Hello! I'm back from a week in Maine. We drove back into Brooklyn late last night, and I'm already missing having a lake to jump into when it gets too hot out. A huge thanks to Mercie and Alli for filling this blog with amazing inspiration while I was away!
I ate many s'mores on this trip. It's the perfect snack when the sun starts to go down and you start a fire. And yes, I'm one of those who lights my marshmallow on fire. I think it helps make the chocolate melt just so.
This is Mercie from A Lovely Evening again. Thanks for stopping by. It's been so much fun sharing my favorite summer pleasures with you. I'm finishing with one of my favorite topics: food!
Summer brings an entirely different take on meal planning 'round our place. My husband and I try to turn on the stove and oven as little as possible, and focus on meals made with fresh summer produce. But that doesn't translate to a boring salad every night, rather a mix of various ingredients that make for delectable, healthy meals.
Here are two staples that are quick and easy and oh so delicious.
spinach salad with apples and manchego
5 oz fresh baby spinach
1 Gala apple, diced
1 English cucumber, quartered
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c grated manchego viego
olive oil + balsamic vinegar to taste
sea salt + fresh ground pepper
serves 4
Roughly chop the spinach and mix in apples, cucumber, walnuts, and grated manchego. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss. Add salt and pepper to taste.
black and pink bean salad
1 can black beans
1 can pink beans
1 c frozen corn
1 medium tomato, diced
1 English cucumber, quartered
1 avocado, diced
cilantro to taste (I like A LOT)
juice of 1 lime
splash of Cholula
serves 4
Spread corn on baking sheet. Put in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You can use frozen corn, but I prefer to toast mine. Drain just a little bit of liquid from each can of beans. Not too much as you want the liquid to form the dressing for the salad. In a large bowl, combine black and pink beans, corn, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, and lime juice. Top with avocado and a splash Cholula. Delish!
Of course, a very very cold beer is always a nice accoutrement to any summer meal. My summer faves are Hefe Weiwsen, Hoegaarden, and Red Stripe. So light and refreshing!
photographs by Mercie Ghimire.
Oh Wednesday, I'm so sad you were swallowed up by endless number crunching and spreadsheets. So unfortunate. I went to the accountant to handle my quarterly taxes. Ugh, I hate dealing with bookkeeping. So promptly after sending in my tax paperwork, I stopped by Brooklyn Larder and added this Mast Brothers chocolate bar (dark chocolate with sea salt, olive oil, and almonds) to my shopping bag. Admittedly, it was the cool anchor paper that first got me. I've also realized that I treat myself much like a puppy — I get a little treat for a job well done. And I think that chocolate paired with sea salt is a very good idea.
Nowadays, I often find myself in Astoria, where my friend (and shop partner) Chris lives, and where we regularly meet for a day of gilding for Cabin 7. Without fail, when it's my turn to choose what to eat for lunch, I always want crostini from Il Bambino. The first time Chris took me to this Astoria cafe, a cross of Italian food with a Spanish tapas style menu, I fell in love. The food is simple, fresh, and so delicious. The meats, cheeses, and (amazing) artisinal bread are all handmade. I also happen to adore the way the restaurant is decorated: the wall of mirrors, the mural of the pig by the entryway, and the large display of cutting boards. (You can find similar pig cutting boards from JK Adams.)
But it's the food that really has me hooked. Check out my lunch from last week: white bean, basil pesto and parmesan crostini + chorizo and sundried tomato crostini.
Chris enjoyed homemade soup with the perfect dipping bread.
For dessert? Brownie bites dusted with sugar. We ate every last brownie. Then we returned to work inspired to tackle a new collection we're working on for the shop! Nothing like a great meal to get the creative mind working.
If you find yourself in Astoria, definitely check out Il Bambino. Love that restaurant!
34-08 31st Avenue
Astoria, Queens
On Tuesday, I was treated to a most delicious lunch at Williams-Sonoma (Columbus Circle) hosted by Staub. The food was phenomenal — the chefs behind Seasonal cooked us up a plate of braised short ribs (heaven) with a fingerling potato puree, and white asparagus. For dessert, I finished every spoonful of my strawberry-rhubarb cocktail with vanilla meringue. I'm on a mission to try making the braised short ribs. Below is the recipe that they passed onto us.
Unlike my enameled cast iron at home with its white interior, I love how Staub's dutch ovens are black (so you don't have the brown staining.) At the lunch, they talked a lot about the engineering behind the lids of the cookware — the lids are flat with little bumps that are designed to collect condensation and create a rain forest effect in the pot. Perfect for braising. I have to say I'd love to try the tasting menu at Seasonal for a special dinner sometime — was really impressed with the food. And the chefs were sweet to share lots of little tips, like how they cook their white asparagus in milk for the best flavor.
braised short ribs, recipe by Seasonal
10 oz Brandt beef short rib
.5 tsp kosher salt
.25 tsp cracked black pepper
1.5 oz root vegetables (carrot, celery, leek)
1 oz shallots
2 oz red wine
2 oz demi glace, garlic clove, thyme
Season and brown the short rib. Add root vegetables and shallots to the casserole. Deglace with red wine and demi glace. Add garlic, thyme, pepper corns and bay leaf and braise until tender (will take several hours!). For the sauce, reduce and strain multiple times to remove impurities.
