day of wine

The main ingredients in getting one's rhythm back ~ a day in the country and a glass (or two) of wine! Yesterday's glorious weather and the promise of colorful foliage lured some of us city folk out to the Shenandoah. Armed with a picnic of smoked cheese, turkey breast, rosemary-olive bread, a bag of Cheetos, and the 2008 Virginia Winery Guide, we descended on Piedmont Vineyards and Vintage Ridge (the latter of which sent us over the moon with their fantastic wine and food pairings!). It is the time of year when Virginia is at her best ~ sunlight streams through the yellow leaves, heat and humidity gives way to clear, crisp air, and the farm stands are full of apples, pears, and tart cider. When you live in the city the seasons seem to have less immediacy, so a day like this is like a gift from nature. We hated to give it up, waiting until the sun cast long, cool shadows over the landscape before we finally piled back in the car, and back to the city. (For more of our outing, see here).

I hope you too had a weekend full of autumnal wonders. xo.

fall color!

Autumnal tones at the farmers' market ~ yarn from here and crisp Virginia pears. I am dying to knit some mittens!

some focus

A bit of an unexpected absence. Just so much going on, including a quick trip to New York, where there were lots of lovely things ~ a new baby to coo over, Morandi at the Met (along with some fabulous British prints...the exhibition catalogue for which is gorgeous), and an atumnal walk in Central Park. The fall season serves up so many goodies, and I have lots to share this week. But first, I hope I can ease back into a more balanced rhythm...and find a little focus.

postcard: a lemon pippin & nonsuch

From the Victoria & Albert ~ apples ~ by Charles Jones. The names are wonderful: Cox's Pomona, Lord Derby, Cellini Pippin, Lemon Pippin, King of the Pippins, Mere de Menage, Peasgood's Nonsuch, Sandringham, Worcester Pearmain. For more by Jones, see here and here.

(image: Charles Jones, Apples, gelatin silver prints, a page from an album, about 1901-1920, Vicoria & Albert Museum, London)

being at home, part 2

The soup is delicious! And really very easy to make. Too good not to share:

Cauliflower soup with Gorgonzola

1 medium cauliflower
15g unsalted butter (about 1 tbsp)
2 smallish yellow onions, peeled and finely sliced
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 litre chicken stock (32 oz)
250g Gorgonzola (about 1/2 pound)
100ml crème fraîche (2-3 tbsp)

Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and break it into small florets (don’t bother to remove the stalk ~ it only adds to the flavor). Melt the butter gently in a pot (large enough to hold all your ingredients) over a medium heat). Add the onions and sweat gently for 5 minutes or so until translucent.

Add the cauliflower, thyme and bay leaves. Season with a little salt and pepper, to allow the flavors to adjust and find their feet. Pour in the chicken stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the cauliflower is very soft.

Crumble in the Gorgonzola and stir over a low heat until it has melted into the soup. Add the crème fraîche and stir to combine. Pick out the bay leaves and thyme stalks, then tip the soup into a blender and whiz until really smooth. This will take a good minute or so, as often one or two little florets escape the blade. Return the soup to the pan and reheat gently. Taste and add a little more salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

NOTE: I used a hand blender so that I did not need to transfer the soup. And for those of you in the States, I annotated the ingredients with American measurements (however, it really is a rather inexact science!). Serve with a crisp Riesling!

(From: Skye Gyngell's A Year in My Kitchen)

being at home, part 1

What a delight to be home for a weekend. Nesting ~ painting, cooking, stitching, and watching those long afternoon shadows. I delved into a new cookbook, which I picked up in London ~ Skye Gyngell's A Year in My Kitchen. Fabulous recipes and some seriously stunning photography (by Jason Lowe). The recipes are organized by season, which I love ~ making it easy to take advantage of local produce at market. Her cauliflower gorgonzola soup is on the menu for this evening, and I have already ordered her latest book: My Favourite Ingredients. Gyngell is the chef at Petersham Nurseries, which does indeed look like the perfect destination for "serious foodies" (!!).

