Chris Nordquist
Last week Julia walked into our bedroom wearing a plastic kitchen funnel on her head and singing “Happy Birthday.” Two of her buddies have had their second birthdays in the last couple of weeks, hers is just around the corner, and she’s way into the concept. The party hats seem to have made a particularly […]
I’m always looking for something quick, easy and delicious to serve with cocktails. As I’ve mentioned in my post on tips for a successful cocktail hour, I like to keep the food simple and serve the old cocktail snack trinity of chips, olives and nuts and just One More Thing. This delicious tapenade is my […]
Here’s a repost of a favorite from last summer — three great warm-weather cocktails to serve as alternatives to the margarita. Warm weather, meat on the grill, margaritas — they all go together, at least at our house. While I can’t really get enough of the first two, I can max out on the third, […]
In a perfect world, we would all just step outside and gather beautiful seasonal leaves to line our cheese trays. In my world, though, or at least in New York and San Francisco, most of the things you’d find blowing down the street shouldn’t go anywhere near your food. And, in any case, in the […]
Cheese! (pronounced “Cheece!,” which rhymes with Greece) was one of Julia’s first words. She loves cheese, and not just the mild ones like Provolone and that weird tasteless string cheese that people tend to feed their kids. (At a Christmas party last year she was crawling around stealing pieces of Stilton off unattended plates). About […]
In Morocco, most meals begin with a selection of “kemia,” or small bites, and salads. A simple meal will begin with, say, three salads, while an elaborate meal may start with an impressive platter of more than a dozen. We ate lots of wonderful food during our recent trip to Marrakech, but I think these […]
Who doesn’t love candlelight?. It’s warm, festive, romantic, and flattering (the reason it’s romantic?). It can also be a little expensive. Until recently, I never paid much attention to the cost of candles. Except for pricey artisanal beeswax models, the price of candles always seemed reasonable –$2 or $3 for a taper, $8 – $20 […]
This is one of my favorite dishes. In my humble opinion, it’s got everything going for it. First, it’s delicious, marrying light flaky Halibut with the rich and complex flavor of Catalan Romesco sauce. (See my post about Romesco here.) Second, the beautiful bright orange color of Romesco makes for an dramatic and appetizing presentation. […]
Ok, so this is basically a recipe for a wine cooler, but keep reading. It really isn’t the sort of thing that underage girls drink in 711 parking lots. It’s something you should drink with brunch (in place of the ubiquitous mimosa), or before dinner on a warm evening, or at a festive lunch. The […]
Marigolds probably aren’t the chicest bedding plant around these days, but I’ve always loved the bright sturdy little flowers. And I think style has a lot to do with context: I don’t think I’d plant them in a row along our brick walk, but I think they look fresh and cheerful indoors, bunched in a […]
