Say it with Brownies

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

One of the many unexpected benefits of  having a child has been remembering some of the pleasures of my own childhood. Brownies, for instance.  As I searched for the brownie of my childhood, though, I found that a really good one is hard to come by.  Some were dry and chewy and tasted only vaguely […]

The Bobby Burns

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Scotch whiskey has a following of purists who prefer to drink it “neat,” or maybe with a single cube of ice or a splash of water. The reason for this, of course, has to be the unique and complex flavors of many single malt Scotches that don’t, and shouldn’t, play well with other spirits. Blended […]

Everyday Paella #2: Chorizo and Olive

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lately I’ve been making paella on weeknights.  Not so much the elaborate mixed seafood paellas that I love for summer entertaining, but simpler, humbler dishes that have more in common with a casserole from my childhood than a plateau de fruits de mer at Balthazar or La Coupole.  My favorite chicken paella is still in […]

Help! Southampton Master Bedroom

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

It’s time to pull this room together, and I’d like your help.  At the moment, it just feels like a room full of stuff –nothing’s working together.  The reason it’s in this sorry state is that nearly everything is left over from somewhere else and wound up here without any plan. The cool gray wool […]

Madras Curry-Crusted Chicken Breasts

Monday, January 16, 2012

This dish is just the ticket for January, when many of us (myself most definitely included) are facing the possibility that we may have enjoyed a little too much good food and drink over the Holidays.  Austerity, though, is no reason for boredom.  For lovers of big, bold flavors, this lean dish is a bracing […]

A Little Lighter: Gratin Savoyard

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

I wish I could say that I found this alternative to the weighty and wonderful Gratin Dauphinoise in an effort to improve my diet, but the fact is I was just out of cream.  I needed to get dinner on the table during the Holidays, and I didn’t have time to run to the market […]

The Dining Chairs are Finished!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Finally.  After months of indecision (and some production time too), we finally have our new chairs.  Custom upholstery is always a little suspenseful, but I’m happy to say we like them as well as we’d hoped:  the chairs feel both light and comfortable, and the upholstery adds warmth and color to the space without disrupting […]

Gingerbread Tree

Sunday, December 18, 2011

We baked this weekend.  A lot.  Every year our kitchen turns into a Cookie Factory as we make 60 or more dozen Christmas cookies to box up and send out to friends and family all over the country. Julia’s favorite is gingerbread people (“gingerboys”), and so I always make plenty of those to keep around […]

The Bread Project: First Attempt

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A favorite childhood memory of mine is making bread with my grandmother.  She didn’t mind free-form loaves, sticky hands and flour on the floor, and she worked the drawn-out process of bread making into her daily routine in a way that made it seem natural and easy.  Her daily routine was a lot different than […]

Blackberry Slap

Friday, December 9, 2011

This cocktail is inspired by a drink I’ve never actually had.  My friend (and fellow cocktail enthusiast) Dan read about a drink called the Jam for Frances created by the Denver restaurant Beatrice and Woodsley that involved unspecified quantities of Colorado whiskey, a local blackberry liqueur, lime and some sort of tarragon infusion.  It sounded […]

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