Monday, April 29, 2013

L.A. (part two)

For the rest of our time in L.A., we had lunch at Lucques, which was amazing.  It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Olives & Almonds:


Menu:


Friday, April 26, 2013

Arizona wedding

I'm going to an old friend's wedding in Phoenix this weekend and wearing something like the outfit below.  I don't think I'll need either the sweater or scarf as a cover-up seeing as it's supposed to be 94 on Saturday, but this Oregon-girl can't imagine it not getting cold at night.

Arizona wedding



DKNY black top
stylebop.com


Zara wedge heels
zara.com


Cashmere shawl
$300 - black.co.uk


J crew hat
jcrew.com

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Bastille - Pompeii

I discovered this band through Dooce, another one, and am loving them.  Bastille are an English indie-rock band from London, originally a solo project formed by Dan Smith, but later expanded to a quartet.



I have been rocking out to both of these songs for the last week or so, and they're going on the permanent up-lifting playlist.

Pompeii:


Flaws:


Image via.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Roasted Sausages with Red Grapes

This recipe is called Roasted Sausages with Red Grapes, but I like to think of it as Orangette wins again.  It seems a little random, but it's so good.  Especially with potato/celery root puree and roasted broccoli.  This is a bit of a winter-time meal, but maybe you can sneak it in one more time before the weather turns for good, or save it for next winter.  I made this with some German venison beer sausage from the my dad's deer last fall, but Orangette advises that you can make this with any mild flavored chicken or pork sausage.



To make the potato/celery root puree, it's just like mashed potatoes, but with the addition of celery root.  You just peel and chop the celery root, and add it to the boiling water with the potatoes.  Once tender, drain, mash, and add milk/butter/salt/pepper to taste.  We also tend to just roast broccoli at 425 for 10-15 minutes, with some olive oil, salt/pepper, and maybe coriander, like this recipe, only without shrimp.

Also, this recipe scales easily.  I think I usually make it with 6 sausages, or whatever comes in a pack, and then just eat leftovers for lunches, or depending on how many people you're feeding for dinner.

Roasted Sausages with Red Grapes, originally from Orangette:

2 sausages
1/2 lb red seedless grapes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt

Preheat the oven to 475.  Brown the sausages on the stovetop, turning once, for about 4 minutes per side, or 8 total.  While the sausages are cooking, rinse and de-stem the grapes.
Once browned, place the sausages in a baking dish, dump the grapes on top, and sprinkle the olive oil over. Bake the dish for 25 minutes in your hot oven, turning the sausages once after about 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven, place the sausages aside, and dump the grapes and any juices into a small saucepan. Season with a pinch of salt and then cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the juices are syrupy.  Remove from heat, stir in the vinegar, and then pour over the sausages.


Thursday, April 18, 2013

Butterscotch Budino & L.A. (part one)

My sister made this delicious butterscotch budino a couple weeks ago for Sunday night family dinner.  I flew in from S.F. that night, and so didn't help at all, but it was so good I thought I should post it anyway.  It's a pretty famous recipe, from Nancy Silverton of La Brea Bakery and Mozza fame, and it made the blog rounds a couple of years ago.  I think you can stumble upon the recipe relatively easily via google, but I linked to the James Beard Foundation version, because of anyone I think you can trust them to get it right.

Megan's version:


It's made up of a butterscotch pudding, then a salted caramel layer, and finally whipped cream on top.  Actually, I take that back, I did help!  After dinner I helped make the salted caramel and the whipped cream.  I just didn't help with the pudding.  Also, Megan skipped the rosemary-pine nut cookies, in order to make it more manageable, and while we didn't miss them that night, Megs and I had them when we went to Pizzeria Mozza in L.A., and they were delicious.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

MS MR - Hurricane

Another new song, courtesy of 94/7 fm Nation perks, Slice of New Music Heaven.  The band is called MS MR, and their album "Secondhand Rapture" comes out May 14th, although their EP from last year is the source of "Hurricane."



