Ina comes through again

I love trying new Ina Garten recipes. Always so rustic and simple and delicious. This capellini from House Beautiful is great.

CAPELLINI WITH TOMATOES AND BASIL

1/2 c. good olive oil, plus extra for pasta pot

2 tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves)

4 pints small cherry or grape tomatoes

18 large basil leaves, julienned

2 tbsp. chopped fresh curly parsley

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepepr

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 lb. dried capellini or angel hair pasta

1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Extra chopped basil and grated Parmesan for serving

Quick directions:

1. Bring water + salt + oil to boil.

2. Heat 1/2 c. olive oil in pan. Add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, basil, parsley, thyme, 2 tsp. salt, pepper, red pepper. Reduce heat and cook for 5-7 minutes, tossing occasionally.

3. Cook capellini according to directions. Drain. Reserve some pasta water.

4. Place pasta in large serving bowl, add tomatoes and Parmesan, and toss well. Add some of pasta water if too dry. Add extra basil and Parmesan on top.

Not sure why on earth I am looking at buying dinnerware today. Perhaps because I've bought so many wedding gifts lately. I would love to have a nice set of Juliska Berry and Thread dinnerware. Would it be worth it to get married just to register for a new set of dinnerware?

Lookbook for new dinnerware:

Giving into trends AGAIN

I have such a weakness for trends. My new years resolution last year was to stop buying trends. Here we go again with the Hermes blanket. I really want one, and it could not be any more of a trend. Oh well... it will always come back in style one day.

Lee Kleinhelter

Bruce Glickman and Wilson Henley

Suzanne Kasler

Stephen Schubel

Spring Cleaning

I have all these "inspiration" photos on my desktop and I felt like virtual spring cleaning. I'll use this as my way of filing them. And I have no clue where they all came from.

Notable Weekly Meal

I made this last night, and it's easy, easy, easy and so tasty. Leftovers are even great if you just keep the sauce on the side. I'm very much looking forward to my lunch today...

Chicken Picatta a la Giada

Ingredients

• 2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

Need a butterflying refresher? I needed a quick brush up, and this really helped.

Picture and recipe courtesy Food Network, click here for a review

Closet swap?

Everyone is familiar with Rebecca Minkoff for her success in handbags...but who knew she had such great personal style? I love how its a mix of things from her own collection, her friends, and then random other pieces from say Target (blue striped shirt in pic 3 is Rodarte for Target). I'd switch closets any day...

All pictures courtesy of Elle.com, read on and see more here

Objet of my Affection

Designers like to drop the term "objet d'art" a lot to make a pretty simple idea seem more... sophisticated. An "objet d'art" is really just an object that has some sort of artistic value. I love this idea because it is unexpected, rustic and can be very inexpensive. Since an "objet d'art" is any item that can be perceived as art, it doesn't necessarily have to be costly. You can find anything to use from a thrift store or garage sale (the imperfections make things no longer useful, but the same imperfections make great art). It really is all in the perception. Here are some of my favorite examples:

Betty Burgess via Veranda

Nate Berkus

Kay Douglass

Kay Douglass

Kay Douglass

Darryl Carter

Nate Berkus

James Huniford

Axel Vervoordt (I think!)

Stephen Sills (I think!)

Texan Wedding

Kelly just sent me this wedding that several of our friends attended in Austin...and I thought you might enjoy, being a Texan now and everything. The rehearsal dinner took place at Lamberts in downtown Austin, and the wedding took place at Villa Antonia. There's such a contrast between the two events, but I think go really well together...what do you think?

Wedding:

All images courtesy Braden Harris (def check out their other photos too...)

Degrees of separation cookies

Image via Goop

Just made the most delightful chocolate chip cookies. I got the recipe from Madaket Market blog who got the recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow who got the recipe from Tate's. The cookies aren't as thin and crisp as Tate's but incredibly delicious. (I used Fleur de sel instead of regular salt and it was such a good move!)

Here's the recipe:

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) lightly salted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Whisk the flour, soda and salt together in a bowl. In another large bowl, mix the butter with a wooden spoon to lighten it a bit and then mix in the sugars. Add the water, vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined and then fold in the chocolate chips. Using two soup spoons, drop the cookies 2" apart onto two nonstick or greased cookie sheets. Bake for eight minutes, rotating the sheets after four minutes. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool, and repeat the process with the rest of the batter.

Black and White and Beautiful

I think I may have posted parts of this Shelter Island home before, but just found the entire house on the Schappacher White Ltd. website. I just love black and white.