My reputation as a food blogger often precedes me.  Which should be a wonderful thing, except that it comes with the ubiquitous expectation that I can whip up something magical at a moment’s notice.   This was the case when a recent overnight guest spent a significant portion of dinner telling everyone at the table how excited he was for the gourmet breakfast that I was going to make for him in...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I. The bourbon aficionado in me was delighted to stumble upon this square decanter at Pottery Barn.  I paired it with my black and white tool-set to create a makeshift bar atop my coffee table.   II.  I created another paper runnerfor Thanksgiving - perfect for multiple messy courses and multiple...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I.  I am hosting my family, another family, and two of my brother’s friends for Thanksgiving this week.  Here’s a sneak peak of the menu!  For dessert I am making a cake version of my whoopie pies (see below) with dulce de leche filling.  Wish me luck! II.  My latest acquisition for my apartment: a ...

“Another reason, another season for making whoopee…”  Or if you aren’t making whoopee, at least you can seek comfort in the sweet decadence of whoopie pies.  For those of you who aren’t whoopie pie savants, the dessert is comprised of vanilla frosting sandwiched between two chocolate cake-like cookies.  Think Oreo with a softer shell and even more delicious cream filling. Admittedly, I’ve never...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I.  The creative minds behind Williams Sonoma’s latest venture Mark & Graham brings you these stylish placemats that double as both menus and placecards!  II.  Crowned the “new queen of the doughnut scene” by the editor of Food and Wine Magazine, you can now find Dynamo Donutson the Marina Green...

On the topic of keeping parties lively, Charles Dickens suggests that we “fan the sinking flame of hilarity with the wing of friendship; and pass the rosy wine.”  This notion might be accurate if your friends aren’t vulnerable to spilling their rosy wine all over your lavish table runners.Ages ago, when I threw my first dinner parties (the ones where I served Domino’s) my tablecloth was a...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I.  Please donate to the Red Cross so that they can help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  And please remember that climate change is real when heading to the voting booth on Tuesday! II. I picked up these beautiful glass bubblesfrom CB2 this weekend. They are a steal at less than five dollars a...

“Now my life is sweet like cinnamon…  I finally found you,” Lana Del Ray croons on her latest track Radio.  The scintillating pop-tart’s lyric simultaneously sets my heart a-flutter and inspires an intense hankering for cinnamon.  I first heard the song while making an impromptu lunch for my mom. Mom is in the midst of an overwhelming renovation, and I wanted to surprise her with a leisurely...