tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48347249995213564412024-03-06T15:01:57.371-05:00homerunballerina - food & personal style by a bakery owner in the berkshiresfood & personal style by a bakery owner in the berkshiresaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.comBlogger433125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-52224466487516511372015-07-22T18:17:00.003-04:002015-07-22T18:17:21.089-04:00@homerunballerinashophello everyone! i almost feel guilty taking back to this long-neglected blog to shill for myself, but here it goes: i've decided to start an instagram page dedicated to selling vintage & boutique designer clothing, shoes & accessories that i no longer have the occasion to wear. (turns out spending 60 hours a week in a bakery makes 50-year-old dresses really impractical.) you can follow the account @homerunballerinashop.<br />
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on another note, i'm determined to take up blogging again, although i think i'll do it on a new site - it'll be more food-focused, lots of stuff about the bakery, and less style-bloggy, since i mostly wear comfy pants, madewell t-shirts and even (gasp!) croc clogs these days. i'll be sure to post here when i get that up and running.<br />
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thank you all for reading, and for all your kind words over the years - it really does mean the world to me.<br />
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xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-52609929241268376602013-04-09T22:59:00.000-04:002013-04-09T22:59:50.212-04:00no winter lasts forever<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/8636718286/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="583" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8527/8636718286_57fa36e7c7_b.jpg" width="900" /></a><br />
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this is my backyard.<br />
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well, not "mine," i suppose. just until mid-june. regardless, i've still got a bit of a city-mouse-in-the-country thing going on, and i'm in total awe of my surroundings; i don't get as much time to enjoy them as i'd like, but i get one blessed day off a week, and i spent my late afternoon yesterday wandering around my neighborhood with my camera and a gin and tonic.<br />
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and, not to welcome the comparison, but i thought i'd include an outfit photo, for old time's sake. my day-to-day garb has taken a decidedly utilitarian turn, what with the doing-nothing-but-working and all; still, i try to have as much fun with it as i can.<br />
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sweater: thrifted<br />
shorts: j crew<br />
shoes: anthropologie<br />
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hoping the "ireland" sweater goes a way to excusing my extreme paleness.<br />
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thank you all so much for your kind words and well wishes! i hope spring has sprung where you are, too, and you're getting to enjoy it.<br />
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xo audrey<br />
<br />audreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-61884769618704417732013-03-24T19:33:00.000-04:002013-09-03T09:13:30.866-04:00non-hostile takeover i feel like an apology is at the same time necessary, long overdue, and implied in this post; i haven't established the best record as a steady-updater, but this last hiatus is by far my longest. what can i say? i moved and started a business. it isn't that i haven't had any free time, but that the precious little i've had is usually between the hours of nine and eleven pm, and i've been spending it watching friends re-runs and eating an entire bag of homestyle popcorn. i've been hiding from this blog, i suppose. i've excused myself because it's true that i am working pretty much all the time, and that the time i do spend at home on my computer is also time i'm exhausted. it's also partly, though, that starting a business is incredibly difficult, and draining, and i've been really pleased that it's brought out the best of me - my good work ethic, my skills as a baker, my patience as a teacher - but also the worst parts of myself, that were easier to hide and forget about working for someone else - stubbornness, crankiness, and a healthy dose of knowing-it-all (at least when it comes to pastries.)<br />
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so, i haven't written. i think it's a common problem for many bloggers, and certainly one for myself - i highlight the good and push the not-so-good stuff into the shadows. it's not that i'm being dishonest - putting something on the internet feels so public and permanent to me, and i don't want to use this space to complain, or document my shortcomings or arguments - this is a place where everything can be great. and while life is undoubtably great - i love what we're doing up here, i love where we're living and i love spending my days with my husband - not everything is sunshine and daisies. we're in a part of the country that is considered a "vacation destination" - that means winters are slooow. we moved up here, knowing no one - that means making friends has taken longer than i'm used to. and we are young and have limited funds - that means i can't have everything just the way i want it.<br />
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taking over an already-existing business is hard. i mean, i'm sure opening a brand-new business is just as hard, if not harder; it's part of the reason we bought one someone already did the hard work of, you know, making. but the other side of just-take-the-keys-it's-yours, start-making-money-the-first-day! is that you have a lot of customers who have expectations, and those expectations are what they've been getting for the last eight years - not what you want to do. We knew we wanted to change the name - something we're STILL in the process of - and I had lots of different pastries I wanted to try, and we wanted to change the look of the place to make it our own - but everything has to be gradual when people have an expectation, when they've been coming somewhere and getting something the same way for so long. We've finally made most of the changes we want, and I'm pretty proud of what the place has become.<br />
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i don't mean to say that before it was WRONG and now i'm doing it RIGHT. i have an immense amount of admiration and respect for the owners before us; what i've been fumbling through, trying to figure out for seven months, they ran smoothly for eight years. people loved the place before we ever showed up, and i owe them everything for that. but i had a very specific idea of what i wanted to do when we came here, and it's been a whole lot harder than i ever imagined it would, and it feels really, really good to start to get close.<br />
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we finally painted last week, and i've re-designed the pastry cases, re-written menus, and re-upholstered 40-something odd chairs with the help of my resourceful and determined friend ashlee. the menu is now written on a chalkboard wall; my collection of bundt pans graces another, and a friend built us a custom coffee nook to replace the giant plastic one that we inherited. to be honest, i didn't take many sweeping photos of the place before because i was a little embarrassed - it was just so far from what i wanted it to be. i regret that now, as i'm finally happy with the appearance and "after" photos are so much less dramatic without "before"s.<br />
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photos were taken after close on a sunday (today, in fact,) so the case isn't as robust and full as usual (nor is the restaurant, for that matter) and i have a fixed lens on my camera right now, which is unfortunate for interior shots, and now that i think about it, i'm not much of an interiors photographer, so used to shooting close-ups of food (or look-aways of outfits. . .) but i told myself it's time to stop making excuses and just write something. anything. it will make continuing to do so that much easier. in that spirit, i hope (but make no promises) to keep posting, sporadically, but not as rarely as this. there is so much to say, and show - i'm learning so much and making so much every day. life is challenging, exciting, and great. it is full of things that i love. and i consider myself very, very lucky for that.<br />
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xo audrey
audreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-38054563129188123312012-10-24T21:22:00.000-04:002012-10-26T08:51:25.187-04:00brave new worldgreetings, from the land of falling leaves, open fields and free-range cows. as usual, this is a post long overdue, but this is a rare evening when i find myself home before bedtime, so i'll take my best stab at it.<br />
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before we moved up here, when i told people we'd bought a bakery and were leaving the city, a flattering number of people asked me if i'd keep up blogging. my answer was some variation of, "absolutely! probably more often!"<br />
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oh, young audrey. you were so innocent. so naive. that was when i thought working eleven hours and coming home to cook dinner was a long day. these days it's pretty much all i can do to get 8 hours of sleep between getting to work at 6 am and leaving at 8 or 9.<br />
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there's lots of good news. i'm so proud of the pastry case - when we came in, most everything was at least partially, if not entirely, pre-made. i've been able to switch over to not only making 'most everything entirely from scratch, but i've added a laundry list of things to the menu - jars of cookies line the top of the case, new flavors of french macarons sit beneath a glass cloche every day, and despite the ridiculous headache it's been, i make sourdough from scratch just about daily. we've even been able to start to make some changes to the café side of things - between sam and i, we've got two housemade soups on the menu every day, and have started testing out specials that we'll hopefully add to a new menu before long. somehow in there, we've started some little design changes - ball jars for glasses, taking down the awful curtains, hanging my collection of bundt pans. our plan is to give the place a final re-vamping in january or february - change the name, change the menu and do a few big face-lifty things like painting the walls and changing the display case.<br />
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there are hard days, too, of course. working 15+ hours a day can make anyone snippy, and i think sam and i have each said things to each other that we wish we hadn't; and as much as selling out of things is exhilarating, there is a moment some saturday afternoons when i take a look in the quickly-emptying pastry case and my heart sinks because i know i won't be going home for a loooong time. these are good problems. sam is a man of endless patience and quick apologies, and i truly think any squabbles we've had have only left us stronger; and of course, selling out of pastries is a very good problem for a bakery owner to have. we are so fortunate to have our place to come home to - the coziest of cottages, right on one of the most beautiful lakes in the northeast, warmed by a pellet stove and furnished with little but a giant bed and extremely comfy couch. even stepping outside every morning before light breaks, i'm treated to the most amazing view of the stars - i feel incredibly blessed to be here.<br />
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so - here we are. the tired cliché says that a picture is worth a thousand words, and this tired lady is hoping that's true - here are more than you could ask for, of the bakery, the food, and our little house.
this is the view standing at our driveway and looking across the street.<br />
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and the backyard. . .
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. . . which has a bunny infestation.<br />
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the bakery.
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trusty sign-maker.
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and of course, the food.