And sweet William came into the world at 12:34am on Saturday. I was delighted to be his very first visitor!

leaving london

The one thing I don't like about London is leaving. It truly is one of my favorite cities ~ I always feel so at home there. This photograph was the last one from the trip ~ taken very early in the morning, looking out my window at the towers of the Natural History Museum just as the sun rose. Sigh. On a brighter note, here my the usual list of favorites:

* Rothko at the Tate

* the British Galleries at the V&A (always a delight!)

* Designers Guild on Kings Road

* Rococo chocolates

* Toast (this yummy cardi in "gingersnap" came home with me)

* English Style and Decoration

...oh, and so much more. I will be back next week with just a little bit more...including perhaps a recipe or two. Cheers and happy weekend!

details: osterley park

Just a short train ride from London is Osterley Park, an Elizabethan house turned neo-Classical masterpiece. It has some of the most complete (and truly magnificent!) Robert Adam interiors I have ever seen. Because the house was used so infrequently over the years ~ and then primarily as a place to entertain ~ it has retained much of its Adam interior decoration. The 18th-century pleasure grounds are still accessible, and dotted with delightful follies. See more here.

(photos: a detail of the portico ceiling, and an unruly dill weed in the Elizabethan garden)

threads

Oh London...so full of taspestry and embroidery. A feast for the eye...this vignette is from Hampton Court Palace. Some of my favorite places for threads:

* V&A (this embroidery from Stoke Edith is so amazing)
* Tapisserie (a Chinoiserie canvas is my newest project!)
* Chelsea Textiles
* and The Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court

And I opened a London 2008 set on Flickr. Enjoy!

sunday at kew

A lazy, sunny sunday at Kew Gardens is a very good way to combat jetlag (especially with a snooze on the grass!). There is so much to see and do, but Kew Palace (newly restored) and the divine Waterlily House are my absolute favorites...ooooohh and a cup of tea at the Orangery!

home again

Signs of autumn in London. More later. Hope you are all well. xo.

trouvée: the looking glass

Out of context, this photograph seems a bit odd ~ the frame for a looking glass, incongruously hung on a fabric backdrop. The verso is annotated with various numbers and prices, so my suspicion is that it was probably part of the photographic record for an estate auction or sale. I wrote my masters thesis on looking glasses, so it appealed to me ~ that and the wonderful strangeness of it.

A few quick links (not all photo related):

* Earth and Sky ~ Barbara Bosworth
* Egg and Nest (fascinating!)
* a brief chat with Helen Levitt
* and Morandi opens at the Met!

I am off again on another adventure ~ exploring familiar territory. Type to you in a week. Cheers!

inspiration: wedgwood

It has been a while since I did an "inspiration" post. So, as I find my apartment at long last coming together (the contractor put in the last piece of molding yesterday!), I am searching for color. Having spent my entire adult life living in rentals with plain white walls, it is a joy to finally be able to pull paint-color chips. But overwhelming too! I so admire people who fearlessly use bold color. But my eye is drawn to something more subtle...and when you have only 502 square feet of space, a lot of color can be glaring. Looking through my folders, I came across these images, which I pilfered from the NYPL digital library (you can see more here). Wedgwood, of course. Love those grays and creams...with spots of soft blue, lime green, and mustard yellow. A perfect palette. Okay...now it's time to go pick up a paint brush.

(images: Old Wedgwood, 1898, New York Public Library)

armchair traveler

Well...mmm...I have been busy. But I have a treat for you ~ I have at long last edited down the 1194 images I took this summer in England, and uploaded my 166 favorites to Flickr! Not an easy task my friends. So, here it is ~ Attingham 2008. Enjoy and xo.

P.S. Why did I not join Flickr sooner?!? love it.

les poires

Summer has made rather dramatic come back in the last few days...it was horribly hot here in Washington this weekend. But, the gorgeous pears at the farmers market have me dreaming of cool crisp days, and a yummy recipe.

