Garden Roses

What are you up to this weekend? I am still enjoying the flowers from a dinner party we had on Monday night. Cutting roses from the garden and making an arrangement for the table is one of the true pleasures of life. Especially at this time of year! That is exactly what I did the other day when we were having friends over for dinner. This year has been a banner year for our roses. When there are so many blooms available it is easy to put together a beautiful arrangement. I especially like an abundance of one type, massed together in a single container. The pink roses with the blue and white china looked fresh and pretty. It felt like a little celebration of spring!

 Using these Royal Copenhagen dishes that belonged to my mother-in-law always makes me happy since they remind me of her. I love mixing them with other blue and white dishes. The chargers stay on the table between courses so the table always looks beautiful. Placemats and napkins by Heather Taylor Home completed the spring-like setting. 

The garden roses practically arranged themselves. There wasn't much to do other than trim and put them in a vase. These beauties just do their own thing. I kept the arrangement low to allow for free-flowing conversations across the table.

The early morning is my favorite time to pick flowers. I often take my coffee outside and walk in the garden to see what is going on. This time I was happy to see there were plenty of roses to make an arrangement.

Originally when we designed the garden I wanted a palette of pinks, purples and blues, but now I love the addition of strong colors such as red and orange.

These orange roses look so pretty in the dappled sunlight

But the pinks are the stars this year and make the garden look beautifully lush. They would be perfect on the dining room table.

 I hope you get a chance to pick or buy some roses this weekend and make an arrangement for your home. Surrounding yourself with flowers is a reminder of nature, an affirmation of life, and a guaranteed mood lifter. Don't forget to include some extras and give a bouquet to a friend!

Happy Spring!

Happy Makers

"Nobody has measured, not even the poets, how much love the heart can hold."

-- Zelda Fitzgerald

 Botany Flowers last Valentine's Day

February is the shortest month and also the sweetest with Valentine's Day right in the middle. But maybe the best thing about February is that it's the last month of winter and the precursor to spring. In Los Angeles, it's still chilly enough to want to be inside but there are glimmerings of nature about to burst into bloom. Here a few things that are making me very happy this month.

Photo via here

Reading a wonderful article in the New Yorker about the history of "loving" to read. It turns out that those of us who feel passionate about books are in very good company. Many of us have a love affair with books; this article explains the romance of literature.  

Finding an old book with the loveliest artwork on the cover. I love the sub-title of this memoir -- A study in Friendship. Do you know about Ottoline Morrell? She lived in England during the early part of the twentieth-century and was a fascinating woman who was connected to the Bloomsbury Group. I have collected many books about her and think it's now time to do a little research! 

And speaking of Bloomsbury, there is a new novel about Vanessa Bell and her sister Virginia Woolf. It is a work of historical fiction and has gotten great reviews. 

Another new novel by one of my favorite playwrights, Yasmina Reza. She  is a French writer best known for her plays Art and God of Carnage. Her new novel is also getting great reviews!

Framing this poster from the fabulous Virginia Woolf exhibition I saw at the National Portrait Gallery last fall. It reminds me of our wonderful trip to London. Are you sensing a Bloomsbury theme to this blog post? Not intentional!

Being in awe of the pear tree bursting into blossom; this spectacular event always takes my breath away!

Getting ready for spring with some new outdoor furniture. I have admired Peter Dunham's Fig Leaf pattern forever and was so excited to finally have a place to use it!

Liberty of London's "Secret Garden" series which just debuted this month. It is as fresh as springtime. Each pattern is based on a quote from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The pattern above is called "Jeffrey Rose Tree" and was inspired by the following quote:

"And the roses -- the roses! They came along day by day, hour by hour."

 What a brilliant idea to tie in a classic garden book with a fabric design. Go here to see more.

 Signing up for The Italian Sojourn -- a new lecture series that examines books about trying to reinvent oneself or alter life experiences by changing one's environment. Not surprisingly, they all take place in Italy. This one should be delightful as it is taught by one of my favorite UCLA professors. The books include Up At The Villa by Somerset Maugham, Where Angels Fear To Tread by E.M. Forster and Roman Fever by Edith Wharton. Go here to learn more.

And finally the "J.M. W. Turner, Painting Set Free" exhibition that is opening at the Getty Center at the end of the month. It is arriving from the Tate Gallery in London and features the artist's experimental and very modern  paintings done at the end of his career. I can't wait to see this.

Wishing you a Happy Valentine's Day!

Ten Summer Favorites

Summer is all about simple pleasures and delicious escapism. Here are ten things I love about this summer. They include books, films, decorative inspiration, and stylish summer fashion. So here we go: June and July's greatest hits so far.

1. The Vacationers by Emma Straub

This may be the perfect summer book. The setting is gorgeous, the characters appealing and, despite its light and breezy quality, the book contains lots of truths and poignancy. It is also funny. It centers on a New York family who decide to go ahead with their vacation plans to rent a house in Mallorca for two weeks despite a major crises in the lives of the parents. The matriarch of the family is Franny, a fabulous cook and endearing character. Somehow in the midst of all the tensions, she manages to produce some delicious Mediterranean-style meals each night. Two guaranteed results of reading this book: you will want to go to Mallorca and you will want to cook like Franny. 

