Edible Living

1000 Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies {a thousand layers of love...}

2012-01-18T12:17:00.002-05:00

It seems to me that January is a cookie baking month. That is why I am really, really, REALLY excited about sharing my recipe for Thousand-Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies. This is is 30 years of chocolate chip cookie research baked and stacked, for your pleasure. Head over the to Chronicle Books' Blog today for the recipe, the story behind how it came to be, and for a chance to win a free copy of

{a date night show & tell} The Newlywed Cookbook Trailer

2012-01-05T23:01:00.003-05:00

it's not supposed to snow in october. not when there's still tomatoes and zucchini at the market. not when the table's set for two on the little cafe table out back. but it did. just a few days after our anniversary. so we had our picnic anyway, on the living room floor. it was one of the best date nights we've had in ages..... {tremendous thanks to our friends jim & iri, of brakethrough media

The Newlywed Cookbook ~ a preview

2011-12-28T15:54:00.001-05:00

{photos by Sara Remington} I'm so excited, honored and grateful for all the calls, emails, tweets and posts from friends and family whose copies of my first book, The Newlywed Cookbook: Fresh Ideas and Modern Recipes for Cooking With and For Each Other, landed on their doorsteps in the last few days, just in time for Christmas. We didn't expect the pre-orders to arrive until the last day of

Weekend Project: Peanut Butter Chocolate and Pretzel Fudge

2011-12-10T10:37:00.000-05:00

{a DIY candy bar} Okay, ya'll, you know there's nothing more generous to give at the holidays than the gift of your time and something decadent handmade in your kitchen. It's time to up the ante. The food-lovers in your life are way beyond chocolate. It's peanut butter, chocolate and pretzel time. This year, I created ten delicious, hipped-up riffs on some classic homemade holiday food gifts

birthday hoopla

2011-11-07T13:05:00.008-05:00

{click to enlarge} The first year in a child’s life is an incredible journey, not just for the baby, but for the whole family. As a mamma, I have felt this quite profoundly, but never more so than when I realized it was time to plan Greta’s first birthday. I resisted at first. The turning over of the first year of a baby’s life has so many implications. The baby is becoming a toddler, independent

hoorah! {a charming birthday party invitation}

2011-11-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

{by Jenny Goddard Design} Can I brag on my sister a bit? Good, because she is a gem. Not only because she gave me my first makeover, listens to me at any hour of the day, and makes me feel like I'm a part of a winning team no matter what I do, but also because she is so creatively inspiring! She, Jenny Goddard, is the creator of Sponge Cake Press, and this darling invitation for Greta's first

one fine day

2011-11-02T22:20:00.000-04:00

ny, ny This day was, dawn till dusk, pure joy. From this morning's birthday pancakes to the barking sea lions in the Central Park Zoo to the birthday suit parade that went on long past bedtime, it was as happy a first birthday as I could ever dream of for our little girl. I didn't think it was possible to be filled with more wonder than we were a year ago today, when at 7:02 pm, our baby girl

Newlyweds Cook: Luisa + Max {Date Night in Berlin}

2011-10-14T14:24:00.000-04:00

Around here, Friday is date night. It's always given the end of the week a special sparkle, stealing away to the ladies room to put on lip gloss before András picked me up Friday from work, or slipping the secret ingredients for his favorite meal into the fridge for a surprise supper at home. It's a harder date to keep since baby girl arrived on the scene, but this sweet, sweet story from my

Date Night In Berlin {with Luisa + Max}

2011-10-14T11:20:00.007-04:00

It's Friday, date night and reunite night for today's sweet Newlyweds Cook couple, Luisa + Max. In case like me, you're dying to know where Luisa Weiss + her hubby are eating tonight in Berlin, here are three of their favorite sweet spots in and around their sparkling city. Our favorite Friday night haunt is a fantastic Japanese restaurant in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg called Sasaya. We invariably

Marriage, Stinky Cheese & Fig Jam {an anniversary story}

2011-10-11T23:40:00.001-04:00

Three years ago today, I married this crazy, brilliant, handsome, playful man. I love him more than I ever dreamed it possible to love. And when you love someone, sometimes you want to steal them away from the world and have them all to yourself, just for one day. That's how I'd hoped to spend today, in my favorite city with my favorite guy. Maybe we'd eat at abc kitchen or swing Greta

Heading to Memphis To Sing the Tomato Blues

2011-10-01T00:45:00.003-04:00

{homegrown. hurley, ny} Sometimes it's hard to let go of something. Like tomatoes. See the passing of tomato season means it's really fall. The season Greta was born in. Which means she's almost one. Not so much baby. Yes, still a baby, but no longer the tiny kind that fits in a pouch on your chest and goes with wherever you go without wiggling to get out and crawl and walk and, sigh, run ever

The Highchair Chronicles: Quentin

2011-09-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

{Quentin eats, photo by Jennifer Martine} Babe: QuentinMama: Jennifer Q's Birthday: September 17 Isn't it strange that you can actually make a friend through Twitter? Jennifer Martine is my first and best twitter friend. {I guess that makes us BTFs}. I knew her name because she photographed the gorgeous photos in my friend Louisa's luminous book, Lucid Food. I started following Jennifer on

