Fetch

The Breakfast Club

Julia Reed — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:22:40 +0000

At the Soniat House, the much-beloved hotel in New Orleans’s French Quarter, there are fine antiques, lush courtyards, and hospitality that knows no bounds—but only one breakfast on offer.

Comprised of piping hot biscuits, fresh butter and homemade jam, strong coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice, it all arrives on a tray lined with lovely linens. We decided if it were good enough for one of the nation’s finest luxury hotels, it would be good enough for us—and the many houseguests that come calling at both country and beach house this time of year.

Unless you have a staff the size of the Soniat, a sideboard, console, or kitchen island is the perfect place to lay everything out and let guests help themselves as they arise. Contrary to popular wisdom, there are in fact more important meals of the day, ones that require table settings and crystal and animated conversation. We think breakfast is a time for guests—and hosts—to get their bearings quietly, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty. We love this mix of traditional porcelain and modern Peruvian pottery, the complex blend of rich coffee that wakes up even the sleepiest heads, the beautiful but unfussy linens (including some from William Yeoward’s brand new line), and the utterly delicious bites to eat that require no utensils. All that’s left is the newspaper. Afterwards everyone will be primed to greet the hopefully lazy day ahead.

Pictured above, back row, from left: Match pewter honey jar from The Mercantile, filled with local wildflower honey from Blackberry Farm; Match pewter sugar packet holder (for weight-watching guests who prefer Equal) from The Mercantile; Peruvian Pottery sugar and creamer set from Digs; William Yeoward Olive covered sugar jar at Hollyhock, filled with White Wood Farms Louisiana Preserves scuppernong grape jelly at St. James Cheese Company; Herend Rothschild Bird coffee pot, doubling as vase, from Corzine & Company; Peruvian Pottery dinner plate and coffee mugs from Digs; Vesuvio Blend Coffee from Batdorf and Bronson at Star Provisions; William Yeoward Bess tumbler on the new Porcupine coaster in Sky, both at Hollyhock.
Front row, from left: William Yeoward Sassadi napkin at Hollyhock; Match pewter sugar bowl at The Mercantile, filled with White Wood Farms Louisiana Preserves persimmon butter at St. James Cheese Company; Match pewter small crown spoon and green plaid acrylic spreaders from The Mercantile; Peruvian Pottery salad plate from Digs, with biscuits made from Blackberry Farms’ failsafe buttermilk biscuit mix; Gayle Warwick turquoise linen napkin from Hollyhock; Peruvian pottery small board doubling as butter plate at Digs, with Match pewter Gabriella butter knife at The Mercantile.

Oyster Bar

Julia Reed — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:22:13 +0000

Ceramicist Alison Evans was born in New York but spent summers in East Boothbay, Maine, where, she says, she was “inspired to create functional pieces that will bring back memories of the ocean.”

Her pieces—platters, bowls, vases, teapots—are indeed functional but they are also beautiful, the work of an artist at the top of her game. After high school in London, Alison studied ceramics at Textura, a small but renowned artists’ commune in Gijon, Spain, and continued her education at the Rhode Island School of Design, from which she graduated. She apprenticed in Manhattan for three years before returning to the coastal town of her youth, where she currently keeps a studio and gallery.

The ocean is just a few feet from her door and its bounty is wonderfully translated in her work. Sea urchins become bowls, barnacles become candlesticks, clam shells are vases. Especially versatile are her oyster shell platters and bowls. Imagine the white platter piled high with peeled shrimp or crudite and a matching footed bowl with dipping sauce in the center or nearby.

Each piece is hand molded and hand glazed, and, therefore, unique—just like the forms that inspired them.

Pictured above, clockwise from top left: Alison Evans in her Maine studio; sea urchin bowl in abalone and tortoise, oyster platters in porcelain white, and oyster bowl in abalone and tortoise, all available at Digs.

Shop Digs at TAIGAN.com

Oyster Roll

Julia Reed — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:21:54 +0000

We are all about oysters this week (see “Oyster Bar”), especially John Robshaw’s lovely Lanka Oyster Bolster at Haven Sanctuary of Style. Like most of Robshaw’s fabulous fabrics, the linen is printed in India using traditional methods. We advocate mixing it up with other Robshaw pillows for very chic chaise lounging. Or pack it in the picnic basket (with a Robshaw blanket, of course)–it will support your neck while you gaze at the clouds.

