February on Long Island

Time to snip some of the quince branches outside and bring in to force...a little bit of early spring...love watching them come to life even when it's cold outside!
photos by Jeff McNamara + Marili Forastieri

Snowballs - An Easy Winter White Dessert !

With so much to do over the holidays, I need to keep it simple. One of my favorite tips is making  a platter of coconut covered vanilla ice cream snowballs!  So easy to scoop vanilla ice cream into round balls,  roll in coconut flakes or shreds then put in paper lined muffin tins to keep in the freezer...take out for individual servings or put in a big mound on a platter for a party...delicious, pretty, easy -and a good project for the kids to help with!
Featured in my book, Life|Style: Elegant Simplicity at Home, Photograph by Jeff McNamara

I'm dreaming of a white christmas...

Wishing everyone a simple, natural, peaceful holiday!

 

photographs by marili forastieri + tricia foley

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM MY HOME TO YOURS!

Feels like fall

It's the anniversary weekend of the publication of my book, and it's been a wonderful year traveling around the country signing books and visiting with friends. And back home this fall, I'm enjoying the
cooler evenings and less hectic pace...reading by the fire, making soup, and getting the house warmed up for the new season with layers of blankets, filling baskets with firewood and drinking pots of tea.
Here are some of my favorite fall images from Life/Style:

summer days on long island

summer days on long island are filled with blue skies, walks on the beach, naps in the boathouse,
corn on the cob, running through the sprinkler, honeysuckle in the hedges....

May is Preservation Month

In the hamlet where I live on Long Island, the Yaphank Historical Society has taken on the mission of preserving 4 of the 19th century houses that tell the story of the people who lived in them.
One of them is the Mary L. Booth House, birthplace and girlhood home of noted author, editor, translator, suffragist, and abolitionist  Mary Louise Booth. It is an important story to tell and I am working on a book about her life  and her accomplishments - preserving her home and opening it to the public is the first step in sharing the story of this amazing woman.

peony time

love gathering flowers from the garden at this time of year, and filling the house with them....
image from Life/Style, photo by marili forastieri

March winds...

Leeks by English photographer, Charles Jones, 1866-1959

Almost spring, but there is snow still on the ground here on Long Island where the daffodils are peeking through, and the forsythia and quince are budding...when the sun goes down lighting the fireplace is warming and making soups, grilling breads and making pots of tea are comforting, as the evenings are chilly but the daylight lasts longer...my favorite soups now are potato and leek, carrot and ginger, early spring flavors...hope you'll enjoy these recipes that are my favorites...

Golden Leek and Potato Soup
by Melissa Clark for The New York Times 

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pounds leeks, white and light green part only
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 large sprigs fresh sage
• 4 large sprigs parsley, and chopped leaves for garnish
• 1 large handful celery leaves (optional)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and very thinly sliced
• 8 cups vegetable stock or water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
• 1 ¾ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
• Heavy cream, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. Halve the leeks lengthwise and rinse away any grit. Thinly slice the leeks crosswise. In a small square of cheesecloth, tie together bay leaves, thyme, sage, parsley and celery leaves if using.
2. Melt the butter or heat the oil in the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft and dark golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic for the last 3 minutes of cooking.
3. Stir in stock or water, the sachet of herbs, the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce immediately to medium-low; simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and simmer soup until potatoes are very tender and falling apart, about 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. If desired, drizzle a small amount of cream into each bowl when serving, and top with parsley for garnish.

Carrot Ginger Soup  

from Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 4 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups water
• Coarse salt
• Yogurt

Directions

1. In a pot over medium heat, cook shallots and ginger in coconut oil until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add carrots, sweet potato, water, and 2 teaspoons coarse salt salt. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes. Puree in a blender until smooth. Season with salt; serve hot or cold with yogurt.

winter white dinner

It's still winter here, all white inside and out...a perfect time to 

look at the winter white dinner menu from Life/Style and make a few favorite recipes.