Five Vows for Newlywed Cooks

2011-09-29T08:00:00.110-04:00

brooklyn, ny Dinner in our home can be an effortless affair. I’m kind of crazy into cooking, and hubby is such a good eater, he’s fine with whatever I whip up. Occasionally, Julius commands the reigns, and it’s fun to see what he creates. But it takes time to iron out the inner workings of newly wedded mealtimes, so I thought I’d share a few tips that help make our kitchen a place where love,

Adventures in Eating: The Highchair Chronicles

2011-09-27T00:12:00.011-04:00

{first meal: before} Ever since the first day we fed Greta solid food, when she was just shy of 6 months, I've been taking pictures of her. I'll never forget the first meal I cooked for her -- organic spinach, triple washed; locally grown cage-free hen egg yolks, soft-cooked, with chives from the garden -- determined I was to feed her only perfect foods. It was a Tuesday at my parent's house. My

{Escapes} Apple Picking in the Hudson Valley

2011-09-23T13:19:00.002-04:00

stone ridge, ny Today’s the first day of autumn, so there couldn’t be a more perfect day to tell you about this orchard upstate that I’m kind of crazy enchanted with. I admit, I’ve been falling in love with orchards since I was toddling along the fallen Jonagolds at the Edward’s Apple Orchard in Popular Grove, Illinois. But this orchard, I swear, is not like any I’ve ever seen before. It’s

Newlyweds Cook: Nicole + Justin

2011-09-21T11:06:00.000-04:00

Making friends as a grown-up can be difficult, but when these two lovebirds moved overseas, they found the best way to get acquainted with the locals was with a warm invitation to break bread at their table. Now they are king and queen of the dinner party, and when you try Nicole's signature dish below, you'll understand why they hold that title. {photo by Clary Pfeiffer} Nicole + Justin London

Flirting With Fall, But Still Holding Tight to Tomatoes { aka. how to ripen green tomatoes}

2011-09-15T16:03:00.000-04:00

With any luck, we'll be eating tomatoes until Thanksgiving. It happens just about every year. We get our plants in late, and survive August on the generosity of our neighboring green-thumbs and the hand-picked treasures of our local farmers. But come September, October and even those first weeks of November, we're in business. Depending on what climate you live in, September can be peak tomato

Newlyweds Cook: Kamilah + Julius

2011-09-14T10:15:00.000-04:00

Call me old fashioned, but I believe all that business about food being the way to a man's heart (though in truth, it's the way to a lot of ladies hearts too). I'm a bit of a sucker for anyone who embraces the innocent hope that their cooking can cast a spell on their beloved. So I have to hand it to my friend Kamilah Duggins for putting her charms to work to nab her hubs, Julius. Kamilah and I

Newlyweds Cook {food for forever newlyweds}

2011-09-13T09:00:00.001-04:00

As some of you already know, my first cookbook, The Newlywed Cookbook: Fresh Ideas and Modern Recipes for Cooking with and For Each Other, is coming out in just a few short months. I can’t wait to finally share the recipes and foods that sustain the sweet (and sometimes salty) life I share with my hubby, András. There’s the temptation to hear the word Newlywed and write off the topic as

The Sweet Spot: Whole Wheat Semolina Peach Pancakes

2011-09-10T10:56:00.002-04:00

hurley, ny To say that I'm indecisive would be a grand understatement. For example, I can't decide which I love more, peach season or apple season. I can't decide if this post should be about the end of summer, or the beginning of fall, or whether I'll be baking peach upside down cake or tart tatin for tonight's dessert. Luckily, for a few more weeks, maybe even just two, I don't have to.

August Is...

2011-08-25T06:38:00.016-04:00

...tomatoes eaten out of hand over the sink with a salt shaker. rhubarb upside down cake. two am rendezvous with the last slice of watermelon. corn on the cob. rain storms. poolside naps. baskin robins peanut butter and chocolate ice cream. two chapters in the hammock. michigan peaches. the county fair. fleeting.

Best of the Rockford Farmer's Market

2011-08-24T00:18:00.001-04:00

rockford, il I’m not sure if my mom got it from me, or I got it from her, but we both love a good farmer’s market. We’re fortunate to have one on Wednesdays just up the street from our family home in Rockford, Illinois, so during my week home resting and cooking in my virtual test kitchen (mom’s kitchen), my sister Jenny and I went to check it out. I hadn’t been in years, maybe even ten, and

An Epic Watermelon Day

2011-07-28T15:48:00.000-04:00

Remember watermelon seed spitting contests? I know, it's hard to. Because if you're part of my generation, watermelons have been seedless for nearly half our lives. But I do have dozens of memories of sitting hip to hip with my grubby-kneed sibs on the edge of the back deck hunched over slices of melon so big our faces were lost in them. I remember coming up for air and spitting seeds as the

