Gingerbread Tree

Sunday, December 18, 2011

We baked this weekend.  A lot.  Every year our kitchen turns into a Cookie Factory as we make 60 or more dozen Christmas cookies to box up and send out to friends and family all over the country. Julia’s favorite is gingerbread people (“gingerboys”), and so I always make plenty of those to keep around [...]

The Bread Project: First Attempt

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A favorite childhood memory of mine is making bread with my grandmother.  She didn’t mind free-form loaves, sticky hands and flour on the floor, and she worked the drawn-out process of bread making into her daily routine in a way that made it seem natural and easy.  Her daily routine was a lot different than [...]

Blackberry Slap

Friday, December 9, 2011

This cocktail is inspired by a drink I’ve never actually had.  My friend (and fellow cocktail enthusiast) Dan read about a drink called the Jam for Frances created by the Denver restaurant Beatrice and Woodsley that involved unspecified quantities of Colorado whiskey, a local blackberry liqueur, lime and some sort of tarragon infusion.  It sounded [...]

New Loft: the “Library”

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

One of the most problematic spaces in our new loft has become one of our favorites.  I recently showed an out-of-town friend some construction photos.  I was struck by the transformation, so I thought I’d indulge in a little before-and-after here. (Btw, we’re not really sure what to call this space. The realtor’s floor plan [...]

Pasta with Chestnuts, Sage and Pancetta

Friday, November 25, 2011

Don’t worry –this isn’t another post about Thanksgiving leftovers.  I like them as much as the next guy (preferably straight from the fridge), but by Saturday, I’m ready for something new. This is a dish I’ve made over and over this fall.  The seasonal flavors — sage, earthy and slightly sweet chestnuts, and the always-welcome [...]

Roasted Cranberries with Orange and Jalapeño

Sunday, November 20, 2011

As anyone who reads this blog knows, I’m always up for cooking something new for dinner.  When it comes to Thanksgiving, though, I become a rigid and sentimental traditionalist.  I want it all just like last year and the year before, and for me that means turkey with sage stuffing, mashed potatoes and pan gravy, [...]

John’s Salted Pistachio Ice Cream

Sunday, November 13, 2011

One of my favorite rituals this summer was sharing a cup of pistachio gelato with Julia.  We both love it  –if it’s good; that is, flavored with the subtle, unique taste of fresh green pistachios and little else. This ice cream is something different, though, and I’d never had anything like it until my friend [...]

Preparing for the Big Birthday Party

Thursday, November 10, 2011

I think it was a great success.  Last weekend David’s mother Jeri turned 70, and we threw a party for her at our loft in Manhattan.  Twenty of Jeri’s girlfriends from her home in New Orleans flew in for the occasion (no husbands, except hers), and around 50 guests from New York joined them for [...]

Dinner at Marta’s

Monday, November 7, 2011

I was in San Francisco the last week of October, and, as usual, the highlight of my visit was dinner with my friends Marta, Dan and John.  We’ve cooked together for many years, and this dinner came together like all the others –easily and over a cocktail or two and wine.  We made a loose [...]

Our Little Witch

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

I had suggested a butterfly, and for a while she was into swimming like a dolphin (on the hall carpet), but by mid-October she had made up her mind:  she would be a witch for Halloween.  Last week I got a clarification:  she still wanted to be a witch, but a good witch, preferably one [...]

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