Oh My Golly!

Moroccan-style Cabbage Rolls + Saffron Couscous

2012-01-17T14:40:00.000-06:00

This dish is what I made for my last big hurrah dinner the night before class started. A last supper, if you will. Wine was poured, scotch was drank, friends came over, inappropriate jokes were made. You know, the usual stuff.

Growing up eating a lot of Lebanese food, this recipe incorporates many of those flavors I learned from my grandmother (whose grandfather is actually Moroccan!). I'd recommend making this on a Sunday so you can reserve lots of leftovers for those weeknights when you don't have time to cook. There's about an hour of prep, and an hour in the oven, so plan accordingly. Here is the video I followed to make the saffron couscous, adding a can of chick peas at the end. I'd love to cook with that guy one day! Enjoy!
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Spinach Orange Applesauce Muffins

2012-01-09T09:46:00.002-06:00

Sleeping in on Saturdays, brunch with friends, trashy TV marathons, cooking actual meals that require more than 3 minutes of prep, and generally not having a care in the world. These are all things I will miss after this Thursday when school starts back up again and Accounting and Management Decision Analysis take over my life. Perhaps I will learn how to create decision trees that help me determine which Swedish butter will most enhance my French baguette. Probably not. In the mean time, here is a fantastic creation I came up with this weekend, using many ingredients from my produce co-op. Google it, I dare you. You won't find another recipe like this. I talk big, I know, but really, they're great!
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Persimmon Applesauce Spice Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-11-16T14:10:00.001-06:00

Hi friends! My oh my has life been a bowl full of crazy since last I wrote. First of all, I started business school in August and time has absolutely flown by. For a few months my cooking routine was practically non-existent. I blame Accounting. But it's still fall, which is the January in fashion, and therefore the January of food. So I'm starting anew. You'll probably see more iPhone photography and quickfire recipes since school is changing the way we cook and eat in the house. But I'm not giving up...yet...who knows what the future holds, especially when Finance class rolls around.

Foodwise, I'm still part of the produce co-op which has proven to be a lifesaver. With less time to shop, we always have a fridge packed full of greens and wonderful seasonal goodies. In last Saturday's pick-up I got a whole slew of apples and a persimmon. What's a persimmon you ask? Well it's as if an apple, a tomato and a potato had a threesome, and a baby. It would be a persimmon.

Okay, so here's my sweet, autumnal offering for you. Enjoy!

Zucchini Lemon Cookies

2011-08-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

Oh hi! Did you miss me? No? Well okay, I still have cookies for you to look at and long with desire. I hope zucchinis are still in season so you can go buy some and make these cookies. I figured after a two month drought (weather-wise and blog-post-update-wise) I'd treat you to some sweets. But they're sweets with vegetables, so they're healthy and stuff. Let's get started!

Strawberry Clafouti

2011-06-29T11:45:00.004-05:00

Leo: "Did you pack some of that strawberry stuff away for work tomorrow or did you really eat half of it?"

Me: "Mmmmm, yes?"

As it turns out I did eat half of the clafouti (I really like this word). But it was between the hours of 6 and 11 p.m.. A sliver here, a slice there. No. Big. Deal. You can munch on a slice in your hand while you're reading. Or watching Colbert. Or even in bed. It's a very portable food. But also so delicious and light and fluffy and creamy. And can I tell you how crazy easy this is to make, and that you probably have everything you need already. If you don't have strawberries, try pears or apricots or apples or blackberries or cherries. You get the idea. It's versatile. So let's go!

Classic Hummus

2011-06-25T21:28:00.002-05:00

I know you won't believe me when I tell you this, but this was the first time in my life I've made hummus, without my mom's help. I should have my Lebanese heritage membership card revoked! Don't tell the consulate, or ambassador, or whoever's in charge. And also don't believe what anyone tells you, hummus is Lebanese! It's not Israeli, no sir. But nice try.

Pesto and the Perfect Baked Potato

2011-06-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about where I work is that everyone loves food. We love to eat food, talk about food, share food. Foodie food food. That word looks really weird after I type it so many times. Anyhoo, a woman I work with has a basil tree in her backyard and was generous enough to give me like a pound of it. After eating tomato basil mozzarella sandwiches for three days in a row I decided to use the rest of it to make a pesto sauce. I'd never made pesto before. And it's so incredibly easy to do. I intended to eat some with baked potatoes, and save the rest for a pasta. However the husband and I sat in front of the television, eating potatoes and pesto, one after the other, until it was all gone. As usual I really didn't use measurements, and neither should you. I think it's impossible to mess up.

Rhubarb Slush

2011-06-09T16:18:00.006-05:00

I think the best part about belonging to a co-op is the element of surprise. The other best part is figuring out what to make with all of the food, especially things I'd never used before. Like rhubarb. If I was a farm maiden with all the time in the world (it's true that farm maidens do just idle around looking pretty, right?) then I'd make a lovely rhubarb pie. However a farm maiden I am not. So I needed something quick to make. And Leo was like, "Duh, add vodka to it." And so we did. Actually he made these, I just photographed.

When Leo was 17 years old, he came to the U.S. as an exchange student and was placed in a small town in South Dakota named Selby (population 700). So small in fact that just because he played soccer in Brazil growing up, he was assumed to be talented on the football field as well, and was thus made field goal kicker. Leo. A football player. Yes, this happened. Anyway, there is a point to all this, I swear. Ah yes, the rhubarb slush! Well during our last visit to see his host family, we were fed copious amounts of house-smoke meats (the best I've ever had), and these deliciously refreshing rhubarb slushes. They are the perfect accompaniment to a family picnic or poolside barbecue. Just keep them virgin for the tots.

Cauliflower Steak with Quinoa

2011-06-06T10:18:00.004-05:00

Dear Quinoa,

I'm Nicole. Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you. I can't believe it's taken me this long to try you out. I passed you in the bulk section of the supermarket, but was alas distracted by the candy two steps away. I also thought you were for hippies and thought I wouldn't like hippie food. But it turns out I love hippie food! And for one meal I can say "I'm vegan" which sounds really cool and pretentious and stuff. I look forward to our future culinary adventures together.

Yours always,
Nicole

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Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes with Caramel Banana Syrup

2011-06-03T16:40:00.005-05:00

How was your week, friends? And what are your plans for the weekend? I plan to watch a lot of tennis
and stay out of the sun. Perhaps do some reading and some cooking. This pancake post has been in the can all week, as I made them last Sunday for my sweet Leo. He loves bananas and all things banana. As do I.

Spaghetti with Sardines, Parsley and Fried Capers

2011-05-26T12:30:00.001-05:00

I'm a hardcore sardine enthusiast. I eat them a lot in the warmer months, as eating them doesn't involve turning a stove on. Or I eat them in front of the television right out of the tin, with triskets and whole grain mustard and a glass of wine. Oh and with tiny pickles. Or I eat them at work, on a bench outside, with a book. Or with a friend. Sardines are also good for sharing. They're also good for your prostate if you have one of those. I don't. But I still eat them. I hear they are packed with omega 3s.

The other day I had lunch at the wonderful Jimmy's Food Store, in Dallas. While I was waiting for my Cuban, I roamed the store and you'll never guess what I found. Yes, sardines. Only when I got home and put them away did I notice the "con peperoncino" on the package. Oh no. I was too afraid to chance eating these straight and decided that incorporating them into a dish would be best.

Oh, and P.S. this dish cost two dollars to make (assuming you already have a few of the staples in your pantry ~ capers, bread crumbs and spaghetti, olive oil). And it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. I halved the recipe because I only had one tin of sardines, double if you're making this for four people.

Dulce de Leche Brownies with Browned Butter & Sea Salt

2011-05-23T17:59:00.005-05:00

What happens when one of the most raddest girls you know moves to San Francisco and tells you she has one last magical night to spend with you? You drink a bottle of wine and bake of course! And that is what we did. These came together rather serendipitously as I didn't quite have all of the ingredients for the intended brownies and we threw a few things together and it worked. Oh did it work. It worked out to gooey, chocolate all over your face, hands and white pants perfection. And yes, they really are almost black, that is not the lighting. Also these are very fudgey. So if you like your brownies fluffy and cake-y, these aren't for you. I'll miss you Naomi!

