MORE TO LOVE...

Photo: via Garden Rooms 
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DITTE ISAGER FOR DOMINO

INSPIRED BY SPACES.

I'm loving these two spaces, the second seems like a more feminine version of the first. Also I know I've been gone for a long time but I promise I'll be better about posting in the coming weeks. I've got lots of new and exciting recipes and as soon as I take some pictures the blog will be back!  

Summer Squash Ribbons

Summer Squash Ribbons
 

This is an amazing recipe and healthy too! After a week of visiting with friends and eating my Mom's cooking I decided I needed to go back to something more pure. This recipe from Kitchn fit the bill. My camera needs to be charged to the photo is theirs. 

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, yellow, or zephyr squash
1 shallot, very thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chiffonade of basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 ounces goat cheese

Trim the ends off the squash and, using a mandoline, vegetable peeler, or knife, cut the squash lengthwise into very thin strips.

Place in a large bowl with the sliced shallot, olive oil, and vinegar, and gently toss to combine. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then add the basil and pine nuts and gently toss to combine.

Transfer to a serving dish(es) and crumble goat cheese on top. Serve immediately.

Incredible Photo

My Mom called yesteday and we began talking about photography, specifically Gordon Park's photography. Since high school I've loved everything about photography, mostly the magical time spent in the dark room. Lately, I've really missed the "process" of photography as I've pretty much switched over to digital. When I was in high school it was nearly impossible to get me out of the darkroom or away from a photography book. My senior year I had the opportunity to meet Gordon Parks at the Cincinnati Art Museum. It will forever be a favorite memory. Not only is his work amazing, but he was an incredible man. He died several years ago but his work will stand the test of time. I've always thought his village voice obituary captured his spirit. "Talk about flipping the script: Gordon Parks was born dead and damn near buried alive. Then went on to live to the ripe young age of 93. Fortunately, two doctors were attendant that November 30 in 1912. The thinking one had the brainstorm of immersing the stillborn infant in ice water to jump-start his heart and gave him a fully operational third eye in the process. Total immersion of head and heart would become his lifelong m.o. Given his staggering output as photographer, filmmaker, writer, painter, choreographer, and composer, he seems to have not slept much after his rebirth. Orphaned by his mother's death and sent to live with an aunt, he was thrown out into a subzero Minnesota winter at 14 by her model-of-man's-inhumanity husband. So take a memo: the mark of a visionary is being a young Black man in the Depression and blowing $7.50—a month of meals back then—on a camera. Only lo and behold the fledgling shutterbug begins showing at the local Eastman Kodak shop by impressing the manager's wife." To read more visit this link

THE PERFECT PARIS FLAT IN THE MARAIS DISTRICT

BLT'S POPOVERS

I've been feeling rather uninspired lately hence my absence, luckily I think that is beginning to change. I'm hoping this post will be one of the many this summer. I'm working in Charlotte at an incredible organization called the Council for Children's Rights. Unfortunately for those that read my blog, the excitement over my work has kept me away from the kitchen. My parents came up to visit for the weekend and to celebrate Father's Day. It was great fun showing them around my new "home". We went out to dinner at BLT Steak and while I think we were all a little underwhelmed, we did agree that the popovers were tremendous. Here is the recipe. 

PopoversServes six (approximately twelve popovers)

Ingredients
4 c. milk, warmed
8 eggs
4 c. flour
1 ½ heaping tbsp. salt
2 ¼ c. grated Gruyere

Place the popover pan in the oven. Heat the oven and pan to 350º. Gently warm the milk over low heat and set aside. Whisk the eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (so as not to cook the eggs). Set the mixture aside. Sift the flour with the salt. Slowly add this dry mixture to the egg mixture and gently combine until mostly smooth. Remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with nonstick vegetable spray. While the batter is still slightly warm, fill each popover cup three-fourths full. Top each popover with approximately 2 ½ tbsps. of the grated cheese. Bake at 350º for 50 minutes, rotating pan half a turn after fifteen minutes, until the popovers are golden brown. Take out of oven, remove from pan, and serve immediately.