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all right - ttfn, and more from me as for as i can manage it. thanks so much to all of you for your kind words, here and elsewhere, and for sticking with me through all this!
xo audrey
audreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-53515985238473806612012-09-10T22:37:00.001-04:002012-09-11T10:57:38.681-04:00black forestso. . .<br />
<br />
my apologies for being off the grid for awhile. i know i drop off the earth periodically, but this time i have a pretty good excuse: sam and i bought a bakery in the berkshires, and for the last month i've been working 16 hours a day or more, seven days a week. now that summer is coming to an end, and lots of the second-homers are heading out of our part of the beautiful country and back to the real world, business has calmed down a bit and today i was able to sleep in for the first time in weeks, and i'm currently sitting on a couch in a small cottage on a lake, eating homemade blueberry pie for breakfast and taking in a sex and the city marathon.<br />
<br />
i honestly don't even know where to begin. sam and i have been talking about opening our own place forever, but everything happened so quickly once we actually got to looking that i really didn't even have time to stop and think about it. we stumbled upon the place on our way home from quebec city in june - a cute little cafe & bakery in northwest connecticut, owned by a husband and wife who wanted to retire - and by the time we got back from our trip to champaign and chicago, we had two weeks to quit my job, pack our apartment, find a place up here and file more paperwork than you can believe. and once we arrived, we really hit the ground running - the place has a full staff, and was running the day we took over, so we didn't have the luxury of a few days to get set up, find our sea legs and make even minor changes. we've been working 100+ hour weeks, making changes as we're able, and basically making it up as we go along. it's more work than i ever could have imagined.<br />
<br />
and you know what? it's an absolute dream come true.<br />
<br />
first of all, i can't believe how lucky i am to have a guy who will put everything he's dreamed of for himself aside to give me everything i've ever wanted. of course, there's plenty in it for him too - we're staying in a cottage right on the lake, with a dock leading out the back and mountains and trees filling the windows of our glassed-in porch. it's funny - when we first met, sam had a travel job and i worked much of the weekend, so we barely got any time together; now we spend every moment of the day with each other, and it's honestly one of the best parts of my new life. we've always gotten along so well, and effortlessly, and now we get to share everything with each other - it's pretty amazing. then there's the fact that i get to do what i love all day, every day - and make every decision about what to make, how it should look, what the special should be and what should go up on the walls. the people up here are friendly, and it is such an insanely beautiful place.<br />
<br />
we have a long way to go to get the place where we want it - the pastries i've changed over for the most part, but the breakfast and lunch menu, the decor, and even the name will all probably change bit by bit. we've accomplished so much in the first 40 days, and people have been so encouraging and kind about the changes we're making - i think it's going to be a pretty awesome little spot.<br />
<br />
so - forgive my lengthened silence, and the probably-abstruse nature of this post - i'm hoping things are cooling down a bit, business-wise, as the fall rolls in, and i'll have more time to update this blog and get something up and going for the bakery, too. in the meantime, i'll throw up a few photos i took a couple weeks in - entirely gratuitous food porn and nothing of the bakery, or the town, but i'll do my best to carry my camera around more frequently and throw some more substantial photos up soon.<br />
<br />
thanks for hanging in there with me!<br />
<br />
xo audrey<br />
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<br />
we had a great dinner that night at <a href="http://www.biggrovetavern.com/" target="_blank">big grove tavern</a> then went to <a href="http://www.mikenmollys.com/" target="_blank">mike & molly's</a> for some more beers and a little swing dancing - a great band was playing, and esther and i took classes together years and years ago so we literally kicked off our shoes and danced until the band went off (i have the blisters to prove it.) it was a great time.<br />
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pardon my softball player calves. too many years at second base.<br />
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top: ann taylor loft<br />
shorts: need supply<br />
shoes: carven (similar <a href="http://rstyle.me/hc35fbiem" target="_blank">here</a>)<br />
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the next day was the main event: a big dinner party for esther's birthday. we planned the menu in advance, so sam and i had stopped at <a href="http://publicanqualitymeats.com/" target="_blank">publican quality meats</a> to snag some duck confit to make what is now an old standard of hers: duck, arugula, and ricotta ravioli. (she made it the first time about a year ago, and i posted the recipe <a href="http://blog.homerunballerina.com/2011/08/anniversary-dinner.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) she made the filling while i got to work making the pasta dough, rolling, and filling the raviolis.<br />
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also on the menu were the truffle oil and goat cheese stuffed fingerling potatoes, a constant at me &sam's dinner parties; various kebabs; and a watermelon salad that esther spotted and modified from one of my favorite food blogs, <a href="http://luxirare.com/watermelon-salad-2/" target="_blank">luxirare</a>.<br />
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my cutie pie little sister, spicing away<br />
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you guys, this salad was so, so good and so easy. perfect for this crazy hot, sticky weather we've been having. even sam, who is pretty anti fruit-in-salad, was blown away by it. do it.<br />
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the food all turned out fabulously - we were sure we'd have too much but by the end every bit of food had been nibbled away.<br />
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we served the ravioli in a brown butter, pine nut and sage sauce.<br />
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once the plates had been cleared away, and people had moved outside for, well, mostly more drinking and chatting, i set about putting dessert together - grilled peaches with a vanilla bean gelato i'd made earlier in the afternoon. i didn't bother to clean the grill before putting the peaches on, and i think it actually was a nice touch - there was a slight hint of meatiness from the sausages we'd grilled for lunch balancing the sweetness of the peaches and gelato. i marinated the peaches in sweet white wine and honey before grilling them, and drizzled the whole thing with a tiny bit of olive oil and topped it off with sea salt. it was divine.<br />
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all in all, a fantastic meal and such a fun night. cooking for other people is, no question, my favorite pastime; sam is always amazed that i bake all day in a hot kitchen then come home and only want to cook some more. i'm pretty darn lucky to get to do what i love all day.<br />
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more from me, including some pretty big news that i can't share just yet. thank you so much for reading!<br />
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xo audrey<br />
<br />audreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-41025668211115117122012-06-27T17:42:00.001-04:002012-06-27T17:42:25.007-04:00savory sconeshi guys! if you <a href="http://followgram.me/oddreigh/" target="_blank">follow me on instagram</a> (or <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/search/users/oddreigh?q=oddreigh&source=find_on_twitter&category=people" target="_blank">twitter</a>, or are my friend on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/homerunballerina" target="_blank">facebook</a>) you've probably seen photos of various savory scones popping up here and there. of all the food photos that flood my feed, these get the most comments and recipe requests, and i live to serve, so! here we go - my basic savory scone recipe. it's highly adaptable - i've made everything from bacon, egg and cheese, to duck confit and arugula, to today's beet, goat cheese and rosemary.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7456875754/" title="166010_10100159271940037_575505708_n by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="166010_10100159271940037_575505708_n" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8152/7456875754_41a58b7383.jpg" width="425" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7456874718/" title="529101_1000286007147_1296800449_n by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="529101_1000286007147_1296800449_n" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7456874718_fd0cbd90f5.jpg" width="425" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7456875496/" title="428439_10100150912033357_1905491022_n by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="428439_10100150912033357_1905491022_n" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7456875496_8fdffbee22.jpg" width="425" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7456874420/" title="564846_10100110141472887_1783524039_n by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="564846_10100110141472887_1783524039_n" height="425" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7276/7456874420_71f380839e.jpg" width="425" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7456873648/" title="533187_10100121366218407_151956506_n by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="533187_10100121366218407_151956506_n" height="425" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8010/7456873648_e1c1603002.jpg" width="425" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7456873526/" title="photo-1 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="photo-1" height="425" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/7456873526_4677db0411.jpg" width="425" /></a><br />
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<b>savory scones</b><br />
yields 9 scones<br />
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1 1/2 cups AP flour<br />
1/2 cup plus 2 T bread flour<br />
1 T baking powder<br />
1 T sugar<br />
1 1/2 t salt<br />
2 oz butter, cut into cubes and chilled<br />
~ 1 cup fillings of your choice - chopped, cooked veggies, cheese, cooked meats, etc<br />
enough cream to bring it together as a dough (approx. two cups, depending on the fillings you use)<br />
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1 egg, beaten with salt<br />
cream<br />
salt & pepper (or whatever you care to top them with)<br />
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dump the flours, powder, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor; pulse, then add the butter and pulse until the chunks are pea-sized throughout the mixture. dump into a big mixing bowl, then add the fillings and use your hands to coat them all in the dough; add cream, and gently mix with your hands just until it comes together as a biscuity dough.<br />
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dust a bit of flour on your work surface, and dump the dough out; pat it into a large square, about an inch high, and cut it into 9 pieces. place on a sheet pan; brush with the egg/cream mixture and top with salt and pepper, an herb, a small veggie, or whatever you care to - i try to use an item in the scone to help identify it.<br />
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bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes or so, until golden brown and a tester inserted comes out clean. cool for a few minutes and enjoy!<br />
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have fun with the fillings - just pay attention to the dough, and be careful not to add too much butter or cream - if i use a lot of bacon, for example, and use the rendered fat in the scones, i cut back on the butter.<br />
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enjoy!<br />
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xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-14087599472905057702012-06-26T20:26:00.000-04:002012-06-26T20:26:07.662-04:00animal housebonjourno! it's been hard to do outfit posts lately, as most of my clothing has been in a big scary pile on my bedroom floor (yep, despite the fact that i am an adult, married woman, i have my own separate bedroom which is basically a giant closet/clothes hamper.) work is busy, and i think i've been out of town for something like the last five weekends - the beach, quebec city, connecticut, etc - and we're heading to chicago this week, for a much needed vacation - and it just hasn't left a lot of time for cleaning. at least, not when i have six whole seasons of dawson's creek to watch.<br />
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but i'm trying to get on my grind a bit, and that means straightening my pigsty. in doing so i've started to notice a theme in recent, and not-so-recent, clothing acquisitions - animals, everywhere.<br />
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top: thrifted<br />
necklace: marion vidal<br />
pants: imogene & willy<br />
shoes: comptoir des cotonniers<br />
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i've been wearing this necklace basically non-stop, but that's only the beginning. . .<br />
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from a swan-printed kimono,<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7451268000/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="680" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7133/7451268000_8a0e394f22_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
to kitty cat flats,<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7451268622/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="680" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7451268622_79ea063797_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
lady bug wide leg pants,<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7451269246/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="680" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7451269246_d836114dec_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br />
