Old School Thursday: Diet Coke in My Peanut Butter Edition

Today is National Nut Day – which is a day I can appreciate. As a public service announcement, all pregnant women out there should appreciate this day, too – to it’s fullest extent. Recent research suggests that exposure to nuts in utero can prevent nut allergies once babies are born. Dixon, fortunately, doesn’t have any nut allergies – but Maddy does. And let me tell you – Jen wishes she could give her a peanut butter sandwich, and wishes she didn’t have to worry about her accidentally swallowing a peanut. I do, too. So eat those nuts, pregnant girls!

In other news today: Today in 1843, Stephen Moulton Babcock was born. I wrote about him earlier this year – he developed a test to measure the fat content of milk. Also, he has almost the same name as my cousin Steve Babcock. But he is, apparently, not a blood relative.

Almost 150 years later, another exciting day occurred in food history, when the FDA approved aspartame (NutraSweet). Yes, it’s disgusting. But it’s also a key ingredient in that nectar of the gods, Diet Coke. Without the Diet Coke, there would be no Mango & Ginger…of that I am sure.

So how to celebrate? Hmmm…maybe with a handful of Trader Joe’s sesame honey cashews (trust me, they’re amazing) and a sweet, cool, Diet Coke.

Plus, maybe, a call to your cousin.

Artsy Hon

I have such a soft spot for hon-related art. I think I always will.

Ideabook Tuesday: Interview with Sue Teso of Solstice Home

Houzz has been ramping up the design blogger/Etsy designer/interior designer interviews lately - and I think it's been fantastic. I love seeing inside real people's houses. It's one thing to flip through magazines to check out how people who can afford interior design help (and daily, hourly, minutely housekeeping) live - it's another entirely to study houses inhabited by regular people with jobs and kids and busy lives.

Last week, I got to interview Sue Teso, the owner of the Etsy shop Solstice Home. Sue sells cool vintage pieces in her shop, so it's no surprise that there are some pretty interesting pieces in her home. What I like most about it, though, is that she incorporates the pieces in a way that isn't at all overwhelming. Her house doesn't scream, "vintage shop owner!" It sort of mentions it casually, instead.

It's a great space and one I'd definitely like to live in. Plus, Sue seems like such a nice lady. Not only did she send me photos of her current home, she also sent me pictures of the house she used to live in. AND her daughter (who has an Etsy shop of her own) sent me photos of the house - so I had so much to choose from.

The photos are labeled by which home they are - the Sandwich house is where she currently lives and the Brewster house is her old home. (As an aside, Ocean Spray Brad's wife Erin is from Sandwich - that's where she went to high school with Duff from Ace of Cakes).

Check it out:

Etsy Designers at Home: Interview with Sue Teso of Solstice Home

houzz- kitchen design, bathroom design, landscaping and more

Trendy Monday: Baltimore AGAIN

Jen and Bill stopped by yesterday to drop some stuff off, including a copy of the NYT travel section from Sunday, October 4th. Random, I know, except that it included a "36 Hours" article on Baltimore.

The article, written by Joshua Kurlantzick, makes me happy from the very start. Kurlantzick immediately dispenses with the elephant in the city, telling fans of "The Wire" that Bmore is more than just drug dealers. It's artists, too. Oh yeah, and crabs and sports and some genuinely high-end spots.

I've been to most of the places listed and think they represent a decent cross-section of the city (though, sorry Bourdain, the Snoop tour's not included). Maybe it's because I'm so used to "The Wire" edit of the city, too, but I'm really a little ecstatic that a national publication is willing to focus on the quirk and the finer parts of the city. As I've said before, we're not trying to hide the seedier side, or wish it away. But it really is just one side.

Upcoming Events: All About Wine

You know what I like about the fall? Everybody's back to work and back at home after summer vacations, so there's a lot going on.

