general housewifery

sad squash

2008-11-15T12:35:00.002-05:00

I was going to do a post about spaghetti squash. Not because I like to pretend it's pasta, as some crazy people do (it's too sweet for that), but because it makes a great fridge staple for a vegetarian (or semi vegetarian like me). I roast it up, perhaps give it a quick saute with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic, dole it into plastic storage containers, and eat it for lunch all week. It's delicious, it can be reheated in about a minute in the microwave, and makes a great side dish either just as described, or tarted up with some cheese (parmesan, pecorino, goat cheese or feta have done nicely, on the internets I hear ricotta is great too). As a main, I add steamed, roasted or sauteed veggies, red pepper flakes and possibly a protein on top, like garlicky shrimp or cubes of cooked fish.

I was going to roast and saute a squash today, and photograph it all, and then eat some for dinner and photograph that too. Except when I cut open my squash, it was too easy. See, breaking down a spaghetti squash is generally a pretty dangerous proposition for me, even with sharp chef's knife. Then came the smell. I wasn't sure it was coming from the squash. Sorority kitchen and all, you can never tell.

I was really looking forward to that squash. But then I saw this*:

This squash is rotten. It's rotten enough to tempt me to use an emoticon to describe it. Except for Jack-o-Lanterns folding in on themselves at the end of November, I don't even think I've seen a rotten squash before, but I can still tell. Spaghetti squash should not look like this when you crack it open. If it does, trash it. Don't feel too bad about it, spaghetti squash, especially during this time of year, is a pretty good buy.

From my very limited understanding squash, even beautiful delicious noodly spaghetti squash, lasts a good long while (up to a month). Since I've only had this one waiting around for a week or two, I'm going to blame the store where I bought it. It must have been sitting around there for a while. And if it's not their fault, I am going to blame them anyway. Why? Because, as I said before, I was looking forward to that spaghetti squash.

*You can go ahead and blame some of the grayness on the lighting in my kitchen, but that thing was pretty grisly inside either way. And don't forget the smell. It was definitely the cut squash.

off the wagon

2008-11-14T00:20:00.002-05:00

I fell of the NaBloPoMo bandwagon. Can you tell? Maybe my future November posts should have the following note:

general housewifery is miserably failing at National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo). Oops.

perfect for vacuuming: i don't get it

2008-11-10T23:31:00.002-05:00

Do you? If you do, they're at Saks for $795. photo: Saks

just say no: hershey's chocolate syrup

2008-11-09T22:45:00.002-05:00

Maybe you remember this post, in which I declared that we food snobs should, perhaps, collectively stop judging the cart contents of grocery shopping brethren? Well that doesn't count for restaurants. Sorry, but I am going to judge.

Yesterday evening, NH and I had dinner at relaxed, suburban red-sauce-Italian kind of joint on Staten Island. The dinner was decent and quick, though as many mediocre meals out do it reminded me that I can do better at home in less time. I guess I need to do more emulating of the excellent bloggers behind Not Eating Out in New York. At any rate, NH and I allowed ourselves to be talked into a truly lackluster "chocolate souffle" for dessert, which was really just a second-rate chocolate lava cake. And by "second-rate" I mean the interior was barely warm. True to form, the restaurant festooned this prosaic dessert with ruffles of ReddiWip and the dreaded drizzles of Hershey's Chocolate Syrup.

This stuff. Don't click unless you want to see the frightening number of disgusting-sounding varieties available for purchase at a store near you.

I don't blame this place, after all, NH and I knew exactly what we were getting into and we really didn't mind, though we couldn't help comparing it with some of our recent, finer Italian dining experiences. It bothers me though, that classy-with-a-k suburban casual dining holes aren't the only places where this questionable condiment finds full time employment. Hershey's Chocolate Syrup makes its way onto the fine china of a number of much nicer restaurants regularly. A few of these establishments allow it to touch the food.

Perhaps you're wondering why I'm so harsh on the brown stuff. Here's the thing: it's not good. Doubt it? Go buy a bottle and eat a spoonful of it. Doesn't live up to those childhood memories, does it? Now I won't lie, I still believe there's a special time and place for a glass of cold milk with a few hearty tablespoons of the brown stuff swirled in, but it's the same time and place for grilled cheese sandwiches on squishy white bread and that little square of microwaved dessert in a Kid Cuisine frozen meal (when, by the way, did Kid Cuisine start billing itself as a "real meal"?). That time and place is not in a nice restaurant, making a minefield of my otherwise delicious dessert. I don't need a kind of chocolate-y product drizzled over my delicious fudgy microwaved brownie, or even over my vaguely tasty not-quite-souffle-or-lava-cake dessert product thing. Whatever happened to the joys of minimalist plating? Certainly the restaurant can save $10 on a mammoth can of the syrup and use it to, I don't know, buy more things restaurants need, like salt and pepper shakers to replace all the stolen ones.

At this point in time, there is very little that I can do personally in the war against Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, which is ever so slightly better when warm, but only, only slightly. NH and I have decided to take one course of action though: we're going to make sure we order desserts sans Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. Will you join us in this mission?

general housewifery is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).

good things to put in plain oatmeal

2008-11-08T10:47:00.005-05:00

Thinking of this post, I put together this list:

traditional
chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.)
dried fruits (golden or regular raisins, cranberries, mango, pineapple, etc.)
chopped/mashed fresh fruits (bananas, apples, etc.)
brown sugar
honey
cinnamon
ground ginger
ground cloves
(fresh) ground nutmeg
splash of milk
splash of cream
sprinkle of salt
small knob of butter
vanilla

less traditional
pumpkin puree
grated carrots
applesauce
cranberry sauce/relish
diced crystallized ginger/"ginger chips"
fresh ginger
nut butters (peanut, almond, sunflower seed)
fruit preserves
jam
fruit/vegetable butters (apple, pear, pumpkin)
ground flax
ground cardamom
almond extract
nutella
miniature chocolate chips
agave nectar
real maple syrup (Grade A, Grade B)
molasses
shredded unsweetened coconut/shredded sweetened coconut, shredded toasted coconut
cottage cheese
leftover cooked grains (brown rice, quinoa, wheatberries, etc.)
sprinkle of granola
citrus zest (orange, lemon)
cooked fruits (sauteed apples, pears, bananas etc.)

Again, obviously not an exhaustive list.

I eat the organic version of these Bob's Red Mill oats for breakfast almost every day. Are you an oatmeal eater? If so, what do you put on your oatmeal? If not, what do you eat for breakfast?

general housewifery is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).

perfect for vacuuming: Aggggghhhhh!

2008-11-07T18:41:00.003-05:00

Remember these beauties? The come in pink now. Probably because Stuart Weitzman knows pink is my favorite color and he's a stand up kind of guy. If you want to be my best friend, you know what to do. You know, with the holidays approaching and everything. At Nordstrom, $299. photo: Nordstrom

bring your own

2008-11-07T18:05:00.002-05:00

Tuesday in the Times' Diner's Journal, Frank Bruni posted about an incident in which his friend was instructed to trash his Starbucks coffee when he asked to be put on the list at a diner/coffee shop. Bruni mused on whether or not this was acceptable, although as usual, the most interesting and meaty discussion clearly erupts in the comments section. Some readers argued that the restaurant was in the right for a variety of reasons, ranging from liability to managing impressions. Others thought the hostess should have lightened up, let the man finish his coffee (or poured the man's coffee into a restaurant-issue mug and let him finish it), and chalked it up to good customer service. Probably there are defensible reasons to go either way, although I can't say I'd walk into anything remotely resembling a coffee shop holding a coffee from another place.*

On the other hand, I have a serious tea problem. Unlike some friends of mine, I'm not a fancy tea ~~snob~~ connoisseur, but I can be a little picky about my tea. I don't, for example, like drinking straight up Lipton. If I want something strong enough to make me antsy, I want it to have some flavor too, a nice Earl Gray or Prince of Wales. Most of the time I choose an herbal ~~tea~~ tisane (I think that's the correct term these days) because I like to have a hot beverage with dessert, and I'm just not that into coffee. NH has mocked me in the past for bringing my own tea bags, granny style, into a business. He thinks it's cheap. And while I argued against him at the time, because there is nothing so fun as arguing with NH over brunch on a sleepy Sunday morning, I think he's probably right. After all, the restaurant would actually make a couple of dollars if I ordered a tea.

In a perfect world, all decent restaurants would get a decent tea selection to match, or at least choose a house tea with some semblance of taste. Places with nice tea options stay in my mind vividly and for a long time, places like Blue Duck Tavern for one, or The Brampton Inn (by the way, I recommend that given the opportunity, you try dinner at Blue Duck Tavern or a night at the Brampton). This will never happen, not in the coffee-alarm-using, Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz eating US of A. A commenter on Bruni's piece had a nice suggestion, which I might use in the future. The mother of said commenter brings her own bag but orders hot tea at the table, swapping the restaurant's bland offering for something she prefers. The restaurant, in essence, charges for the tea service but the classy lady gets what she wants. This seems ideal, unless one takes a quick glance at the economics of it. The customer pays for the tea, then for the tea service. Assuming the restaurant reuses, rather than tosses, the offending tea bag, the restaurant profits. If one worries over troubling the waiter for hot water, why not just toss an extra dollar or so into the tip, rather than paying for hot tea, using one's own tea, and then tipping on the tea order? This is getting so complicated that it's entirely simple to see why I no longer order tea in restaurants very often. Also, I anticipate at least on person wondering whether the economics of tea is really a big deal. Well no, not at say, Bigelow from the grocery store prices. But if you purchase a nice tea, whether loose or bagged, prices can go up considerably.

I don't have this one worked out. I think I'm going to keep skipping after dinner beverages, or opting for an espresso once in a while. What would you do in my situation? Eat the extra cost to drink what you want? Bite the bullet and either order of the menu or order nothing?

* Actually, this is not entirely accurate. On occasion I have purchased a cup of tea or similar from Starbucks and, not finding a seat, have toted my beverage to another Starbucks location. I do not think this is morally reprehensible. If you disagree, leave it in the comments.

general housewifery is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).

perfect for vacuuming: mad annoyed and blistered edition

2008-11-06T21:58:00.002-05:00

Sorry folks, but I am currently too annoyed to blog extensively. Instead, in honor of the fact that I wore four-inch high heels today for fourteen hours, I give you a special edition of perfect for vacuuming: Oscar de la Renta Ikat ballerina flats. This is the kind of pattern I might find hideous in large swatches, but these flats would be so fun peeking out of skinny jeans. They'd be even better as the exclamation point at the end of a pair of long legs in black or chocolate brown opaque tights. The weather was dreary today, and I think it will only become worse as fall rapidly becomes late fall becomes early winter, and this is exactly the range of colors to punch up one's spirits. These are at Neiman's for $595. photo: Neiman Marcus

perfect for vacuuming

2008-11-05T23:48:00.003-05:00

These jeweled Valentino pumps are pure glamour. The use of texture and color is dramatic and recalls a bygone era, but the enclosed platform with the peeptoe is completely modern and on trend. One of my favorite details is how these are scalloped even around the toe opening. They would be beautiful with a blood red pedicure or even something less traditional, like hunter green painted toenails. While hot platforms like these almost demand a dress, since the detail is upfront elegant trousers would suit as well. These are at Bergdorf's for $975. photo: Bergdorf Goodman

dress like you like you care

2008-11-05T23:18:00.002-05:00

When I was in middle school, I had one of those books put out under the American Girl name that illustrated basic etiquette for young women. Although I'm sure it was useful, featuring detailed information about writing a thank you note or not asking inappropriate questions, the one message that really stuck with me was in the introduction, which described why the niceties of common etiquette were important. The book argued that good manners are not formalities, but ways of showing people that one loves or admires respect. Good manners make people feel comfortable.

This extends to clothing, in a way that is especially relevant for women. Wearing, for example, skirts of appropriate length to the office and shirts that do not bare excessive cleavage to class is an important way to show respect to other people. One easy way to think about dressing appropriately for any occasion is to consider who will be there, and how they will feel about your clothing. This doesn't mean dressing for other people. This doesn't mean personal expression via clothing isn't valid, it means that it's not fair to show off a new push up bra in early classes, whether the professor and/or classmates are male or female. If the people around you are happy and comfortable, you will be happy and comfortable too, as well as confident.

To carry this toward the vicious and delicious world of reality television, we might consider the first episode Stylista in which one of the young women earned the nickname "Boobs" for her excessive display of cleavage. It's tempting to think that she was picked on because of jealousy, or because the drama lent itself to reality television, and that's probably true. On the other hand, I do not think it would ridiculous to say that the contestants, and the management, fixated on this character's breasts because the blatant display made them a little uncomfortable. And that's the thing with inappropriate dressing, whether it's an obviously unclean outfit or a pair of jeans that show too much: they pull attention away from the task at hand. Wearing inappropriate clothing, like so many other breaches of etiquette, is just another way of claiming that you are more important than the people around you.

general housewifery is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).

perfect for vacuuming

2008-11-04T22:54:00.003-05:00

To be honest, I don't notice a whole lot of Dolce & Gabana shoes. I don't know why, maybe it has something to do with that slicker-than-though sexy Italian feel a lot of their pieces have, or maybe I'm just projecting. Either way, these shoes are total, impractical knockouts. The colors almost remind of these Manolos, which I fell hard for in Vegas. The patent leather on the Dolce's adds something special (not that pieces suede isn't totally, incredibly remarkable), and if you've been reading, then you know I melt for a pump with a peek-a-boo toe. Sometimes obvious stitching can look a bit vulgar, but on a beautifully made shoe, it's a gorgeous detail. At Bergdorf's for $1,095. photo: Bergdorf Goodman

cheers

2008-11-04T22:44:00.003-05:00

As I speak, there are students out on the street cavorting, positive that Obama will take tonight's election. I hope he does. Either way, I imagine Americans will be turning to an age old American pastime to celebrate-or cope with-the results: drinks! If you're not planning to bust out the bubbly, why not a vintage cocktail instead? I have to admit, this Brandy Daisy, from Dorothy Myerson's Homemaker's Handbook, a vintage guide to housewifery I've mentioned before is a relatively simple concoction (translation: you're much more likely to have the ingredients on hand), but the name was just too cute to skip over. The precise measurements our author provides are just too much! I'm too keyed up to break out the shaker, but if you do, let me know how it turns out.

general housewifery is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).

perfect for vacuuming: sassy teals edition

2008-11-03T21:41:00.009-05:00

Did you read Sweet Valley High books when you were kid? I used to go the library and check out three or four and devour them. I also read all of the Sweet Valley Twins books, which according to Wikipedia was a spin off series about protagonists Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield at age twelve. In basically every Sweet Valley book Elizabeth and Jessica's eyes are described in the first chapter or so, and these eyes are always described as being a kind of blue green color. I alternately decided these eyes were aquamarine or teal, depending on my mood, and now that I think about it, I bet author Francine Pascal actually did name a shade, but apparently I ignored it. While shopping online for some winter basics I've noticed several pairs of shoes that totally reminded me of this color, bringing sweet memories of the Sweet Valley twins to mind.

How about these cute peek-a-boo toe Jordan pumps from Shoes for Lovely People? At Piperlime for $148.
photo: Piperlime

Or these flirtatious Seychelles with the adorable name (Reservations for Two)? At Piperlime for $90.

photo: Piperlime

Or far too adorable Natalie flats from lillybee? At simplysoles for $135.

photo: simplysoles

These Chie Mihara Serena pumps have a forties feel with a conservative cut, but the detail up front and color make them special. At Nordstrom's for $415.

photo: Nordstrom

it's stylish and polite to vote

2008-11-03T18:57:00.005-05:00

Tomorrow will be my first time voting in a presidential election. In fact, I have to admit, it will be my first time voting ever. I'm really excited and plan to high five my mom after I vote. I might even wear red white and blue. Might. I've heard a lot of excuses in the past about voting. Including but not limited to:

My state always goes red (or blue) so my vote doesn't matter.
Do you really think they actually count all the votes?
Both of the candidates are evil/useless/ineffectual, so why should I vote?

My answers:

Vote anyway, it's an expression of your beliefs.
Yes, I do believe they count up all the votes.
If you must, vote for the lesser of two evils. But make some kind of opinion heard.

I don't want to bring this onto a philosophical plane about societies, government, rights and so on. Simply put, voting is a privilege and an opportunity, not a chore. You wouldn't show up at a baby shower and skip out on the silly prenatal games, no matter how burdensome that act seems, so don't show up to the democracy party and neglect to participate. To put it politely: please vote. Thank you.

Oh, and I understand you get some kind of sticker if you vote. There you go, stylish.