my small charlotte taylor ant collection,<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7451269984/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="587" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7451269984_c317a118bd_b.jpg" width="900" /></a><br />
horse-printed jeans,<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7451270602/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="587" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7451270602_15116dd99c_b.jpg" width="900" /></a><br />
<a href="http://blog.homerunballerina.com/2011/09/cat-lady.html" target="_blank">this</a> skirt, and a gaggle of creatures in brooch form, probably the creepiest of which is this kitten.<br />
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i'm also noticing that for a dog person, i have an awful lot of cat clothing.<br />
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i'm super excited to go to chicago, it's been YEARS - i met sam just days before my last visit, when i was planning to move back shortly - i found an apartment and a job, and told all my friends i'd see them in a few short weeks - then realized i couldn't leave the guy behind and threw caution to the wind to stay in new york. of course, being me, i'm most excited to eat everything while i'm there - chicagoans, what's new in the city, and where must i eat?!<br />
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much love to each and every one of you,<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-10565384908694088142012-06-21T15:10:00.001-04:002012-06-21T15:24:55.084-04:00paper anniversary<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
hello! i feel like i all-too-often start out posts apologizing for the big gap of time between, but i feel i've barely been keeping my head above ground lately - working lots, but more than that, working extraordinarily odd hours that have turned the idea of a "sleep schedule" into a sadistic joke and me into an exhausted, cranky pastrarian (pastry chef/contrarian.) the little bakery where i work is lovely in almost every way, but it is un-air-conditioned and poorly ventilated and that basically means there are precious few daytime hours when i can work without my butter melting all over the table; i end up working in the middle of the night here, the early morning there, a regular day between and basically yawning my way through the rest of the week. so - my apologies. ac is (fingers crossed) being installed as we speak and i hope to return to a semi-normal work schedule.</div>
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but this is a post long overdue - sam and i celebrated our one year wedding anniversary a few weeks ago, in quiet, old-married-people fashion, as is our way; we stayed in, made a big seafood feast, and watched back-to-back episodes of<i> law and order: svu</i>, aka the most romantic show on television.</div>
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sam visited our favorite fish market in new jersey and grabbed a couple of live lobsters, a dozen fresh oysters, and some jersey corn on the cob; i picked up some fingerling potatoes and truffle oil with a vague idea for a fancy potato salad. we decided to keep it simple - boil the lobster and serve with drawn butter, serve the raw oysters with a simple mignonette, steam the corn and make the salad.</div>
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<b>potato & arugula salad with truffle oil & goat cheese</b></div>
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1 bag of fingerling potatoes</div>
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1/2 container washed baby arugula</div>
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about 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves</div>
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a couple teaspoons of truffle oil</div>
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a splash of olive oil</div>
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about 4 oz goat cheese</div>
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salt & pepper</div>
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steam the potatoes and cut them into quarters (or so - bite sized pieces.) sauté them for a bit, to crisp them up, with some olive oil, then just toss it with everything else. ta-da! so simple, so delicious.</div>
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i sprinkled the corn with a little old bay, just to add a little something.</div>
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we even ate a bit of our extremely freezer burned cake, which was. . . extremely freezer burned. ah well. it was a lovely night, and very us; i feel so incredibly lucky to have found such a smart, funny, incredibly considerate, loving and thoughtful man to spend my time with; it definitely helps that he's crazy tan, handsome, and talented too.</div>
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and a happy birthday to my little sister, esther, who is one of my favorite people on the planet (and who is finally starting to like seafood, hallelujah!) love you lady!</div>audreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-63097447507058109512012-05-25T10:30:00.000-04:002012-05-25T10:30:00.612-04:0048 macaronsa little bit of what i've been up to lately. . .<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259265936/" title="fdb53ba654f111e1a87612313804ec91_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="fdb53ba654f111e1a87612313804ec91_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7259265936_9d15c8c745_n.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266022/" title="facb9b78954d11e180d51231380fcd7e_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="facb9b78954d11e180d51231380fcd7e_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7259266022_5cac8e8002_n.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266154/" title="f4c69ea251bf11e1abb01231381b65e3_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="f4c69ea251bf11e1abb01231381b65e3_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7221/7259266154_1c67bb556e_n.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266222/" title="efc9b028412b11e1abb01231381b65e3_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="efc9b028412b11e1abb01231381b65e3_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7259266222_23edfe2902.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266310/" title="eb253dc6954a11e181bd12313817987b_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="eb253dc6954a11e181bd12313817987b_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7259266310_fd7186e42d.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266400/" title="e205547a7cfd11e1abb01231381b65e3_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="e205547a7cfd11e1abb01231381b65e3_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7082/7259266400_9b254c9058.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266512/" title="e57967d2414711e1abb01231381b65e3_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="e57967d2414711e1abb01231381b65e3_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7259266512_474436310c.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266594/" title="e1c2ccd23c8311e19e4a12313813ffc0_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="e1c2ccd23c8311e19e4a12313813ffc0_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8010/7259266594_11631fe627.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266676/" title="e0a36d108b2111e1989612313815112c_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="e0a36d108b2111e1989612313815112c_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7082/7259266676_7983a97dde.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266760/" title="d1168a2a9b9411e19e4a12313813ffc0_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="d1168a2a9b9411e19e4a12313813ffc0_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7259266760_38c8c9d0bc.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266826/" title="c52f69f25cb011e19896123138142014_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="c52f69f25cb011e19896123138142014_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7259266826_de749e5a15.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259266890/" title="c1e22c54413411e1a87612313804ec91_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="c1e22c54413411e1a87612313804ec91_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8142/7259266890_1884ba308e.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259267006/" title="be9b022e50e711e1abb01231381b65e3_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="be9b022e50e711e1abb01231381b65e3_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7259267006_6d2855c938.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259267090/" title="ba678c665d8211e18bb812313804a181_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="ba678c665d8211e18bb812313804a181_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7259267090_bb7c7afc8a.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259267206/" 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src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7259267464_392f979a6f.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259267606/" title="151162a2414c11e1a87612313804ec91_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="151162a2414c11e1a87612313804ec91_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7259267606_70973e86e1.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259267696/" title="81805d1a4c3911e1a87612313804ec91_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="81805d1a4c3911e1a87612313804ec91_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7259267696_13ec2b1661.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259267800/" title="030402f2371211e1a87612313804ec91_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="030402f2371211e1a87612313804ec91_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8142/7259267800_027f5accff.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259267862/" title="18162e5a801d11e180d51231380fcd7e_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="18162e5a801d11e180d51231380fcd7e_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/7259267862_0935349684.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259267992/" title="7208f5727a8d11e1a87612313804ec91_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="7208f5727a8d11e1a87612313804ec91_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/7259267992_7bbc57d69f.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259268166/" title="846d6da8801711e1a39b1231381b7ba1_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="846d6da8801711e1a39b1231381b7ba1_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7259268166_ff68bf891c.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259268256/" title="497a447e58d411e180c9123138016265_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="497a447e58d411e180c9123138016265_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7259268256_27f763ee9a.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259268504/" title="92fd7d9464a211e1a87612313804ec91_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="92fd7d9464a211e1a87612313804ec91_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8012/7259268504_815457ce7b.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259268620/" title="87c422f0a05411e181bd12313817987b_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="87c422f0a05411e181bd12313817987b_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7084/7259268620_7bd2303043.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259268698/" title="79bd9e0a567811e1b9f1123138140926_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="79bd9e0a567811e1b9f1123138140926_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7259268698_b06d298879.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259268780/" title="73afb7e84c3511e180c9123138016265_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="73afb7e84c3511e180c9123138016265_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7259268780_ec93d17812.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259268862/" title="67f999d49acb11e1be6a12313820455d_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="67f999d49acb11e1be6a12313820455d_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8003/7259268862_6df6037461.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259268960/" title="57adce1664a611e1989612313815112c_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="57adce1664a611e1989612313815112c_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7259268960_f8bafed537.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269092/" title="27f8702649fe11e19896123138142014_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="27f8702649fe11e19896123138142014_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7259269092_2e64016480.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269154/" title="22bf1d8e9ec311e181bd12313817987b_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="22bf1d8e9ec311e181bd12313817987b_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7259269154_9543b70028.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269346/" title="16fa0356738011e1989612313815112c_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="16fa0356738011e1989612313815112c_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8158/7259269346_b855271ca5.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269518/" title="08cdb7ac540711e1a87612313804ec91_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="08cdb7ac540711e1a87612313804ec91_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7071/7259269518_6d05f2763a.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269608/" title="8b82b0b66ed911e18bb812313804a181_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="8b82b0b66ed911e18bb812313804a181_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7259269608_7627c10b89.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269706/" title="7de60dca954111e1ab011231381052c0_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="7de60dca954111e1ab011231381052c0_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7259269706_716474a557.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269778/" title="7c128f6e50f911e18bb812313804a181_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="7c128f6e50f911e18bb812313804a181_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7259269778_63a019aff4.