for love of: laura letinsky

 recently ive been thinking about the work of laura letinsky. i attended a lecture of hers about a year ago and ive been rolling her images over in my mid alot as of late. 

like modern day vanitas they have a persistent quality of absence. i find myself studying them for clues about who has just left the room and the lives contained just outside the frame. 

beautiful to look at - soft but striking pallets and lots of little details to captivate. 

wine list wednesday

a little chardonnay for this wednesday. the cameron hughes 2009 los carneros chardonnay pairs perfectly with this farm fresh salad. i really loves wines from the carneros region of napa. this white has a warm buttery profile as you would expect from a chardonnay with lovely creamy flavors of vanilla and pineapple with the right amount of toasted oak flavor, not too much. what i especially liked about this chardonnay is the unexpected, slightly citrusy burst at the end. its truly delightful and just picks up the whole in-your-mouth experience so beautifully. 

its really is a nice little wine and at around 15$ a bottle, its perfect for the upcoming summer salad and seafood season. i be it would also pair so well with mussels or grilled prawns. 

fruits of labor : farm fresh

its spring in california and produce is amazing at the moment. such a treat after a very long winter of dark greens, lots of dark leafy greens. 


i pretty much pulled all of my favorites together for this dish. pea tendrils, asparagus, mint & citrus. 


serves 2 or 4 if used as a starter salad. 


shaved asparagus salad. 


1 bunch of asparagus, shaved. ** see note. 
1 lemon, juiced. use about 3/4 of the juice and add more if needed.  
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp corse ground salt
1 tbsp evoo
8 or so mint leaves,sliced into ribbons.  
a few needles of rosemary very finely minced 


combine all ingredients in a bowl and let stand. stirring occasionally 


soft boil eggs 1 -2 per person depending upon desire. 
place eggs in a sauce pan and cover with water. turn on high heat. when water just comes to a boil, turn off heat and cover immediately. let stand 5 minutes exactly. rinse under cold water and peel. it should be just soft boiled. 


wilted pea tendrils. 
1 bunch of pea tendrils, washed and chopped aprox 1.5" to remove the woody ends. 
1 head and stalk of green garlic. 


in a large saute pan over low heat sweat green garlic. aprox 5 minutes then add prepared pea tendrils. turning constantly until just wilted. 3-4 mins. turn off pan and let stand until ready to serve. 
i suggest turning on the eggs and starting pea tendrils wilting at the same moment. 


to plate, place wilted pea tendrils down in a shallow bed, top with asparagus salad and halves of soft boiled eggs. 


serve with crusty baguette, fresh goat cheese and a crisp white wine. 




** 
with a veggie peeler. start about mid way down the stalk and shave                   around the stalk until it just falls off. this creates a nice variance of texture. repeat closer to the tip. saving just the tips for added contrast. 

little bits of velvet

lately ive been noticing little bits of velvet here and there. it seems that many of the photos i have pulled in the last little while have incorporated velvet fabrics into their scheme. i love the bit of luxury and instant depth it adds to these interiors

i first started thinking about the material after spying this handsome devil a few months ago

 
these interiors all seem to remind me of a tucked away country home & the velvet effortlessly adds qualities of a more relaxed, lived in vibe, something im quite fond of. while avoiding feeling too formal or fussy. which is what i normally equated with velvets. im not sure how well velvet would sit in my san francisco apartment however. does the fairly temperate climate really suit such a material? 




images. stylemadesimple, emmasdesignblog, canadian house&home, (final 2) simon upton

alexis bittar

as some of you know i have a huge weakness for vintage costume jewelry. i think its the perfect way to bring a little bit of glamor into your everyday. pairing huge sparkling earrings with a simple striped T or a pair of kaki's. 

crystal encrusted gold circle cup ring

but im always thinking about what comes next. many of the designers i am interested in began designing in the 20's or 40's and a few of these designers lines are still around today. but how to add modern pieces to the collection is always a question for me. im less interested in the modern incarnations of the designers who's vintage pieces i so covet therefor the only way to branch out is to find a completely new perspective. 

black w. gold wavy link sequence necklace 

while strolling this weekend a new store in my neighborhood caught my eye: alexis bittar. i love her designs, she seems able to marry some of the glamor of the vintage pieces i so love with a modern ease. refined, chic but casual and not over the top. the piece i would most like to add to my collection is this bracelet, the spring fern gold small horn ripple hinge bracelet

all images alexis bittar