Happy Weekend dear readers. Don’t you love this tea shop? The Crooked House of Windsor, one of the oldest still-standing tea houses in England, and that’s old. It’s on the list. I hope you are off to a tea-sipping, enjoyable weekend. As of Sunday, January 2015 will be forever over and done with- it’s so crazy how fast time flies. I’m not necessarily sad to say goodbye to January as a month but I am unnerved but how quickly this time thing operates. (take a breath, enjoy the moment- these are the mantras on continuous loop in my head). I never felt this way, at least not so intensely before I had children, now I am all too aware. What do you all do to combat the flying of our time?
What I’m Drinking:
Those of you who read my blog know I enjoy a glass of rosé throughout the year and especially in the winter, so I’m back on the pink juice. I’m currently sipping a rosé of grenache made by Elizabeth Spencer from the prettiest little town of Mendocino and it is killer. It’s juicy and chock full of bright cherry and strawberry fruit flavors- like a luscious strawberry jolly rancher without the sugar rush with a dry and finessed finish. If you don’t spot this one in your local shop, look for anything from Provence, rosés from Tavel and Bandol (my all-time favorite rosé region) will not disappoint. A little pink pickup is just what the dr. ordered during the dog days of winter.
These little scrapbooky photo journal books are awesome and can all be made via apps on your phone. I never print photos anymore and I certainly don’t make any albums, much less from our traveling adventures. I love this- so easy.
According to Gabrielle Hamilton, author and chef of NYC’s famed Prune, and all around badass, we should all be sipping savory teas. If she recommends it, I’m doing it. Have you read her book, Blood, Bones, and Butter?- so good.
Ha. A great follow up to The New Yorker’s How To Fall In Love with Anyone- this is funny.
Hilarious. A mom of two boys moonlights on Pinterest as a hipster mom with a sickeningly hip daughter named Quinoa basically making fun of people who dress their kids in jeans like this.
The awkward moment when Rashida Jones had to remind a reporter that she is black. Oy.
How Bogdanovich shot The Last Picture Show- one of my favorite movies. P.S.: Larry McMurtry was my dad’s college English professor- how awesome is that.
This will brighten your day. Take a minute and watch Ashley Bouder kick the shit out of Jerome Robbins’ “Fall” Four Seasons solo.
This escape to the Ojai Valley Inn is pretty swoonful. Girls trip?
The Blueprint for the best basic and go-to Viniagrette recipes. Never buy salad dressing again.
Good stuff for all of you 40ish year-olds- thanks for posting, Rashmi.
10 Foods to Boost Your Brainpower. I feel like there’s nothing new on this list , but it’s always ajeze good reminder.
Ahhhh- this picture makes me kind of crazy. I realize that this is our reality but shouldn’t these preteens be building a fort or putting on a play together or something? I’m sure they’re all highly intelligent, well-adjusted individuals, but I can’t help but cringe at the state of our techno world these days. It’s something I need to come to terms with.
Lately I’ve had not one, not two, not even 3 but 5 conversations with various groups of friends about the merits and downfalls of social media. This is something we are all constantly talking about- like it or not, social media is now forever entrenched in our society. So how do we feel about it, we meaning those that did not grow up with it. I’m even talking to you, older-aged Millennials.
For some, it is our worst nightmare- middle school revisited, the popular crowd reigning supreme on facebook touting photos of their gorgeous children and trim bodies, in a constant state of painting the town red. Can they really be having that much fun, all the damn time? A friend alluded to this phenomenon as said fun-having people using social media to post the “highlights of their days” and actually I think that’s a great way to look at it, it makes sense and also- why not? Another friend has stopped using facebook entirely after attending a work seminar where a speaker described the feelings of inadequacy that some feel when perusing their Facebook feeds as an exercise in “comparing your inner self to others’ best outer selves”. That’s a good way to look at it too. For those that are tortured still by all the fun-having people, why pay attention to it at all? Because it undoubtedly is an excellent way to connect to family and friends old and new and stay connected, as shallow or as deep as those connections may be.
I have made new friends through social media that have bloomed into flesh and blood friends and am grateful for that, and have also connected to “friends” that I wasn’t formely connected to in flesh and blood life, people that were merely acquaintances and that I didn’t think I had much in common with. The digital world has given me a chance to see, witness and follow an entirely different side of said former acquaintances turned now pseudo friends. What’s that worth? Something, I think.?