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269906/" title="5f25a8c06ed911e180d51231380fcd7e_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="5f25a8c06ed911e180d51231380fcd7e_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7259269906_c096eaa9d8.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269978/" title="5d50c93e4b6c11e19896123138142014_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="5d50c93e4b6c11e19896123138142014_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7259269978_7771554ccc.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259270092/" title="4c3ff002477a11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="4c3ff002477a11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7259270092_0b9259b5e3.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259270234/" title="4bbe9dda6f9e11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="4bbe9dda6f9e11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8007/7259270234_943fce2ae1.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259270344/" title="3debf6665e4c11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="3debf6665e4c11e19e4a12313813ffc0_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7259270344_734c283eca.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259270412/" title="3ce6f8006aeb11e180d51231380fcd7e_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="3ce6f8006aeb11e180d51231380fcd7e_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7259270412_d571b2a02d.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259270494/" title="2c712320413711e19e4a12313813ffc0_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="2c712320413711e19e4a12313813ffc0_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/7259270494_8a0c5a51f3.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259270614/" title="2ae7dfdc492311e19e4a12313813ffc0_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="2ae7dfdc492311e19e4a12313813ffc0_7" height="275" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7241/7259270614_24791135f3.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259270710/" title="1a1550765cac11e1abb01231381b65e3_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="1a1550765cac11e1abb01231381b65e3_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8143/7259270710_df649d0a46.jpg" width="275" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7259269042/" title="54a626fe5bf611e19896123138142014_7 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="54a626fe5bf611e19896123138142014_7" height="275" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7259269042_2425f6dd0b.jpg" width="275" /></a><br />
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<i>from the top: rose, caramel banana, lemon elderflower, nutella, honey lavender, praline, raspberry vanilla, lavender black pepper, strawberry basil, rhubarb, chai tea, coconut blueberry, root beer float, pistachio, fresh raspberry, blackberry, peanut butter banana, strawberry tarragon, mint chip, blood orange, more raspberry, robin's egg, strawberry, peach rosemary, vanilla elderflower, lemon dark chocolate, lavender cream, cookies & cream, kiwi, tangerine honey, black & white, neopolitan, lemon coconut, lemon poppyseed, watermelon, blood orange, cheesecake, mango cayenne, lemon lavender, blueberry white chocolate, lemon rosemary, guinness, ginger pomegranate, vanilla pomegranate, fennel elderflower, shirley temple, vanilla vanilla, chocolate salted caramel.</i>audreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-47285928279064327072012-05-23T21:03:00.000-04:002012-05-23T21:28:41.047-04:00oopsfishhello! i'm still getting my bearings after a quick vacation this past weekend - me and a few friends booked a b&b in nashville, tennessee; i'd been looking forward to it for weeks, and i packed my suitcase carefully the night before - i'm a notorious over-packer, and wanted to travel light this time - and was headed out the door for work when i realized that i didn't have my passport. (i've lived in new york for nearly four years, and chicago for five years before that, so when i lost my driver's license a couple years ago i got real lazy and just didn't replace it.) sam had taken off for a fishing trip a morning earlier, and my passport had gone right along with him and was now residing in his jacket pocket somewhere on a river in connecticut. so. vacation was off to a rough start.<br />
<br />
as it turns out, getting on an airplane without a photo ID is not as difficult as you may think. i brought along every piece of paper i could find with my name on it - birth certificate, marriage certificate, social security card, mail - even my wedding invitation! - and got a little extra TSA action, but got to nashville and back without a hitch. it was a perfect vacation - a few days with some of my very best friends, eating, drinking, dancing and vintage shopping our way through the city. we found a shop called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Savant-Vintage-Couture/119911088100286">savant vintage</a> that was absolutely miraculous - jam packed with some of the most incredible vintage pieces i've ever seen, including these trousers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7258898920/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="1024" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7258898920_aa554c14a5_b.jpg" width="680" /></a><br />
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<br />
blouse - vintage, from brooklyn flea<br />
earrings - handmade by the owner of savant vintage<br />
pants - vintage, savant vintage<br />
shoes - <a href="http://rstyle.me/hhemqgiem" target="_blank">madewell</a><br />
<br />
so, while i was galavanting about tennessee, my sam was camping out with a bunch of his friends, and he brought home a bag full of trout of different varieties. i decided to pair one - simply prepared - with a dish inspired by one i had at <a href="http://cityhousenashville.com/">city house</a> in nashville.<br />
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+ + + + + + + + + + + + +<br />
<b>swiss chard, raisin and almond salad</b><br />
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1 bunch of swiss chard<br />
2 thin carrots, cleaned and chopped<br />
1/4 cup golden raisins<br />
1/4 cup toasted almonds<br />
1/2 small red onion, cut into thin slices<br />
a splash of olive oil, honey, and white wine vinegar<br />
kosher salt<br />
<br />
turn the oven to 350 and place the carrots in a foil-lined sheet pan with a splash of olive oil and drizzling of honey. roast until soft, about 20 minutes.<br />
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from here it's easy - sauté the chard in the smallest bit of olive oil until dark green and limp; take off the heat and add a tiny bit of white wine vinegar, then stir in the raisins, almonds, and carrots. season with salt to taste.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7258886814/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="583" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7258886814_82ddf3a1c5_b.jpg" width="900" /></a><br />
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the fish should be even easier - but i've been trying this new health-ish kick lately, and i didn't put enough olive oil in the pan, and i kind of mangled the poor thing. trout has such good flavor on its own that i like to prepare it simply, with a little lemon, salt and pepper; just be sure you put enough butter or oil in the pan that you don't ugly it up like i did.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7258889194/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="583" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7258889194_a027e87c3c_b.jpg" width="900" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7258891018/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="583" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7080/7258891018_1f4ae4b66f_b.jpg" width="900" /></a><br />
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<br />
ugly or not, it was utterly delicious and a nice pairing of mild and earthy and sweet.<br />
<br />
hope everyone had a lovely weekend, and i promise more soon -<br />
<br />
xo audrey<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />audreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-91576245335894912702012-05-04T17:50:00.000-04:002012-05-04T17:50:24.374-04:00to be adoredhappy friday! i had a very busy week - right smack in the middle, i was fortunate to get to sneak a peak at <a href="http://www.warbyparker.com/women/optical?___SID=U">warby parker</a>'s upcoming line. i first started wearing glasses in high school, but my prescription was so weak that i never really wore them; finally, just recently, i came to terms with the fact that not being able to identify friends and regulars that come into the bakery and say hello, a mere 10 or so feet away, is totally unacceptable. i've been wearing contact lenses, but i'm excited to get a new pair of frames when the new ones come out!
anyhoo, i have a new favorite blouse, and wore that to wednesday's jaunt:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6997067250/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/6997067250_3c8bf6ec29_b.jpg" width="680" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7143154911/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="1024" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8155/7143154911_5bbf144d34_b.jpg" width="680" /></a>
<br />
<br />
top: <a href="http://ilovetba.com/">tba</a><br />
pants: zara (similar <a href="http://www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/us/en/zara-us-S2012/189506/631920/DYED%2BTROUSERS%2BWITH%2BZIPS">here</a>)<br />
necklace: vintage, thrifted<br />
shoes: vintage, ebay<br />
<br />
my hair is in the awkward phase of growing out where the only time it looks semi-okay is when i either sloppily throw it out or muss it so far out from my head that you can't tell how awful the haircut (or lack thereof) is. the last time stylist scissors touched it was back in august. i chopped my own bangs a couple months ago.<br />
<br />
anyway, i've got a busy weekend ahead and more outfits and recipes to post, so more from me soon!<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-6597711737611897442012-05-01T19:06:00.000-04:002012-05-01T19:13:01.293-04:00breakfast for dinnerhello! last night i scurried all the way to the upper east side, to an event thrown by <a href="http://www.decadesinc.com/">decades</a> to benefit sloan-kettering hospital's cancer center. basically, i got to sip champagne and feast my eyes on some of the most beautiful designer vintage clothing i've ever seen in person - none of which i could afford, of course. still, it was fun, and i got to catch up with a long-lost friend, which is always a good thing.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6987432268/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="640" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/6987432268_d72038a3c2_z.jpg" width="425" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6987431912/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/6987431912_59f4987022_z.jpg" width="425" /></a><br />
<br />
top: thrifted vintage<br />
scarf: thrifted<br />
boots & skirt: <a href="http://rstyle.me/hjrffbiem">madewell</a><br />
earrings: c/o <a href="http://charmingcharlie.com/">charming charlie</a><br />
<br />
i got home and set straight to work on dinner - i'd scored some duck eggs and house-made corned beef hash from work, so i had a vague plan for breakfast for dinner. i heated up the oven, got some pizza dough rising, and set about chopping.<br />
<br />
+ + + + + + + + + +<br />
<b>breakfast pizza </b><br />
<br />
one batch pizza dough - i use <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/magazine/19food-t-001.html">this</a> recipe<br />
white or red sauce - i made a bechamel sauce (basic recipe <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Sauce-or-Bechamel-Sauce-40046">here</a>) with onions, mushrooms, ramps and fresh ricotta<br />
toppings of your choice - i used baby heirloom tomatoes, duck prosciutto, avocado and an egg<br />
<br />
heat your oven as high as it will go without broiling - mine was up to about 550. put your pizza stone or a sheet pan inside to heat up with the oven. make your sauce, then roll out your pizza dough on a piece of parchment so you can easily slide it onto your sheet pan/pizza stone. bake it for 2-3 minutes, then pull it out and spread your sauce over the dough, and add the toppings that need more time - for me, it was the tomatoes and prosciutto. bake these for 5-6 minutes, then pull out and add the egg and avocado; bake for five more minutes or so, until the white of the egg is fully cooked.<br />
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<br />
while everything was baking, i quickly threw together some corned beef hash.<br />
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<b>corned beef hash</b><br />
<br />
3 large idaho potatoes, scrubbed and diced<br />
1 small yellow onion, diced<br />
a spring of rosemary, finely chopped<br />
1 cup of prepared corned beef hash (mine was dressed with some mustard and mustard seeds, salt, and pepper)<br />
butter<br />
3 eggs (i used duck eggs, just because.)<br />
<br />
once everything is chopped, it's quite simple; use a cast-iron pan and add a couple tablespoons of butter. add the onion, and sautee until soft and transparent; add the potatoes, turn the heat down to medium-low, and just let those potatoes cook through. don't worry too much about them sticking to the pan; add a bit of butter if this happens (my favorite solution to any problem) and you'll just have some nice crispy bits. add the rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste, and the corned beef (chopped into bite sized pieces) once the potatoes have cooked through, and stir occasionally; i put mine in the super hot oven with the pizza, still baking, so they'd be ready at the same time. while the hash crisped up in the oven, i fried the duck eggs to place on top.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/7133511443/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="583" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8001/7133511443_170b96ce57_b.jpg" width="900" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6987427520/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="583" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/6987427520_08e9ba59a0_b.jpg" width="900" /></a>
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<br />
i didn't get home to start cooking until nearly ten o'clock, so by the time we sat down to dinner it was a rather unhealthy 11:20; it felt sort of right, though, eating breakfast in the pitch black, all sleepy-like. but instead of just waking up, i got to go to bed right after. bonus.
