FarmHouseUrban

Weekend recap and the unexpected joys of unpacking

Hi lovelies. I hope you had a great week! This weekend I was housebound with two sick and super cranky teenagers. I spent most of it unpacking boxes and taking care of them while getting a slight case of cabin fever myself. Sure, it's rewarding to see the empty boxes pile up and the house start to feel like home, but after 48 hours of nothing but, I was getting a little crabby too. That is, until I opened the boxes marked 'cookbooks' that had remained unopened the entire time we were in the rental house.

As I started to go through boxes and put the books on the shelf, I realized I haven't cooked much this year... Not to mention how much I missed it and can't wait to delve back in. So, Saturday night I enjoyed a quiet evening with some Thai take-out, a beer and went through each one (well, a lot of them anyway).

Besides being inspired to cook again, it was a trip down memory lane as, there are a few books that have sentimental value attached to them.

The Zuni Cafe cookbook was a gift when I still lived in Seattle from my friend Julie - an amazing cook. It was fortituous that the next year I would be moving to San Francisco.  I still haven't been to Zuni yet! I know! 

If it were not for the pumpkin bread in the Tartine Bakery cookbook, I would not have met my friend Teri. We had just moved to California and I was at a neighbor's for coffee. She offered me a slice of this pumpkin bread and I had never tasted any as good. It was so ethereal, I had to get the recipe, but my neighbor received the bread as a gift and had no idea where the recipe came from.  One day at pick-up line at school, she pointed across the playground to the person who made it for her. A few days later, I was on a run and this person was running towards me. I stopped her and accosted her like Colombo asked her if she made the pumpkin bread that was given to my neighbor and she confirmed she had. We decided to finish our run that day together. From then on, she and I ran twice a week together for the next five years - mostly discussing food and cooking.  

She gave me the Tartine Cookbook for my birthday that year.

The Deen Brothers cookbook was the last gift I received from my father before he died last summer. He lived in Biloxi, Mississippi for the latter half of his life and always tried his best to tempt me to move there (or at least infuse my own life with some Southern goodness).  While I was looking through it last night, this note from him slipped out. Don't remember ever seeing it before... I miss you Daddy.

After all that, what to make for dinner tonight was on my mind when I went to sleep. Try something new or an old standby? I ended up going with an oldie but a goodie. Pasta Carbonara from "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking" by Marcella Hazan. No cream in this version - the only way in my opinion.

My photo doesn't do this dish justice. It's actually got a sauce that is on the bottom of the bowl - I just hadn't mixed it in yet.

I also roasted some beets and made a salad for me.

I'd love to get some recommendations! What is your favorite cookbook? Do tell!

Happy Monday!

pick-me-ups

With the holidays over and Spring still a few months away, I've been looking for new ways to boost the joy factor while getting through this stretch of long cold days. Thought I would share a few I've found, just in case you were in need of a pick-me-up too.

Home Cooking. I bought the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook "Foolproof" while I was in wine country for my birthday weekend in November and have already made a few things.

click here for a link to Amazon

As with her other books, the recipes are easy to follow, well tested and delicious.

This is the Chicken with Wild Mushrooms. I made potatoes for along side and a green salad with roasted beets. For the potatoes, I boiled Yukon Gold's (any new potatoes will do), drained them and then smashed them with the bottom of a small pot, then fried them quickly (hot pan) in a little olive oil to crisp on the outside. Sprinkled with coarse salt at the end. A glass of wine - Viognier in this case - was just perfect. 

Reading. I never seem to have enough time to catch up on current events. When a friend (a super smart, well read friend, I might add) highly recommended "The Week" I immediately subscribed. Each issue contains a summary of everything important that has happened that week. It's well written and concise - concise being the opperative word. I take it in my purse for those times I find myself waiting - grocery line, soccer practice, before an appointment, etc. 

 

To subscribe to The Week click here.

