Pink of Perfection

In addition to cozy, my love (and yours) of which we’ve discussed at length, I have a thing for wholesomeness. This is why, I think, I find myself so drawn to My Antonia, Anne of Green Gables, and fresh baked cookies. There’s something about them that just seems so guileless and innocent, how could there really be anything wrong with them? Who cares about the loneliness, Matthew’s death, or all that butter?

This is also how I feel about a certain sort of cake. It’s a cake with fruit it in and a dense crumb. The kind of cake that goes magically with a cup of tea on a dreary afternoon. The kind of cake that a mother — real or imagined — ought to bake. And the kind of cake that is just right after a rich and boozy dinner. It will soak up all the wine and cream sauce, brighten the air with citrus, and set things right again. Oh, how I wish at this moment there were still a slice in the kitchen.

Continue reading “Orange Walnut Cake with Greek Yogurt” »

vintage print via etsy shop holcroft

We’re deep into February, buried in snow, and spring is way out of sight. What better time to think about the stuff about winter that’s actually pretty grand? Bet you can add 50 more reasons in the comments. And yes, that is a dare.

1. hot chocolate
2. dogs in sweaters
3. miniature snowmen outside convenience stores
4. slippers (especially the anthropomorphized ones)
5. babies in fuzzy hats
6. a big, wrap-it-around-three-times scarf
7. getting to use that ultra-rich moisturzier
8. sun reflecting off the snow
9. blood oranges
10. big, bold red wines
11. hiding in turtlenecks
12. snow days!
13. the perfect season for knitting
14. stews & soups
15. hot tubs
16. valentine’s day
17. paperwhites
18. fondue
19. warm, boozey drinks
20. staying inside all day in pjs
21. shopping (everything’s on sale!)
22. kale, squash, and brussels sprouts
23. fuzzy boots
24. the foam on a latte…pretty soon you’ll be ordering it iced
25. toe socks
26. the olympics
27. liberal use of fairy lights
28. black tree branches heavy with snow
29. wearing the deepest, darkest, muskiest perfumes
30. holding hands inside your love’s roomy coat pocket
31. knee socks and tights!
32. fireside brunching, cocktailing, napping, smooching…
33. quiet, snuggly reading time at home
34. ski blankets
35. sheepskin rugs
36. visiting a sauna
37. the perfect blush color, naturally
38. vintage capes — you have one, don’t you?
39. bubble baths (they just don’t hold the same appeal in summer)
40. chili
41. wearing those ladylike, yet sexy gloves that end right above your wristbone
42. hunkering down under a down comforter
43. big, sweeping epic novels
44. legwarmers
45. the dense quiet of fresh night snow
46. renewed resolve
47. getting sweaty outside: snowshoeing, skiing, sledding, snowball fights…
48. the ultimate excuse to be a homebody
49. earmuffs — they’re kind of glamorous, don’t you think?
50. chinese new year (dumplings + noodles, anyone?)

I am writing this dispatch from the thick wooden counter at my local coffee shop. Out the window is an apartment building with snow-lined sills and fire escapes. My toes are a little wet from the walk here and climbing over the mountainous snow piles on the corner (what to do when your beloved winter boots become un-waterproofed?), but there’s a heater underfoot and warmth is on the rise. The barista’s got Os Mutantes on the stereo and all together, I’ve decided that one of the best examples of opposites attract on earth is Tropicalia-meets-winter. This also includes, of course, the cuisine of a warmer, spicier clime, and these meatballs, right here, are the perfect antidote to a Nor’easter.

Continue reading “Lamb and Prune Meatballs with Moroccan Tomato Sauce” »

I’m not purporting to be some kind of beauty “expert,” but here’s what I do know: 1) I am a girl; 2) I like feeling pampered; and 3) I like a beauty bargain. It’s safe to say, I think, that these three facts make me somewhat equipped to share my favorite cheap drugstore finds for dry and itchy winter skin.

Aquaphor Healing Skin Ointment, $6
If you have dry chapped skin anywhere — lips, knees, elbows, hands, or face — this stuff is, hand’s down, the way to heal. When I was in college in Minnesota, I would go into a panic if I realized I’d come to campus without it. This has a thick texture that creates what feels like an impenetrable moisture seal on your skin. It’s not glamorous, but it works.

Burt’s Bee’s Baby Tear Free Shampoo and Wash, $7
So this is technically for babies, but I think it’s also just good for when you feel like you need some babying. The ever-so-light coconut smell makes me think of precious, lightly fuzzy heads and soft skin.

Avalon Organics Facial Cleansing Milk, Lavender, $12
If you have dry, sensitive skin and don’t mind a cleansing milk that doesn’t suds up, this softly-scented cleanser is so gentle. It’s my go-to cleanser come winter.

