Kitchen Comforts

With the holiday season coming up, I seem to be spending a lot more time in my kitchen. Which is exactly where I want to be. When I went to Connecticut last month (go here to read more) I took along Ruth Reichl's book My Kitchen Year and was very moved by her story of finding solace in the kitchen. I feel the same way. Nothing beats getting into the kitchen and baking something as a stress reducer. This is the time of the year when I pull out all my favorite seasonal recipes in preparation for the holidays. Thanksgiving is next week and soon after that every day will be building up to Christmas. I like my little rituals of making soup on Sundays or baking on Mondays to stock up on fuel for my family during this hectic time of the year. It feels good to get in the kitchen and whip up something for the in-between time.

Which is exactly what I did on Sunday. I pulled out one of my favorite cookbooks by Sara Foster. Her book The Foster's Market Cookbook is a treasure trove for anyone who loves to bake. Her gingerbread and pumpkin bread are to die for. The book also contains a fool-proof recipe for the best banana bread you will ever taste. It is perfect for an autumn afternoon with a cup of tea. I've made so many of these already this year. There is something comforting and nostalgic about banana bread. Our mothers and grandmothers made it and it feels good to continue the tradition. The house smells glorious as it bakes and it costs next to nothing. All you need are four very ripe bananas, one cup of walnuts, and the rest you probably already have in your pantry. It's great with coffee in the morning or tea in the afternoon. And if you make two, you can stash one in the freezer and save it for the holidays. When your house guests get a little peckish in the afternoon, it's very impressive to have one of these on hand!

********

Sara Foster's Banana-Walnut Bread

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4  ground cardamon
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 very ripe bananas, crushed
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 9 by 5 by 3-inch baking pan and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cardamon in a large bowl and stir to mix. Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until well blended. Slowly add the beaten eggs while continuing to beat. Add the bananas and vanilla and stir to mix. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until all the ingredients are moist and well blended. Do not over mix. Fold in the walnuts and stir just to blend. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and let it settle to the sides; tap the pan on the counter a few times to even out the batter. Bake one hour or until the bread rises and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. The bread will be slightly brown and cracked on the top. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm or place on a baking rack to cool.

One caveat: I couldn't find ground cardamon at the market, so I added 1/4 tsp. more nutmeg. It still tasted delicious. I hope you enjoy this!  

Ready for Fall

I don't know about you, but every year at about this time I start to crave fall. The middle of August feels tantalizingly close to September and I am ready for the crisp and cool weather of the upcoming months. And right now we are in the middle of a heat wave. Although the weather continues to be hot here in September, the month brings shorter days and with that comes a sense of the changing seasons. So even in Los Angeles we start dreaming about pumpkins and apple pie.

But in my opinion, there is no place more beautiful in autumn than New England. One of my favorite things to do in October is travel to the east coast and stay at a country hotel such as The Pitcher Inn in Warren, Vermont. This year we are going to New York -- we got tickets for Hamilton! -- and then on to rural Litchfield, Connecticut for some leaf peeping and all the other things that go into a New England fall. We were there many years ago and loved it. I remember gorgeous gardens, antique stores, great restaurants, Federal style architecture and country walks. Every porch is decorated with chrysanthemums and pumpkins. I can hardly wait!

With fall on my mind, I began to think of my favorite things to do at this time of the year.

So here goes:  

Ten Things About Fall That Make Me Very Happy

1. Traveling to New England

Historic Deerfield, Massachusetts
Photo via here

One of my favorite places to visit in New England, especially when we are staying in the Berkshires, is Historic Deerfield, Massachusetts. The village consists of one street lined with 18th and 19th century houses that have all been restored to their original condition. Each one is like a little museum.

Here are some other things I like to see and do in New England in the fall. The list is far from exhaustive and in no particular order, but includes some of my favorites.

Shop at the antique stores in Woodbury, CT

Visit the covered bridge in Kent, CT

 Go to The Mount, Edith Wharton's home, in Lenox, Mass

Drive the beautiful Mohawk trail in Western Massachusetts and admire the stunning fall foliage of the Berkshire mountains

 See art in Williamstown, Mass. The Williams College Museum of Art and the Sterling and Francine Clark Museum have stellar art collections

  Visit Stockbridge, the idyllic Berkshire village painted by Norman Rockwell

 While in Stockbridge, stop at the Norman Rockwell Museum
Explore Woodstock, VT, one of the prettiest towns you'll ever see 

Go to nurseries in the area, such as the White Flower Farm in CT
Visit my alma mater Bates College in Maine and walk on the Quad which is carpeted with fall leaves
Eat a bowl of clam chowder at M.C. Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine

 Admire the fall displays of mums and pumpkins that are everywhere!

