a long island christmas

getting ready for the holidays with greenery, shells and candlelight...love the simplicity and ease of creating a natural christmas with textures, found objects from walks by the sea and the fragrance of pine trees...all, gifts from nature...tree photos by jeff mcnamara, wreath from martha stewart living 

happy thanksgiving

my family home....

I grew up in an international style house built in the 1930's in New York City for an exhibition on  innovations in residential architecture, which was moved to Long Island by the architect/builder for his own use.  It was a minimalist's dream with interesting design solutions, which were modified as the years went by.  Originally the architect's weekend house, it evolved into a family home with 7 children, assorted pets and a very  casual lifestyle!  It was part of a group of houses in the area which were examples of the newest building trends in modular housing, passive solar heating, and high tech materials for the time.  I was excited to see it featured in Caroline Zaleski's new book on Long Island Modernism.  One day I would like to restore it to its former pure design...in the meantime, I'll enjoy seeing the architect's vision in the pages of her book!

warming up with wool

it feels like fall ...time to pull out all the wool knits  to warm up with... mushroom, bark and fog palette  in blankets and throws seem just right this season ...photos by marili forastieri

sunday supper from the farmstand

this first weekend of fall, the farmstands are still brimming with tomatoes and figs and its a perfect lazy sunday to cook...one of my favorite recipes is ratatouille from alice waters cookbook,  the art of simple food.   I'll make a tart with mozzarella and marinara, have a dry red wine and serve fresh  figs with a drizzle of cream for dessert

recipe for ratatouille:

• 1 medium or 2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 bunch of basil, tied in a bouquet with kitchen twine + 6 basil leaves, chopped
• pinch of dried chile flakes
• 2 sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Salt to taste

1. Toss the eggplant cubes with a teaspoon or so of salt. Set the cubes in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Pat the eggplant dry, add to the pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Add a bit more oil if the eggplant absorbs all the oil and sticks to the bottom of the pan. Remove the eggplant when done and set aside.
3. In the same pot, pour in 2 more tablespoons olive oil. Add onions and cook for about 7 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, basil bouquet, dried chile flakes, and a bit more salt.
4. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir in peppers. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in summer squash. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in tomatoes.
5. Cook for 10 minutes longer, then stir in eggplant and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, until all the vegetables are soft. Remove the bouquet of basil, pressing on it to extract all its flavors, and adjust the seasoning with salt.
6. Stir in the chopped basil leaves and more extra virgin olive oil, to taste. Serve warm or cold.

wood serving boards are on our minds...

We have a great collection of cutting boards that we use for everything...love that the Frolic blog mentioned using them as "breakfast boards" for breads, rolls, toast, jam and butter...This morning Remodelista gave a great tip about using one side for cutting and one side for serving...we use some for food prep, some  for chargers in tablesettings, some for serving individual pizzas and quesadillas,  cheeses with honey and biscuits, seasonal fruits, blueberry tarts, homemade cookies, and lots more...these are available at http://thenewgeneralstore.myshopify.com/collections/the-table/products/wood-serving-board

cotton blanket

as the last days of summer get cooler, this cream cotton knit blanket is perfect to warm up with...
from the new general store collection...photo by marili forastieri