The Slate of Things

It's the first warm day we've had for a long while here in NYC (I daresay it might be time to retire my black tights). Balmy days like this remind me that picnic season is right around the corner. These gorgeous slate cheese boards and coasters from Brooklyn Slate are perfect for outdoor meals in the park.


Brooklyn Slate's collections remind me that the best things come in simple packages. The owners hand-make every unique piece in their Gowanus studio, and source their material from a private quarry in upstate NY.

There's nothing better on a warm day than good food and something lovely to serve it on. Also, every item comes beautifully wrapped in a brown paper package tied up with string (seriously).


The company just launched a new garden collection for spring, which makes me long for a backyard to plant herbs in. Until then, I'll be gifting these slate seedling markers to my friends who are lucky enough to have their own patches of green.



Don't want to go to Brooklyn to pick up your slate? Check out their list of stockists. If you live near Murray's Cheese, you can pick up your lunch and your serving board in one fell swoop.



Images courtesy of Brooklyn Slate

Enchilada Sunday

I may have enough cookbooks to fill a small bookstore, but I'll always believe that the best recipes come from moms. While I love to cook in-depth dishes from time to time, by and large I prefer a dish with easy ingredients that's on my table sooner than later. And that's what mom recipes are all about.

A shining example of a great mom meal is my friend Courtney's chicken enchilada recipe. Her mother has been making these for years, and they are the definition of comfort food. We had a little Mexican-themed dinner party last week, and they were the highlight of the meal (well, these and a couple strong Margaritas). Serve them with chips, salsa and re-fried beans, and you've got yourself a fiesta.

Not only are these enchiladas simple and delicious, they are also the best thing to eat on Sunday nights, when the end-of-the-weekend blues sets in.



Every mom has a few signature recipes up her sleeve (my mom has chili and popovers). I'd love to hear your favorites!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 Tsp garlic powder
1 C sour cream, divided
2 C cooked chicken, chopped
1 1/2-2 C shredded cheddar cheese (or a blend of cheeses, like Monterey Jack, Manchego and cheddar)
1/4 C milk (whole or skim is fine)
1 can cream of chicken soup (I like Campbell's)
1 4-oz can chopped green chilies
8 7" flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix onion, garlic, soup, 1/2 C sour cream, and green chilies. Reserve 3/4 c of this mixture in a separate bowl. Stir chicken and 1/2 C cheese into remaining sauce. In a small bowl, combine the 3/4 C sauce with remaining sour cream and milk, and blend well.
Spread 1/2 C from 3/4 sauce over bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Place 1/4 C of chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in baking dish when all are filled.
Spoon remaining sauce over top, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for another five minutes (or until the cheese is melted and bubbling). Let enchiladas stand for for five minutes. Serve with salsa.

TGIF

What better way to start the weekend than with a cupcake? Last week, my friend Brittany and I took a cupcake-making class at the delightful Butter Lane (whose cupcakes are my new favorite in the city).

While cupcakes aren't that complicated to make, we learned a lot: for example, it's totally possible--and easy--to over mix, and when you do, you end up with bread, not cake. Buttermilk (and sometimes, sour cream) is the secret ingredient to moist, tasty cupcakes. It adds an unexpected tang and sweetness. Lastly, baking is always more fun with a cocktail.

Sign up for a class here.



My favorite things about Butter Lane are the $1 frosting shots. They have tons of tempting flavors, like raspberry, Tiramisu and cinnamon cream cheese (which, when topped on a banana cupcake, tastes just like French Toast).



Here's the recipe for their signature vanilla cupcakes and vanilla frosting. Happy Friday!

Butter Lane Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients
1/2 lb unsalted butter (we used Cabot)
2 1/2 C granulated sugar
5 eggs
Generous splash of vanilla extract
12 oz sour cream
1 Tbs baking powder
1 pinch of salt
3 C cake flour (I like the King Arthur brand)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until butter and sugar form a cream. Crack eggs into a separate bowl, add vanilla extract to the eggs, and then add eggs to the mixing bowl one at a time. Mix on medium speed until batter becomes light and fluffy. Combine baking powder and salt with flour. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, and then add the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until combined, but be careful not to over mix. Scoop cupcakes into a lined muffin tin and bake for 23-25 minutes.

Yields 36 cupcakes

Butter Lane Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
1 lb of butter
4 oz cream cheese
7 C confectioner's sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 splash vanilla extract

Combine butter and cream cheese in mixing bowl and mix on a medium speed for 5 minutes. Add vanilla bean and mix for one minute. Turn mixer to low and add sugar. Once combined, add a splash of vanilla extract and mix on a medium-high speed for 3 minutes or until smooth and fully combined.



Butter Lane, 123 East Seventh Street (btwn 1st and A), NYC; 212.677.2880 or butterlane.com

Images courtesy of Butter Lane.

Swooning

Museum exhibits in New York are a dime a dozen--so choosing which one to see can be a struggle. Last weekend, my friend Alexis and I went to the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. Alexis had previously checked it out, and loved it so much that she had to take another peek--and insisted I come along (but really, it wasn't like she had to twist my arm).

I'm so glad I went. Not only are the gems gorgeous pieces of art, but the craftsmanship behind them is jaw-dropping. And if you're a fashion-lover, like me, this exhibit is far more rewarding than looking at a collection of paintings. Some of the most beautiful women of the 20th century have owned Van Cleef & Arpels pieces, including Daisy Fellowes, the Duchess of Windsor, and the late, great Elizabeth Taylor.