Music. Music is so evocotive. We have access to anything our hearts desire at any given moment, so a mental escape with some good music is always possible. In my car I listen to Sirius XM, at work we listen to Pandora and when I excercise I listen to my ipod. My playlists are getting old, so I've been finding new artists to mix in. Lately I'm gravitating to more mellow, emotionally charged songs for some reason... I discovered Mumford & Sons recently and fell in love with their their music. My favorite song, for your listening pleasure, below.

 

Shoes. I'm a girl, what can I say. My daughter Lily and I went to Santa Monica for the weekend to celebrate her 14th birthday right after Christmas. It was a shopping, star stalking, glitter manicure, power packed weekend. Other than a slight fainting spell at my 4th Abercrombie in 24 hours, a great time was had. One of the highlights (for me!) was going to the Ralph Lauren store. My favorite. We got there just as they were marking these down. I'm 5'10" in them! All I need now is the right occasion and of course, the perfect dress...

Click here for your own pair. Note: they are an additional 30% off the listed price!

I hope your week has something wonderful in it. 

An evening (or three) in wine country

Despite the fact that the Napa Valley is only about an hour away, I rarely attend evening events there.  It's just a little too far to make the wine + dark roads doable. That said, this past week there happened to be three occasions that I simply couldn't refuse. And they were on consecutive nights.  I know, poor me, right?

The first (and only that I took photos of) was at Scribe Winery in Sonoma.  I've been hearing so much about this place lately - not just the wine being amazing, but the setting/vibe sounded pretty cool too.

So on Thurs evening, my wine savvy friend Elizabeth (check out my post about her weekly wine picks here) and I drove up to attend a food and wine event which paired Scribe wines with food by Bar Tartine (San Francisco).

I'll let the photos tell the story...

For info on Scribe Winery click here.

The week in review

 

Wow, sorry for the radio silence.  It's been far too long since the last post and I feel way out of touch. Needless to say, things are hoppin' around here.  We (as in me and my new Assistant; Margaret who is AWESOME!!!) are busy getting the store Spring-ified, sourcing and designing the debut collection for the FarmHouseUrban Home Store online, working on several hefty design projects and... dare I say it... our house plans are...no, actually I won't.  I look forward to sharing all the details in the upcoming days and weeks, so please stay close by! If you care to subscribe to FarmHouseUrban and recieve every post in either your reader or inbox, you can do so by putting your email address in the box to the right.  ------------------------------------------>

Make sure to complete the process by opening the confirmation email that will arrive shorty thereafter. 

Anyway, onto the week's recap...

Despite the winter-like weather we had last weekend, our first seasonal market was a success!  A huge thank you to Jennifer of Sweet Life Bakery who provided a most delicious spread of breakfast pastries, artisan breads, cookies and cupcakes and the BEST almond croissant I have ever had this side of the Atlantic. 

My idea with the seasonal markets is to not only offer substantial discounts on items from the previous season, but also throw in some fun things that reflect the current season. So in keeping with the Spring theme, we set up a flower stand with fresh blooms for self-serve flower arranging.  I think just about everyone took home a big fat Spring bouquet!

Vintage pieces I've picked up at estate sales or antique fairs always seem to be the first to go. There are still a few pieces left, so I thought I'd share them with you. We ship anywhere in the US and Canada!

Red Wing urn. I believe it was a milk jug, but the seller had no knowledge of it's history. I originally thought I'd have it made into a lamp - wouldn't that be cool? But I love how the Cherry Blossom branches look in it, so I think I'll leave it as is.  These American made crocks look fantastic in a group or collection. Very FarmHouseUrban! Price $150.

Set of 8 vintage French linen napkins monogrammed with the initials "DH" or "HD". They are softened to perfection, creamy white and are absolutely lovely.  Price $50.

Blue Mason jars.  These are old! The date on one says November 30, 1858. Price $65 ea.

These old zinc buckets are from the Europe container sale that I went to a few weeks ago.  The small one sold, but the large and medium are still available! There are so many possible uses for these... They'd be great for kindling next to the fireplace, storage for rolled up towels in the bathroom, or a recepticle for cleaning products in the laundry room. Price $60 for the large and $50 for the medium.

