Friday Roundup

Still haven't bought that floor lamp, but now I've stumbled upon another that I covet...

Sadly, it appears only to be available in Europe and I can't even find a price for it.  Boo.

I am newly obsessed with summer shoes...my latest desire are these Andre Assous espadrille wedges at Piperlime.

It's been a bit too long since I've had a weekend away, but now that I'm finally getting out of town, I seem to be missing all the best sales!

For those in NYC Saturday and Sunday, check out the sale put on by a couple of former Domino editors, as they will be selling items from photo shoots gone by...for CHEAP. And you know when I say cheap, it really is. Saturday, 10-5, 13 West 9th Street, garden apartment. Cash only.

And Bklyn Designs, a showcase ostensibly for Brooklyn designers (but which apparently has become so well respected that it is attracting designers from Europe as well), is occurring May 8-10 at St. Ann's Warehouse in Dumbo, at 38 Water Street. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door.

If in New York, enjoy it for me...if not, hope your weekend is beyond lovely.

Yogurt, Homestyle

I had a minor obsession with the book French Women Don't Get Fat when it originally came out. I bought the book, I went to see the author Mireille Guiliano do a reading at the Alliance Francaise, and even did a little google stalking of her (within reason, of course).


In an effort to emulate this very stylish and successful woman, I went out and bought a bunch of leeks for the weekend detox (I lasted 6 of the 72 hours) and also purchased a yogurt maker, as she suggested, to make my own, fabulously french, yogurt. In yet another example of how much I unconsciously imitate my parents, when I mentioned it to them they exclaimed "Oh we used to make our own yogurt back before you girls were born!". They of course didn't need no stinkin' yogurt maker. They simply wrapped a jar of warm milk and acidophilus with a piece of foam rubber and left it to incubate.


Well, I used the yogurt maker religiously for quite some time, but eventually I fell off the wagon and two or three years back, in a fit of spring cleaning and I donated the yogurt maker to charity (I'm sure they found it quite useful).


Until recently, I had no regrets about purging myself of it, but a few months back I realized I eat an awful lot of yogurt, and as I am in the throes of some sort of pioneer-back-to-the-land kick where I feel the need to make everything myself (lately it has been bread, crackers and cured meats), I toyed with the idea of buying another one. Serendipitously, before I actually went through with the repeat purchase, Harold McGee saved me with his article in the New York Times about making yogurt at home (sans yogurt maker).


He suggests heating a quart of whole milk to 180-190 degrees (just before the boiling point), and letting it cool to 108-112 degrees (I've found this to be the temperature at which you can leave your finger in the liquid for twenty seconds without experiencing discomfort...it is sometimes called blood temperature but I find that a bit morbid). Then the milk is to be mixed with two tablespoons of yogurt, put in a jar and then either swathed in towels or put in a warm place, such as an oven with the light on. It is to be left alone for four hours, until the yogurt is set. I would add here that it is prudent to wash all of your equipment in very hot water before beginning the undertaking.


My first try involved two tablespoons of Ronnybrook yogurt and much swathing. My jar ended up looking like a bandito.


And I ended up with sour milk, not tangy yogurt, after leaving it wrapped up for four hours.

But I resolved to try it again. After all, I had done it once upon a time rather consistently, and there seemed to be no reason that I wouldn't be able to again.


This time, instead of using yogurt as a starter, I bought the freeze dried bacteria from Whole Foods. And instead of relying on my swaddling skills I opted for the light on in the oven. After four hours I still had milk, not yogurt. It was late, I was tired and as I figured whatever would happen overnight couldn't be much worse than vaguely sour milk, I opted to leave it in the oven overnight.


In the morning...success!




If a bit sweaty looking.



It was a tad more sour than I would have preferred, so on my next go around I stuck with eight hours rather than the twelve I had used before (and used two tablespoons of my first successful batch instead of the packet 'o bacteria). The result was smooth, rich and slightly piquant. It was certainly many times better than the quality of most mainstream brands you see in the supermarket (fancy organic ones included), and on par with Ronnybrook and Seven Sisters, my current brand favorites. As the homemade option is about half the price of the store bought stuff, it is certainly worth the very minimal hassle every couple of weeks.