For the skeptics, it’s all smoke and mirrors and ain’t nobody got time for any of that. What’s the point in following someone when they’re only posting the highlights of their day, but then again what’s the point in following someone’s low points? I don’t see that as necessarily inspiring or productive on a regular basis, though it is nice and even comforting to see a popular shelter maven’s dirty dishes time and again.
For some parents, we worry that the popularity contest is now tougher for our kids as their popularity and “likes” are out there for all to see. Their “likeability” is officially quantified now, there’s no hiding or denying one’s popularity or lack thereof- according to social media’s calculations anyway. Ugh. It makes me worried for my kids, I can’t help it. I know they will have to endure the wrath of society and in some ways already are, but this feels much harsher, or maybe it makes things easier? I don’t know, I’m thinking I need to find the positive and go with that.
For others, it’s a great way to check in with the news and pop culture’s reactions and subsequent rebuttals to the news. Here’s one old school New York Times-paper-edition-reading-mom opening up to the idea of her kids getting their news via Facebook. Hey, if it gets them reading about the news in some form, then that is something, isn’t it. It’s just the weeding out of all the crap, or maybe to some it’s all crap or the reverse.
It’s a hell of a lot of information and can be a great big time suck. For us working moms out there, the work/life balance is hard enough. Throwing the temptations of social media into the mix can make for a big wrench thrown smack into my day. But it’s kind of on me, right? Resist the temptation to feed my brain with more information be it friends’ updates or breaking news, or the latest blog post from the newest cookbook author and I’ve just climbed out from the rabbit hole I was about to submerge myself in buying myself some more time to be present with my kids or get some real life shit done.
On the flip side, I find that in some instances my creativity is encouraged by social media, most specifically via Instagram and Pinterest (Pinterest? you say, that’s such fluff). Yes, Pinterest. Though it is like a giant scroll of cotton candy and rainbows for us food, style and shelter-loving individuals, it does stir my noggin about crafty and culinary ideas (I’ve got a stack of recipes this high and images for dinners party table settings coming out the wazoo), and enabled me to speak clearly through detailed visuals to my contractor when we renovated our house. I had an image for every question he asked, that was pretty handy. On the crafty for kids’ sake side, I have never considered myself a “crafty” person per se, and social media certainly goes a long way toward making those of us that are craftily challenged feel inadequate, but on the positive side, I have really appreciated and found useful all of the helpful ideas these crazy crafty moms pass along via their blogs and Pinterest. My current favorite being Jean V’Ant Hul, of the successful art with kids blog, The Artful Parent. She seems to be pretty successful at practicing the art of both creativity and simplicity and I really love her ideas. My best gal, Amy turned me on to her as she is constantly Pinning Jean’s ideas all the way from Hong Kong, another awesome benefit of social media. Amy and I are able to communicate and share our ideas without having to pick up the phone, email or text. Are we having the long laughter-filled phone calls that I wish we were having- nope. But with a 12 hour time difference, I’ll take what I can get and in the meantime keep sending her Pins I think she and her girls will enjoy and in turn see what she’s up to via her latest crafty kiddos boards.
Instagram can really push my creative button as well. Look, I’m no photographer and I know that to be sure. I come from the old school school of hard knocks where to be good at anything, you must have devoted a generous and literal amount of blood, sweat and tears to that endeavor, or else you’re just faking your way through it. So… I’m faking my way through Instagram, but admittedly having a good time doing so. Sure I’d love to learn how to really take a great photograph with a grown-up camera and maybe someday I will, but for now I’m having fun experimenting and my feed is constantly flooded with real photographers’ work like my friends Amy Dickerson and Rashmi Pappu‘s Instas, to fill me with plenty of daily inspiration.
