shoobidoobi

triple layered birthday

katie came back from kenya to a triple layered birthday cake and a red-head themed party. culture shock.

happy first night

the leftover sandwich

curried turkey salad with craisins, scallions, and mango chutney

Bloody Mary Shrimp, you say?

In Boston this weekend, after a night out with my Norwell gals, my mom and I made this bloody mary-inspired shrimp cocktail.

For the shrimp: Immerse completely in vodka and lemon vodka, plus salt. Let marinate overnight, or for a few hours in the fridge. Prepare cooking liquid consisting of vodka, 2 lemons (juiced first), 4 bay leaves, chili flakes, and water. After the liquid boils, add shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes.

For bloody mary dipping sauce: Ketchup, horseradish, lemon, salt, pepper, tabasco sauce, MORE VODKA. Serve both sauce and shrimp chilled, and experience the NEW cure for a hangover.

for anyone with an iphone

or for anyone who corresponds with iphone users, this is hilarious.

butternut soupy

homemade butternut squash soup with apple and nutmeg. sharp cheddar accompaniment.

Puttanesca

Made some fresh tomato sauce last week. Tonight I spiced it up with chopped olives, capers, and anchovies for a quick puttanesca sauce (not pictured).

Thanksgiving Planning

I have begun my preparation for this years Thanksgiving already, and how lucky I am to have Thanksgiving potluck this Friday to try out one of the recipes I am thinking about. I have a general sense of the flavor combinations for the turkey, stuffing, and vegetable dish, now it's a matter of combining different recipes into the perfect menu. Here are some thoughts on the turkey, for starters:

Make a Wednesday-night rub for the bird: kosher salt, clementine zest, lemon zest, sage, thyme, tarragon, and any other fresh herbs. Let sit overnight to brine (sort of). Roast the next day with lots of butter on top, halved clementines and onions in the pan, and more herbs. Stuffed of course with my sourdough, artichoke, sausage and parmesan stuffing. Sound good?

Getaway at the seashore

Natalie generously hosted a slew of people at her house this weekend for an autumn beach party. We made lots of good food including BBQ sausages, fresh spinach salad, pesto pasta with roasted vegetables, and lots and lots of tea.

Grown-ups

New take on Jersey Shore

Natalie's personality captured

Luna modeling the latest fall trends, note the guitar-playing on the balcony

Littlest Birds

View from the top floor

Halloween in the Lodge

Autumn House Warming

Our friend Janelle cooked an incredible fall feast on Sunday at her adorable home in Cobble Hill. The menu included Julia Child's beef bourguignon, roasted parsnips and carrots with bacon, pumpkin ravioli, roasted potatoes, gougere-type crisps, mulled apple cider, and to top it off, apple crisp with pumpkin/egg nog ice cream. Delicioso.

Fall Vibes

leaf by l.m.b.



pumpkins by l.m.b.

love it

back back to cali cali

laguna beach weekend getaway with my dad and brother, a much needed relax and suntan. champagne sunset, al gore run-in, delicious food, 5 star service, perfect weather, and two great companions. couldnt have asked for more.

outside it feels like...

...winter is just around the corner...

give us a kiss, she said

Melanzane delight.

Lu and I made this wonderful eggplant parm this week from freshly grown eggplants by the lovely Brooklyn Jaccom. Fresh ingredients all around and it turned out really well.

The prep circa 11 pm

Ready for the oven circa 12 am

Melanzane alla Parmigiana

2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick rounds

fresh basil

fresh mozzarella (see picture for size)

grated italian parmigiana

1 can italian diced tomatoes

plain bread crumbs (season with salt and pepper and parsley)

3 eggs

olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Start with the sauce: add garlic, some ripped basil, salt, pepper, some sugar, and anything you normally put into your pasta sauce. Let simmer for a while. Peel and slice the eggplant. Dip each slice in beaten egg, and dredge through the (seasoned) bread crumbs, and lay onto oiled cookie sheet (single layer). Bake on each side till browned, about 5 minutes. Then begin building the parm: eggplant first, then sauce, then layer the slices of mozz cheese and sprinkle some parmigiana, layer some fresh leaves of basil.Repeat till the casserole is filled. Bake for 35 minutes. Enjoy.

rainbow connection

rainbows were all over the place today in washington square.

nestled in the trees.

a place to live, work, cook, garden, create, and think. farmhouse 2k11 where were you.

Relaxing

A la Don Draper

Tempeh and kale with garlic and carrots

If you are hungry?

Macondo in the east village was a great small-plate dinner, I loved the atmosphere and the dishes were really good. I would recommend the calamari, skate tacos, and the yuca fries in particular. The truffle aioli accompanying the mushroom croquettes was to die for.

Also, Dos Toros tacos near union square is a pretty good taco for the east coast, the steak looked fresh and cooked to perfection.

dartmouth breakfast, end of summer.

juice and sunshine.

Evidence of missing items.

This is but one box that has been in storage since graduating over a year ago. Someday when I have more space than a walk in closet, we will reunite. Pictured above: an entire box of kitchen supplies that are on vacation in the Berkshires.

And on the side, documentation of our fridge in Greenfield, dots and all.

a picnic on saturday

white beauty tomatoes with "womanchego" cheese and fresh peasant boule

bountiful farmers market with EVERY type of heirloom tomato you can dream of

maxwell p treats me for dinner

i highly recommend celeste on the UWS

enjoying yaddo and a beach ball

this must be the place

lovebug fest. minus some crucial bugs.

kettle breakfast

by accident i ordered two breakfasts in saratoga this weekend: pancakes and eggs. very american according to my italian, greek, japanese, and kashmiri coworkers.

cocktails on the veranda

mad men-esque hors d'oeuvres for kitty kats birthday back in july:

featuring my homemade artichoke hummus: garbanzo beans, tahini, artichoke hearts, garlic, lemon juice, smoky paprika, s & p.

Mile End

Traditional Montreal Jews in Brooklyn

somewhere over the rainbow

a DOUBLE rainbow spotted tonight in new york city. Be-a-u-tiful.

3 soup day

I stayed with my gracious grandparents for two days while my parents were here visiting, partly in avoidance of my house mouse, and partly because they treat me like royalty: scrambled eggs for breakfast, a choice of three homemade soups for dinner, packed leftovers for lunch, air conditioning, good conversation, AND a much shorter commute to work. All in all, happy my parents came into the city, and happy for my UWS home away from home. Gracias!

heaven

like mother like daughter