t a i l o r t a s t e

f l i c k r f r i d a y f o t o *

2009-11-13T09:26:00.002-06:00

Last Days of Autumn, originally uploaded by bredlo.

I'm so into Airstreams. My dad is about to retire after 30 years at the same place, + he jokes he will leave his apartment in Bklyn, buy an airstream + sail off into America with his border collie Tobey. I love airstreams and this blog Airstream Pilot is all about them.

g o u r mette - swiss chard + sweet potato gratin from smitten kitchen

2009-11-12T16:39:00.001-06:00

Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin

Serves 12
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 pounds Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and both cut into 1-inch pieces

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups heavy cream or whole milk

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons flour

2 pounds medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds

1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) coarsely grated Gruyére cheese

Prep greens: Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a wide 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add chard stems, pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to moderately high and add chard leaves by large handfuls, stirring, until all greens are wilted. Season with salt and pepper then transfer greens to a colander to drain well and press out liquid with back of a large spoon.

Make sauce: Combine cream or milk and garlic in small saucepan; bring to simmer; keep warm. Melt two tablespoons butter in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, whisking, one minute, then slowly whisk in warm cream/milk and boil, whisking, one minute. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Assemble gratin: Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter deep 9×13 baking dish. Spread half of sweet potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, a quarter of the herbs and a 1/4 cup of the cheese. Distribute half of the greens mixture over the cheese, then sprinkle salt, pepper, a quarter of the herbs and 1/4 cup of the cheese over it. Pour half of bechamel sauce over the first two layers then continue with the remaining sweet potatoes, more salt, pepper, herbs and cheese and then the remaining greens, salt, pepper and herbs. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the gratin, pressing the vegetables slightly to ensure that they are as submerged as possible. Sprinkle with the last 1/4 cup of cheese.
Bake gratin for about 1 hour until golden and bubbly, and most of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

h a p p y b i r t h d a y to the prettiest princess

2009-11-12T10:48:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Madame Kelly.

(Image via Google Archives)

n i f t i e gifties - christmas cutie ornament

2009-11-11T05:24:00.000-06:00

Stumbled across this Etsy designer + am in love with this little farm girl. Only $34 for a real work of art. And just read the description:

For those of us who love rural life, or long for it... Joanna has a 4.5 inch wood and wire doll body which has been needle felted with white wool leggings and a yellow wool top. She has a gathered cotton skirt in an orange print, a straw hat, and sturdy brown farm shoes. She has dark brown wool hair gathered in a ponytail. Her features were drawn with colored pencil. She carries her favorite young goose Tiffy. Tiffy is an inch or so long, needle felted out of wool over a pipe cleaner frame with stitched eyes.

g o u r mette - tastebudtart recipe for cocktail party empanadas

2009-11-10T09:02:00.001-06:00

If you're having a party this holiday season this is a recipe to consider - it's a crowd pleaser, it's vegetarian friendly, not lacking in flavor (I think I popped about 12 in my mouth at a recent party) + guess who came up with it? Tastebud Tart! She's a little package of sass + class + really good healthy food + she's sharing a few recipes with you my dear readers, this holiday season. Locals can find her at Midtown Global Market cooking for her business or managing a slew of kiddies at Wee Wednesdays (p.s. on Wee Wednesdays head to Manny's Tortas: kid get one free).

BBQ Black Bean Empanadas - Yields about 36 empanadas (with leftover filling for burritos!)

Filling:

1 pkg prepared dried black beans or 2 cans drained

1 medium onion

olive oil

2T cumin

1/2C prepared BBQ sauce

sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

s+p to taste

coat bottom of heavy, deep skillet with oil
caramelize onions in oil until soft, and browned
add cumin and saute for 1 minute
add black beans and stir to incorporate
add BBQ sauce, reduce to simmer and allow to heat thru
remove from heat, add cheese if using and stir until melted
adjust seasoning as needed

Pastry: This is really just a pie crust. You could also use puff pastry, rolled thin or frozen empanada dough found in a latino mercado (although, these will likely contain lard).

4-5 Tbsp. ice water, plus more as needed

¾ tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

¾ tsp. salt

9 Tbsp. (4 ½ oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse to blend. Add the butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal; there should be no pieces of butter bigger than a large pea.

With the motor running on dough setting, slowly add the water-vinegar mixture, processing just until the dough forms a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a wooden board or clean countertop, and gather it, massaging and pressing, until it just holds together. Shape it into a ball, and press it into a disk about 1 ½ inches thick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and then press it a bit more. Refrigerate the wrapped dough for at least 2 hours. (Dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw it in refrigerator overnight before using.) Before rolling it out, allow the dough to soften slightly at room temperature.

