Chris Nordquist
We’re finally done. 63 dozen cookies in all. We baked all weekend (Julia helped), packed the boxes on Sunday night, and they shipped out Monday. This annual ritual’s a little crazy –particularly with a two year-old’s hands in the flour– but it’s lots of fun too, and it’s nice to give a gift we’ve made […]
During the Holidays, most of us end up in a sort of decorating/cooking/baking/eating/drinking/entertaining hyperdrive. It can be great fun, but it can also be too much, and it comes too fast. This year, with a wide-eyed toddler to entertain, I’ve been looking for ways to streamline and simplify our Holiday preparations and carve out […]
‘Tis the season to find quick, delicious and special little snacks for Holiday entertaining. Here’s one. One of the best things about living just off 10th Avenue in New York City is our proximity to Tia Pol, a tiny, cozy, crowded and wonderful restaurant specializing in tapas and wines of Spain. If I’m in the […]
Julia’s been on tour — last weekend in New Orleans with David to see his family and this week in Tacoma to see mine. We’re all having a ball. Here’s a repost of a Holiday favorite, a traditional Norwegian Christmas cake that I make for family and friends during the Holidays. It looks like something […]
I hope imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or at least of paying a compliment. Earlier this week I dropped by my friend John’s house in San Francisco for a little Holiday cheer (and consultation on his bathroom renovations), and I wanted to bring him a little gift. Early this year, John had brought […]
A couple of months ago, David gently led me into the living room in Southampton and said “I’ve got something I’d like to talk to you about.” I don’t like our pillows anymore.” After a few seconds of denial, a little annoyance, a bit of bargaining (“All of them?”) and momentary sadness, I accepted, after […]
I’ve found that with entertaining, and especially with Holiday entertaining, the difference between feeling like a charming host and feeling like a galley slave can come down to a little organization. Planning ahead, cooking ahead and keeping menus simple and familiar can save your wits (and save everyone else from a cranky host). When we’ve […]
To me, this tastes (and smells) like the Holidays. Poaching pears in spiced red wine turns the Holiday tradition of hot mulled wine into a light and flavorful dessert. They’re delicious just on their own, or you can add whipped cream, ice cream, shortbread or a slice of pound cake for a more substantial treat. […]
It’s a little crazy, but it’s become a tradition. Every year in mid-December (or sometimes a bit later) David and I run a cookie-baking marathon and then pack up hundreds of Holiday cookies to send to friends and family all over the country. Last year I also started decorating the plain tins that we buy […]