Would love to see more about this!

Happy monday all...I hope you are well.

trouvée: on the porch

Santa put this little gem in my stocking last Christmas ~ clearly he has a sense of humor! It so perfectly captures my end-of-summer malaise.

Today, these photo links are making me happy:

* Road Trip, 1928
* Maggie
* and It's beautiful here, isn't it...

A good weekend to you all! Go catch the last of those summer rays.

recharging the batteries

Not too much to say this week ~ just relishing the quiet lovliness of my vacation.

P.S. I love this.

quiet before the storm

Maine is beautiful...even in the fog. The calm, grey morning before Hanna blew through ~ a seal was out looking for his breakfast!

fleeting moments

Summer is over so very quickly. You blink...and it is gone. But, I do love those last few days of the season in Maine ~ sunset cocktails on the rocks, plates full of sweet Maine corn, and trees laiden with apples. The days are warm, but the nights are cool. And there is a particular slant of golden light that hints at autumn.

Today, as always, I am taking delight in the details:

* Jessica Bruah (Stories...1 and 2)
* Lorna Simpson (especially Details)

And a little baby came into the world today. I am his Tante Janet. And that brings me joy!

end of summer

Back from Maine...sigh. More tomorrow.

trouvée: wish you were here

Postmarked "Pleasant Point, ME, July 29, 1907" and addressed to "Walter Copeland Bryant, Brockton, Mass." To me this captures the essence of summer in Maine. Tomorrow I am headed to my own pleasant point for a wee vacation ~ I can't wait for the smell of salt air, blue waters, and fields of wild flowers.

Maybe it is ambitious, but this is what I am bringing along:

* The Geographer's Library
* The Binding Chair
* Abandon
* and two needlepoint canvases!

For those of you in the States, I wish you all a happy Labor Day weekend ~ and to all a wonderful end to summer! Type to you in a week. xo.

an apology

Oh, gosh...this week has slipped away with barely a post! I humbly offer you some dahlias. And as promised, a few last links from England (of the more contemporary sort):

* Claire Morgan
* Edmund de Waal
* Cy Twombly at the Tate
* and 2 Willow Road

I'll be back tomorrow...and then off next week for a little rest. Cheers!

a weekend at home

Yesterday marked a milestone ~ the first home-cooked meal in my kitchen! Oh, it felt good to hit the farmers' market in the morning, and then fire up that stove for the first time. Never mind that I couldn't find the salt and pepper...I had that glorious basil.

Have you seen the September "Paris" issue of Gourmet? Simply divine...the photographs and articles made me drool.

trouvée: manhattan

I discovered this little gem quite a while ago, and it just seemed the appropriate image with which to end a week spent in New York (as always, click to view larger). Gosh...it has been ages since the last found photo friday! And related photo links:

* Hubert's Freaks
* tintypes (something to look forward to!)
* and the Pompidou catalogue on Miroslav Tichy is out at last!

Before I wish you a bon weekend...a huge thank you goes to Style Court for the lovely mention yesterday...and to my friend Anna for her sweet words (more Attingham adventures are to be found on her blog!). Next week ~ a few last goodies from England (of the more contemporary sort), along with some new inspiration. Until then...cheers!

waking up

I suppose one must eventually wake up from the dream (thanks for reliving it with me these past several weeks!). However, I discovered that a trip to New York is a good distraction. Here is why:

* good friends, good food, and good wine (lots of it) ~ all the perfect ingredients for being just a little bit naughty (yes, Mr. R, just a little)
* it's the only place in the world where you can see someone eating pizza while skateboarding down Seventh Avenue...and a guy reading Huckleberry Finn on the 6 train (I love that!)
* Louise Bourgeois at the Guggenheim
* pattern and design at the Cooper-Hewitt
* the fabulous yarn selection at Purl
* and lots and lots of great shadows in Soho

Was there more? Of course. But, for now...happy thursday!