2. Fall Cooking

There's nothing like cooking up a Wild Mushroom Risotto such as this one from Judith Jones' The Pleasures of Cooking for One to get you into nesting mode. This is a great dish for a cozy night at home. Go here for the recipe.

3. Flowers

I love the colors of fall flowers. These are from a flower arranging class I took last year. 

4. The beach

I have always thought that the beach is at its most beautiful in the fall and winter months. This photo was taken on a gorgeous day in November. There is something about the light at this time of year that makes the air crystal clear and the water glisten.

5. Sinking into a classic novel

I have just started rereading "To the Lighthouse" and am swept away by the beauty of the writing.

6. Adding some tartan to the house

I think that tartan looks especially good in the fall. It has the same crisp and tailored feeling of the season. These dishes finally arrived from Scotland and they remind me of my wonderful trip in June and my visit to the Anta store in Edinburgh, which has to be the the mother lode for all things tartan. I love the way the dishes look on the kitchen table!

7. Pulling out my favorite cookbooks

There are certain cookbooks that do seasonal recipes really well and Nigel Slater's Notes From The Larder is one of them. His pork chops with pears and cream is one of my favorites. Go here for the recipe.

8. Taking out fall table accessories

I have been collecting table ware with fall motifs forever and it's so much fun to take them out once October arrives. This table runner is from Italy and the leaf candle holder from a trip to Paris almost 20 years ago. The amber tea lights I bought in bulk one year for a party.

9. Lighting the candles at dusk on a fall night

As the days get shorter, candlelit tables bring a glow to the house and make staying inside feel very  cozy!

10. Wearing my Bloomsbury poncho

 Having lived on the east coast for so many years, I have been guilty of buying too many sweaters and coats for L.A. But it does eventually get cool enough here to wear some of them. This year I can't wait to bundle up in the Bloomsbury-inspired poncho I bought from Burberry last year. It was part of the Fall/Winter 2014 The Bloomsbury Girls collection and I got it on sale. After learning about the literary and artistic heritage behind this collection and Burberry's support of Charleston, the country retreat of the Bloomsbury Group, I was so happy to have one of these pieces. It will be perfect for a crisp day in October.

Have you travelled to any of the beautiful New England Inns during the fall months? 

I would love to know your favorites!

A Little London Magic

St. James Park

 I am just getting back from a wonderful trip to England. Autumn arrived while we were there, though everyone thought it felt more like Indian summer. The weather was beautiful --  sparkling sunshine and blue skies. Once I catch my breath, I will write more about the trip. But here are a few highlights from bustling London: 

 Anne Boleyn crowned as queen in "Wolf Hall"
Photo via here

A performance of the breathtaking "Wolf Hall," the play based on Hillary Mantel's gripping novel about Thomas Cromwell. The drama starts out with a glittering court dance and rapidly descends into strategic plotting in dark castles. Thomas Cromwell is at the center of things as he tries to help the King get out of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon so he can marry Anne Boleyn. We watch as Cromwell rises to power and his mentor Cardinal Wolsey sinks into disgrace. Do you remember the actor Nathaniel Parker who played Inspector Lynley on the television series of the same name? He stars as King Henry VIII and is fantastic in the role. Ben Miles who plays Cromwell is also excellent. He is in every scene and you can't take your eyes off of him. Just as the novel did, this play makes history live and breathe.

 Tower of London

   The art installation at The Tower of London to commemorate 100 years since World War I. The red ceramic poppies represent fallen British soldiers and have been added every day since August. By November the moat will be full. It was a poignant sight to behold.

Tower Bridge

A walk across Tower bridge on a beautiful day is always a treat

Peter Harrington Rare Books

A visit to the lovely Peter Harrington Rare Books was a reminder of the beauty of books. I have never seen so many beautiful editions of favorite books in one place. This visit resulted in an exciting purchase: the five volumes of "The Diary of Virginia Woolf." It will be fun to find the perfect bookshelf for these.

St. Mawes, Corwall

And then there was Cornwall...

It was easy to conjure up a Daphne du Maurier novel during our first walk into the little seaside village of St. Mawes on a breezy, sparkling morning. The seagulls were cawing as we walked along the cottage-lined road that leads into the village. The boat-filled harbour was in the distance and the water was just beginning to catch a few glints of sunshine. A dreamy, enchanting place. I bought a few novels set in this beautiful part of England which I am now reading. Can't wait to do a blog post on all the books I bought on this trip! And more on London, Cornwall, Devon, and the Cotswolds. To be continued...   