Vintage ginger beer bottles from England.  I picked up a bunch of these awhile ago - I believe at Alameda.  The color combination is perfection. I have these two left.  As I took the picture I was thinking they would make great candle holders for an outside dining table. Picturing them with dark turquoise candles. mmm. Price $8/ea.

One of the highlights of the day was a visit from my BFF Cristine (the fashionista who I've been friends with for 20 years, who moved to St. Helena 2 years ago from Europe, whom I blog about often).  She brought her friend Heidi Godoff - my new friend too - who is also the designer/creator of the BFF bags that I blogged about here.  If Heidi's name sounds familiar, you may have read about her on the Remodelista blog.  She was one of the vendors for the Remodelista Market's in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

Heidi has a blog and kindly wrote about her visit to the store. To read Heidi's blog click here.  Thank goodness I happened to be wearing my BFF bag (made and designed by Heidi) that day!

Have a fabulous Monday everybody! The sunshine's shining here - yay!

Taking the Mystique Out of Selecting Wine

Selecting wine is not easy. I find that I usually rely on the staff recommendations at the grocery store or else I go with one of my standby favorites. When I want to try something different however, or I'm looking for a pairing with a particular dish or perhaps need something special to give as a gift, I'm usually stumped. 

Luckily for me (and now everyone else!) I've been able to call on my friend Elizabeth to help me pick a superb wine even when I'm just looking for an 'everyday' type of thing.

I'd like to introduce you to a new wine resource  ~ Elizabeth's List ~ a weekly offering of personal favorites chosen by someone well versed in the Northern California boutique wine community. Consider her like a girlfriend you can trust who truly knows wine and the winemakers behind them.

Let me first say that Elizabeth is not only my dear friend, Tuesday morning running partner, mother of three, Southern Belle and all around terrific peron, but she reeeaaallly knows wine.  I often call her from the store saying something like, "What should I get that goes with chicken strips?" or "We're grilling steaks, what's your recommendation?" and she always gets it right.

In her own words...

How did Elizabeth's List come about?

I have been in the wine business for 3 years selling boutique, small production wines to restaurants and wine bars in Marin and Sonoma County.  When I travel and go back east to see friends and family in the summer people were always asking about the wines that I was drinking, what the trends were.... how they could purchase some of these wines.  After two years of this I asked a wine sales web company who I worked with, Porthos, about doing my own web sales company.  They asked me to work with them...Elizabeth's List was then created.  

How does your relationship with Porthos benefit Elizabeth's List?

 

Porthos has been in business for 10 years and are first class.  They are the wine concierge for Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report and highly regarded in the wine community.  They taste over 10,000 wines a year.  So I have access to the small production farm to table wines that are so popular right now and then have access to all of their wines too....domestic and imports.  It is the best of the best.
No minimum order.  Porthos handles all the shipping, which is free on 6 or more bottles to anywhere in the US.  Tasting notes come with the wine as well as pairing recommendations.
Elizabeth's List offers a wine selection each week or two.  I feature a wine and tell a bit about the program.  Clicking the link to purchase takes you to check out.  Very easy and Porthos is super professional.

How do you select wines for Elizabeth's List?

I choose a wine by the following..... one that I have tasted and love, like the wine program and people, see that the wine is getting good press ( and agree with it), and from what great restaurants and wine bars are pouring  across the country.  

How can we find you and sign up for your weekly Elizabeth's List offers?

To sign up for my offers go to www.ElizabethsList.com  or e mail me at elizabeth@elizabethslist.com

A snippet of what a typical weekly offering delivered to your email (no cost) might look like... 

Happy weekend! I hope it invloves something nice to sip. A votre sante!

cool things

I'm on the train from DC to NYC, finishing this post. It's the first time I've had internet access since Thurs! I've just spent a few days with my darling grandparents at their home in McLean, VA where there is no wifi, salt or oil of any kind. If you happen to have an ache or pain, however, they've got you covered. So lucky to have them still...