LIVING ROOM PICTURES

GREAT BEDROOM

HANDSOME

via the sartorialist

AVOCADO & WATERMELON SALAD

Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:

2 avocados, pitted and peeled and cut in 1/2" chunks
2 limes juiced
1 grapefruit sliced into wedges
1-2 lbs. watermelon,seeded and cut into 1" chunks
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

feta sliced into thin rectangles
1/2 bunch cilantro (optional)

kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
In large bowl, add cut avocado. Cover with lime juice. Add the rest of the ingredients. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with fresh cilantro, salt and pepper.

COVER

ANOTHER ONE

It is raining and cold in Charlotte today which makes me think this picture is all the more dreamy. I can't wait for my Charleston reunion this weekend and Chrissie's wedding festivities.

GREAT PHOTO.

KAFTA: SUMMER BBQ

I love meeting new people and trying new cuisines so when my next door neighbors invited me to a cookout I decided it would be a great way to learn more about Egypt and Ethiopia. Turns out I was right and I got a new recipe and some new friends in the process! So far my transition to Charlotte has been a breeze, I've got a great roommate, great job and have enjoyed exploring a new city. Here is the recipe we had for Kafta. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 wooden or metal skewers
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. If using wooden skewers, soak in water.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, parsley, cayenne, allspice, salt and pepper until evenly blended. Divide into 6 portions, and press around one end of the skewers to form a log shape approximately 1 inch thick and 6 inches long.
3. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.

THE PERFECT TRUNK

SOME THINGS I'M LOVING...

SWEETHEART

MONKEY BREAD

Ingredients

• 3 cans Buttermilk Biscuits (the Non-flaky Ones)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Cinnamon
• 2 sticks Butter
• ½ cups Brown Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Next, combine the white sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3 teaspoons of cinnamon gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you’re not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons.) Dump these into a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with cinnamon-sugar. Spread these nuggets out evenly in the bundt pan.

At this point, you’re going to want to melt the two sticks of butter together with ½ cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. This can be light or dark brown sugar. Cook butter/sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When its finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cook for about 15-30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.

PRETTY MUCH IN LOVE...

With this Harvard grad students's blog. I've been dying to make her graham cracker-key lime cupcakes for weekes. If only I were finished my Separation of Powers Paper...

CONGRATULATIONS MARY LIZ!!!

One of my 20 followers just got engaged, congratulations Mary Liz! Also it is my favorite time of year, peony season! 

A DAY AT THE BEACH...

EYE CANDY

Since I picked up a camera in 8th grade I've loved photography. At one time I thought it would be my chosen career path, but my dreams changed. Still I find that when I'm deep in a legal brief, or studying Constitutional law, nothing gives me the same relief as picking up my camera, running outside, and capturing a few shots. These days with time in short supply I get my fix by looking at other's beautiful work. Photos by: Teri Lyn Fisher,  Margaret & Joy and Paul Barbera.

STUDYING FOR EXAMS...MAKES ME WISH I COULD BE...

AT THE RALEIGH IN MIAMI BEACH...

LITTLE BITS OF SPRING

Recipe for Pizza Rustica the Italian Easter Tradition

Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 (12-ounce) bunches fresh spinach, stemmed, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups), or 1 (10-ounce) package froze cut-leaf spinach, thawed and drained 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped 4 large egg yolks, beaten to blend Pastry Dough, recipe follows 1 large egg, beaten to blend Directions Position the rack on the bottom of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and saute until golden brown, breaking the sausage into pieces, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same frying pan over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts and the juices evaporate, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Squeeze the spinach to drain as much liquid as possible. Into a large bowl, add egg yolks and beat lightly. Stir in the ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add the sausage, the spinach and prosciutto to the mixture and stir to combine. Roll out larger piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 17-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch springform pan. Trim the dough overhang to 1 inch. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dough-lined pan. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round. Place the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges of the doughs together to seal, then crimp the dough edges decoratively. Brush the beaten 1 large egg over the entire pastry top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top. Bake on the bottom shelf until the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Release the pan sides and transfer the pizza to a platter. Cut into wedges and serve. Pastry Dough: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/4 cup cold solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces 1 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs, beaten to blend 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water Blend the flour, the butter, the shortening and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in the eggs. With the machine running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, with 1 piece twice as large as the second piece. Flatten the dough pieces into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes.