Happy 2010!

Going down to SoCal for New Years Eve. Seeya all next year...Peace!!

Ann Taylor

I haven't been as busy as some of my friends while at home, but I have managed to get out to Valley Fair to do a little window shopping (window drooling and yearning, is more like it).


Is it just me, or has Ann Taylor stepped it up a notch? Or, maybe I'm turning into my mom. Eeek! Whatever it is, Ann Taylor, and Ann Taylor Loft's holiday/SS10 collection has a ton of pieces that I'd love to have in my closet.

(The yellow blouse on the top left is my FAVORITE.)

Truckee xmas 2009

As it happens, I left a snowy winter wonderland only to find myself immediately placed in another, 3000 miles away. As we did last year, my mom, dad, sister and I packed up our VW and made the trek out HWY 80 to Truckee, a little snowy village just Northwest of Tahoe and Southwest of Reno. This xmas trip came and went with lots of home cooked food and tv movies, just like every other year - but not without any casualties. Unfortunately my sister lost her phone on the slopes, I lost a pair of ski goggles, my dad busted his knee and I my shoulder.


Looks like my mom was right to stay at home with the dog and the tv.

Chilly and Chili

As usual, I am leaving wintery New York to go back to California for the holidays. I'll be home for extra long this time, until the 7th, because yes I am still unemployed.

As a parting gift, New York dumped a couple feet of snow this weekend. B and I went out on Saturday night, amidst the blizzard, to romp and roll in the snow. Slightly underdressed, I became quite ornery quite quickly, but it was a thrill while it lasted.

The best part? We came back home, wet with melted snow and cold to our bones, to find the magical elves had miraculously finished our pot of Green Pork Chili. er, Stew. Chili? Whatever it was, yummmmmm.

GREEN PORK CHILI w/ TOMATOES
(adapted from Epicurious recipe)

Ingredients:
8 Poblano peppers

2.5 pounds pork butt strips, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped
2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp paprika
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
3 small vine tomatoes

Char chilies over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed chilies. Cut into 1-inch pieces.

Place pork in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add flour and toss to coat. Heat 4 tablespoons oil in heavy large wide pot over high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil as needed, cook pork until brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to large bowl.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and leeks to same pot and stir until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cumin, allspice, and paprika; stir 2 minutes. Return pork and any accumulated juices to pot; add stock, chilies and tomatoes with juices and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer on LOW uncovered until chili thickens and meat is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sperry in the winter

Sperry topsiders, known to me for their infamous boat shoes, has made some sort of deal with JCrew and is selling these AMAZING duck boots online and in their catalogs. I don't know how I'm going to get my hands (feet) on some, but seeing there's only size 11 left online, I need to be crafty and find my way into a pair. I want to dance in the snow in these.

Sing Off

This show is 95% really horrible and 5% really great. Here's an example of the latter:

Kitchen envy

Don't worry, I'm still here. I haven't frozen to death. Yet.

I've been very very productive this week- I got myself a Brooklyn Public Library card, which I am very proud of. I did a lot of yoga and am getting into an almost-daily morning practice. And I've been doing tons of thinking and brainstorming about a new business idea....even met with a friend last night to discuss the nitty gritty. All in all, not a terribly stagnant week (despite this weather)

I've also been, as per usual, combing the blog circuit. I don't know why I feel compelled to share this image, but I really love the feel of this kitchen.

The Fun Theory

I'm a little confused about who the masterminds are behind this (is it really volkswagen? some innovative swedish design firm? elves?), but whoever it is needs to take over the world.

On the website are a series of videos all under the mantra "The Fun Theory", showing how slight modifications to mundane objects can help save the world, a little at a time. The world CAN be more recycled, more litter free, and more exercised. And in watching, you just can't help but smile.

Thanks mom for sending this. And Vickie, for reminding me to post, too.

20x200

I've been a fan of 20x200 for awhile. Using the website as both a platform to expose young and emerging artists as well as providing a wide array of artworks for any consumer level, this website was borne as an offshoot to founder Jen Bekman's Gallery. One photo and one work on paper is released each week, at 2pm every Tuesday and Wednesday, and are on sale until Sold Out. Sometimes they are genius, sometimes they fall short, but so is art. Each work always has at least three size options, the cheapest being $20 and the largest $200 (hence the website name), making anyone a viable collector of art. The quality, even for the little pieces, are great- all works are printed with high quality inks and on the finest paper specified by each artist.

I'm fond of the most recent release (pictured in this post), but am afraid to get it as I know it will just look cluttered in my already sparse wall space :(

Also make sure to check out the Jen Bekman Gallery, in the LES.