Extra credit: go online, look up the local elections that are happening, and decide who to vote for in them too!

general housewifery is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).

perfect for vacuuming

2008-11-02T23:30:00.004-05:00

I usually try to mix it up with perfect for vacuuming shoes, alternating simple gorgeous shapes with hot colors and sexy dress heels. Though they fill a similar niche as yesterday's Louboutin's, I couldn't resist featuring this ladylike classic. Nanette Lepore's Hostess D'Orsay is definitely an office shoe, but the almost architectural knot up front is more visually interesting than a bow, and the contrast of textures is really lovely. This shoe playfully shrieks "dainty!" and would shine in the presence of a cream or purple dress, in fact, any saturated color might do. A pair of tailored trousers would sharpen them up. $370 at Neiman. photo: Neiman Marcus

glass house pie

2008-11-02T23:10:00.002-05:00

When I decided to do NaBloPoMo, and I still believe I must have been very exhausted when I agreed to this endeavor, I also decided that the only way I would make it through the month would be by making a plan. I decided what the theme of each day of the week’s post would be, and my intention for Sundays was to link to two to three recipes from magazines, blogs and so on that I would try out in the following weeks (if I had the stamina for it, I intended to publish a photograph of my success, or failure, with each these recipes over time). But I guess it’s true that making plans is the best way to get the universe into an agitated flurry of laughter, and frankly, my experiences in the kitchen today are more interesting. I’ve got the recipes picked out; I’ll get to posting them sooner or later this week.

I bought a $7 bag of organic granny smith apples at the grocery last week. I still don’t feel great about that. I ate about half of the small (each fit in the cup of my hand) fruits, but their texture wasn’t great, so I packed them in my overnight bag when I came home for the weekend to vote. By the way, please vote. My mother had a huge bag of anonymously red apples on hand that my granny picked at one of those pick-your-own farms last weekend, as well as four or five Fujis from a jumbo pack she purchased at Costco. With this many pounds on hand, the only reasonable use that I could imagine was pie, but the truth is, until today I had never, ever made a pie from scratch before. Crumbs, crisps, cobblers, I’ve made them all in plentiful quantities. I can make crisp in my sleep. Cobbler is literally as simple as whipping up a batch of buttermilk or cream biscuits. On the other hand, I’ve never owned or really had access to a food processor. I have a Magic Bullet but I prefer to use it for the really simple jobs where it excels: grinding up crystallized ginger and sugar for a powdery, spicy mix, or making super healthy frozen fruit smoothies with pomegranate juice. It dogged me, however, that pie is much, much older than food processors. Piecrust came before electricity, and so I decided that no matter how much pate brisse recipes insist a food processor is essential, I could do it equally well by hand. After all, even Dorie Greenspan’s book insists that cutting the fat for biscuits is ideal. If you don’t believe me, read the book. Piecrust is not so far from biscuits.

I found a super simple recipe for the crust, which included a couple of cups of flour, a ton of butter, teaspoons each of salt and sugar, and a bit of ice water. I like to play with frozen butter anyway so I went to work. All the while I mocked my cousin m, who many years ago brought an apple pie to Thanksgiving dinner. She nestled lovingly spiced apples into an admittedly delicious store bought crust but neglected to add the cornstarch. Whoops. The flavor was there but the concoction made a runny mess. We ate it with love anyway. As I worked through the late morning I couldn’t stop smiling about how easy homemade piecrust is to make. “Why don’t people make piecrust everyday?” I asked this question of myself with utter seriousness. I may have asked it aloud. I felt serious, unadulterated pride in my piecrust creating self. I put the beautiful pie in the oven. As it baked the aroma of cooking butter permeating everything in the apartment, filling my family with hot sweet anticipation. “Pie,” I shouted, “pie pie pie! I’ve never seen anyone make a pie in real life!”

Which was true. I’ve seen it on television, but I’ve also seen a guy peel off his own face on television, so what does that tell you?

When the pie emerged from the oven, lofty, crammed with the first apples of the season, smelling of all the best spices, freshly grated nutmeg, loads of cinnamon, I set it on the counter. I went about my business. Twenty minutes later, when I was showing off my gorgeous creation in the kitchen my mother shouted from the couch, “hey, did you put sugar in with the apples?”

You can guess the answer to that question. So you see, people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Or maybe people with glass pie dishes shouldn't slam other people's pie dishes really hard on the counter.

Luckily, I had enough apples that I had actually made two batches of piecrust dough this morning. The second pie, with sugared apples, is in the oven now and smells of everything good that ever happened to anyone. I even added the scrapings of half a vanilla bean, because I felt like being fancy. The first piecrust was the best I’d ever tasted, the second one has a touch of cheddar and I hope it’s even better. I’ll keep you posted.

P.S. The first pie was actually pretty tasty. Not transcendent, some sugar would have made it transcendent. But everyone knows the crust is the best part of the pie.

general housewifery is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).

perfect for vacuuming

2008-11-01T21:38:00.005-04:00

Fans of addictive television series Mad Men (can you tell I'm one of them?) might be saddened that they won't get a Betty, Joan or Peggy fix for several months, but we can at least bring these fascinating ladies to mind with a little retro style. These Louboutin Papilipi pumps have a beautiful, classic shape. The saturated blue color adds plenty of pop. Don't cringe: despite the peek-a-boo toes, I see these with deeply colored tights for an updated look. A nude pedicure and high-waisted trousers would also make fitting, classic accompaniments. At net-a-porter.com for $845.
photo: net-a-porter

halloween warmed over

2008-11-01T21:25:00.005-04:00

As NH and I strolled down Broadway for a post-brunch constitutional this morning, we animatedly discussed the Halloweens of yore, when costumes purchased from party shops and toy stores cost less than thirty bucks. Yesterday afternoon’s trip to Ricky’s to help a friend locate a Halloween costume did cause of surge of nostalgia for the days when Halloween was good cheap fun. May I never drop a hundred bucks on a costume.

One vivid memory we shared: vicious screaming matches with our mothers centered on coats-over-costumes mandates. We’re both New York natives, and it’s rarely warm enough at the end of October to wear even a conservative costume without a coat, but we both railed against authority; a down coat completely undermined the effect of a Scarlett O’Hara or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume. For several years, neither of us suited up on Halloween, content to spend All Hallow’s Eve relaxing at home, away from the scores of scarily, scantily or scarily scantily accoutered celebrants. This year, we participated in the festivities, dressing up and heading downtown for some ghoulish fun. NH went the topical route, in a home-assembled Joe-the-Plumber costume that was perfectly suited for a warm coat. I slipped a black trench coat on over my own vaguely frightening disguise (these, along with blood-red fishnets, black sequins and loads of eye makeup). The friend who I accompanied to Ricky’s? The lipstick red wool she wore over her adorable Alice in Wonderland costume made her look more than a little like Little Red Riding Hood. Was our willingness to wear something warm proof that all those years ago our mothers had been right? Maybe, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that it was the desire to show off our costumes to the myriad strangers encountered on a trick-or-treating expedition that inspired NH, myself, and probably every respectable kid in a temperate climate to fight mom on the coat issue. As adults, Halloween fun centers on parties, bar crawls and other events, so that the exhibitionist instinct is fully satisfied once the costumed party goer steps indoors and sheds his or her outer layer. This might explain why, after arriving at our destination, my party spent the first fifteen minutes of the event searching for the coat check. I hope the coat check girl who didn't come into work last night spent the evening deliciously, wearing a fabulous costume indoors, sans-coat. Eventually, we piled our outerwear, from designer wools to pedestrian cotton jackets, in a corner. This act of abandon left us free to show off the various manifestations of our whimsy. Still, even when outside, in the windy earliest hours of November, we left our pea coats and trenches unbuttoned against the cold. Perhaps the truth is that on Halloween, the one night when we can be anything at all, unabashedly sexy or angelically cute or pure evil, we want to exact every second of pleasure from that brief moment transformation. Maybe children, to whom pretend and metamorphosis come with ease, are most susceptible to the temptations of this holiday, and more importantly, more eager to claim those pleasures.

What did you dress up as last night? Did you wear your coat, as mom would have preferred?

general housewifery is participating in National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoMo).

perfect for vacuuming

2008-09-14T21:19:00.003-04:00

In my fantasies, I must not be a New Yorker. Sure, in my conscious meandering day dreams I'm a fabulous New York woman with an amazing apartment and a really cute dog, but whenever I fall in love with a pair of shoes these days, I realized how very city-incompatible my favorites are. Take these intense Valentino stunners. One cannot wear rose pink suede on the dirty Manhattan streets, let alone brave the subway (or even a mucky cab floor) with such a beautiful color. The nude trim would be ravaged after a few New York adventures and those bows? Those bows are practically begging to be caught on something. No, these shoes belong in some perfect, insulated world, a modern-day Versailles (how Marie Antoinette are these?!?!) where shoes never have to worry about gum on the pavement or tiny rats running over them. Sigh! If you live somewhere where shoes are not at risk, or really do reserve your best shoes for vacuuming alone, pink suede bliss can be purchased for just under $700 from from the Neiman Marcus website.

"house water"

2008-09-14T17:01:00.002-04:00

NH and I recently spent a weekend in Las Vegas celebrating my twenty-first birthday. We spent a lot of time thinking about it beforehand, and since I'm not a gambler (NH enjoys a game of craps and a sports bet or two, but nothing serious) and neither of us are raging lushes, we decided the foci of our trip would be (1) amazing food (2) at least one spectacular show and (3) shopping. Okay, I tacked on the last one, ran NH off his feet, and otherwise troubled him excessively over shoes, etc. etc., but overall we had a very good time. In compensation, I spent a few hours in the sports betting rooms with him, so we're almost even. Almost!

We stayed at The Venetian, which was both fabulous and gloriously, hilariously overdone, and we quite enjoyed ourselves there. Tucked away (seriously, we almost got lost trying to return to our hotel room) in the hotel is one of Thomas Keller's famed Bouchon restaurants, and having already greatly enjoyed the pastries at the Bouchon Bakery in New York City, we were determined to have at least one brunch there. Brunch is, arguably, our favorite meal because we have fewer disagreements about it. Suffice to say that our brunching experience was so delectable that we returned twice more, beginning every day of our stay with a sumptuous and satisfying brunch. If you are ever possessed of the opportunity, you must whisk yourself into a Bouchon for the sake a the beignets, the potato croquettes, the (cream-filled!) sticky buns, the expertly prepared omelets, the...well, I'm getting away from myself here. I truly regret that we did not return for lunch and that we did not sample what some have called the best french fries in America.

Anyway, I'm not posting on the experience because the food was delicious, because to be perfectly honest, I eat many delicious things in a year and have no reason to wax poetic on them to people on the internets who likely are not sampling said delicious food items themselves. I'm writing because the waiters at Bouchon in Vegas seemed to have the perfect solution to the "bottled water, monsieur, or tap?" issue. Obviously, a fellow might feel a bit lame asking for tap, gasp, how pedestrian! I kid, NH and I always drink tap unless I'm really in the mood for something with bubbles. In NYC, I have heard of waiters using cutesy names for tap water that honestly make me want to gag a little, included in this genre are "l'eau Bloomburg" and all of its manifestations. The waiters at Bouchon simply ask patrons if they prefer "bottled or house?" water. It's quite simple, a tad euphemistic, and much more pleasant sounding than "tap".

Of course, this is a very, very small issue. As I said above, NH and I happily order tap wherever we go (I mean, sure, we'd drink bottled in India, or Mexico, or Florida), but for the most part, if you are the sort who is horribly embarrassed by the prospect of ordering "tap" then it is very likely that you have lived a remarkably charmed life. All the same, I appreciated this gesture so much because in the end, it was an effort on behalf of the staff to make me and NH, the guests, more comfortable. For most of time in Vegas the waiters and other service people were of exceptional friendliness, politeness and quality. In NYC, I have seen waiters who are barely able to conceal a sneer when a customer orders a relatively cheap bottle of wine. In Vegas, where the wine lists in fine restaurants are literally binders, the waiters and sommeliers seemed as pleased when guests ordered moderate bottles as when big spenders shelled out for pricey gems. Sure, Vegas is an intense, expensive fantastical charade, but the people working there sure were remarkably pleasant...

bad kitty/mommy

2008-09-08T16:22:00.002-04:00

You might have noticed the total lack of posts, in almost a month. I'd like to blame James Joyce and Henry James, but those bad boys have only come into my life in the last week, so it's hardly their (collective) fault. There's content lined up, but unedited and (well, obviously) unposted. It's forthcoming.

After all, I've had a top secret side-blogging project in the works...

perfect for vacuuming

2008-08-11T23:10:00.003-04:00

These J. Crew Fleur patterned peep-toe heels have a really great shape. The pattern kind of reminds me of some of the tackier fabrics chosen on recent Project Runway challenges, but somehow, on a small, elegantly-shaped shoe (instead of a big, tulle-stuffed dress), the pattern seems refined. It even brings to mind MadMen, my new favorite show (so addictive, so hot), a little bit. I could certainly see Joanie/Red wearing these with a sexy red pedicure and a tailored teal dress. At $228, these would add a little retro surprise to an otherwise basic (or "essentialist", depending on how you look at it) fall wardrobe.

cheddar-chive scones

2008-08-10T16:57:00.002-04:00

cheddar chive scones, originally uploaded by doesinheadlights.

I rarely ever make scones, because I don't keep cream on hand, but after brunching at S's a weekend or two ago (see cinnamon rolls), and eating a version of these, which are a version of Ina Garten's cheddar-dill scones, I decided they were worth a special trip to the grocery store. The recipe is in Ina Garten's (first, I believe) book, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I halved the recipe and copied S, swapping out the dill for fresh chives. These were incredibly cheesy and chive-y.

cheddar-chive scones

2 cups ap flour, plus more for rolling
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
4.5 ounces (yellow) extra sharp cheddar cheese, small-diced
1/2 cup minced chives (I trimmed with scissors)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 400.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the diced butter to the flour mixture and using two knives, a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Those pieces are the key to perfect scone texture. Lightly beat the eggs into the heavy cream and add to the flour/butter mixture. Combine with a few quick strokes. Add the diced cheddar and minced chives, then stir until mostly incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly and lightly, until the chives and cheese are thoroughly incorporated. Roll out to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into eight equal portions, then roll each into a small ball. Place scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone. Flatten each lightly with the palm of your hand, then brush with the egg wash. Bake for 20-25 minutes until light brown and crusty on the outside.

Yields 8 fantastic scones.

chocolate chip cookies

2008-08-05T22:39:00.004-04:00

five cookies, originally uploaded by doesinheadlights.

Here's a shot of the chocolate chip cookies I made for work tomorrow (I am in a training session and thought they would be a nice treat). I should, but I don't, have a special chocolate chip recipe that I use all the time. Instead, I use whatever one is on hand at the time--one pulled from a cookbook, a blog or the back of a bag of chocolate chips. I do follow a few rules though, regardless of the recipe:

1. Always use good chocolate.
2. Never bake chocolate chip cookies in an oven hotter than 350.
3. Room temperature butter, no exceptions.
4. Salted butter and/or extra salt in the recipe.
5. Beat the butter and sugar senseless--that's the true meaning of "creaming" them.
6. Always consider doubling the vanilla.

These cookies (made from the JOC recipe, if you're curious, with the above modifications) came out with crisp exteriors and chewy exteriors. If I drank much milk, I'd be tempted to break out a glass.

peach cobbler promises

2008-08-04T23:08:00.003-04:00

peach cobbler, originally uploaded by doesinheadlights.

I wanted to make cobbler mostly because the peaches at the supermarket were huge, smelled strongly of peachiness, and were under a dollar a pound. I checked out a number of cobbler and crisp recipes, but found most of the proportions were not quite what I was looking for (too much sugar, not enough sugar, sweet crusts). In the end I used the simple JOC method (i.e. prepare fruit filling of your choice, top with biscuit dough of your choice, brush with butter, sprinkle with sugar, bake). The most arduous part of this process is blanching and peeling the peaches. My mother said she would have left the skin on, and I'm inclined to believe that doing so wouldn't be a bad idea.

simple peach cobbler

6 large peaches (about 3lbs)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons flour (or cornstarch)
1 3/4 cups ap flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dried buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup cold water
butter for the pan and topping
sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425.

Boil plenty of water in a saucepan large enough to accommodate fat summer peaches. In the meantime, wash the peaches and prepare an ice water bath large enough to accommodate them. When the water is boiling, drop the peaches in for 30 to 45 seconds, and remove to ice water. Remove after 30 seconds to a minute. Peel by hand or using a paring knife.

Pit each peach and cut into several wedges. Place wedged peaches in a large bowl and toss with granulated sugar, brown sugar and flour or cornstarch. Set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and powdered buttermilk. Cut the unsalted butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Pour in cold water and stir the mixture gently until combined. Add more water if necessary, but dough should be sticky and dense.

