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macaroni's nursery

We set up macaroni’s nursery recently. I wasn't sure whether I'd get the nesting instinct that every mom-to-be reads about, but last month it completely hit me - it felt almost primitive, much to my surprise.

Here's what we ended up getting.

Ikea sniglar crib ($69.99).

We like the simplicity and Scandinavian look of the crib, and the fact that it's natural, unpainted wood. It was also a great price (we chose to splurge instead on the baby's mattress).

Mike and I used to have this silk Persian rug in our bedroom, one of our first big purchases after we got married and moved into our new place. We always loved how whimsical it was—a motif including little kids holding hands and small animals—and it occurred to us that it would be perfect for a nursery. So we swapped the rugs in the two rooms, and now it’s macaroni’s. It’s also super soft because of the silk weave, so it’ll be nice to roll around on it with the baby.

We also picked up a dresser at ikea —the mandal—for $249. It's doubling as the changing table, and the white & birch combo goes well with the crib and keeps the room light and airy feeling.

We also added a small white bookcase for $99, made by sprout, a child’s furnishings company, and to top it all off, a white eames-style rocker from baxton studio for $70.

Anyway, those are the basics—the room is small so we had to keep it simple. As finishing touches we mounted some prints from Sharon Montrose @theanimalprintshop—she photographs live animals in her studio; isn't that cool? Her “little darlings” series is adorable, so we picked a simple elephant for above the crib, and a trio of baby giraffe, monkey, and lamb for above the changing pad. To save money, we bought just the prints (which start at a reasonable $25 for the 7”x11”) and had them mounted at this awesome one-hour framer called Faith Art Gallery in Brooklyn. This place is a revelation. Their work is great, super reasonably priced, and did I say: one hour?! It always puzzled me why framers would take like 6 weeks to complete a job.

You might think I bought benny, the mounted paper mache giraffe head, especially for the nursery, but actually this guy’s followed me around from apartment to apartment for the past few years. I wish I could say I found him at some flea market in paris, but actually i found him for $68 at anthropologie.

Finally, this mint green swing-arm lamp ($110) is from this cool company called onefortythree – check them out. Handmade and cool design, which is not always easy to find at these prices.

thanks to my wonderful friends who gifted macaroni all these great books and stuffed animals, [s]he truly feels loved.

not-gross pasteurized green juice

has anyone tried this? i've stopped drinking my customary green juice because everything on the market (as far as i'm aware) is unpastuerized, but i recently tried this, and it's pretty good!

admittedly, it's a little sweet for my taste (apple juice is clearly the main ingredient), but it has lots of stuff that is supposed to be good for pregnant women like folic acid and omega 3. it also comes in "orange" (orange and carrot juice base) and "purple" (apple and berry base). all three flavors are pretty good! the other nice thing is that they keep for like months w/out refrigeration. ok i'm starting to sound like a paid spokeswoman for this stuff, which i'm definitely not (just paid $4.50/bottle), so i'll stop there!

avo toast

Since i'm constantly snacking these days (i know the baby technically only weighs like, 5 ounces right now, but i'm still going to blame it on him/her, mmkay?), i realized that if i don't want to gain 100 pounds by the time this thing is over, i better start snacking smartly. Exhibit 1: avocado toast. I have no idea who invented this, but the first time I had it at cafe gitane it was a revelation. it's so easy to make too. mash up half an avocado with a few squirts of lemon and a pinch of salt, then spread on toast (you must toast the toast!, and i find that the grainier and heartier the bread, the better). Sprinkle with red chili flakes. For extra texture, lightly scatter some coarse sea salt, like maldon, on top. Voila.

the end of the earth (or at least, long island)

montauk lighthouse - at the furthest tip of long island

montauk brewing company - try the driftwood ale, their flagship brew, and get a half-growler or growler to take next door to...

st. peter's catch - between 11am and 2pm each day, get a 1 1/4 lb lobster meal with corn, coleslaw, steamed mussels, and these amazing roasted potatoes for $21.99.

we stayed near gosman's dock on the "harbor side" of montauk, which is a more laid-back alternative to the surf lodge and ruschmeyers party vibe further south. this part of montauk has a much more new england feel - kind of reminded of us bar harbor, maine - which we loved. (the ice cream shop on the dock even sold moose tracks ice cream, which we've only seen in maine!).

the most beautiful sunset in town at navy beach

navy beach on the other hand definitely feels more hamptons...oh well, they made me a good virgin mojito!

other montauk recs:

Crow's Nest - yummy seafood and a super cute outdoor area.