Strawberry Salad

2011-05-20T16:40:00.001-05:00

I've already made and devoured this salad four times this week. And I'm proud to say that it's made completely of local, organic produce from my Urban Acres co-op bin. The recipe I'm going to give you is really just a suggestion. I assemble the salads individually so it's all guestimated. And seriously, strawberries and celery are the perfect match. Who knew? Oh and eat this with that pasta with peas, cream & mint. Muah!

Ingredients

Romaine lettuce

2-3 strawberries per person, chopped

1/2-1 celery stalk per person, sliced

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Toss. Wow, that was hard.

Pasta with Ham, Snap Peas, Mint & Cream

2011-05-20T16:23:00.001-05:00

Spring is in the air. Well actually the air feels like wet cheesecloth wrapped around your face, but whatever. Spring food is on the table, that's what I meant to say. This is a double post because a) these two dishes compliment each other perfectly and b) I need to catch up on my postings.

Adapted from LeChef's Orecchiette with Snap Peas, Prosciutto, Cream and Mint

Ingredients

4 clove garlic, minced

Olive oil

1/3-1/2 lb. Black Forest ham, cut thick (it's basically one slab of ham), diced

4 shallots minced

1 pint heavy cream

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 bag frozen peas in pods, chopped in 1/3s*

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

salt and pepper

3/4 pound farfalle, cooked al dente

Directions

In a heavy skillet or saucepan, heat a few swirls of olive oil over medium heat and stir in garlic just until it begins to color.
Add chunks of ham and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Watch the salt, as ham is already rather salty.
Bring the pasta to a boil but try to time it just right so it finishes as the sauce finishes
With 2-3 minutes left on the sauce, add the peas and cook for 1-2 minutes. With one minute remaining add the cream, bring it to a boil, add cheese and reduce heat to low (don't stop stirring!)
Toss the pasta with sauce, sprinkle liberally with mint, pepper and extra parmesan.

*Jaime Oliver says frozen peas are fresher than fresh peas (as they are picked and frozen immediately), however they don't have the same crunch. Still delicious though. And cheap! I think this entire meal cost $7 and lasted for days.

Slow's BBQ ~ Detroit, Michigan

2011-05-18T16:01:00.001-05:00

Sweet Tea

Mac 'n Cheese

The Reason

An array of house sauces. The apple is my favorite.

In Texas there are hundreds of solid barbecue joints. To be honest I'm not even that big a fan of barbecue and probably eat it once or twice a year (blasphemy!). However, Detroit has a place that could definitely compete with the best in Texas. It's called Slow's. And I know, it's been around since before I moved out of Michigan six years ago. There's really no sense in me talking about it to anyone in Detroit because everyone knows about it and loves it. You can't go there without expecting to wait two hours to be seated. Unless you go on a random Tuesday afternoon at 3 when most people are at work. But even then it was mostly filled. Enough jabbering, here are my photos.

Tuna Tonnato & Eggplant Salad

2011-05-16T10:08:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday! I'm in an especially good mood as the weather this morning is 60 degrees and sunny. And it's May. In Dallas! I even rode my bicycle in to work which I really don't do often enough.

This past Saturday I celebrated my first hippie Christmas (as my husband calls it). This is what he refers to as the day we get our veggie bin from Urban Acres Market. I was so excited all week to see what I'd get in our first batch of goodies. So excited in fact that I woke up at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning, brushed my teeth and headed out to my pick-up location. But oh, they don't open til 9:30. So I spent a lovely hour drinking coffee, eating a big fat almond croissant and perusing the latest FD Luxe.

When I got home I immediately began tearing through the bin. Lettuce, cabbage, swiss chard, sweet potatoes, oranges, onions, strawberries, carrots....and eggplant. Eggplant? I've never made a single thing with eggplant in my life. After a few minutes of research on Epicurious I found this recipe for Tuna Tonnato & Eggplant Salad. And luckily it called for everything I already had on hand.

Leopold's ~ Detroit, Michigan

2011-05-13T15:53:00.000-05:00

I know this isn't a food post, but I just had to share some photos from this fantastic art book shop in downtown Detroit called Leopold's. If you would have asked me when I was in college what my dream job would have been, I would have said to own a tiny independent book shop. Real narrow and dark with books piled high. And lots of ladders to swing to and fro from. Well Leopold's is way cooler than my imaginary dream bookstore. And on top of it, look at this handsome fellow who just happened to walk into my photo! I kid, I sort of stalked him. That's also his bicycle.

Girl Next Door Mushroom Risotto

2011-05-13T15:52:00.000-05:00

I would be lying if I didn't say that reading Eating Animals hasn't affected me. The only problem is that lately I've been a slow reader. And so as a result, I've been kind of a flip flopper on the whole topic. Vegetarian one day, shoving ham in my face the next. Suffocated by the guilt of eating cute little fuzzy creatures one minute, planning to make roasted chicken with artichokes and white wine the next. Who am I? I don't know. I'm trying to ween myself off meat perhaps by just eating it a couple times a week. And on one of my successful vegetarian days I made this lovely mushroom risotto. The reason I call it girl next door is because I use, as you can see here, plain 'ol button mushrooms that I had left over in the fridge. No wild porcinis or morels or chanterelles here. I ate a big bowl of this with a side arugula salad with tomatoes and parmesan and a light dijon sherry vinegarette dressing. So I dedicate this recipe to you, my sweet angel, Marissa, who's encouraged me to include more vegetarian dishes to the blog. I love you!

Croque Monsieur

2011-05-05T23:27:00.003-05:00

Patios, martinis, telling secrets, sunshine and general horsing around is again to blame for a lack of diligent food posting. Not to mention all of the wild world news of this past week. The Royal Wedding already feels like decades ago. I didn't wake up at 4 a.m. to have tea and crumpets and watch the wedding, however my friend and I taped it and watched it while eating croque monsieurs and inventing martinis. And P.S. basil martinis are fantastic! Crush some fresh basil, let it sit and infuse in vodka, add a splash of lemon, a spoonful of sugar, shake, shake and shake over ice and enjoy. So back to this sandwich. My favorite sandwich in the world!
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Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes ~ Detroit, Michigan

2011-05-01T17:33:00.005-05:00

If you need any more convincing that Detroit is the Paris of the Midwest, look no further than Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes. My little brother and I did some gallivanting downtown while I was home. He wanted to show me some of the new spots that were popping up, namely in the cultural district near his school, Wayne State University. {He's a recent PhD admit to their Literature and Cultural Studies program}. The moment we walked in I died. I died of adorableness overload. This place is cuter than the crepe cafes I'd been to in Paris! Fact. Maybe it's because red is my favorite color (second to black). I truly couldn't contain my excitement and immediately began photographing everything and everyone. Sorry, Vinny, I know I embarrassed you. Love you!

Lemon Layer Cake

2011-04-28T20:47:00.001-05:00

I just returned from a relaxing five day trip home to Detroit, Michigan. Okay I lied, I got home Tuesday night and spent the last two nights catching up on Gossip Girl and Real Housewives. Don't judge. But here I am now. I'm all yours. And with this delectable cake to share. Bake it for Mother's Day, your best friend's birthday or any random Tuesday. It's a beautiful and scrumptious cake that's perfect for spring. I won't lie, it's kind of a lot of work. But it's really worth it. Not to mention it's so big you can eat it for every meal for like four days straight. Which is definitely what my mom and I did.

Middle Eastern Spaghetti

2011-04-21T00:11:00.006-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. The past week has been full of happy hours, hamburgers, secondhand cigarette smoke, mussels, laughing, 25 cent margaritas (mistake), sunshine and beautiful friends. All of this has left little time for cooking. Now that my arteries are clogged and my lungs are ashen, I thought it time to make some comfort food. And spaghetti has been on my mind all week.

Vegetarian Stuffed Swiss Chard Leaves

2011-04-11T23:02:00.000-05:00

When I think of making food with my Teta, this is what I remember. Sitting on the ground for hours (or what seemed) picking through grape leaves. Oh and the rolling. She taught me how to roll the tightest, most perfect grape leaves. Nothing like the sloppy, fat, loose "dolmas" you find at the markets or faux Middle Eastern restaurants. Yes, I am a snob. I learned from the best, what can I say.