Butter a large casserole, eight small ramekins, or some combination of the above (I used a small casserole dish and four small ramekins). Spoon the peach mixture into each. Top with loosely formed balls of the dough. Brush or spoon butter all over the top, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Serve with excellent vanilla ice cream.

Yields 8-10 generous servings.

peach cobbler teaser

2008-08-03T22:51:00.002-04:00

peach cobbler teaser, originally uploaded by doesinheadlights.

Here's a quick peek at the cobbler filling. The parents, NH and I each had a mini-cobbler for dessert tonight, topped with a healthy scoop of Ben & Jerry's Fair Trade Vanilla. The crust (not pictured) was a buttermilk biscuit dough, basted with butter and sprinkled with my new best friend, you guessed it, vanilla sugar. Recipe was made up as I went along and will be featured, with more pictures, tomorrow.

paula dean's cinnamon buns

2008-07-28T20:19:00.002-04:00

frosted, originally uploaded by doesinheadlights.

Every time I make these, I am slightly ashamed to admit I used Paula Dean's recipe, but, despite the time it takes to make these deliciously gooey buns (about three hours from bowl to plate), they're the best homemade cinnamon rolls I have ever made. I've made them five times in the last year, including this batch for one of my best girlfriend's recent brunch.

Here is the recipe, although I make a few alterations. Cut the butter for the filling by at least two tablespoons, or the rolls will fall apart. Add a little cinnamon to the filling for more cinnamony goodness, even more if your cinnamon is old. I make the filling with homemade vanilla sugar, but that's just extra credit.

new flats

2008-07-26T08:27:00.004-04:00

perfect for vacuuming

2008-07-17T06:26:00.004-04:00

More fall preview shoes! These are from Dolce & Gabbana and they're at Neiman Marcus. If you've seen me walking around this summer, you'll notice I've rekindled my love for black and white. Here, I love the delicacy of the heel and shape combined with the starkness of the white piping against the black.

what i did tonight

2008-07-15T21:57:00.006-04:00

perfect for vacuuming

2008-07-14T22:00:00.005-04:00

I have been totally remiss and have missed all of the really cute shoes that have come out. These ballet pink and silver-sequined Pedro Garcia mary janes have officially taken me out of shoe hibernation. I could have missed them!

These shoes perfectly recall what ballet looked like to me from the inside: the veneer and sheen of costumes in the form of sequins, ribbon, tulle, lycra versus the hideous beauty of torn up shoes. And, just like my trusty pink slippers, these would look amazing with navy. Available at Net-a-porter, for $425.

blais bliss

2008-07-05T21:29:00.003-04:00

Whatever my opinion on reality television in general, Top Chef definitely ranks amongst my top three current television shows, and in fact beats out all other food related shows, including Alton Brown's Good Eats, if only because Good Eats is only a half hour long and Alton Brown keeps selling out to the Food Network and accepting gigs on other, fairly stupid shows. Anyway, I digress.

My dad shares my love for Top Chef and brings to the table a certain amount of common sense and foresight, and so decided to make a reservation at Richard Blais'--one of the, err, "Cheftestants" that made it to the season finale this season--Buckhead restaurant home as part of our July 4th celebrations. We weren't particularly sure what to expect; a late-evening telephone to the restaurant to check on the dress code introduced to us "Ted" (must have been a pseudonym) who informed my stepmother that ladies should come to the resto "sexy casual".

In reality, home is located in an old house, and has all sorts of fun charms, including real silver flatware left over from the previous occupant (another restaurant), enormous wine glasses and portholes into the kitchen (ask for table thirty for a great view). Sexy casual is an excellent way to describe the dress code and style, and even the menu, which features all kinds of twists on overwhelmingly delicious southern basics.

This post isn't really about the dreamy meal though, it's about the dreamy experience with chef Richard Blais, who took several minutes out of his busy evening of chef-ing it up at the kitchen of home to make the meal incredibly special for me. We checked that he was cooking when we arrived. That shocked me, as in true jaded New Yorker fashion I imagined that celebrity (or even semi-celebrity) chefs didn't cook in their restaurant kitchens all that often, and especially not on holidays. As we were left to our table (yes, the aforementioned table thirty), I witnessed Richard pow-wowing with some staff and perhaps due to my awkward and embarrassing reaction, he came over to greet my party and was as friendly as could be. He chatted with us and wished us a wonderful meal and we sat down and had one.

At the end of the meal when Richard was doing the rounds and the waitress came by to ask us if we needed anything else (we were bordering on stuffed over the cornbread cake with coffee ice cream, blueberries and caramel-butter sauce, not to mention the Coke float with vanilla-cardamom ice cream), I asked her if Richard would sign a copy of the menu for me. We were working on the check when Richard stopped by and asked us how our meal was and so on, not carrying my signed menu. I figured no one had told him or he had forgotten and since he was working I wasn't going to pressure him, but then, before ducking his faux-hawked head back into the kitchen, he asked if we'd like to see the kitchen. I stammered out a "yes, please" and he told us that our waitress would bring us in when we were done settling up and she did. She also brought me the day's menu which he'd drawn all over, and scribbled with birthday messages and other sweetnesses (my birthday is in forty-five days). Fans of the show will understand when I say that Richard showed us his nitrogen tanks and circulators, he introduced his protein chef and showed us where he approved the night's dishes. At the very end of the evening he shook my hand again and said he hoped to cook for me again.

I was too nervous to ask all sorts of intelligent questions and so on, but what really impressed me was his graciousness as a chef. I am guessing his run on Top Chef (a very successful run at that) has popularized the already nifty home, and I am sure he was busy enough without bringing a troop of six diners into his kitchen. Instead of shunning his guests, he was a charmer and a true host. He made me feel absolutely special and he guaranteed that I would travel to home again on a future trip to Atlanta. His faux-hawk may not be bobbing behind the portholes as he chugs water and furrows his brows, but his excellent, sometimes hilarious, food will be on the table, and that in itself is well worth the trip.

quick shout out to the atlanta cupcake factory

2008-07-04T23:06:00.004-04:00

The Atlanta Cupcake Factory's somewhat homely website brings to mind the old-fashioned bakery's guileless interior. It's a small, bright shop with nothing but a two-by-two case of cupcakes on the counter, and nothing but water, milk and cupcakes on the chalkboard menu. The available cupcake varieties vary, perhaps daily, but it seems like almost every flavor has its charms. If you don't believe me, consider this: today, we (six of us) ordered one of every cupcake available (well, two each of the Red Velvet and Key Lime) and shared them, round robin style. We discovered that each cupcake yielded six frosting-laden bites. And that's the genius of the Cupcake Factory's miniature cakes. They aren't the gargantuan sugar bombs, baked in extra large muffin tins, that pass for cupcakes these days. They are the same size as the cupcakes your mother made using Duncan Hines mix in the kitchen you grew up in, except, for the most part, ten times more delicious because someone actually decided (rightfully) that making cupcakes, and cupcakes alone was the best idea ever. And they were right.

My one reservation is that the varieties based on white cake (the Sugar Cookie Dulce de Leche, Coconut and Sugar Cookie Chocolate) were dry. Otherwise, the cupcakes were moist and the creative frostings were truly standouts. The Key Lime was as creamy as the real thing. The frosting spread across the Chocolate Peanut Butter was so honestly peanut-buttery it could not be believed. I forfeited my bites of the Lemon Lemon and the Strawberry, but they looked like knockouts as well, bright yellow and pink respectively, and smelling strongly of fruit and sugar (that's a good thing!). The Carrot Cake had no raisins and no one had refrigerated the thing until the frosting was a solid log of cream cheese. The menu has some other awesome sounding flavors, including Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Mint, that weren't out today, but that's how the cookie crumbles when it comes to a real bakery, the sort of place that closes when the cupcakes run out. Charm and a sugar-high don't come cheap, with each delightful cup of joy and butter going for $2.50, but the Atlanta Cupcake Factory is a gem, completely worth a stop-in or a detour.

The Atlanta Cupcake Factory, located at 624 N Highland Avenue NE, Atlanta, GA, 30306, is only open for retail sales Thursday through Sunday.

i wish i had a fridge muffins

2008-06-15T17:29:00.005-04:00

I made these muffins because I just purchased some of those nifty nut and party cups to use as muffin tin liners, a la Chockylit of the apparently defunct Cupcake Bakeshop and because the refrigerator-less state of my otherwise lovely office means that I can't carry the sort of snacks and foods to work that I would bring normally. I wanted something whole grain and savory, and these hit the spot. I put in just a smidge of regular old ap flour to prevent the muffins from being totally dense, and used plain old grocery store sharp cheddar cheese. I don't need to tell you that an artisanal cheddar would elevate them, or that many other hard cheeses (pecorino perhaps, or manchego) would be great too. Dried herbs or some pepper would be a welcome addition. I used skim milk because it's what I keep on hand-I'm sure whole would be great. If you plan to consume these right away, try half a stick (1/4 cup) of melted butter in place of the vegetable oil (using oil generally helps keep muffins moister longer). I plan to take these as a snack for work, but consider them as an excellent bread to serve with breakfast or dinner.

i wish i had a fridge muffins

1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup ap flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (grated) sharp cheddar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1/4 cup canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a twelve cup muffin tin with paper liners (or, nut and party cups). Whisk flours, baking powder, sugar and salt and a medium-sized bowl. Add grated cheese and mix until the pieces of cheese are mostly separated (this prevents huge clumps of cheese from forming in the muffins). In a smaller bowl (I did this in my four cup measuring cup), beat the milk, oil and egg until thoroughly combined. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together, using as few strokes as possible, until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Divide the batter among the cups (they will be pretty full). Bake for about fifteen minutes or until an inserted toothpick emerges cleanly. Cool in the pan for three minutes and then on a rack before storing.

Yields twelve muffins.

the pancake affair

2008-06-04T19:54:00.002-04:00

This weekend was Mother's Day. Finals separated me and my mother on actual Mother's Day and so I promised her an extra special, rescheduled day. Presents, flowers, homemade chocolate chip cookies (she insists that the varieties of cookies that I make are delicious-but wholly unnecessary), breakfast, the SATC movie, church and more were included in the equation. I really hope I don't have to spend Mother's Day away from my mother again in the future, but I do think Sunday was an adequate makeup.

My mother loves blueberries and she also loves a delicious pancake breakfast so I resolved to prepare blueberry vanilla pancakes for the special day. Working off of a simple JOC classic, and swiping a tip from a former pastry chef friend (thanks D, the clarified butter was an excellent suggestion), I prepped the dry and wet ingredients the night before with the hopes of whipping up a timely and perfect meal. For the woman who had sometimes made me breakfasts and other times dinged me in the forehead for my idiotic actions, I would become the perfect pancake making domestic goddess.

Not so. I don't know what it was. I've made pancakes many times. Fantastic pancakes. These however, I could not unstick. My mother mocked me from the living room while she munched on a ~~pre-breakfast cookie~~ appetizer. I turned off the eggs so they wouldn't be overdone by the time I managed to flip a single pancake. Sweat-and many of you know I simply don't sweat much, naturally-began to develop on my brow. "Do you want some help," she asked from the living room couch, where she practiced a lesson she would teach in a few short hours to a group of four preteens at her church. I refused her assistance and went on scraping my pancake-like messes off the bottom of the pan. Where were my pancake flipping chops?

After a few screwy cakes I submitted and let my mom watch. "You're being impatient," she told me, "you need to make sure they're actually brown before you flip them." Right In the moment I thought she was being impossibly annoying. I wasn't being impatient, I merely wanted the pancakes to be perfect. Then I realized those were exactly the same thing. I chilled out a bit and drank a big glass of water while I waited for the next few to brown. My mom applauded flips as though I'd performed the kind you do with your body. In the end we sat down to some yummy breakfast and delicious chatter.

The incident reminded me of something I read in a Nigella book very recently. In it, she points out that cooking has become a race from A to B to Plate, without a rest for enjoying the feel of flour in your fingertips or the ever-headier scent of basil as it's torn. It's not that I imagine I will suddenly stop doing last minute, super rushed, must be perfect cooking sometimes. I only hope that some of those times my mother, or NH, or somebody else who I love and who loves me will stop me, tell me I am being impatient, and ding me in the forehead for burning my hand with the pan.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-05-26T22:01:00.004-04:00

Fierce, no? Louboutin at Saks.

let them eat kate: clever or vulgar?

2008-05-25T10:47:00.002-04:00

Honestly, I'm as sick of Kate Moss as the next girl, but I am curious about how her campaign for Agent Provocateur is being received. While recently in SoHo I stopped by the shop to glance at the window display, the glass of which reads "let them eat kate" smeared in bloody red paint or something similar (an unfortunate choice if you ask me, but not the point).

Personally, I think an image of Kate Moss with Denueve hair and red patent hooker boots with this, um, "caption" perfectly suits the AP sexy-smutty image, even though it's not the sort of thing you'd want your children to spot in a window display. What do you think? Funny? Hot? Gross? Tell me in the comments.

You can check out all the different images of Kate on the AP front page here. The pictures change each time you refresh so a quick spin through will reveal the "let them eat kate" ad. As AP sells lingerie, expect the images are not quite safe for work.

make this biscotti today: chocolate pistachio biscotti

2008-05-25T09:51:00.003-04:00

I have never made biscotti before. This was the first time, and it was awesomely delicious. Everyone always gripes about how complicated Martha Stewart's recipes are but this was not too bad at all, the only trouble I had was slicing up the biscotti before their second spin in the oven, and to be honest, I fear the knife I used was not quite sharp enough. You could easily substitute other nuts for the pistachios but really, they taste so excellent with the chocolate and they're such a pretty green color I can't see why you would. I toasted the nuts beforehand because always do, but doing so is not required by the recipe. Here, I make two "loaves" so that the biscotti fit easily into a lunch bag, but feel free to make one large one if you'd prefer the more traditional shape.

chocolate pistachio biscotti
adapted from martha stewart's cookies.

2 cups ap flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons salted butter (I omitted the salt since I only had this on hand), softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (could use semisweet, I had bitter on hand)

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet.

In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of salt if you are using unsalted butter. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the flour mixture, in two parts. The dough will be very stiff. Stir or fold in the pistachios and chocolate chips by hand, until just combined.

Split the dough into two logs, place them onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into flattened logs, roughly eight by three inches in measurement. Bake for 25-35 minutes until slightly firm. Remove from the oven, drop the temperature to 300, and set the biscotti to cool for 5-10 minutes. Patience will be rewarded so give them plenty of time to firm up before slicing. Then use a sharp, serrated knife and cut on the diagonal to make one inch thick slices. Bake (or "dry out"), cut side down, until crisp but a bit soft toward the center. Martha Stewart said about eight minutes, it took me closer to twenty. Use your eyes. Cool completely before eating.

perfect for vacuuming: err edition

2008-05-24T20:51:00.004-04:00

Why design something beautiful and elegant, like these or these, when you can design something that would look perfectly at home on the Jersey shore boardwalk? These Christian Louboutin shoes can be had from net-a-porter for about $800 if you don't mind the dreaded ankle strap and hideous color.

moving sucks out your soul

2008-05-24T18:11:00.004-04:00

My absence here in the last fifteen days might suggest that I have decided to quit being housewifely. Not so. Over the first two weeks of summer I have done more baking, cleaning, cooking, and the like than I have in the last several months. The trouble is, I was also finishing up final exams and papers while moving home. My dorm was (and will be in the floor) a fourth floor walk up and I cannot seem to live without my muffin tins, stationary, or a few ~~dozen~~ hundred books, so I had a lot of stuff to move, and oops, now I am making excuses, which seems like poor etiquette. I am starting a new job on Tuesday, but one of my goals for the summer is to keep up with the blog pretty much daily, especially as there is nothing I love to do more when I have the full home kitchen at my disposal than make cookies.

In penance, I offer up the recipe for incredibly chocolate-y cookies that I made three weeks ago. These are so rich and chewy that I think they're the perfect thing for when brownie batter cravings. I kept aside 5-6 for NH and put the rest out on the dining room table for my sorority sisters, and they were gone very quickly. They're a simple variation of a peanut butter and chocolate confection I saw on Baking Bites, but since NH doesn't like peanut butter at all I do not bake with it much. You can check out the original recipe here.

Oh, I picked up Martha Stewart's relatively recent Cookies at Costco today. I am going to make the chocolate pistachio biscotti after I post this.

toasted almond chocolate chunk ridiculously chocolate-y cookies

1/2-1 cup whole almonds
2 cups ap flour
2/3 cup good cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350.

