For some, Valentine’s Day is a day of pinks and reds, chocolates and cakes, romance and candlelit dinners. But for others, it’s a day to rest, knowing that we have to be at Rite Aid very early the next morning to get the best pickins on the half-price candy. Binge-eating conversation hearts usually results in […]
I have nothing against a leopard or a cheetah print, but those little mod elephants and giraffes made the two coordinating fabrics featured in this quilt must-have “animal prints” for my collection. I combined them with large-scale florals, bright geometrics, a bold paisley and other cute conversationals to create a fun, modern quilt to cover […]
I was trying to make this Chocolate Caramel Tart I had once eaten at Marlow & Sons : I’ve made it before using this adaptation of the recipe by Lottie + Doof, and while it is really awesome, it requires a lot of time and energy. I didn’t really have either, or even the right […]
the big JC wasn’t the only one resurrected this Easter — little a is back, too! hope everyone is enjoying the start of spring! with a tupperware full of Mom’s Easter cookies and a thrift-store find-of-the-century (an embroidered scene of The Last Supper), mine is off to a good start. my contribution to the Easter […]
My friend asked me to make red velvet cupcakes for her birthday party. The theme for the party was simply “red”. Everyone wore red, all the food was red, all the wine was red (rose, actually, cuz it’s summer finally!), all the decorations were red — you get it. But, it being summer finally, it […]
You’re wondering the same thing the cat is wondering: what the heck is this? and can i eat it? OK, maybe you’re just wondering the first part. It’s the guts of an old upright piano. It’s pretty big (so is my cat, yes, i know…) and I’m not really sure what I’m going to do […]
It’s true that the best part of Christmas is “giving”, but this year reminded me that the “getting” part can also be pretty awesome. I got the complete series of Daria on DVD (after 3 out of the 6 discs, I am convinced that I’m the missing link between Daria Morgendorfer and Liz Lemon…) and an […]
You know something is “meant to be in your life” when you go from completely-ignorant-of-it’s-existence to hearing-about-it-everywhere-you-go in a matter of days. Or it’s just damned good promotion. Either way, that’s the way it’s been lately for me and BAKED, a bakery in Brooklyn with the most enticing desserts I’ve come across outside of Big […]
I love apples (maybe because they begin with “a”?), and I love baked apple delights — apple pie, apple crisp, apple turnovers… But my roommates recently turned “macro” on me (macrobiotic… it means they now only eat kale, seaweed, and things with weird names), and I feel bad filling the kitchen with the beautiful aroma […]
This is the perfect soup for Sweater Weather. It is as delicious and satisfying as it is easy to make. This is one of Grandma’s recipes, unchanged for who-knows-how-long. Escarole and Bean Soup (Scarola e fagioli) 1 head escarole, trimmed and cut into 2-3″ strips 1 15-16 oz can Great Northern Beans or cannelini beans, […]
There was no question that my other Six Foot Long Party Sub for the Big Brunch Party would be a Banh Mi. I’m hooked on Banh Mi. What is Banh Mi, you ask? Well, it’s like the delicious bastard sandwich child of a snooty but charming French colonist and a beautiful back-alley Vietnamese call girl. It’s […]
I set out to make a Croque-Monsieur for the Big Brunch Party that would make Parisian-Sidewalk-Cafe-Goers and Super-Bowl-Party-Goers alike drool with sandwich anticipation. What’s better at a big party than a Six Foot Party Sub from a deli? A gourmet Six Foot Party Sub from your own kitchen, of course!
I know to non-city-dwellers the idea of eating food out of the side of someone’s truck sounds less than appealing. You’re thinking greasy falafel and dirty water hot dogs. Think again. In recent years, the Food Trucks of NYC have turned into big business for small-time gourmet food purveyors. You can get some awesome food […]
You may now call me “little auntie a”. I am so thrilled — my best friend Khalil and his husband Scott have adopted a little baby girl! This weekend, we had a Baby Naming ceremony for her (they wrapped her up in the chuppah I made for their wedding!), and, because it’s the best way […]
A pretty pink cake for my little buddy Margaux’s 2nd Birthday party to test out my new antique stand mixer. Sprinkles Strawberry Frosting, you may be my new favorite…