a lovely way to start off the week

Printed on a damask napkin, an old recipe for Irish soda bread, baked by Georgia O’Keeffe every day of her life. From Pilosale.

a wintry tasty vacation

Just got back from a mini vacation at mom and Mark’s house in Cleveland, where it snowed every day. The wintry weather was a perfect excuse to stay in and enjoy mom’s amazing food and beautifully set table. It was a much needed retreat.

home-made gravlox and pickles

baby spinach salad with persimmons, apples, tangerines, and raw almond slices

sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon, baked on top of puff pastry dough

bread plates and goblets

Bread plates and goblets are finished to add to the set of twelve swirl plates commissioned by a friend. Each one stamped with a number from my set of Caslon 540 lead type. I love the way glaze pools in the numbers.

a very merry

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CREDITS
photo no. 1: giftwrap by Agnethe and Asya
photo no. 2: giftwrap leftovers by Ezra and Nora
photos no. 3-4: puff pastry breadsticks from the The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts by The French Culinary Institute, made by Asya with a lot of complaining due to annoying complexity of the recipe. They turned out tasty.
photos no. 5-6: table setting by Agnethe, table cloth and napkins from Layla. Soup bowl, bread plate, votive from gleena.

set satisfaction: no. 5

I decided to create a place setting that will bring summer to any upcoming wintry gray day. Available on gleenashop.

swirl plates

Late last night I finally finished the set of swirl plates commissioned by my friend, unfortunately not in time to ship them to him for Thanksgiving. If only he lived in Providence!

My mom sent me the gorgeous linen tablecloth and napkins, so I couldn't resist setting the table for a mini photo shoot in my loft.

To see the plates in their "green" (dried but not fired) stage, click here.

simrin botanicals

I love the linen botanical napkins from Simrin, wouldn't they be lovely on a Thanksgiving dinner table? Available at burkedecor.com.

set satisfaction: no. 4

gleena platter decorated with a lovely fern watercolor by Cynthia Treen. And a roly poly bowl, with vintage butterfly. This set is now available on gleenashop.

lovely tablecloths and runners at burkedecor.com

Porter tablecloth by Unison

Surya tablecloth by Simrin

Nature tablecloth by Simrin

Tuxedo stripe runner by Chilewich

All these lovelies are available at burkedecor.com which offers free shipping on all orders above $50.

set satisfaction: No. 3

Set includes: butterfly platter in blue, large organic bowl, small organic bowl.

one more to add to the collection

Cynthia Treen finished another illustration for our plate collaboration. I love the delicacy of this fern, look at all the fine little thorns along the stem (click on an image for a larger view).

When I first saw it, I thought I needed to make an oval plate for it. But then I placed it on a round plate in Photoshop, and really love it. Centered? Off to the side? Two ferns? Three little ferns? What do you think?

fern plates and dessert bowls

Fern plates are out of the kiln, with the lovely illustrations by Cynthia Treen. Both Cynthia and I are mighty pleased.

sunday suppers: best birthday gift from mom

All photographs are by Karen Mordechai, courtesy of Sunday Suppers

Sunday Suppers is a sensory cooking and dining experience organized by two ingenious women, Casey Solomon and Karen Mordechai. Casey runs a catering business, Karen is a photographer, together they host a cooking class and a sit-down dinner where every single detail is beautifully considered and arranged which Karen beautifully documents on their blog.



Aran Goyoaga, the talent behind the gorgeous blog Cannelle et Vanille, joined the team to demonstrate how to assemble a multi-layered Nectarine, Pistachio and Lemon Mascarpone Tart (a delicious ensemble of flavors and textures). See recipe here. Aran is a pastry chef, a food stylist, a photographer, and an inspiration. Aran recently finished her portfolio website, which is stunning.



For the berry consomme with lemon champagne sorbet I made pink rustic bowls, numbered 1 through 18 (the number of guests at the dinner) which set off Aran's creation beautifully.



The dinner took place in Karen's studio, with views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline. The light was gorgeous as it traveled through the afternoon.



It's the people who attended that made the event so incredible. I loved my conversation with Jessica and Evan, my neighbors at dinner. Jessica is the author of the blog Pictures of Cake. I highly recommend her Chocolate Peanut Butter creation.

Thank you, mom, for such a fulfilling, educational, delicious and inspirational birthday present.