Chop almonds coarsely (you can buy them pre-chopped but I can't account for the quality of chopped nuts and they're more expensive anyhow). Toast the nuts in a dry pan over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until they smell delicious. Keep turning them and make sure they don't burn. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix up flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until nice and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture slowly. Fold in chocolate chunks and cooled, toasted almond. Drop nicely rounded tablespoons of dough on a lined cookie sheet, allowing plenty of room for spread. Bake cookies for about ten minutes, or until they appear relatively set. Watch carefully, it can be hard to see if chocolate burns. The cookies will need some time to cook before they can be removed from the sheet.

Yields about forty cookies.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-05-09T09:38:00.005-04:00

Clicking around a bluefly shoe sale I ran into these Caovilla sandals and pumps, which I think have beautiful colors (love the sort of mottled look of the pump) and something really special in the pearly detail. In fact, I can't really recall the last time I saw pearl details on a shoe. I think these shoes have sort of an antique feel to them that probably captures what most people are looking for when they shop vintage, especially "older" vintage (1900-1940?). Even on sale these beauties are a mint, but would definitely be "pop" pieces for years to come.

good things to put in scrambled eggs

2008-05-08T09:46:00.003-04:00

ricotta
shredded fontina
shredded mozz
shredded cheddar
shredded manchego
goat cheese

chives
scallions

diced roasted tomatoes
diced sauteed peppers
black beans

fresh ground black pepper

Obviously not an exhaustive list.

The Fabulous! Festival for May '08

2008-05-05T10:46:00.008-04:00

This month I am guest-hosting the Fabulous! Festival, a blog carnival devoted to looking and feeling fabulous! I read some beautifully, honestly and hilariously written posts on a variety of topics from wedding style to purse obsessions, so without further ado, I give you the top ~~ten~~ eleven.

..Beauty..
First off, ever wondered how perfumes and cosmetics evolved from essential oils and pinched cheeks? Over at Edwardian Promenade, edwardiangaiety does a thorough-and fascinating-examination of The Chemistry of Beauty, a necessary read for anyone curious about how major perfume houses and big names in cosmetics developed into the multi-million dollar industries they are today.

For those interested in scaling beauty routines back to basics, Amy at Brown-bag Beauty Blog profiles a simple technique for preparing dry skin for summer exposure. Interested in saving a little cash and exposing your skin to fewer chemical-laden exfoliating products? Dry Skin Brushing may be the answer to flaky skin woes.

Curious about more all-natural beauty? Allie of Allie's (green) Answers soothes irritated, angry skin with baking soda and finds herself converted to this unconventional solution. Follow her lead and Give It A Try-Skincare from the Kitchen Cupboard before investing in the latest pricey, unproven skin care products.

..Fashion + Style..
On the theme of remaining fabulous and eco-friendly, Ann at annie green jeans takes an in-depth look at, well, "green" jeans. In her post Who Makes Eco Fashion? she explores the oft-avoided question of how to go about making sustainable fashion choices.

At The Fashion-y Blog, Kori responds to a Bazaar layout criticizing Oval Office hopeful Hilary Clinton's wardrobe and asks "Do we want a president who will take the time to keep up with the trends and push the fashion envelope? Or do we want a president who will spend her time running the country?" in her post My Two Cents about the intersection of style and politics.

Nancy's, of Fritinancy, anxiety-free swimsuit shopping may fill readers with surprise-or jealousy-but her look at the Skirtini, Put on a Suit and You'll Look Cute, is whimsical, poetic, informative-and just in time for beach season.

At The Pinup Blog Tali takes a close look at the summery sex appeal of the Vespa. Her post Ladies Prefer Vespa profiles the brand's history of sexy girls on candy-colored bikes. You might not be surprised to discover that the current, super-slim models accessorizing Vespas in today's ads can't even compete with some of the classic Vespa-adorning beauties like Jayne Mansfield and Raquel Welsh.

Finally, Meg at All About Appearances offers up her Number One Style Tip: choosing colorful solids over hard-to-match, soon-to-be-dated prints.

..Shopping..
Registries for any event-like any large-scale shopping endeavor-can be overwhelming. Woman Tribune provides easy-to-follow suggestions for designing a successful-and exhaustive-registry in Planning Your Big Day: Wedding Registries.

At The Bargain Queens, Meg's simple tip for finding cute shopping totes at beyond-reasonable prices in The Keyword for Finding Cheap but Fun Shopping Totes is a great way to avoid pricey models designed to capitalize on the trendiness of eco-friendly goods.

Finally, SweetTooth over at ShopLittleGifts has an excellent worksheet for coming up with gift ideas for the person on your shopping list who has everything. Check out 9 Tips to Shop for People Who Have Everything.

..Attention, Bloggers!..
Meg will be hosting the Fabulous! Festival again on June 2nd! Submit your posts on fashion, beauty, shopping or personal style by May 30th using this carnival submission form.

Interested in hosting the festival? Contact Meg.

Questions? Try the Fabulous! Festival FAQ.

preview action

2008-04-29T01:29:00.003-04:00

I spent most of Monday at the premiere of the new Patrick Dempsey movie, Made of Honor. I went with a small amount of trepidation but had an amazing time and will blog about it soon.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-04-27T02:46:00.002-04:00

I bored NH husband to death the other day with these Alexander McQueen slingbacks, which are the fantastic shoe equivalent of chainmail. Look closely-that's metal mesh. I ~~don't know if~~ doubt that these are especially comfortable, but they are beautiful and a conversation piece. The shape is the same enclosed platform that has reigned supreme this year (~~blame~~ thank Louboutin for that) and I think it works with the "big shoe" mentality of metal mesh peeptoes. The price tag, which is over $1500 at net-a-porter, makes me think that maybe, just maybe, these are meant as art pieces rather than functional fashion.

sunderwear!

2008-04-25T08:29:00.007-04:00

As summer approaches, and the clothing that my fellow students is inevitable pared down to sheer basics and light, revealing fabrics, underwear has again become an issue. The simple fact of the matter is that the sort of cozy, low-rise bikinis and boy shorts that are suitable under a pair of jeans for the fall or winter become rather visible under the slimly cut dresses and revealing fabrics of the approaching season. The little thong at left, from American Eagle, is cute and can be had at the relatively reasonable price of $7 (or 5/$25) but is it summer underwear? It's not likely, but it depends. On what?

1. Body type.
The other night, while I sat with friends discussing this very topic, it struck us that many people do not realize that certain types of underwear do not work with their shape. I am not advocating that everyone switch to "granny panties" or Spanx-like garments meant to alter the body's appearance, but there are some underwear shapes which demand caution. For women with hips of any kind, any undergarment with a low rise (i.e. short/slim side panels) is likely to cut into your flesh, creating a lump that does not exist. I do not know for sure, but I am willing to bet that most women are like me, uninterested in looking any bumpier/lumpier than I already am. String thongs and string bikinis will perform similar hip-cutting action. This is not a bad thing to keep in mind when it comes to swimsuits either. Ladies with ample butts might want to consider that underwear designed to cover a more moderate rear-end will very likely cut into a rounder bottom and create a funky shape alongside terrible visible panty line (VPL). No one likes VPL.

2. Outfit.
Obviously, if your summer wardrobe consists of jeans and tee shirts, then an entire wardrobe of fruit-print cheekies like the one from Victoria's Secret at right might be suitable. If you prefer to take advantage of the lighter styles, problems may arise. With any light or stretchy fabrics, any of the problems of 1 are magnified. With fabrics that are sheer, patterns and colors frequently become visible. Maybe I am too observant, but most people would be shocked by the amount of plaid, polka-dot and yes, fruit-printed panties I can spot through dresses, skirts and sheer shorts on a single summer day. There is nothing sexy about being able to see a woman's panties through her dress, it is merely tacky. If you are unsure of the opacity of your outfit, simply hold the underwear, on your hand of course, under the skirt/dress/whatever and see whether you can discern the pattern. If you can, try again.

Summer also means shorter hemlines. While the positively miniature dresses of the season are sexy and often quite wearable, a thong is not an adequate underpinning. I have the feeling some people will say that it is their prerogative to bare their butt cheeks if they so choose, and if so, I respond that I may mock you at will for doing so. This look, of visible thong, is never attractive and is almost rude. Breezy dresses present another problem. Face a breeze in a thong and flowing skirt and your butt may be on view for all to see. However attractive it is, I imagine this might be embarrassing. By the way, no underwear is a popular summertime option, and while I have no qualms about it I encourage the underwear eschewing public to careful ensure their outfits do not reveal far too much in a stiff breeze or while crossing one's legs.

3. Activity.
This is good advice year-round. Classes, offices and the like demand discretion, and a thong peeking out above your linen pants is hardly the image you want to portray (this might be the perfect no-underwear situation, but experiment a little). This is mostly about common sense. If you will be bicycling in your breezy cotton skirt, then panties with solid coverage are recommended. For a slinky post-beach party dress, underwear that does not even whisper its presence may be demanded. Think through your plans and underpin accordingly! And no, the underwear from American Eagle at left doesn't solve any special problem, I just think it's cute and a little retro.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-04-24T00:04:00.004-04:00

Honestly, I was flipping around the internets looking for cute, floral-printed sandals to do a little puffy post on, well, the cute floral sandals that are out for spring. There are many pairs and though I can't imagine their super versatile (that is, I wouldn't spend a fortune on them...), they're pretty cute and I expect to see them everywhere for a few months. Anyway, that's why it's so surprising that I fell in love with these Zanotti pumps, which are almost the polar opposite of floral sandals. Where flowers are feminine, drawn from nature, and either brightly- or pastel-colored, these pumps are edgy, feature a bold, almost jewel-ish tone, and have that severe, skinny silver heel. These are definitely shoes for going out in, and although they may not scream springtime, they certainly have sex appeal. At Saks.

tacky chocolates

2008-04-20T22:48:00.002-04:00

I wanted to make pizza today (tons of farmer's market red onions on hand, plus leftover taleggio from a recent celebration-the pizza came out amazingly, if you're curious), but couldn't find that last packet of yeast I swore I had on hand. So I ran to the grocer one block up to pick some up for the dough (a semi-whole wheat crust; I went with some thickness and heft to hold up against the rich toppings and lack of sauce). While waiting on the queue, which happened to be right by the chocolate shelf, I noticed that Girardelli has started selling boxes of chocolates with sentiments already on the box. Great, you don't even need a card!

The boxes come in all different messages and can be seen here at the Ghirardelli online shop. I think it's tacky and would prefer a regular box of chocolates with a nice card.

Would you buy them?

perfect (ridiculously simple) tomatoes for salad

2008-04-20T16:33:00.004-04:00

I don't like the texture of raw tomatoes in my salad, and having purchased some gorgeous spinach yesterday as well as some lovely, ripe organic roma tomatoes, I decided some roasting was in order this morning. These take three hours to roast but only about six minutes to prepare, and are more flavorful and exciting than regular tomatoes. Roasted tomatoes are excellent on pizza (a nice contrast with the relatively mild, less sweet sauce) or chopped up and tossed into pasta with olive oil, garlic, and spinach. The roasting time can be adjusted to suit your preferences; 1 1/2 to 2 hours will yield juicier, but still heavenly, tomatoes that will play nicely with pasta or on bruschetta. Make as many tomatoes as you need or desire, but keep in mind that you'll end up with a lot less than you started with. Many people dress these up with garlic, herbs and the like, but in my opinion the plain kind are the most versatile.

Incidentally, since the flavors are concentrated here this is an excellent use for tomatoes that are watery or less flavorful than you'd like.

perfect tomatoes

8-12 roma tomatoes
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat to 275. Line a roasting dish with aluminum foil (easy cleanup; not necessary). Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into pan and use the back of a spoon, or a basting brush, to spread evenly. Wash tomatoes. Split each in half lengthwise, and using a paring or other small knife, cut around the stem. Using a small spoon, scoop out the tomato innards and discard. Place tomatoes, cut side up, in roasting dish. Drizzle with olive oil to your preferences, about 1-3 tablespoons. Sprinkle tomatoes with sea salt, again to your preferences, and a little bit of fresh ground black pepper. Put tomatoes into oven and leave them alone for 1 1/2-3 hours. Tomatoes are ready when your house smells amazing and/or they look about as dry as appeals to you.

Yields X fantastic tomatoes.

trench coat

2008-04-18T13:36:00.000-04:00

Remember when, still at the height of her Sex and the City fame, Sarah Jessica Parker did some advertisements for Gap? There was a whole cute little line with wide-leg trousers and lots of khaki and yellow. This was maybe four or five years ago, and I was in the tenth grade and half in love with SJP because of her shoe obsession and the obvious glamour of the show. One of the best things in that season was a trench coat with plenty of contrast piping and a really pretty, colorful lining of Easter-colored circles. I bought one of those trench coats (it was actually a point of contention between my mother and me), in black with khaki trim, and then proceeded not to wear it. It wasn't really a coat for a sixteen-year-old girl, and I always felt weirdly overdressed when wearing it. It's lovely though, and I never got rid of it (or the pink and beige plaid raincoat I bought then).

Recently, I rediscovered said trench coat. It's the perfect thing for the changing weather in New York, and adds a little chicness to the most plain of outfits. The weird thing though? I am seeing half the universe has done the same thing! I saw a pretty blonde wearing my trench coat a month ago while dining on mediterranean small plates at Kashkaval, and just yesterday a young woman descended the stairs in her own copy. Oddly enough, I don't recall seeing anyone else wearing this particular trench when mine was still tucked in the back of my closet, but perhaps it's like the old word trick--once you learn a new word, suddenly it appears in everything you read.

Of course, no matter how many city girls I see have unearthed their Gap trench coats just when I decided to wear mine again, there is nothing quite so fun as answering "I love your coat, where did you get it?" with "oh, this? Bought it ages ago...", even if that's just a little, tiny bit obnoxious.

What treasures have you unearthed from the back of your closet?

midnight muffins

2008-04-14T01:58:00.003-04:00

I scratched out a recipe for these while resting this evening. The lemon curd is not very prominent (it probably helps that the homemade curd I have on hand is on the thin side), it adds just a touch of lemony creaminess in the center of the muffins, and could probably be doubled for stronger lemon flavor. Another variation would cut the butter in half, and/or replace it with vegetable oil, and/or replace the half and half with low fat milk, but I wouldn't recommend any of those things-the richness good in these too. The muffins are delicious and would be a fabulous addition to any brunch.

midnight muffins

2 cups ap flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup crystalized ginger
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla (or 1/2-1 vanilla bean, scraped)
4-6 tablespoons lemon curd

Preheat the oven to 400. Line (do not try to grease instead, results will be sticky and bad) muffin pans.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger together in a large bowl. In a second bowl, beat up the eggs. Add the half and half, butter and vanilla and whisk until thoroughly combined. Using a food processor or blender (I used my magic bullet again), pulse the crystalized ginger and sugar together until a uniform powder develops. Whisk into wet ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, using two additions, and stirring only until combined (do not over beat!). Fill twelve muffin cups halfway. Add a heaping teaspoon of lemon curd to each muffin cup. Top cups with remaining batter. Bake for approximately fifteen minutes, or until an inserted toothpick emerges cleanly.

Yields twelve muffins.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-04-13T00:46:00.003-04:00

Hmm, I actually can't tell if I love these Miu Miu sandals (at net-a-porter.com), but I think I do. The color is a little strange, and that heel is certainly a statement, and yet I cannot help but feel they are a more youthful, perhaps more irreverent (aren't those the same?) take on the Prada flower heels that are actually lovely. I like the surprise of the heel against the pretty, simple, femininity of the flower. Hmm, the more I think about it the more I like them.

the liberated woman

2008-04-12T23:52:00.003-04:00

The other day I mentioned that I'm reading Richard Yates' Easter Parade (well, read, I finished it on the subway today). It was recommended by a dear friend, who thought it might be appropriate to my writing, and he was right. Selfdivider's comment that Yates is perhaps one of the most depressing authors of all time is no understatement. As I read, I found the book strangely, almost grotesquely resonant with my own life and over the past few days I've been in a rather melancholy mood because of it. I tend to get that way with books sometimes.

Anyway, I had promised said dear friend that I would let him know what I thought of the whole thing, and I will, but the thing that struck me most is the book is largely a comparison between two (maybe three, maybe) ways that a woman could live her life and in the first half of this century (I think, think, that Yates wrote this in the 60s but it takes place from about 1920 to the mid 60s, with most of it in the 40s-50s, coincidentally an era I am currently obsessed with). The Grimes sisters, Emily and Sarah, choose opposing paths; beautiful Sarah damns herself to a mediocre middle class marriage out in the suburbs with a husband who, it turns out, beats her for twenty-five years, while slender Emily goes to Barnard shortly after losing her virginity in precisely the way she swore she wouldn't (if I'm remembering correctly), and begins a life of imperfect sexual affairs and semi-satisfying employment, capped with semi-madness and semi-alcoholism. I've just realized I've somehow taken on Yates hard heart, I'm being as uncharitable to the Grimes sisters as he was when writing the novel. The mother...well, Pookie just isn't that relevant to this blog, it isn't a book review blog, it's about housewifery. I also don't think Yates needs my reviews.

