If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from preparing for St. Patrick’s Day at the Design*Sponge office, it’s that beer can be quite a divisive drink. Some of us love the occasional grain-based beverage. Others, however, simply can’t abide by the drink’s heavy, earthy taste. For those in the latter camp, St. Patrick’s Day can…
Sorry we are a week late with our cocktail this month, but I think it was worth the wait. This Rosemary Gin Rickey by photographer Elizabeth Morrow is a simple cocktail with few ingredients. We have two out of control rosemary bushes in our front yard, so I look forward to putting the rosemary to…
I think I can say, without a shred of a doubt, that I would never want to live in Victorian times. In addition to poor hygiene and pre-antibiotic diseases, the era was known for its nonexistent child labor laws, straitlaced moral codes and inflexible social roles. Even from a design standpoint, the Victorian era was…
This week we have a beautiful recipe by chef Camille Becerra and photographer Nicole Franzen, who worked together to make a dish that’s a feast for the eyes and, given that I love mushrooms, certainly a feast for the palate. In our house, we have an “only one cook in the kitchen” rule because the…
In celebration of Black History Month, for the past three weeks I’ve chosen recipes that remind me of my home in a black family from the South in the United States. I realize that the recipes have been so incredibly rich that they can’t be regular staples. I purposely let our cholesterol run wild so I…
Late February marks the time of year when winter’s charms begin to wear out. Sweaters and scarves, once donned excitedly, are now put on begrudgingly. Snow, which once seemed magical as it fell to the ground, is now just an unwelcome reminder that cold days still lie ahead. While one might prefer to simply hibernate until spring…
Tomorrow we’re doing a French-themed entertaining post that had us focusing on mussels for a while. After toying with a few DIY projects to go with the table settings (the rest will be on the site tomorrow), we decided to go back to basics and make some quick and easy shell candles. This is my…
This week’s recipe comes from Devita Davison, founder of The Southern Pantry, an online purveyor of small-batch locally produced artisanal foods specializing in southern cooking. Devita’s family, like mine, is from Alabama, and we both grew up with grandparents who had their own livestock and small animals as well as a full garden and fruit…
This week’s recipe comes from someone who doesn’t have an internet presence at all. Mamie Patton was a family friend of my aunt and her family for several years, which is how I was fortunate enough to enjoy her delicious food. Growing up in an African American family in the South, there were some foods that…
Mentioning Valentine’s Day can be a bit like tiptoeing through a minefield. On one hand, you might be chatting with a Valentine’s aficionado, a person who revels in any opportunity to expound on their wonderful, practically Shakespearian relationship. On the other, you might be dealing with a Valentine’s Vampire, a person who is completely normal…
Cheryl Day’s Back in the Day Bakery is one of my favorite “one day I’m going to drive to that bakery” dream destinations. Cheryl is one of the first people I thought about when I saw Black History Month coming around the bend. She has shared her blackened shrimp tacos and baked peach hand pies…
Last week’s recipe for Pickled Fig and Ricotta Tartines by photographer Leela Cyd is followed this week by her favorite pick-me-up cocktail, the Gin Swizzle. It is her take on the traditional one, which uses bitters. Leela says this is a perfect cocktail for any occasion, particularly because the ingredients required are always on hand….
This week’s recipe from Portland-based photographer Leela Cyd has a picture-perfect backstory. Leela re-created the recipe after tasting something similar one cold winter day in a warm candlelit wine and cheese bar. As I type with numb fingertips, this makes me want to find an equally inspiring place to come up with a few recipes…
As a child, I was never all that into sports. When football or hockey games were on in my house, I often tuned them out and went back to playing with my toys or reading Goosebumps. In high school, I was always picked last for teams — quite understandably since, once drafted, I hardly made…
This week’s recipe for French Toast and Sweet and Spicy Bacon by photographer Stacy Newgent reminded me how much I love French toast (and bacon!). I’ve mentioned before my culinary rituals when I visit the United States, and together with hamburger sampling, great breakfasts rank at the top of my list. My favorite French toast…
Two of my favorite things on the planet — even above zombie movies and trashy celebrity gossip — are brunch and staying home. For years, I would divide these activities, alternating between two polar modes: cozy-homebody Max and out-n-about-Sunday-brunch Max. When the temperatures drop in December, though, the scales weigh much more heavily on the…
This week is the third installment of a submission by photographer Pauline Boldt. In December, Pauline shared a series of recipes with me that would have been great for a full meal, but I preferred to post them individually to avoid losing any single element. I think the three (Cornmeal Cake with Candied Lemons and…
Photography by Maxwell Tielman One of my favorite moments from last summer was spending a laugh-filled evening at Portland’s Hollywood Theater. I was able to catch one of their last B Movie Bingo nights before heading back to Brooklyn and can’t remember the last time I had so much fun watching a cheesy movie. Being…
This week’s recipe by pizza enthusiast Elana Iaciofano rekindled my love for making pizza at home. Even though I made Elana’s Roasted Chestnut and Pyrénées Brebis Pizza with the wrong cheeses, I used a new flour that was amazing and that I felt totally compensated for my cheese error. (I’m a total convert now and will…
Photographer Pauline Boldt, whose cornmeal cake we featured late last year, has a most enviable life. She jet sets around the world photographing farms, restaurants, vineyards, chefs and more. In this way, she has the perfect opportunity to sample many different types of fabulous food. It seems that each experience one-ups the previous, so there’s…