Wild Hungarian Plums & The Szilva Lekvar They Never Became

2011-07-26T05:54:00.236-04:00

Veszprem, Hungary Every year, we plan our trip to Hungary based on the seasons. We come in June for eper (strawberries). July for málna (raspberries) and meggy (sour cherries). October for körte (pears) and füge (figs). That we are here for plum season is a happy accident. And there is one plum in particular that has caught my attention — tiny purple plums that clustered on thin, tangeled

Hungarian as Apple Pie

2011-07-24T05:37:00.141-04:00

We arrived in Hungary just in time for lunch, as we always do, and were met with the same meal that I’ve come to count on as the taste of Hungary. Everything was just as I remembered it except now I am Anya (mommy) and Anya is Nagymamma or Mamma (grandma). This time the table was set with a tiny spoon for Greta, and before we eat, she is showered with the hugs and kisses of her Mamma and Papa (

a lesson in strawberry propagation

2011-06-16T18:11:00.004-04:00

{early bloomers, 'florence' cultivar} I’ll be the first to admit I still have a lot to learn about gardening. It would help to read up on the truths learned from the gardeners that have gone before me, but it's much more fun (and memorable) to learn as I go, successes and failures alike well-earned. My first garden trials began around the age of 6. That was the year that the strawberry plants

you say tomato, i say to-ma-to

2011-06-13T16:55:00.001-04:00

{photo by john kernick} In most parts of the country, there's still time to plant tomatoes. just a little. you could beat the probability of paying three dollars a pound for your summer stash by just a tiny, thin little hair if you put in some seedlings in your soil today. or maybe even tomorrow. need some inspiration? check out this photo of the wonderous world of heirloom tomatoes by

the gardener of invention

2011-06-10T11:25:00.001-04:00

{kristen + pocket the chicken, kerhonkson, ny} By their very nature, gardeners tend to a resourceful bunch. I love that about them. And urban or rural, if you've got the itch to grow, you'll likely find any place possible to house your seed and soil. Most recycled wood containers—think milk crates, old sand boxes or a bookshelf turned on its side (above)—make pretty good starter raised beds (and

A Dose of Authenticity

2011-06-09T11:55:00.000-04:00

{parade, Hurley, NY} If life always went as planned, we would have spent last weekend on a little island off of Seattle, celebrating the marriage of two of our dearest friends. It was to be our first real (much needed) family vacation since baby Greta was born, and a long overdue visit to the West Coast which always brings us both a sense of breath and space to handle all this busy city

chopped

2011-06-08T13:21:00.026-04:00

{a fifteen minute lunch} to make, chop the contents of your CSA box or veggie drawer. peppers, green beans, spring onions. add hard boiled eggs. torn mozzarella. salt. pepper. olive oil. enjoy.

Eggs So Pretty {An Easter Story}

2011-04-24T13:04:00.000-04:00

I love everything about eggs. Their golden yolks that nurture with fat and flavor, their silky whites that transform into luscious meringues, their fragile shells in pale blues and greens, tans and browns. I love the way the shells crumble into a million pieces, how they look sitting up tall and proud in an egg cup, or poached and perched, yolks oozing over a frisee salad. But in our big world

{Happy Earth Day!}

2011-04-22T16:47:00.000-04:00

{photos by Dasha Wright and Robert Jacobs} Up north, we wait a long time for garden season, but this year the wait seemed even longer. Last summer, as my belly grew round with the babe, I spent hours and hours tending our small community garden plot, laughing with wonder as the little one inside me kicked and squirmed. When I finally met our giggly girl, Greta, I couldn't wait to take her

Earth Day ~ For the Love of the Soil

2011-04-21T13:04:00.001-04:00

{photo by Robert Jacobs} There's something magical that happens the first time a little one touches the earth. A connection is made that sparks a lifetime of respect and understanding, one that is cultivated every time their little hands meet the soil. It starts small, like a tiny seed, and only takes a little nurturing from you to help it grow and grow. Tomorrow's Earth Day, the perfect day

have your cake...

2011-03-20T17:32:00.012-04:00

{styling by Doris Josovitz. photos by Joshua Farley} Life has been whizzing by. Our baby girl is already 4 months old, quick to smile and giggle, testing her voice at every decibel and trying with all her might to sit up. While we often wish {and even pray} for a full night's sleep, there's a part of us who never wants to see the day when she doesn't need our voices or arms to sooth her. At this

Soil Mates {A Valentine's Day Gift}

2011-02-12T10:46:00.004-05:00

Research shows that steady relationships, like lifelong friendships or marriage, are good for our health. And people aren't the only living creatures that benefit from companionship. Many animals mate for life, and even veggies benefit from planting in pairs. Yes, your tomatoes need love too. Vegetables planted together share health benefits like soil enrichment and natural pest control which

Sugar and Spice and Cocoa, so nice

2011-02-10T12:24:00.000-05:00

Sure, I shop at the farmer's market and grow my own food. But since ingredients like sugar, cocoa and vanilla don't grow anywhere near our home, I don't feel guilty buying them at Costco, where the prices keep me in high-quality baking supplies even in the leanest times. I wouldn't buy just any old ingredient at a mega-discount store, but their fair-trade organic sugar, Dutch process cocoa and