She always used fresh leaves. So fresh that she would wander around the wooded area of our neighborhood and pick them herself. (Oh trees, how I miss you). She even got stopped by a cop, which was hilarious to me since she doesn't speak a lick of English. Although just a couple weeks ago she learned how to ask "Where baby?"

Mediterranean Dumplings with Yogurt & Mint Sauce

2011-04-08T15:39:00.006-05:00

This is a dish that you will never find in a Middle Eastern restaurant. It's very special, and very rare to find in recipe form. My Teta ("Grandma" in arabic) didn't make it all that often, so it was a real treat when she did. This is one of those recipes that has been handed down from generation to generation, lost in translation somewhere between my Lebanese Grandmother and American mother, altered between greasy index card to greasy computer print out (wait, is that what that's called?)...tested by me, added to my iPad recipe app...and now to you! And you will probably never make this because it takes a bajillion hours. BUT I promise it will be one of your favorite things you will ever eat. I can just imagine how my Teta felt when I told her this was my favorite thing to eat, and that I wanted to come home to it for every break from college. I love you! (Even though you don't speak English or read this blog, or know what a blog is).

I will provide you with as many shortcuts as possible along the way. And I recommend making these with a best friend, a bottle of wine and your favorite tunes playing softly in the background. I, however, made these alone, in my kitchen, listening to Fresh Air, but of course with a bottle of wine.

What is your favorite meal your Teta makes?

Walker's Get Laid Shrimp

2011-04-04T16:06:00.000-05:00

Smoky Kale Chips & Lemon Mayo

2011-03-31T18:48:00.002-05:00

Salmon Salad Croissant

2011-03-30T21:04:00.000-05:00

Zataar Pie & Creamy Smoothie

2011-03-29T00:08:00.005-05:00

Guinness Chocolate Cake

2011-03-24T13:39:00.008-05:00

Spicy Pickled Carrots

2011-03-22T11:01:00.005-05:00

Je suis 30

2011-03-19T11:27:00.009-05:00

Leo lives! The crowd rejoices.

The Dover Sole, get it, eat it, love it

How to Hook a Husband Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2011-03-13T20:43:00.007-05:00

Fettucine is fancy

2011-03-07T21:52:00.007-06:00

The lights of my life are the teenage girls I hang out with every Monday night at Our Friends Place in Dallas. Instead of me helping them with their Precalc homework, they teach me things like the difference between perms for black people and white people, how you can die in a hot tub from botox, and how fish have sex. The other week I was telling them about how Leo took me out on a date to our favorite Italian restaurant and I ordered the same thing I always get, lobster ravioli. One of the girls yelled out "You can't get ravioli on a date! That's not even fancy! You have to get fettuccine!" So here I give you a simple, yet fancy, fettuccine with lemon and olive oil dish adapted from Smitten Kitten. Make this now while citrus is in season!

Ingredients

1 pound fettuccine or spaghetti
Salt
3 lemons
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus additional for serving
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus additional for serving
Ground black pepper
Small handful fresh basil, shredded

Preparation

Cook fettuccine in well-salted water to your al dente tastes in a large, wide-bottomed pot.

While pasta is cooking, zest lemons until you have a little shy of a tablespoon of zest. Juice lemons — you’ll have anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. Dry out your pot, then boil the olive oil, cream, zest and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water together for two minutes over high heat. Return pasta to pot and stir until coated. Add the cheese and 1/4 cup lemon juice and toss, toss, toss everything together. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if you’d like your dish a little looser. Quickly taste a strand of pasta and see if you want to add the remaining lemon juice (we did). Stir in basil or arugula and season generously with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, drizzling individual portions with a bit of extra olive oil and sprinkling with extra Parmesan cheese.

Salmon & Brazilian collard greens

2011-03-04T13:38:00.006-06:00

Texas allergies have succeeded in kicking my butt this year, and it's only the beginning of March. Every spring I get really sick and upset and want to move back home to Michigan where these psycho killer allergens don't exist. As you can tell I haven't done much cooking this week, but did manage to bang out one great meal that is so incredibly easy and tasty: salmon with collard greens and jasmine rice with toasted pine nuts. I'm trying to master these greens, Brazilian staple, in attempt to prove myself a good and decent wife. While these aren't as good as Leo's I'm still going to tell you how I made them because they still taste yummy. I think the only difference is that he gets the garlic nice and crispy.

The salmon I'll talk about quickly. It's a recipe (if you can even call it that) that my brother (another foodie!) uses. All you need is brown sugar, and this amazing secret ingredient: William & Sonoma's potlatch seasoning. You sprinkle and rub brown sugar into the fillet, and top off with a sprinkling of the seasoning. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. Oh and tuck the tip of the tail, it helps to bake evenly. It's so juicy and melt-in-your-mouthy.

Here's the recipe for the collard greens. I didn't mash the garlic, just used chopped cloves. Enjoy! Beijos!

Garlic tea

2011-02-26T19:36:00.005-06:00

Romance isn't flowers, chocolates and watching Top Chef together. Real romance is when two people are coughing into each anothers mouths as they kiss goodnight, sweating out fevers at 3am and spooning despite damp sheets. You guessed it, we're sick. It all started last week with the turn of the weather. Sunny spring 75 degree days accompanied by loads of cedar, juniper, elm and ash in the air. We played it cool. Took lots of Zyrtec but it was just getting worse, albeit so far not as bad as last year, well not yet at least. Since I don't have the energy to make homemade chicken soup, we stocked up on quarts from Central Market.. But what I did make is a big steamy pot of garlic tea.

Evidently garlic tea is some old-timey Mexican cure for, well, just about anything. So I decided to give it a try. Most recipes on the internet are identical, but I added the fresh mint.

Ingredients

3 cups boiling water

3 cloves garlic, split in half

1/2 cup local honey

juice of 1 lemon, strained

a spring of mint

Preparation

Boil water. Turn off heat. Add garlic, honey and lemon juice. Drink up and be sure to chomp on the garlic cloves in between sips. They soften up nicely.

Goes good with

Toast with fig jam, a pillow fort on the couch and hours of bad TV

Flan baby!

2011-02-20T23:54:00.009-06:00

I'm calling the Pope. I have an immaculate conception to report. It's a boy! It's a girl! No, it's a flan! I shall call him François. He is the reason for me living in my American Apparel shiny hot pants for the past two weeks. Yes, even wearing them to work, with Leo's oxford shirts. Suffice it to say, I do have my uniform picked out for the day I do have a real human François growing in me, but that is not the point. The point is that I cannot stop eating this flan.

Leo and I got hooked on flan in Paris. And before I go any further, french flan is completely different from the créme caramel flan you get at the Mexican (or Tex-mex) restaurants. French flan is denser, richer and comes in pie slices perfect for eating on-the-go. And they wrap it up in a paper triangle which is so adorable. It also comes with a variety of fruits. We tried apricot, cherry and traditional vanilla. My favorite was cherry, but the one pictured here is plain 'ol vanilla. If you do want to add fruit, I recommend the bags of frozen fruit from whole foods. I tried their 365 brand frozen cherries and they worked out well.

This is my third, yes third, attempt at making french flan. The previous two attempts just didn't come out like the ones we were used to eating. They simply didn't firm up right. This one is surely the closest, although I won't say it's perfect, yet. But I must stress to you that if you are looking for a french flan recipe, use this one. I have scoured the internet, french cookbooks (in English) and blogs. People just aren't making this. Not even Julia Child has a recipe in her books (at least not the ones I've looked at). And no, flan is not clafoutis. Don't convince me that it is. This recipe is adapted from Citron et Vanille. Enjoy!

So here you go, I pass along a gem!

Ingredients for the crust

250 g flour

110 g butter, cubed

1 egg yolk

water

For the filling

3 eggs

50 g sugar

50 g light brown sugar

50 g flour

1 1/2 c whole milk

1/2 c cream

vanilla extract

1 vanilla pod, cut lengthwise and beans scraped

Preparation

The crust

Place flour in a container, add yolk and butter, gradually add water and with your hands mix carefully to somehow incorporate all the ingredients but do not over knead the dough. When you have incorporated all the ingredients, form a ball and wrap it in a plastic foil. PLace in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Roll dough and place in a deep dish and about 20 cm diameter. Place parchment paper on the surface of the dough and cook for about 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 370F. Remove paper and cook for an additional 5 minutes. remove from the oven.