Shop Haven Sanctuary of Style on TAIGAN.com

Summer Weekends

Julia Reed — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:58:28 +0000

One of my very favorite cookbook authors is the much-loved Lee Bailey, who died in 2003 at 76. Bailey wrote 18 books on food and entertaining, had an extraordinarily chic tabletop boutique in Manhattan’s Henri Bendel (when it was still on 57th Street and very, very cool), and was a sort of lifestyle guru before there was such a thing. He was also the utter antithesis of Martha Stewart. “I really am too lazy to make radish roses, even if I liked them,” he wrote in the introduction to “City Food,” where he also explained why the coconut flan was photographed showing the crack where it had been put back together. “I wanted you to see that it is the overall presentation that is important and that a few imperfections are perfectly acceptable.” I read that those lines in my early 20s, when I first began entertaining in earnest—mostly for Newsweek colleagues, who were much older and far more accomplished than I —and I cannot tell you what a great relief they were.
I loved all Bailey’s books, but “Country Weekends,” his first, became my bible, even though there was very little “country” in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. where I lived. I think I was drawn to his undeniably Southern approach to things, even though his own country weekends were spent on Long Island. Bailey had grown up in rural Louisiana; he wrote that, like Colette, he realized he’d spent most of his life unconsciously trying to recreate the country atmosphere of his childhood. So it was that while most of the world was in the throes of “Nouvelle Cuisine,” Bailey offered up fresh ham with pan gravy and peach cobbler with whipped cream for supper, toted sour cream corn bread to a picnic at the beach, and served drop biscuits with homemade jam for Sunday breakfast. If he could do it, I figured I could too—I fed a famous columnist his steamed okra in tomato vinaigrette at a dinner party in his honor, and it was met with such success it became a staple.
Something of a revolutionary in an era when the overwrought studio photographs of Gourmet were the benchmark, Bailey advocated cut garden flowers loosely arranged in pitchers or simple glass cylinders, and long cocktail hours while he puttered in the kitchen and guests wandered in and out. Long before the nation became obsessed with all things regional and seasonal, he recommended simple dishes like fresh ripe figs for dessert and peaches dressed with lemon juice and cayenne pepper as a main-course accompaniment.
But the stellar recipes and totally relaxed approach to entertaining are not the only things that keep me coming back to the book. In these increasingly fraught times, “Country Weekends” provides a window into an entirely civilized world, one before email, Blackberries, or even cell phones. A world in which a shortened summer week in the city gave way gave way to undisturbed leisure in the country, where you supped on boat docks or set the table for languid lunches beneath backyard trees—two of the many scenes lovingly documented in the book.
These days Bailey’s weekend world seems remote and idyllic, and I have to admit I pride myself in providing my own houseguests with wireless internet and bedroom flatscreens. But I think it’s more important than ever to at least try to make like Bailey and supply a seemingly effortless stream of lovely meals and lively conversation. In the next several weeks on Fetch, we’ll be focusing houseguests, house gifts, and long summer weekends. We’ll also be creating some our own Bailey-like entertaining vignettes, and we hope they’ll inspire you to embrace some of the lost joys of summer before it’s too late.

Beachy Bijoux

Julia Reed — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:05:18 +0000

Turquoise says summer to us and we think the most exquisite use of it is found in this turquoise cabochon and gold-toned necklace from House of Lavande. The 1950s piece has been worn by the ever-stylish Sarah Jessica Parker, and we say, No Wonder. Perfect for the next garden, pool or beachside party, it would be knockout against white silk, linen, or even a simple T. Best of all, its one-of-a-kind status means you will not see yourself coming and going. Make this piece your signature summer accessory and everyone will want to know where in the world you found it.

Happy Returns

Julia Reed — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:03:32 +0000

Nobody likes an empty-handed houseguest, but one with a lack of imagination is almost as dreary. Show your gratitude with these creative offerings and you’ll be sure to rate many a return invitation.

Pictured above, top row, from left:
Wine is always a welcome offering, especially a hard-to-find bottle like this stunning 2006 Syrah from Flanagan Family Vineyards at Wine For All. Called “a killer wine” by no less a critic than Robert Parker, it is made by Philippe Melka, the man responsible for some of the most sought after cult wines in California. Be especially generous and throw in the festive but supremely functional Alessi “Parrot” Sommelier cork screw.

