There is no easier way to entertain than hosting a weekend brunch. On Sunday we had family visiting from Cleveland and because I wanted to enjoy our time together rather than spending it darting in and out of the kitchen, I kept everything incredibly simple. I made these scones (adding the zest of a lemon … Continue reading Sunday Brunch
Cooking
Farmers Market Friday: Part II
Last weekend at the farmers market, the sweetest elderly gentleman was selling white fish he had caught and filleted the day before. He was much too cute to refuse, so I purchased four fillets along with green beans and corn from another stand and brought it all home for that night's dinner. After dredging the … Continue reading Farmers Market Friday: Part II
Fourth Favorites
How can it possibly almost be the Fourth of July? Wasn't I just writing about what to bring and what to wear to a Memorial Day picnic? The Fourth to me is the essence of summer - abundant sunshine, strappy sundresses and sandals, cold drinks, simple barbecue fare, sparklers, bonfires, family, and friends. And nothing … Continue reading Fourth Favorites
Farmers Market Friday
This morning I made a quick trip to the Lake Bluff Farmers Market and could not resist snapping a few photos. I, without fail, spend every bit of cash I have on hand whenever I go. From the fresh squeezed lemonade/limeade stand. I can't wait to put some of these in an omelette. This is … Continue reading Farmers Market Friday
Beautiful Bolognese
Last evening (in the name of carb loading - and a massive craving) I made a classic bolognese in the 92 degree heat. Simmering sauce for two hours in an old house with suboptimal air conditioning may seem like a questionable choice, but I was determined. Sauteing onions and garlic. Best. Smell. Ever. Softening the … Continue reading Beautiful Bolognese
Cast Iron Cooking
I love cooking in cast iron and have used my Le Creuset dutch oven to make everything from slow-braised osso buco to thick, rich bolognese. The problem is that my trusty little pot, while still in great shape, is too small to hold dinner for a crowd. So I was thrilled to find this beauty … Continue reading Cast Iron Cooking
Memorial Day Picnic
cashmere sweater, $188 Melissa Odabash striped bathing suit, $190 7 For All Mankind low rise short shorts, $180 Aubin Wills canvas tote bag, $110 Wicker Picnic Basket, $350 click on image for links to recipes and photos
dining al fresco
This spectacular weather has me ready to move it outside. Who's in? click on each image for photo credits and recipes
What to Make: In Season
Cooking is one of my great passions, so when the local farmers markets open in late spring, I am over the moon. Meals are prepared throughout fall and winter from cookbooks and recipes I have collected over the years, but these are happily abandoned during the warmer months when I love to pick up the … Continue reading What to Make: In Season
Anatomy of a Dinner Party
I am sitting at the dining room table with my favorite cookbooks strewn about and Martha's Entertaining open wide, taunting with gorgeous tablescape imagery. As I plan the menu for a dinner we are hosting next weekend, I am thinking not only of the ingredients for my dishes, but also of the ones that comprise … Continue reading Anatomy of a Dinner Party
the aesthete and the dilettante 