The filling

Mix eggs and sugar until the mixture has doubled its volume. Add flour and vanilla extract. In the meantime, in a pot add milk and cream with vanilla pod. Bring the mixture to a boil and add to the eggs mixture.

Pour filling into the crust. Cook in a 370-375F oven for about 30-45 minutes depending on your oven. The top needs to be golden brown and the cream firm all the way through.

Egg Salad

2011-02-19T08:29:00.007-06:00

It's officially (or unofficially?) the time of year to shave the legs, paint the nails and put on a dress. It's looking like we won't get hit with any more arctic blasts, snowmageddons or the likes. A girl can hope.

All this bare-legged prancing around has got me in the mood for a quintessential spring lunch, egg salad. So much so that I ate it two days in a row. Don't tell mom. She always said you can only eat eggs once a week. Is this an urban mom myth? Or should I say suburban mom myth?

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 tsp. tarragon chopped (can you tell I'm trying to use up my tarragon?)

dollop of mayo

lemon juice

salt and pepper

whole grain mustard

wheat bread (my favorite is the original Oatnut)

Directions

Mix all ingredients, except mustard, in bowl. Toast bread. Spread mustard. Pile salad on toast, cut into triangles and devour. Feel free to lick your fingers and plate clean.

Goes good with

Radishes, carrots and a bouquet of flowers your husband got you for no reason at all.

Lamb & Rice

2011-02-17T13:33:00.006-06:00

I'm not really one to get in the kitchen and invent something without consulting a recipe or two or 10. But in this case I did get creative and it really turned out well. I had the leftover leg of lamb in the fridge and wanted to make something that made the most of every morsel of the delicious baby lamb. After all he did give his life for our bacchus-style night of debauchery, otherwise known as dinner club. The flavors I infused into this dish are Lebanese-inspired and really complimented the herbs I roasted the lamb with. So here's what I did:

Ingredients

1/2 -1 lb lamb, bite size chunks

1 15 oz. can fire roasted crushed tomatoes

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup jasmine rice

1 1/2 cup water

handful of manischewitz fine egg noodles

handful of pine nuts toasted

clarified butter

1/2 tsp. allspice

1-2 tsp. fine grain sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

dash of saigon cinnamon

Directions for rice

Rince rice until water is clear. In a medium saucepan, melt clarified butter and sauteé egg noodles. Add wet rice and stir for a minute or two. Add 1 1/2 cups water and dash of salt. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is done. As a side note: the type of rice you use will determine how you prepare it (amount of water, cook time, etc).

Directions for lamb sauce

In another medium pot, sauteé chopped onion in clarified butter until translucent (I even like burning a few of them). Add fire roasted tomatoes and lamb, all of the spices and a little bit of water (get the consistency to your liking). Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Pour the sauce with lamb over rice and top with toasted pine nuts.

Rodarte for Opening Ceremony s/s lookbook

2011-02-15T12:00:00.005-06:00

If you couldn't get enough of Rodarte in Black Swan, check out these vibrant looks for Opening Ceremony.

J'taime

2011-02-13T19:37:00.006-06:00

Red velvet cupcake, palmier cookie and an eclair

Foie gras paté

White fish with basil, lemon & capers

An array of french cheeses, with baguette and fig jam

Lamb Provençal

Cooking club night is my favorite night of the month. Good food, good wine and good friends. It's happiness overload. I hosted last night's cooking club and the theme was French food. Since I got back from Paris, I'd been dying to try some new recipes and see if it were actually possible to sit at the dinner table for 4 hours. And it turns out it is!

Unfortunately I didn't capture each and every course, the wine made me a little a.d.d. But the idea for the meal would be a traditional french sequence of six courses: hors d'oeurves, fish course, main course, salad, cheese and dessert. Well, things didn't turn out as planned because I didn't realize the lamb was going to take 1 1/2 hours to roast. So we ate a little out of order but it all turned out exquisitely. Each person was assigned one course, and Miya and I did the main: lamb provençal with roasted tomatoes and a side of roasted beets with tarragon. I intended to do another side of fingerling potatoes but the leg of lamb fill the pan and there wasn't enough room, and frankly not enough room in our tummies.

Here is the recipe for the lamb, I made a couple of amendments, but nothing major. And here is the recipe for the roasted beets:

Ingredients

8 beets

1 cup water

ground sea salt & pepper

1 tbs. champagne vinegar

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. chopped fresh tarragon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Place the beets in a 10 by 8 inch baking dish, add the water, and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the beets for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, until they are tender throughout (poke the beets with a knife or toothpick to test them). Remove the foil, allow the beets to cool, and peel them over the sink. Their skins will rub off very easily. Slice the beets thin or into wedges and season them with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss the beets with the vinegar, olive oil, and tarragon and serve at room temperature.

Yay for kale

2011-02-09T23:28:00.001-06:00

Here is a fantastic way to get your greens. And it's easy enough to make before work, throw in a bottle and chug at your desk (just ignore your co-workers and their crinkled "ick" faces). Everything is eyeballed, so I'll provide the round-a-bout portions. Serves 2.

2 cups kale, chopped

1/2 - 1 cup spinach

1/2 apple, chopped (I used pink lady. I'll probably use a whole apple next time, but had a lonely halfsie in the fridge)

1 frozen banana, chopped

1 cup soy milk

a heaping tablespoon of almond butter

Blend and enjoy. I've been researching other green smoothies. Many use frozen berries which sounds delicious. Once I finish my case of pink ladies I plan to try new combinations. A friend of mine uses coconut water instead of soy milk, so there's that tid bit for you.

Marlene Marino for UO

2011-02-09T15:21:00.003-06:00

I'm really loving the vibrant and graphic quality of the new Urban Outfitters catalog, photographed by Marlene Marino in Tel Aviv. See more of her work here.

A super bowl sunday indeed

2011-02-07T10:00:00.002-06:00

For me the Super Bowl isn't about the football, or the commercials, or even the tight butts in the brightly colored pants. It's about the food. Since Leo was at the game, my brother and I made a feast for two.

This chili is a true labor of love. So leave plenty of time, and have lots of patience. The house is going to smell so wonderful that you're going to want to dip into the pot throughout the day. But it will be worth the wait.

Since I followed this recipe nearly to a tee, I'll simply provide the link. It's another gem from food52. Here are a couple of tips/suggestions. 1) If you live in Dallas, the bulk section at Central Market is a great alternative to buying bottles of spices you may only use once or twice. This recipe calls for quite a few spices, and instead of spending $9 for a bottle of Mexican oregano, you can get the exact amount you need for a nickel. 2) Ask the butcher to trim the short ribs. I spent approximately 30 minutes trimming the meat and it wasn't fun. And finally 3) The night before do the following: roast the red pepper (I opted to roast my own since I didn't have a jar of them, and soak the beans.

Let me know if you try it and how you like it.

Alexander Calder @ the Nasher

2011-02-06T23:10:00.003-06:00

Nineteen White Discs, sheet metal and wire, 1961

For all you modern art lovers, the breathtaking Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form Balance Joy exhibit is only open for another month at the Nasher Sculpture Center. Now that the snow has melted and the sun is shining, it's time to get outside again (until it snows again this week, and we hopefully get another snow day or two :)

Here is a great interview with Jeremy Strick, the director of the Nasher, by Jerome Weeks from KERA, who I had the pleasure of meeting a couple weeks ago.

P.S. admission is free first Saturdays. Enjoy!

Smoky minestrone with tortellini & basil pesto

2011-02-04T12:50:00.004-06:00

Today is our fourth and final snow day of the week. Otherwise known as the end of my week as a stay-at-home wife. I thought I would treat the husband to a big bowl of love when he got home. And I was also really excited to try out the new dutch oven. We got really lucky and found a Cuisinart 7-quart dutch oven (which normally retails for $200) for $63 at TJ Maxx. And now it is mine. Alllll mine.

This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite food blogs food52. Here is their recipe. I've made a few amendments.