Kneipp Herbal Bath, $5
This is my favorite cheap drugstore discovery ever. These herbal bath oils are magnificently fragrant so you can count on the aromatherapy to really work. The full-size bottles are almost $20, but the little travel sizes (which are good for several baths) cost about $3 at my pharmacy. If you can’t find them at your local drugstore, try a health food store beauty department.

Eucerin Calming Body Wash Daily Shower Oil, $8
I laughed when I read the reviews on Amazon complaining about the smell of this body wash because I have been obsessed with its neutral, lightly earthy smell since I opened it. The oil turns into a light lather on the skin in the shower, but I also love to use it as moisturizing bubble bath. And I really like that I don’t need to double up with lotion afterwards, cause that’s an area where I tend to splurge.

Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, $6
Six bucks may seem a little pricey for cuticle cream, but this stuff lasts forever. I smear a little into my nail bed and then push back my newly-soft cuticles with an orange stick.

Neutrogena Lip Balm with SPF 15, $2
This lip balm has a smooth, non-greasy texture that I find so comforting. I keep one on my bedside table for a little pre-bedtime moisture.

Everyone’s got a few beauty bargain drugstore tricks up their sleeve — please share yours in the comments!

As soon as I saw the page titled “How to Fry” in my Grand Diplôme books, I knew this lesson would really just be an excuse to make beignets. Ever since I sat in the French Quarter late one Friday night in March, my black dress dusted with tell-tale powdered sugar, I’ve collected recipes for these airy pillows of dough. But frying isn’t a cooking technique that gets much play in my repertoire. And so the recipes sat in my delicious account gathering internet dust. That is, they languished there until Super Bowl Sunday, when suddenly I had the gumption and urge to make these. My bravery fueled by coffee, I put on my apron and dug in the cabinets for the splatter guard.

This recipe makes a lot of beignets. As in, you will certainly be tired of flipping dough balls in oil before the dough is all gone. But you should soldier on, cause who wants to waste 7 cups of bread flour? These would be great to make at a brunch party where you could hand off the frying job. What I learned about frying is that it takes no real skill. It’s just a matter of keeping a close eye out for a deepening golden color, and then flipping.

Because I’m not a regular fryer, I didn’t have a thermometer to hang on the side of the pan. This proved to be no big deal and please don’t let it stop you from trying these. I remembered the advice of a Southern friend and kept the gas at medium or medium-low. I decided the oil was hot enough to start frying when a flick of flour sizzled when it hit the surface. I didn’t crowd the pan, and if things seemed like they were getting too intensely sizzly, I dropped the heat a touch more.

All I have to say is, thank heavens for book club. If I hadn’t been able to send six women home with a grease-stained paper lunch sacks filled with these powdered sugar stomach bombs, I don’t know what might have happened. Frankly, I might not be here today.

Continue reading “How To Fry: French Quarter-Style Beignets” »

my new book club book

Sonia Rykiel knits for H&M

cheap reflexology

photo via scaredykat

lobsters on sale!

a Scandinavian-themed dinner party

Chinese New Year (year of the tiger!)

a retro-friendly weekend getaway

and what’s got you excited in this cold, dark month of february?

Because I have spent this week utterly unimpressed by food, drifting from toast to salad to sandwich with little passion and even less desire, it’s hard to imagine that it was only last week when I swooned over a pork chop. The entire experience of this dinner was worthy of a French Friday: I went to the fancy market and bought thick pork chops wrapped in butcher paper from a man in a paper hat. I selected a slim baguette with a crisp shell and airy insides. I visited the wine store and explained what we were eating — in great detail — and was paired with a truly heavenly accompaniment. I came home, turned on some blues, and set about making a dinner that was ready mere moments later.

In my experience, there aren’t a lot of recipes like this — ones that tap into your best vision of yourself, that are elegant, special, and ready in a flash, that make your dining companion think you have some unmatchably magic touch when you come into contact with a cast iron skillet and tongs. Perhaps I should spend less of my time making chili and more of my time seeking out food that elevates not just dinner itself, but (not to sound heavy handed) the way I feel about my life. Because there I was, on an ordinary day, making it all look so easy (and truly, it was), sitting down to the sort of supper that would be ideal if you learned Jacques Pepin were coming over in 20 minutes, or if you just feel that you deserve a fine chop, a simple sauce, and a cold glass of wine. And here I am, a week later, without a twinge of gastronomic interest in my stomach or fingers, still feeling great about that dinner.

More pork chop recipes:

Continue reading “French Friday: Pork Chops with Mustard and Cornichons” »