I feel my french quotient increasing exponentially. It may be time for a reread of my french lady book.

Yurts, etc.

My clearest memories of felt involve red and green costumes, I believe for a Christmas pageant.  I recall that I was seven years old and dressed as holly, a fact I would not have remembered had it not been for the cluster of tennis ball sized holly berries pinned to my chest.  I had a partially obstructed view of of the festivities as a result of this adornment.

So when I read about the exhibition of felt at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum I was a tad skeptical.  Martha Stewart waxed poetic about it, but as much as I enjoy Martha Stewart, this is a woman who gets excited about varying types of high quality glue, so I wasn't prepared to give up my felt prejudice on her recommendation alone.

But it was rainy and gloomy on Sunday, and I was in the mood for an outing.  A museum seemed the only sensible option, and although I have admired the beautiful mansion that houses Cooper-Hewitt from the street many a time, it is one of the few museums in New York that I had never set foot in.  So the time seemed right.

I don't know what on earth I had been waiting for.  Not only is the mansion just as stunning on the inside as it is on the outside (although sadly, the lovely garden was closed), but the exhibit was completely enlightening.  Felt...enlightening?  Who would have thought?

Thankfully, it was not a retrospective on felt through the ages as I had feared it might be.  First of all, the museum is blessedly small so there was no room for that sort of thing.  Second of all, the curators must have understood that presenting the last 8,000 years of textile history would have been tedious both to view and create.  Rather, we see very early uses for felt (it is the oldest textile) such as this baby cradle

and this vibrant floor (or ground) covering:

But then the exhibit moves swiftly to more contemporary times, with examples of felt fashioned couture:

I do love this.  It reminds me of a Rick Owens outfit...that sort of sensual crow look.

And then on to modern era Scandinavian felt furniture (who knew?):

I am having a moment with Scandinavian design, which I suppose may explain why the furniture was one of the high points for me.  But regardless, I found it creative, elegant and new.  It is rare to come across a truly original furniture design that also serves as a functional piece, but there were quite a few examples of just that rarity here.  The sofas especially I found thrilling, but was unable to find photos of them.  So there you have it, incentive to visit!

However wonderful the rest of the exhibit is, the piece de resistance was unquestionably the palace yurt:

Traditionally a yurt is a tent of sorts used by nomadic peoples, but this particular one was fashioned specifically to hang inside of the museum's conservatory.  A combination of wool felt, silk and other shimmering, ethereal fibers, it has an otherworldly, vaguely dilapidated sense about it.  It would perhaps be an appropriate home for Cate Blanchett's character from Lord of the Rings, or maybe is indicative of what Miss Havisham's home might have looked like in the very early stages of decay.  

Sitting inside of it is truly a contemplative experience.  The ideal setting for a rainy spring afternoon.

The Noble Veg

I've been going on quite a bit lately about the wonders of spring, about how thrilled I am to see some leafy greens in the farmers market and how glad I am to be rid of potato and apple season. But the truth is that I adore potatoes.


Not only does the potato have a noble history of feeding broad swathes of populations cheaply and nutritiously, but there are some unbelievably delicious varieties out there. My favorite purveyor of root vegetables at the Greenmarket, Paffenroth Gardens, carries quite the impressive array. I count at least five each week. They range from fancy French fingerlings to Purple Peruvian spuds to good old Yukon Golds and with only one exception I have found each and every one of them to be a revelation.


Some taste buttery, some are nutty, and all are more complex and interesting than their reputation as a starch conveyor would imply. For ages, I would simply roast them with olive oil and salt. It was easy, healthy and I always liked the crispiness that the hot oven imparted. But everyone needs a change now and again. So when Ina Garten demonstrated a new (to me) method on her show a couple of weeks back, I was eager to give it a try.



If you've ever watched the Barefoot Contessa, it should come as no surprise to you that her method involves some butter. In fact, she suggests steaming the potatoes in butter and then throwing some herbs over the top. As you might guess, it feels a bit luxurious, tastes well, buttery (read: delicious), and provides a more refined alternative to my more rustic roasting method.

I feel that I should point out that the amount of butter is relatively small, and you only end up ingesting a small portion of it. So don't fret about your cardiac health here. You will be fine, I promise.