Prep time: 1 hour (shorter or longer depending on your knife skills) // Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients for soup
3 tablespoons olive oil

2 slices applewood smoked bacon, chopped into small pieces

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 leek, trimmed and sliced thinly

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

5 finglering potatoes (skin on), chopped

5 cups chicken stock

1 15 oz. can chick peas

1 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes, with juice

Sea salt

2 cups kale, chopped fine

1 9-oz, pkg cheese tortellini (Central Market)

Aged balsamic

Grated parmesan cheese

Ingredients for pesto

1 cup loosely packed basil (I used opal basil, that's why it's purple in the photo)

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbs. grated parmesan

1 tbs. olive oil

Directions for soup

Chop all ingredients first, and set aside. Group the ingredients in bowls based on what needs to be added at the same time.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to brown.
Add 2 more tablespoons of oil along with the chopped onion, garlic and leek. Continue to cook, strirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened.
Add the chopped carrot, celery, zucchini, potato and stir around for a minute or two.
Add the stock, the chickpeas, and then the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you go. Add a few generous pinches of salt (be judicious if your stock is salted already). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.
Add the kale and the tortellini, and continue to cook over a simmer until both are tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve garnished with a spoonful of the pesto, a few drops of the aged balsamic, and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Directions for pesto

Chop, chop, and chop the basil or parsley some more by hand until it's very fine...when you do this, you'll reduce it down to about 1/4 cup.
As you chop the basil, start to incorporate the other ingredients and chop them fine, too, until you have a lovely, finely chopped pesto.
Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the olive oil. Use as a garnish for the minestrone.

Goes good with: Crusty french bread, a glass of cabernet and someone to snuggle with

Spiced apple & berry oatmeal

2011-02-03T09:43:00.002-06:00

Your beloved (albeit anti-commital) blogger is back. And I think I can promise I'll be back for good. But let's not make it official or anything. First off let's notice that I'm not using my iPhone to document food! This is part of the Oh My Golly 2.0 upgrade. Perhaps fewer posts, but better photos. So here we go.

Today is my third, yes THIRD, snow day of the week. Dallas has been blessed/blanketed with a beautiful sheet of ice causing persistently hazardous driving conditions. And by the third day I'm tired of bumming around and seeing how many different concoctions I can make with a baguette. The roof of my mouth is suffering. More on that later.

Today I bring you my favorite oatmeal that has evolved over time and can be made super quickly and thrown into a plastic bowl and brought to work. It's inspired by my oatmeal cherry cookies that I posted a while back. A looooong while back.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. oatmeal

1 c. water or milk

1/2 green apple chopped

1 tsp. brown sugar

dash of salt

dash of saigon cinnamon

dash of ground cardemon

milk (optional)

toasted nut of your choice

dried cherries

Directions:

Bring one cup water or milk to boil with a dash of salt. Add oatmeal and apples. Simmer for a couple minutes and set aside. Add the rest of the ingredients and voila. In the picture above I used a pink lady apple and toasted walnuts since that is what I had on-hand.

Goes good with:

Darjeeling tea with milk

Side note. I'm in the middle of watching a fantastic documentary called The Art of the Steal. Thanks for the rec, Sergio. Here's the trailer:

Gloria Vanderbilt

2010-12-04T11:05:00.001-06:00

Take Ivy

2010-12-03T10:59:00.002-06:00

A few selects from Chapter 1 of Take Ivy

John Currin

2010-11-18T10:56:00.004-06:00

I can't even tell you how thrilled I am that John Currin will be speaking at SMU this evening. I've had the countdown going for months. I don't even remember where I first learned of his work. I think I was perusing some (artful) rated X material on the web late one night and was so taken with his exaggerated illustration of the female form. Many of his works almost appear renaissance in style, but with overtly sexual connotation. The last painting here in the feed is on view currently at the Meadows Museum of Art as part of the Spanish Muse collection (a contemporary response to the collaboration with the Prado Museum in Madrid). Hope you can make it, and it's free!

Saigon Block

2010-10-29T16:27:00.003-05:00

No, it's not the red light district of Richardson, Texas. It's a new-ish Vietnamese restaurant that was recently added to the Top 100 list of restaurants in Dallas. And now that fall is upon us, it's time for pho, and lots of it. Like a gallon of it. And it was goooooood. The best part was the mountain of fresh basil served on the side. Oh and the Imperial Roll was great too (despite the photo). My only suggestion when you're there is to have patience. The wait staff barely speaks any English and messed up just about every part of our order. FYI hot tea is free!

Classic pho with top round steak

The Imperial Roll

Rebirth

2010-10-28T13:17:00.003-05:00

I'm back from taking a good long break from blogging. I wasn't sure if I'd ever return, if I ever had anything valuable to say, but who cares anyway right? It's fun and I miss it, and it doesn't matter if I do have anything valuable to say because this blog's just for giggles.

I thought it fitting to make my first rebirth post about a fantastic new exhibit of emerging photographers at the MoMa's new show. Oh how I wished I lived in NYC. I would live at the museums.

So here are a few highlights:

Alex Prager, American, born 1979

Alex Prager

Elad Lassry, Israeli, born 1977

Sadly I am still reading Scoop, even though it's merely a 300 page book. Been consumed by magazines and Glee lately.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's tabbouli

2010-05-20T16:07:00.003-05:00

This is not your Tata's, or your grandmother's, tabbouli. It's mine. But I think it's better! As you can see, it's super colorful, which according to mom means it has lots of vitamins and nutrients. You're never going to see carrots, or beans, or even radishes in restaurant or Whole Foods tabbouli.

My overall advice for making tabbouli is you can never really have too much garlic. And add whatever produce you have in the fridge really. Everything tastes great with lemon juice and garlic.

This recipe is to serve about 4. My husband had one bowl, and I had three. (Side note: tabbouli stores in the fridge for a couple days because parsley doesn't wilt and only gets better because everything soaks up the juices.

Here's what you need to make the tabbouli you see here (I'm estimating just about everything here, so use your creativity and taste buds):

A bunch of parsley (curly or flat is fine)

3 cloves of garlic, not the wimpy ones

1 carrot

3 radishes

1 tomato

A few pods of fresh fava beans

1/4 bulgur wheat

A few pieces of purple cabbage, cut in slices

Dried mint

Lemon juice

Salt

Olive oil

Directions:

Heat up some warm water and let the bulgur soften up for 10 minutes or so. Crush the garlic into the bottom of the bowl. Top with a few glugs of lemon juice, don't be stingy. Sprinkle with salt, about a 1/4 tsp. Chop the parsley (not too fine, but not too chunky) and add to the bowl. Add the remaining chopped veggies and beans. Drain the bulgur, pressing it to be sure little to no excess water makes it to the bowl. Sprinkle tabbouli with about a 1/4 tsp. of dried mint and a go-around or two of olive oil. Mix it all up and enjoy.

This recipe (in addition to my salad) really changes depending on what I have on hand. I like to use cucumbers, peppers and palm hearts if I have it. So play around and see what you like.

I served it with a toasted pita and halloumi cheese sandwich.

Diane von Furstenberg speaks in Dallas

2010-05-19T16:28:00.003-05:00

The other day I was supremely lucky to see Diane von Furstenberg speak at a benefit for the Jewish Family Services of Dallas. She also brought her friend Andre Leon Talley, the former and very flamboyant editor-at-large for Vogue magazine, and current judge of America's Next Top Model. Unfortunately he didn't speak at all, so I only saw him eating his lunch.

As a side note, she told the story of her first ad (seen above). She said that when she arrived to the shoot and sat on the cube she decided it was too plain and stark. So she asked for a marker, and claims that on the spot came up with a line that would become her trademark: Feel like a woman, wear a dress. And wear a dress I did.

I scream for brussel sprouts

2010-05-17T16:54:00.005-05:00

(this butter is crack, pure unadulterated crack)

This was a weekend of amazing food. Leo made dinner for us Sunday night, and announced that it was a meat and potatoes night. No vegetables allowed. Well, that's not okay. Plus I had a bag full of vibrantly green brussel sprouts from an italian market in the refrigerator. So I asked politely if I may add these to the menu and he obliged. Since I finished the sprouts early, we sat outside with a glass of wine. We don't do this enough. The end result was a plate full of his garlic infused filet mignon, rosemary potatoes, these sprouts and a kick ass episode of Breaking Bad.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pecan halves, cut crosswise into thirds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 pounds baby Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Spread pecan pieces in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and bake until fragrant and a few shades darker, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt to nuts and toss until butter is melted and nuts are coated. While nuts bake, cook Brussels sprouts in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain sprouts and pat dry. Melt remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter (or use extra virgin olive oil, which is what I did) in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to moderately high, then add sprouts and sauté, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir in pecans and serve.

