A weekend of friends, meeting new people, family, food, fun, a solid workout, and quality couch time. After the super-busy week, I stayed in on Friday night to recover, then up early on Saturday for a long and much-needed workout. Saturday was First Saturday brunch with the beach house ladies at DuMont, followed by lingering at Walter Foods for much of the late afternoon/early evening, full of great conversation, hearty laughter, and meeting new people along the way. Sunday started with Mexican brunch with Mom & Stephen (mmm, chilaquiles!), then a wine tasting at City Winery. Before dinner, I made some delicious butternut squash soup — mirepoix with a touch of chili flake, roasted squash, duck/chix stock, pureed and finished with a drop each of heavy cream and sherry (looking forward to it for lunch today!). Finally, dinner with Rob at Maialino. And now, facing Monday morning. Sigh.
Author: Laren
-
Exercise=Sleep
At least according to some studies featured in the NYT recently. And this is why I force myself to go to the gym, even when I am exhausted! Today will be no exception. There may, however, be some napping involved as well. I knew this week would be rough!
-
Just a subtle hint. Same goes for Chanukah.
-
In My Head Today
And for the sake of clarity
They are "Faith", "Hope", and "Charity"
In the particle of me that cares for this
I betrayed those little atoms with a kiss -
Bird’s the Word
Isn't it gorgeous? Full photo gallery is here.
-
Busy Week Ahead
Just thinking about it is already making me tired! Tonight's my one quiet day (and I plan on spending a significant chunk of time at the gym), but other than that, there's work, work events, social events, workouts, a class and a fundraiser. Are we sure I can't sleep a few more hours this morning?
-
If You Can’t Take the Heat
No matter how tiny it is, everyone wants to be in the kitchen! Here's the whole Thanksgiving crew in my Manhattan kitchen (for outside-NYC comparison, it's roughly the size of a large closet). The menu turned out great (the stuffing was a personal favorite) and the leftovers are delicious.
-
Giving Thanks
I am thankful for my loving and supportive family, who are always there for me; for friends old and new, near and far, for weaving an intricate fabric that has made my life thus far so wonderful; for the opportunity to go to work each day and do something I love; for the joy of sharing my passion for food and drink with the world; and for my health and my strength. Today I give thanks for waking up each day and celebrating this crazy, magical, challenging, joyous, and amazing journey that is my life.
Happy Thanksgiving all! Hope you're all sharing good food with those you love.
-
The Menu
The bird is relaxing in its cider brine for the rest of the day, but will be removed later tonight in order to dry out, hopefully ensuring a crispy skin and juicy meat. Here's the menu — recipes are predominantly from Epicurious, likely owing to busy schedules!
– Oysters (type TBD)
– Butternut Squash and Sage Soup with Sage Breadcrumbs
– Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds & Chile
– Cider Brined & Glazed Turkey with Apple, Parsnip & Sausage Stuffing
– Truffled Mashed Potatoes (my adaptation of this recipe)
– Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Mustard Dressing and Maple-Glazed Pecans
– Cranberry Sauce
– Tarte Tatin
– Pumpkin-Pecan Pie with Whiskey Butter Sauce
It's a team effort and if all goes well, it'll all be done at the same time and there will be no major culinary catastrophes. But then again, where's the fun in that? I'm sure there will be at least one good story.
-
Life Is Too Short
For those of who who have read my blog for a long time (or probably even new readers), you're used to reading about my adventures in food and drink, with a generally amusing jackass story peppered in for good measure. But today, I want to talk about the other big part of my life — pro bono.
As you may know, I run the pro bono program at a large law firm. People often ask me if I would give up my "day job" to become a full time food writer. At this point in my life, absolutely not. Some people give back to the community outside their jobs, but I learned early on that I am happiest when my work itself gives back to the community. After a brief stint as a litigator, which wasn't particularly fulfilling to me, I worked hard to build a career in the pro bono world. It has always been incredibly important to me that my work has an impact in the world, and with minor exceptions, every job I have had is somehow in the public interest. I love food and drink, but in the end, it's not going to cure the world's evils, help keep a family from being kicked out on the streets, keep a domestic violence victim away from her abuser, or give someone the safety of political asylum. The work I do every day ultimately achieves those goals, which is incredibly fulfilling.
Image courtesy of Hugh at Gaping Void.