Of course, that's also sort of what I don't like about fall, since I end up so busy that I can't go to a lot of cool stuff. Such as these two, very fun-sounding wine-related events:

• This Thursday (October 22nd), the Maryland Science Center (601 Light Street) is hosting its second "Science Uncorked" event. This one is all about "the genius of wine" - fueled by the museum's DaVinci exhibit. Wine Market wine experts will be leading a talk on the wines of Italy - and there's wine tasting and food pairings. Sounds kind of awesome, right? And so perfectly food + artsy? I wish I could make it. Tickets are $40 for Maryland Science Center members and $45 for non-members. To RSVP, or for more information, call 410.545.5960.
• Next week, I'll be missing another fabulous-sounding wine-related event, when Morton's hosts a champagne and chocolate tasting, featuring three Piper-Heidsieck sparkling wines, paired with several Vosges chocolates (and a handful of Morton's appetizers). This also costs $45 per person and sounds like a kind of delicious night out. Call 410-527-8255 to make a reservation.

There's more happening out there, of course, but these two events caught my eye - as wine, artistes, and chocolate often do.

More Want: Le Porte Jaune

Meg posted this on Pigtown Design earlier this week - it's a photo she took in Chelsea (the one in London). If it wasn't raining so hard, and if I wasn't still in my pajamas, I'd be on my way to Home Depot right now, looking for some yellow paint. LOVE it.

Want: Chihuly

At Tom and Cail's wedding last week, we met a bunch of Cail's cousins, including one who recently graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. That reminded me that it had been a while since I'd been to the RISD website. I love art school website stores, and on-campus sales, like the MICA sale at Christmastime. They're such an amazing source of gifts. For others and for me.

The RISD site has an entire section devoted to the work of Dale Chihuly, a 1968 graduate of the school. I love Chihuly's work, especially his glass art, which is amazing and organic and captivating in a Where the Wild Things Are-plus-color sort of way.

The piece at the right is called "Ikebana Pals," and it's made using an individual printing technique, a la poupee. It evokes some of the same feelings as his tangled webs of glass, even if it's not quite as powerful as the 3-D works.

And food. It also reminds me of food. There's something organic and vegetably about it, isn't there? Like stalks of chives growing out of bright blue pots.

Old School Thursday: Celebrity Chefs and Pop Stars Edition

Today is National Roast Pheasant Day. Yes, it’s a little random, but at least it’s seasonally appropriate.

Today is also Emeril’s 50th birthday! Last week, while we were in New Orleans for my brother’s wedding, we drove past Commander’s Palace, in all its turquoise and white glory. I didn’t have a chance to actually eat their, but my Uncle Larry did, and he described it as amazing from start to finish – both food and service. For all Emeril’s cheesiness, I’ve always heard that he’s a fantastic chef and runs a tight kitchen. He was also instrumental in the rebuilding of New Orleans’ food scene in the aftermath of Katrina, and I know the residents of the city love him for that. Happy birthday, Emeril!

In sadder news, today is also the 13th annniversary of the death of Pierre Franey, the chef of NYC’s institution Le Pavillon and Craig Claiborne’s collaborator on the NYT column “The 60 Minute Gourmet.” Franey was a key figure in the emergence of French fine dining in New York in the years following World War II – a cultural trend that helped define mid-century cuisine and values.

And finally, today in 1988, UB40’s “Red, Red Wine” hit number one. I was in eighth grade. Those were the days (kind of).
So how to celebrate? French wine and cajun-spiced pheasant, of course.

Artsy Wednesday: Goodbye, Gourmet

When I write "artsy" posts, they're often sort of tangential to food. I write about art, then I find some way to connect it to food. Not so this week.

The demise of the classic foodie magazine Gourmet has encouraged many tributes, one of which Erin's friend LP (who's quite the chef/baker) sent me the other day. Media Bistro said goodbye to the magazine through a look at past covers.

The brief, but super interesting, article is really a lesson in the history of foodie aesthetics. Compare these two covers, which appeared in October and March of this year:With these, from October 1952 and August 2000:

Even in the past decade, the aesthetics of food photography have shifted - and for that, I credit (blame?) blogs. Bloggers' photographs of whatever they're eating are sometimes sloppy, but certainly porny. We capture food in its natural state, with rough edges, bites taken, forks at the ready.

Compare last March's sandwich to 1952's pressed duck. Even forgetting the fact that pressed duck is a relic these days in general, and that sandwiches were certainly not considered "gourmet" in 1952, the depiction of the two dishes is wildly different. The older illustration is all sharp lines and shiny copper, while the newer image is full of the blurred lines and imperfection that we've come to know and expect, thanks to the internet.

Media Bistro does an excellent job of saying goobye to an institution. We're all luckier to have had the magazine's covers, its articles, and recipes to make our mouths water for years.