I love the theataaaaa

2010-05-16T13:36:00.004-05:00

I had the most romantic, loverly Saturday afternoon. I love when things just come together last minute like this. We got tickets to see a matinee performance of Arthur Miller's classic Death of a Salesman at the Wyly Theatre. It's my favorite place to see performances in Dallas. And the ticket prices are incredibly reasonable (as low as $15). And side note: if you go to the box office to purchase, you forego the handling fees which are quite high.

Afterwards we strolled over to One Arts Plaza and ate at The Screen Door, an upscale southern home-cooking restaurant. I started off with a brown butter sage martini and munched on scones, carrot cake muffins and warm corn bread with apple butter. We decided to do the theatre dinner package which was 3 courses for $35 and the best deal on the menu. The first course was the salad, filled with candied pecans, dried cherries and little chunks of cheddar. We also ordered a side appetizer of fried green tomatoes (Leo's favorite). When we got married in Savannah, we ordered these every day, wherever we went. The tomatoes were probably my favorite thing because the tomatoes were warm and sweet, and the outside was crunchy and super spicy. For the main course I got shrimp and grits which was the perfect portion. Honestly after gorging on the scones and tomatoes I was already ready for dessert. But I was a warrior. Somehow I finished nearly the entire plate. We took a few breaths and rested a few minutes, and then came the strawberry shortcake. It was fate I was there that day because strawberry shortcake is my favorite childhood dessert and each bite made me so happy.

I am still full.

White Rock Home tour + gourmet tacos= romance

2010-04-26T15:45:00.006-05:00

The longer I keep up with this blog, the more I realize how much time I spend apologizing for my grotesque photos. Once we get a new digital SLR (we sold ours a few months ago) my photographs will be so beautiful that it may even compel a few more people to even read this thing. Now that would be something.

This past weekend was certainly a full one, as most every one is for me. I can't say no. And I'm lucky to live in a city (while many would disagree) that has so many amazing and inspiring things to do every weekend (and most week nights even).

On an ultra brief side note, I wanted to mention a new-to-me sushi place the hubby and I went on a date to that I just adored. It's called Sushiyama and it's at Forest & Greenville in north Dallas (I already hear the ews and mumbles), but it was so delicious and fresh. Most importantly it is unpretentious and comfortable and all about the food. No disco balls, blaring clubby music, or any of those things that my old sushi joints have evolved into. Anyone in Dallas can concur, oui?

Okay, I digress. Back to the houses and the tacos. You couldn't have painted a more lovely weekend to be outside enjoying fine furnishings and landscaping of these mid-century modern homes in east Dallas. Many of the home tours I've been at in Dallas are just plain depressing because they are just way too amazing. But some of these homes had a wonderful way of combining authentic mid-century pieces with things from Ikea (which we all know the Santos' love, and who doesn't really?). After all I was a wee intern when I moved to Dallas.

So after the first house, and well into my double shot cinnamon latte, I had some serious jitters and anxiety and needed sustenance. My friend and I made a detour to The Green Spot and grabbed their last few breakfast tacos (the line was wrapped around the building for the lunch tacos and we just weren't having that). We sat in my car, tacos in the laps and salsa bar on the dash, and inhaled them and headed back to the next few houses. It was a lot of fun and definitely got me jazzed to start brainstorming our bedroom at home. Okay, enough words. Bye bye.

Sexiness.

Franco Rubartelli& Veryschka

2010-04-18T15:48:00.003-05:00

Italian-born fashion photographer Franco Rubartelli rose to prominence with his 1965 editorial for Linea Italiana featuring Veruschka, with whom he first began working with in Italy in 1963. The pair eventually would life together in a penthouse in Rome and worked on many other features for Condé Nast magazines over the course of their relationship which lasted until the late 60s.

How to be chic 101: Max Mara

2010-04-18T15:27:00.003-05:00

Now I'm no authority on the matter of chicness, but I know it when I see it. And living in Dallas, it's all over the place. And from what I can tell it seems to get better with age. Max Mara is the perfect example of a brand that you can buy a piece now and wear it in 20 years. It's sexy, elegant and classic. I also like that you can find both casual and more dressed-up pieces that all work together cohesively.

You don't have to be married to make crepes

2010-04-13T09:44:00.003-05:00

For some reason I used to think that you had to have a crepe maker to make crepes. And in order to have a crepe maker you had to have a wedding and register for the fancy thing. But no! They are the easiest things to make in the world! Toast may be the only thing easier to make than crepes.

Well, I had an enormous tub of strawberries to use and was tired of my usual makeshift parfait for breakfast every morning. So I thought strawberry crepes would be the perfect thing. So here's how I did them:

For the crepes:

• 1 1/3 c. whole milk (I used half and half because that's what I had in the fridge)

• 1 c. flour

• 3 tbs. butter, melted

• 1 tbs. sugar

• 1/4 tsp. salt

Spray some non-stick in a pan (I never have this stuff, so I use clarified butter), pour some batter in the pan, cook, cook, flip, cook and transfer to the plate.

For the strawberry conconction:

• a slew of strawberries, washed and sliced

• sprinkling of sugar

• confectioner sugar

• cinnamon

• clarified butter (optional)

Now I completely made this up and it is so simple and delicious. I always start the bottom of the pan with a little bit of clarified butter. Something grandma always did, and mom always did, so I do as they do. You probably don't need it, it's just more out of habit and I didn't want to strawberries to get stuck (not that they would, because they're wet already).

Add the sliced strawberries to the pan and sprinkle with sugar (I use organic cane sugar). I would estimate a teaspoon perhaps? Then sprinkle with cinnamon. Toss around until they're warm and you get a lovely syrup starting to develop.

Pour the mixture into the crepe, fold, and top with remaining strawberries. I sprinkled that with a tad of powdered sugar.

And voilá! Crepes de Nicole.

Style//Swoon Neiman Marcus event

2010-04-12T14:56:00.003-05:00

Images courtesy Style Swoon

I had the pleasure of attending the Style/Swoon event at Neimans last week featuring Sam's "NYC apartment" design. Everything was so lovely and stylish and beautiful. And on top of it the people watching was sublime!

Happy Spring

2010-03-30T10:36:00.005-05:00

Chanel s/s 2010 haute couture

The colors remind me of those little french macarons, which I have still never tried.

The art of stealing the husband's shirt pt. 2

2010-03-26T09:34:00.004-05:00

Shirt, unknown; jeans, Gap; shoes, Banana; belt, Club Monaco

Today's the last day of the husband being out of town. So all the shirts shall be returned to the rightful owner. But here's what I have put together for today. Cheers to casual Fridays!

What do you have planned for the weekend? The weather in Dallas is finally turning into spring, hopefully for good this time. Tomorrow my friend and I are having a picnic and going to see Sandman, the Rappin' (yes rappin', not rapping) Cowboy at La Reunion. And Sunday I am very thrilled to be going to see the wonderful and amazing Brazilain singer/songwriter/guitarist Gilberto Gil.

And she's only 15.

2010-03-25T10:39:00.003-05:00

Meet Lindsey Wixsom.

The King's stuff

2010-03-05T09:07:00.005-06:00

Do you think her waist was really that tiny? Speaking of tiny, last night my friend and I went to Neiman's to see the unveiling of Nicole Richie's new line of hippie clothing called Winter Kate. And Nicole (we're on a first name basis) is just the tiniest and cutest little thing I ever did see.I just wanted to scoop her up and go share a latte with her. Unfortunately my photos from last night are horrendous and I shan't be sharing. I'll just tell you it's me running away from her and her looking like "Ummm, okay! Next?". But what I always say is it's the journey and not the destination. And the standing in line portion of the evening was a blast! They had champagne, cupcakes and a table full of blue candy, my favorites being the gummy sharks and sour belts. Not to mention the people watching was priceless. We saw a Dallas dive & daughter, you know the super botoxed up one (oh wait)....a tranny, and a load of gucci bag-toting 9-year-olds with there über stylish mommies.