Joni's - healthy and organic wraps, juices, smoothes - great for lunch.

Fishbar - some of the best seared scallops we've ever had. thai curry mussels also great. on the lesser-trafficked east lake drive, worth checking out.

Harbor Raw Bar & Lounge - apparently hot new place in town. goop-approved (take this as you may!).

panzanella

aka italian bread salad! the bread is so filling that you won't even miss the meat, but this is also great alongside grilled chicken or steak.

to make the dressing, whisk together 1 minced garlic clove, a tsp of dried oregano, coarse salt (maldon is great) plus ground black pepper, a tsp of dijon mustard, and 2 parts olive oil to 1 part balsamic vinegar (or flip the ratios if you like it more vinegary like me!).

cut up a mix of heirloom tomatoes into small cubes, and toss together with basil chiffonade and thinly sliced red onions into the dressing.

cube some ciabatta or whatever day-old bread you have lying around. in fact this is a great way to use up stale bread.

toss everything together until well incorporated. pair with: what else, rosé, since that's basically synonymous with summer.

happy as a clam (spaghetti con le vongole)

the best part about this recipe (besides the fact that to me it screams summer) is that there are NO MEASUREMENTS - literally you just throw this stuff into a pan and mix it all up:

First, soak your clams in cold water so they spit up their grit. I like to rinse them twice and use a little brush to scrub them till they're clean and shiny. Here I used about 2 dozen cherrystone clams, but littlenecks also work well.

Next, mince up some garlic (the more the better!) and saute in olive oil in a large pan over med-high heat. When the garlic starts to turn golden and you feel like licking the pan because there is no better smell on earth than garlic frying in oil, douse with some (or a lot) of white wine (depending on how wet you want your sauce at the end of the day). If you want a little tartness, add the juice of a lemon plus some lemon zest. Lower to a simmer and cook it down for a minute or two. Then gently add your clams, a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes (I halved mine but you can also throw them in whole), and a bunch of red chili flakes, depending on how spicy you want it.

Put the lid on, and let the clams steam in the wine and their own lovely juices for about 5 - 8 minutes. They should open up (toss the ones that don't), and the meat should be slightly opaque but not too chewy. Then add your spaghetti, toss gently so the noodles are evenly coated (add some reserved pasta water if it feels too dry), and finish with a handful of chopped parsley to add some brightness. the result is a spicy, briny, light and summery pasta. also, the minerality of this dish begs for a pinot grigio. enjoy!

cà ri gà

"cà ri" is vietnamese for "curry." get it? just like the vietnamese word for coffee, "cà phê," comes from from the french word café, and - my personal favorite - pho mát derives from, you guessed it, fromage. Besides best capturing the sounds of the french words and being super adorable, the vietnamese adaptation must conform to strict rules of the vietnamese language, e.g. one syllable only, an o can never follow a u (only the other way around), etc. hence the adaptations you see above.

"gà" means chicken. no french origin i'm aware of there. the point of all this is nothing, really, other than to announce that i've resolved, in the new year, to return to my roots - the place where my love for cooking was honed, where a limply rolled spring roll elicited a verbal lashing and an unevenly julienned carrot meant instant elimination - my mother's kitchen. that is to say, i need to cook more vietnamese food. what prompted this, you ask? well, previously i'd have to trek to Chinatown to pick up the necessary provisions, but i recently discovered that the whole foods near my office carries stuff like lemongrass and even pho noodles! plus, it made me super sad to think that my family's traditional recipes, all of that precious institutional knowledge, might fade away from disuse. AND, some of it just tastes really good, so like why was our family of two not eating it more?!

case in point: this awesome chicken curry. i know, i know, it seems like every asian country has its own version of curry: pa nang, massaman, korean curry (does it have another name?)...but this one is hands down my favorite. though it's little known in the States, it's an example of how rich and diverse Vietnamese cuisine is - it's not all phở, people! true, i'm planning to do a pho post next, but i promise in the next few months to post a new, and perhaps unfamiliar, Vietnamese recipe a couple times a month. alright, let's get to it.

mix 3 tbsp curry powder, salt & pepper with like 1.5 - 2 lbs of cut up chicken (i like to use thighs, each cut up into two pieces). let sit for 30 min or whatever.

