farm fresh. oh vermont.

dinner party on a hot tin roof

my family recently visited my home in brooklyn on a 90 degree summer day so eating inside was not an option. chris diligently schlepped our dining room table and 9 chairs up to the roof and despite the fact that our roof is slightly slanted, our party unfolded wonderfully from there.

old linen table cloths and napkins are always the way to go. the old, antique, tough linens are the best because you can bleach the hell out of them, unlike modern day linens which fall apart with bleach. i, ridiculously, send these linens home to california to be pressed on my mother's mangle(industrial iron)--god's gift to a housewife

plenty of ice to chill the wine. if you keep your eyes peeled at flea markets, garage sales and antique stores, its easy to find silver or silver plated serving dishes, punch bowls, champagne holders etc.

i made a spinach, pea, pesto, parmesan and pine nut salad to start. Ina Garten to the rescue per usual. Balthazar bakery bread as well.

i served my dear friend Christy's recommendation- fresh moules frites & home-made fries baked in the oven and mussels from my local fish market, fish tales. 8lbs/9 people= $30. a steal and a festive, interactive meal at that! 

for a refreshing desert my sister sophie made cointreau broiled peaches served with local blue marble butter pecan ice cream. simple and sweet. (just poke holes into the halved peaches with a fork and spoon over a bit of cointreau. broil for a few minutes until tender.)

to honor an engagement with soup...

  our friends' recent engagement was the perfect excuse to make a soup i had been eager to try out. in their honor, I served italian wedding soup & upon presentation of the soup to the guests, glasses were raised and a toast was made to the happy couple. this is my new favorite soup to make. i use ina gardener's recipe which is rather simple and exquisite. i also add more spinach and veggies than it calls for. why not? serve this with hot bread fresh out of the oven.

*ESSENTIAL: something every hostess should have is a tureen. the presentation of a soup in a terrine is somewhat regal and i wouldn't serve it any other way. i got my lion-head tureen at sur la table.

here's a shot of the meatballs fresh out of the oven. chris usually makes the meat balls and throws them in the oven while i prepare the rest of the soup. 

one guest that night, my friend christina karr, brought a baguette wrapped in brown paper and string. such a simple yet sweet presentation of a baguette.

a sweet easter table...

Ranculus arranged in an assortment of vases or anything that will hold water and support a long stem. get creative.

la duree macaroons from paris

featurette: sophie esser, napa valley

inshallah...a moroccan feast

a berber pizza inspired by david tanis, chez panisse

spiced olives & quail eggs

traditional moroccan bread

*featurette: sophie esser, napa valley

decorative trays- relationship series

i adore these decorative trays. they remind me of edith wharton & henry james scandals in old school new york...

(click image to enlarge)

featurette: john derian- nyc

www.johnderian.com

will you be my valentine?

straight-up, home-made valentines

how to: back to basics on this one. glitter, pieces of felt, shiny paper, etc... home-made envelopes made from Trader Joe's shopping bags and staples.

two valentines for my man- the larger from 2007, the smaller from 2008.

 by brooklyn based artist 

http://www.foxyandwinston.com

ways to say i love you...

hand stitched undershirts

i made these for him for valentines day 2007 and they're still in great shape.

how to: buy an undershirt that will fit your loved one. draw a heart in pencil as a guideline to follow. Take red thread strung through a needle and stitch a heart along the outline. if you cannot, ask your mother to. she can. then learn how. i also did another shirt with a secret 'i love you' message in blue on his shirt sleeve and his 'name' in yellow along the bottom seam of the shirt.

wall paper

wall paper as a bold statement to spruce up any ole room

*featurette: cavern home
http://www.cavernhome.com/

bridal shower

alex plays on white as an underlying theme accenting with bright colors.

featurette: alex caratachea of san francisco
interior designer
contact him at: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alex-caratachea/11/6a0/8b6