New Spoon Album

In promoting their highly anticipated January release of the latest album Transference, Spoon was featured on this week's All Songs Considered on NPR. Norah Jones was also previewed, touting a slightly more rock-ish sound than past records. Am excited to hear both new albums come 2010.

Go here and click on the link to have a listen.

Avec Alan

I encourage you all to check out this video of Alan Richman and Eric Ripert going on a field trip to Costco...and then discussing the results of their suburbian forage:

A few of my favorite parts:

Eric Ripert saying "Costco". I never knew Costco could sound quite so charming.

Mini quiches. Don't ask me how many times I have had these same Costco mini-quiches in my youth. So many I can't answer.

Eric Ripert commenting that "...in that store [Costco], nothing looks like it's coming from Planet Earth". And then later calling it, lovingly, the "Evil Empire"

Alan Richman looking like a very disheveled Albert Einstein (I mean, can't he at least tuck in his shirt?)

Tuesday afternoon hodgepodge

Lots of fun random links to share, after catching up with my RSS feeds this morning...

Making your own butter. I am definitely going to give this a go for Thanksgiving dinner.

via EatMakeRead

New ramen joint in Greenpoint. Previously exclusive, now inclusive. I wonder if it will be any good...

Roald Dahl loved chocolate candy bars and Beethoven. Big heaving sigh for still not having gone seen the Fantastic Mr. Fox! (Maybe this weekend)

100 rooms, all 100 square feet. Man, I thought living in NY was tight quarters....

Michael Wolf photography via Apartment Therapy.

I am such a sucker for fine stationary. Here's my newest fave, Rifle Paper Co.

They're all over the interweb on all the blogs!

I was recently gifted a jar of this honey, from BeeRaw honey (based in New York). Orgasmically decadent.

Finally, a shoe diary. Just what every girl needs.

from Elle Blog via Cup of Jo

Dining Trends Article

Dining Trend Forecasts for the next year make me realize that I'm a food snob.

It could be worse.

John Robshaw

DC introduced me to John Robshaw sometime last year.

Artsy, free, patterned prints in bold colors, sheets and covers and quilts that are warm, soft, sturdy, and thick- all at the same time. The bold, Eastern-inspired prints are not for everyone, nor for every room, but I really love them all. Sample sale, TODAY (sorry for the late notice!)!!!

I haven't been able to create the lifestyle where I can outfit all my beds with his linens (and by all, I mean one.) definitely not at full retail and perhaps not even anything today. But who knows, maybe I'll be able to snag a pillowcase or two at this sale.

John Robshaw Sample Sale

245 West 29th Street, 11th Floor

@ 29th and 8th.

TODAY! until 8:30pm

mystery field trip

I have a secret.

It's one of my favorite little hole-in-the-wall businesses that I'm going to share with you. Can you guess what goes on here?:

Hmm. Mysterious slop. What could it be?

It's Tofu! See the little blocks, all lined up and ready to be put into bags for us? And, do you see their brothers and sisters, waiting in the metal vat, floating in all their splendid tofu juice?

If you ever find yourself in San Jose, definitely make your way down to the San Jose Tofu Company, in downtown SJ's Japantown. It will change your tofu-eating life, forever.

San Jose Tofu Company
175 Jackson Street
San Jose, CA 95112
Telephone: (408) 292-7026

Apartment Therapy's Marketplace

Apartment Therapy is where I go to dream about my future indoor spaces. So many pretty paints, fabrics, textiles, beddings, furniture, antiques, storage ideas...and more!

They've just opened up their "marketplace", where readers will be able to source all the lovely sorts of things they feature on their blogs (and more). Just from looking at it, I am thinking it's kind of like an Etsy but specifically for home design. Brilliant!

Now if only I had the apartment to furnish...

Fall in the Burg

Over-exposed camera phone pic. Doing the best I could to capture the feeling of the moment.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I spent the afternoon today at Donna's with her and Coco, cooking and hanging out (what else do we do?). Donna holds Martha in high regard (rightfully so) and we decided to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies that she had bookmarked in last month's Everyday Food magazine.

As the name of the recipe attests, these are the ultimate chocolate chip cookies, gooey in the middle and slightly crisp on the edges, buttery and sugary and chocolaty. Just like a chocolate chip cookie should be. The recipe is quite large and seems like a huge amount of butter sugar chocolate and butter, so I guess it would be okay halved, but what's the harm in having a stash of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough in the fridge? And really, after tasting how good these come out of the oven, they probably won't be going in the freezer.

Prep time: about 15 minutes

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (use a good kind!)

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange oven racks to upper and lower thirds of oven, preheat to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the first four (dry) ingredients.

