Pate de fruit

Stumbled upon the food blog Cannelle et Vanille today. Beautiful. I don't even know what pate de fruit is, but I want some. Looks a bit like Turkish Delight.

I have some new Tahitian vanilla beans that are begging for attention. Last summer I was a bit obsessed by combining vanilla and tomatoes. Oh yes, that was the summer of making homemade tomato paste. Six pounds of tomatoes reduced to a tiny dollop of paste. As it turns out, that tomato paste is actually considered healthier than the summer tomato itself. Rather disconcerting.

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Breaking News. . .

Proof that Girls are Evil.

Julidarling just posted this on Twitter. I have no information about the origins, nor do I have time to investigate. But it's funny and some of the comments on the site also incite a chuckle.
juliedarling Good morning! here's something to start the day off. Proof that girls are evil http://tinyurl.com/2rc5l about 1 hour ago

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Les Indiennes

So Haute! did a post on Les Indiennes recently and I fell in love with the fabric.



Not sure if it goes to well with an early American home, but I might find some fun application for it. A bedroom? I think that if I ever lived in another life, it would have been a fabric designer. I found out today that my friends John and Joe carry some if the Les Indiennes linens in their store, River. I am always intrigued by fabric. Even when it's absurd to me. Take Romo; I love it, but do we live in the same world?

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Chocolate on my mind

Stumbled upon Christopher Elbow chocolates today. He has chocotiques in Kansas City and San Fran in addition to an online presence. I know this photo is uninspiring, but hey, it's what I could get.



I'm pretty serious about dark chocolate. Don't eat much of it, but I love good quality bites. For my West coast buddies, I often order from Fran's Chocolates in Seattle. Carbon footprint etc. She infuses her chocolate truffles with the most wonderful and imaginative flavors. Grey salt, oolong tea. She totally inspired me at Christmas this past year, particularly after Mark Bittman of the NYTimes posted a video dispelling the complications of making truffles. As worst baker of the new century, I was shocked that I could do it.


I often buy these Burdick chocolates for friends on the East coast. There are stores in Cambridge and Northampton Mass. Love the mice. Some New Yorkers don't find this gift amusing.

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Yum

Looks like dinner has been decided. Spotted this on Food Porn Daily and knew that the two giant shrimp in my freezer had met their match.

I don't have any dill on hand, but I have an amazing cache of chervil. I'll pair the shrimp with some green beans from my garden and a bit of South African sauvignon blanc in the fridge. There are 2 mangoes begging for my attention, but I can't help them today. I want coriander with them. I should be writing about the amazing dishes in St. Barts, but the details are overwhelming. I think I'm better off living today rather than yesterday. So. If I attempt to replicate any of those recipes, I'll post, but I am NOT going to do a fancy pants post on a restaurant's menu that costs a zillion dollars.

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Carafe in a cozy

Stumbled upon the website of Eva Solo, a Danish design team with both clean lines and fun aesthetic.

I love these carafes. Or perhaps I love the idea of the idea of a carafe in a jacket, more specifically a carafe clothed in a colorful jacket. Would the red get along with a hunk of pink watermelon?

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Farmer's Market morning

There was a special kid's area at the Farmer's Market this morning. A portion of the proceeds went to Darfur. I was expecting the usual, uninspired chocolate chip cookies . . . . But nope.




These are very cool kids. One had made the strawberry leather above. She described the process will much more detail than I expected. Very serious kids. Another one had these elaborately wrapped, professional looking cakes. Ten year-old Kathryn described her Lemon LuLu cake as a dense and lemony. And I love everything lemon. She even has a tag (with Martha Stewart logo on the back) with her name and phone number on it. I am bringing it to a brunch tomorrow and I will leave Kathryn's tag on the cake and will not pass it off as my own.

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HARO -- Everyone's an Expert at Something

The uber-connnected Perter Shankman sent out the plea that follows.

"Get Sourced. Get Quoted. Get Famous: www.helpareporter.com - Putting Journalists and Sources together, one quote at a time."

I've been following for a while and have used it for product placement with the company I represent. And, I've passed his queries on to my peeps when it seems fitting. Warning: don't get addicted.

