Recipe: Veggie Peanut Pasta

Continuing the theme of summer dishes that pack up well for picnics, I wanted to share one of my all-time favorite dishes. I seriously could have this for lunch, dinner, and lunch the next day (in fact, I probably have done that at some point), it's that good. In the interest of time, it does include a store bought peanut sauce, but you could of course make your own. I happened to do this veggie style, but it's great with chicken or shrimp as well. It's quick, it's easy, there is minimal cooking involved, and you can switch up the pasta and veggies to make it your own. Best of all, the leftovers just get better and better.

Veggie Peanut Pasta

1 lb. dried linguine
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly julienned
1 yellow pepper, thinly julienned
1 carrot, thinly julienned
1 cucumber, seeded and julienned
6 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced (these are easy to do on a mandolin if you have one)
1 cup of loose cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
10 oz. peanut sauce (I used San-J Thai Peanut Sauce)
salt and pepper

Set a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. While the water is coming up to a boil, slice the onion, red pepper, yellow pepper, carrot, and cucumber into thin strips. Cut each radish in half and thinly slice. If your cilantro looks a little dirty, give it a quick rinse, pat the leaves dry, and run your knife through the bunch until well chopped. Roughly chop the peanuts and set aside. When your pot of water is boiling, add a tablespoon of salt and cook the linguine according to the directions on the box until al dente, then drain. Pour the cooked pasta into a large bowl and immediately toss with the peanut sauce. Add in all the vegetables, cilantro, peanuts, and the juice of half a lime and toss it all together. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cold.

Cleveland Art

If you're looking for a little touch of old to balance out all the Pottery Barn newness in your home, check out Cleveland Art. When it comes to salvage and industrial pieces, they're the real deal, getting bits and parts from defunct factories in the country's Rust Belt, and re-imagining them as works stations, tables, chairs, and lighting. The design studio is located in Ohio, but they recently opened an LA outpost for all you lucky Angelenos. If you have a specific type of piece in mind that you know would be perfect for that unloved corner of your living room, give them a call and they'll happily be on the lookout, as their stock changes daily. For all you New Yorkers, their pieces are also available here in NYC at Intérieurs in Tribeca. Just think of all the industrial waste you're sparing our landfills - and they're purty too!

Crate & Barrel Cuties

I love when large retailers really get it right. Here are a few of the newest offerings from Crate & Barrel that caught my eye.

Walnut and white lacquer together are just so right, giving this piece a simple Scandinavian-style vibe.

Delano Sideboard, $399

I'm always a sucker for industrial chic, and I love that a quick spin adjusts the seat height.

Turner Barstool, $199

All that oak veneer grain mixed with the clean lines say Danish modern to me.

Trestle Sideboard, $499

"My Life in France" by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme

I've been meaning to post about this book for some time, and the impending release of the movie Julie & Julia gave me just the reminder I needed. After reading this, you will absolutely fall in love with the curious, witty, spirited, trailblazer that was Julia Child. You'll also want to move to Paris immediately. I found it so inspiring that the woman we all know as the stateside doyenne of French cuisine didn't learn to cook until she was in her mid thirties. The book is filled with charming observations and moments of introspection like this one:

"Upon reflection, I decided I had three main weaknesses: I was confused (evidenced by a lack of facts, an inability to coordinate my thoughts, and an inability to verbalize my ideas); I had a lack of confidence, which caused me to back down from forcefully stated positions; and I was overly emotional at the expense of careful, "scientific" thought. I was thirty-seven years old and still discovering who I was."

It's a great summer read that you'll want to pick up again come fall.

Recipe: Panzanella with Smoked Mozzarella

If you're looking for dishes that are easy to make and travel well, say for a picnic in the park, then this recipe is perfect for you. I love how simple and delicious a bunch of raw veggies can be. It's really worth the extra effort to grill the bread before cutting it into cubes for that nice bit of smoky flavor. This one is a veggie free for all, so if you love red pepper, add a couple, if you like more cucumber, go crazy. I would however caution against adding a ton of raw red onion, or if you do, make sure to bring some breath mints. Come on, you know it's true. It's a summer bread salad with cheese! What's not to love?

Panzanella with Smoked Mozzarella

5 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium red onion, diced

1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced

4 oz. smoked mozzarella, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup of basil leaves, torn or chopped

5 thick slices country bread

dressing:

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

To grill the bread, heat up your grill pan over a medium-high heat. Drizzle each side of the bread slices with a little extra-virgin olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place the slices on the grill pan and allow to cook until they develop nice grill marks on each side. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, cucumber and smoked mozzarella. When the bread is cool, cut the slices into bite-size cubes and add to the bowl with the vegetables. In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard. Salt and pepper to taste. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking continuously. Pour about three quarters of the dressing over the bread cubes and vegetables and toss to combine. Add the chopped basil and toss again to combine. If you like your panzanella well dressed, add the the remainder of the dressing. Serve and enjoy.

Inspiration: NYPL

I seriously doubt I'll ever opt for a Kindle over holding an actual book, and while I think it's interesting that Google is slowly scanning every book ever written to make it available to view online, I'll never forsake the tactile pleasure of turning a page. I can however get behind one benefit of the digital age - inspiring imagery that is only a click away. One amazing, and under the radar source for images online is the New York Public Library. Their Digital Gallery holds over 685,000 images, pulled from the library's enormous collection and includes illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints, photographs, and oh so much more. If you happen to find an image you can't live without, you can crop and buy prints, complete with mat and frame, directly from the site, knowing your hard earned money is going to help fund the NYPL. Type in a search word and away you go on a journey through history, courtesy of our local public library. Sure beats the Dewey Decimal System.

Alice B. Toklas and Gertrude Stein on the Terrace at Bilignin, June 13, 1934

Photo by Carl Van Vechten

The Chinese Chippendale room at Badminton House, ca. 1755

Great Blue Heron (1872)

"The Pageant of America" collection, Pewter Spoons

Ladies' dress shoes of the nineteenth century by T.Watson Greig (1900)

Top Image: Drawing room chairs with stuffed backs (184-?) by Thomas King, furniture pattern designer

Outdoor Decor

A good friend of mine just purchased an apartment here in NYC and has graciously asked me to help her design her new home (more on that later). The apartment includes the fabulous outdoor space pictured above, half of which is a lovely garden with tons of flowers and fresh herbs. We're going to transform this space into an outdoor oasis in which she'd like a dining area that can seat 6-8 and a place to lounge and read. The possibilities are endless! We are, of course, working with a budget, so that helps narrow things down a bit. I was flipping through my trusty back issues of Domino for inspiration and wanted to share a few of my favorite outdoor spaces from my favorite magazine. Don't worry, there will definitely be an After picture to go with the Before shot above.

Domino, May 2008, Miguel Flores-Vianna

Domino, May 2007, Melanie Acevedo

Domino, May 2007, Jack Coble

Domino, April 2008, Paul Costello

Domino, April 2006, Melanie Acevedo

Domino, June/July 2008, David Tsay

Domino, June/July 2008, Melanie Acevedo

Domino, May 2006, Paul Costello

On a side note, the chair above is on sale at Pier 1 Imports for $49.98 and looks nearly identical to the chairs in my last outdoor inspiration image. It's very Marston & Langinger for a fraction of the price. Not really my friends style but I've always had a personal obsession with wirework outdoor furniture.