Evening Chill

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

A couple of weeks ago, my friend and cocktail enthusiast Carter came over to chat and try our hands at a little fall mixology.  When the weather gets cool, I’m partial to whiskey drinks — my go-to drink is a rye Manhattan, but the Highland’s Fall and Boulevardier are also fall and winter favorites of […]

Chicken and Eggplant Tagine

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The end of summer always leaves me a little blue.  (And by my reckoning, summer has just ended.  With self-serving inconsistency, I begin the season with Memorial Day and end it with the autumn equinox, which was on September 23 this year.)  There are many consolations, though:  crisp air, golden light, tweed jackets, and deliciously […]

New Loft: Den

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

One of my favorite rooms in our new loft is finally done.  Well, probably not truly done –the art and accessories will continue to evolve– but finished enough to show you.  It’s our den, a dark, loungy space where we curl up to watch TV and videos (Wonderpets and Yo Gabba Gabba are in heavy […]

Indian Vegetable Frittata

Sunday, September 25, 2011

I’m working on my eggs.  Don’t worry –I’m not going to bore you with obsessive step-by-step analyses of frying, poaching or omelet making (though I can sometimes really go for that sort of thing). I have been trying out some new recipes and techniques to brighten up my repertoire of egg dishes, however, and I […]

Everyday Paella

Monday, September 19, 2011

I love a good casserole.  The comforting single-dish meals were an important part of the food of my childhood.  You don’t see many of those 60s casseroles anymore, though, maybe because our palates have evolved beyond their frequently salty, one-dimensional flavors (often produced by convenience ingredients like canned condensed cream of mushroom soup, tater tots […]

Dining Chair Dilemma, Part 2: Fabric

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Thank you for all of your emails and comments about our dining chair dilemma. I’ve bought chairs. In your emails and comments, the ones we finally chose had a solid following, but they weren’t the winners.  Overall, your favorites were #4, the Finn Juhl chairs, and, on their own, they’re my favorites too.  If we […]

Kitchen Help: Peperonata

Friday, September 9, 2011

There are a few dishes I call kitchen help –I keep them around to help me get a nice meal on the table in very little time.  Actually, they’re more condiments or relishes than full-fledged dishes.  I can make them quickly (and in advance, when I’m that organized) from common or pantry ingredients and then […]

Dining Chair Dilemma

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Our new Manhattan loft is really coming together –construction is complete (including some finish work that seemed to drag on forever), and all of the furniture that we’d bought or reupholstered in in place.  We love it. Except the dining room. Individually, I like all of the furnishings.  The sideboard is a handsome vintage Gio […]

Birthday Punch (Adults Only)

Monday, August 29, 2011

Julia turned three last week, which meant, of course, that it was party time. (Julia’s very enthusiastic about birthdays.  On Tuesday, I heard singing from her room, “Happy birthday to my underwear, happy birthday to you!”) For the last two years, we split the revelry in two — an high-spirited afternoon kids party (menu: cupcakes), […]

Palm Sugar Ice Cream

Monday, August 22, 2011

On Saturday morning Julia asked me, “What kind of ice cream are you making today, papa?”  It’s become a weekend ritual this summer.  I make ice cream and Julia usually sits on the counter and helps, or at least jumps in when it’s time to lick the dasher.  When I answered, “Indonesian palm sugar ice […]

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