At the end Yates offers this sort of copout where he has one of Sarah's sons tell his aunt Emily that he's often considered her an early prototype of the liberated woman. I think this is relatively clear from reading the book but it doesn't hurt too badly. Of course from hindsight it's really easy to say that someone like Emily almost re-enslaved herself (to wanton sexuality? to loneliness? to dissatisfaction?) by not marrying successfully, and that seems to be what her "little wife"-type sister feels as well, but it's an interesting thing to think about. Yates seems to suggest that women could choose or roll the dice and it wouldn't make an iota of a difference. There was no being happy for these women, they each picked wrong and as I see it there were no other options. It would be nice and comfortable to say that the book is a period piece, that women are more liberated and happy and blah blah blah now but I'm not sure I can believe that. If it were true I doubt we'd have Bridget Jones Diary. I doubt we'd have all those "subtle" books about marriage (Vinegar Hill comes to mind) that are so popular with women and girls.

What's really different now? Is it really, literally, possible to be a happy liberated woman? The truth is I want to be in the kitchen, but then again I want to sit in the front row of my lecture classes. So maybe it's a burning need for both, maybe that's what Sarah and Emily did wrong-they had to pick so they did, and in the end the right answer was to do everything, be a career girl and a sexpot, make quiches and drive the kidlets to school (I hate quiche by the way, and Sarah seems like a wretched housewife but she tries hard to be one). Do both. Do both.

Or do nothing.

What do you think?

perfect for vacuuming

2008-04-11T09:09:00.004-04:00

These shoes immediately made me think of Legally Blond, in a good way. This is a color that not everyone can wear, some people will look silly in it, some people will most certainly lack the special flair (I'm reading Richard Yates' Easter Parade so I think I have a special affection for the term flair right now) required for hot pink high heels, but the girl who can handle these Brian Atwood knockouts has something special indeed. Nothing crazy about them, just a standout hue. At Saks.

cleaner than you found it

2008-04-11T08:54:00.004-04:00

Was I the only person who was taught this phrase at home and in school?

These days when I'm riding the subway there is a very serene, feminine voice asking travelers to please refrain from discarding trash on the tracks. I don't know if the risks they mention--track fires, route delays--are real, but it does strike me that it needs to be said at all. Track trash contributes to the rat problem and looks unsightly. I've never had a problem finding a garbage can on a subway platform, I'm not even sure I've seen one that was too full to use, but people continue to put their garbage right in the tracks instead. It's very tacky, I think, to dump something into a functioning piece of equipment rather than finding a receptacle.

I've seen similar problems at delis, bagel shops and other quick eateries. While I suppose it's asking a little bit too much to assume that customers will bus their own tables in such an establishment, I do think it's perfectly acceptable to assume everyone should dump out their own napkins and used utensils and so on, as well as wiping up any spills. I once knew a young woman who would never throw out her plates and cups and such in these types of places, preferring to abandon them on the table. Perhaps finding a napkin is a bit time consuming, but really, how much worse is it for the person who ends up with your spilled syrup on her sleeve? I'm guessing that's the problem actually, very few people care about the next person anymore.

What's probably more insidious is that this kind of behavior spreads. Infuriated by the previous customers/inhabitants that fail to care for shared spaces, many people assume the same air of entitlement. I sort of understand this--I dislike washing other people's dishes, asking to use the employees' trash can in a shop, or cleaning the coffee I have spilled because the counterperson overfilled the cup--but this is how we become impolite monsters. Frustrated by the bad behavior of our rude fellows, we abandon all hope and become similarly brutish, somehow excusing ourselves: we are only doing as everyone else does.

It's pathetic, I really do think so.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-04-06T18:06:00.003-04:00

Little lemony pumps! These are chic and work-appropriate, would look amazing with trousers. I'm going nutters over that tassel. At Anthropologie.

lemon cake

2008-04-06T16:06:00.003-04:00

After my midterm on Thursday, with a sack of lemons in my fist, I decided to finally make a lemony pound cake. I'll admit I only at about three bites of it (I left the rest out for the sorority sisters to sample), but since it went, I'll assume the first few bites were a decent indicator. The only thing I wasn't in love with about this cake was the crust, which felt a bit cornbread-like to me, but since I've made this before in a glass loaf pan (I used the glaze suggested by the original recipe that time) with superior results, I'll blame the silicone loaf pan. I am really not a big fan of silicone.

I think a ginger-vanilla glaze on top would be fantastic. I also think this would be delicious toasted and spread with a great strawberry jam.

This cake is ever so slightly adapted from David Herbert's Simply Perfect Every Time, a book I took home on a whim during an internship at a publishing house. I've tried some of the other recipes with mixed results. I used the juice from the meyer lemons I'd zested to make his lemon curd, and it came out quite nicely.

lemon cake

1 1/2 cups ap flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (I used meyer lemons)
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven the 325. Butter and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add the eggs, in three additions, alternating with one tablespoon of the flour mixture. Beat the rest of the flour mixture in on low speed. Spread the batter (it will be thick) in the pan. Bake for 55 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center emerges cleanly. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Yields about eight delicious slices.

i swear i'm still alive: weekend preview

2008-04-03T10:06:00.004-04:00

Just as soon as I pass my last midterm (the cruel person who decided one class needed two midterms in one semester is beyond me and deserves none of this weekend's bounty), I have a long list of treats I plan to prepare. I even missed Top Chef last night.

Today will finally be the day of the meyer lemons.

Saturday will feature sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies, whipped up for an event I'm holding.

Sunday, chocolate croissant bread pudding, from a Gale Gand recipe, for the brunch being hosted at my house.

Monday will be the day of the pear crisp, as I imagine some of you poll takers expected I was lying about actually making it.

Get excited.

meyer lemons

2008-03-31T16:00:00.003-04:00

Today after a meeting ~~downtown~~ midtown and lunch with NH I decided to stop at Whole Foods in the Time Warner Center because I rarely ever get down there and I thought I might catch some decent prices on organic items (New York decent, of course).

As I pushed my cart around the produce section moodily, annoyed by the rain and general dreariness of the city and uninspired by the available produce, I prepared to pick up some eggs and go when I spotted organic meyer lemons for $2.99 a pound (not so bad considering the regular organic lemons were 99 cents each). I've been playing around with citrus cookies lately so this was a particularly inspiring sight.

Even moreso when I reached the counter and discovered that the five juicy lemons I'd selected were $2.99. Somehow I had chosen exactly one pound of lemons. Meant to be? I think so.

I'm thinking of using three to make lemon curd and the other two in a lemon and ginger pound cake. What would you make with a pound of meyer lemons?

unconvinced: carved floral monstrosities

2008-03-29T20:02:00.008-04:00

Noticed anything lately? That's right, I haven't actually had time to look at fantasy shoes lately. It's crazy enough trying to squeeze in a moment to make that pear crisp (I'm glad it won though)! Today I finally had a moment to glance at some shoes. As the spring/summer new arrivals keep rolling out though, I see a trend more disturbing than jelly shoes: floral shoes gone wild.

I know they were big on the runway at fashion week. Really big. As in, literally. Now that they're rolling out into stores, I'm not buying it.

These Chloe sandals have pretty carving on the heels, but are so clunky they lose all appeal. Saks, $550.

These are from Prada. Saks pre-order, $750.

At Neiman Marcus, it's same idea, slightly different execution with these. Prada, $720.

These are tamer in the shape department but I think the colors are ugly and unsubtle. I do like the idea of the flower on the sole. Also Prada. Neiman Marcus, $690.

Now, I know Prada knows how to do floral in a gorgeous way. How classic and pretty are these? Neiman Marcus, $590.

if you love it, stop washing it: hair

2008-03-29T09:36:00.006-04:00

There are a lot of things I don't wash often in the interest of preserving them. Not in a disgusting, never-cleaned-my-sheets way, but any woman who has owned a perfect black cardigan or a silk jacket probably knows that the harshest thing you can do to your clothes is wash them. I'm a firm believer that some people wash their clothing far more than the need to and without nearly enough care. Then again, there are plenty of people who could probably put their jeans or sheets through the wash a few more times per year to great effect.

Besides clothes, one of the main things I do not wash all that often is my hair. This has been in the news in the past months, most notably in this article, which has a snarky and misleading title. It's mostly about women who eschew most at-home hair care in exchange for weekly washes and blowouts. I actually used to be one of these people, long before it was a mainstream trend, because it's a very common practice for the "control" of "ethnic" hair. Bloggers responded in many different ways. Some were repelled by the prospect of rarely washed hair (offensive!), some admitted that they weren't diligent squeaky-cleaners either. There was definitely some confusion on what constituted not washing one's hair (the Times implies it's someone else washing your hair in the salon, perhaps once a week).

For me, not washing my hair means massaging my hair/scalp with conditioner daily, and rinsing thoroughly. The only step I omit is the use of harsh detergents that leave my usually soft curls feeling pretty wiry. I wash my hair either when I get it trimmed at the salon (every six to eight weeks) or if I perform some activity that I feel has left my hair pretty dirty (swimming in a chlorinated pool, for example, or visiting a smoky lounge with my friends). My hair is not naturally greasy, in fact, it's a bit dry, especially when harshly treated with detergents and harsh stylers. For years, hair care professionals have told me that the best way to deal with dry hair, to keep it healthy and strong, was to stop washing and it turns out they were right.

It doesn't hurt that in a quest to get my hair healthy I cut it short (getting rid of some ill-advised highlights) and reduced heat styling to about once a month, but I don't doubt that limiting washing gives the oils in my hair a chance to do whatever it is they do. This is definitely not what most people want to hear, but in the long run it's probably better to work with whatever your natural texture is, unless you want to be one of those people wandering the mall with really frizzled out hair.

I'd ask if you wash your hair everyday (or at all) but I'd hate to start another argument...

neutrogena healthy skin blends sheer highlighting blush

2008-03-29T01:21:00.006-04:00

So I've been thinking about blush lately (I'm going to pretend it isn't weirdly appropriate that I'm writing this while re-watching an episode from season one of Dexter on Showtime On-Demand), as one of those cosmetics that can work with very little else. Mascara absolutely falls into this category, and so I have about seven tubes of the stuff in my pencil cup, rather than in the serious makeup storage area. I don't do serious makeup every day, or even many days, it's a twelve times a year sort of deal, which I believe is good for my skin. I have good skin, which I understand is rare and fortunate, and wouldn't want to screw it up. Still, once in a while I sleep a little less than I'd like before showering and heading to class, and on those days, a swipe of mascara (right now I can't decide whether I prefer Cover Girl's Lash Blast or L'Oreal's Voluminous Naturale better-sooner or later I'll post about why I cop attitude about fancy expensive mascara) is something of a confidence boost. Blush, done right, is pretty and light for summertime.

I swore off blush around when I quit dancing and "acting" (not an actress, really bad liar) in school musicals and plays because stage makeup was gross and often applied by really aggressive stage mothers or aspiring "costume people". Blush then always seemed to be big pink or red badly blended patches on the apples of the cheeks. So yes, of course I gave up blush. Interestingly enough, I still love false eyelashes and wear them at every appropriate occasion. Go figure.

Anyway, all this so I can say that I tried this blush today:

The shade in the picture is "Vibrant" I'm pretty sure, but since I wanted something peachy and very warm for the summertime I went with the shade called "Healthy". I find most of Neutrogena cosmetics hues to have ridiculous names meant to make them sound healthier than they probably are, much like the smoothies at Jamba Juice. Silly name aside, I have never had a problem with any of their cosmetics and this was really no exception.

The color went on a little less bright than I might have expected, since the colors in the "blend" are a robust reddish terracotta, a softer but still bold melon, a soft creamy pink with some orange in it, and a rich bronze-y tone. It's probably a good thing it comes on less bright, it's very soft and pretty, extremely feminine. There is a good amount of shimmer in here, but because it is subtle, this is perfectly appropriate for day. I can't totally endorse it until I use it for a few things (maybe I'll even discover that the "Multi-vitamins and botanical conditioners" really "soften and smooth skin"), but I'm pretty and happy that I bought it. I do wish they'd streamline the packaging though; I'm sure most consumers have figured out that the tiny brushes that come with most cosmetics are pretty much useless. This blush is $12.49 at Drugstore.com, not a terrible buy.

Fun fact, in one of my lectures the other day we learned that the scientific term for blushing is vasodilation.

Spring Wardrobe Cleaning 1

2008-03-26T11:10:00.002-04:00

While many people are weeding out their book collections (I wouldn't dare touch mine), summoning the energy to clean refrigerators, under-the-sink cabinets, and over-stocked pantries, I am spending a little extra time these days getting my closet in shape for the next season, and more importantly, for the next year.

For me, having most of my wardrobe edited, tailored, mended as needed and otherwise ready for use is one of the most important time savers. A friend once asked me why it took me so little time to put together outfits that made me happy in the morning. My answer remains the same: my standards aren't particularly low, it's just that when you are familiar with everything in your closet, and have taken steps to make sure everything that takes up space is in usable (preferably brilliant) condition, it is no more difficult to get dressed in the morning as to "cook" a bowl of cereal. Okay, it can be harder that that: fat days, weird weather days, injuries and so on can complicate things.

Over the next few days I'm not going to be writing about editing my wardrobe, because the Bargain Queens have already done a nice series on that a while ago. Instead, for me, spring wardrobe cleaning is about going through everything and making sure it is in tip top shape. Spring is an especially good time for this because soon enough (at least for those of us in the colder climes) it won't matter so much if we leave our wool coats at the cleaners for a few days or weeks. This is more minor, but I also feel that the lighter colored items that become more popular in the spring and summer (some sandals, floaty dresses, colorful raincoats, etc.) show wear more readily than some winter stalwarts (like black boots and heavy, dark coats). I know that in my haste to embrace autumn clothing at the end of balmy August and September, I (lazily) tend to thrust some of my summer clothes away without due consideration.

Here are the first two steps I am taking/have taken. As the numbering of this post suggests, I intend to update the blog as I add more tasks to my spring wardrobe cleaning adventure. This is one of the nicest features of this kind of "cleaning", rather than one big task, there is a series of smaller ones that can be squeezed in during your favorite television show or on the way to the gym.

1. Repair Shoes
Sounds simple enough, but I don't know enough people who repair their shoes consistently. In my experience, most people would rather wear shoes that are in bad condition, with nearly worn-through soles, missing lifts, peeling insoles and worse than spend twenty dollars to repair them. This is silly. Not repairing shoes is silly because buying new shoes is often more expensive than repairing old ones, and further, repairing old shoes that fill a need in any shoe wardrobe (like black pumps or brown flats) means that hard-earned money can go to adding additional shoes to the shoe wardrobe (!!) rather than constantly replacing the classics. Buying good classics in the first place, and repairing them as needed, is always a good buy.

One of the first things I did yesterday was go through my entire shoe wardrobe, and pick out the pairs that need obvious repairs. Before taking any of them to the local shoe repair man (make friends with yours), I considered whether each pair was worth the money it would require to fix them. If the shoes cost only fifteen or twenty dollars, and are not particularly well made, they might not be worth new heel lifts (the little piece on the bottom of the heel for the uninitiated, when it's missing often the metal inside the heel clacks annoyingly and even painfully on any hard surface) that will cost ten. In which case, if the shoes have truly outstayed their welcome, I say goodbye. Why throw away shoes? Because as cute as they may have been once if their condition is poor I will look silly wearing them. Say this to yourself as you part with those worn-to-shreds flats you picked up at Target. Of course, sometimes inexpensive shoes are worth the repairs. If it will make you cry to not have them anymore, consider taking them in for repair anyway (as long as they're still healthy for your feet). If they were an exceptional deal, which explains the low price, and so have good architecture and quality materials, get them repaired anyway. That's a bargain that keeps on giving.

In addition to taking in shoes that need obvious repair (new lifts, new soles, etc.) I looked at shoes that might be close to perfect, but have issues. The heels are too high (start thinking about insoles), the shoe is a bit dirty (see below), they make too much noise (have the cobbler-is that word still appropriate?-replace the cheap plastic heels/lifts the vast majority of shoes, even expensive ones, have with rubber, which will make them quieter and more comfortable). Think about why you're not wearing any specific pair and think about whether there are any solutions. This is going to hurt: if there are no solutions, give away or throw away. It's that simple. Stuff in poor condition makes an otherwise polished person look silly. Almost anyone is better off with two good pairs of shoes than ten pairs of mediocre shoes. One thing that helps me make sure I complete this task is to take the shoes out and put them in a bag, by the door, to take to the shoe repairman. It's too easy to forget or ignore the problem when the shoes are in the closet.

