I was never interested in spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) until I stayed in Naples for a week for work and ate dinner by myself. Without the influence of friends’ orders, I let the waiter bring me his choice from the menu. Maybe because I was an obvious tourist or maybe because it’s one…
February’s Behind the Bar is a mix of summer and winter. Blood oranges are available only in the coldest winter months, and basil, of course, is summery. If like me you freeze large bunches of basil during the summer months, you can dig into the freezer for this Blood Orange Basil Gimlet, provided by Atlanta-based stylist…
After last week’s brownies, I thought I’d give everyone a break from the high-sugar, high-fat splurge with a very healthy recipe. Chef Gaby Dalkin has whipped up the perfect dish to restore balance to your diet, a Spicy Roasted Broccolini Quinoa Salad. I’m not one to talk about how wonderful salads sound, but even I’ll admit…
Brownies were one of the first desserts I learned to make using the recipe from the Hershey’s Cocoa label. SOOOOO good. I am tempted to say they are foolproof, but they really aren’t. If a brownie is over-baked, it’s no good! So when you make brownies, you quickly learn the rule that you should take…
I love dumplings of all types and rarely pass up the opportunity to try out highly recommended dim sum restaurants. Because they are so easy to make, I also like trying them at home, so I’m very excited about this week’s recipe for Pan-Fried Pork, Shrimp and Cabbage Dumplings from Bee Yinn Low. Pork and…
Despite plenty of traveling to Germany and Austria, I never really appreciated schnitzel until I read The Accidental Foodie by Neale Whitaker and came across Bill Granger’s recipe for chicken schnitzel. The first time I went to Sydney, I of course went to Bill’s and ordered it right off the menu, so I could see…
We met Jenny and Teri, the team behind Spoon Fork Bacon, earlier today with their Honey-Rum Fizz. We thought their recipe for no-yeast cake dougnuts was perfect for the holidays too, especially for those of you who need to prepare something for Santa when he slides down the chimney, or for whoever has present-wrapping duty…
For the last Behind the Bar of the year we couldn’t think of a more energetic team than the women behind the great food and drink site Spoon Fork Bacon. L.A.-based food and interiors photographer Teri Lyn Fisher and food stylist Jenny Park have gone all out today with their Honey-Rum Fizz, a great cocktail…
Season’s Greetings, Design*Spongers! Have you ever looked back over the past 12 months, and thought about all the great people who helped make up your year? The people you worked with, the people you played with, the people who made you laugh ’til wine came out of your nose (ok, that didn’t happen, but you…
I can’t decide which was more fun this week: making the truffles or corresponding with Eric “Johnny” Battles, chocolatier and founder of Sweeteeth in North Charleston, South Carolina. I was so curious when Johnny offered a series of flavors, none of which I had ever considered pairing with chocolate. As luck would have it, Grace, Amy…
Inspired by their love of Maine, oysters and the ocean, Juliet Totten of Poppies & Posies (see Juliet’s New York home here) and her business partner, Michael Mcallister, took the leap into aquaculture and founded Cabin Cove last winter. The name was inspired by Juliet’s family cabin, and the duo began farming oysters in South…
I’ll confess, I’ve been listening to Christmas music since July (“Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” sung by Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting, is on now), and I’m about to watch Love Actually to officially kick off the Christmas month. I’m not sure I actually like Christmas, but I like the music, sappy movies and, of course, the…
Usually, I would wait until closer to Christmas for a recipe like this, but it is so versatile that I wanted to give you the chance to try it out a few times waaaay before the holiday. By the time Christmas comes, you will be the star of all your holiday parties, thanks to this…
While it was once customary for the host or hostess to prepare the entire Thanksgiving feast themselves, these days, it’s far more common for everyone to chip in by bringing a dish to share or helping set the scene. Thanksgiving is only a week away, and if you need a bit of inspiration for the…
Since this is the last day before Thanksgiving here at Design*Sponge, I asked Grace if we could do an exceptional Wednesday post on a recipe I’m hoping you’ll be able to use this weekend, if not tomorrow. My father loves cranberry sauce, and I love the idea of making your own. Stephanie Dietz, owner of Farm…
I live in Italy. I love pizza. I don’t know if one has anything to do with the other, but both are true! I’ve been thinking about a pizza recipe for the column ever since mud australia explained how they actually bake their pizzas on mud dinner plates. However, this week’s guest beat me to…
I get excited for every new issue of Sweet Paul Magazine because it’s always chock-full of great entertaining and decorating ideas. I love Paul’s personal style and the Scandinavian spin the magazine puts on traditional holiday projects and ideas. The new issue launched yesterday morning and includes 172 pages of great ideas — from recipes…
If this morning’s summer colors seem a little far away in terms of seasonality, maybe this beautiful autumn birthday from Loretta Flower will be more fitting. Loretta Flower is the Austin-based floral studio of Mary Kathryn Paynter, who creates stunning floral designs that embody the sort of loose, organic feel that so many of us…
My former boss was from Adelaide, and she looovveed to cook, bake and try new restaurants. She knew I did, too, so she always shared typical Australian things with me, like the Green and Gold Cookery Book, or the book that this week’s recipe came from, the South Australian Country Women’s Association Calendar of Cakes:…
I love cake. I won’t say any kind of cake, but most kinds of cake. And I am always mesmerized and drawn to tall, soft, one-layer cakes. This week we have a recipe for a simple and delicious plum cake by Cerentha Harris, journalist and editor of the Herman Miller Lifework blog. Cerentha’s first recipe…
