For the past fifty years, Mrs. Betty Boven has made these delicious little muffins as a special treat for every guest who stays at her cottage on Lake Michigan.  One of these guests loved the muffins so much, that she begged for the secret recipe every time she visited.   After relentless pleading, Betty finally gave into my mother’s prayer and handed over the weathered recipe card. Despite my current infatuation, it took me quite a while to come around to these muffins.  Cursed by a British father, and his consequent fondness for all things bland, I am reluctant to try new things.  Particularly new things that list Raisin Bran cereal as the primary ingredient.  Once I had my first bite, I was hooked.  The plumped gooey raisins and rich bran flavor synchronize to create the perfect breakfast pastry.  And the aromatic blend of cinnamon, almond, and vanilla baking in your oven is sure to rouse even the crankiest night owl from his slumber.  The best part: the batter will last for a month in your refrigerator, which means that you can serve these muffins to all of your overnight guests – no matter how unexpected they may be…  xx tt

Once the second busiest transit terminal in the world, San Francisco’s Ferry Building is the ultimate destination for gourmand produce, blooms, and local delights.  The storied embarkation point, operated by the nonprofit Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture, attracts over 25,000 people weekly. The idyllic weather this weekend called for a visit to the open-air marketplace.  Armed with Blue Bottle coffees, my mother and I trolled the stalls – picking out peonies the size of grapefruits, lavender asparagus, and vegan olallieberry pie.  When I happened upon a vendor selling freshly-pulled herbs from his garden, the Barefoot Contessa’s Herb Roasted Salmon dish sprang to mind.  I selected crisp dill, scallions, and parsley, then ventured inside the Ferry Building to pick out a dry Chenin Blanc for the recipe. As I’ve mentioned before, salmon recipes are often a bit blasé.  In this case, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.  While I’ve roasted hundreds of chickens, I’ve never thought to roast salmon.  The tangy wine disappears into the pink flesh, and the aromatic herbs impart complex flavor.  You may be tempted to discard some of the herbs post-roast, but I assure you that the heap of emerald greens offer a mouth-watering fresh taste.   Serve one of the heavenly confections from Miette for dessert, and you will have a Ferry Building feast to remember!   xx tt

I have a confession to make.  I belong to a book club.  Before you get carried away by visions of over-coiffed biddies expounding endlessly on the works of Austen and Tolstoy, let me explain.   What began as a traditional literary club has developed into an amalgamation of cooking club/wine club/social club/dance-party club, and most recently travel club.  When one of our members graciously offered to host a weekend at her family’s St. Helena home, we all knew that it was a proposition we couldn’t refuse. Inspired by the wilds and wonders of the St. Helena countryside, I concocted a signature cocktail for the mini-vacation.  We headed deep into the hills of the Napa Valley to a remote piece of land where wild turkeys run free and – gasp – there is no cell reception.  To compliment the rustic scenery, I chose Woodford Reserve bourbon as my base, and added freshly muddled lemon with a hint of honey.  The combination flattered the smoky bourbon, without the overpowering saccharine taste omnipresent in sugary mixed drinks.   The cocktail was perfect for the balmy spring evening.  We sipped, gossiped, devoured, and dissected our book underneath dimly lit paper lanterns in the middle of a sprawling vineyard.  My Sweet Bourbon was such a success that we will be adding yet another designation to our ever-evolving group: mixology club.  xx tt

Operatic in her stateliness, intoxicating in her sexuality, and entrepreneurial in her politics, I have recently become utterly enthralled with Cleopatra.  My obsession began with Cleopatra: A Life, the latest from Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff.  The biography endeavors to dispel the myths surrounding the captivating Queen of the Nile.  Schiff’s version of the storied queen is more nuanced than Liz Taylor’s decadent portrayal, and more compelling than Shakespeare’s tragic depiction.  Tellingly, the author surmises that Cleopatra had as “great a capacity for work as for play and rarely distinguished between the two.”  A girl after my own heart.                                     In perusing articles about my newly-anointed favorite, I came across tales of Cleopatra’s affinity for honey.  Under their famous femme, the Egyptians deemed honey the ultimate gift to proffer at the feet of the Gods.  So too did Cleo’s on-again off-again paramour, Caesar, consider the “liquid gold” a priceless commodity during his Roman reign.  And I’m sure its glittering metallic hue is no accident. In order to pay my respects to the dulcet antiquity, while satisfying my hunger for all things Cleopatra, I concocted a recipe befitting the Queen: honey cinnamon ice cream.  The dessert is equal parts sweet and spicy, much like Cleopatra herself. The spicy cinnamon marries deliciously with the floral tones of the wild honey.  To complement the intensity, I employed a custard base, which provide a rich and velvety texture.  The resulting ice cream is scrumptious enough to satisfy even the most discerning of royal palates.  I suspect that the illustrious Queen herself would have relished a mischievous spoonful (or two) between milk baths and empire devastation.  xx tt

I culminate the Table + Teaspoon Toolbox trilogy with the “Wishlist” - those undeniably unnecessary, yet deliriously lovely delights that one can’t help but covet.  Whether you enjoy the art of grilling or a spot of afternoon tea, there is something lust-worthy here for everyone.  xx tt

Yesterday, I brought you my list of Absolute Essentials for your kitchen.  Today, we delve into the depths of Perfect Accessories - those items that you can do without, but add an air of je ne sais quoi to your culinary masterpieces.  xx tt