When Life Gives you Lemons

2011-01-28T12:44:00.018-05:00

...have a citrus celebration. We’ve been snowed in for weeks in New York. Not that we mind. We’re snow people, and a good tromp in the snow is just about our favorite form of exercise. But it does call for boning up on extra Vitamin C, which besides being a powerful antioxidant, helps in the production of connective tissues to keep

Happy Meals ~ {and baby makes three}

2011-01-23T09:30:00.005-05:00

Recently, our two became a three and suddenly, we are family. It’s a word that brings with it multitude of joy, challenge, delight and stuff. It also brings a new opportunity to celebrate mealtime and make it a family affair, right from the very beginning. Here are a few of our favorite things for making family meals happy meals. (1) Bright, striped primary colored Bibs to

G is for Grateful {and Baby Girl}

2011-01-22T16:55:00.002-05:00

l.i.c, ny ~ January 2011 I've sat down no less than a dozen times to write since November 2, 2010, though most times I get called away to a greater cause. That was the day that beautifully, miraculously changed our world forever. That was the day we welcomed our new baby girl to the world. There's no story, no recipe, no anecdote grand enough, special enough to say what is simply said like

The Brooklyn Flea

2010-10-23T18:57:00.002-04:00

brooklyn, ny I'm married to a man who has earned the nickname Swiss for his less than astute regard for punctuality. I admit that I too am habitually 15 minutes late for most things. So it's no surprise that our dear little babe did not arrive yesterday, on due date, nor today. What's there to do in New York while waiting for baby? Why, go to the Brooklyn Flea of course! There are a dozen

{grow baby}

2010-10-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

{photo by Robert Jacobs Photography} l.i.c., ny All summer long, whenever I go to the garden, the baby wiggles and kicks, as if as delighted as I am to be there. To me, it's a sign of a baby's connectedness with its mother; the happy endorphins I release when I'm in my little patch of green, pulling weeds and cultivating the soil, are instantly translated to the little one. We're both breathing

In Flux {san diego}

2010-10-14T08:45:00.002-04:00

san diego, ca This summer I've been in a constant state of flux. First, I left one dream job {as recipe developer at the Food Network} for another {writing my first cookbook}, and now I'm about to learn what it means to be called Mamma, as we await the arrival of our first little babe. These sort of transitions leave little time for sitting and reflecting, savoring a cup of hibiscus tea or

Figs & Joy {In the unlikeliest of places}

2010-09-10T11:16:00.002-04:00

l.i.c., ny Far be it from a Midwestern Methodist to be so bold as to make deals with God. It has always been in my nature to believe He was always there, gently guiding and providing. But a few years ago, when I was reading a book on spirituality by a well-known guru, I was struck that the author wrote that she had a pact with God. Whenever she doubted something in life, she would ask for a

Blackberry Magic {and one delicious casualty}

2010-09-03T10:32:00.001-04:00

In the making of a beautiful food photo are dozens of details that have to line up just right. Props have to be picked so not to steal the show from the food. Linens need pressed. Light needs evaluated. The food needs to be created and cooked and placed just so. And on top of all that, there has to be a little magic ~ that little something that makes the food pop off the plate and into your

Eat, Pray, Love ~ Date Night with Susan Spungen

2010-08-13T10:28:00.006-04:00

This summer, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking on the topic of food and love. If I haven’t already told you, I’m writing my first cookbook, a Newlywed cookbook, for Chronicle Books which has required a lot of eating {and cooking of course}, much praying {since the manuscript is due in three days!!} and unconditional loving {on the part of my husband, who hears nothing but book, book, book!}.

gold + rubies, and Sunday sherbet

2010-07-04T10:00:00.099-04:00

stonypoint, ny When a good friend offers to share his gold and rubies with you, you don't refuse. Which is why when our friend Robert gave us the keys to his house for the weekend and carte blanche to pick his golden and ruby red raspberries, we collected them in every spoon, cup, bowl, or basket in site... {gold + rubies} {european red} {wild} {golden} {american red} I for one am

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Grilled Cheese

2010-07-02T13:27:00.000-04:00

~ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ~ u.s.a. One Thursday in May, in a courthouse in Brooklyn, 240 people became American citizens. One of them was my husband András. He is among the one hundred

To Market, for Sour Cherries

2010-06-30T13:36:00.000-04:00

In many parts of the country today is a market day. Except in my little corner of the world where the market just 40 yards from my front door doesn’t open until July. Instead of lamenting the fact that my borough is a beat behind, I’m digging into the tastes and textures of the world markets featured in the latest issue of Saveur , which pays tribute to this season’s

{Mulberries}...So Early in the Morning

2010-06-26T11:06:00.001-04:00

Call me naïve, but I rarely doubt a nursery rhyme. Which is why it wasn’t till I reached the ripe age of 29 that I discovered that mulberries don’t actually grow on bushes. On the contrary, mulberries grow on trees so tall that the lowest of their branches often tower just about my reach on tippy toes. I discovered this when András and I found a mulberry tree at the edge of the park blocks

{season's first}

2010-05-22T16:12:00.028-04:00

.....there's something magical about the season's firsts.