What are you up to this weekend? This should be an exciting one. Tonight I'm planning a date with my Leo to eat at one of my favorite places, Asian Mint, and then to see the long loooong awaited Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Tomorrow evening we're going to an opening at Meadows Museum of Art. It's called Royal Splendor in the Enlightenment: Charles IV of Spain. Patron and Collector. When I explained this to Leo it came out as "some Spanish king's stuff, I think his name is Charles." Good thing I'm not in charge of naming exhibits. And then Sunday is the Oscars!!! Which I get so giddy for every year. But when I'm watching them I end up throwing things at the tv, yelling, and swearing that I'll never watch them again.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Grape

2010-02-28T19:56:00.003-06:00

Here's my roasted pekin duck breast with blackberry + black pepper gastrique, 3 cheese au gratin potatoes (delicious!!), green beans, and braised red cabbage.

Here's Leo's rib eye in a red wine sauce with asparagus and potatoes.

My Dad was in town this weekend which just about never happens. We went to The Grape Saturday night. My favorite thing we ordered was the baked brie with honey, nuts, and fruit. The picture turned out horribly but I would definitely recommend that for an appetizer! Overall it was a lovely evening despite sitting on the patio and having our faces melt off from the overhead heaters.

Adriana Munoz

2010-02-24T21:38:00.002-06:00

Adriana Munoz has created a wonderful and precious mix media piece for the site: itfashion.

The LOVE thing

2010-02-21T21:00:00.003-06:00

Agyness Deyn, Alessandra Ambrosio, Dree Hemingway, Jeneil Williams, Kasia Struss, Lindsey Wixson, Pixie Geldof and Rasa Zukauskaite all dressed in Prada

Well so far I've been bad about posting my dates with myself and various excursions. Since my Chinese food + art date, here's a couple things I've done. I went on a bubble tea date with my friend to Boba Latte in Richardson and had my usual hot milk tea with pearls. Friday night was wonderful because I celebrated getting my new job at the Joule hotel downtown with a few friends. And Saturday night was one of my best friend's birthday parties. It was a sweet little cocktail party full of spectular hors d'oeuvres and wine and of course wonderful and amazing people. I apologize for being so horrible at taking photos. I bring my camera but get too caught up and forget to document. I am working on this. One week until the new job starts!

Chinese food + chinese art

2010-02-17T19:11:00.005-06:00

Today I met Leo for lunch at our favorite downtown chinese place, Kuai. The dumplings are scrumptious. We always order the pork dumplings which are made from ground pork, cabbage, green onion, ginger, garlic, chives and spices. They're super juicy and flavorful. You can choose from a bunch of sauces for dunking and dipping, but my favorites are the honey ginger soy sauce. We also got soup and my usual is the hot drop (half hot and sour, half egg drop), topped with those fantastic crunchy things and chives. To drink is also my usual lemon mint tea. And the best part is you get free frozen yogurt with an abundant of sides. Today's flavor was strawberry and plain tart, which I do a half and half of and top with fruity pebbles and coconut. Mmm mmm MMm m.

I dropped Leo back off at the office and headed a few blocks over to the Crow Collection of Asian Art to see the new exhibit of Yang Jin Long. There were only about a dozen pieces, but four of them were large scale and quite fascinating. They're full of layers and layers, and each time you come back to it you see something new. A docent was giving a tour of those pieces while I was there so I eavesdropped and it was funny to hear him say "well, I was taught to tell you all that what you see is what you see" and they just walked on. So that was that! But I was drawn to the pieces because he had a wonderful way of incorporating old Chinese masterpiece imagery with stylistic modern elements. There are so many incredible details that you just have to walk away from it and come back to notice.

Oh! And this Friday is Chinese New Year and the Crow is having BIG celebrations! Traditional tiger and lion dance, food from Royal China, beer tastings, tea and lots of sweets. Oh yes, and lots of activities. So I'm hoping to drop in this Friday evening. And the Crow is always free.

Mmmmm a cozy afternoon

2010-02-16T16:40:00.002-06:00

So I haven't quite left the couch YET. But I thought I deserved some down time after yoga. Poor me. And Hannah and Her Sisters was on which I watch any time I see it playing. Plus I thought it was an opportunity for me to share some of my favorite cookies. Carr's Ginger Lemon cookies. It's all my mom's fault. I ate practically a whole sleeve last time I was home. And last time I was at Costco I discovered the mambo box. So to you friends out there, I will be bringing you some when I come over. They are perfect with Nescafe. But isn't everything?

It's time

2010-02-16T15:26:00.004-06:00

While I've thoroughly enjoyed the last few months of sitting on the couch, looking for jobs and feeling sorry for myself, I am happy to announce that I got a job and start in a couple weeks, on March 1st. So now that I have the next two weeks, well a little less, I know I need to savor these days. This is why I'm going to try and take myself on a date everyday until March 1st. I want to do and see things in town that I've always said I would do and see.

Things on the list already are: going to the art museum and standing in front of each piece for an hour (okay not really, but soaking it all in!), going to a tasting at the local cheese shop, getting a glass of wine on a patio and reading my book, and getting a cocktail at the Joule hotel. I'll try to document as much as I can! I feel like my life just got a reboot. Feels good!

Sasha Pivovarova 4 Interview

2010-02-02T23:07:00.001-06:00

Craig McDean

Love these colors! Is it spring yet??

Stella McCartney Pre-Fall 2010

2010-01-29T18:26:00.008-06:00

For anyone that knows me, rather sees me day to day, knows that I'm a girl that needs a uniform. Maybe it was the years (or decades) of catholic school, but I feel like once I've found something that I love and feel comfortable and confident in, I really don't stray too far away from it. And I've been meaning to document this said uniform and post it, and I will I promise, but this collection reminds me that neutrals can be bold and interesting and never tired. At least not for me.

Prada fantasy

2010-01-21T00:54:00.002-06:00

2010 s/s

I look forward to, and always adore, their lookbook collages every season.

Guy Aroch

2010-01-20T00:45:00.002-06:00

C is for cookie

2010-01-17T01:50:00.004-06:00

My favorite cookie is definitely the oatmeal cookie. I've tried enough of them around Dallas to know what I like and dislike. Well, I made a superfantastic batch this weekend and I feel pretty confident that I've landed on the best recipe. And I shall share it with you!

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (always heaping!)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (heaping)
1/4 teaspoon cardamon (heaping)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried cherries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture and stir until well blended. Add dried cherries. Eat lots of dough. Drop by teaspoonful (more like fistful) onto parchment covered baking sheet or stone (I always bake on stone and the results are much softer). Bake about 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden (I make my cookies huge, so they take between 15-17 minutes). Devour, share and enjoy the compliments!

Claudia Schiffer 4 Salvatore Ferragamo

2010-01-17T01:43:00.003-06:00

Vogue Russia

2010-01-13T18:15:00.002-06:00

Anastasija Kondratejeva by Matt Irwin

Inhotim

2010-01-02T00:36:00.005-06:00

That's Leo under that tree (just to give you some perspective!)

I just got home from our trip to Brazil to see the in-laws. We had the most incredible time! Every day we had new and wonderful experiences. Going to see incredible art, eating fresh food, and playing with my most precious niece/goddaughter. I even went fishing for the first time in my life, and caught three tilapias!

I wanted to share our visit to this contemporary art museum, called Inhotim, in Belo Horizonte. It was a beautiful drive through the mountains, about an hour and a half outside of the city. The most amazing part of this experience is the acres and acres of rolling hills with gorgeous, lush gardens and park that houses the galleries.

The art is incredible. All contemporary and from all around the world. The most moving piece, nearly moved me to tears (I felt mist coming on) was this one:

Off to Brazil!

2009-12-19T08:53:00.003-06:00

Airport in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Photo courtesy: me

I'm so excited to be going to Brazil in a few hours! I'm all packed, way over-packed in fact, but that's fine. I'll be back for the New Year. Merry Christmas!

A study in color and texture

2009-12-17T16:42:00.003-06:00

Artist/photographer Guido Mocafico

Go here to see more.

Alice in Wonderland

2009-12-17T12:28:00.001-06:00

The 5th trailer for Alice in Wonderland. I don't know how much longer I can wait!