All this to say, at the end of the day as much as I’d like to say that I wish my kids (and myself) were living in a world closer to the one I grew up in- one with less choices, less information and a more simplified way of life, I don’t suspect that at the heart of the matter, I actually feel that way. That sort of comment sounds unnervingly like saying one pines for the early 60’s- a simpler time- and one look at and episode of Mad Men reveals that that swoony nostalgia isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Hello Vietnam, racism and sexism galore. Still, I am a creature of nostalgia, I’d rather watch Rear Window over The Hunger Games any night of the week, and absolutely shutter when my dance students nonchalantly admit with a tilt of the head and a shrug of their shoulders that nope, they have never heard of Frank Sinatra (please someone save them!) or Billy Joel for God’s sake. But I guess with all of this information, you really have to pick and choose what you’re paying attention to. My kiddos will not go through life without an extensive knowledge of Sinatra or the Rat Pack to be sure, but that’s kind of on me and I’m ok with that.
I try to be hands free while I spend time with my kids, it is a challenge in this flush of information age and I am not always completely successful, but it is my way of attempting to balance all of this out. I have friends who deactivate their Facebook accounts at different points throughout the year. Seems smart- like a detox of sorts. We could all go in for that from time to time, I think as I hear myself say outloud when I forget my phone at home, “What did we do before cell phones?”. What a ridiculous thing to say but this is the age we are living in. Get on board d’Amboise.
So what’s the point of all of this? I don’t really know, it’s an ongoing discussion. My mom always promotes moderation but I cling to Julia Child’s quote, “moderation with everything including moderation”. That seems about right. Thoughts? I’d love to hear from you.
Just a few things that are floatin’ my boat these days:
1. An outdoor canvas painting free for all. Maybe the cold weather is making me love this but it does looks so fun, doesn’t it?
2. Julia’s always on my groovy list, her preserved Cambridge kitchen at the Smithsonian’s American History Museum is one of my official Happy Places. This article from The New Yorker archives, passed along by my friend Rashmi (follow her Insta– so fun and inspiring), made me smile. Have you read “My Life in France“? -one of my favorites. I vow to get to Le Pitchoune one of these days for cooking classes in Julia’s Provencal home.
3. My new favorite bauble. I can’t justify the splurge but I’d like to. The designer, Moorea Seal, designed ye olde blog as well, with yours truly. I’m a fan.
4. A Loch Ness Ladle. Just because. (not available until Feb. but you bet I’ll have that little Nessie swimming in my soup pot)
8. Stowe, Vt. Maybe because the VonTrapp Family has their own lodge there or White Christmas was inspired by the pretty Vermont town and I’m always a sucker for Rosemary Clooney and that silly ass song, “Snow”- I don’t know, I just want to go.
The title of this post could be a bit misleading- it reads like a questionable match.com profile, but if that’s your thing… No, what I’m talking about is a fabulous fuzzy leopard coat for under 50 bucks. ‘Tis the season for penny pinching- at least for me. What with the holiday expenses to pay off and the summer vacation planning commencing, these purse strings have officially been tightened if not completely cinched. I still like to pony up for something fun now and again, but it has to be a real steal.
Enter the current Zara sale and this find:
Who doesn’t love a little (or a lot of) leopard- the ultimate neutral- with an exposed zipper thrown in for good measure? This coat is warm, snazzy, and looks like you picked it up at your favorite vintage store. I’ll be throwing this on over my yoga leggings for the rest of the winter, thank you very much. I’m ditching my marshmallow coat- winter be damned, if you’re so determined to be cold, well then I’ll raise you your chill and ante up with some cute. Bring on the fifty dolla faux fur.
Happy Weekend dear readers. I hope you are all of to some fun adventuring. We are playing it low key this weekend. In fact, I cannot even think of what we have planned which is pretty great. The hubs and I are going to get out for a minute to a geeky wine tasting to test our blind tasting skills. A friend in the wine industry is hosting and it will be a $15/$50 party- attempting to guess which wine is worth what. It should prove a challenge because the host himself has some seriously refined tastebuds so the $15 vinos are sure to be tasty. Anyway, should be fun and it’s a good idea for a gathering.
What I’m Drinking:
Lately, in additon to my Orange crush, I’ve been sipping Italian reds. ‘Tis the season for a hearty red and not much floats my boat (or palate) more in the dead of winter than a few sips of some dirt & cherries (aka Tuscan reds). I opt for a Rosso di Montalcino as I’ve written about many a time before on le blog, the baby sister of its older and more refined sibling, Brunello. You can get a lot of bang for your buck here with the Rosso, it still ain’t cheap but it is delicioso.