{iced}

2010-05-14T08:30:00.000-04:00

{From the top: Watermelon, Cherry Belle and French Breakfast radishes chill out} ny, ny Everyone knows the best way to eat radishes is raw with good butter and coarse sea salt {I like pasture-raised organic butter and coarse grey salt}. But it also helps to know the best way to prep your radishes after you pull them from the soil. Radishes love cool weather, which is why we plant them

Pedaling Gastronome

2010-04-17T20:57:00.002-04:00

So, what’s with the bike? The bike stands equally for playfulness and progress. We couldn’t have gotten very far without the wheel, and my, oh my the places we can go now that we have them! Progress sometimes means looking backward to what used to work and reviving the things we hold dear {thus, the vintage bike} like homegrown and handmade and putting a good old fashioned

Eat Cake, and Vegetables!

2010-04-10T18:35:00.044-04:00

It's official, Edible Living is now a published trademark, news that comes with very good timing. After 6 wonderful years at the Food Network, I'm making a leap out of that cozy and very delicious nest to start my own business. With that, comes a lot of questions, like what, exactly, is Edible Living? Edible Living is a lifestyle and a philosophy. It is discovering joy in the places and

Urban Gardening {Morning Glory}

2010-03-20T21:40:00.001-04:00

Happy first day of Spring! To help you get outside and cultivate your green thumb, I'll show you how to get growing the cheap and easy way by turning kitchen tools into garden tools on Danny Boome's new morning show, Morning Glory.

It Starts with a Seed {and a pot}

2010-03-10T23:02:00.003-05:00

Last night I stayed up till the wees planting over 60 seeds in little newspaper pots that will later become our summer garden. The thing that made it so fun, besides the promise of practically free organic fruits and veggies all summer long, is making rows of little pots with my new paper pot maker. This paper pot maker came from Jackie Johnson who sells his handmade oak beauties at his

Indulge Yourself, Darling! {pudding}

2010-03-09T17:23:00.003-05:00

l.i.c., ny Last night I came home, opened the fridge, and found this… …which was meant to be dessert for tonight’s dinner. Why thank you, I guess you like my chocolate pudding! Here is my recipe, and the rest of the meal that goes with it—a most satisfying savory cheese and potato pie with a layer of ham that you really must make {really, I insist, it’s one of my most delicious creations!}. I

A Movable Feast {join us!}

2010-03-06T20:59:00.004-05:00

new york, new york This morning at 6 am, András and hundreds of other road racers pedaled 30 miles around New York’s Central Park in the first race of the cycling season. When he came home and found me still snug in bed, his first question of course, was “what’s for breakfast.” For three cycling seasons running, I’ve held the role of #1 fan and feeder-in-chief, which translates to VIP to a

House of Bread

2010-03-03T09:16:00.001-05:00

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread “~ John Muir lic, ny A few years ago, I moved from Manhattan to Queens to be with András, kicking and screaming the whole way. I had lived in Manhattan for 9 years, was convinced that my favorite things would be too far out of reach in his borough. He lured me with love, a farmer’s market right outside our building and promises of good bread. The

favorite {books}

2010-03-01T09:49:00.007-05:00

A few weeks ago, life brought me a little gift when Caroline Wright showed up in my station in the Food Network Test Kitchens. She was there to contribute her talents and expertise to our ever growing repertoire of recipes, and brought along with her the joy and enthusiasm we share for all things food. Over a few days in the kitchen, Caroline and I became fast friends and quickly learned that

Hungry in America

2010-02-22T17:28:00.049-05:00

Whenever I make a meal for a gathering, I love to lay out all the plates and platters on the table and assign a dish to each one. I think it is the serenity of it that appeals to me—all these plates sitting there so peaceful and pretty before they’re filled with heaps and mounds of food. But there’s nothing pretty at all about dishes that stand empty for one, two or even three meals a day.

Mad Hungry {books}

2010-02-20T15:40:00.003-05:00

“Men eat differently than women—they eat more, they eat constantly, and they eat passionately.” ~Lucinda Scala Quinn I always thought I had the man food thing down pretty well. It was with food that I first lured András to my side, and he’s cleaned his plate during every meal since, praising my culinary prowess. But my focus has always been on quality

Date Night {Roman's}

2010-02-20T14:34:00.003-05:00

ft. greene, brooklyn Last night we had dinner with our friends Katie and Parker at their new neighborhood restaurant, Roman's. The meal was simple, satisfying, actually kind of perfect. Romans serves like kind of food that you could make at home but tastes especially good when someone else has done the work for you—things like stretched mozzarella on toasted bread, hen of the woods mushroom

Liège Waffles {a love offering}

2010-02-14T18:18:00.005-05:00

Today when I was reading through the Saveur 100 {February + March issue} I got stuck on no. 92, submitted by Isabelle Zgonc of Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Her ode to the Chicken Paprikash her mother used to make began like this... "In the minds of some of their Eastern European immigrant neighbors, my parents, Lester and Olga Kolozy, had a mixed marriage: he was Hungarian and she was Slovenian