Ideabook Tuesday: Vanessa De Vargas of Turquoise

Vanessa De Vargas is a cool kind of new designer. She's been a traditional interior designer and furniture designer in LA for a while (Turquoise is her label) and her Venice Beachy style is pretty great. But the really cool thing about Vanessa is her e-decorating business. She works with clients everywhere, completely online, giving advice and direction. Love that.

Last week, Becky interviewed her for Houzz, and talked about her own home. The interview is here, and the photos - which are pretty great, is here:

House Interview: Vanessa De Vargas of Turquoise

houzz- kitchen design, bathroom design, landscaping and more

Back Home with Piles of Work

And very little time for blogging, which is unfortunate, since we ate tons of great food in New Orleans (not that I photographed any of it) and saw some of the most gorgeously preserved architectural details I've ever seen. Also, there was drinking and staying up late. And a wedding.

So, in lieu of real posts, just a quick reminder that we're also posting a lot over at All Top Chef and on Deep Glamour. So read those!

Entertaining Friday: Congratulations, Tom and Marcail!

We're in New Orleans right now, for Tom and Cail's wedding, which takes place tomorrow night. The reception is at the house in the photo - it's also where Cail's dad grew up. I can't wait to see the inside.

I also can't wait for the food. Cail's super into food and it's no secret that New Orleans is an amazing food city. We've got a lot of eating in front of us (and behind us) and I'll have a lot to report on when we get home.

Old School Thursday: Fires, Manners, Sandwiches Edition

Oooh. Today’s a good day. Except, of course, in that it’s the anniversary of The Great Chicago Fire (1871), but at least the city bounced back. Oh yeah, and also in that it’s the 90th anniversary of the passage of the Volstead Act (aka Prohibition). Because who wants Prohibition? Or fire.

Things got a lot more civilized in 1952, when The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette was published. And then, at some point, the food lobbyists got their hands on the day. And that’s why today is National Fluffernutter Day! And seriously, fluffernutters are the best. The best.

So I’m pretty sure you know how to celebrate. With very, very polite sandwiches.

Doughnuts!

At the farmers' market on Sunday.

Unsurprisingly, what came out of this machine was outrageously delicious. Especially after a liberal sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Oddly enough, Dixon wanted nothing to do with them - he was busy eating a bag of kettle corn that was literally taller than he is. That was fine, though - more for Cooper and me.

Also at the farmers' market: the aforementioned kettle corn, a bunch of homemade pickles (hot and spicy and half-sour) that weren't quite as good as the homemade kosher one I tried, and fresh tamales covered in pico de gallo. Cooper and I split a tamale and then were very, very sorry that we hadn't each ordered at least two of our own.

Ideabook Tuesday: Iro from Busy Bee's Peaceful Penthouse

This past week, I interviewed Iro, who documents her design adventures on Flickr and on her blog, Busy Bee's Blog. She and her boyfriend live in "The Penthouse," in Germany, though they met in Athens, where Iro was living (her parents still live in Greece).

The Penthouse is cool and clean and so calming and she's got some fantastically cool stuff, including vintage Albert Van Luis wallpaper she found in a shop in Athens. It's a great space and full of inspiration, even for color-lovers like me:

Houzz Interview: Iro (aka Ivy Style) from Busy Bee's Blog

houzz- kitchen design, bathroom design, landscaping and more

If You're Into Morning TV...

Or if you're in NYC, check out the Today Show tomorrow - Al Roker might be visiting the Ocean Spray "Big Apple Bog" that kicks off tomorrow morning at 30 Rock. Our friends Brad and Erin (as in "Ocean Spray Brad") will be there with their daughter, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Roker and also of Tyler Florence and Duff Goldman and the guys from the Ocean Spray commercials, who will all be there in conjunction with the bog.

Erin went to high school with Duff, then went to college in Baltimore, so they should have a fun little high school reunion (though I doubt the Today Show or Food Network cameras will catch it). Plus, cranberries. Lots and lots of cranberries, all over Manhattan.

Fig Season

Figs...collected from the tree in my backyard this afternoon. Forty-five of them. FORTY-FIVE. And this is my third collection this week. I've already got a tub full of fig confit in the fridge. It's a good thing we have friends, otherwise way too many would go to waste.