If you're in the NY area, I highly recommend checking it out. The exhibit runs through June 5. Here's a small sampling of the goods on display:

Images courtesy of Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum











Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, 2 E. 91st St (at Fifth Ave.), NYC

A Simple Sauce

What is it about tomato sauce? It's so seemingly simple, yet so hard to get just right. I'm in awe of those old-school Italian women who wake up early on Sunday, go to church, and spend the rest of the day making sauce. While I'll never be that kind of woman, Mario Batali's Bolognese sauce at least lets me pretend that I am. It's absolutely delicious and virtually impossible to mess up. It's the kind of sauce I want to call "gravy" (hearty, filling and all sorts of comforting).



Bolognese sauce can be spooned over any sort of pasta, but I like it with a thick pappardelle. Trader Joe's makes a lovely lemon and peppercorn version.

And of course, Pepperidge Farm garlic bread is encouraged.

This recipe calls for a pound of ground veal and a pound of ground pork. I recommend going to a butcher, who will grind and combine it fresh. Quality, fresh meat makes a big difference.

Perfect Bolognese Sauce
Adapted from Mario Batali

2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 lb pancetta, finely chopped (bacon also works here)
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork (not lean)
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 c whole milk
1 c dry white wine (something you would want to drink)
1 c water
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Heat oil in a 6-to-8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat. Add onions, celery, carrot, and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 5 minutes).

Add pancetta, veal, and pork and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon, until nicely browned and no longer pink (about 6 minutes).

Stir in tomato paste, milk, wine, water, and thyme and gently simmer, covered, until sauce is thickened, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The longer the sauce simmers, the more it thickens--and the better it tastes. If you can, let the sauce simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Add salt and pepper and remove from heat.

This sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cool, uncovered, before chilling in the fridge. Frozen, it keeps for about a month.

A New Day

It's funny how time flies. One minute it's Christmas, and then all of a sudden, it's Spring (well, in theory at least. It's still frigid in NY). So much has happened within the last couple months. Most importantly, I got a new job, and that has got me thinking about change.

I like to think of this blog as an ever-evolving little world. While cooking is and always will be a huge passion of mine, there are so many other things I love (from fashion and art to travel and photography). I want to share all of that with you guys. And so, I've decided to talk about it all right here, in this space. I'll still be cooking as much as possible, but I'll also be writing about a new jewelry line I've found, or an exhibit that has inspired me. I hope you'll be inspired, too.

So let's begin. One of my favorite discoveries as of late is Paste SF. I stumbled upon this adorable art at a store called Paper Trail, upstate in Rhinebeck, NY (I highly recommend a weekend trip to this charming town, by the way, and I recommend you stay here and eat here).




Working with vintage books and newspapers, artist Denise Fiedler renders printed collages of food, fashion, puppies, you name it. I was particularly taken with this cake, and now have a framed version in my kitchen for inspiration:



Check out Denise's site. She also makes custom prints, which are perfect gifts for wedding or showers.

Pumpkin Cake

My best friend came home to snowy New York over the holidays. I always look forward to Karen’s tales of life in LaLa land, especially in the winter. Her stories somehow make me feel warmer. When you’ve been friends with someone since you were six years old, you pretty much know everything about them. Well, Karen surprised me during her visit. She happens to have a killer pumpkin cake recipe up her sleeve. Why I am only finding out about this perfect cake after twenty years is anybody’s guess. Lucky for me, I had an opportunity to try it over Christmas when I was visiting Karen’s family. Sheryl Chuzmir (Karen’s mom) has been making pumpkin cake for years and years. Again, why I am only finding out about it now is anybody’s guess. Happily, Sheryl gave me the recipe (and a few others, which I can’t wait to try). Let me tell you: this cake is good.

I love a recipe with history, the kind that is passed from one person to another because it is just that good. And when it’s a cinch to make, that’s the icing on the cake (forgive the pun). I’m certain this recipe originated from a cookbook that holds a cherished place on someone’s shelf, and is frayed at the edges from years of use. But I sort of love that its origins are unknown. I feel the same way when I find a great book left behind on an airplane, or a dollar bill with a handwritten message on it.



But back to cake. Pumpkin is such a versatile ingredient: it does the work of eggs, it’s sweet and decadent but not overly so, and most importantly, it has an element of surprise. You can barely taste the pumpkin in this cake, yet it’s doing all the work. It turns the batter a beautiful shade or orange which then turns amber in the oven. It’s also what keeps the cake moist after a week. The flavor is subtle, and its sweetness is enhanced by a generous cup of chocolate chips and a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar right before you serve it. According to Sheryl, Ghirardelli chips are the only acceptable option—and I would take that to heart. This woman knows her pumpkin cake. Whatever you use, make sure you it’s high quality semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Karen made Pumpkin Cake for a game night she hosted at her new apartment. I thought it only appropriate to bake it for the first time at my own game night. The cake may have been the most entertaining part of the evening, aside from our friend acting out Bethenny Frankel in Celebrity. Read all about that game here. I promise it will become your new favorite. And so will Pumpkin Cake.

As far as I’m concerned, there is no situation that cannot be improved by a piece of cake. And if you can share it with your best friend, well, what could be better?

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
1 C canned pumpkin
1 C sugar
¾ C oil (olive or canola will do)
1 ½ C flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp cinnamon
¼ Tsp salt
1 Tsp vanilla
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat eggs until frothy. Mix the rest of the ingredients into eggs. You can use a mixer or stir by hand, but if using a mixer, fold in the chocolate chips at the end with a spatula or wooden spoon. Pour batter into a lightly greased bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.