the restaurant

"Women in restaurants who studied their reflections 'with as much nonchalance as if they were in their own dressing rooms' struck James Grant as singular, but his comment--like so many others--highlights how readily visitors assumed that restaurant life was, in truth, a terrarium constructed in order to facilitate their own study of French character. For how could Grant be so certain what French ladies did 'in their own dressing rooms'?

"In Struggling to negotiate an appropriate balance between the pleasures of people watching and the possible consequences of being observed, visitors came to the conclusion that the French behaved in restaurants as they did in their own boudiors"

-Rebecca Spang, The Invention of the Restaurant

mustaches and cupcakes

Adorable illustration by Blanca Gomez.

i love...wayne thiebaud

Cakes (1963; National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC)

I remember seeing this work in a class last semester, but I wasn't nearly as enamored with it until I saw it at the National Gallery yesterday. Thiebaud really focuses on the texture of the painting, creating thick, frosting like swirls of paint and color that make these cakes a delicious sight to see. I love the refined whimsy of his work; there's an underlying sense of humor and charm to the subject, yet it's depicted with such elegance. That, and his work is pretty much a combination of all my favorite things.

Pie Counter (1963, Whitney Museum, New York City)

Display Cakes (1963, SFMOMA, San Francisco)

And here's a great video from CBS Sunday Morning a few years ago. I love his perspective to art and painting.

rocky road brownies

a hot brownie mess

Yep. More brownies.

I think I'm reaching a baking plateau. Now that I've discovered the ease, convenience, and deliciousness of homemade brownies, they are the only thing I can ever think to make for anything anymore. I mean, when you only have one baking sheet even a quick batch of cookies becomes an hour long endeavor of scooping and baking, scooping and baking, scooping and baking...

Brownies are easy. You make the batter. You pour the batter into the pan. You put the pan in the oven. You scrape the bowl clean (cause brownie batter is the best) with a spatula. You watch Jeopardy and consider washing said bowl. 20 minutes later, brownies are done. Easy peasy.

Needless to say, I've been trying to get a little more creative with my brownies. I have some sort of weird addiction to topping all brownies with rainbow sprinkles, but I decided to break it this time to make the hot marshmallow brownie mess seen above. I simply topped the brownies with a marshmallow/walnut/chocolate chip mixture when they were finished baking and stuck them under the broiler until the marshmallows were toasted (this takes about 1-2 minutes. keep an eye on 'em!). I promise it was actually really really delicious.


Brownies
from allrecipes.com

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

i love...cakes and kate spade

Sivan Lewin for Kate Spade

I should really change that to "I am so obsessed with" kate spade and this delicious advertisement. The cakes look so cheery!


I just can't get enough of kate spade ads. I'm lusting after fine china, even if it does come with a rooster...

my favorite pancakes

easter brunch for two

A recipe for happiness:

1 part pancakes
1 part warm maple syrup (Log Cabin is acceptable, and a little bit encouraged)
1 part coffee
1 part matching dishware
1 part placemats
1 part 70 degree weather and sunshine

This recipe is infinitly flexible and is made all the better by the following additions:
A holiday heavily reliant on candy and bunnies, a wonderful roommate, and a roadtrip playlist featuring Celine Dion and ABBA.

Suffice it to say that I love pancakes. If you know me in even the slightest, you'll know that I love pancakes and brunch more than most anything. Which makes me wonder why I haven't shared my most favorite pancake recipe. I think the recipe came from Martha Stewart (who has wonderful pancake making tips here), but I'm not entirely sure anymore. All I know is that it makes wonderfully fluffy and sweet pancakes that always turn out just right.

My favorite pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk*
2 tbsp butter
1 egg

Preheat a non-stick griddle or fry pan over medium heat. Whisk together the dry ingredients, then add the wet and stir until they just come together. It's okay if it's a bit lumpy! To check if the pan is hot, sprinkle a few drops of water on it. If it sizzles and bounces off, the pan is hot enough. Ladle batter into the pan in desired size and cook until bubbles appear on the top and the edges are dry. Flip the pancakes and cook on the other side for about a minute. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200 degree oven while cooking the rest of the batch.

*Buttermilk makes very tasty pancakes, but I've also used skim milk, soy milk, yogurt(regular and Greek style), and a mixture of milk and yogurt. They all turn out delicious.