That tree - it was a nice surprise when we moved in, but it's turned out to be a blessing and a curse. Really.

M&G in Baltimore Magazine

The October issue of Baltimore Magazine arrived on the newsstands this week and, with it, a big article on the 35 best brunches and breakfasts available around the city.

Look closely and you'll see my name in the byline - over the summer, Cooper and I spent a bunch of weekend mornings eating out. Alicia and Mandy were also pressed into service, each eating out with me one weekday morning.

My spots were: City Cafe, Slainte, Rusty Scupper, and b bistro. Four very diverse experiences, but all very good. If I had to choose a spot to visit again, it would be b bistro - our brunch there was ridiculously good.

It was a great assignment - brunch is so much fun. Hard to schedule, but so much fun.

Entertaining Friday: Keeping Busy in Baltimore

Fall has arrived and with it, about a million and one things to do every weekend (and weeknight, if you're young enough and have that kind of energy). My inbox has been stuffed full of announcements and notices about fun things going on in and around the city over the next few weeks - and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention some of them here:

Saturday, October 3rd: This weekend is Fells Point Festival, that annual 48-hour stretch of debauchery and hilarity. If you're there (and coherent), stop by the new Fells location of Nectar Boutique (1628 Thames) - it's just moved from O'Donnell Street in Canton.

This is going to sound a little convoluted, but Nectar's owner, Christine, is Mike's cousin Jeff's girlfriend. I've known Jeff forever, since he was a bartender at Claddagh's back in my younger, crazier days (and now he's the proprietor of Elliott's Pour House, a very nice, very neighborhoody bar in Canton). Christine is great and, most importantly, has awesome style that is totally reflected in her boutique.

Sunday, October 4th: As I've already mentioned, Dixon and Cooper and I will be saddling up to local chefs at the JFX Farmers' Market, where the Toyota Hybrid Farm-to-Table Tour will be making a stop.

Unfortunately, we already have plans in the afternoon, otherwise I would be all over the Chesapeake Oyster Festival at Woodberry Kitchen. From 3 to 5 p.m. on the patio, guests can enjoy four types of oysters on the half shell for $1 each, or oysters grilled on the half shell, four for $5. Plus, wine for $5 a glass, which is enough reason as any to head over. Also, cheese + music. Sounds amazing. Call 410-464-8000 for more details.

Thursday, October 8th: Plastic surgeon Dr. Dean Kane will spend the evening channeling his inner House (who did some outrageous cooking this week, btw) when, under the guidance of executive chef Bill Krouse, he takes over the kitchen at Sotto Sopra, serving a five-course meal that sounds amazing (lobster ravioli? lamb with mint caponata, pumpkin souffle? yes please!), alongside wine selections from The Wine Merchant.

Dinner is $70 per person and Dr. Kane will also be selling his pop art, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Dinner, plus a good cause! Call 410-625-0534 for reservations or more information.

And that's just in the next week. There's a lot more to come later this fall...

Old School Thursday: Full of Firsts Edition

We’ve had a rash of quiet days-in-history lately – but today, that streak goes by the wayside. On October 1st, pudding season begins (seriously), bringing with it a whole bunch of notable openings and celebrations. To start, it’s both Agricultural Fair Day and World Vegetarian Day, suggesting that someplace, somewhere, a bunch of 4-H kids are enjoying their first vegan feast.

Today in 1916, the first Piggly-Wiggly supermarket opened in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1971, the South got even more exciting when Disney World opened in Orlando. And three years later, in 1974, a little American charm made its way across the Atlantic, when the first McDonald’s opened in London.

As a brief aside, the dates for the opening of Disney World and McDonald’s surprised me. I was born in 1975, so I just missed both events, yet I think of them as having happened a full generation before I was around. Guess I’m older than I realized.

Back to the history. Finally, in 2006, Commander’s Palace in New Orleans reopened after being closed for a year following Hurricane Katrina. The restaurant’s reopening was important for the city both economically and symbolically. Almost a important, maybe, as the kid on last night’s So You Think You Can Dance who made it through to Vegas on the strength of a New Orleans-specific style of hip-hop dancing. He was more than imporessive.

So how to celebrate today? The openings represent a lot of different cuisines, but at their core, they’re all about Americana. So maybe go simple – cajun burgers and fries? With a Mickey Mouse-shaped side of ketchup?