Cauliflower

My wonderful boyfriend Ben is currently in his second year of medical school at NYU and has been teaching a cooking class for his fellow med students. A few years back he went to the Institute of Culinary Education here in NYC and did a stint at Per Se, so, needless to say, he really knows his way around the kitchen. Seeing as how I have some extra time on my hands since Domino folded, I've been recipe testing for him and enjoying every second. I feel just like Julia Child each time I make a notation of something I think he should add to make the recipe easier to follow for novices like myself. The dishes he has put together are really fantastic and super simple. This first one I tried totally blew me away because it resulted in a bowl of cauliflower so delicious, I stood in our kitchen and devoured the entire thing. Seriously, when's the last time you ate an entire bowl of cauliflower! It would make a perfect side dish for a dinner party and I love the yellow color the cauliflower gets from the turmeric. Enjoy!!

Spiced Cauliflower with Breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cups cauliflower, cut into small, 1-inch florets (about 3/4 head)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 cup coarse breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes, and then add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the cauliflower and shake the pan to evenly distribute into one layer. Cook, without stirring, until browned slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, cumin, turmeric, breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, many grinds of black pepper, and toss to coat. Continue to cook until cauliflower is tender but retains some bite, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the sherry vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, toss together, and serve. 

Dossier Shop

Dossier Shop, 244 DeKalb Avenue (between Vanderbilt and Claremont Aves), Fort Greene, 718.783.0783

In general, I would say my five main interests include design, food, fashion, art, and literature, though not necessarily in that order. How convenient that Dossier should open a store in Fort Greene that hits on all of the above. In case you haven't picked up a copy yet, Dossier is the biannual fashion and arts journal whose contents are compiled under the assumption that people who care about fashion and art also care about literature, food, design, and music (I'm a bit of a music neophyte myself but I'm working on it). Open Tuesday to Sunday, 12-7, Dossier Shop carries clothing by APC, Bless, high-end vintage pieces, jewelry by the amazing Pamela Love, small-run art books put out by independent presses, handmade stationary, artist monographs, prints and lithographs, as well as cookbooks, literary journals, records, and I'm sure tons of gorgeous little knickknacks. They're even offering a 10% friends and family discount through April 24th. Oh, and don't forget to pick up the recently released new issue featuring the oh so chic Lou Doillon. 

Inspiration: Ambra Medda

Some women inspire you to greater heights with their own achievements, and Ambra Medda is definitely one of those women for me. She's the daughter of a London gallerist and grew up traveling all over the world with her mother, tracking down pieces and artists. When she was 23, she cofounded Design Miami to address the need for a design fair that touched on the relationship between contemporary art and limited-edition, historic design pieces. It is now the most important contemporary design fair in the world and travels between Miami and Switzerland with Art Basel every June and December. At 27, she currently serves as the director of Design Miami and Design Miami/Basel. Ambra is gorgeous, has great style, and oh, did I mention she's fluent in five languages. Check out this Sunday's T Magazine in your NY Times for a "Profile in Style" on Ambra and find out where she gets her inspiration. 

Caged In

It seems everywhere I look, there they are - the YSL caged booties for Spring 09. Every fashion magazine has featured them multiple times and, as soon as the weather starts to warm up here in New York, I'm sure I'll be seeing them on the feet of chic women all over the city. It's common knowledge that fashion influences design, but these cagey cuties made me wonder if Stefano Pilati may have turned to some well known design classics for his inspiration.

Waste Basket by Josef Hoffman, $225, Neue Galerie (neuegalerie.org)

Bertoia Side Chair, $460, Design Within Reach (dwr.com)

322 D.S.1 table by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, $5,200, Cassina (cassinausa.com)

Wine Coaster by Josef Hoffman, $100, Neue Galerie (neuegalerie.org)

Michael Graves PF8 Press Filter Coffee Maker, $185, Alessi (alessi-shop.com)

Easter Cookies

Happy Easter!

Lee Radziwill: Then & Now

I've been fascinated by Lee Radziwill ever since I bought my copy of Happy Times, her photo album and notebook of life in the 60's. Filled with images and memories of beautiful vacation homes, encounters with icons of the time like Truman Capote and Andy Warhol, parties at the White House with Jackie and JFK, and much more, it's an incredible peak into the fabulous and sometimes tragic lives of the Bouvier sisters. It also happens to include images of Lee's various homes during that time. When I picked up the April issue of ELLE Decor, I was immediately reminded of these when I saw their beautiful story on her current homes in Manhattan and Paris. I thought it called or a little then & now moment. 

Turville, Lee's seventeenth-century Queen Anne bakehouse outside of Oxfordshire, was decorated with floral silk panels and her Anglo-Indian botanical watercolors. 

(Image: Happy Times, Horst)

When her children were older, Lee moved from her apartment on Fifth to a smaller penthouse on Park Avenue. She brought with her the same watercolors that hung in her home at Turville.

(Image: Happy Times, Derry Moore)

Lee's current apartment in Paris is now the home of her beloved watercolors, which are revealed in the ELLE Decor article as having been a gift from the Duke of Beaufort. This just goes to show you that the things you love will always look at home in your space, wherever that may be. 

(Image: ELLE Decor, April 09, Eric Bowman)

In the mid-sixties, Lee moved from Turville to a place on Fifth Avenue to be near Jackie. Decorated by Renzo Mongiardino, the living room was done in a cherry-red velvet, red and black lacquer, and tons of gold gilding. 

(Image: Happy Times, Richard Champion)

The dining room walls were covered in a dark orange moiré with contrasting chairs and sideboard. 

(Image: Happy Times, Richard Champion)

The walls of Radziwill's current sitting room in New York are covered in a vintage Rubelli stripe, which was also used for the daybed and curtains. 

(Image: ELLE Decor, April 09, Eric Bowman)

Radziwill's current New York dining room was given a similar treatment, only using a Milanese silk. Again, the dark dining chairs really add contrast. 

(Image: ELLE Decor, April 09, Eric Bowman)

Lee Radziwill's most famous quarters, her Ottoman-inspired drawing room in London designed by Renzo Mongiardino, was created using divans and blocked Indian cotton. Amazing!!

(Image: Happy Times, Cecil Beaton)

It seems Radziwill can't do without these fabric blowout rooms, and has a few in both her Paris (above) and New York abodes. Here, she chose a Le Manach chinoiserie print for the library's upholstery, walls, and curtains. 

(Image: ELLE Decor, April 09, Eric Bowman)

For her New York library, she also chose a Le Manach fabric for the upholstery, walls, and curtains. I have to admit, Lee Radziwill has me a bit obsessed with upholstering walls at the moment (not that I needed any help). I have to go measure my bedroom and figure out yardage now. 

Bon weekend!!

(Image: ELLE Decor, April 09, Eric Bowman)

One Kings Lane

I know in these tough economic times we're all trying to reign in our shopping habits, but this is just too good not to share. The new website One Kings Lane is for home decor what Gilt Groupe is for fashion. Finally!! A discount site for the home obsessed. One Kings Lane plays host to limited time only sales, organized by company - and when I say sale, I'm talking up to 70% off retail. As a member, you'll receive email alerts when sales are starting. Some of the companies include Chelsea Textiles, Rani Arabella, Dwell Studio, and Lunt Silversmiths, with more to come. I can't wait for lighting and furniture! Here are a few noteworthy steals. 

Chelsea Textiles, Leopard Pillow, $99 (reg. price: $300)

Lunt Silversmiths, Chinois Latticework Stainless Flatware Set, $29 (reg.price: $75)

Assouline, Compendium of Interior, $35 (reg.price: $69.95)