obliterate 3 stalks of lemongrass (i like to cut off the ends and remove the tough outer layer), 2 shallots, 4 garlic cloves, and a 2-inch piece of peeled ginger in a mini food processor (this is the MVP of my kitchen - pls get one if you haven't already!).

until it looks like this:

heat up 2 tbsp oil (i'm trying coconut oil for its purported health benefits) in a wide bottomed casserole, then fry the lemongrass mixture for 5 - 10 min until it softens and starts to take on a golden hue. it will smell amazing.

then dump the chicken in and sear it for like 10 min.

pour in some mixture of chicken broth, coconut water, or just plain water (your choice, i used all three), to cover by 2 inches or so + carrots cut into chunks + 2 more tbsp curry powder + 4 tbsp each fish sauce and sugar. bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 15 minutes.

and peeled yellow potatoes cut into chunks plus two cans of coconut milk YUMMM my favorite!!! Let simmer for like another 10 min or so, or until carrots and taters are al dente!

garnish with thai basil (this is so shameful but i used regular basil in a pinch - whole foods isn't quite there yet!). traditionally this is eaten with untoasted slices of baguette, or spooned over rice or vermicelli rice noodles, but i took a genius tip from Bun Ker and used naan or roti instead.

i hope you get to try this, i'm not joking it's so yummy. i've cooked lots of things in the 8+ years I've known my husband and he says this is his favorite, if that means anything to you. bon appetit.

wontons

my mom is ethnically chinese but grew up in vietnam, in a village about 4 hours south of saigon called soc trang. this meant that growing up, she made us dishes that were obviously vietnamese (pho), obviously chinese (sweet and sour pork), or totally ambiguous (crab stir fried in tamarind and chiles). this dish is a great example of her chinese repertoire, but i've simplified it into something you can literally throw together in an hour after along day at work. I swear!

the broth

fill a big pot with water, and drop in a large onion, peeled and quartered, a carrot cut into two or three sections, and some dried shrimp or squid if you have it, and some pieces of chicken (I like to use one or two chicken breast + leg quarters). bring it to a boil, then lower to a simmer.

the wontons

bring a pot of water to a boil. in a big mixing bowl, combine 1/2 lb ground pork, 1/2 lb chopped raw shrimp (1/2 inch pieces or so?), diced bamboo shoots (sold in cans in the asian section), diced water chestnuts (same, make the cubes bigger like i do if you want wontons with a distinctive crunch), minced cilantro, minced green onion, a beaten egg, 1 tbsp each of cornstarch/soy sauce/vinegar or cooking sherry, and 1 tsp each of sesame oil/salt/pepper.

mix it up good with your hands, don't be shy.

get another beaten egg and a big plate ready to assemble the wontons. spoon about a tsp of wonton filling into a wonton wrapper, use your finger to trace a faint wash of egg along half the edges, and fold over to seal into a triangle. press on it lightly to make sure all the air is out. i leave it like that, but some people like to create fancier shapes.

by now, your water should be boiling. gently drop in some wontons, being careful not to crowd them (you don't want them to stick together). when they float to the top, they're almost done. i'd say about 5 minutes. remove them with a mesh strainer thingy; set aside.

accoutrements

check out the chicken that's been cooking in your broth. when it looks cooked (maybe 15 - 20 minutes in?), remove it and let it cool. then remove and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces; set aside. i usually return the carcass back to the broth to further simmer.

boil some shrimp if you want.

assembly

in a bowl, place some cooked wontons, plus some shredded chicken and shrimp. spoon the broth over it. garnish with deep fried shallots (they sell these in jars or you can make your own), minced parsley and minced green onion. you can also season with soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and salt and pepper, but i think the broth is flavorful enough on its own that you don't need to. enjoy!

missing maine (from labor day week, last summer, on long pond in mt. desert isle, what's become our annual sojourn!)

a few weekends ago we spent the week upstate in rhinebeck, new york, and visited the FDR Museum and estate (highly recommended!) and the Culinary Institute of America campus. i picked up some goodies like this gnocchi board (and a potato ricer, not pictured) for my first attempt at making the little guys. it was a hoot!

we finally set up a bar in our place.

p.s. notice the kara walker print we bought at the annual IFPDA print fair in new york? it's our first real art purchase (!) by someone we've admired for years. this work is called "snared," an edition of 50 she created for her show last fall at the camden arts centre in the UK.

apple frangipane tart from the tartine bakery cookbook.