3. In a larger bowl using a mixer, beat together butter and both sugars until combined and light & fluffy. Reduce speed and beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture in three batches until just incorporated; then fold in the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks.

4. Using a large spoon or better yet, a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop, drop dough onto lined baking sheets about 2-3 inches apart. You should have about 12 cookies. Store the remainder of the dough in the fridge for the time being.

5. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Take the cookies out of the oven and let sit for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. After the pans cool down a little, bake the remaining dough using new parchment.

Martha's recipe originally calls to refrigerate all the dough for an hour before baking. Though I sure this will yield even fluffier and chewier cookies, we didn't have the patience for this. And guess what, I thought our cookies were just as chewy and fluffy as any I've ever tasted.

11/4/09 Update: Visit Donna's blog to see what other goodie we made that day!!!

Wexford Jewelers

wow wow wowweeee.

Chrome released for Mac

Google Chrome released for Mac

by Chris Rawson (RSS feed) on Oct 23rd 2009 at 5:30PM

Google has released an official developer preview of Google Chrome for the Mac. Rather than digging through nightly development builds, you can download the developer preview of the WebKit-based browser at Google's official webpage.

Chrome sports several features similar to Safari 4 in Snow Leopard, such as sandboxing - each tab runs as its own process, so if one crashes, it doesn't bring down the whole browser. It also sports the "tabs on top" interface present in some builds of the Safari 4 beta released earlier this year. Some people hated tabs on top in Safari, but others eventually got used to it and even missed the feature when it was omitted from the final release of Safari 4; if tabs on top is your thing, then Chrome has you covered.

Chrome supports importing bookmarks, settings, and history from whatever browser you're currently using, so if you're curious to see how it runs on a Mac, go ahead and give it a try. Let us know in the comments if you run into any issues.

[Via Tuaw via Download Squad]

spidey

I am thinking of ordering one of these costumes. Just because. Don't bother asking why I'm internetting these things at 11:30 on a Monday evening, it's seriously not worth your time.

Tuthilltown Distillery/Hudson Valley Whiskey

The torrential downpour Saturday night left some of the clearest, bluest skies I've yet to see in New York on Sunday morning.

What better day to take a trip upstate to see Fall foliage and, while we're at it, have a whiskey tour/tasting?

(View of the city from the Wburg bridge)

Tuthilltown (pronounced "Tuttle-town") Distilleries is about 90 miles out and up from New York City, with the nearest "big" town being New Paltz. It has some of the most gorgeous mountain ranges and is particularly known for their outdoor activities, most especially as a climbing mecca with some of the best climbers coming in from all over New York.

The Distillery, occupying a much smaller plot of land than expected (think small farm operation), was founded a mere six years ago by an entrepreneurial climber (Ralph) as more of an enthusiastic business idea rather than any sort of passed-down brewer's secret craft. What struck me the most was their dedication and particularity about their product, as well as their enthusiasm for the industry as a whole. Tuthilltown became the first whiskey distillers in the state of New York to produce in-house since prohibition. Respectably, they are also vehement in their efforts and largely responsible for passing bills allowing distilleries to have tasting rooms and sell on-location, as well as pushing for the DEA to recognize their industry as farms, rather than industrial plants.

My favorite part of Tuthilltown was seeing the bottling process. Although their production has doubled in the last two years (they aim to one day produce 30,000 gallons of whiskey a year), the distillery still makes it a point to hand-craft their product from start to finish. They purchase their grain and corn from a neighboring farm, make the whiskey in-house in old-fashioned looking distilling machines, store the moonshine in varying sizes of oak barrels depending on the batch, bottle each individual bottle by hand (including the wax seal, the label, and an individual HAND-WRITTEN number for each bottle that goes out) and distribute from the distillery.

Check out their 4-Grain Whiskey. It's by newest love.

Kombucha Kegger

Are you on the kombucha train? As much as I hate to take part in anything that's a "what's hot" item, I am pretty into this. Not so much into the over-marketed $5 bottles of Kombucha that they sell at whole foods/at every deli in Brooklyn, but whatever, it's good stuff.

Now there's a local brewer of the fizzy fermented drink. There's a big party on Saturday at my local beer shoppe, Brouwerij Lane, to celebrate the very first keg of Kombucha. BYOG- bring your own Growlers! Amazing! As the flier notes, go in between 6-10pm and yell "Drink the Revolution!" and you'll get a free glass.

I'm there.

Brouwerij Lane

78 Greenpoint Avenue

Brooklyn 11222

Kombucha Kegger, 6-10pm

Papercraft

Another amazing craft book find. I want this, but I know things like rent and bills are much more important than making miniature replicas of food out of construction paper.