A Dance to the Music of Time

2009-12-16T12:23:00.004-06:00

I just began reading one of the longest works of fiction in literature, all inspired by this painting by Nicolas Poussin. It's 12 volumes and I'm going to see if I can read one volume per month. This sounds like a New Year's resolution to me!

Food + music + cute chef

2009-12-15T22:27:00.003-06:00

I am absolutely loving this relatively new (well new to me) show on IFC called Dinner with the Band. Chef Sam Mason hosts different bands at his NYC loft where he cooks and they all sit around talking about music, life....the food just looks delectable and he also creates cocktails that pair with each dish. Check it out, every Tuesday night at 10/central.

My favorite vintage find

2009-12-13T09:26:00.002-06:00

Coat: vintage, brooch: grandma's, sweater: J Crew; jeans: Gap; boots: Frye, jewels: grandma's + my own

A couple weeks ago I bought vintage on ebay for the first time. It was really scary because you can't touch it or try it on or anything, so it's hard to tell how quality it is. This is a 60s swing coat. And I forgot to photograph it from the back, but it's really cool because it only belts in the front and then swings in the back. And it feels like the good fur/hair, not the cheap stuffed animal looking stuff.

I debuted it last night for the first time at The Art Conspiracy in Dallas. We had a lot of fun but stayed WAY too long, but it was all worth it when we ended up at Metro Diner scarfing down eggs, bacon AND sausage, pancakes, and coffee. YUMMMM.

Oh yeah, I wanted to share the shop on ebay I got it from. I love them.

New Year baby

2009-12-09T10:47:00.004-06:00

With New Years just around the corner, I thought I'd post these photos from one of my favorite bloggers (and most beloved French blogger) Cherry Blossom Girl. I love her spin on the party dress by pairing them with tough boots. Trés cute.

Don't cuss and point at me

2009-12-07T19:01:00.004-06:00

My days and weeks have been incredibly full and delightful and I think the year may end up okay after all. Especially now that I've seen Wes Anderson's adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr. Fox. Roald Dahl books were so much a part of my childhood, and I'm so happy that they're just alive today as they were when I was young. I can't wait to share them with my children one day. This was one of those movies that when you sit down and see the very first few shots, you just know that you have to savor each moment because it won't last long (especially considering it's stop motion animation). The art direction was of course superb. And I got a kick out of the Fantastic Mr. Fox's wardrobe looking just like Wes'. Yes, we're on a first name basis.

I heart: Tao Okamoto

2009-12-02T16:43:00.002-06:00

I love how she pairs the neutral palate with a bold red lip. And she's the only person in the universe who can make a bowl cut look hot.

Soba-tastic!

2009-11-24T09:51:00.005-06:00

I got out of work on time last night and was really excited to have time to make dinner, it's been a while! Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who's been picking up the cooking slack with his Brazilian dinner creations.

I'd been wanting to try and make a sort of improv soba noodle dish. And it ended up turning out really well so I thought to share this super easy and quick recipe. I looked up a ton of different recipes and kind of pieced together what I liked, and then tried to figure out how to make it the quickest.

So here is what you need:

Ramen noodles (this was my idea, but you could also use spaghetti)

1/4 c. Soy sauce

Ginger

Seedless cucumbers (I used the baby ones)

Roasted black sesame seeds

1 Shallot

Sesame oil

White wine vinegar (this is just what I had in the cupboard)

Peppercorn Pork tenderloin (according to Leo, it's not dinner without meat)

My directions:

Cook meat! Prepare ramen according to package (drain broth, keep a little in the pot to keep noodles from sticking).

In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 c. soy sauce, 1 shallot finely sliced, approx. a teaspoon of shredded ginger (I was very generous), a couple tablespoons of white wine vingar (just eyeballed), and a couple glugs of sesame oil. Pour concoction over lukewarm noodles. Chop up the cukes. Put cukes and sliced pork tenderloin on top of noodles. And sprinkle roasted black sesame seeds on top. DO NOT skip the sesame seeds. This was the best part.

We devoured this with a bottle of red and the finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Good night it was!

Dreamy bookcase

2009-11-23T17:15:00.002-06:00

Whenever I'm thinking about redecorating the pad, the first thing I dream about is how to organize my books. I have a few book cases and then baskets and baskets and drawers full of books. And these are the ones I simply can't part from. My one dream, which has become a mandate when the day comes that I move into a house, is a wall with built-in book cases, and a ladder of course. The ladder completes the fantasy. But I'd also love to have a big old stately looking case, as a statement piece. Even if it houses my favorite paperbacks it would be beautiful. Obviously this one here would never be a reality for me, but something inspired by it perhaps!

***

An 18th century painted breakfront bookcase based on designs by Thomas Chippendale and possibly by Wright and Elwick. Locks and hinges original. This bookcase owes much of its inspiration to Thomas Chippendale’s designs published in the 1754 “Director” (plate CVI) with their spirited interplay of Rococo, Chinoiserie and Gothic motifs; however the cabinet maker’s application of these design motifs are here realized in a more exuberat and playful way. The cabinetmakeing firm of Richard Wright and Edward Elwick was the most prominent in Yorkshire in the second half of the eighteenth century and their country house work prospered particularly in the 1760’s. The patronage that this partnership received reached the same level as Robert Gillow’s firm based in Lancaster and London. Some of Wright and Elwick’s most reputable clients.

Cinematic deliciousness

2009-11-18T15:37:00.002-06:00

I can't stop watching this trailer. I'm so excited for it to come out. A Single Man is Tom Ford's directorial debut and every shot looks so beautifully composed. Not to mention the styling, of course.

I heart: Olivia Palermo

2009-11-18T13:44:00.006-06:00

Love her or hate her, you can't deny she is the absolute epitome of chic. I watch The City just to see how she pulls things together. But part of me loves when she flubs up. Like last night when she was sitting at that party claiming what a die hard hip-hop fan she is but hadn't heard of A Tribe Called Conquest. Jigga please!

Blue Period Picasso

2009-11-16T16:38:00.002-06:00

Lady Gaga: Bad Romance

2009-11-14T14:45:00.000-06:00

Director: Francis Lawrence

I like hot chocolate and snuggles

2009-11-13T14:20:00.003-06:00

Banana Republic

There aren't many places around where I'm working right now to walk outside. So that leaves me with the Galleria mall. I was headed there to cash in a gap gift card (and I got a super sexy new pair of jeans from their new premium line). But I digress. I always park at Banana at the Galleria and walk through it to get to the mall. And on my way out I spied the cutest toggle coat in the world. So scratch my old toggle post, I think this one takes the cake. And when I was in Michigan about a month ago, my mom got me a knit hat just like the girl in the picture there, from Anthropologie. Unfortunately the weather in Dallas is 75 and sunny. But I did get lots of wear in Michigan. I can't wait for it to get cold here!

An Education cont'd

2009-11-12T09:10:00.004-06:00

The cinematography and styling of this movie is just gorgeous. If you haven't gone to see it yet, do!

Happy birthday Grace Kelly, kind of

2009-11-12T09:08:00.001-06:00

I heart: Natalie Portman

2009-11-10T16:15:00.002-06:00

Pretty booooooy

2009-11-09T12:00:00.003-06:00

Frye

These shall be going on the Christmas list.

A night out

2009-11-08T10:36:00.006-06:00

Dress, DVF vintage; lace cami, Banana Republic; trench, Banana Republic; shoes, Nine West

Friday night was a night to celebrate. My brother passed the bar and was ready to party for the first time since August! We went out and had big fat steaks, calamari, fries, mac & cheese, martinis (with extra olives!!) at Nick & Sam's and then headed to Sambuca for dessert (one of everything on the menu please!). It was magnificent! The people watching was also rather um, interesting?

I'm not quite sure what he's wearing around his neck. Some sort of good luck thing that his landlord made him wear.

Remodelista

2009-11-05T11:42:00.005-06:00

I usually don't write about interiors, but this one particular site is too spectacular to go un-shared. Thanks Sergio! It's called Remodelista. And the part about it I really love is when they take homes (like Julianne Moore's West Village apartment, top photo) and deconstruct them and then find pieces, paint colors etc that are comprable (and sometimes much cheaper!). These are two rooms that I am really drawn to. Mostly because all I wear and love is gray, black, white and tan/khaki/beige/whatever.