Summer Sunday

Yesterday Breck and I made the ultimate summer sandwich, the BLT, but with a small twist.

Whole Foods rosemary bread is baked fresh every day.  We have them slice it for us, and then use it for specialty sandwiches at home.  After toasting it lightly, spread a thin layer of Duke's Mayonnaise (southern staple) over one side of the bread.  Slice an heirloom tomato thickly, sprinkle it with kosher salt, and that goes down next.  Place some slightly burned bacon (read: very crispy) on next, then (here's the twist) a thick slice of fresh mozzarella.  Finish with some mesclun, cut in half, and you're good to go!

I added a side salad with a mustard vinaigrette to make sure everyone had enough to eat ;)

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 egg yolk, room temp
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup of olive oil, whisked in slowly and continually

devil is in the details

Decorating, in a conventional sense, can be difficult.  The process itself can be (and should be) highly personal.  Everything in your home should explain to a visitor who you are.  My personal aesthetic is about creating warmth, and making people feel at home.  This would include making, what I call, "piles" throughout your home.  Piles can be construed as a negative thing, conjuring up visions of hoarding.  However, I use them differently.  Piles, in a simplified and organized fashion, in my home are small groupings of items that mean something to me.  On a coffee table there could be a pile of special books that have lived with me over the years, the story of each and how it came to live in my home varied and nostalgic.  Or it could be a pile of pictures: these would be 'layered' larger to small, front to back, to tell a story.  Below are pictures of some of my favorite piles in my home.

 Some special books, a commemorative candle, and a Herend sandwich tray warm up my living area.

The bookshelf behind my desk exists to hold a smattering of Sotheby's auction catalogues, special pictures, and books accumulated throughout the years.  It also holds my rehearsal bouquet, made by hand with only a paper plate and my shower gift ribbons by one of my dearest friends and bridesmaids. Makes me smile every time I look at the bookshelf!

A vintage ceramic horse head, our sterling chest, decorative vase, and Andrew Wyeth print add something interesting to look at when heading into our sleeping area.

A 19th-century Royal Crown Derby plate (left) adds some texture to the side table.  Top right, a potpourri bag is plunked by my Herend jewelry case, and bottom right an Italian candlestick I converted into a lamp lives with my Herend puppy and Boudin print.

Central Park

Having relocated to Atlanta from NYC within the past 12 months I found myself enjoying the warm weather in Atlanta, and simultaneously having nostalgia for my time in New York.  While I could wax poetic about all the things that I miss, I have been thinking of Central Park as of late.  I spent much time there, doing different things during different parts of the day.  6am I would arise, and given I lived 2 blocks from the East 72nd Street entrance, would begin my day with a sunrise run around the small loop.  There was a building on Central Park South that faced me 1/3 of the way into my run; every day it told the temperature as well as the time.  It never seemed as cold as it said, but I always had to hustle once I saw the time; these two things are certainly true!  Later in the day after work I would bring my dog Minnie there for her daily walk, and we would without fail walk by The Mark hotel where she would greet her favorite doorman with kisses and he would bestow a delicious doggy treat upon her.  We would enter at East 76th Street, winding down toward the duck pond, and more or less taking the turns that Minnie led me on.  Sometimes we would end up near the Fountain, my favorite spot in the park, and while a beautiful location, Minnie would often smell like horse manure from where she would run through the deep gutters.  She always got a bath on those trips.  However, no walk was complete without a pitstop by a special spot on the hill winding down towards the duck pond from the 72nd Street entrance; this was where my fiance proposed.

Other days my fiance, Minnie and I would bring a blanket on a hot June Saturday and spread out under some shade, often taking a long nap.  Following the 72nd Street entrance in one could usually find excellent lawn and tree coverage if walking far enough.  Once arising we would stop by Sant Ambroeus for Gelatto on Madison on our way home, then off to deposit Minnie at home and then to enjoy a quiet meal at a neighborhood Italian restaurant before retiring.

Thanks for allowing me to share some of my favorite memories; I have posted some of my favorite pictures from our time in the park below.

This was our last night living in the city.  We are heading towards the East 76th Street entrance.

This was a picture from our engagement shoot in July 2012.  It was nearing 100 degrees with 100% humidity but none of it mattered.  This walkway is one of the most romantic parts of the park.  The trees bend in such a graceful way to almost ensconce you as you walk.

