Chris Nordquist
One of the great consolations of winter –from people who know a lot about winter– is Swiss cheese fondue. It’s so simple –really just good cheese melted into wine– and yet it’s one of the most outrageously delicious and completely satisfying things I’ve ever eaten. And it’s a festive dish: the fragrance from the communal [...]
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Has anyone ever been disappointed to get a bowl of French onion soup –topped with crusty bread and bubbling melted cheese? I never have. Soup is good food –warming, comforting, virtuous– but it’s rarely something I get excited about eating. For me, though, a good French onion soup is a special event. Here’s a nice [...]
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Last week for Julia’s “adult” fourth birthday party (a cocktail affair for her friends of legal age), I made flatbreads to go with our drinks. With both ovens going, I turned out flatbreads with various seasonal toppings throughout the event. It was a lot of work to keep up with the the (surprisingly hungry) crowd, [...]
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Don’t let the cheery pink color fool you: this isn’t Hawaiian punch, or some other tiki-time fruity rum drink (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It’s a sophisticated, delicately balanced cocktail that plays off the deep, smoky flavor of mezcal against the brightness of fresh lemon and the big lush flavor of cherries. Mezcal [...]
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We’re in San Francisco for a few days, and on Saturday our friend (and Julia’s godmother) Marta hosted a dinner party to celebrate our friend (and Julia’s godfather) Dan’s birthday. Marta’s house looked splendid as ever. And I was on cocktail duty. It has been warm in San Francisco, and so I wanted to make [...]
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The weather is suddenly warm and a little sticky in New York, so it’s time for a refreshing drink. Ok, this is basically a recipe for a wine cooler, but keep reading. It really isn’t the sort of thing that underage girls drink in 711 parking lots. It’s something you should drink with brunch (in [...]
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This upgrade to the childhood classic chocolate sundae was actually the result of a total dessert failure. A couple of years ago, I offered to bring dessert to a dinner party in San Francisco hosted by my friend Marta. She had requested a lemon tart with a chocolate-lined shell. Overconfidently, as it turned out, I [...]
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What can I say? They’re beautiful. And, apart from having good taste in friends, I can’t take any credit for them. The flowers were for a cocktail party at our New York place last weekend to celebrate Spring and, surreptitiously, David’s birthday. The occasion called for something very special, and so I called our good [...]
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I love a hot appetizer –something warm, fragrant and tasty to eat as I sip my cocktail and get in the mood to relax and enjoy the dinner ahead. Makes me happy. As a host, though, turning out a warm cocktail snack in the late stages of cooking dinner can be a little stressful. For [...]
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The warming weather has me thinking of Julia frolicking on the beach, planting the vegetable garden in Southampton, dinner outdoors and light desserts of berries and cream. In New York, that’s all still many weeks away, but this airy and elegant dessert is a delicious way of reinforcing that lightening mood. Its flavor is subtle [...]
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Smitten Ice Cream’s “Brrr.” Smitten in San Francisco makes your ice cream on the spot using its “Brrr” machine that freezes your order with liquid nitrogen –in 60 seconds. It sounds like a gimmick, but the super fast freezing produces and incredibly smooth treat. I’m hoping for a home model.
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. I make most of our ice cream at home, but Jeni’s Black Coffee flavor is better than mine. And (unlike Smitten or me) they ship.
Ultima Thule dessert bowl by Tapio Wirkkala for IIttala. An icy bowl for your ice cream.
Alfred Dunhill linen and silk scarf. For breezy beaches, airplanes, cinemas and other chilly places this summer.
Grady’s Cold Brew. Add this delicious handmade coffee concentrate (brewed with chicory and spices) to milk and ice to make a refreshing New Orleans-style iced coffee.
