Amandes Fraiches, Fresh Almonds, At Marche des Carmes, Yesterday, Toulouse Continue reading

14 Juillet, Singing the Night Away, Toulouse, 2015 Happy Bastille Day Continue reading

Sweet as a Southern Peach comfort from Monster Shakes by Vicki Valsamis (Smith Street Books, May 2017). Sweet as a Southern Peach Peach iced tea and Southern Comfort are a perfect match. Shake 22 fl oz milk 5 fl oz peach iced tea syrup ½ cup Southern Comfort 1½ oz/¹⁄4 cup soft brown sugar 3 scoops vanilla ice cream Monster your shake 1 cup white chocolate buttons pink pearl dust, for decorating Strawberry syrup (recipe... Continue reading

Lips like sugar on 'World Kissing Day', Cherries in the Cake with 'Clafoutis' recipe from The Haven’s Kitchen Cooking School by Alison Cayne (Artisan Books-April 2017) Clafoutis Makes one 8-inch round A cross between a Dutch baby (what a great name!) and a custard, clafoutis is a traditional French countryside dessert made by pouring a nutty batter over whole cherries and then baking it. A purist would argue that using anything other than whole cherries—pit... Continue reading

Salad a la Jules Verne from Around the World in 120 Salads by Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi (Kyle Books, photography by Helen Cathcart, May 2017) Endive, piquillo pepper & chorizo salad Crunchy endive leaves are the perfect foil for smoky chorizo and sweet peppers. These Catalan flavors come from our good friend and teacher Carolina Català Fortuny. She makes this on her tapas course and serves it in a bowl with more whole endive leaves... Continue reading

Dropping rental truck on Saturday led to Gowanus cathedral of flowers, Rebecca Shepherd Floral Design at 478 3rd Ave in Brooklyn. Loved space instantly. Space is available for events as well. I could see successful creative sessions or meetings taking place there, setting is inspiring with these very high walls and ceiling. Continue reading

Devil is in the butter as proven by Alla Diavola Butter recipe from Six Seasons, A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden (Artisan Books- Copyright © 2017). Alla Diavola Butter The Italians have a few dishes they refer to as alla diavola, which means “devil style”—in other words, spicy as hell. In this butter, I bring together layers of not just heat but all kinds of good chile and pepper flavors. You can adjust... Continue reading

Sweat that Rosé 'Rodon-Chiaretto' from Le Fraghe '( 2016) Corvina and Rondinella grapes, from Veneto region Continue reading

Something I would have liked for lunch, first excerpt from Oysters: Recipes that Bring Home a Taste of the Sea (Sasquatch Books. 2016) by Cynthia Nims. Oysters en Escabeche Every escabeche I’d encountered before seemed to have a lot going on: slivered vegetables, chiles, various seasonings in addition to the vinegar-heavy base. But while in Galicia in northwest Spain, I tasted the local mussels en escabeche and the dish was blessedly simple and outrageously delicious:... Continue reading

Kouign Amann Freshly Baked in Locmariaquer, notice the Citroen Truck, at Boulangerie Anthony Pongelard Continue reading

Driving while snowed This afternoon in Glen Ridge Continue reading

Punky Cake Pop Party With a Ramones sprinkle, live from Little Daisy Bake Shop Continue reading

Treats Trump Tricks, Halloween Illustrated Banshee Balls Also Salts made from Tears of Envy (featured in 2015) Both by way of Hoxton Street Monster Supplies (...'for the living, dead, and undead') Continue reading

After Elegance for Dessert with Lacquered Peaches from Lark' Cooking Wild in the Northwest' Cookbook (Sasquatch Books, August 2016) by chef John Sundstrom, here's a helping of fish as secomd recipe from the book Nettles Galore, April in Whidbey Island, Neah Bay Halibut with Creamed Nettles and Morels For a few weeks in April, we have a lovely convergence of spring delights: fresh halibut, young and tender stinging nettles, and the first true morels of... Continue reading

Bagpipes, Celtic Groove with a Twist, Carlos Cassado Project, Union Square Station, October 7 Bagpipes always bring to mind my native Brittany Continue reading

Tins Swimming Upstream At DeLaurenti, Pike Place, Seattle One of the best surprises I had in town Continue reading

It's hard to squeeze the essence of 315 pages of 400 Years of Drinking in American South narrated Deftly by Robert F. Moss in Southern Spirits (Ten Speed Press, Hardcover, April 12, 2016) Best thing I could do is give you a taste of it. Don't expect to find a book full of cocktail recipes between the covers of 'Southern Spirits'. It is a serious expose on history of '400 years of drinking in the... Continue reading

Dinner Plates on my Bucket List, For @sergetheconcierge who asked about Colorscapes dinner plates and if they are compatible with saucy dishes! Hopefully this helps! #noritake A video posted by Noritake (@noritakechina) on Oct 17, 2016 at 9:08am PDT Noritake Drops Water Video on Instagram to Show Me How Saucy Dinner Can Be in their Colorscapes plates. (* This is not a sponsored post) Continue reading

Bond Street is not paved of Gold (* Photo from corner of Bond Street and Lafayette) Continue reading

Fits 2 and a Half Coffee Lovers, ETG Coffee and Bakery, Fremont, Seattle Continue reading

Unmask Halloween Costume Ideas with this Capsule from UBC 'Museum of Anthropology' Orchids or toothy fish? A dash of drama Continue reading

Seed your Soup, No VC Needed, Pomegranate Soup by Way of Azarbaijan from Samarkand, Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & the Caucasus (Kyle Books, June 2016) by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford. Pomegranate Soup Serves 4 150g yellow split peas 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder 1/2 cinnamon stick 1 litre hot vegetable stock 400ml pomegranate juice 2 tablespoons... Continue reading

Best Looking Okra I Have Ever Seen from Kernan Farms at Brooklyn Farmers Market near Botanical Garden Captured on August 27, 2016 Companion piece: Irmin Schmidt (Can) spills the beans on Cooking and Okra Continue reading

Emission inspection in Gowanus extra, Slice of salted caramel apple pie from Four and Twenty Blackbirds Looks like since my last visit (also for emission inspection also) neighborhood is slowly getting gentrified. Continue reading

Fifth Avenue Red Light Stop Quick Shot, Night Falling on New York Concierge at work on one of his Big Apple runs this week Last day of Summer Continue reading