Television Easel

Saturday, April 10, 2010

When we were planning our kitchen and family room in Southampton, we just avoided the issue of where to put the TV.  We knew we wanted one — for after dinner movies and for watching the news or Ina Garten (or now the Wiggles DVDs) while making breakfast or dinner, but we never really focused […]

On the Road: Easter in Palm Springs

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Yesterday Julia and I were at our place in San Francisco, having returned the night before from our second annual Easter weekend in Palm Springs. (My partner David had to return to New York Sunday night.)  Last year we rented a great midcentury modern house, but this year we were guests of our friend Keith […]

Muhammara (Red Bell-Pepper Walnut Dip)

Friday, April 2, 2010

This delicious Turkish-inspired dip is a little strange, but it’s wonderful.  It looks like the familiar red pepper hummus (and there’s nothing wrong with that), but the flavor is completely different:  sweet and tangy, almost sour, with moderate heat. It’s great with pita chips, crackers or celery sticks as a cocktail snack, and it transforms […]

Family Favorite: Tunesian Lamb and Eggplant Stew

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

I keep waiting for our daughter Julia, now 19 months old, to adopt the infamous “white diet” of toddlers, but so far she’s still an adventurous and enthusiastic eater, and this dish is one of her all-time favorites. It’s one of mine too.  I first ate it when my friend Dan served it at a […]

Painting: Defining Space with Color

Sunday, March 28, 2010

One of the things that attracted us most to our current New York City apartment was the relatively large master bedroom.  With careful placement of the right not-too-bulky furniture, it would accommodate separate areas for sleeping and a home office without feeling crowded (and those last three words are rarely used together in the world […]

Secret Ingredient: California Harissa

Thursday, March 25, 2010

We’ve had a few warm, sunny days in New York now, and I’m getting used to it, which is probably a bad idea. I know I’m jumping the gun, but I just can’t help myself:  little warmth and sunshine, and my California mind races to things like unpacking my shorts and flip-flops, planting the vegetable […]

Purple Haze: the Aviation Cocktail

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Last Spring, my friend John served us this delicious lavender-hued drink at his home in San Francisco, and we were smitten with its refreshing and unusual flavor.  As soon as we got back to New York, I bought the ingredients, and it became a house favorite in Southampton all summer. The interesting thing about this […]

Recycle in Style: Plastic Bag Holder

Sunday, March 21, 2010

For the sake of our planet, and, in particular, its marine life to which they pose a particular threat, I hope that thin plastic shopping bags become rare.  For now, though, they’re still everywhere.  Even though I try to avoid them, I still end up bringing some home with groceries and impromptu stops at the […]

Turkish Coffee Chocolate Creams

Thursday, March 18, 2010

As of last night, these are Alice-tested and approved.  Alice is our next door neighbor in New York, and she’s a connoisseur of rich, deeply flavored chocolate desserts.  I’ve been taken with this recipe for a while now, but I’m more of a fruit dessert person at heart (tarts, pies and the like), so I […]

The Real Thing: Mysore Sandalwood Soap

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

When I was in college in the mid-1980s, I took a course in rural economics at an institute out in the country outside of Bangalore, India.  It was a beautiful place. Our simple but comfortable quarters had private bathrooms, but no running hot water.  Each morning, I would carry a large bucket to a central […]

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