Plus, lots of times a good shoe guy can do lots of crazy things to make your shoes better! Don't be afraid to ask.

2. Clean (and repair if necessary) Purses
It's very easy to fall into a purse rut, no matter how many cute bags you own. There is that favorite, the one that actually stays on your shoulder (miracle of miracles), holds everything you need without seeming clownishly large, and hides dirt like a champion. And, if you're the kind of person who doesn't mind only having and using one or two classic bags, go for it. I almost wish I were more like that.

On the other hand, plenty of women have a closet full of chic and fun purses that serve a variety of purposes, and most of these get shoved into the closet or wherever accessories are stored, and ignored 80% of the time (this is a very scientific statistic, can't you tell?). This, like having old and busted shoes around, is asking for trouble. Once or twice a year, go through purses to remind yourself of what you have. Throw away, or better yet give away, bags you wouldn't be seen in public with anymore. If they're too worn/stained/etc to use in good conscience, either investigate cleaning and repair options or get rid of them.

Many bags can be cleaned or spruced at home. Check tags for washing instructions for bags made of canvas or similar. There are plenty of at-home leather cleaners and conditioners that can help remove small stains or discolored spots (like where your jeans rubbed some dye off on that leather bag) with ease. For big issues, and often for suede (although there are at-home options for suede), consider calling in the big guns. Having a purse cleaned professionally can be expensive, but if your leather tote was expensive to begin with, or is irreplaceable (be honest with yourself here) it can be worth the expense. Consider whether the additional use is worth the investment in a professional cleaning. Consider taking in purses one at a time to be repaired. Consider taking the bags that need some work done out of the closet. I store the ones I'm cleaning myself near the television so I can work on them while watching Top Chef and have decided to take some of my suede stuff in for cleaning, one piece at a time, this spring.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-03-23T19:18:00.003-04:00

Today I went to Easter services with my mother, and seeing all of the ladies out in fashionable hats and spring colors against the New York chill made me all excited for spring, and so do these Manolo Blahniks. Although the shoes are leather, the eyelet effect makes them so feminine and summery. They'd be lovely with a bright crisp green or chic navy. The shape is flattering for almost any leg because they don't have the dreaded ankle strap. These would be the perfect shoes for any lovely springtime frocks. At Neiman.

i wasn't even wearing a mickey mouse tee shirt

2008-03-23T00:18:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had Bahama Breeze? Although I'm the last person to endorse what NH and I refer to as "family neighborhood chain" type places (Florida is known for it's glut of these, I'm pretty sure), I've been to Bahama Breeze a few times and they have some very tasty dishes if that casual, lots of crazy drinks, "island-influenced" feel suits your mood. This past Tuesday, jonesing for mojitos, coconut shrimp and indoor palm trees, my family headed to an Orlando Bahama Breeze for a dinnertime feast.

The meal was lovely. Not something I'd lovingly recount here (I'll spare you all loving recounts of all but homemade meals), but tasty, speedily prepared and unhurried. Unfortunately, while my four dining companions received exceptional and polite service, the waitress would have ruined my meal were it not for my family's fantastic sense of humor and willingness to coax away any of my impatience or annoyance.

It began with the drinks. Everyone, minus me, had drinks from the bar by the time we sat (there was a bit of a wait) down at the table, and so the waitress asked in a sugary sweet soprano whether she could get me anything to drink. The request in itself was innocuous, it's just too bad she felt the need to call me "sweetheart" and use that singsong voice. After I requested a glass of water and she wandered off my family and I immediately exchanged glances because we knew what we were in for: the waitress must have thought I was thirteen.

Her patronizing/coddling behavior continued throughout the meal. The highlight was, of course, when she felt the need to duck under the hanging light to get close to me and ask me what I'd like to have for dinner (she made no such contortions for the other guests at the table). She called me by a term of endearment at every turn, from "sweetie" to "honey" to "darling". Her voice adopted a special quality whenever it was my turn to order something. When I turned down a refill of water, she showed up with one anyway (I guess I didn't know what I wanted). Her behavior was exactly the sort of pandering to small children you might expect from someone hoping to earn a large tip from the children's parents, with the exception that her mistake in judgment meant that she was far more insulting than endearing.

Now, I recognize that I have a very young face, and that my outfit (a pair of straight skinny jeans, a flowing cotton tank top with a small floral print, and a navy blue fine gauge cotton sweater with a hood) did little to age me. I am no stranger to these mistakes; on Thursday afternoon at the airport a Continental employee asked my age (the first number is a 2) and then replied, "oh, well if you're under fourteen you need to check in as a minor traveling alone". I'm pretty used to it and try and accept it as a blessing (I doubt I'll complain if I'm carded at thirty). Still, I did everything I could short of directly informing the waitress of my age, to signal that her behavior was neither appropriate nor necessary. I spoke clearly, asked and thanked her politely for every service, and participated in lively but respectable (well, depending upon your definition of "respectable") conversation with my fellow diners. So why didn't she get a clue?

My feeling is that if someone is old enough to not order from the children's menu (not a crayon in sight at our table for five), then they should receive the same treatment as everyone else at the table, unless it's their birthday or some other such occasion. No one should be made to feel singled out or mocked when dining publicly, since meals out are an indulgence and should be a pleasure. That waitress diminished rather than elevated our experience, making me glad I was not at a restaurant at home, where I would be likely to see her again.

What are some negative restaurant experiences you've had? Would you have done something differently to remedy this situation?

apologies & quick florida redux

2008-03-22T08:28:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not, I had every intention to post every day of vacation, in fact, I had a whole list of things to post about. Caramelized Onion Rolls, the Cinnamon Buns I made with NH the night before I left, Disney World, the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, my new cellphone, Molasses Cookies, Horton Hears a Who. Where better to witness egregious breaches of etiquette and style than Walt Disney World? But the internet access at our hotel (or "villa" in Disney Vacation Club parlance) was attached to the wall in the master bedroom and slightly wonky, so I sat by the pool and went shopping instead.

That said, I plan to post on most, if not all of those things soon. I'll be back to normal very shortly, and making Pear Crisp (unless there's a last minute rash of votes for Cookie Dough Brownies) for your ~~viewing~~ reading enjoyment. That said, if you haven't voted yet, I strongly suggest you do, as the deadline approaches rapidly.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-03-15T21:52:00.003-04:00

Well, my toes are painted Essie Calypso and I've just bought a pair of Old Navy flip flops (no fancy Havaianas for me, flip flops are bad for your feet anyway and I only wear them to the pool or similar), in this pretty pearlescent cream that will look awesome with my sequined swimsuit. Yes, my swimsuit has sequins. It's not really for swimming anyway, more for sitting by the pool coated in SPF 45 and reading a book (or my Animal Behavior text).

I do not have these, but they are summery and fabulous enough for any vacation. The Claudia Ciuti Mimosa pump, available at Nordstrom, weaves together straps of orange, lavender and brown leather. The colorful leathers make an otherwise traditional strappy sandal/pump special, and while the colors are whimsical, the purple is right on trend for the season (I won't comment right now about how I feel about things that are on trend because I love this shoe). I think the lavender straps down the front would function like a v-neck for the feet, and I love the thoughtful but unobstrusive buckle, so that the wearer needn't wedge her feet into the shoe, tugging at the delicate shoe. Perfect with a sleek dress in a complementary color (earthy tones, like a coppery brown or a rich, sexy purple) or worn as a standout piece with something trim and white.

not housewife on the road in the air

2008-03-14T11:10:00.004-04:00

I'm heading to Florida. Just for a few days, and oddly enough, largely due to my desire to see Horton Hears a Who with the people who introduced me to the delightful Seuss story.

As often happens, I am heading to warmer weather just as it turns here in New York, as in, I went for a Starbucks run this morning (I try to brew my own most days but I had a serious bout of insomnia last night that meant there was no way that I would be up to greet the Time Warner Cable guy between 10 and 2 without an americano) with no jacket or coat. I didn't wear a coat because I was too zombie-like to think of it, but I didn't need one anyway. I ordered my americano iced to celebrate. Maybe by Easter we can call Winter officially over.

Oh, and Time Warner Cable sucks. I probably didn't need to say that. There are plenty of Consumerist posts on the topic. Or maybe you have Time Warner Cable yourself and have experienced the special joy of dealing with their service team.

Despite all appearances this is not a random catch-all post; rather, I wanted to talk about children. Why? Largely because I am going to Disney World, and despite planning to spend only an hour or two in the theme parks, I anticipate seeing a lot of children. Also, when I return to campus, I anticipate seeing a lot of children because plenty of Manhattan parents treat this campus like a very large playground, despite the fact that the actual students pay a whole lot of money to play here. Now, since I'm not a parent I'm positive plenty of people will snicker and say "just you wait, when you have a kid you will understand that these are not the failings of poor breeding, but unfortunate side effects of having children". Maybe, but I think most of these things could be handled if people stopped coddling small children and their parents in public. Without further blathering, the top three reasons I no longer find children in public adorable:

Parents who do not pay attention to their kids, then blame other people. I live in Manhattan. It's a big, dangerous city with cars, subways and tons of people. I'm pretty sure those baby leashes (which I abhor, not the point) were invented for New York City. At least once a week, some three-year-old stumbles into my legs, jumps in front of me, or otherwise puts his/herself in risk of being injured by me. I was a small child (I'm a small adult too), and I know how terribly annoying it is to have big people run into you all the time, and hit you with their shopping bags. I keep my eyes out for delicate little hands and feet. Still, I regularly receive annoyed looks and comments from parents whose free-roaming children I have accidently bumped. Guess what? I cannot help it if your son saw something shiny on the sidewalk and ran toward me without looking. He's a child, he doesn't know better, but you should have been holding his hand rather than whining about something with your girlfriend. While I understand that you cannot keep your eye on the kiddo for every second or every day, not blaming strangers for your kid's erratic behavior is the minimum required by politeness. It would be exceptional to apologize for the child inhibiting someone else's journey (very annoying when I'm late for class), but I'll settle for not being called "thoughtless", "careless", "heartless" or any other "less" (except maybe "childless") just for walking normally down a busy city street.

Parents who do nothing about interruptive fits. People love to complain about this one so I will keep it short, but it bears mentioning all the same. Kids cry. Adults cry too (some even more than kids). If your kid is crying/screaming/tantrum-ing somewhere where other people are having something you could call an "experience" (shopping experience, movie watching experience, fine dining experience), be kind and bring the kid outside. Yes, we all feel really bad for you because you need to put down your fork and step outside with the six-year-old who just discovered a terror of marinara sauce. All the same, parents lose my sympathy the minute they allow fits to carry on when they are ruining movies or dinners for other people. You chose to bear children.

Parents who are seeming unaware of the effects of sugar on children. There is a reason sugar high is such a common term: too much sugar makes normally reasonable people bonkers. Theme parks are notorious sugar centers, with cotton candy, ice cream, popsicles and cookies available at every turn. Every kid deserves treats and all kinds of fun, but loading your kid up on sugar without controlling for the effects is really not acceptable. This is probably more important if the non-parent will be spending time in close quarters with the sugar high child (at a gathering for instance). It is completely uncool to feed your kid chocolate, lollipops, soda or even large bowls of pasta and then unleash them on an unsuspecting ~~victim~~ friend or relative. Figure out how sensitive your kid is to sugar and determine at what point it is no longer really fair to leave your kid to the supervision of others. I imagine some nannies/babysitters/day care workers and owners feel strongly about this as well.

I'll be blogging all week: rolls, cookies, massages and something about fruit. Oh, and if you haven't yet don't forget to vote in the poll, especially if you live near me, because there is a strong chance I will ~~foist the results off on you to avoid eating them myself~~ share the bounty of my baking chops with you.

quick

2008-03-14T01:42:00.003-04:00

I'm baking rolls right now, so that's coming.

But for those who caught, oh yes, Top Chef last night, can you not help pronouncing Zoi as if it rhymes with Koi rather than as if it rhymes with Chloe? I can't.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-03-12T23:54:00.004-04:00

If you were to look at the new arrivals on Saks.com, you would find these magnificent shoes, by Stuart Weitzman, available for pre-order. If you were me, you might cry at their immense beauty, then rail against whatever higher being allowed such amazing sea blue patent leather four inch heels (and what an exquisite heel it is, notice how rarely I include a heel shot), to exist outside of your closet. Perhaps a shade outside of the realm of practicality, these beauties, retailing for just under three hundred bucks, fulfill several of my shoe fantasies at once. These are the sort of shoes I would put on in my house daily, just to see them on my feet, but wear outside only when I was sure there was very little chance of damaging them.

And yes, I have extensive shoe fantasies.

procrastination cauliflower

2008-03-12T15:27:00.003-04:00

What to do when I have hours of writing and work ahead of me?

Decide to roast a head of cauliflower and two heads of garlic, of course.

This didn't come out how I planned (I wanted something somewhat firm and slightly caramelized), partially because I left the pan covered with foil too long in the oven, and partially because my housemates shut the oven off in the middle of cooking, probably because no one expects the oven to be on at midnight. The resulting cauliflower was still delicious but soft, and to exploit this, I'm eating some of the leftovers lightly mashed with a fork for lunch. This tastes nothing like mashed potatoes but is much more flavorful and little healthier. I could envision different herbs, spices or cheeses incorporated, but I like the simplicity of this preparation. This recipe is ridiculously easy and makes an often hated vegetable incredibly palatable. Plus, garlic is really good for you and this recipe has around fifteen cloves of it.

procrastination cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets and rinsed
2 heads of garlic
olive oil
sea salt
(freshly ground) black pepper
pecorino, or some other hard grating cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. In a large baking dish (I used 13x9 Pyrex, I do wonder whether metal would improve caramelization) Pour a little olive oil into the bottom of the pan and spread it around. Toss the florets of cauliflower in the oil so that most have a light coating (do the oil to taste, I like to air on the side of caution with only a couple of tablespoons). Cut off the tops of the garlic heads so that all of the cloves inside are exposed. Don't be too precious about losing garlic--there will be plenty. In fact, if you don't love garlic as much as I do, you might want to use just one head. Put the exposed heads in the pan, nestling them in with the florets. Add a little more olive oil right into the open heads of garlic to prevent burning, and then salt and pepper the whole pan, and don't be shy. Cover with foil and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes, until the cauliflower is the texture you prefer. Now pluck those open heads of garlic out of the pan, they are full of one of the most delicious substances known to man: roasted garlic. Pop the cloves out by squeezing the head. If you are smarter than me you will let them cool slightly first. Mash the cloves with fork and toss thoroughly with the roasted cauliflower. Top the whole mess with grated pecorino and pop back into the over for a few minutes, uncovered, to melt the cheese. Eat.

poll: you tell me what to do, and i'll do it

2008-03-10T00:42:00.003-04:00

Then, I'll post about it.

Please take a second to select an option, or even better, to suggest a recipe or even a concept (who doesn't love a challenge?) in the comments. I'll be on spring break (although I'll still post) next week so I won't bake whatever you guys pick until the week of the 24th.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-03-09T03:15:00.003-04:00

In honor of tonight's pistachio success, how cute are these pale green shoes from Nine West? Enclosed platform, the newly (or renewedly, if you prefer) trendy ruching-and-knotting detail, and a sexy slingback shape. The color is more minty than nutty, but they're fun and under $100. Available on Zappos and Nine West.

success: pistachio shortbread

2008-03-09T01:36:00.005-05:00

If you life with me--and at least a few of you do--you might have noticed my obsession with pistachios this week. It started mostly out of forgetfulness, as in, I forgot how much I liked pistachios and then I ate some and promptly remembered. Pistachios are delicious, work really well in many desserts (they complement cherries, and chocolate, although the three together are kind of gross).

I had a lot of fun making shortbread last week, and decided to play around with the proportions and the flavors. These cookies are super decadent and tasty, although I wouldn't make them if you're not fond of pistachios, since they're loaded with that flavor. If I ever invest in an ice cream maker, I think an extra rich chocolate ice cream would be amazing with either some of these crumbled into it, or frozen chunks of the (conveniently eggless) dough mixed into it. For a gift, each heart (or square, flower, or star) could be dipped into dark chocolate. The done cookies are nice, pale pistachio green. You could dye them a deeper green, but I'd respect you less.