I spent this morning daydreaming in delicious anticipation of Paris Fashion Week, which begins today.  French women are universally considered the paragons of style, and rightly so.  I’ve often attempted to decipher what it is that uniquely shapes their brand of chic.  It seems that rather than snapping up every mind-bending (and later regrettable) trend that bops down the runway, they are renowned for owning a few investment pieces.  Parisians know how to rewear these mini-collections with artfulness so divine as to be truly masterful – tying a knot just so and adding an accessory du jour to make the look au courant. In truth, more skill is required to procure timeless standouts rather than mega-trends.  It was the ultimate in French and in fashion, Coco Chanel, who popularized the ultimate essential - “la petite robe noire,” or “the little black dress.”  She created nothing less than a pervasive and perennial frenzy for a frock that can go anywhere and always be the chicest dress in the room. The pinnacle of LBDs is, without a doubt, Audrey Hepburn’s Givenchy from the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.  Audrey’s style in the film has been reproduced by chic women for decades, precisely because it encapsulates essential dressing.  Of this phenomenon, the legend herself once said: “My look is attainable.  Women can look like Audrey Hepburn by flipping out their hair, buying the large sunglasses and the little sleeveless dresses.”  But how does one translate this fundamental accessibility to the realm of culinary pursuits? The methodology required for building a stylish wardrobe and building a kitchen toolbox have much in common.  First, acquire the essentials necessary on a fundamental level.  Second, add accessories that delight, inspire, and fascinate.  And finally, the dream wish list – so called because every item is neither required, practical, nor affordable, but will elevate your delights, whether sartorial or culinary, to that ne pas ultra of chic.  I will be posting my toolbox in sequence– today, we lay the foundation with “absolute essentials,” tomorrow we explore with the “perfect accessories,” and finally we aspire with “the wish list.”  While you certainly do not need all of these items to make a fantastic kitchen, the list is helpful for those starting out, adding to existing collections, or registering for upcoming nuptials!   xx tt

Dining alfresco – “in the fresh air” – is one of my favorite indulgences.  When offered the choice between two restaurants for dinner, I’ll undoubtedly pick the one with courtyard seating.  And when an insouciantly early summer arrived in California this month, I decided that serving dinner alfresco would be the perfect homage to the gorgeous weather. Former W editrix and Vogue writer, Jessica Kerwin Jenkins, explains alfresco etiquette in her book, Encyclopedia of the Exquisite.  Jessica states that the custom of alfresco began with the Roman Empire, where “average citizens celebrated festivals under giant tents, in imitation of the nomadic kings of the East, who traveled in sprawling tented cities.”  The tradition carried over to the French, who enjoyed fetes champetres in Tuileries by the Seine with exacting formality.   The alfresco craze finally made it to America in the 1920’s, when the New York Times observed that, “every New Yorker, and every stranger in New York who can possibly make it is trying to [dine] on some roof somewhere, somehow.”                                                    Photograph courtesy of Domino magazine I carried on the opulent ritual in my own backyard, pairing a steak and arugula salad with a refreshingly floral Fisher Vineyards rose.  I was surprised by how light and crisp this salad was, given the heavy combination of grilled meat, peppery arugula, and parmigiano reggiano.  Somehow the lemon and Dijon managed to fuse the rich flavors together to produce the most scrumptious summer salad.   Though the weather took a turn toward winter today, I will keep this recipe on hand for the next time the sun pops its illustrious head through the rolling San Francisco fog.  xx tt

Salmon is a fish drenched in indelible mysticism.  Legend has it that an adventurous salmon once fell into the Irish Well of Wisdom, and in doing so gained all of the knowledge in the whole entire world.  Apparently, anyone who eats the lauded fish gains its knowledge.  After learning of this fancy secret power, I felt honored to serve the fish at a recent going away party. Unimpressed by the taste of plain salmon, I decided to whip up a marinade that would also serve as a garnishment after the fish was grilled.  Ingeniously tasty, this simple marinade turns boring salmon into bite-sized portions of heaven.  The tangy fusion of Dijon mustard with soy sauce and wasabi is mellowed perfectly by the addition of sweet honey.  The icing on the cake – the marinade took less than five minutes to prepare, and the entire dish was done in half an hour.  In fact, this fish was so easy to cook that I nearly forgot about my disastrous first attempt at making salmon… Circa 2005, I had just moved into my first San Francisco apartment in the Marina District, directly across from A16 restaurant (one of my all-time favorites).  Feeling quite grown-up, I was determined to throw my mother a birthday dinner party.  I invited all of her friends, bought beautiful floral arrangements, borrowed an extra dining table so that everyone would fit in my tiny one-bedroom, and set a menu of butter lettuce salad, baked salmon with parmesan asparagus, and a chocolate cake from Miette.  I was completely clueless as to how to bake salmon, so I called mom for advice.  She suggested that I wrap the salmon in foil with butter, parsley, and lemon and pop it in the oven for twenty minutes.  Unfortunately, she didn’t suggest that I place the foil-wrapped salmon on a baking sheet.  As the salmon baked, the butter melted and pooled in the bottom of the oven – creating dense black smoke that filled the entire apartment building and triggered the fire alarm.  By the time my mother and her friends arrived, they were kindly greeted by several members of the San Francisco Fire Department, who (luckily) found my cooking snafu hilarious.  Needless to say, I’ve come a long way in the kitchen.  And I credit this transformation entirely to all of the knowledgeable magic salmon I’ve eaten since!  xx tt