No summer house should be without its share of games for lazy days, especially ones that come in handsome packages like this suede-wrapped domino set from the Stationer. Easily transportable from porch to beach to deck, it has equally handsome “cousins” for those more partial to checkers, backgammon or cards.

Languid summer evenings cry out for martinis shaken not stirred. This chocolate embossed leather shaker from Georgia Tapert Living is one even Gatsby could love. Make like a good “Old Sport” and up the ante with a bottle of smooth Plymouth gin and a flask that matches the shaker.

We love these luscious Lisboa Collection soaps from Banho at Aidan Gill. As Aidan always says, “Nobody wants to smell like a Portuguese cathouse,” least of all your lovely hosts. These soaps happen to be made in Portugal but they come in the subtle scents of creme, nectar, and olive. and have the chicest packaging ever. That combo makes them the perfect house gift–as well as the perfect thing to leave in the bath for your own weekend guests. We think you should buy them by the box load!

Bottom row, from left:
Scented candles are perennial house gift favorites, but you can make a lasting—and orange-scented—impression with this ultra-chic version by Baobab from Bungalow Classic. Made in Tanzania, it comes in handcrafted glass and would pack an especially fabulous punch with white summer slipcovers.

We think this bread “basket” from Marco Zanetti is one of the coolest things we’ve seen in a long time. And how much cooler to fill it with a couple of loaves of crusty sourdough and a bottle of Zanetti’s excellent olive oil? Cooler still—wrap the latter up in a great napkin like Gayle Warwick’s raisin linen version at Hollyhock?

Everyone loves a package in tell-tale Tiffany blue, even our four-legged friends. Endear yourself to the pooch of the house with this clever “Sniffany & Co.” chew toy with squeaker from Come Sit Stay.

These great looking Brooklyn Slate cheese boards in black or gray from St. James Cheese Company are hard to improve upon—unless of course you accompany them with a selection of fabulous cheeses. We especially love St. James’s creamy blue Petite Fourme D’Ambert and the cheddar-like Lincolnshire Poacher.

Twinkle Toes

Julia Reed — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:23:56 +0000

At this point in the summer, less is definitely more. The only necessary accessory is a sexy, bejeweled sandal like this fabulous Tondi Grande at 100% Capri. Perfect with supercool linen pieces from shorts to shifts (think 100% Capri’s knee-length Vestito Rosa dress), these thongs are beautifully crafted in leather and Swarsovski crystals. Once you wear them, you’ll realize you barely even need earrings—the twinkle, after all, is on your toes.

Shop 100% Capri at TAIGAN.com

Grill Baby Grill!

Julia Reed — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:23:31 +0000

We’d never advocate a grilling moratorium, but we do advocate liberating yourself from summer’s ubiquitous burgers and steaks. Instead, try a little tenderness in the form of lovely lamb skewers and chops, and discover some swell wines to pair them with.

It has always amazed me that Americans eat so little lamb—less than a pound a year, per capita, compared to 14 pounds in England, Ireland, and Spain, and a whopping 30 pounds in Greece. Those folks know what we are missing, that lamb is high in protein, B vitamins, and iron and low in fat. It is also enhanced by all manner of fresh herbs, especially thyme, rosemary, and mint, and is a wine-pairer’s dream.

Sommelier Eli Hardof, of TAIGAN’s Wine for All, says he loves choosing wines for lamb its unique savory quality demands a little extra thought. “True, a Cab, a Merlot or even a Shiraz might hold court to this ancient meat of kings, but the gods’ gift to lamb is Grenache, a pauper of a grape that was born in the arid hills of Spain and known as Garnacha. It then migrated to France where it built a reputation as a blending grape in the Rhone Valley and several other appellations.

“But it wasn’t until it crossed several oceans to Australia and California that it finally achieved top soloist billing,” Hardoff says. “From Napa to the Barossa, Grenache makes a bold and brooding red wine that fills the air with aromatics of dried cranberries and currants topped with a dash of cracked black pepper. Typically fruity, yet not sweet, and always hiding a hint of Far Eastern spices in it’s long finish, Grenache is both a counterpoint to the savory meaty qualities of lamb as well as a condiment, much like the way mint brings out lambs best attributes.”