Sweet Nothings {chocolate}

2010-02-13T08:58:00.004-05:00

"Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination." ~Voltaire It seems that chocolate for Valentine's day never goes out of style. A well-dressed bar from Mast Brother's Chocolate, the Brooklyn chocolatiers whose chocolates come hand-wrapped in vintage paper, would certainly make a suitable offering for your beloved. But why should they have all the fun? Hand-wrap your own,

Pulpo

2010-02-10T18:05:00.006-05:00

{a love letter} A few years ago, I wrote an ode to an old love that was picked up by Chow as their favorite love letter of the season {flattering!}. When I ran across it the other day, I found it still stirred feelings for a flavor that's gone remiss on my table; I thought it worth reprinting here in honor of rekindled flames and the coming of cupid. ~ There is something about Octopus that

lazy lady churros {donuts}

2010-02-10T10:26:00.002-05:00

l.i.c., ny For the first time in my six years working at Food Network, the office is closed today for snow. Hooray for Snow Days! They’re a perfect excuse to take good care of yourself— soak in the tub, boil up a pot of water to steam your face, and make good use of your leftover churro batter. If you’re feeling lazy, like me, forgo the piping bag and lower little spoonfuls of batter into the

Postcards from El Morro

2010-02-07T22:55:00.002-05:00

mexico city, mexico I can’t quite recall exactly how András and I chose Mexico City as the starting point for our honeymoon, but I can recall the thing that made it hard to leave— hot chocolate and churros from Churreria El Morro. It could be argued by locals that these are actually the second best churros in Mexico City, but nothing could match the atmosphere in this 1930’s institution. There

Barbacoa

2010-01-29T01:11:00.007-05:00

mexico city, mexico There seems to be an unwritten law that going on honeymoons is like joining the Masons... secret and mysterious, and the fewer questions asked the less embarrassing for everybody. ~Martha Byrd Porter, Straight Down a Crooked Lane This time last year, András I were on a plane bound for Mexico City, en route to our honeymoon. When we arrived, we checked in here, in a plain but

B is for Brooklyn {and beer}

2010-01-21T23:11:00.092-05:00

brooklyn, ny Last night, on north 11th street in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Brewery released the latest in their Brooklyn Brewmasters Reserve Series, Cookie Jar Porter, a smooth malty brew rich with the familiar flavors of oats and raisin. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more, the taste on tap or the actual cookies they were inspired by {from Feed Your Soul Bakery}. Both were DE-licious. The truth is I

{icebox}

2010-01-11T23:12:00.003-05:00

porva, hungarySo about those csirke…. After our lagzi, when we had hand-washed all of the dishes, eaten the last of the goulash, simmered the remaining sour cherries and said our goodbyes, we prepared to close up the house for the summer. Just before we left, I went to pull the plug on the refrigerator, but realized there was still some fagyi {ice cream} left in the freezer. “We should empty

Country Chicks, City Chick

2010-01-06T12:00:00.005-05:00

porva, hungary Csirke, which means chicken, was the very first word I learned in Hungarian. I'm not sure how or why, since between András and I, we eat chicken rarely to never, but by the time I made my first trip to Hungary with him, this word was planted firmly in my vocabulary. On that first trip, we visited András’ nagymama {grandmother}, or Mamma, on her farm in Porva, next door to the

le menu {esküvő}

2010-01-05T22:54:00.019-05:00

{click menu to enlarge} Like every bride who loves food, I put a tremendous amount of thought into the meal that would become our first supper as husband and wife. Each recipe had a meaning –Baba Ganoush and labne for the first meal András and I shared; radishes with Kerrygold butter, for my love of France and Ireland; leg of lamb, Dad's favorite on visits to NYC; Potatoes Anya {mother's

I do {the first supper}

2010-01-05T00:01:00.029-05:00

, Ta If I could eat every meal in a popular grove in Virginia on a warm October night, sitting at a single table under a canopy of lights with everyone I’ve ever loved, I would. If the table were lit with candlelight and lined with vintage napkins, little boxes of whoopie pies and pleasantries, even better. If could drink champagne and eat stuffed artic char and artisan cheeses and

Twelve Grapes {Nochevieja}

2010-01-01T22:00:00.007-05:00

hunter, new yorkIn Spain, revelers bring in the New Year by stuffing 12 grapes into their mouth, one for each of the 12 chimes that sound at midnight from the bell in the town square as the next year begins. It’s folklore that either started as a way to boost grape sales in the bountiful harvest year of 1909, or a way to mock the nobles who consumed their grapes as cava. The gut-laughter it

A Truly Happy New Year

2009-12-31T15:53:00.011-05:00

new york, new york Since before I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor, just like my Dad. It turns out I just wanted to be like my Dad, whose manner, and therefore his profession, from my standpoint, was synonymous with delivering joy and good news, news like, “It’s a big, fat, bouncing baby boy!” to new parents. In the years before I discovered that there was occasionally bad news involved