Described by Pitchfork as "the shadowy New York City MS MR take a little of the "Video Games" (Lana Del Rey) singer's drama, and pair it with Polica's gritty side, along with a stroke of All Saints poutiness."  Full disclosure, their original video (not below, but what you'll find if you search for it) gives me a headache, with the mass of constantly flickering images, and their official video below is weird.  However, go ahead and grab the audio from the 94/7 website, since it's no longer available in exchange for your email at MS MR's site.



Image via.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Style Spotlight: Mary Kate Steinmiller

Not to be mistaken for the other fashion-famous Mary Kate, I have long been a fan of Mary Kate Steinmiller and her street style.  She's the Fashion Market Editor at Teen Vogue and is featured often on The Sartorialist.  I love that you'll see her re-wear pieces, plus I think she does the perfect job of classic but with an edge or unexpected element.  If you want to peek into her closet, she's also been featured on The Coveteur.


{The Sartorialist}


{The Sartorialist}

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

He's My Brother, She's My Sister - Same Old Ground

I found this band through a great Spotify album, the Don't Mess with Texas: SXSW 2013 New Music Sampler (Spotify playlist below). It's perfect for me and a source of some good new stuff.






He's My Brother, She's My Sister is an L.A. band, originally formed by actual brother-sister duo Robert and Rachel Kolar, but now consists of five members.  I think it particularly resonates because my brother Danny will sometimes say, "She's my sister" in this funny voice, and I love it.  Their first full-length album came out back in October 2012, but they had an EP come out back in 2010.  They're also currently touring.



Photo via.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Warm Farro Salad

Orangette is pretty much fool-proof in my opinion, and this recipe was no exception.  I needed a quick dinner one night, and this was perfect.  I didn't have any escarole or radicchio in the house, but arugula substituted nicely.



I also made the Sauce Gribiche from her blog (the Chez Panisse, not Zuni Cafe version) to go over cold, blanched asparagus at my dear friend's baby shower in San Francisco, but didn't manage a grab a picture.  It was delicious (of course) and highly complimented, so while asparagus are still in season go out and do it!



Warm Farro Salad with Chickpeas, Feta, and Spicy Dressing (from Orangette):

I used the Trader Joe's 10-minute farro, and it was delicious.

Farro:
1 cup farro
1/2 tsp. salt

Dressing:
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 Tbsp. lime juice
2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar
6-8 Tbsp. water, to taste
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Thai chile, thinly sliced (or 1 tsp. sambal oelek)

Salad:
Chickpeas
Arugula
Carrots, sliced into rounds
Feta, coarsely crumbled

Cook your farro.  Either soaking and boiling, or just boiling depending on type.  Drain and set aside.

Combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, water, garlic, and chile (or sambal) in a bowl.  Whisk well.  Taste and adjust as you like.

For a single portion, assemble salad with 1/2 cup farro, a handful of arugula, and 1 carrot (sliced).  Top with feta and then drizzle a tablespoon or so of dressing.  Toss, taste for balance and seasoning, adjust if necessary, and eat!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Southern California Bound

My sister and I are headed to L.A. and then Palm Springs for a long weekend, and this is what I'm looking forward to wearing.  Lots of J. Crew, as always it seems.  My sister, mom, and Steph all chipped in to buy me those old J. Crew glitter sandals off eBay for my birthday this year, and I cannot wait to wear them in the sunshine of southern California!

LA/PSP


Print dress
nordstrom.com


J Crew j crew
jcrew.com


Stretch skinny jeans
factory.jcrew.com


J Crew j crew
jcrew.com


Old navy bikini
oldnavy.gap.com


J.crew sandals
jcrew.com


J Crew j crew
jcrew.com


Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Ivan & Alyosha - Running for Cover

I found this band through dooce, who posts new music every so often.  They're great.  Their album "All the Times We Had" just came out in March, review here.



They've been touring, and I just missed them here in Portland - always such a bummer.  They are continuing to tour though, so hopefully you can catch them.

Running for Cover:


And another:
Easy to Love:


Picture via.
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