Hardoff’s recommendations include:
Pertusiane 2004 from Cotes de Catalanes ($49). His “first and best” choice, “it’s ‘the’ wine for any lamb preparation.”
Slipstream Grenache from the McLaren Vale in Australia ($23). “Perfect for a simple meal,” this wine, “delivers a classic mix of ripe bramble berries and hints of spice at a moderate price.”
Tablas Creek Cotes De Tablas Rouge 2008 ($29). “I heartily recommend this Rhone-style blend that is predominantly Grenache based. Tablas is the American arm of Chateau Beaucastel, one of the greatest Chateauneuf-de -Pape producers, and it’s French lineage is evident from nose to finish.”

My own recommendations for grilling lamb include one of my favorite warm weather recipes, in which chunks of lamb are threaded onto fragrant—and very pretty—rosemary skewers. I serve them with an herby salsa verde that’s not only delicious with the lamb but also its accompaniments, as in grilled zucchini slices or a summer squash gratin, fresh baby butter beans, or better yet, a creamy butter bean puree with a bit of garlic and green onion—the possibilities are endless. Even simpler, are the addictive chops from my new favorite cookbook, Recipes from an Italian Summer.

I can’t wait to try both with Eli’s wine recommendations, particularly the Tablas Creek, which I’m thrilled about, since Chateau Beaucastel has long produced some of my very favorite wines.

Julia Reed

Lamb Chops with Mint

Adapted from Recipes from an Italian Summer
Serves 4

juice of 1 lemon, strained
plenty of olive oil, for brushing
2 or 3 sprigs mint, chopped
8 lamb rib chops
salt and pepper
peas or zucchini cooked in butter, to serve (optional)

Combine the lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of the oil, and the mint in a dish, add the lamb chops, and let marinate, turning occasionally, for 1 – 2 hours.

Light the barbecue. Drain the lamb chops, place on the barbecue grill, and cook for 2 – 4 minutes on each side, basting with more oil as necessary. Season with salt and pepper and serve with peas or zucchini, if desired.

Rosemary Lamb Skewers

Serves 6

6 branches fresh rosemary about 7 inches long (choose the ones with the thickest stems you can find)
3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1½ inch-thick pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
coarsely ground black pepper
salt

Mix lamb chunks in shallow dish or casserole, pour olive oil over, and turn to coat. Add herbs and garlic and pepper, taking care to distribute evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours, or, preferably, overnight.

About a half hour before cooking time, take the lamb out of the refrigerator and light the grill. Skewer three pieces of lamb on each rosemary skewer and season generously with salt. Cook for three minutes on each side for medium rare.

Salsa Verde

½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 salt-packed anchovy, rinsed with bones removed, or 4 oil-packed anchovies, minced
2 tablespoons capers
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
Zest of two lemons, minced
½ lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
Pinch of salt

Place herbs, anchovy, capers, and lemon zest in a food processor. Pulse to chop. Add olive oil until mixture forms a fluid puree (you may need a bit more olive oil). Stir in sugar and taste for salt.
Note: If you have lots of fresh herbs in your garden, you may add or substitute a bit of oregano, marjoram, or basil.

Pictured above, left, are Lamb Chops with Mint from Recipes from an Italian Summer, and right, Rosemary Lamb Skewers, both of which are marinated in extra virgin olive oil like the excellent version from Italy’s Marco Zanetti.

Shop Marco Zanetti and Wine for All on TAIGAN.com

Stephanie Maxwell’s Beach Bag Musts

Julia Reed — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:07:31 +0000

When Stephanie Maxwell hits the beach she is always well supplied. Here she shares her must-haves to keep skin and hair glowing, even under the harsh summer sun:

First, keep hair off your face with Emi-Jay Summer Color Hair Ties. Better yet, dose your hair with Neil George Detangling Nourishment Spray before you pull it back. I love the beachy smell, but it also keeps hair healthy with UV protection and natural jojoba and calendula conditioners.

The most important thing at the beach—and everywhere else outdoors—is to keep the sun off your face. Invisible Zinc Tinted Daywear does triple duty with a zinc sunscreen, moisturizer, and tinted foundation so you arrive with a sun-kissed glow. Take care of the rest of you with Invisible Zinc Face and Body Sunscreen. A light, easy-spread natural sunscreen, it offers broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection and is perfect for even the most sensitive skin.

