deep blue something

yves klein, grande anthropologie bleue, hommage a tennessee williams, 1960 (centre pompidou)

as an art nerd, i love seeing how elements of design and style pay tribute to great artists' works, whether intentionally or not. this spring, cobalt blue seems to be turning up everywhere and each piece reminds me of yves klein's paintings in his iconic, hyper-saturated "international klein blue."

1.  j.crew edie purse in casablanca blue
2.  j.crew toothpick jean in blue grotto
3.  west elm blue splatter dinnerware
4.  ann taylor belt in blue lapis
5.  madewell suede sidewalk skimmer in crystal blue
6.  marimekko pillow
7.  anthropologie wavering glass in blue 

personally, i have a weakness for a bright pair of flats :)

any excuse for a party: super bowl edition

it's the middle of winter. the holidays are over, and spring is so far away. the only holiday on the calendar is valentine's day, and that isn't really a group party type of thing. enter the super bowl!

it goes without saying that i am beyond excited for this year's patriots/giants rematch, and it's so much fun to watch the game with a big group of people. super bowl parties are an incredible excuse for finger food, and a variety is key since there is no real main course. this year, the boyfriend and i are attending a friend's party, but i do love party planning, so here are some ideas and recipes i would try if we were hosting.

first, a brief tangent: i just got the epicurious app on my iphone, and i am obsessed. the recipe box? amazing. adding all ingredients from the recipes you want to make into a shopping list? GENIUS (i should probably mention that i love list-making.)


boston (sorry, foxboro - i'm subbing you out) and new york are both incredible food cities with seriously global representation, so instead of the usual buffalo wings and nachos, these suggested menus play up the international angle.

patriots starting line-up:

north end mini-meatball sliders (make these smaller and serve on buns!)

chinatown chicken wings

new england clam chowder (top this with bacon!)

southie fries      

                                                     

giants starting line-up:

little italy flatbread (use different toppings for variety!)

mini bagels with cream cheese and lox

flushing spring rolls

spaha chicken quesadillas 

      

what to pour:

patriots:

(beers) harpoon and sam adams

(cocktail) cape codder

giants:

(beers) brooklyn lager and sixpoint craft ale

(cocktail) manhattan

second half:

oreo truffle footballs (i made these last year - YUM)

red and blue velvet cupcakes

i am partial to the hummingbird bakery recipe for red velvet (it's the boyfriend's favorite, so i make them A LOT) and you just substitute blue food coloring for red to make a batch of blue velvets :)


what are you doing cooking for the super bowl? GO PATS!


<image credits: wall street journal, make mine vintage, family food, christy's kitchen creations, epicurious, lands of wisdom, amy blogs chow, tastebook, tammy's recipes, live love pasta, one particular kitchen>

decorating with a man in mind, part two

welcome back to the adventures of decorating with a man in mind! part one covered the living area, but this time we are moving to the bedroom.

bedrooms, in my opinion, should be safe havens from the hustle and bustle of everyday life where you can fully retreat for much-needed r&r. i would love to do an airy white bedroom with subtle pops of color and metallic accents, perhaps something like this:

sigh. doesn't it look cozy? 

since i share my bedroom with the boyfriend, there were two opinions to account for and we had to compromise (no fluffy bedding; i even showed it to him, on the off-chance that he might go for it. he did not.) 

behold our actual bedroom:

titus photo-bombing

we built those shelves!

paisley pillows add a gender-neutral pattern

my little corner

i think we achieved the cozy retreat feeling here, although you can see it is a bit of a departure from what i might do if left to my own devices! 

there are some keys to decorating a bedroom with a man in mind:


1. bedding: this can be especially challenging; practically everything is flowered, or only comes in girly colors, so striking a gender-neutral balance involves some legwork. the boyfriend really wanted blue sheets, but i prefer the white ones because i can bleach them - it makes them look fresh, even after a year or two! to compromise, we chose this blue duvet cover and i added paisley pillows for a dash of pattern. 

2. furniture style: we chose pieces with modern silhouettes, since the vintagey traditional angle can trend towards too romantic for gentlemen. the dark wood theme is carried over from the living room for some visual continuity, and the dressers fit both our budget and the dimensions of our smaller-sized bedroom.

3. adding flair: we ladies have no trouble finding tzotchkes to enhance our personal spaces, but men tend to lean towards simple, or even bare, decor. if you are sharing a bedroom, i would recommend discussing any large decorative accents, like mirrors or artwork, to make sure the room is a comfortable retreat for both parties. for example, the boyfriend used to have a poster from the movie the boondock saints hanging above his bed. that really didn't work for me, but we both loved the idea of framing some postcards that i had sent him from venice.

resources

marshalls, tj maxx, and homegoods are wonderful for buying bedding on a budget- they stock sheet sets with high thread counts that won't break the bank, including some designer labels like ralph lauren, donna karan, and calvin klein. west elm and the company store also have great options that are affordable and aren't overtly feminine.

ikea furniture is good for small budgets, and they even have some nice wood pieces that hold up over time better than their particleboard counterparts. i love their picture frames: they're inexpensive and come in sizes that fit most pictures and prints, with a few different frame colors to choose from.

lastly, never underestimate the power of a good sale. i have found treasures from some of my favorite stores (ahem, west elm) at incredible discounts, so it never hurts to check back periodically!

weekend kitchen recap

i had a busy weekend in the kitchen, but in a good way. on saturday night, the boyfriend and i hosted a belated chinese new year gathering and we made a variety of szechuan dishes inspired by one of our favorite restaurants (szechuan gourmet on 56th between 8th and broadway in nyc - if you haven't been, you need to go! it is incredible, and their menu includes a section called "gourmet gourmet," so you know it's good.)

on the menu
ginger margaritas
avocado spring rolls
szechuan pork dumplings
twice-cooked pork belly with chili leeks
stir-fried shiitake mushrooms and broccoli

pork belly is harder to find than we had anticipated, but our search led us to the discovery of an amazing butcher in westport that focuses on locally sourced meats! it's called saugatuck craft butchery, and i am thoroughly impressed.

yummm pork belly

the butchers at craft cutting the pork belly to our specifications

ginger margarita fixings

the finished product: delish.

avocado spring roll filling

crispy spring rolls fresh out of the pan

the boyfriend hard at work on his dumplings

all ready to go in the oil!

shiitake and broccoli stir fry

twice-cooked pork belly with chili leeks!

recipe sources

for the margaritas, we made a simple syrup infused with fresh ginger and red pepper flakes, tossed it in the blender, and then strained it. combine with tequila and fresh lime juice for a spicy twist on the classic.

avocado spring rolls are essentially mashed avocado, salt, pepper, and i added chinese mustard for a little kick. spoon some filling in the middle of the (store bought) spring roll wrapper, roll, and fry in peanut oil until golden brown.

the stir fry was simply steaming the broccoli, cooking off excess water, adding the mushrooms, and finished by tossing with cilantro and soy sauce.

twice-cooked pork belly with chili leeks (recipe here - we omitted the bell pepper) 

szechuan pork dumplings (recipe here - you can buy wonton skins at the grocery store)