have a wonderful week, and more from me soon -<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-13247143353435456832012-04-05T21:14:00.004-04:002012-04-05T22:16:51.435-04:00cooking your nemesisdon't worry, faithful readers; this is not the post where i lose my mind and post a cannibalistic recipe. no, tonight i conquered one of my great cooking rivals - scallops. these (and potato gnocchi, which is for some reason absolutely impossible for me to properly make from scratch and cook without turning it into a slimy mush) have been my great culinary failing every time i've tried to make them at home, and it's hard to express the frustration this causes me - i'm trying to think of it's other-job equivalent, and while an athlete blowing the game winning shot, or a doctor missing a diagnosis seem too serious, i imagine it's a similar feeling on a smaller scale. every time i've tried to make scallops they've ended up more steamed than seared, and inedibly raw in the middle. utterly depressing.<br />
<br />
sam's been out of town all week, so i've been working long hours and trying to catch up on sleep. tonight, after a particularly long day, i decided to treat myself to a decadent meal - and figure out scallops once and for all. they're one of my favorite foods when cooked properly, and they sell fantastic dry scallops across the street from my bakery - so i bought a few and headed home, determined to get it right.<br />
<br />
success! i can't tell you how great it feels to win battle scallop after so many failed attempts. it turns out my mistake was the same one i have when it comes to trying to grow rosemary - paying too much attention, and fussing too much with it.<br />
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<br />
<b>pan-seared scallops with cannellini bean puree, shredded asparagus, duck prosciutto and fried egg</b><br />
<br />
3-4 bay scallops (mine were "dry" scallops, meaning they hadn't been stored in liquid at the store, so they didn't need rinsing - if yours aren't, make sure to rinse and drain them thoroughly before cooking.)<br />
<br />
1/3 cup canned cannellini beans<br />
<br />
2 T chicken (or vegetable) stock<br />
<br />
2 T butter, divided<br />
<br />
1 T olive oil<br />
<br />
a couple tablespoons of diced duck (or regular) prosciutto<br />
<br />
3 stalks asparagus, shredded with a peeler<br />
<br />
kosher salt<br />
<br />
1 egg<br />
<br />
<br />
you'll need two pans; one smaller one, for cooking the sides, and one cast iron pan for the scallops.<br />
<br />
first, prepare the bean puree. take 1 tablespoon of the butter, and place it in the smaller pan; on medium high heat, melt the butter, then add the cannellini beans and sautee until they start to brown. remove from heat and blend thoroughly with the chicken stock until you have a nice, thick puree. set aside.<br />
<br />
season scallops with a healthy sprinkling of kosher salt, then turn the heat back on under the smaller pan, and add the remaining butter and olive oil to the cast iron pan on medium high heat. add prosciutto to the small pan, then add scallops to the - now very hot - cast iron pan, and DON'T TOUCH. leave the scallops alone for 2-3 minutes, until they develop a nice brown crust all over the bottom. meanwhile, add the shaved asparagus to the now-crispy prosciutto. start plating with a big dollop of the bean puree in the middle of your plate, surrounded by the asparagus and prosciutto (asparagus only needs about 30 seconds in the pan with the prosciutto.)<br />
<br />
flip the scallops and cook, again without moving, until you have a nice caramel brown on both sides. meanwhile, using the same small pan as you did for the beans and proscuitto and asparagus, fry an egg. plate the scallops on top of the puree, and then top it all of with the fried egg (i used a circle cutter to make my egg look a little more perfect, but obviously that isn't really important.)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6903199326/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/6903199326_8969abd642_b.jpg" width="900" height="583" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
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di-vine. the scallops fell apart under my fork, and were perfectly buttery and sweet; they paired well with the creamy cannellini bean puree, slight bitterness of the asparagus and salty fattiness of the prosciutto. the egg on top (an addition i would make to nearly every meal if given the opportunity) just adds a bit more richness to a dish that is certainly rich enough as is. . . but is all the more delicious when bathed in soft-cooked egg yolk.<br />
<br />
it was a satisfying end to a long but productive day, and i'll be adding scallops to my regular meal rotation from now on.<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-13228071099831131702012-03-20T13:36:00.005-04:002012-03-21T17:16:53.130-04:00back to black<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6852454534/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6229/6852454534_1a0f6649f9_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
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<br />
so, i'd been rocking ("rocking" in the loosest sense of the word) the bleach-blonde-with-dark-roots look for a long time - i didn't really have a plan, i guess, i was just trying to get it long enough that i could pay for a cut and dye in one go-round. sam, after politely asking what, exactly, was going on with my hair, said, "you're diy everything else, why can't you dye your own hair?" i've never tried before, but i guess i figured i didn't have much to lose, so i set off to walgreens and matched a box to my roots the best i could. i didn't do it myself, actually - it turns out sam is an amazing colorist, about three hundred times more careful and thorough than i ever would have been. i couldn't believe how great it turned out! right back to my original color. so i kind of got a big head and decided i could cut my own bangs, too, which is never a good idea. but it could have been worse, right?<br />
<br />
top: old quail<br />
skirt: forever 21<br />
shoes: nine west<br />
necklace: thrifted<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-38806455665758781332012-03-19T20:33:00.000-04:002012-03-19T20:33:22.178-04:00chowdahhello! it is pretty hard to believe, but it seems that winter is pretty much petering out - it was a pretty quiet and sneaky winter to begin with, and now it's slipping out without ever really making itself known. i barely got to break out any tights at all, all winter long!<br />
<br />
regardless, end of winter means that striped bass season is about to start - which means i have a lot of freezer space to clear out. sam's been making fishing trips nearly every week, so i have vacuum sealed bag upon bag of various kinds of fish taking up precious room (room that i would really like to have for, say, ice cream.) so i decided to make a big batch of fish chowder last night to clear it out a bit.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6852175152/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6852175152_68530e76b1_b.jpg" width="900" height="580" alt=""></a><br />
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<b>striped bass chowder<br />
</b><br />
<br />
serves, like, 10 or something. this is a lot of chowder. <br />
<br />
2 leeks, sliced thin and rinsed well<br />
1 yellow onion, diced<br />
2 T butter<br />
5 small potatoes, peeled and cubed<br />
1 bunch of carrots, scrubbed well and chopped<br />
4 celery stalks, cubed<br />
several sprigs of parsley, some reserved for dressing<br />
lots of black pepper & salt<br />
crushed red pepper<br />
thyme<br />
1 fillet of striped bass - mine was probably a pound and a half or so, cut into bite sized cubes<br />
a couple cups of corn (i used frozen organic sweet corn.)<br />
3 cups of chicken broth<br />
about a half gallon of whole milk<br />
splash of cream<br />
<br />
start your leeks and onion sauteing in a big soup pot in the butter on low heat; once they're soft and transparent, add the chicken broth and turn the heat to medium. <br />
<br />
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<br />
add your potatoes and carrots, your celery, most of the parsley, thyme, and peppers; turn the heat to low and add about half the milk, and let it simmer for a good long while, until the carrots and potatoes are soft and the broth has thickened a bit. <br />
<br />
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<br />
add the corn and the fish, and the rest of the milk, and cook until the fish is cooked through. add the cream and season with salt and pepper to your liking; garnish each bowl with fresh parsley. serve with a nice crusty bread, warmed in the oven. i'd advise you make this one quick, while it's there's some semblance of a chill in the air; this will freeze well, too.<br />
<br />
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have a wonderful week, loves!<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-25671026640292019412012-02-27T21:16:00.001-05:002012-02-27T21:44:21.053-05:00winner, winner, potato and kale dinnerhello! i know i promised a winner on friday, but i was seriously in the throws of the worst cold/flu monster i've ever had - three and a half days, no work, completely bedridden. did you know you can be in bed so long that your body is actually sore from being in bed too long? fact. finally, saturday night, i dragged myself out of bed (just in time to catch andrew bird at the bell house) and had a semi-normal sunday, if it is semi-normal to fall asleep at 8:45 pm. so i'm not 100% yet. but i'm getting there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6936870217/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7047/6936870217_a9921a1e70_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
top: j crew<br />
dress: thrifted<br />
tights: urban outfitters (fleece lined! so warm!)<br />
shoes: thrifted<br />
brooch: thrifted<br />
hair: lack of cut, dye or attention in 6 months and counting<br />
<br />
so, anyways, i promised on friday that i'd have a winner and i am a solid three days late, so without further ado: dawn of <a href="http://turbyandjohn.com">turby and john</a>! shoot me an email (homerunballerina@gmail.com) and we'll work out the details. congratulations, wear it in happiness and health! and thank you to all of you who entered - more giveaways soon.<br />
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it's been awhile since i posted any food - which feels so wrong! - so i have a quick, easy, and even pretty healthy dinner for you guys. for what it's worth, i've become a complete instagram addict - you can follow me @oddreigh - and post my daily goings-on at the bakery a few times a day there. so it's really not that i stopped posting about food - just that i switched to a quicker, more immediate medium.<br />
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i was in ann arbor last weekend, visiting family and getting to spend some all-too-rare time with my little sister and mom, and spent a lot of time at my aunt susie's place. aunt susie and i have a lot in common - both "creative" types, i guess, who love to draw, bake and create - and she had a library of cookbooks that made me swoon. i got to flip through quite a few of them (sneaking iphone photos of the ones i want to buy for myself) but one recipe caught my eye, and was so simple i was able to sort-of-memorize it, enough to make it for dinner tonight.<br />