I'll never forget this night.  Walking Minnie around the Duck Pond you could hear a pin drop but the sky looked like the stuff of 18th century paintings.  Breathtaking.

One of my favorites.  The night before the city was blanketed with snow and was so still and quiet in the morning.  Minnie was just a puppy here.

Duck Pond with my little munchkin running ahead.

A good summertime wiggle :)

delicate creatures

This spring's designs boast some of the most beautiful looks I have seen in a long time.  Beautiful, airy lace Valentino and Emilio Pucci concoctions, babydoll appliqué Shoshanna dresses, blush Herve Leger bandage dresses embellished with delicate beading all speak to our inner female.  Accent with a demure pair of chiffon Louboutins, or lace Jimmy Choo sandals.  Below, some of the best of the best.

Christian Louboutin Angelique Pump

Oscar de la Renta tiered silk-organza bustier

Valentino bow silk-satin clutch

Burberry Prorsum lace trench coat

Herve Leger sequined bandage dress

Emilio Pucci lace dress

Valentino cotton-macrame dress

perfect roast chicken, asparagus, herb pilaf, and traditional vanilla custard

Last night I cooked my fiance a meal that included two of his favorite things: roast chicken, and traditional vanilla custard.  People always say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and this dinner will be sure to get you his heart, or come pretty darn close!

Ingredients:
3 1/2 - 5lb chicken
asparagus
Near East Pilaf
kosher salt
pepper
head of garlic

Preheat oven to 425 degrees farenheit.

Rinse and pat dry chicken.  remove any feathers and giblets.  Liberally salt and pepper the interior cavity of the chicken, then put a head of garlic cut in half in the cavity.  Put in the oven and cook for an hour and a half.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the asparagus.  Snap the asparagus where it bends naturally.  Toss with EVOO, coat with kosher salt and pepper.  Put in oven for 15 minutes at 425 (at the tail end of cooking the chicken).

The rice I cook according to directions on box and will take more or less the same amount of time as the asparagus.  Combine, serve, and enjoy!

For the vanilla custard, whisk together three eggs and 1/3 cup sugar and a pinch of salt.  On the stove heat 1 1/2 cups whole milk until just steaming.  Slowly whisk the milk into the egg mixture, and then whisk in one teaspoon vanilla extract.

In the meantime butter 3-cup souffle cup and then dust sugar over the butter.  Pour the mixture into the sugared cup.  Put the souffle cup into a pan and pour boiling water in the pan up to halfway of the cup.  Grate fresh nutmeg over the top of the souffle.  Put in the oven for 45 minutes at 325 degrees farenheit.  Take the custard out of the oven and let cool for thirty minutes.  Enjoy!

ladies who lunch

In my book ladies who lunch actually means ladies who work really, really hard during the work week and like to relax on the weekend by having lunch with some friends.  Given that, on Saturday I asked a couple girlfriends to come over and catch up, and I made them lunch in the process.

To set the mood for such an occasion, I like to take a visual sweep of my home.  Everything should be put away, and all surfaces should be clean.  Next up is creating the mood.  I do this by grabbing a couple bunches of flowers and putting them in various spots.  Never underestimate how much ambiance something like a simple bunch of tulips can add to a room.  I also like to light a nice candle or two and keep them out of the way - they can go in the guest bathroom, or maybe in the kitchen.

Next up is the food.  I always like to have a half hour or so to catch up with the girls before serving the actual meal.  To tide people over, I arrange an appetizer tray.  Not only does it look great, but it tastes great, too.  In this circumstance, I arranged some cheese, hummus, and two types of crackers on a marble lazy susan I got from Boxwoods here in Buckhead.

When serving food to guests, I try and be aware that many people are trying to watch what they eat, so rather than serve a big casserole I like to go lighter and give people options.  I ended up serving a French Mache salad mix tossed simply with olive oil and strawberry balsamic vinegar.  I then gave the girls a choice of putting the chicken salad or quinoa on top.  As a side, I offered sliced fruit tossed with honey and a little bit of cinnamon.  Honey and cinnamon are two food items I like to use often.  Honey tastes great, and cinnamon has excellent health properties.

We ended the meal sipping mimosas (dash of orange juice and a bit of prosecco with a cherry for garnish) and catching up.  All in all, a great Saturday!

Balcony Part I