A Few Stellar Bottles:
Altesino Rosso di Montalcino ’12– a steal for $23 from a wonderful Tuscan house run by a female (gotta love that). Their wines are all stupendo. Dirt and cherries finessed with a bit of wild herb perfume. So good.
Fonterenza Rosso di Montalcino ’11– this one you’ll want to put on your dining table at your next dinner party. The label’s so pretty, you have to show it off and maybe use it as a vase after that. Imported by the legendary Louis/Dressner, it’s simply awesome. Biodynamic, organic, natural and drinking like the land- it’ll put you right under that Tuscan sun and in Jan., that sounds pretty good. $36
Tenuta di Sesta Rosso di Montalcino ’12– not quite as complex as the bottles above but chewy and chock full of dark berries and dirt in the best way, it’s delicious and it’s $16.
A Few Things:
Let’s “cut to the chase”- a look at just what those old expressions really mean.
Need a breath of fresh air, pop over to Anna Watson Carl’s Instagram. She’s been in Sicily for 3 weeks, talk about swoonful.
7 things that will help you stop worrying, says Fast Company. Well, I’ve got #4 down pat. I don’t think I’ll be adopting #7 anytime soon. Tried it, hated it, but the others sound pretty good.
A hotel inspired by an amethyst. Interesting and pretty.
I made these Buttery Braised Leeks at the recommendation of my good pal Rashmi and they were a HUGE hit. She made them sans topping and was a fan. I could not resist the crispy, cheesy panko topping and it went over big time. I highly recommend.
Another friend recommends this NY Times Bok Choy recipe. I don’t have enough Bok Choy in my life in general, looking forward to trying this.
Mind your own, err- Make your own beeswax. So easy, even I can do this and makes a great present.
And while we’re talking homemade, how’s about some homemade Twix? Yes please.
Funny. I love Emily McDowell’s illustrations, just looking at this makes me happy. What do you consider exercise that’s probably not? I’ve personally always done butt crunches while waiting in line. Ha.
I don’t myself used LinkedIn, but for those of you that do, this looks helpful. A little zhush for your LinkedIn profile, why not?
I love these socks and who doesn’t always need a few more pairs of socks especially when they’re comfy, cute, the company gives back and there’s a discount code. Check it.
My pal Rashmi also turned me on to The Points Guy and by the by- you can hook yourself up with a ticket to Milan right about now for $399. Say What!
I will be honest, when noontime hits, I never know what the hell to make. Kitchen scraps for lunch? Ok, I’ll bite.
We’ve all seen the wood bead chandeliers like this one that might make you feel like you were living in ABC Home (if you had 15 foot ceilings and mammoth Broadway-facing windows) but alas, these babies are pricey. Enter the World Market’s version. It’s not nearly as fancy but for $269, it’s a pretty good compromise.
Speaking of chandeliers, I’ll take one of these please.
I should do this. What a great (and old school) way to keep track of memories together.
What’s IN and OUT this Spring according to Ms. Wintour. I don’t think anyone needs to worry about me sporting a single earring anytime soon, so I guess I’m in the clear.
The top 20 places to buy art online. I have to go with The Tappan Collective, they hail from my alma mater and my best friend Amy and I wish we had thought of this. Well, we sort of did back in the day, but we didn’t do it. Sigh. These ladies did though and I love their style.
Cin Cin ya’ll and Enjoy! Happy Weekending. Stay Warm.
What’s medium bodied, goes with pretty much everything and orange all over? A white wine treated like it’s red of course. Enter: orange wine.
So ok, orange wine isn’t exactly a new phenomenon in the wine world. In fact, it’s nothing close to new as it’s been around for centuries (it’s just white wine with its skins left on during maceration), but only in the last 10 years or so have the hipster somms and natural wine nerds glommed on to this deeply hued white. While the tangerine-tinged stuff has been sweeping the mean streets of NYC since the early aughts, topping the charts of the nameliest wine lists in the land, it’s still holding strong as it trickles down to our cities and towns west of the great Hudson. In fact, you’re hard pressed to dine at a top rated new restaurant anywhere without brushing elbows with at least one of these orange beauties.