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Pandora -- no skipping allowed

My wonderful friends at Pandora sent me an announcement about downloading= the new Pandora app for the Iphone. It's great BUT . . .


a) it's a serious drain on the battery; b) it only allows 6 skips per hour (what's the point of that?) It will probably be out of power in an hour and isn't instant gratification the whole point?; c) when in use, the phone doesn't ring. It is a phone. Back to the drawing board I'd say.

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New Find: The Elemental Garden

Connecticut Cottages & Gardens featured a short piece about OV3Design and gave a major mention to The Elemental Garden in Woodbury, CT.




I must visit the shop in Woodbury. Great town, great antiques but not a summer place to visit. Although, a bit of antiquing and a visit to the Mayflower Inn doesn't sound too difficult. These finials are pretty captivating, as finials go.

This red table would be great as is almost anything red and iron.

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Jotting from my Iphone

I frequently call my home voicemail to remind myself to do things that I know I'll forget to do. Use your imagination. . . . The problem is, well, I don't often check my home voicemail. So I was delighted to find Jott on the new APP Store on the new 2.0 screen, in the "featured"section (as I was driving on 95 the other day). Not good, I know this.

It looks like a voice recorder but then sends my message to me via email. Just tap the screen and record your message. For example, I told myself to write a note to Lori and an email arrived later in the evening and told me "Write note to Lory. " Note its creative spelling. You can also send yourself text messages, but if you're a new 3g Iphone owner, you will now be charged for data, unlike the earlier version.

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2008 National Shed Week U.K.

I've been thinking about building a shed for the lawn mower stowed in my upper lawn. For quite some time. Last week, when I was otherwise occupied with catching up with life after being away for the weekend, people in the U.K. were celebrating National Shed Week. Check out the Shed Blog to read of all things shed. The two photographs above are of a shed I drive by frequently and one I'm quite fond of.

Note the detail at the roof on this simple structure. This could be quite nice.




I like the shape of this one, but the arbor makes it look tiny. Maybe it's just the angle of the photograph.



I like this simple understated shed. Although I adore the color, it might be fun to paint it a bright color. But I'm not sure. Design comes first.



I admire this shed, but it is perhaps a bit too grand for my little yard and, for my purpose.

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Farmers Market in August Bon Appetit Mag

The August 2008 issue of Bon Appetit has an article on the Farmer's Market at Ashlawn Farm by frequent visitor Dorie Greenspan. The photograph at the top is of Chip about 200 years ago. He was certain I would -- like every one else -- include pictures of the children or Carol. So there Chip!




In the article, Summer House Cooking, Dorie writes:

Me, I pinch myself every week. I also thank Carol and Chip Dahlke, the geniuses behind the market, every time I see them. May their names be enshrined in the Connecticut Good Neighbors Hall of Fame forever.

I couldn't agree more. We are so lucky to have the cafe during the week when the farm is quiet, but willing to share the weekend with visitors.

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Too much Edith Wharton -- Never

I am flabbergasted. I have been reading a Wharton book in bed titled " A Son at the Front". It is so moving and about my favorite war (in terms of literature).

While in St Barts a couple of weeks back I bought a book of short stories by Wharton. She is so darn relevant that it shocks me. I wanted to grab the person next to me on the plane and read to her/him. How cool was she?????? It's my downstairs and in the car book.

The Mount, Edith Wharton's home in the Berkshires has been suffering from -- what do I know --bad financial management and a not-so-good economy. I hope they make it. She is a literary and decorative inspiration. I suppose I am a person of other eras.

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Naughty color hollyhocks

Finally. I have found a house/garden -- or is it an attitude -- conducive to growing hollyhocks. And isn't she lovely?

I call her Astrid my Myla girl. Love this color. Delicate, but not frail. She stands up to the world. Quite like eVA in Wall-E, the wonderful movie I saw last night with my friends Charlie and Addie. Wall-E! Wall-E!

We sure could use some rain. . . .

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New Iphone images should be more exciting

Heck, it comes in Ipod white and black. There will be some great new features. Not ones that I care too much about. But Sleep Wait button! I like this idea. While in sleep/wait, the phone can ring, but other things are dormant

No accidental phoning! No jaw calls! No cheek calls. Thank you Apple. I am so excited. Somewhat distracted by what my current phone should do for the rest of its life. I have never devoted the care that I have given to any person or pet that I have spent on my Iphone. Real love. And I get it back.

So what do I do with the old phone???????

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