soft shell crab heaven

this is so simple that the pictures speak for themselves, i think:

short rib porcini mushroom lasagna

belated post from last year:

that was a mouthful.

when we reached florence, the second stop on our honeymoon, my husband dragged me to trattoria mario, a small but buzzing trattoria a hop and skip away from the statue of david at the galleria dell'accademie. for years he had raved about this place, discovered while backpacking through europe after college. it didn't disappoint. sometimes when i have a terrific meal, and don't return for many years, i wonder if i have overly romanticized it in my head, setting myself up for disappointment (but then i have a bit of the pizza at modern and think, nope! even better than i remembered). according to mike, this place was too.

conveniently, across from mario's is the florence's famous central market, filled with stalls upon stalls overflowing with italian goodies such as sundried tomatoes, cured meats, fresh and dried pasta, and my personal favorite, dried porcini mushrooms. everything you need to recreate all of this when you're back stateside.

whoops...i forgot to take a picture of the finished product before i ate this all. but trust me when i tell you it was good, and looked like something resembling this:

(photo from bonappetit.com)

caprese tower

No CSAs are convenient to our neck of Park Slope yet, so we recently started a "Farmers Pick - half share" subscription with a company called www.goodeggs.com, one of the few outfits out there that will actually deliver in Brooklyn (as opposed to making you pick it up, no small feat around here). Every Wednesday, for about $25, we come home to a box overflowing with a surprise selection of produce (seriously, we struggle to get through it each week) from a local upstate farm. This summer it's been a lot of heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, kale, chard, green beans, eggplant, and cranberry beans (any tips on how to cook these?). And sometimes an oddity. I pride myself on being able to identify just about any fruit or veggie in existence (being half Vietnamese, I was exposed to a lot of "exotic" Asian and tropical produce growing up), but was totally stumped by these:

turns out they're husk cherries - and they taste like candy! i could sit and eat them for hours; it's so satisfying to slip them out of their tissue paper shells and pop them in your mouth. the best part is, no pit! they sort of taste like cherries with a touch of mango, or something.

anyway, the delivery has really changed our eating habits - i'm often too lazy to pick out produce when i go grocery shopping, not to mention overwhelmed by the selection, so having someone essentially pick it out for you means all you have to do is find a way to prepare it, or - if all else fails - find yourself eating whole tomatoes at the sink, as if they were ripe peaches, like I did the other night when i realized they were all about to go bad.

in a slightly more creative effort to use up all those tomatoes, i made this quick caprese tower for lunch: just stack sliced tomatoes with sliced mozzarella, basil, and dress with pesto (if you have some on hand) or simply olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, and salt & pepper.

summer nicoise (or, how to use up your leftover CSA offerings)

for the waning days of summer (ok fine, I guess it's officially fall - i need to accept it), my twist on the classic nicoise:

green beans, cooked to a crisp (5 min in boiling water, then dump into an ice bath, drain)

baby red potatoes or yellow fingerlings (boil in salted water until soft but firm - don't overcook or you'll have mashed potatoes!)

sliced tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes

thinly sliced red onions

1 can white chunk tuna in olive oil

garnish with coarsely chopped parsley

capers (optional)

for the dressing, whisk together 1 parts lemon juice to 3 parts olive oil, a tsp of dijon mustard, a pinch of salt & pepper, and 1 tbsp oregano.

Toss everything together lightly and voila.

cauliflower a la joseph leonard

everybody needs a place where everybody knows their name...and they're always glad you came...

joseph leonard was that for me. now that i've decamped to stroller-ville (aka park slope, sans baby), i miss being able to pop in just around the corner from my apartment, sidle up to the bar and order a magdalena with a half dozen oysters and the [skate/pork hock/steak]. a nice thing about being a regular was the occasional gratis side dish or dessert. jl does a fantastic version of roasted cauliflower that my version doesn't hold a candle to, but it comes close enough for those days i can't make it back to my old stomping grounds.

step 1: toss cauliflower with olive oil + white vinegar + salt, roast at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

step 2: quick-pickle onions - heat 1/2 cup white vinegar and 2 tbsp sugar until sugar is dissolved, then add 1 tsp salt, pepper, cloves, and half a thin-sliced red onion; simmer for 10 minutes; drain. add pickled onions to roasted cauliflower.

step 3: mix in a vinaigrette (2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp white vinegar + 1 tsp dijon mustard + salt + pepper) and lightly toasted pine nuts (pignolis, if you get them from trader joe's like me!); toss and voila.

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