And you know what? I’m not mad at ’em. Nope. Hipster swirling or not, I don’t see orange wine as a short-lived trend, it’s white wine after all. What’s not to love? It’s delicious, usually terroir-driven, sunset-hued wine. So what’s so great about leaving the skins on apart from the pretty colors that turn out? Turns out, those skins can impart some interesting qualities like tannins, acid and beautiful aromas of orange peel and pith, citrus, flowers and honey. It’s could be the answer to what follows up the rosé rage, though it’s quite the opposite of rosé- instead of red grapes sacrificing their skins for a pretty pink pigment and a lighter bodied juice, these white grapes don’t lose immediately their cozy jackets, reaping bolder bodies.
If you haven’t heard of this, you might wonder why. The answer is because this orange crush will likely never be a mainstream movement. We’ve gotten so used to clean, clear and sparkly bright whites in this country, that anything darker and especially dark orange might be deemed as imperfect or heaven forbid, dirty, which is why most winemakers get those skins off lickety split. I love a little dirty orange in my glass especially when that means it’s full of flowers and perfumey wild herbs. Orange wine drinks like a hot summer day- something I gladly welcome in the dog days of winter but is quite suitable to drink year round. It can be your perfect little glass of wine- heartier than most whites but still clean and fresh. Perfect with fish or a roast chicken.
I recently had two beautiful bottles of orange wine at two of the DC dining scene’s shining stars. I took my foodie brother and his super foodie wife to the über foodie and critic’s darling, Rose’s Luxury and after waiting 3 1/2 hours for a table which I can honestly say, I have never done, I had more than high expectations for this joint. The truth is, we were convinced every bite and sip we took in the place was thoroughly worth that wait. The service is excellent and crazy friendly, I felt like I was in Austin for a minute, which is always a welcome feeling. The food is fun, delicious and experimental (popcorn soup anyone?) without being annoying. You get the sense that chef Aaron Silverman is just having a blast- as it should be. It’s real and authentic, and cozy and intimate, and delicious- enough adjectives? In short, the hype is well deserved. To boot, your receipt reads like your best friend’s note passed across the classroom with item lines like, “1 Side of Awesome”. And the vino- well let’s just say that the wine list is so smart, well-stacked, and fun, I honestly felt the urge to crumple it up and eat it. But back to the orange vino on the table. The bottle that we partook of at Rose’s was from a monastery in Lazio, made by the hands of Sisters under the guidance of a legend- it was beautifully feminine with lots of wild flowers and herbs, honeyed and hearty.
What We Drank:
Monastero Suore Cistercensi “Coenobium Ruscum Bianco”, IGT ’11
-This beauty is a bold blend of Trebbiano, Malvasia and Verdichio- it paired well with pretty much everything we ate. I recommend it with anything short of a stick to your ribs beef dish.
-Made in a monastery by the Sisters of the Cistercian Order, this wine is shepherded by master winemaker Paolo Bea’s son, Giampiero, a master in his own right. These guys have been churning out some of the wildest and tastiest juice with killer labels to boot for decades. Read all about the family in Neal Rosenthal’s compelling “Reflections of a Wine Merchant”- the book that turned me from a drinker of wine to a student (and an even heartier drinker) of wine. Their juice is not for the faint of heart, or for the daintiest of palates, it’s hearty and packed with loads natural acidity, a hint of nuttiness and plenty of citrus and honey. The soil at the monastery is volcanic so drink the volcano, and savor its mineral divinity.
CHECK IT: get it here for $27 . A crazy deal that will float you and your pals’ boats.
On to the next orange adventure: last night, my local dining group of gals and I sampled the fare at DC’s The Red Hen. Like at Rose’s, the food also lived up to its hype although it is less playful here than at Rose’s. The Red Hen is solid and delicious. The char-grilled octopus, smoked ricotta crostini, black ink squid linguine with a kick, and toasted hazelnut-crusted custard were the standouts. The service was excellent and the wine, again, big win on the orange wine front.
What We Drank:
Vei Di Romans Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy, ’12
One of the prettiest little wines I’ve had in a long while. Like drinking a bouquet of fresh flowers doused with a hint of perfume and a juicy bite of acid- truly a beautiful food wine and pretty enough to savor on its own.
-Made with 100% Pinot Grigio, this wine allows the grape to shine instead of diluting it to an expected taste, it’s loaded with lime and lemon citrus, floral, and pretty as a picture.