If I made these again, I would consider toasting the nuts first. Does anyone have any experience with toasting pistachios?

pistachio shortbread

12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar or confectioner's sugar (I pulsed the regular sugar with the vanilla in my magic bullet)
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup raw, unsalted pistachios, divided
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 325. Beat the butter until nice and fluffy. Beat in the sugar and vanilla thoroughly; you definitely want "light and fluffy". Pulse 1/4 cup of the pistachios in a magic bullet, blender or food processor until it's a nice, even, fine consistency, something like bread crumbs. Add the pistachio meal and almond extract to the butter and sugar and beat until uniform. Add the flour, one quarter cup at a time, until the dough almost forms a ball. Chop the last 1/4 cup of pistachios roughly and stir into the dough. Press into a square or similar shape of uniform thickness, I went for less than 1/2 inch. Pierce the dough throughout with a fork to prevent bubbling. Bake for twenty to thirty minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Cut with a knife or cookie cutters while the shortbread is still warm. Cool before storing.

For me, this recipe yielded 12 2-inch-ish hearts and a ton of "trimmings".

unconvinced: jelly shoes

2008-03-07T12:27:00.010-05:00

Remember jelly shoes? I wore them at age 8. In fact, I had a pair I loved so much my mother had to pry them off of me and throw them out, threatening my life if the shoes emerged from the trash. This is a common theme in my childhood.

For the love of this blog, I spend a good amount of time looking at shoes from a variety of retailers at different price points, although most of the shoes featured here are fantasy shoes and so are often higher end. The first time I saw the jelly ballet flats that are becoming ubiquitous was while glancing through Target's website.

These are by Xhilaration, come in a variety of colors, and cost about $8. I would almost consider buying them for beach. Almost. If I ever went to the beach.

But then, while clicking around on Barney's site, I saw these.

They are by Marc Jacobs, and cost $160. No, that's not a typo. Sure, they have a cute little shape and unique heel but hello, they're jelly shoes.

It gets better. At Neiman's website, these Fendi jelly shoes are available. They come in a nice shade of pink too.

But they are jelly shoes. And they cost $175. And they have the dreaded ankle strap. Save me.

So I looked at Nordstrom.

Stuart Weitzman, ugly, made of plastic, and yours for $115.

Where does one wear these shoes? I can't imagine they're office appropriate. I think they'd be hot on your feet, and everyone knows synthetics cause blisters and sweatiness. I have a pair of grape-colored jelly thong sandals I picked up at Gap for $4 two summers ago that I hardly wear because that jelly plastic stuff kind of hurts. Also, if I'm remembering correctly, the jelly plastic gets dirty pretty quickly, especially the translucent kind (all three expensive pairs), which spells disaster since they're not easy to clean.

Even if you think they're cute, I can't imagine investing more than $10 on something like this. I'm unconvinced. How about you?

perfect for vacuuming

2008-03-06T00:12:00.004-05:00

You all must be very sick of me. Or at least of my passion for mary jane shoes. And peep toes. And patent. Wow, no wonder my readership remains small...

But the other day S and I were flipping through the J. Crew catalogue (and commenting on how as their prices rise and rise, their quality sinks), and I noticed these in yellow. I think the yellow ones are tacky and sort of florescent, but I thought the emerald would be lovely, and I think I was right.

Now, these are not a "shoe wardrobe" shoe, which makes their $198 price tag a bit hard to swallow. Still, they're pretty and shiny and would look magnificent with lighter neutrals or even with some nice contrasting pieces, especially pinks for the woman who can pull of that super-prep look. I really love the chunky buckle and how the front of the shoe is open enough to show off a really nice pedicure. At J. Crew, if their continual inflation hasn't frightened you off yet.

shame and groceries

2008-03-05T19:04:00.005-05:00

Apparently, many people are really, really opinionated about groceries. Over at Serious Eats there's a great discussion going on about those items we buy that we're not exactly thrilled to show off. Instant mashed potatoes (seemingly used, ubiquitously, in alternative applications like sourdough starters and potato bread) are proving popular, among luncheon meats and that stuff in the blue box Kraft insists on calling macaroni and cheese.

Part of me wants to laugh (who cares what you buy if it makes you happy) and part of me knows that deep down, I am a food snob too. I can't help it, my mother raised me that way, and stressed what I call "real food" over most processed conveniences. I was still a little kid when I began to eschew such American family favorites as that curiously sawdust-like cheese product in a green cylinder Kraft insists on calling parmesan cheese (ahem, real Parmesan must be shredded or grated or crumbled or shaved, at the table please). I glance over my purchases in the grocery store and even sometimes feel they portray a certain image, and feel satisfied that if I am what I eat (or at least what I buy at the market) then I have at least small cause for satisfaction. I cook, prepare or bake things that many people buy (bread, cookies, cake, soup, macaroni and cheese, salad). I try to buy organic dairy and produce. I like my chocolate dark, my coffee black and Lipton tea sort of terrifies me (NH keeps asking me if it's "brown" tea) , though I'll have it at Waffle House with my Cheese 'n' Eggs and Cinnamon Toast.

Still, I think it's a little silly to fret over conveniences that make our lives work out a little easier. My mom cooked plenty while I was growing up, but we also did plenty of nights of making our own toppings for a frozen pizza (I did this with NH this weekend, as we are both fiends for caramelized onions on our pizza), and I know she always had a box of instant mashed potatoes on hand, along with all kinds of stuff that a working mother needs: garlic powder (gasp!), taco seasoning (boo!), string cheese (agh!) and frozen stuff for snacks, like toaster strudel (no!). She emphasized health but it's not like she had time to be a gourmet chef three times a day, and you know what, I turned out fine. She taught me about eating good things, eating (not too many) bad things, and leaving time in your day for fun.

I once debated whether those Polly-o string cheeses that used to come with "pizza sauce" for dipping were an actual food with my friend's boyfriend. She and I, both very interested in healthful eating and checking out New York restaurants and cooking things like tofu or spinach, had loved the things as children. He mocked us endlessly for them. In the end he was probably right, presented with one of those things (or the pizza Lunchables I once embraced) today I probably wouldn't give them a nibble. In the end, that's not the point. How you eat and what you eat really is a personal decision, and no one should feel embarrassed to like string cheese, frozen burritos, or chicken nuggets.

I've caught people tossing discriminating glances toward shopping carts laden with soda, stacked with chips, or featuring a case of Easy Mac (I think I lived on that freshman year, sigh). This sort of behavior is really childish. It's impossible to know why someone else eats or buys what they do, and since it hardly affects anyone but the person doing the shopping and their immediate family, I'd like to advocate for keeping our eyes on our own carts. Even more so, it'd be nice to see people stop judging themselves for the products they love or use as timesavers. No grown man should feel he needs to engage in furtive Nesquick purchasing.

What are your favorite grocery conveniences?

fat attack

2008-03-04T10:05:00.002-05:00

Has anyone seen the Bowflex commercial where the "newly ripped" character says something like "I gave all my fat clothes to my fat friends"?

Does it disturb anyone else?

The first time I heard this I thought I was hearing wrong. Luckily, I was cleaning at the time, and I do like to leave the television on while cleaning (I also like to wear heels while cleaning) so I heard this repulsive comment again. I'm all for celebrating weight loss and physical fitness, these are great things and most of us could use more exercise. Still, I can't help imagining the conversation in which the Formerly Fat Dude (FFD) informs his Currently Fat Dude (CFD) friend that he is welcome to his fat clothes since FFD will now live the life of a hard body and relegate CFD to a life a perpetual obesity. I think this is really rude and it really irks me.

What do you think?

perfect for vacuuming: special edition

2008-03-03T21:50:00.003-05:00

I needed to post these because they are amazing.

And saying that is enough. At Neiman's. Louboutin, but that was kind of obvious.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-03-03T10:28:00.007-05:00

The sun is shining through my window, despite the bitter cold. Okay, that was just for dramatic effect. In New York it's actually very "spring" today, although the official start of spring is three weeks off, and I don't have spring break for another two. Digression aside, when I think spring I think lush colors in interesting shapes. I think about shoes that make me want to get a fresh pedicure and swap out my wool for a trench.

I think of these. I like the mix of purples. I like the subtlety of the enclosed platform (which has become so ubiquitous this year that it's making me a little sad). I even like the wood heel, a feature that turns me away from many otherwise delightful shoes. Here, the wood heel contrasts with the purples and makes the shoe right for warm weather. Weirdly, although these are not clogs, they make me think of that scene in Clueless when Cher's dad asks her what she did in school today and she says, "I broke in my purple clogs." The shoes are Giuseppe Zanotti and are available at Shopbop.

I also think of shoes like these. I don't usually like this heel shape, because I think it makes me look a little short, but the color is so pretty, a nice dusty teal. The back of the heel, which you can see in the second, is a really cool detail. I like the detailing of the leather too. I think these would be adorable with white pants. I never wear white pants (prefer skirts, white always ends up dirty), but that's just how I'm seeing these. Or a skirt to show off that stellar heel. These are Chloe and can be had from net-a-porter.com.

ginger vanilla bean shortbread cookies

2008-03-02T16:39:00.003-05:00

I made these after reading this post over at Brownie Points. It's an old post but I happen to love ginger and I'd never made shortbread, so I decided to give it a whirl. I made some smallish modifications to the original recipe, so I've written up my version below. I used the vanilla beans largely because I was out of vanilla extract, but I like the speckled appearance of vanilla-bean baked goods. I didn't do the lemon curd, since I was just looking for a simple procrastination project. I think if I made these again I would try and pump up the ginger by adding some ground ginger to the ginger-sugar mixture. I'd also cut down the salt.

ginger vanilla bean shortbread cookies

1/3 cup crystallized ginger
1/3 cup white sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor or similar (I used my magic bullet because I don't keep a food processor at school), whir up the crystallized ginger and white sugar until you have a fluffy powder. In a small or medium mixing bowl, beat the butter with a mixer until it is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean scrapings and ginger-sugar mixture to the butter and beat until light and fluffy. Now add the flour and salt and mix until dough forms. Since I used a hand mixer, the dough never really formed a ball, but it worked out fine anyway. Put the mixture onto an ungreased cookie sheet or other shallow pan and press into a rectangle of even thickness, about 1/2 inch (or your desired thickness). Use a fork to pierce holes all over to avoid bubbling. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until light brown around the edges and set. If you'd like shapes, cut them out while the shortbread is still warm. I cut mine into 1-1 1/2-inch bars while it was still nice and warm. Cool before packaging.

Yields about 20 1-1 1/2-inch bars.

a really good post

2008-02-29T14:57:00.002-05:00

Cakespy found an amazing use for homemade breads: dessert sandwiches. These delightful-looking confections made me want to get out the yeast and throw together a loaf of good, white bread so I can try them out. Since NH's birthday is alarmingly soon, I have a whole lineup of treats to make in his honor for the coming weeks, and I may just have to add these to the list.

I think my favorite concept may be the cookie dough sandwich, but the pink frosting sandwich is just so cute!

The Bride's Book

2008-02-28T22:22:00.006-05:00

This was my first blog-related purchase, it's a 1902 Scottish edition of what I think is an English book called The Bride's Book, a smallish guide to everything related to proposals and weddings, plus some suggestions and musings on the nature of early married life. The author is a Mrs. E. T. Cook.

This book was actually slightly awkward to purchase, since the couple who owned the shop wondered aloud whether it was a hint about an upcoming engagement (sorry folks, the title of this blog won't be legit for a while, if ever) but it's a blast to read and when I'm procrastinating I find myself flipping through for an interesting passage. My love for quirky old books burns onward.

I've scanned here the passage that inspired NH and me to purchase this volume, essentially a list of the various types of proposals with a brief description of each. It may surprise you, reader, to discover that the next several pages of Mrs. E. T. Cook's book focus on the meaning and delivery of the "Vague Proposal".

100% whole wheat bread

2008-02-27T08:17:00.002-05:00

The addition of vital wheat gluten was excellent. Seriously, I now regret every other time I have made whole wheat bread without it, because the texture is that much better. As I sat in the dining room reading about Animal Behavior, I couldn't stop lightly squeezing the cooling loaves because they were almost pillowy. I've frozen the bread already (made three loaves, heading into that "hibernation" period of the semester where I act like a chicken with no head), but even the toast yesterday was a bit chewier and lighter than my past loaves have been. This is a super simple bread that wasn't too demanding to make. I usually like to fuss with different flours and grains and so on but since this was an experimental loaf (or three) I went with basic. If you decide to try it, pump up the amount of sugar by a little bit if you use regular or brown sugar, or try agave sweetener if you're in on that trend.

whole wheat bread

1/4 cup warm water (warmer than your body!)
1 packet active dry yeast
1 egg, beaten
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water (a little cooler than your body!)
2-2 1/2 teaspoons salt (use a little more if you don't plan on buttering your bread/using spreads)
1/4 cup honey
5 1/2-8 cups whole wheat flour
12 tablespoons vital wheat gluten (or so)

Put the warm water and yeast in a pretty large bowl, mix up a bit and let sit for five minutes or so until the yeast granules are nice and dissolved. This is a good time to beat up the egg and melt the butter if you haven't done so already. Add the egg, melted butter (I let it cool a bit first), lukewarm water, salt and honey to the yeast mixture and stir until well combined. Now, start adding the flour and vital wheat gluten a bit at a time, it'll be easier if you mix in a cup or two and then add more, rather than pouring it all in at once. Also, since the weather, the price of tea in china, and how exhausted you are might affect how much flour the bread needs on any given day (hence the wide measures), you'll have to pay careful attention to how the dough is looking. I used about 6 cups of flour and 2 tablespoons of gluten per cup, arriving at about 12 tablespoons vital wheat gluten. That'll change depending on how much flour you end up needing. Once the dough is neither dry nor sticky, knead for ten minutes or so (I usually spend about 7 minutes kneading and 3 minutes complaining about how kneading is such an arm workout) and when the dough is nice and satiny, make sure it's a ball and set it to rise in an oiled bowl for an hour, or until doubled. Make sure you oil the surface so it doesn't dry out (I usually cheat and spritz on some Pam Canola) and cover the bowl. I favor a clean, dry kitchen towel but plastic wrap does the job. When the dough has doubled, punch it down firmly but not violently, and cut it into three pieces. Roll the pieces into logs, tuck the ends under, and set them in greased/Pam-d loaf pans to double again, covered. While the logs of dough don't need to touch the sides of the loaf pans, you'll want to make sure the dough is touching both short ends of each pan, which helps it rise. This is especially hard with silicone loaf pans, which is one of the myriad reasons I hate silicone loaf pans. You might want to get the oven going at 400 degrees now, so it's nice and toasty when the bread has risen. The loaves should take about 45 minutes to double (but again, that depends on the temperature, the price of tea, and so on) so use your eyes. Now pop them in the oven for ten minutes, then drop the temperature down to 350 degrees to finish baking. I'm going to say that the bread is done when it sounds hollow on the bottom, but if that isn't clear enough for you, Nicole over at Baking Bites has superb advice.

Yields three yummy loaves.

perfect for vacuuming: special edition

2008-02-26T21:43:00.002-05:00

I know I already posted a pair for today, but hello, these have polka dots. And patent leather. And are Valentino. They almost make me want to cry they're so pretty.

perfect for vaccuuming

2008-02-26T11:39:00.004-05:00

The cure for the snow? Fantasizing about these babies from Miu Miu.

Pure fluff, pink and girly. Dreaded ankle strap, of course, but overall lovely. At net-a-porter.com for some unreasonable price in snooty British money.

bread

2008-02-25T23:16:00.002-05:00

Tonight I experimented with adding vital wheat gluten to my 100% whole wheat bread. It's rising now. Report to come tomorrow in the AM.

I am VERY excited about this because I have been using about 1/3 white flour in my whole wheat bread to improve the texture. 100% whole wheat is a little healthier, right?

I love fiddling with recipes.

why vacuuming in heels is (maybe) good idea

2008-02-23T22:38:00.000-05:00

My stepmother has one of those fun little calendars (it was a gift from my dad) loaded with quotes about shoes, which, if you've ever read this blog before, you know I am passionate about.

A few days ago she sent me this: "Nothing has been invented yet that will do a better job than high heels at making a good pair of legs look great, or great ones look fabulous."-Stuart Weitzman

Nothing earth-shattering but very true, but there are reasons many women don't do heels. Some of those can't really be addressed here (comfort, for example, is a personal decision), but many women just don't walk that well in heels. Since we actually do stuff (rather than sit around telling the servants to do stuff) it can be annoying to feel hampered in any way when it comes to walking, and as a result, many ladies resort to flats when a heel would add elegance and sex appeal.

The dirty little secret of high heels is that most people are not born knowing how to walk in them, and many people who wear them are bad at wearing them. Heels should always fit well and be in good condition, but it's especially important if you're not a regular high heel wearer (models wear heels all the time, which is why they can glide down the runway in the wrong size). You might just want to try doing your day to day chores in them.

