I just renewed my Flickr account and was going through some photos to upload to a Paris set I’m working on and came across this cute little guy. It was part of a window display at a tableware shop I passed by somewhere near Rue de Sèvres. Crabby sits atop these gorgeous plates with coral(color and noun!) accents. I wish I could have brought them home but the owner was out having lunch…
The Doctor just bought a lovely home and today, a group of us tagged along for a preview. The house is a restored Victorian filled with well appointed vintage details such as these darling little key hooks with their brass exterior muted over the years into a lovely patina.
I stopped in at the Art Institute of Chicago last month to check out their new modern wing and fell for this little gem of a coffee service set which was part of the museum’s Avant-Garde Art in Everyday Life exhibit running through Oct 9, 2011.
Would you have guessed this design is dated from the turn of the 20th century when ornate Victorian was still in vogue? This coffee service was designed circa 1901/1902 by Austrian artist Jutta Sika who was part of the Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop) artist community. I love the minimalist blue and white color palette and the geometrical themes that run throughout the pieces!
Perhaps it served me right to have been so giddy with joy at finding a job and company I truly enjoy and perhaps I should not have been so vocal about my happiness to certain people but hubris caught with with me today and served up a slice of humble pie along with a shot of crow.
I’ve been starved for time lately with the new job and all. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to starve my sweet tooth.
This easy dessert took just 25 minutes to prep and cook!
All I did was to slice up one ripe peach, add a teaspoon of small tapioca pearls, and throw on a crumb topping I had made last week and kept in the freezer for days like this. This sweet little thing sat in a 350 degree oven (pre-heated) for 20 min and now will make its way to my happy belly!
P.S. The tapioca pearl addition is a trick my friend Beth taught me. It helps to stabilize the juices without the muddled taste of cornstarch.
I can hardly believe that Thanksgiving is over already and I barely had time to curl up on the sofa and savor the proverbial crumbs from Trial Thanksgiving the week before as it was truly epic. Within a matter of moments, everyone’s careful menu planning and diligent cooking was laid to waste by a hungry horde and all that was left was a decimated turkey carcass and a pile of dishes in the sink. My job has hogged most of my brain cells so all I can offer is a visual account so you can fill in the blanks.
Rye Pecan Pie made by the Doctor
Everytime I visit home, my mom never fails to ply me with plates and plates of food that she slavishly prepared just for me and me alone (dad gets last night’s leftovers). And whenever I politely decline as my eyeballs start to drown in soy sauce, mom always gets this look of surprise and hurt that I would say no to her cooking. It’s as if I’ve committed a grave offense against her honor. Ditto for when I visit my aunts, who are cut from the same cloth as my mom.
Until now, moms and aunties have only been able to cajole their children to eat by presenting us with giant ricebowls filled with guilt-trips but now, it seems that they can hire an enforcer.
By way of Cupcake— Never Say No to Panda…or else!!!!
The Slumlord brought back some corned beef tongue from Zabars after returning from a quick trip to NYC. I was initially skeptical but the tender slices of meat quickly won me over.
For lunch today, I made a corned beef tongue sandwich on Jewish rye bread from the farmers market with some slices of Armenian cucumber that I had quickly pickled in vinegar, sugar, salt, and dill. Dessert was a slice of cheesecake from Juniors.
I miss New York.
Despite the Bay Area’s mellow year round weather, nothing can sustain the all too fleeting presence of perfectly ripe peaches and plums at our local farmers’ markets during the summer. Around this time of year, you can always find me at the farmers’ market cradling a bag of peaches under one arm and impatiently winding my way through the throngs of people so I can get my charges safely home.
I didn’t always love peaches this much. As a child, we used to play stone fruit roulette at the supermarket produce section. You never knew whether the fruit you bought would be juicy and bursting with flavor or bland and mealy. The odds were stacked against us and more often than not, we lost our money to the house. As a result, I disliked peaches until one summer in my teens when my family took a road trip to Ventura County.
Say what you will about patronizing U.S. chains when traveling to other countries, but there’s something to be said about comfort and familiarity. Not to mention a clean, Western style bathroom. I wasn’t the only one who sought respite at a Starbucks on Nanjing Rd bordering the outer edge of People’s Park one rainy afternoon. I saw expat businessmen, European tourists, students from the U of Georgia, and local university students using the place for work, rest, and play.
This particular location is very nice and I imagine on clearer days, the upstairs terrace probably affords a lovely view of the park. I spent the better part of an hour reposing on a comfortable armchair in self-reflection and curious observation, accompanied by a cup of tea and my journal. No one hurried me on my way. Sometimes it’s nice to have a bit of home when you’re thousands of miles away. Thanks Starbucks! (No, this is not a shameless plug.)
Starbucks @ People's Park in Shanghai
Starbucks – Nanjing Rd, at People’s Park in Shanghai. There are two entrances, one inside the park and one from Nanjing Rd. Outdoor patio on floor level as well as a terrace upstairs.