Guilt, Glee and Christmas Trees

2009-12-28T20:31:00.005-05:00

I am one of those rare New Yorkers that absolutely loves going home for the Holidays. Although my siblings might disagree, the minute I get home, I loose all contact with my picky preferences and accept our holiday habits, meals, and mayhem as a temporary version of bliss. For about a week, I revert to a pre-1999-state, when I left the Midwest for city slicker life, slip into bulky old

Drizzle & Dazzle

2009-12-26T00:04:00.001-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part xi}If you've been struck with the post-gift-giving blues, fear not. Gift giving goes on until the stroke of midnight on January 31, giving you a perfect opportunity to bring something dazzling to new year's cocktail parties, like cranberry syrup for mixing up sophisticated kir royales. the syrup: mix 2 cups water + 2 cups sugar + 1 cup cranberries in a small sauce pan.

A Christmas Goose

2009-12-24T12:25:00.006-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part xi} I can't imagine ever spending Christmas without my family, but one day, we'll spend Christmas in Hungary. When I think of that, I imagine a goose, big and fat, once covered in the white feathers that András grandmother taught me to use to dust flour off her strudel dough. The goose would taste like the one I ate at the Csárdás in Csopak on a cold October night

Naughty & Nice

2009-12-20T12:30:00.008-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part x}Baby it's cold outside, and we've been out snowshoeing all morning {because one naughty little boy and girl broke into their Christmas presents a few days early}. So, while it would be nice to save this little bundle of naughty & nice hot cocoa stirrers to bring to the Carols & Carousing I'm co-hosting with Frances later today, I had to be really

Blue Ribbon Beans

2009-12-20T10:30:00.004-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part ix} Before you put away your sewing machine, here's the perfect thing to put in a little bag made of scrap fabric. Since you were so clever to save your seeds from your summer garden, why not pass them on? Shared seeds are the gift that keep on giving, and keeping heirloom varieties growing in your community is a smart way to protect our seed supply. Plus, every

Spot of Tea

2009-12-20T08:00:00.005-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part viii}Good morning! I like to start the day with tea. You? Chances are someone you know does too, and they'd be delighted to get a little hand-sewn satchel of mint or lemon verbena leaves from your very own garden or windowsill. I clipped these bunches from mine just before the snow fell and plan to give them fresh for potent tea, but you can dry them out in a single

Tinsel Town

2009-12-19T22:45:00.002-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part vii}Ready for S'more? How about a tin of sweet s'more fixins? Tuck your new favorite gingerbread, baked in stars, into tins with your favorite chocolate and homemade marshmallows {I like smitten kitchen's version}. Tie with baker's twine and slip in a little silver sprig of spruce. Oh, I made my label with paper from Lee's Art Shop, and a paper hole punch. I hope

Glass Castle

2009-12-19T22:36:00.006-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part v}An empty glass jam jar is the beginning of beautiful things when it comes to handmade giving. If you're a jam jar junkie like me, it's likely you have stash of beauties that just need a quick wash and referesh with a handmade label. I like fluff jars, with their fat belly's and bright red tops, but any old honey jar will do. Stuffed with homemade jams, pickles and

A Touch of Paint

2009-12-19T20:13:00.006-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part iv}If those cookies are too plain for you, how about a little paint job? I once painted these cookies, and dozens of others, but I can't take credit for the sweet little hobbit houses and snails above. They were a gift from a friend who also hand-paints china for Herend, the lauded hand-crafted porcelin of Hungary that was once so precious it

Cookie Crate

2009-12-19T19:56:00.004-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part iii}What's that, you already baked your cookies? Well then, Turn this summer’s berry box into a cookie crate. Wrap cookies in twos for couples and kids, fours for families and grown-ups, and stamp with custom stamps, stickers or labels. We have a case of these pinch-bottom cookie and candy bags leftover from our wedding, which are handy to have on hand. You too can get a

Cookies, Of Course

2009-12-19T19:24:00.004-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part ii}And, there's cookies, of course. Sure, you could give them all ready to go, but why not let the giftee decide when they want or need them most {cookies really are a matter of need}. I like shortbread. 1. Make dough and form into a log. Tuck it into the cardboard cylinder from the middle of your paper towels to help it keep its round shape {a

A Little Loaf

2009-12-19T12:14:00.005-05:00

{Handmade Christmas, part i} Let's start simple. Let's see, there is the little loaf. 1. Wrap lovingly in wax paper {check}, gardener's twine {check}, and a touch of color. 2. Say something sweet on a little label. Mine came from Cavallini & Co, but you could make one with construction paper and a paper hole punch. 3. Give. Now that was easy!