No matter how much protection you put on your face, a hat always helps—especially one of Susan van der Linde’s terrific wide-brimmed panama sun hats.

When you’re having fun on the beach, there’s no reason for your body or your lips to be parched. Keep hydrated by mixing packets of David Kirsh Vitamin Mineral Super Juice with ice cold bottled water to make a fruity vitamin-packed energy drink. And make sure lips stay moist—and pretty—with Vanitymark Dr. Kiss, a hydrating lip balm with a pink tint.

Stephanie Maxwell is owner of Maxwell Aesthetics and writes frequently about topics related to beauty and skin.

The Songs of Summer

Julia Reed — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:06:54 +0000

The summer of my ninth year, my parents took my cousin Frances and me on a summer trip to Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg, Virginia. My father was on Nixon’s Bicentennial Commission and while he and my mother were at daytime events, Frances and I hung out in the gift shop at the brand new Madison Hotel, where the young and glamorous (to us, at least) manager let us wait on people and ring things up. That thrilled us far more than the walk to the top of the Washington Monument and almost as much as my mother peddling us around the tidal basin in a paddleboat at night.
On the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Williamsburg we drove my parents completely crazy by singing “Ruby,” the song by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, at the top of our lungs. It was a big hit that summer and, unfortunately for everyone around us, we knew every word. In retrospect, the lyrics, about a paralyzed Vietnam Vet and his catting-around wife (“Ruby, don’t take your love to town”) were almost comic, and certainly far out of the range of our limited life experience, but to this day, I cannot hear that song without reliving every detail of that trip and much of the rest of the summer.
That’s how it used to be. Every summer had a song, or maybe a couple of songs (the other song of 1969’s summer was “Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat, and Tears). Broadcast on AM radio (Frances and I learned “Ruby” by careful listening to Nashville’s WMAK), they became touchstones, reminding you of who you loved, what you drove and what you wore, what was going on in your own narrow world and beyond.
The first summer I had a driver’s license, for example, Bonnie Raitt’s “Been Too Long at the Fair,” perfectly defined my teenage longing/despair and weird nostalgia for experiences I hadn’t even had yet. It was on a bulky 8-track tape, the player for which had been installed in my ’67 blue Mustang convertible. I must have listened to that song hundreds of times over hundreds of miles while riding around with my best friend, smoking Marlboro reds and drinking Miller ponies. Later in the season, I made the switch to Jesse Colin Young’s “Miss Hesitation,” track from the brilliant “Songs for Juli” and the nickname teasingly bestowed upon me by my very inappropriate first true love.
Fast forward 14 years to the summer I was supposed to have gotten married in June. Mary Chapin Carpenter’s just-released “Quittin’ Time” was my happy anthem that year, followed the next summer, when I’d fallen in love again—hard—by “Let’s Give Something to Talk About,” which we did. That was from the always reliable Bonnie again, who had by this time graduated from 8-track to cassette, and when I hear it all I see is me mooning around the French Quarter in ballet flats and Michael Kors white linen.
These days there are no real songs of summer. Our listening habits, even in our cars, are no longer defined by a handful of radio DJs or what’s in our tape decks. With a literal touch of an iPod, you can hear the songs of every summer; likewise on XM radio, particularly on The Blend, where I find myself pathetically humming along to “Horse with No Name” or Pure Prairie League’s excellent “Amy.” Now, I love both my XM and my iPod, but I miss those emblematic tunes—the ones that play over and over for three months and then disappear to make room for the next wave of new releases, so that when you hear them again much later they are literal blasts from the past, summoning smiles or tears or both and taking you immediately back to a very specific place.
Still, there are tons of new artists out there, and amid the clutter I’ll find one or two to get me through July and August. In the meantime, I’m working on my own play list of touchstones of summer’s past. It will contain most of the aforementioned tunes, along with “Morning Girl,” written by my old friend, the recently and sadly departed Tupper Saussy, who used to play it for Frances and me on my aunt’s piano. That too was in the prolific summer of ’60, but there will be slightly more recent hits as well, including the newly relevant “Mercy Me” by Marvin Gaye, and, of course, Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer,” which should be on everyone’s summer play list mainly because it’s so much fun to drive to—preferably with a cold beer in hand.