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<b>potato and kale galette</b> (adapted from an old gourmet cookbook)<br />
<br />
1 bunch of kale, leaves pulled of the stem, torn up and washed<br />
3 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
1 T olive oil<br />
3 T butter<br />
2 large baking potatoes, cleaned, peeled and sliced very thin (i used a mandolin)<br />
<br />
start off by getting your oil going in a pan, over medium heat; once hot, add the garlic and cook just until it starts to brown; add the kale, still wet from being rinsed, and cook it until it's very wilted, and much brighter green. turn off the heat, and set it aside.<br />
<br />
now get a cast iron pan going. i used a 10 inch pan. melt about a tablespoon of butter in the pan, then mosaic about 1/3 of the potato slices over it, working quickly; add 1/2 of the kale, then another 1/3 of the potato slices mosaiced (salt and pepper this, and brush a bit of melted butter atop them,) then the other half of the kale and the last of the potatoes. basically, you've made a double-decker potato and kale pancake. brush the top layer of potatoes generously with butter, then butter a piece of aluminum foil and use a heavy pan to weigh down the stack. let them cook for ten minutes or so, over medium to medium low heat; once the bottom layer of potatoes starts to brown (you'll be able to see the edges start to brown and curl a bit,) grab a sheet pan and some oven mitts. this is the trickiest part. use a metal spatula to carefully slide the pancake out of the pan and onto the sheet pan, then invert the pan over it and flip it back onto the heat, so the browned side is facing up and the previously uncooked side is now being cooked. cook this for another ten minutes or so, and that's it! slide it off and serve. i was trying to keep it healthy and simple, so i ate it plain (i'm a fan of simple flavors, anyway) with lots of sea salt and pepper; it would be great with goat cheese, though, and sam doused his in ketchup, so there's that.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6936870693/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6936870693_98a6a7e988_b.jpg" width="900" height="540" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6790753650/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6790753650_9e192a76dc_b.jpg" width="900" height="540" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6790754104/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6790754104_f247f04e28_b.jpg" width="900" height="540" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6936871983/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6936871983_df3aa5e45e_b.jpg" width="900" height="540" alt=""></a><br />
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thanks a bunch for reading, and have a fabulous week!<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-36690788605428513502012-02-20T21:36:00.000-05:002012-02-20T21:36:05.215-05:00work in progresshi everyone! i hope you all had a fabulous valentine's day - mine was very low key, which was perfect. sam insisted on staying in and making me dinner, and i acquiesced - i'm so used to cooking for the two of us, and stubbornly set in my way of doing things in the kitchen, that it's really hard for me to sit back and let someone else take the wheel. fortunately we recently re-organized our furniture, so our sofa has a prominent seat in the kitchen (i finally admitted to myself that, while a sofa in the kitchen might be unusual, it is the place where it will get the most use) so i settled myself on it and watched him mix a batch of pasta from scratch, rest it, struggle with the machine and then proceed to make what was honestly the most divine fettucine alfredo i've ever had - topped with wilted spinach, sauteed mushrooms and crispy prosciutto. lesson learned: i should take a seat on the couch more often.<br />
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ever since setting eyes on the stella mccartney resort 2012 collection, i've been smitten. i've googled and ebayed obsessively, hoping to find the (seemingly not even for-sale yet) white dress covered in bows at an audrey-friendly price (i know this will never happen) - and it finally occurred to me that, of all the over-priced designer clothing i've fallen for, this was probably the most easily DIY-able. so i bought a spool of ribbon, picked a well-fitting but infrequently-worn dress from my closet, and proceeded to obsessively tie and pin ribbons onto it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6913248089/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6913248089_c01652a4b1_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a> <br />
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sadly, i'm a pretty good idea person and initial energy runs high; but after sewing on the first half of the ribbons, i lost steam, so i'm wearing this carefully so's not to stick myself with one of the many pins poking out of the skirt and sleeves.<br />
<br />
dress: <a href="http://www.madewell.com">madewell</a><br />
shoes: thrifted<br />
bows: added by me<br />
<br />
i'm pretty excited with the way it's looking so far. a good cocktail dress is so essential - you can tell i think so, as i have a closet full of them and yet 9 nights out of ten you'll find me at home with sam, wearing comfy pants and a t-shirt. still, i love having a cute, well-fitting dress to slip into - an outfit no-brainer for when i DO go out.<br />
<br />
. . . which is where you come in! <a href="http://www.brooklynindustries.com">brooklyn industries</a> contacted me not long ago to see if i'd like to do a giveaway for my readers (another no brainer.) i've loved the brand for a long time - my love for <a href="http://blog.homerunballerina.com/2009/08/thirteen-bees.html">red pants started with a pair of theirs</a> a few years ago, and i've admired their simple but flattering silhouettes ever since. i picked this cute dress of theirs to give away - yours, for one lucky reader who leaves a comment.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6913290037/" title="Screen shot 2012-02-20 at 8.05.49 PM by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7051/6913290037_7abc322a6a_o.png" width="447" height="615" alt="Screen shot 2012-02-20 at 8.05.49 PM"></a><br />
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so. . . enter away, and i'll pick a winner this friday. be sure to take a look at their <a href="http://www.brooklynindustries.com/women-new/">new collection</a>, too - lots of good stuff to see.<br />
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so much to post, and what feels like so little [free] time. i'll be back soon!<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-49932594316441559822012-02-06T21:45:00.002-05:002012-02-06T21:48:37.317-05:00downton audreyhey y'all! i had a rather exhausting, somewhat wine-soaked weekend, so i'm taking it easy with a bit of hulu with a side of blogging. i've become obsessed with downton abbey - about a year too late, i know - watching the first two seasons in a matter of about four days, because that's how i do. the show is essentially a soap opera set in the early 1900's, which is captivating enough, but the costuming is absolutely to die for - for me, it rivals even that of mad men - gorgeous, long art deco frocks, elbow length gloves, fabulous jewelry. it inspired me to snag this skirt, and do my best modern-downton - sort of last year's anthropologie catalog meets downton abbey meets dark-rooted-bedhead. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6833257645/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6833257645_04fb6fdb52_b.jpg" width="680" height="574" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6833250763/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6833250763_83ee4a6475_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
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top: anthropologie<br />
skirt: madewell<br />
necklace: gift from sam<br />
necklace: old anthropologie<br />
shoes: (hard to see) rachel comey<br />
<br />
anyhow, last weekend, after the resounding success that was braised lamb neck, i grabbed some lamb lollipops from work and planned a meal around them - a fishcake salad to start, mussels for an appetizer and then lamb lollipops with a fennel and green apple slaw and beet pureé. the preparation was actually quite simple, but so, so good.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804062659/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6804062659_5812c342c9_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804063141/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6804063141_1c5d37ac5c_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804063539/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6804063539_4fa3876fc5_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804064483/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6804064483_b4322be2b8_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
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<b>apple and fennel slaw</b><br />
<br />
one small fennel bulb, thinly sliced<br />
one green apple, thinly sliced<br />
2 T honey<br />
2 T apple cider vinegar<br />
a few fronds of fennel, chopped<br />
sea salt<br />
<br />
combine all ingredients and let them sit for at least thirty minutes.<br />
<br />
<b>beet and greek yogurt pureé</b><br />
<br />
about 2 large beets, cooked til soft and cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />
1/2 cup greek yogurt<br />
sea salt<br />
<br />
place in blender. buzzzzzz. <br />
<br />
<b>lamb lollipops<br />
</b><br />
spice rub: i used rubbed sage, fennel pollen, sea salt, fresh thyme leaves<br />
4 lamb lollipops<br />
a splash of olive oil<br />
<br />
start the oil in a pan, on medium high; let the pan get nice and hot, then place the lollipops in. cook for about 2-3 minutes (depending on thickness) each side; let them rest for a few minutes, then serve atop the slaw and puree. ta-da!<br />
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and one final note! i've had some exciting press lately - <a href="http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/features/2012/jan/25/eggs-are-new-bacon-and-other-trends/">an interview with the host of all things considered on npr</a> (which i have to admit is very much a dream come true for me, the biggest of all NPR nerds) and then today my macarons are <a href="http://nymag.com/search/search.cgi?t=shopamatic-slideshow&N=0&c=Valentine%27s+Day+Gift+Guide&No=1&q=c%3AValentine%2527s%2520Day%2520Gift%2520Guide%7Cszn%3ASpring%7Cy%3A2012&idx=11&Ns=sort_price%7C0">featured on nymag.com</a>! (and just in time for valentine's day. . . i have a feeling the next week will be an exceedingly busy one.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6833282643/" title="4 by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6833282643_79644cbd16_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="4"></a><br />
macaron flavors (clockwise) coconut cream, nutella, mint chocolate chip, lavender black pepper and lemon rosemary. (photo by nymag)<br />
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thank you, truly and deeply, for all your kind words - i'll do a post soon to address some questions i've been getting in the comments. <br />