2. The film Boyhood directed by Richard Linklater

Already a big fan of Richard Linklater's films -- especially his trilogy "Before Sunrise," "Before Sunset," and "Before Midnight" -- I was still unprepared for how good his latest film "Boyhood" would be. Beautiful and poignant, it is a coming of age story about a young man dealing with all the typical trials and tribulations of growing up, including two broken homes. But what makes the film so special is that it was filmed over the course of 12 years which means we get to watch the young boy Mason age from 6 to 18. Starting in 2002, Richard Linklater gathered his lead actors each year for a 3-4 day shoot. The resulting film is incredibly realistic and absolutely engrossing. More than anything else, it is about the passage of time. Go see this. It is one of those ground-breaking films that will be talked about for years. I can't wait to see it again.

3. The great articles about the 100th anniversary of World War I

 Did you see any of these? They made for riveting reading. Go here. Also, this great article about "Storybook London" will come in handy for my upcoming trip to England. 

4. The ultimate summer purse from Clare Vivier 

Unpretentious and cheerful, this tote is all about easy, breezy summer elegance

5. Summer produce: cherries, apricots and peaches are so good right now

And what to do with those peaches? This old-fashioned Peach Bread Pudding from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco is my favorite peach dessert.

6. Making homemade Focaccia! 

     

I am a little bit obsessed with focaccia right now after discovering how easy it is from Melissa Clark. I have already made two different kinds. Go here and here for the recipes. These are delicious!

7. Stationary from Thunderwing Press 

Nic and J.B. Taylor of Thunderwing Press are brilliant at designing custom items. When I asked them to design custom stationary and cards for me, they inquired about my inspirations. My answer was: the hand-painted interiors of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant's Sussex house Charleston and English country gardens. Bloomsbury and gardens came together in the finished product. I ordered note cards, envelopes, and calling cards. I smile every time I use these.

8. Mugs from Indigo Seas

This fabulous little store next door to The Ivy restaurant on Robertson Boulevard carries the hand-painted china used by The Ivy. The collection includes dishes, platters, bowls, and ice buckets. These garden-inspired mugs bring summer indoors. By the way, Indigo Seas also has a fabulous collection of rare books. Beautiful old editions by Colette, Nancy Mitford, and Virginia Woolf can be found there.

9. Piling on the pillows to create a cozy nook for reading  

Adding pillows to this little couch made it an enticing place for morning coffee and papers 

10. A scarf from Heather Taylor Home

Hand-woven in Chiapas, Mexico, this 100% cotton scarf is soft and gauzy, perfect for a cool summer evening. I wear mine all the time.

A Friend in the Kitchen

Now that it's summer and the weather is warm, I have been thinking about all the entertaining possibilities coming up. My mind immediately went to outdoor entertaining since everything tastes better outdoors. And what could be better than being surrounded by nature? More than anything else, summer entertaining should be easy and relaxed. I may have found the perfect book to help.

What's a Hostess to Do?  by Susan Spungen was published last year and is filled with great ideas for entertaining. I have been a fan of her writing for a long time, especially the articles she used to write for "Martha Stewart Living." Spungen was the founding food editor of the magazine and wrote a regular column on entertaining. I have torn out so many of her recipes over the years. Her parties always seemed effortless and chic. She eventually left the magazine and went on to become a culinary consultant for movies such as "Julie and Julia," It's Complicated," and "Eat, Pray, Love." You probably remember how beautiful the food scenes in those films were. I was so excited to see that she had written a book on entertaining.

Since I was having an outdoor cocktail party last week, I pulled down her book to see what she had to say about "effortless entertaining." My immediate reaction was: I love this book. Packed with great ideas for every kind of party, it is divided into clear sections such as The Buffet, The Dinner Party, The Cocktail Hour, Outdoor Parties, and Holidays and Other Special Occasions. It has fabulous recipes. Spungen doesn't skip a detail on how to plan a party and everything she suggests makes so much sense. She explains how to word the invitation, decorate with a theme, time your party preparations, arrange a table, mix cocktails, put together a cheese plate, and throw a party outside. For a cocktail party she suggests a buffet table, easy bite-size hors d'oeuvres, and keeping everything informal and carefree. Her approach is the opposite of fussy, which sets a great mood for the guests and keeps everyone relaxed. The idea is to have fun at your own party and your guests will do the same.

Her first suggestion was something I always do: take out paper and pen and start making lists. I wanted everything to be in one place so I used a notebook with dividers and made lists for everything I needed. The notebook was divided into sections:  the bar, menu, serving pieces, linens, and flowers and decor. 