From Amazon:

"Papercraft is an extensive and timely survey of innovative art and design work crafted from paper. It explores the astounding possibilities of paper craft in all shapes and sizes some are playful, whimsical and quick to produce while others are far more intricate and created in painstaking detail."

Found via Oh Happy Day! blog

J. Mendel

Spring 2010. Yes, Please. All of these:

Found on Style via Green Wedding Shoes. Yes, I read wedding blogs.

plants and flowers

Mom loves all things green. Take a look at what's around the house.

hump day

peek-a-boo. The rain finally stopped today, the sun came out, and so did this little critter.

BHG

Better Homes and Gardens vintage crafting book. On Amazon for a penny. Gonna get it.

Barnabas

Many of you have had the pleasure of meeting Barnes. Some of you have not. Here's a snapshot of Mr. B, whose 4th birthday is in a couple days!

Painting

From my art school days, hanging in the home.

Oil on Canvas, dims to be updated.

Chia Obama

I almost forgot about this.

I flew JetBlue home this time, and while watching some DirectTV this infomercial came on. It was perhaps the best 30 seconds of my flight:

I am so happy to see that the chia pet, and its commercials, is making it's place in the aughts.

San Jose

home for another week and a half. It's so quiet, so clean, so conservative and I'm actually kind of loving it. If you're around, let's do lunch.

menu

Assorted Charcuterie & Cheeses

House Pickled Radishes, Carrots, and Cauliflower

Green Bean Pesto

___

Roasted Fig and Carmelized Onion on Arugula with Fresh Goat Cheese

Lemon Braised Kale

___

Dr. Pepper Slow Roasted Spare Ribs

Bacon-Sauteed Black Eyed Peas with Wilted Greens

Assortment of Roasted Market Squash

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

___

Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart

Happy Birthday DC!

so much good company, so much good food, so much boozy happiness.

DC Birthday

I know I just briefly mentioned it in my last post, but I'm making a special note to say it's going to be a fete to remember. I'm hosting with the one and only ms. fergustuff; We've got the menu, decor, and of course a little gift, all planned out.

I'm inclined to share the menu and a lil' sneak peak with you all ahead of time, but for surprise's sake you'll just have to stay tuned....pics to come, too!!

Also visit DC's new blog! yay for new blogettes!

Pizza and beer pairing

No, not papa john's and bud light. Pshaw, you think I would even dare post such a thing?

This Saturday, Jim Lahey (of Sullivan Street and no-knead bread fame) is hosting a pizza and beer pairing at his beloved restaurant, Co. Prounounced, "Company". I love pairings, food and drink especially, plus it usually indulges my preference of tasting a little bit of everything. And really there's something so magical about two people, each so knowledgeable about their own specific craft, coming together and creating beautiful yummiful harmony. Cue Hallelujah music.

Do I sound like a food freak yet?

The beer part of the pairing is brought to you by the lovely people over at Six Point Ales. Six Point, for all you Westcoasters, is a local Brooklyn brewery (woot woot Red Hook) that was born not to long ago, in 2004. They make some pretty kick ass local brews that can be found throughout the city, and you all know how I'm a fan of all things local. Not to mention, their website is stellar.

I have a prior engagement (DC's birthday! hooray!) but you can bet that if it weren't her, I would be in Chelsea on Saturday.

It's $35, pretty phenomenal for an afternoon of pizza and beer. Location, time, and RSVP info here.

Arepas

There's a few places that I rotate in my arsenal of 'places to grub when friends come into town'. Caracas Arepas Bar is, in my opinion, tops. It's vying for the number one spot with Cafe Habana.

Arepas, you ask, what are they?! An arepa is a disc of a corn patty fried, then sliced open and stuffed with meaty, cheesy, salsa-y heaven. The Venezuelan brother of the pupusa, if you know what that is.

Anyway, Caracas Arepas Bar is the bomb. The arepas there come stuffed with a combination of things like friend plantains, pulled pork, guayanes cheese, chimi curri sauce, black beans, chorizo....and they have this sauce that's, I swear, laced with crack.

If you haven't try it, then you're missing out. There's one around the corner from my house...and it takes all my willpower not to have one everyday.

Gabe

Old friend Gabe was in town this past week, and we had a couple of lovely Brooklyn days.

The Lovely ms. dauphine hanging out by the lake in Prospect Park.

Polite Sleeper Album Launce at Union Hall

Brunch at Egg. mmmmmmm.

Cheese or Font?

Richelieu? Crowdie? Ubriaco? Manslem? Livarot?

PLAY HERE! It's addictive. Just like cheese.

Kandinsky @ Guggenheim

Cannot WAIT to check out the show.  Our friend Roberta Smith gives it a very respectable review.