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much love to you all,<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-77796498682680488312012-02-01T19:56:00.000-05:002012-02-01T19:56:59.348-05:00perks of the jobhello! i won't bother to make excuses for myself - when i started this blog, i was essentially a secretary in an office i loved but didn't find very satisfying, and i've since bounced from job to job, remaining unsatisfied - until now. this blog served as a fantastic means of creative expression, a way to force myself to do what i love even though i wasn't getting paid for it - it's rather bittersweet that i've found a job now that is so fulfilling, where i get to be as creative as i can muster and do what i love all day long. it's a wonderful feeling, but leaves me feeling somewhat drained when i come home in the afternoon, and blogging has lost some of its urgency, for lack of a better term, for me - it's almost as if my job has become my creative outlet, and blogging has become more of a job. a job that i love, but one that i've been pretty awful about keeping up with.<br />
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so, anyway, here's an attempt at getting back on the horse. one of the things i was sad to leave at my last job was the freedom to wear whatever i liked. i've worked in bakeries before, and it's more a case of dressing for comfort that style - and i'm okay with that, but i do miss my fancy shoes and vintage dresses. so i've been rather delighted to find that the other girls who i share a kitchen with are unendingly chic while managing to be kitchen-appropriate. i've taken to wearing lipstick, tights and dresses with an apron careful placed over them; or on more low-key days, something like this:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804064991/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6804064991_76f89d41d8_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
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shirt: j crew<br />
pants: cheap monday<br />
shoes: vintage, thrifted<br />
belt: asos<br />
<br />
another fantastic perk is that the bakery is the sister-store of a wonderful organic market, which is right across the street; i'm able to get off work, walk across and head straight to the meat counter, to see what's freshest and talk to the butcher about the best way to prepare it. last thursday it was a lamb, and the butcher recommended i bring half the neck home and braise it with a rub and some vegetables. it's not something i would ever make - for whatever reason, my cooking preferences tend towards extremely fussy, involved dinners - but i followed his advice and it turned out absolutely divine.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804058569/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6804058569_60ec246d7c_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804059093/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6804059093_a7e08f4d9e_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804059475/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6804059475_7fcbb82c02_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804060047/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7020/6804060047_bc0a519b75_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804061241/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6804061241_14f4a5d234_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804062269/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6804062269_8a5f0b17ba_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
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<b>braised lamb's neck<br />
</b><br />
1/2 neck of lamb<br />
a rub of spices - i used kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper, ground fennel seed, coriander, paprika, rubbed sage and fresh garlic<br />
your choice of vegetables - i used what i had lying around: a leek, two potatoes, and a handful of cherry tomatoes<br />
red wine and chicken stock, for braising<br />
a pat of butter, for browning the meat<br />
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start the butter in a pan - once hot, add the meat, and cook for a couple of minutes on each side - just long enough to brown it. transfer it to a slow cooker with the veggies inside, and add enough chicken stock and wine to come halfway up the top of the meat. braise on high for at least three hours, or up to six. i served mine with a simple greens salad, tossed with some parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and topped with a poached egg. (i'm pretty much topping everything with a poached egg these days.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804060803/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6804060803_a3fefdb0f3_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6804061837/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6804061837_cdc7fb16fe_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
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i have such a backlog of food to post, i'll do my best to stay on top of it this time! much love to all of you for sticking with me, and hoping you've had a great 2012 thus far.<br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-20929432998643274732012-01-02T22:46:00.001-05:002012-01-02T22:49:35.703-05:00days gone bywhich, a simple google search reveals, is the english translation of "auld lang syne." (**the more you know**) (or at least, it was news to me.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6625102121/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6625102121_8488ae117b_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
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dress: jill stuart<br />
shoes: c/o <a href="http://seychellesfootwear.com/seystart.tpl">seychelles</a><br />
tights: HUE<br />
flower brooch: thrifted<br />
<br />
just a quickie today! sam and i were back up in connecticut this weekend for new year's day - a good friend has the misfortune of a december 31st birthday, which generally means that there is no shortage of parties on his special day, but not-a-one for him. his lady changed that this year, renting out a party bus to drive us and several of his close friends around hartford. i'm more of a dinner-party, champagne toast, dance with friends type of girl on new years, but i have to admit i had a pretty good time hopping from bar to bar. and it was a perfect excuse to snatch up this dress that i've been coveting for months upon months, for a fraction of even the sale price it's listed for on shopbop - one of the many benefits of living in new york city, i suppose.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6625098041/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6625098041_79c35de17e_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6625085815/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6625085815_b72d46a0ed_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6625084683/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6625084683_780f612daa_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
<br />
so. . . this is pretty much everything i could want in a dress. bright colors, whimsical shapes (yes, i used the word "whimsical" and yes, i do kind of hate myself for it), gorgeous pleating. . . if i could wear it every day, i would. and it was warm enough saturday night to throw my go-to sweater over it and walk out the door.<br />
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and i THINK i'm a couple steps closer to finding a way to style this overgrown pixie cut into something i like. it requires the assistance of a blowdryer, which is a bit more high-maitenance than i'm used to, but i think i'll suck it up until it's long enough to throw into a ponytail. <br />
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and i'll leave you with one last shot of some food porn - i wouldn't feel right completing my first post of the year without it. i thought these macarons matched my outfit pretty well, so here they are: grapefruit curd flavor, made just before the new year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6625083233/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6625083233_f4e13f5d6f_b.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt=""></a><br />
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i hope everyone had a fantastic new year! 2011 had to be my best year yet - i married the love of my life, found my dream job and am pretty much as happy as could be. i wish the same to each of you.<br />
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xoxo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-6369598254294831752011-12-29T21:46:00.002-05:002011-12-29T22:12:10.834-05:00ant audreygreetings from a dining room table in icy cold brooklyn! it's finally feeling like winter here - the temperature has literally dropped 30 degrees in the past few days, and it's almost a relief to bundle up in a winter coat and gloves (although this haircut is leaving much to be desired warmth-wise.) i've had a pretty serious lack of outfit posts lately (and posts in general, but i digress) - it's not on accident; my hair hasn't been cut or colored since i first chopped it and blonded it back. . . whenever that was. i'm trying to grow it out, and will probably dye it back to brown at some point, but for now i'm settling for punk-rock-muppet, or whatever the look i'm cultivating is. it certainly doesn't help that i've take to dressing like your crazy, eternally single aunt. case in point, my christmas garb:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/62162104@N02/6597646773/" title="Untitled by oddreigh, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6597646773_780d266c6c_b.jpg" width="680" height="1024" alt=""></a><br />
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sweater: <a href="http://www.cloakanddaggernyc.com/">cloak & dagger</a><br />
dress (as skirt): <a href="http://www.charlottetaylorltd.com/">charlotte taylor</a> via <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com">anthropologie</a><br />
shoes: ebay'd ferragamos<br />
necklace: thrifted<br />
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wrinkles and all. <br />
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anyway, for our christmas sam and i headed up to connecticut to spend it with his family. thanksgiving in california with my folks, christmas in connecticut with his; it's a tradition i've come to love, since time at home with my family is invaluable to me, of course, especially now that it means seeing my little nephew pete. my mom makes all the foods i love for thanksgiving - green bean casserole just the way i like it - and then for the christmas holiday sam's mom handmakes more pierogies than you can count, the wine flows generously, and there's a big screen tv in a den (i always wanted to have a house with a den when i grew up) to escape into. the bakery was pretty hectic leading up to christmas, but i threw together a dish i'd prepared a couple weeks earlier in brooklyn that sam went crazy over.<br />
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<b>bass en croute<br />
</b><br />
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upon a little internet searching to refresh my memory (i couldn't remember quite what veggies i used the first time) i came across <a href="http://www.zencancook.com/2011/10/black-sea-bass-en-croute-with-aromatic-vegetables-mousseline-sauce/">this recipe</a>, which is pretty similar. so i guess i can't claim complete ownership over this one, but i will say it's pretty easy to make and quite the crowd pleaser. particularly if you have a fridge full of fresh fish, as i do.<br />
