Olive Oil Semolina Cake with Candied Orange

Monday, November 4, 2013

Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to be go on a very special long weekend trip to celebrate an old friend’s birthday at new friends’s beautiful family ranch in Colorado. We did a lot of cooking (and eating and drinking) that weekend, and this cake stood out, I think, as our favorite dessert. The […]

Cloudy with a Chance of Ghosts

Friday, November 1, 2013

After what seemed like weeks of fair weather in New York, the skies were dark on Halloween, and it threatened to pour.  Fortunately, the weather held long enough for the City’s trick-or-treaters to show off their costumes and collect their loot.  Julia was a ghost this year, and had a ball scaring the residents of […]

Video: Feta, Walnut and Yoghurt Dip

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Maybe it’s because I’m a child of the 70s, but I love a good dip.  Not the old blend of sour cream and dried soup mix (I said a good dip), but something rich and flavorful to dip my chip in or spread on a cracker.  (I guess I could call them spreads to sound […]

Take Five: American Bar

Sunday, October 13, 2013

American Bar at the Savoy Hotel, London.  An art deco gem with bartenders that take their work very seriously. Asanoha mixing glass.  Serve them stirred –not shaken– from this elegant mixing glass. Leopold polished brass jigger.  Precise measurements, easy to use, and easy on the eyes. Christofle Bulle D’Argent ice bucket.  Modern (or more art […]

Video: Figs with Prosciutto and Goat Cheese

Monday, October 7, 2013

Here’s a video about how to make on of my very favorite seasonal cocktail snacks.  This time of year, black figs are at the peak of their unique flavor, and stuffing them with a little tangy goat cheese, wrapping them with salty prosciutto and grilling (in a grill pan or outdoor grill) or broiling them […]

Video: Easy Cocktail Party Set-up

Thursday, October 3, 2013

If I’m having more that about six people for drinks, I like to set up a self-service bar so I can enjoy the party too.  Here’s how. Cheers!

Video: Parmesan Rosemary Crackers

Saturday, September 28, 2013

This is the first of a series of short videos about one of my favorites times of day –the cocktail hour.  Whether it’s the prelude to a dinner or at a cocktail party, I think sharing a drink and snack is a great way to relax, catch up with old friends and meet new ones. […]

Kids’ DIY Pizza Party

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

As it turned out, it was a lot more orderly that I expected, and everyone had a good time, myself included.  We had invited a dozen five year-olds to make their own pizzas to help Julia celebrate her fifth birthday, and the weekend before I was wondering if I’d got a little carried away –as […]

Bookish

Thursday, September 5, 2013

The Morgan Library.  J.P. himself’s former digs in New York, now a stunning treasury of rare books and art.  And open to the public.   How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid.  Not a how-to book, but a compelling novel written in the second person about the life and times of […]

Limone Frizzante

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Well, summer’s nearly over.  Sigh.  But to give summer 2013 a cheerful send-off this coming Labor Day weekend, here’s the recipe for what turned out to be our favorite cocktail of the season.  It was inspired by a drink of the same name at New York’s Locanda Verde (but I didn’t get a recipe, so […]

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