ on twitter and so I can imagine that many folks have already had their first “twitter dinner.” But to be honest, I still don’t really “get” twitter and so this is all still new to me – I understand it in theory, but I don’t tweet all that often and use it more to see what is going on with friends and bloggers I like.
So it seemed quite serenditpitous when I was already planning on a big quinoa salad for dinner to see @CannelleVanille tweet “making pumpkin seed, watercress and lemon pesto for quinoa tonight. Sans cheese this time.”
I remembered I had some pumpkin seeds (or pepitas) in the pantry from a random bulk bin binge. This would be great – something not totally expcted, but still simple, easy and healthy (which is I was obviously looking for with quinoa salad dinner plans).
Turns out I didn’t have watercress on hand, so I went with a parsley pesto – I know not totally similar and might not be everyone’s fave, but I love parsley and will take excuse to move it from the garnish column to ingredient (plus it was the only “leafy green” in the fridge). And unlike Aran, I did add in the cheese, because I wanted that extra richness, and who are we kidding … I rarely pass on the cheese.
To make it a meal, Read the rest of this entry »
So to tell you the truth, not a ton of cooking or entertaining has been going on here. Knowing that we have a deadline on this city keeps us out – walking, exploring, eating (and drinking) – I hope you understand.
But before I head of for each day’s adventure, I always do a quick blog check and I recently saw this genius tray on the style files. And I couldn’t help but share it with you.
It would be a great wedding/birthday/hostess/no reason at all gift. In fact, my half-birthday is next week, and I have just decided that I am going to celebrate it! Or a going away present – you can get those for yourself, right?
The Fat Tray by Harri Koskinen for Alessi is a bamboo storage box with a lidded tray and a moveable divider that makes entertaining anywhere other than the kitchen so much easier. I love that plates and flatware or glasses can be tucked in the box, with larger items on top. Breakfast in bed, backyard picnic, rooftop shenanigans, the options are (almost) endless…
Who knows, now I may need to throw one last soiree, just to really have a reason to use this guy right now.
Until then … I’ll be galavanting around this fair city!
Fat Tray by Harri Koskinen for Alessi available for purchase from Alessi online, at selected retailers or Unica Home.
Images via Alessi.
For years, I was scared of the bulk bins at the grocery store. They just seemed way to hippy-dippy for me. I am admittedly not very hippy and I hope not too dippy. But over the years as I have started eating more and different grains, I have come to love the bulk bins.
First of all, if I want to try something new (like say buckwheat groats) I can get a small amount in case I realize I don’t quite know what to do with them. Also, when you have a teeny tiny kitchen, it is nice to still be able to try lots of different things without taking up too much space.
Another bonus – freshness. Since I started buying my rice in the bulk bins, it has turned out perfectly every.single.time. I account that to the higher turnover in the bins than their packaged counterpart.
Also, without the excess packaging, the prices are lower and there is less waste. These two items alone I think make the switch worthwhile!
Someday I imagine that I will have loads of canisters and jars to store all these goodies, but for now, I use the plastic take-out containers – which are pretty handy to tell you the truth.
And with all these little containers on hand, I can do things like whip up (not terribly authentic and but good nonetheless) dal or make my weekly grain salad or an updated pesto with my “pantry items.”
Do you use the bulk bins, or keep the the packaged aisles? Has your cooking changed at all by using bulk bins?
Spring in New York is full of all kinds of goodies that I couldn’t have dreamed of in Los Angeles – things like tulips in every street-side planter box.
But what I have really been loving are the Eastern Spring specialties like ramps and fiddlehead ferns. I have made ramp pizza and ramp pasta with varying degrees of success, and think pickled ramps are up next. They were the hit of my most recent pot of pickles at The Spotted Pig.
As for fiddlehead ferns, I have had them in restaurants, but had never made them myself. So when I saw them at the market recently, I couldn’t help but grab a handful or two.
Problem was, I didn’t know quite what to do with them. I did a few searches online, and nothing seemed to really excite me. And then things came up and the fun little fiddleheads languished in crisper.
Thankfully before I completely abandoned the little buggers, I had read that they should be cooked within a few days, and so I knew I needed to figure something out – they couldn’t be left for days (weeks?) like carrots and the other things in the back of the drawers.
Fiddleheads taste a bit like a cross between asparagus and green beans, so I decided that a simple preparation would be best, but something with enough umph to be a meal – not just a side.
I cooked them simply – blanched first and then sautéed with garlic in the rendered fat of pancetta (a little pork goes a long way) and finished simply with lemon, spaghetti and parmesan.
Now that we know we are officially moving from New York soon, I am spending every free moment trying to soak it all in. And attempting to visit spots I haven’t hit yet. I know I won’t even make a dent in my list, but it sure is fun to try.
One of the places I have been wanting to check out are the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. So I hopped on the train with a girlfriend and we went to check ‘em out. Turns out we were a week late for the cherry blossoms (oops) but to our surprise entrance is free on Tuesdays, so we didn’t really care.
To make up for it, the wisteria was in full bloom. Immediately we started dreaming of throwing a little dinner party under the fragrant lavender-hued trellis. One more thing for the “some day” checklist…
Until then, I can stock up on supplies to get ready for it.
Let’s start with candles – some for the tables and lots for the trellis (you can buy hanging votives or DIY). And maybe add a few lavender and blue accents, like bread plates, napkins and glasses – to bring the color to the table too. And I like to add something fun to the flatware – these antique mother of pearl knives are just perfect.
To drink, definitely Lillet blanc – either served traditionally over ice with a twist or for those looking for a bit extra, we may have to try this martini version.
Do you have any outdoor spots that have you dreaming of parties? I think I find them where ever I go!
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