A Handmade Christmas

2009-12-19T10:51:00.003-05:00

l.i.c., new yorkAbout one week before we cracked open our advent calendar, I took the handmade pledge, agreeing to give only hand made goods for gifts this holiday. Since I come from a long line of creatives, I tried to impose a handmade holiday on the whole fam for our annual gift exchange, and sent them rallying email encouraging them to break out their band saws and

Edible Giving, a Food Lover's Gift Guide

2009-12-15T10:46:00.039-05:00

What's that, not yet anything under your tree? Here's a little inspiration for edible giving. For Food Artists: Playful, pretty and pratical, I ♥ Macaroons is hard to resist. I also heart Delicious, about the art and life of Wayne Thiebaud, who had a thing for hotdogs, gumballs, cupcakes and color. My favorite of his images is here. For Collectors: I found this vintage pair of handmade s & p

Christmas Merrymaking

2009-12-13T17:47:00.002-05:00

u.e.s., new york On Tuesday of last week, I got this invitation in the mail from The Brothers Clark. The Brothers Clark, who are these fine gentlemen, I wondered? From the tone of their invite, I imaged a set something like the Mast Brothers, strikingly stylish and certainly suave entertainers. I set my calendar with the inscribed details: a Recession Reception in their finely appointed Upper

Date Night: O Tannenbaum

2009-12-11T22:05:00.003-05:00

In northern Illinois, where I grew up, parents pack their kids in the car on early winter weekends and trek to the countryside to ride horse-drawn carriages and cut down a tree. It’s a chance for fathers to show off their skills with a saw, for brothers to play like manly lumberjacks and for big sisters to assert their urge to rule the roost by insisting the tree they picked has the best posture

Great Expectations

2009-12-10T19:51:00.005-05:00

chelsea, new york Tonight when I was leaving Chelsea Market on my way home from work, I spied this young man behind the glass at Dickson's Farmstand Meats carrying a giant roast beef with such a Flinstones meets Dickens quality about it that it stopped me dead in my tracks. Just as he hoisted it up on his shoulder, I popped my head in for a butchery tutorial and learned that this cut, made of a

Waffles, Dinges & Dirt Bikes {pedaling, part iv}

2009-12-08T23:43:00.012-05:00

Cyclocross is not a sport for the faint of heart. Akin to road racing, but on courses made up of mud, grass, sand, hills and obstacles so steep cylists must occasionally dismount and take to foot, Cyclo-cross requires serious training, blood, sweat and plenty of sweet Belgian waffles. I’d like to say that is was for the love of my husband that I went all the way to Princeton, New Jersey at 5 AM

A movable Feast {Pedaling, part iii}

2009-12-08T00:34:00.014-05:00

For four Sundays running, András and I have been pedaling from our little nest in L.I.C. over bridges and through the woods to new adventures we go. It's a tradition that dates back to one of our very first dates, and is as much about feeding as it is about finding our way in the world together. These last few weeks, our two wheels have taken us to Boneshakers biker cafe in Greenpoint, run by

Serve it Forth

2009-11-27T14:11:00.010-05:00

I’ve long admired the silver collection of one of my dearest girlfriends, Frances, a mix of family heirlooms and flea market finds from her travels as a style editor. I love the way she displays them upright in glasses in her boudoir, and how willingly she creates excuses to pull them out and serve forth a dose of her fine southern hospitality. I credit Frances’ civilized upbringing, one that I

Here Let Us Feast

2009-11-26T17:21:00.021-05:00

harlem, new york To give thanks for the blessing of a year, it is not necessary to have a large house, a large family, or even a large budget, only a large heart. Such are the hearts of our friends Kirsten and Dario, whose table became the family table of fourteen New Yorkers who are related by love alone. We fourteen prepared a consummate feast of

{Relish}

2009-11-25T09:54:00.022-05:00

l.i.c, new yorkI have always wanted to do a Friendsgiving {a grown up gathering of friends on Thanksgiving, a la Ross, Rachael, Monica and gang}, but going home has too many pleasures to resist. Mom makes an incredible meal; we all pile on the couch and watch movies and dress up in our old prom dresses {seriously}; and Dad keeps the piano playing, the jokes going, and has us all feeling like we

Let's Talk Turkey

2009-11-23T23:03:00.011-05:00

I'm not exactly sure when my baby brother's culinary prowess surpassed my own, but moments ago on the phone with him, it became clear that it might have happened. He, the analyst bachelor, has his turkey day game plan firmly in place {Wednesday night, grind cranberries for relish; brine turkey. Thursday, up at dawn to stuff turkey and roast..} while I, the family food guru, haven't decided what

New Amsterdam {Pedaling, part ii}

2009-11-22T18:21:00.014-05:00

Find the shortest, simplest way between the earth, hand and the mouth.~Lanza del Vasto South Street Seaport, Manhattan If you have a bike, and a buddy, one of the best ways to spend a Sunday is pedaling around town bound for your local market, particularly if you local market happens to be the much-lauded New Amsterdam Market in New York’s historic South Street Seaport. Inspired by Paris

In Good Taste

2009-11-20T08:22:00.009-05:00

Ah, good taste! What a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness. ~Pablo Picassoeverywhere, new york If every week of life had a theme, this would be Food & Design week. It all started when I popped my head into the new The Future Perfect pop-up store in the Chelsea Market. The store, based in Brooklyn, is a design junkie mecca, and since their holiday pop up store focuses on Food &