Assembly: (about 25 minutes) Use a small, round cookie cutter (2in works well for appetizers) to make rounds place a teaspoon of filling onto pastry - dip your finger into some cold water and run around the edge fo the pastry. Fold pastry over and seal edges, then crimp with a fork or raviloi wheel - place on baking sheet - brush all with an egg wash (1 egg + 2T water) Bake at 400˚ until golden brown.

f a s h i o n passion - lizzie

2009-11-10T07:42:00.000-06:00

I love Liz Claiborne's newest ad campaign. So very suburban-chic.

p l a y l i s t by sprout.mn's founder: meg

2009-11-09T06:27:00.005-06:00

She is one of those people you just like on the spot. I met her while picking up our CSA awhile back, and have since found her to be a real person, full of genuine kindness + great advice. She is a writer, mother of 21/2 (dog being the '1/2'), environess + co-founder of Sprout.mn with a team of family + friends who are all cut from the same sanguine cloth.

Here is her playlist, full of a variety of tunage that I have already blipped + added to my iTunes library. Check out Sprout.mn when you have time... I love how she includes a song from the "Sweet Land" soundtrack, a wonderful movie filmed in the great state of Minnesota. The prairie footage alone is a cinematographer's dream.

Us - Brother Ali

I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

I Miss You - Bjork

This Is Not a Test - She & Him

Bye Bye Blackbird - Rickie Lee Jones

How Deep Is Your Love - The Bird and the Bee

Their Pie- Mark Orton (from Sweet Land soundtrack—must see movie)

Gettin' up - q - tip

Believe - the bravery

n i f t i e gifties - momofuku for me?

2009-11-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

I want this cookbook. Momofuku is a delectable treat for Asian food lovers in NYC. What a pretty cover as well. Perfect gift.

f l i c k r f r i d a y f o t o *

2009-11-06T07:17:00.003-06:00

Crowd for the parade for the 1996 New York Yankees, originally uploaded by Moncrief Speaks.

Wish I could be there for the parade... I love my Yankees. Did you know they have a rule of no facial hair or long hair on players? Clean-cut = winning style. Have a great wknd!

f a s h i o n passion - felisi

2009-11-05T09:44:00.000-06:00

Felisi... via Andreasmurkudis... I'm speaking Italian fashion. The Euros know their luggage. This is the weekender from Felisi's last collection + the canvas with leather stitch makes me cry with glee. Their newest one ain't bad either.

g o u r mette - local restaurant: KINGS

2009-11-05T05:05:00.003-06:00

Had a great night last wknd, one of our stops included Kings for a snack and a glass of vino. They have an interesting menu, with lots of comfort foods, and some new takes on old faves: Tater Tots gourmet style anyone?

What about the Roasted Beet Salad for $6.95: Mississippi greens served with goat cheese, spicy almonds,raisins, and beets tossed in balsamic vinaigrette. I don't know why Mississippi makes better greens but I'm sold. The wine list is excellent with some interesting Portuguese whites.

All in all, a lovely place to stop in, and the sleek black bar is gorgeous + the menu, original.

n i f t i e gifties - doodles of doodles

2009-11-04T09:21:00.001-06:00

This is Snapper. He is our beloved Labradoodle. L.M.N.O.P helped me to get the perfect gift for my hub this year. Check it out. The best part is she really communicated with me about it, and I got a proof first before the final product. Great gift for an animal lover.

b a b e magnet - stella for gap kids

2009-11-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

STELLA! Loving this collection so much. This St. Pepper's jacket is so going on the Christmas list. No lonely hearts here.

If I still lived in New York, tonight I'd be heading to... Lovely Day

2009-11-03T16:51:00.000-06:00

Lovely Day is serving up Thai food Laura Ashley style in NoLiTa. Yep. That's what I said. Reports are the salmon is amazing. Can't wait for my next trip to Manhattan. It'll be loooovely. (Image via NYMag)

b a b e magnet - science is cool

2009-11-03T05:00:00.000-06:00

Creative Mama, the site you need to bookmark right now. It's science-y projects from stuff you already have in your pantry - promise. The Creative Mama is Elizabeth, a mother of three with an undergraduate degree in Art and a master’s degree in science. She’s full of amazing kid friendly art projects, science experiments, recipes and more. Check out this Solar Pizza Oven:

f a s h i o n passion - L.L. Bean Signature

2009-11-02T18:58:00.001-06:00

I keep hearing from friends in New York about this cool event announcing the L.L. Bean signature line launching March 2010. Growing up, L.L. Bean was my mom + dad's go-to brand for all things: luggage, sweater + shoe-oriented, not to mention outdoor gear. Check out the info here. I'm so stoked. And some of the event pics.