If you don't mind wearing shoes in the house (or if the shoes you're practicing in are brand new), wearing them around the home is a great way to break them in and get used to them. Put the shoes on before vacuuming, washing dishes (don't do this one if they're say, satin, and will be easily ruined if splashed) , dusting, etc. As you walk around, try and correct your balance or straighten your spine. Practice going up and down steps in them, and see how they adjust with your feet as they swell naturally. As a plus, this is often a great way to find out if a pair of shoes ought to be returned; if you can't wear them for ten or fifteen minutes of normal activity, you'll never wear them out comfortably. Since the way most stores determine whether a pair of shoes is "worn" or not has to do with the condition of the sole, as long as your flooring of choice isn't concrete, the shoes will probably still be returnable. I've been wearing heels for years and I still do this with practically every new pair, since heel heights and shoe shapes are different. Many times after twenty minutes of walking around the house I will discover that a pair of super high heels requires an insole, or one of those neat heel grips. It's much more painful to learn your new red patent mary janes require an insole midway through a day at the office or a round of errands.

Do you wear heels? How do you break in your new shoes?

perfect for vaccuuming

2008-02-21T22:44:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd reign in the youthful craziness of the bright blue Louboutin t-straps with a pair of gorgeous, classic slingbacks.

These are by Barbara Bui and are at Neiman's.

the coworker, part deux

2008-02-21T22:06:00.003-05:00

I was going to blog about the six dozen oatmeal and oatmeal raisin cookies I made today, but this was more interesting and has been waiting longer. Remember Evan? My friend with the rude coworker?

Things got worse. The aforementioned coworker contracted some vile respiratory illness that resulted in a hacking, deathly cough. The sort of cough that leaves your chest a bit sore. The cough progressed for weeks, without abatement, and in addition to the crunchy snacks (Evan and I cannot figure out how anyone who is practically coughing spleen up every five minutes can choke down a large back of corn chips daily). Anyway, Evan asked whether this fellow had seen a doctor for the loud, disgusting illness, and the coworker said he hadn't.

Now, I could make this a post about how rude it is to go to work sick, and make everyone else sick, and cause them to use up their sick days, which they really need in case their kids or sick or they want to take a spur of the moment three day weekend to Cape Cod. Everyone already knows that's rude and does it anyway because they're saving their own days for kids with the grippe (I played too much Oregon trail in my youth) or weekend jaunts in nautical-themed clothing.

Instead, I'm going to post about how S and I decided it would be a perfectly simple situation if only Evan were a woman. Now, I know that sounds sexist, but if I were the sort of person who was overly touchy about feminism and social discourse and race issues etcetera etcetera etcetera I probably would have titled this blog differently. For one, both men and women seem more receptive to women. Maybe it's the nurturing thing or maybe women just seem like less competition (oh well, that was dumb!), but time after time I have seen the so-called "woman's touch" in action. The women in my life have always been better at getting money back after the return/exchange policy was up, convincing that guy in the movie theater to move one seat over, and fixing random stranger's tags, collars or drooping scarves. Perhaps this is just something women are raised to do, and I would venture an extremely unscientific guess that it's a difficult to assess combination of non-threatening-ness, ingrained sweetness and perhaps, sexual attractiveness.

S and I decided that if Evan were a woman, he could show up with a bag of cough drops and a cup of tea, which would probably give the coworker at least a small hint that his hacking was noticeable (just a small jump to "interruptive"). If he actually used the things, they might work and could give our female Evan a chance to make a few hack-free phone calls. Also, female Evan could use his womanly touch to seem like a caring and thoughtful person when (s)he recommended the coworker stop by the doctor's office. I'm not a man (and this gender switching is starting to confuse me, it'll stop soon), but I think if plain old man Evan were to ask the coworker more than once whether he'd seen a doctor, let alone gently encourage him to do so, it would come off in a much more threatening way. Not to mention in my experience men aren't as eager to share health information, they seem a little more close-lipped on these subjects. Of course, almost everything in the last two paragraphs is a massive generalization that could be proven inaccurate in sixty billion situations, but I think the main idea makes some sense. As male, non-friend coworkers, Evan and the coworker have a communication problem.

I'm still writing a post about what Evan could actually do, but I thought I'd find out whether readers feel the same way. Would this subject be ~~easily~~ more easily resolved if only Evan were a woman?

it doesn't even fit the model...

2008-02-20T00:53:00.005-05:00

and we're supposed to pay full price plus shipping for it? What's with the puckering in the cups near the sternum? There are many things in life a girl has to compromise on, but bra fit is not one of them. This brassiere (that's just not made for this model) is from Betsey Johnson and it's $36 at Urban Outfitters.

I had grown sick of Urban Outfitters, but their semi-recent redesign (or whatever they call it) tempted me to glance through the site tonight, and I found many cute and covetable things, like this really fun take on the spectator pump trend, by Pour La Victoire ($195).

But I also just can't get over the wacky fit on a lot of the lingerie in the pictures. I'm sure the stuff is cute and must fit (some) people correctly, I even own some Betsey Johnson lingerie. I wonder why they would feature it that way though, it seems kind of counterintuitive to you know, selling it.

things that hurt and how i fix them

2008-02-19T21:15:00.002-05:00

So, I had my tragus pierced a few months ago on a half whim, a half whim being when I do something I've been wanting to do on a lark. I actually really love the piercing, but it just hasn't healed cleanly for me. No surprise there, an ill-advised belly button piercing when I was fifteen or so required a re-piercing, and worse, even though I haven't worn a ring in it for over two years, there is still a persistent hole above my navel, although it isn't a horrible disfigurement. My mother and I both had our tragi pierced by a young woman (she was a twin) and a man who looked a lot like Steve Buscemi, although he was incredibly offended when I mentioned it. My mother's healed just gorgeously but that's par for the course for her, I don't get sick a lot but I'm not a good "wound" healer. Someone once told me I should take up red meat.

So I thought the thing was all healed because during break it finally stopped acting up, but I was wrong, and it's been all tender and annoying and I'd consider taking it out but it really is my favorite piercing. Seriously ladies, if you want an extra ear piercing that's not as trite as another cartilage stud from Piercing Pagoda, consider the tragus. Bonus, you get to hear it crunch when they put the needle through the cartilage. Assuming that's a bonus for you. Anyway, I found the instructions the piercing guy gave me a bit cumbersome for any person who does more than watch reruns of Law & Order all day. So while I haven't been washing it with soap four times a day (or some other awkward number), I have been doing Bactine rinses a couple of times a day again and it's doing well again already. Of course, many people will sneer at my flouting of professional piercing advice, but who has time to whip out a dixie cup and some sea salt for a saltwater soak a bunch of times during a single day? No one, that's who. I've been trying to pare down lengthy routines in general.

Also, I flicked a bit of spicy Thai Basil Sauce (delicious!) into my eye today when I clumsily dropped a chopstick. This advice will probably be more generally useful than my piercing complaint/solution, and I got it from my neighbor C, who is fabulous. Anyway, when you get painful burning stuff in your eye most suggestions involve flushing the effective area with water for a long while, usually under the faucet. That has it's obvious disadvantages. If your contact lens is in there, it could get rinsed down the drain (and it's pretty hard to remove a contact with hot pepper covered fingers), and you have to get your head going at an odd angle. It's all very frustrating. C suggested I fill my palm water and bring my head to my hand, cupping the eye and blinking the spicy stuff out of my eye. This was very effective and I very strongly recommend it for anyone who can't handle their chopsticks well.

What are your solutions to life's annoying little stings?

miss me? i'm in the library

2008-02-19T01:25:00.003-05:00

I'll definitely be doing nothing but school work for the next couple of days (never fear, there will be oatmeal raisin cookies and etiquette issues galore come Thursday), but until then, check out this interesting assortment of quotes over at because i'm addicted. Addicted's post tackles the issue of just who women are dressing for, one that admittedly NH and I have come to heads over before, from myriad angles. Fun light reading: a really good post.

perfect for vacuuming, i'm on vacation so i can do whatever i want

2008-02-15T18:46:00.004-05:00

I'm on vacation with NH, but while perusing net-a-porter.com (admittedly, for the first time ever), I couldn't help but notice these blue beauties. Now I'm not going to lie, like many of the shoes I post on here, the peacock blue Louboutin t-straps are "a lot of look" but they are also a lot of gorgeous and if dressed properly, would be striking. I'm seeing these with tights in gray or purple, but bare legs would be sexy as hell (and there is nothing quite as sexy as eternal hellfire and damnation, except maybe thumbscrews). Slim ankles required, of course.

On the other hand, these Rupert Sanderson pumps are a perfect shade of light blue with a touch of green or teal in the hue. They say afternoon tea, eyelet, and "premarital sex is wrong". See, who says shoes can't lovely and witty?

perfect for vacuuming, maybe

2008-02-13T12:37:00.002-05:00

I really love these Kate Spade heels, at least, I think I do. They're one of my favorite shapes (maybe it's all those years of private school but I find nothing quite so adorable as a round-toed, single-strap, high-heeled mary jane), and the color is a bit unexpected. The color even has its own cool name, "Thai oil patent", which sounds like it should be very pretty with nice sheen. I do wonder if these would be a little too shiny/iridescent though, perhaps evoking the dreaded stripper shoes, especially if worn with the wrong outfit. What do you think? Is the Kate Spade "katie" sexy or trampy?

At Nordstrom's.

love for breakfast

2008-02-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

NH spent most of the weekend here with me. On Saturday, while trying to decide what to have for breakfast NH suggested we scramble some eggs and purchase some instant biscuits from the store, which I immediately took as a challenge. I make biscuits from scratch all the time, but usually not in the morning, and since once you've had delicious homemade biscuits canned biscuits are far from ideal, I don't have biscuits in the AM too much. But since it was Saturday, I decided it was time to try out some morning baking. NH made the few blocks trek down to the further away, but far better, grocery store to pick up some last minute supplies (like eggs), and I got these started. I went with drop biscuits (faster, more tender) but you could cut down the liquid (by about a quarter) and roll these instead, if you prefer more uniform biscuits, which might be better for spreading with preserves. Cheese and/or herbs would be a nice addition, especially if you wanted to serve these with dinner. You could also change the liquids if you'd prefer a less rich biscuit.

dropped biscuits
roughly adapted from Joy of Cooking

about 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
about 1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons very very cold butter (I just took the chill off of some frozen butter), cut into small cubes
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream (light, heavy or whipping will do)

Preheat the oven to 450. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter. Many people do this with knives or that funny looking pastry blending tool, but I prefer to do it with my hands, which is why I used extra cold butter, which can withstand the heat of my hands a bit longer than merely cold butter. Put the cubes in flour, mix it up, and use the tips of your fingers to break the cubes into smaller and smaller pieces, constantly incorporating the pieces with the dry ingredients. Do not let the butter melt! This will destroy your biscuits' texture. The goal is to incorporate the butter as discrete bits mixed in with the flour. When you're done, the flour/butter mixture should resemble coarse bread crumbs. Make a well in the flour/butter mixture, and pour in the cream and milk. Stir the mixture until just combined. Drop lumps onto an ungreased baking sheet (mine were about a scant 1/4 cup sized, but size is to your taste and intentions), and bake for about fifteen minutes or until a light golden brown. Serve warm. These will keep nicely for the next day, and can be reheated in a 250 oven for a few minutes.

someone actually ate suffered this for dinner

2008-02-12T03:30:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in last night's preview post, this is a scan from an actual book. A book I paid money for (I'm geeky like that). It's a super old (1935) more than well-used manual for housewives entitled Homemaker's Handbook, written by Dorothy Myerson and published by McGraw-Hill (Whittlesey House is the imprint, I think). It's a treasure trove of outdated housewifery, from tips on what to feed children during a birthday party (preview, today's hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza wouldn't fly--too taxing on a young'un's digestive system), to sample schedules for hired help, to recipes for every sort of food. These recipes harken back to a time when a single cocktail could land you in the hospital for alcohol poisoning, children didn't speak until spoken to, and gelatin wasn't just for dessert.

On that last point: this book is laden with recipes for aspics and other gelatinous dinner dishes. I couldn't quite tell you when molded dinners fell out of vogue, but I'm more than happy to say that I've never had one. Still, the recipe above fascinates. It is a sort of chicken meat loaf, composed of chopped chicken set into chicken stock Jell-o. Now close your eyes. Imagine your mother is calling you to dinner, and that is what she is serving.

Probably someone will come in and say "oh, well that's what you'd be used to" or "don't knock it until you try it" or "tastes change" or my personal favorite (and one my mother pulled lots of times), "if you're hungry enough, you'll eat it". Yup, I agree with all of those statements. But as a modern reader, that loaf sounds downright disgusting. Would you eat it?

Later this week I'll post some yummy sounding chicken recipes I'd make for NH (I don't eat chicken) instead. In the mean time, for some more questionable recipe fun check out the Gallery of Regrettable Foods. Also, since they're packed with recipes that aren't quite to many reader's tastes, old cookbooks can be had on the cheap from used book stores, and are loaded with kitschy charm.

a really good post

2008-02-11T12:13:00.001-05:00

I don't know if a new, super slim male body ideal on the catwalk will actually change men's behavior/self-perception (in fact, based on my conversations with men, they seem much less susceptible to messages about what their bodies "should" look like than women are), but I think Meg of Faking Good Breeding discusses the issue nicely in this really good post. I'd love to hear what others are thinking about this topic.

perfect for vacuuming

2008-02-11T03:42:00.001-05:00

People love to talk about building a wardrobe. Building a suit collection, building a lingerie wardrobe, etc. Cue cheesy carpentry joke. I hate this phrase, because it conjures a vision of boring black pumps and pants with a sad fit (I should do a full length post on this, but what is it with stores calling any pants that have room for a bum "curvy fit"? Every brand seems to have these now, J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, and it's really quite strange and always makes me feel like my tag is a little smirky and a little euphemistic, and who wants a euphemistic tag staring them down at 9 AM?). These nude patent leather pumps (Giuseppe Zanotti at Barney's) would be in my fantasy "shoe wardrobe". A totally classic shape with the almond toe, relatively high vamp (although I do love a bit of toe cleavage) and an excellent heel, these would look gorgeous with and skirts or dresses, and would lengthen the legs for miles. Maybe it's just because I'm a little more coffee than milk in hue, but I like the slightly darker shade which is warm and would flatter many, many shades of person. These are simple and would let embellished duds shine while still whispering style and grace.

I made bread tonight and it is delicious, and proves something in The Joy of Cooking totally bogus. I also scanned one of the most disgusting recipes I have ever seen from my Homemaker's Handbook, a 30s-era manual for housewives by Dorothy Myerson that I bought at a used bookstore in Virginia. You, darling readers, have both of these fabulous reads to look forward to in the next day or two.

why i probably don't want a dishwasher

2008-02-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

I grew up without a dishwasher. Unless you count my parents. Bad joke.

No, really, we never had a dishwasher. We moved around a lot and lived in all different apartments, etc. and my mother raised me washing dishes by hand. This might come as a shock to some people, in fact, it has. Someone once asked me if this method actually resulted in clean dishes. Not only was that insulting and rude (no, I'm serving that cake on dirty dishes...) but it made little sense. Dishwashers are a relatively recent invention, and only gained real popularity in the 1950s, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Website. This means that for the vast, vast majority of human history, people have washed dishes by hand. I'm guessing a good portion, if not most, of those dishes, were actually clean.

My feelings about dishwashers stem partially from living in a house where many people use the dishwasher, although I think it basically ends up as the model of how a large family might use a dishwasher. Many people I know are extraordinarily precise about how they rinse their dishes and load their dishwashers. They've honed this ability over time, so that the dishes they put in usually, if not always, emerge clean and pristine. Ah, clean plates with at least a small reduction in time input.

The problem is, when many people share a dishwasher, this doesn't happen. Everyone adds things to the dishwasher willy nilly. Forks and knives are stowed with the business ends up (ouch, for whoever is emptying the washer), vessels are placed facing up (and emerge full of filthy water). Either some things end up clean or nothing ends up clean. This is just how it works when lots of people use a dishwasher, and I imagine it would be much worse if the people leaving together included seven year old boys, not just adults. The issues surrounding who loads, who empties and who is responsible for dishes left in the sink while the washer is running (or clean but full) can be taxing. All that, and you still have to log sink time scraping and rinsing the dishes properly before you put them in the dishwasher. I don't know if, on average, dishwashers save or waste water (comparative to hand washing), but they definitely use up vital resources in the form of energy. Why not go the extra half inch and just wash them by hand?

NH says that he, having been raised with a dishwasher, could not live without one. But I think I could probably do pretty well without this costly convenience. Could you?

Updated: Fixed some typos and to include a valid point from NH, that quite possibly in a large house or large family without a dishwasher, simply no one would do the dishes, which would probably be worse. The responsibility would likely fall on one person.