Ina suggests dill as her herb of choice, my personal preference is mint, but the garlic chives I used last time were quite nice as well, as is parsley. So I leave it up to you...as long as you stick with relatively mild, leafy herbs (i.e. avoid rosemary...raw it is not particularly appetizing) it would be difficult to go wrong.

Buttery Potatoes Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa


as many small potatoes as you need to feed your crowd (they should be small enough such that you don't need to cut them up)
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt to taste
herb of your choice (mint, dill, parsley, etc.), chopped


Heat a dutch oven or other heavy pot with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. Melt butter in the pot, and when foam has subsided, add potatoes. Salt to taste, and cover. Shake the pot around a bit to evenly distribute salt and butter, and then turn heat down to medium low. Be careful not to cook these too fast, as the butter burns if you have the heat on too high.


Allow to cook for approximately 25 minutes, shaking the pot two to three times during the cooking time. When potatoes are easily pierced by a fork (do not use a sharp knife here...it can be deceptive as a sharp knife goes easily into almost everything and you can end up with a slightly underdone potato, and frankly I can think of few things worse than an underdone potato) remove from heat. Toss herbs through potatoes and serve.

Springtime Loot

Yesterday was an unexpectedly perfect spring day.  I had been prepared for vaguely cloudy with occasional showers, but instead was presented with 70 degrees and sunny.  The city was saturated with color which was made all that more intense by a slight coolness in the air.

And for the first time in six months, my market bag was filled more with green than brown.  Yesterday's loot from the Greenmarket:  

Lush green ramps (I am convinced that yesterday represented the peak of their season as I counted at least five vendors who had them on offer, and all specimens were beautiful), spears of garlic chives standing at attention, my usual milk and eggs, onions and carrots and my lord those fat, luxurious asparagus spears!  From James Durr, my favorite purveyor of flowers of all places!

In addition to the asparagus, James Durr thrilled me this week with new floral offerings.  As is to be expected now that the various cherry blossom festivals across the east coast have passed, Mr. Durr is moving away from the flowering boughs and towards more traditional bouquets.  The blousy, romantic lilac bouquets made a repeat appearance, bringing much joy to a couple of midwesterners who were milling about the booth, reminiscing how the smell of lilacs always indicated the end of school and the beginning of a carefree summer.  

I was pleasantly surprised to see several varieties of irises, deep purple, yellow and white on offer, but was utterly charmed by what looked like a field of lilies of the valley (it was, in actuality, many buckets of these dainty little bells pushed close together).  For less than $10, I took three bunches home, and they are now perfuming my bathroom with their subtley sweet fragrance.

Ah, springtime.

Ask and ye shall receive

Remember those Matt Bernson shoes that I was obsessing about the other day? Well, they're all on sale, serious sale, sample sale, in Tribeca this very moment (and through the weekend). All of the sandals I posted about, plus quite a few more, are $40 per pair over at 450 Greenwich St (in very west Tribeca). But get there quick, the fashionistas are ripping the place apart as I speak. And it's cash only, so remember to load up before you go!

Friday Roundup

With all of the warm weather this week, I've got Lilly Pulitzer on the brain. Not my normal style, but somehow when the sun starts showing its face I start to fantasize about beach houses and perfectly white dresses. And 70s caftan/tunics.

I have been obsessed with Vivienne Westwood's VW Flag design for years. The pillow, the rug, I can't afford either but given how long I've had this thing on my mind, I may have to save up and spend my savings irresponsible. But recently I've discovered that the Rug Company collaborates with other quite talented folks...Matthew Williamson has some fabulous stuff, and unsurprisingly, the great Alice Temperley shows off her considerable talents as well. Yet more items to pine after helplessley.

Deb at Smitten Kitchen shares what looks to be one of the most complex yet delicious bread recipes ever and I fully intend to make it this weekend.

David Lebovitz tempts me with fabulous almond cookies, which I also fully intend to make this weekend.

And The Real Housewives of New York, which I have always loved, officially wore out its welcome with this week's episode. Ladies, I hate to tell you this, but you graduated from high school years ago. Perhaps we should move on from the petty squabbling? Or at least choose a new squabble from week to week so as not to bore your audience?