p l a y l i s t by livesavvy

2009-11-02T05:45:00.000-06:00

do you livesavvy? shayla boger does... check out her playlist... + her gorgeous headbands. Rumor has it she is adding more to her site for sale so stay tuned.

life is better - q. tip

p.y.t. - michael j

i got love for you - michael franti

i shall be released - b. dylan

krishna love - mc yogi

phoenix rise - maxwell

b a b e magnet - bébé babble collection debut

2009-11-02T05:40:00.000-06:00

Cheerful wrap dresses + bright prints, immersed in bold textile patterns, velveteens + 100% cottons, this collection is full of sunny, modish designs - yup, bébé babble's debut collection is here.
And it's stunning. Click here for the shop.

h e a r t h + home - make a toast

2009-11-01T16:48:00.000-06:00

I think I may be late to the game but I just discovered toast + I want to shout from the rooftops: "I'm in love! I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!" (think Will Ferrel in Elf). Look at those red shoes! And that towel!

This is total perfection in a catalogue/ online shop. It's everything I like, and more stuff I didn't know that I like, but now I do.

t r a v e l s

2009-11-01T06:25:00.001-06:00

Festvåg, Lofoten, originally uploaded by eivindf.

Festvåg, Lofoten. This is it. This is where our next exploration will be. My hub records a show called "World's Coastlines" on some public HD channel we get in the 400s. I have no idea what it's called, the channel that is.

There was an episode recently where they went from the British coast to the Arctic Circle and it was stunning up here on Norway's Lofoten Isles. I had never even heard of them before this. The show is basically a guy in a camera in a helicopter. There are others of inland areas all over the world as well. We watched one on Provence last week. C'est bonne.

f l i c k r f r i d a y f o t o *

2009-10-30T08:30:00.001-05:00

My Pumpkin Display, originally uploaded by Michelle in Ireland.

f a s h i o n passion - clark's desert trek series

2009-10-29T11:05:00.001-05:00

The Desert Trek series in Beeswax. I'm a Clark's fan. Big time. These are the latest addition to my collection. Only get better the more worn they are. A classic, that - at $100 - will probably last 30 years.

n i f t i e gifties/b a b e magnet: Solvej Swings (pronounced sool-vay)

2009-10-28T08:55:00.055-05:00

MATIERE, New Zealand, the birthplace of the Solvej Swing, is seen here in this quaint lush photo. Coming out of this small village in New Zealand, Solvej (rhymes with pool-day) Swings are the highest quality, eco-friendly swings we could find after an arduous search online and off. We began the swing search because we did not want an unsightly rubbery, plastic swing in the front of our home. We found little options otherwise, until we stumbled upon Solvej. After purchasing our swing, which we seriously love, we began to form a relationship with the people behind Solvej, Jenny + Thomas. After talking with Jenny quite a bit about design, they decided to add natural tone canvas to the range. We are beyond excited to debut Solvej as a TT endorsed product. Visit their shop.

MATIERE, originally uploaded by OHURA art. New Zealand.

The organic line, which is in a gorgeous white fabric, is $88 US. A true steal. This wooden, canvas swing is washable, movable and safe. Made with love by people who really pay attention to detail. They also make several other models for all ages and needs.

Jenny and Thomas, met in Western Australia in 1986. As a cabinetmaker and craft teacher, Thomas built his own workshop in a former church in village. During a visit to friends they discovered that Solvej, their then 5-month-old daughter, loved swinging. Not being able to find a swing they liked on the market (most of them unattractive + molded plastic) they made her a wooden + canvas swing of their own design. Thomas was inspired to create a swing for their daughter Solvej, by traditional baby swings of the past, using new technology to make the swing more durable. Click here for more technical info.

From there Solvej Swings has grown and is still growing. Each swing is carefully crafted for safety for your child and the earth. Solvej makes several different swings for all ages, even a special needs one, and they come in multiple colors + fabrics. The materials are all sturdy, aesthetically pleasing and good for the environment.

We hope you get one, and love it as much as we do. The coolest thing about these swings, aside from their being washable, is that you can bring it inside for wintry months. I'm loving my green one outdoors and we have the white one (pictured) in my office so my little one can happily swing inside as the Minnesota winter hits.

What I'm Listening to... U.S. Royalty

2009-10-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

U.S. Royalty "Every Summer" Music Video from Luke Adams on Vimeo.

h e a r t h + home - inspiration

2009-10-26T22:03:00.002-05:00

just found a ton of old pics, looks like domino, can't tell... thought you would enjoy browsing.