Whenever I find something that makes my life easier, cleaner, or is delicious, creative or a great product or is even just an ok product, but the packaging is awesome, I like to share it.  I've got a sweet little list of things I think are cool that has been stacking up as of late. I hope you enjoy them too!

1. Apps. I recently found two apps that I adore.  They are perfect for the foodie and/or traveller.  The first is 'Chef's Feed' which lists the favorite dishes of the best chef's in top US cities and the restaurants that serve them.  The cities include; Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC, Philadelphia, SF, Seattle and Washington DC.  To get Chef's Feed, click here.  It's free!

A page from the San Francisco chef list.

The second app is a city guide from Gweneth Paltrow's newsletter goop. What I especially like about it, is that it maps all of her favorite picks - restaurants, home decor stores, 24-hour pharmacies, yoga centers, etc so that you can see what's nearby where ever you happen to be.  The app just came out in Dec 2011 so, the only city guide offered currently is NYC, but it looks like she will be adding London and LA soon. To get the goop app, click here.

2. Harry & David. During the holidays, we received a gift box from Harry & David. Having ordered from them several times, I think this was the first time we were recipients. When the box arrived, I was fully expecting their signature Riviera Pears, which would have been excellent, but instead it was an entire box of sweet treats!!!  

 

The packaging had me at hello. The sturdy box protected each individually wrapped treasure from crumbling or breaking. My favorite was the lemon poppyseed cake.  

Harry & David is located in Medford, OR.  They deliver a high quality product, packaged to perfection and I can't recommend them highly enough.  

3. Plastic Emeco chair. I was looking for a hard-working chair for a breakfast nook/kitchen project I'm working on and wanted to show my client the iconic and perennially cool 1008 Navy chair which first made it's appearance in 1944. When I went to the website I discovered a new version that I think is just brilliant....

In 2006 Coca-Cola approached Emeco to collaborate on a project to create a new version of the 1008 Navy chair made entirely out of plastic recycled Coke bottles. To be exact -111 recycled bottles per chair.  In May of 2010 they became available to purchase.

The company's commitment to providing long lasting products still holds true. The new 111 Navy Chair is available in six colors: Red, Snow, Flint Gray, Grass Green, Persimmon and Charcoal.  Snow, Flint and Red can be used outdoors.

To find out where 111 Navy Chairs are sold click here.

FarmHouseUrban Kitchen Classic - Black Bean & Chicken Chili

During college, I waited tables at a great little restaurant - sort of a 'gourmet pub' -  that served the most delicious chili. Before I left, I got the recipe from the chef, but the quantities could have fed a fraternity.  Over the years, I've tweaked the recipe, often basing the adaptations on what I had on hand when a chili hankering hit.

In preparation for the 49ers game, I'm making a pot.

Black Bean and Chicken Chili

4 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced to bite sized pieces

1/4 c canola oil

1 1/2 med yellow onions - small dice

4 garlic cloves minced

2 cans of black beans, drained (I use the no salt)

1 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce 

2 T chili powder (there is no spiciness, so don't worry)

1 T cumin

1/2 t cayenne pepper

Salt & Pepper

Serves 4-6

1.  Heat the oil on med high in a dutch oven. Put in the chicken.  Saute until cooked through.  Add a little salt and pepper to season.

2. Take the chicken out of the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pot.  Lower burner to medium heat. Add the onions. Saute a few minutes, then add the garlic.

3. Saute for 1 minute, then add the chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper.

4. Add chicken back to the pot, put in drained and rinsed beans and the tomato sauce.

5. Season with salt and pepper. Will vary depending on whether the beans and tomato sauce have salt.  If they don't, you will need to season heavily, but do it gradually as you can always add more salt, but not take it away.

6. Put lid on the dutch oven, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 30-45 mins. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.  Taste often. Add 1/4 c water if it looks dry.

Serve with grated cheddar cheese and sour cream.