I started with the flowers --  peonies and roses felt perfect for a party in June  

Next was the food. Shrimp cocktail was at the top of my list when I created the menu. I chose four recipes from "Ten Quick Hors d'Oeuvres" in Spungen's book, which includes the shrimp, and also added an eggplant dip from The Barefoot Contessa. All the recipes are easy to make, can be done ahead, and are able to sit on the buffet table for hours. The shrimp and cocktail sauce (above) is always a good choice because it is so simple. I made it a little more special by substituting Gazpacho Seafood Dip for the cocktail sauce. A friend gave me this recipe. Although a little more work, it was so much more interesting than a regular cocktail sauce. Plus it can be made days ahead of time. See the recipe below.

Everyone loved these cherry tomatoes stuffed with hummus and topped with slivers of olive from the book 

Eggplant dip with homemade pita chips from Barefoot Contessa was all done ahead

Smoked salmon on blinis couldn't be easier using frozen blinis from the market

As evening began to fall, we set out the flowers on the table

We put out glasses, ice buckets, and candles

A big cheese tray was another wonderful suggestion from the book

Cocktail-size paper plates and napkins made clean up easy

Sparkling rose and white wine in ice buckets allowed everyone to help themselves

The next day I was thinking that there are certain food writers who feel like a friend in the kitchen.  Their books are filled with inspiration, great recipes, and good common sense. Laurie Colwin, Ina Garten and Melissa Clark are three that come to mind. Susan Spungen is another. If you love to entertain, be sure to get a copy of her book. It will give you lots of good and practical ideas for entertaining this summer. My favorite tip? Make a big batch of topping for fruit crisp and store it in the freezer for when you are ready to make a crisp. Genius!

********

Here is the recipe for Gazpacho Seafood Dip: 

1/4 cup chili sauce

1 cup ketchup

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons vinegar

2-3 drops Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate up to 1 week. Serve with seafood and avocado slices, if desired. Makes 3 cups.

Culinary Adventures

Table set for our French dinner party

I hope you had a good weekend. This weekend found us hosting a French dinner party that we and our friends donated to a fundraiser last fall. A lovely couple bought it, we finally established a date that worked for everyone, and my friend and I spent most of last week planning and cooking. I had intended to write about it yesterday but somehow felt a bit under the weather. Hmm... I wonder if it was the six course French meal we consumed on Saturday night or the superb wine pairings our friend brought to serve with each course. I tried to compose my blog post but instead spent most of the day resting or wandering from thing to thing. I plan to write about it later in the week. Here is where I spent a good part of yesterday...

Reading this book

"Miss Brooke had that kind of beauty that seems to be thrown into relief by poor dress" is the opening line of Middlemarch. I have been getting to know Dorothea Brooke, Mr. Casaubon, Lydgate, Rosamund Vincy, Mary Garth, and young Ladislaw and feel connected to all of them. They are some of the characters who reside in Middlemarch, the provincial English village at the heart of George Eliot's masterpiece. I am half way through the book and loving it. And what a treat to be reading this lovely Penguin edition. Have you seen this Hardcover Classic series by Penguin? Go here to learn more.

Perusing this blog

Photo via here

Yes, the lovely Sophie Dahl of cookbook fame now has a blog. It is called At The Table and it is just as enchanting and beautiful as she is. Take a look. It is a little like wandering through the landscape of the English novel "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith. Go here to see Sophie's recipes for homey desserts such as banana bread and peanut butter fudge, a video on the ancient art of book binding, and a list of "British Boltholes" -- don't you love that expression -- where you can enjoy the out-of-doors in comfort  -- lovely farms, cabins, and even luxurious tree houses to check into and spend the weekend. Wait until you see these tree houses! Look under the "Adventure" category on her blog.

Catching up with this newspaper article

Photo via here

A great travel piece about Oxford, England. The setting for the novel Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh and the Inspector Morse mysteries by Colin Dexter, this beautiful town has so much more to it than just the university. Go here to read more.


Contemplating this beauty

Our garden is producing some amazing irises right now


Checking on the new roses

The Joseph's Coat Rose is starting to take hold


Dreaming of a fall trip

Lake Buttermere in Cumbria, England

My husband is reading the biography of Woodrow Wilson, Wilson, by A. Scott Berg and wandered into the kitchen yesterday to read me a quote. Wilson wrote, "There remained no spot in the world in which I am so completely at rest and peace as in the lake country." I began looking up information on the Lake District of England. Did you know that after the film "Miss Potter" came out a few years ago, tourism in this part of England skyrocketed? I would love to visit.


Admiring my blue and white Burleigh tea set bought at Fortnum and Mason last year

And wondering when I will have occasion to use it


Finding the prettiest scones to serve when I do

Rose and saffron scones -- go here for the recipe.


Buying ranunculuses at the market

They practically arranged themselves!


And finding this in the mail

Can't wait to read it...doesn't she look gorgeous!

By the way, it really was a great party and the people who bought it brought some lovely friends. We spent last week cooking up a storm. I can't wait to share all the recipes. To be continued...


In the meantime, here is Sophie Dahl's recipe for banana bread:

 Enjoy!