Happy

Happy Hannukah, Happy Winter Solstice, Happy Christmas, Happy almost New Year!

Also, so happy to be flying to Seattle today for a week.

See you next year!

(*)

Brown paper packages tied up with string

Beautiful wrapping ideas for any occasion.

Soft pretzel? Sure why not.

Sebastiaan Bremer

The paint-splashed photos by Dutch artist Sebastiaan Bremer make me want to strap on my snow shoes and hit the Alps right this second. Aren't they gorgeous?

Gifts for a lovely lady

1. a soft, cuddly spotted angora sweater (*)


2. a little bling first thing in the morning (*)


3. a warm woolen watermelon beanie (*)

4. The Eye Has to Travel - a tome dedicated to the life and work of Diana Vreeland (*)

5. the perfect, non-techy, touch screen gloves (*)


6. clean, sexy, confident kiehls musk (*)

If I had a pup...

I'd walk her all around town in blinkthings:





(cute packaging, too)

Ode to the lima bean

Lima beans don't get enough credit, so I thought I'd show this moon-shaped legume some love. They were a favorite of mine as a wee one, as my parents tell it. I love the image of chubby baby me, propped up in a high chair, clenching lima beans in each fist.

Over Thanksgiving weekend we went on a mini getaway to the Berkshires for some fresh air, lots of art, hiking, and relaxation. It was pretty dreamy. We also ate scrumptious food, the most memorable dish being a Peruvian Lima Bean Ragout with Swiss Chard, Fennel, Tomato and Pecorino at Mezze in Williamstown, MA. It was so, sooo good. And what a smart way to prepare lima beans - they were treated kind of like a pasta in a rich tomato-y sauce.

So in honor of the lovely lima, tonight for din I tried my best to recreate the Mezze dish. Here's how:

Beans
Soak 1.5 cups dried large lima beans, then bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat for about 25 minutes.

Sauce
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small - medium carrots, diced
6 baby bella mushrooms, diced
1 small shallot, minced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
a few large leaves of kale, chopped
tomato sauce (homemade or store bought)

Saute carrot, zucchini, garlic and shallot in a teaspoon of olive oil at low heat for 5 mins.

Add 1 cup tomato sauce to pan and simmer for a couple minutes.

Add tomatoes, mushrooms and kale (I like to just barely cook these ingredients, but you can add them earlier along with the other veggies too).

When limas are cooked almost all the way through, remove from water and add to the sauce pan to simmer together with sauce for another 10-15 minutes.

Sprinkle with fresh herbs, parmesan, and buon appetito!

(*)

Decembrrrrr

Ohhh hello, Winter. December may just be one of my favorite months.

There's an electricity in the air, along with a frosty nip.
Parties galore, and cozy time with loved ones to look forward to.
Traditions, and twinkling lights, and pine needles littering the streets.
Hibernation is just around the bend.
New York is a pretty wonderful place to be this time of year.

(*)

James Henkel: Light Work, Nov.11

Beautiful imagery by James Henkel

(*)

Neopolitan, Nov.11

I love the splash of pink (and peep of yellow) against the rich brown seating and chevron floors.



Doesn't it remind you of those funny little striped coconut candies?



(*)

Grappling with apples, Nov.11

Apple picking this year was a full-day extravaganza of hiking, picnicing and playing apple-ball in the orchard. I came home with a bushel of rosy beauties and decided to revisit some tried and true recipes from last year.

I cannot stress enough the dee-lici-ous-ness of this Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust. I always add a little extra cheddar on top during the last few minutes of baking. The more cheddar, the better.

I also tried these Autumn In A Bite cookies again because last year I used homemade caramel sauce in place of caramel candies. This time around I made two versions - with and without caramels. Both turned out great, but a word to the wise: bake them almost twice as long as the recipe calls for. At 10 minutes they were still doughy and the caramels still stiff and sticky. At about 18-20 minutes they were browned and gooey. A pinch of sea salt makes a perfect bite.

What I love about apples is their versatility. They are just as good sweet as they are savory. For dinner one night I improvised on this recipe and made a Roasted Apple-Butternut Squash Pizza. I followed the dough recipe but mixed in some fresh thyme for a little extra oomph. For toppings, I thinly sliced 3 apples and half a butternut squash and mixed these with diced shallots, garlic, thyme, basil, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper. I had to bake this a bit longer than 10 minutes as well, probably closer to 15 minutes. A sprinkle of parmesan on top as it comes from the oven is always a good idea. Buon apetito!

Finally, I got creative one night when I was too tired to really cook, and came up with Grilled Chicken Tacos with Apple-Radish-Shallot Relish. Boo threw some chicken on the barbie. I whipped up garlic-shallot black beans and made a quick relish of diced apples, radishes and shallots marinated in apple cider vinegar. I layered these delish ingredients on a corn tortilla, topped it with sliced avocado and went to taco heaven.


Other Apple recipes that sound amazing:

Rustic Apple French Toast

Ravioli with Apples and Walnuts

Praline-Apple Bread

Caramelized Onion Tarts With Apples


XO