While the chili was cooking, my daughter Lily and I did some baking. 

Lily made her world famous chocolate chip cookies (Toll House recipe :).

And I made cornbread and a salad.

There's nothing like spending the day in the kitchen when it's raining outside and everyone is home buzzing around.  

It's a going to be busy week... Wrapping up final details on two big projects before I leave for the East Coast on thurs - Northern VA to visit my grandparents for a couple of days, then up to nyc for the NYIGF.  Anyone else going??? 

New York City Visit: no sleep till

BROOKLYN! In the past few years, I've noticed many shops, restaurants and businesses popping up in Brooklyn.  I had to see for myself what all the buzz is about, so my friend and I spent a day exploring. We got a recommendation from our cool waiter the night before, to visit 'his neighborhood' - Williamsburg, so that was our first stop.

We loved finding this little gold mine of a cheese shop - The Bedford Cheese Shop.

In addition to the abundant cheese and salami selection, they also sell hand crafted chocolate - the perfect sweet treat to round out your impromptu Brooklyn picnic. This display of chocolate wrapped in a colorful palette of beautiful papers caught my eye immediately. It turns out the small company - Mast Brothers - is located right around the corner and is open to the public for tours of the chocolate making process.  We hoped to fit it in, but didn't have time. Next visit.

We ate lunch at a great place around the corner called 'Egg'. It was a recommendation from the guy at the cheese shop. Despite the name, I don't think there were any breakfast items on the menu. I took photos of the amazing sandwiches we had, but the photos looked like doo doo, so you'll just have to trust me!

The latter part of the day we walked around Park Slope.  We loved the neighborhood/family feel and great variety of restaurants and shops, stopping for a refreshment at, of all places, a gourmet beer shop.  If you look closely at the photo above, you might see why.

The photo below as well as this article listing this ice cream sandwich as one of the 10 best in ny area, is posted on the door. 

 

If you're into beer, this place will make you very, very happy!

Instead of taking the subway back to the city, we decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge.

On our way we passed a mall of sorts.  The stores are all converted shipping containers.

We were so enamored with Brooklyn, we came back on our last day to visit the Brooklyn Flea.  

If I wasn't going straight to the airport, here's what I would have picked up.

All this chaise needs is a little fabric love! It is practically the same as the one I have in the shop. Mine was also a flea market find.

I'm still thinking about that flag...

 Happy Happy New Year!

 

 

 

New York City Visit: Food

I have just two posts left on the nyc trip I took last month and can't end the year without getting them both in...so while they're not holiday, I hope you enjoy them just the same!

Why does everything taste so good in New York? Almost everywhere we ate was outstanding, except one horrible Italian place that, come to think of it, may not have even been a real restaurant... 

The shortened list of highlights include:

Accademia diVino - 1081 3rd Avenue. I've eaten at the one on the Upper West side too, and it's equally good. We shared a couple of salad/veggie dishes and the truffle pizza.  The crust is crisp like a flatbread - delicious. Great place if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

Buddakan - By the time we circled through this enormous space and were seated, I didn't care what the food tasted like. It is so spectacular, it was worth going just to see. Fortunately the food was delicious too. Our group was large, so we got to sit at (half of) this table.

Blue Ribbon - 97 Sullivan Street.  Small, quaint and open 4pm-4am.  The food and dining experience are always great, but this time in particular. I highly recommend the fried chicken-- and to share it!

Just a few blocks from where we stayed is the fantastic gourmet grocery Citarella -"The ultimate gourmet market". I was able to take three photos before they politely explained the 'no photos' policy. 

I'll be back in nyc in Jan.  Any recommendations?

 

 

It's cookie time!

The first cookie exchange party I attended was when my son (now 16) was in Kindergarten. This group of ladies took their cookies seriously! If delicious cookies presented Martha-style was not enough, the hostess decked out her castle-like house in over the top holiday decor creating a winter wonderland so beautiful it would make Ebeneezer Scrooge melt. Everyone brought a designated amount of cookies, allowing each guest to take home a equal amounts of everyone's contribution. The math involved must have been mind boggling! The best part of course, was coming home with a platter of the most divine holiday cookies. 