-Drink this with fish, pasta, lean meats and veggies, it’s heaven with some smoked ricotta crostini topped with brown butter balsamic and truffled honey- one of my favorite Red Hen dishes. Seriously, think about those ingredients- nirvana on a piece of toast.
CHECK IT: Get it here for $35. This one is pretty enough to impress even your most hipster-wary pals, they will quickly jump on the orange wine bandwagon.
Orange Wines can be tough to find but you’re sure to spot them on any wine list that is in-the-know and your trusted wine purveyor should have a handful of great orange wines to recommend. Once pretty much relegated to Italy, Slovenia and Georgia, orange wine can now be found all over the globe.
It’s a brand new year and I’m really a lot less upset about the end of the holiday season than usual. I’m jazzed for a clean, bright and fresh new start. Of course when I’m in the humdrum of my daily routine I don’t feel so fresh and so clean but still- it’s a new year and with a new year brings new ideas, new opportunities, new friends, new bites, new sips and new experiences. Bring it. I’m pretty much psyched for every moment I can get.
I’m not making a big resolution this year mostly because I never really see it through- lose 5 pounds- whatevs. I’ll do it if I do it. No, mostly I’m all about the fun this year. I just want to be present and have a blast with my kiddos, my family and friends. I’m inviting the fun people, let’s make some memories.
The first day of the year proved to be pretty predictable for me as I set to my calendar to start planning parties, getaways and full blown vacations. Sound trite? Maybe but all this planning business around food, friends and family is my happy maker. My 40th is this year and I’m taking a much awaited trip with my best girls. 7 of us from college, we are all turning forty within the year so we’ll celebrate together though we are geographically far apart. We span the globe living in Hong Kong, San Fran, Vail, New Jersey, Connecticut, Indiana and DC. We try to get together at least once a year but it’s rare that we can all gather together in the same place, this will be special. We cannot decide on where to go. It will be late July and we all have kids, so we can’t get away for too long (that means staying in country) and we probably don’t want to go anywhere south of the the Mason-Dixon line to avoid the heat factor. We are going back and forth- if you have any big ideas, please post them below. We’re thinking Northern Cali. or Nantucket…
What I’m Drinking:
This is E11even Wine. An awesome Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir for under $20. My new favorite from badass winemaker Andrew Murray. I had a glass of this last week at the famed Rose’s Luxury here in DC- by the way, we waited a whopping 3 hours for our table and I have to say, it was well worth it. The wine list is so good, I wanted to crumble it up into a ball and eat it. This was a great addition to our meal and a new fave plus it’s named after a line in This is Spinal Tap. My hubs and I modeled our 11 day rule after that very scene (we try not to be away from each other for more than 11 days at a time- we’ve kept to it in our 6 years of marriage). But I digress, this stuff is great.
This Coq Au Riesling. I love a good chicken and I love a good Riesling. Win. Win.
This Poutine. French Fries and Gravy with Cheese to boot? Come on now.
This Blood Orange Shrub. I’m making this for my next dinner party- the better to awaken my guests’ palates with, my dear.
This Movie. I’m a big Rob Marshall fan- the guy is masterly in his musical theater ways. I think his Into the Woods is aces, plus I just love listening to those Sondheim lyrics. Talk about masterly. Die hard Sondheim fans have their panties in a twist about the changes made, but guys- it’s the film adaptation not another stage production. I think he done good. I laughed, I cried- it’s good stuff.
This Food Passport. I’m stealing this idea pronto. I love lists. The only thing I like more than a list is a Passport- so this is a duh.
This Wine Gifting Idea. Who doesn’t want a cute tea towel with their bottle of vino? Not just for any old host, this one’s for the one with the most.
This City. Because it’s always a good idea. My good pal Alana Stone just put out her Analogue Guide to the great city and she knows the deal. You bet I’ll be looking for some last minute deals to the City of Lights- winter is a good and cheap(er) time to visit.
Cin Cin and a very good start of the year to you!
Former showgirl, forever travel junkie, sometime sommelier, and mom to twin bebes. This little blog is a mixed bag of tasting notes, travels, tales of motherhood, and current musings. Thank you for stopping by. Cin Cin! (photo by Amy Dickerson for Anthology Magazine)
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