Simple wood platters, off-white pasta bowls, relaxed linen napkins

The best olive oil possible and freshest garlic really make the 

difference in this simple dish of toasted bread crumb pasta

 

My friend Marité Acosta, a chef and food stylist, makes these parmesan black pepper shortbreads  for hors d’oeuvres at her house, and they’ve now become sought after at my parties, too.

TOASTED BREADCRUMB PASTA 

Serves 4 to 6 

Ingredients 

1 pound dry spaghetti

2 cups breadcrumbs (or panko)

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

Grated Parmesan  

Sea salt

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and add the pasta. Cook until al dente according to package instructions. When straining, save and set aside about 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Using your fingers, mix in the olive oil to evenly coat the crumbs. Toast in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until golden brown. Remove to the bowl to cool.

3. In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and stir in the garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the warm pasta to the pan along with about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and toss well with the garlic and oil until most of the water is absorbed, adding more if needed for moisture.

4. Sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs over the pasta and a pinch of red pepper flakes and toss to combine.

5. To serve: In a large bowl, add the pasta and generously top with the remaining bread crumbs, lemon zest, and grated Parmesan to taste. Drizzle olive oil over the top and serve.

BLACK PEPPER PARMESAN SHORTBREAD 

Yields about 30 shortbreads

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup Parmesan, coarsely grated

1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F and line two 14 by 16-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer on medium-high until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan, thyme, lemon zest, and black pepper and continue mixing until incorporated. Add the flour to the mixture and beat until just combined.

2. Form into heaping teaspoon- or tablespoon-sized balls and chill on baking sheet in refrigerator for about one hour until firm. When ready to bake, space the shortbreads about one inch apart on the backing sheets and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until just golden brown on the bottoms. They should remain pale in color on top.

3. Move to a cooling rack until cooled and serve.

---

photographs by marili forastieri

 

Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

 

Melissa Clark's recipe in the New York Times for Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread is my new favorite for the holidays...I made it to take to Thanksgiving dinner, but will make it again for Christmas gatherings whenever I can...it's not too sweet, tastes delicious and the fragrance throughout the house is amazing!

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups/8 ounces/266 grams fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• 1 stick/4 ounces/113 grams unsalted butter
• ⅔ cup/133 grams dark brown sugar
• ½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk
• ½ cup/120 milliliters maple syrup
• ¼ cup/60 milliliters molasses
• 1 ½ cups/185 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon/5 grams ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon/1 gram ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams baking powder
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon/1 gram baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon/14 grams grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.
2. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.
3. In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.
4. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.
5. Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

sunday in the kitchen

a quiet sunday in the kitchen...with a fire, pot of tea and stacks of cookbooks for inspiration...especially the new Donna Hay series...
top photo by Quentin Bacon, bottom photo by Jeff McNamara

fall entertaining: pumpkin soup time

still warm enough to enjoy a sunday afternoon outside with warm soup and cider...

photo by marili forastieri

photos by matthew mead

SPICY PUMPKIN SOUP

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 cup whipping cream

30 oz. canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Garnishes:

grated parmesan

chopped fresh cilantro

toasted pumpkin seeds or pine nuts

herb pan-fried croutons

Bring vegetable stock and whipping cream to boil in heavy medium pot.

Whisk in canned pumpkin, cumin, chili powder, coriander and nutmeg.

Reduce heat to medium, simmer until soup thickens slightly + flavors blend for 15minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls, garnish, serve.

photo by doug young

simple + pretty

                                                                                                     photo by Gemma Comas

 I've followed Jane Potrykus' blog, Simple + Pretty, since the beginning... Jane was one of the earliest bloggers,  covering fashion and design with great style and simplicity. We seem to pin the same photos, love the same restaurants and shops in London, and enjoy the same books and design aesthetic.  I was thrilled when she asked me if she could interview me for the launch of my new book for her blog. Although we've only met and visited online, I hope we meet in person in one of our favorite places one of these days!
Hope you'll enjoy her interview:
 http://simple-pretty.com/2015/09/29/tricia-foley-lifestyle/