Moving from Seattle means I sadly no longer get to attend this event (actually no one does, the hostess moved to Florida...), but I got to thinking about it the other day and decided to ask a couple of my best baker girlfriends to contribute their favorite cookies to a virtual cookie party!

The first cookie on the table is from my friend Teri.  She is an extraordinary baker and I beg her constantly to grace the world with her talents and open a bakery!

Sugar Cookies topped with Frosting and Crushed Peppermint

If you are interested in the recipe, please email me and I will get it from Teri!

The table from a cookie party that Teri attended:

Next up is a cookie from my friend Vanessa who lives in Seattle and works for AllRecipes.com.  If you are not familiar with this website - you will LOVE it.  One of my favorite things about it is that readers can share their photos of the recipes they've tried.  

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

I love anything with almond flavor, so I can't wait to try these! For the recipe and the page with the readers photos of their version of the above cookie, click here. 

I also wanted to share a program AllRecipes has organized called Cookies Across America:

'Join Allrecipes this December to “bake a difference.”Cookie lovers unite! Whether it’s baking and sharing cookies with the needy or donating cookie ingredients to a food bank, you can make a difference in your community this Christmas.

On December 10, 2011, join Allrecipes, Taste of Home magazine, and Nestlé®, as we spread a little Christmas cookie cheer across America. Here are a few ways to get involved.

Host a Cookie Exchange

If you love baking cookies and gathering with friends and family, this is the event for you. Take the pledge and join us, December 10, 2011, or set your own date during December, and have everyone bring a few dozen of their favorite holiday cookies. Make it a decorating party! Add icing and festive touches. 

Then wrap up your cookies for donation and give them to a local food pantry, emergency shelter, senior center, lunch program, or other community agency. Be sure to check first they accept food donations, and ask when they would like delivery.

 

Organize a Food Drive

Host a food drive that focuses on baking ingredients, then donate items to your local food bank. Open up the food drive to friends, family, and coworkers, along with school, church, and other groups.

Ingredients Most in Need:

 

Flour

 

Peanut Butter

Shortening

White Sugar

Brown Sugar

Powdered Sugar

Vanilla

Baking Soda

Baking Powder

 

Where to Donate?

 

Food pantries, family shelters, senior centers

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

The Ronald McDonald House

 My contribution is a simple one, but sooo good.  

 

Classic Shortbread

FarmHouseUrban photos

Here's the recipe:

2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/4 t. coarse salt

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted, room temp butter

3/4 c. confectioner's sugar

1. Sift flour + salt into a bowl. Put butter into electric mixer w/ the paddle attachment/ Mix on med-high speed until fluffy (about 3-5 mins) scrapping the bowl occasionally. Gradually add sugar, beat until pale and fluffy (about 2 mins). Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

3. Using plastic wrap, press dough into a buttered 10-inch fluted tart pan w/ a removeable bottom. With plastic wrap on dough, refrigerate 20 mins. Remove plastic wrap. Cut a round from center using a 2 1/4" cookie cutter; discard. Put cutter back in center. Cut dough into 8 wedges (I did 16) w/ a paring knife. Using a wooden skewer; prick all over at 1/4 inch intervals.

4. Bake until golden brown and firm in center; about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack. Recut shortbread into wedges; let cool completely in pan. 

This recipe is from my all-time favorite cookie cookbook - 'Martha Stewart's Cookies'.

I love this book for two reasons:

1.  In the table of contents there is a photo of every single cookie in the book.

2. They are organized in chapters based on cookie texture; ie, crumbly and sandy (shortbread above), rich and dense, and crisp and crunchy, just to name a few.  

I hope you enjoy the cookies, and if you care to share in the recipe swap, email me a photo and recipe of your creation and I'll post it.

Thank you Teri and Vanessa! xo

Have a great Monday everyone!