Holidayz

With passport in hand, this morning I left at the crack of pre-dawn, when most normal people are happily REM-ing – for two weeks to see family in New Zealand.  I was supposed to be stopping for a few days to see friends in Napa but what with Hurricane Sandy doing her darndest to ruin my trip, after changing my flights only had a 6hr layover in San Francisco before flying out to LAX and on to home.  I made good use of my time and high tailed it on BART to Tartine Bakery where I had heard their croissants were legendary.

Believe the hype.

Flakey buttery, dense croissant with superb Four Barrel coffee.  All I can say is thanks Tartine for making it impossible for me to enjoy another croissant ever again…like flying business class it’s impossible to go back to coach.

Pickled

I used to hate pickles on my burgers and then I tasted fried pickled red onion rings and my opinion of them went 180….so I went over to my friend Sierra’s house (it’s hard to believe that she and her boyfriend live in Brooklyn with such a well stocked garden) with the intention of pickling onions and peppers.  I think I sliced two onions and then I got swept away with some rum concoctions her boyfriend was plying me with and I just sat back and took photos.

Sierra in her amazing garden

#nofilter

bees!

simple recipe adapted from Momofuku

simple ingredients

with the exception of the onion, all of this was out of their garden – amazing!

go Sierra go!

after chopping my onions I was thirsty…

filler up

layering

Jace getting ready to do some bee stuff

oh boy – how good are these going to be!

so pretty!

all my hard work…well Sierra’s really

Blooming Hill Farm Visit

So last week it was my birthday and this joyously collided with Diner Journal’s Farm Dinner (which will be featured in the upcoming Fall issue) at Guy Jones’s farm  – Blooming Hill - Blooming Grove, NY.  It was a short hour and half trip from NY and a welcome break from August in general – I’m doing Capsule NY this year! everyone at work seems to be taking holidays that I’ve helped fill in for! it’s been real muggy!

Anyway, I was supposed to be working, but that was done by the chefs and Diner Journal staff.  So I pretty much poured myself a beer on arrival and did my best to munch my way through the bounty of peaches that were overflowing and took about a million photos.  Seriously, it was difficult editing it down to even this many!

We ate amazing food, we drank fantastic wine, we camped and we snuck through fields to swim in the neighbours pool around midnight, we sang around a camp fire and had doughnuts for breakfast.  Pretty much a perfect night away from home.

packing the essentials…

gps I love you

boxes ready for packing up produce

i loved the ‘legal’ part of this notice

barn decoration

mmmmmmmm

punch list

eggs!

nature!

whaaattt?

word

rules

hunting for frogs

Fay working that babydoll

the bridge on the way to our tent

cooking dinner

marinating the lamb

charring the veg

Frank getting the oven ready for the flatbread

carts!

where do i sign up?!

beer makes the work go faster – fact

menu for the evening

stenciling

Becky’s steady hand

setting up

edible centre pieces are my favourite

best (pre-birthday) dinner EVER

and home again…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Backing a Winner

Sheesh, it’s been three weeks since I last posted…oof that’s poor form! Can I explain that a stream of friends from years ago and what feels like other lifetimes ago have been visiting and it’s been amazing if not extremely distracting…I will now commence regular living.  With that, may I introduce you to This Must Be the Place which was the art space that allowed me to shoot my SS12 lookbook for free.  The old adage of there not being such a thing as a free lunch was exempt in this instance.  T.M.B.T.P is run by Diner Journal and they are doing a Kickstarter project to keep the space alive and free for creative ventures.  They have some great rewards up which include good karma, dream catchers, guitar lessons, cyclops drawings, Breton bags and extravagant dinners.  Check out their project HERE and be a part of something great!

Gah, I can’t figure out how to embed their video so you can check it out.  You’ll just have to look at the screenshot, be intrigued and click my link above.

Eat Your Greens – ah Okay!

If only…photography by Wendy van Santen

Happy Turkey Day!

Oh man, I think of all the American Holidays Thanksgiving is my favourite.  I love eating turkey and cranberry, sweet potatoes and pies oh, I love the pies…There is one other thing I love a lot, actually I just remembered there is two, one is exploding turkeys:

The second is the series of the “Crazy Target Lady” ads.  hilarious! click through and watch Tips 1-5

 

Side Projects

As I am one of three people I know who has knowledge of how to use a sewing machine, I’m often asked to make/alter/design anything that will pass through my Singer sewing machine.  If I have the time or if it’ll add to my skill set I take on the job.

My most recently completed project was designing some aprons for new restaurant Whitehall opening (tomorrow!) in the West Village.  Brian Mcgrory came to me with a very definite idea in mind of the classic chefs apron but with a twist. Final cut they are Olive Green full length with criss-cross shoulder straps and antique brass hardware, available soon on their website.  Watch this space!

Hey James, nice apron!

Whitehall, NY

Gorgeous airy and simple space

Classic morning read...

Love the subway tiles and charcoal grout

 

All photos by Evan Sung for Vogue.com

TAcos

Nothing says summer to me more than bikerides/beach and tacos.  Combine all three and you have a day made in heaven! I’m planning a trip out to Far Rockaway this week with some buddies to do just that.  Selby puts it beautifully with this video:

Check, Please!

I’ve had a few friends open restaurants in the past couple of years and having sewing skills I find myself doing related jobs. I made slip covers to keep dust off racks of polished wine glasses at The Monday Room.  I’ve re-covered vintage chair seat pads at Highlands Restaurant in tartan which nearly drove me crazy ensuring the stripes were straight and square, denim aprons at Mary Queen of Scots and most recently check presenters for Colonie.  They had some leather left over from their banquets and asked me to come up with a simple, classic design.  I based it off of a checkbook cover and then fashioned around 13 or so in similar tones from a big bag of scraps straight from the upholsterer.  As a side note, I also really enjoy making things from something that would otherwise be thrown away.

These restaurant side projects I do are not usually things you’d really pay attention to or notice but receiving the bill at the end of the meal (especially if you eat and drink like me and my friends) is hard to miss.  Cue Krista Garcia of Metromix,  who wrote an article on restaurants making that chunk of change disappearing all the sweeter with inventive and smart check presenters.  Cigar boxes, vintage books, fortune telling fish, family photos and me! Read the full article HERE

photo by Donny Tsang

Cheesy

I was on the way back from the post office today and found what will be my new favourite place that mercifully is only like 8 blocks from my house – Tuffet built out from an old beauty salon. They just posted on FB a video from one of their purveyors, Salvatore Brooklyn.  Which I know after I watched it I was lusting for.  Check it out: