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sunday night i made curried lentils with sweet potatoes and swiss chard, a recipe published by the new york times. it got raving reviews on the homefront – my husband couldn’t stop talking about it and there was even an encore performance tonight a la leftovers. if i’d known how good it would turn out, i would have taken a photo. therefore, i’ve borrowed one from smittenkitchen, who clearly echos my sentiments.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, then minced
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth as needed
2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 pound Swiss chard, center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/3 cup finely chopped tamari almonds, for garnish (optional)
1/4 cup chopped scallions, for garnish.
1. In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeño. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
2. Stir in 4 cups broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. (If lentils seem dry, add up to 1 cup stock, as needed.) Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes total.
3. Just before serving, stir in cilantro, lime zest and juice. Spoon into a large, shallow serving dish. Garnish with almonds if desired and scallions.
Yield: 8 to 10 side-dish servings; 6 main-course servings.
“you are what you eat” is a series of portraits documenting the content of refrigerators in homes across america. each fridge is photographed as is. below are contrasting refrigerators – one belonging to a bartender, the other a middle school teacher (both from san antonio). i’ll let you match up.
images from jen bekman gallery
elana nazzaro’s illustrations are delightful. not only is her website, french toast girl filled with wonderful imagery and charming entries, the meaning of the name is insightful. life, like french toast, is comprised of simple ingredients, when combined make up a marvelous concoction we often take for granted. she’s right, we need to lap up the sweetness of life. with this thought in mind, i start my weekend.
the food of thy soul is light and space; feed it then on light and space. but the food of thy body is champagne and oysters; feed it then on champagne and oysters; and so shall it merit a joyful resurrection, if there is any to be.
photo from katee.wordpress.com
grindhaus lands in red hook, brooklyn this fall. being able to order some little bitches off the menu is reason enough to dine there. those are mini corn dogs in case you’re wondering. if the food is half as feisty as the owner’s blog, that makes 2 reasons to go.
photo de apartment therapy.
last weekend was my first exploration of the catskills. we want to buy a getaway spot and this was our initial trip to get the lay of the land. first impressions: stunning scenery (often reminiscent of california), kind people, tremendous food (more on that later) and good vibes all around. we stayed at a wonderful b&b called breathe inn. from the impecable design to the delicious breakfast to the owner’s adorable kids, it was welcoming and inspirational.
when we first arrived in phoenicia, we ate at sweet sue’s. i had the “carrot cake” pancakes and made the mistake of ordering 2 cakes (1 was plenty). while waiting for my meal, i flipped through edible hudson valley and noticed a feature on the owner of peekamoose, a restaurant in big indian. i didn’t think much of it until a shopkeeper on main street recommended it – and later the owner of breathe inn just assumed we would eat there. nevertheless, i have already claimed peekamoose my favorite restaurant. we dined in the tap room, soaking in the cozy atmosphere, with the rain gently falling outside. we were unable to enjoy the best feature, however: the rain prohibited us from roasting marshmallows on the pit in front. you can bet i will be back to do that.
the teepee at breathe inn:
breathe inn decor:
pancake menu at sweet sue’s:
the perfect house (with a red door):
the bar at peekamoose:
easy, it’s not what you think. this past spring, i came across bubble and squeak on a menu. unsure what it was and too embarrassed to ask, i left the restaurant wondering. a british food glossary in a recent dwell magazine issue set me straight. here is the short list:
-bubble and squeak: leftover cooked veggies + meat pan-fried w/ mashed potatoes
-knickerbocker glory: ice-cream sundae in a milkshake glass
-piccalilli: chutneylike condiment made of chopped vegetables
-singing binnies: flour, milk + lard blended into dough + griddle-fried like pancakes
-spotted dick: steamed suet pudding containing dry fruit
no doubt you could pick up a can at myers of keswick on hudson street in nyc.
i love sunset magazine’s summer twist on rootbeer floats. their suggestions like coffee ice cream + cream soda and vanilla frozen yogurt + sparkling berry juice make me want to create my own concoctions. here are a few ideas:
peanut butter ice cream + grape soda
neapolitan ice cream + ginger ale
strawberry sorbet + prosecco
the smallest and sweetest strawberries! the rest, and no less delicious, are courtesy of the borough hall farmers market. my husband has put so much time and energy into making our background a beautiful space. it’s filled with flowers, herbs and even a few edibles (check out the cuke!) when you realize the market is closed and you forgot to buy parsley, the solution is right outside.
absolut stud
September 13, 2009 in commentary, food + wine, media, nostalgia | 1 comment
growing up, my bedroom’s pastel wallpaper was covered in magazine tears – kate moss and marky mark interwined in a calvin klein ad, cute boys from details magazine and a slew of absolut vodka ads. i love the graphic wit of the ads, such as absolut marilyn, featured on a grate with its “skirt” blowing up, or absolut manhattan, with central park shaped like the bottle. i even used to try to come up with ideas for ads, which hadn’t been produced. i recently stumbled across the iconic bottle, wrapped in leather and studs (by designer natalia brilli) for their special rock edition. naturally, vodka and rock and roll make quite a nice pair. after all these years, the product and campaign remains creative, current and cool.
image from luxuo.com