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1 sizeable fish fillet (i used striped bass, which apparently has been on a KILLER run this fall. in case you were wondering.) i'd say about 4-5 inches wide by ten inches-ish long. <br />
2 sheets puff pastry dough<br />
1 egg, beaten<br />
1 bulb fennel<br />
1 lemon<br />
1/2 cup greek olives<br />
1 cup cherry tomatoes<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
about 1/4 cup chicken stock<br />
a couple tablespoons cream<br />
salt & pepper<br />
<br />
<br />
preheat the oven to 375; make sure your puff pastry sheets are defrosted and ready for use. prep the fish by slicing it, long ways, in half - so that you have two fillets that look the same size as the original from above, but are half the thickness. slice 1/2 the tomatoes, the greek olives, and the fennel; saute until soft, squeeze with 1/2 the lemon juice. prepare the puff pastry sheet by placing it on a baking pan on top of some parchment paper. brush the dough with the beaten egg (there should still be plenty left to brush the outside of the pastry when finished) then place one of the fillets in the center. top it with the sauteed veggies, then place the other half the fish on top; place two slices of lemon on top, squeeze the rest of the juice over it, salt and pepper, then carefully place the second sheet on top of the fish. trim the pastry so it's about 1 inch from the fish, then fold it over itself and seal it with a fork. brush the pastry with the remaining egg, then put it in the oven. it'll take 25-35 minutes to bake; keep an eye on it, and take it out to rest for a few minutes once it's puffed and golden brown. <br />
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for the sauce - while the pastry is cooking, take the remaining 1/2 cup of tomatoes, sliced in half, and the cloves of garlic; chop them, toss the two with olive oil, then wrap them in aluminum foil and roast until the skins of the tomatoes have popped and started to brown (10-15 minutes.) remove the foil and place the ingredients in a small pan; saute on low, adding chicken stock as needed, then right before you get ready to serve, add the cream, salt, and pepper. strain the sauce to remove the tomato skins and seeds, and drizzle around the pastry. ta-da!<br />
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you can see how out of practice i am - i totally forgot to take pictures the whole time and just cooked like a normal person. i'll get back on track, i swear.<br />
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i sincerely wish you all a wonderful new year, and hope you had a wonderful christmahannukwanzukah. or solstice. i have a pretty fantastic new years dress picked out, so i think i'll be back sooner than later.<br />
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xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-60519416190935963752011-12-08T21:38:00.000-05:002011-12-08T21:38:20.751-05:00it's beginning to look a lot like. . .hello hello!<br />
<br />
well, believe it or not, i am STILL nursing this cold, and starting to forget what it feels like to have a nose that isn't runny, and a head that isn't almost too heavy for its neck. one of my readers, <a href="http://culinarilychallenged.blogspot.com/">lauren</a>, pointed out that i shouldn't nap in the afternoon, and i think she's right - unfortunately i've become stuck in this awful cycle of wake up super early & tired, work for 8 or 9 hours, become exhausted, go home, nap, wake up for dinner and find myself unable to fall asleep at a reasonable hour, and repeat. i've also been watching a lot of law and order: special victims unit, which is doing some pretty weird things to my dreams.<br />
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regardless of all of this, i've been working like a maniac and honestly loving just about every minute of it. (except the first thirty or so. try as i might, i am just not a morning person.) with the holidays coming i'm trying to get some ideas together for the bakery (which, i should mention, is called <a href="http://www.greenegrape.com/2011/09/08/annex-grand-opening/">the annex</a>, in fort greene. if you are in new york please stop by!! it's a small place, you'll see me.) what holiday cookies and treats do you like? as a pastry chef with an admittedly saltier tooth than sweet, this time of year can be hard for me - so i've been focusing my time on macarons, always my favorite.<br />
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from the top: raspberry lemonade, blueberry white chocolate, caramel apple cider, chocolate espresso, pear ginger, and peppermint dark chocolate. <br />
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thank you all for the sweet and encouraging comments. it's a job that hardly feels like work, but i have to say i'm anxious to get my energy back and my sleep back on schedule so i can get back to normal again - i feel like i've been on some kind of strange baking vacation where all i do is work, eat and sleep. <br />
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if you have any holiday recipe ideas you'd like to share, please let me know! i'll let you know if i'm serving your cookies in the bakery. <br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-63408102419420869612011-11-28T20:14:00.000-05:002011-11-28T20:14:34.304-05:00m.i.a.and i do mean ACTION. i do think this new (awesome) job will allow me more time for blogging, but it's been a big adjustment - waking up at 5 am, and working until 2 or 3 pm - as yet, i haven't figured out how to get enough sleep the night before to bypass a nap when i get home; usually a 3 to four hour nap, which sucks me of any energy and still sends me off to bed early. <br />
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a typical day for me now looks like this: wake up, stumble into some clothing; tie my seriously-dark-rooted mop top into a bandana, slip on some comfy shoes, grab my magical red notebook of recipes and hop into the passenger's seat of sam's car, because he is a saint who wakes up when i do every morning just to drive me the 3/4 mile or so to work. once i get in to the bakery, i flip on the oven and start prepping muffins for the morning; i'll usually make two, say a blueberry cinnamon and then what's become a standard - a cheesy cornbread muffin with a hardboiled egg baked inside. next, biscuits; i'll see what cheeses or herbs need to be used and incorporate those - today's were buttermilk prosciutto. <br />
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somewhat by accident, i've been making lots of gluten free stuff that has gotten a pretty positive response - much of it inspired by <a href="http://www.roostblog.com">this lovely blog</a>. around this time of the morning, i'll pick a fruit we have in abundance, match it with a spice, extract, or herb and slowly bake it at a low temperature to create a fruit leather of the day. <br />
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next i'll try to bang out a few savory items, for lunch time - usually a pissaladiere, some kind of galette, and maybe a puff pastry tart. mini tomato tartins, cornbread upside down cakes, or mushroom and lamb galettes. . .<br />
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then the real fun starts. this is the time of day i get to experiment a bit; i make a batch of macarons (so far flavors i've tried: root beer float, chocolate raspberry, pumpkin pie, salted caramel apple, vanilla pomegranate, peppermint dark chocolate,) and any other cookies or sweets i want to test out. one of my favorites so far has been homemade s'mores - i made graham crackers and marshmallows from scratch, then pressed them together with some dark and white chocolate and melted them for about 30 seconds. <br />
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so, all is well, and i really feel like i've found my place - what's better than getting to do the thing you love all day long, and get paid for it?<br />
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i know i've been awful about responding to comments, and getting back to you guys - i swear i'm getting my feet underneath me (and getting over a pretty nasty cold) and i'll be back to my old self in no time.<br />
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much love,<br />
<br />
audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4834724999521356441.post-62574193061943197752011-11-15T18:17:00.000-05:002011-11-15T18:17:39.783-05:00brunchsunday afternoon, four old friends from culinary school came over for brunch. in other words, five pastry chefs gathered at my apartment sunday and they all brought food. for my part, despite two late nights in a row - friday night was my going away party at work, and saturday night was a close friend's birthday - i roused myself at a reasonable hour (10 am is reasonable, right?) and started cookin'.<br />
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<br />
the apple cake i made can be found <a href="http://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/an-apple-cake-for-darios-food-styling-and-food-photography-workshop">here</a>; it was great, nice and light, not like a lot of apple cakes which end up really dense (also delicious, but when you're got a zucchini, asparagus & goat cheese strata, 2 kinds of eclairs, chocolates, a spice bundt with caramel icing to get through, you've got to keep it light any way you can.)<br />
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my other contribution (aside from some fresh-squeezed juice to house the champagne) was a smoked duck, beet and goat cheese hash, a variation on one of my favorite breakfasts of all time. it takes a bit of time (mostly for the beets to roast) but it so well worth it.<br />
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<b>smoked duck, beet and goat cheese hash</b><br />
<br />
1 smoked duck breast, cubed<br />
2 large beets, roasted until soft when pricked with a fork and cubed<br />
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled, boiled and cubed<br />
1 4 oz goat cheese log<br />
4 thyme sprigs<br />
salt & pepper<br />
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start a large saucepan on medium high heat; add duck. sear it on all sides, then add thyme, beets and potatoes; cook until crispy on the sides, remove from heat, and stir in goat cheese. salt and pepper to taste; serve with fried eggs atop if desired.<br />
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easy as pie! and so, so savory or delicious. you can really sub in any meat you like, but the duck did work great with the beets and goat cheese.<br />
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i started the new job yesterday, and i have to say, it's pretty incredible. now that i've emptied my camera of brunch photos, i'll be sure to document my goings-on in there. and i'm off work around 2 every day, so i should have some daylight time for an outfit post or two. . . as long as i don't fall asleep watching netflix at 3 like i may or may not have done upon arriving home today.<br />
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hope all is well, and more from me soon - <br />
<br />
xo audreyaudreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131215170319057628noreply@blogger.com6