Ready for Fall

September, 2012

Every year at about this time I start to get excited for fall and begin to anticipate the upcoming season -- the weather, the clothes, the food, the colors, the holidays. I am ready for fall. Do you feel this way? Here in Los Angles the heat is intense but I am dreaming of a chill in the air, cozy sweaters, autumn leaves, and fires in the fireplace. It all sounds heavenly right now. Fortunately the September issues of many magazines are out and there are some very exciting things coming up. Here are a few that have got my heart racing...

MOVIES

"The Imitation Game" starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley
Photo via here

Benedict Cumberbatch seem to be everywhere these days. In the film The Imitation Game he plays Alan Turning, the English mathematician who helped crack Nazi Germany's Enigma Code during World War II.  On the heels of his great role as Sherlock Holmes, he is once again playing a brilliant problem solver. Perfect casting. I can't wait to see this one.

 BOOKS

Photo via here

Fall and new books just seem to go together. Here are a few that sound very intriguing:

Novels

Lila by Marilynne Robinson

Everyone in the book world is excited about a new book by Marilynne Robinson. This is the third in her much-praised Gilead trilogy.

The Dog by Joseph O'Neil
I loved Netherland by Joseph O'Neil. His latest book is about a New Yorker who moves to Dubai to escape his problems and finds himself strangely at home. If it's anything like "Netherland," it will be filled with beautiful writing, witty insights and sharp commentary about the modern world.

The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: Stories by Hilary Mantel
After wowing the literary world by winning the Booker Prize two years in a row -- for "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" -- Hilary Mantel has written a collection of contemporary short stories.

The Children Act by Ian McEwan
This new novel by Ian McEwan (one of my favorite writers) is about a prominent London judge who faces the ruling of her career. The case is about people using religion to refuse medical care for their children and the life of an exceptional teenage boy hangs in the balance. This one sounds so good!  

 Cookbooks

Photo via here

Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi is the owner of Ottolenghi restaurants in London and also a cookbook author. His book Jerusalem was one of the most popular cookbooks in recent years. Filled with fabulous middle eastern recipes, it is a must for the creative cook. His newest book "Plenty More" is a sequel to "Plenty," which was filled with delicious and beautiful recipes for vegetables.

Make It Ahead by Ina Garten
A new book by Ina Garten is always an occasion. After all these years, she is still my go-to in the kitchen. I have purchased my ticket for her book tour in November. I went two years ago when she was promoting her earlier book "Foolproof" and she was fabulous! In person she is elegant, very funny, and always down-to-earth.

Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes from Our Kitchen by Zoe Nathan
Zoe Nathan is a celebrity of sorts here in Los Angeles. She is a young baker who has three very popular cafe/restaurants in Santa Monica and has just come out with a cookbook. People are very excited about this. She is one of the many amazing young women in Los Angeles who have developed successful businesses and continue to inspire all of us!

Photo via here

A Kitchen in France: A Year of Cooking in My Farmhouse by Mimi Thorisson
Mimi Thorisson is the creator of the beautiful blog Manger. She lives with her family on a farm in Bordeaux where she cooks and entertains with great flair. She shares her recipes and life style on her blog. Her new book "A Kitchen in France" is divided into four seasonal chapters and is part cookbook, part memoir. This book promises to be a beauty!

 DESIGN IDEAS 

Natalie Massenet's house in London
Photo via here

The design magazines at this time of the year often feature inviting and cozy interiors. Fall is a favorite time for nesting and I love the idea of warming up a house with a little touch of red. Did you see this piece in Architectural Digest on Natalie Massenet's house in London? She is the founder of Net-A-Porter. The red chairs in her dining room/library are a perfect touch. And don't you love a dining room filled with books? Go here to read more.

LECTURE SERIES -- "CAUGHT IN THE ACT"

This is a popular time of year for lectures and book signings. I can never get enough of UCLA Professor Charles Batten's lectures and beginning in September he will be giving a fascinating series of talks on the subject "Caught in the Act." Each of the novels in this series presents "the mysterious relations of moral choice and circumstantial compulsion, of will and fate, in the lives of its characters." Our first book is "The Picture of Dorian Gray." The others are: "Lord Jim" by Joseph Conrad, "Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton, and "The Ambassadors" by Henry James. Go here to find out more. As a side note, I just finished "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt and think it definitely falls into this category!

DANCE

Swan Lake
Photo via here

The Australian Ballet will be bringing their groundbreaking production of "Swan Lake "to Los Angeles this fall. The original production starred Rudolf Nureyev and Margo Fonteyn and played at The Music Center over fifty years ago. This year is the 50th anniversary of the Music Center at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and to celebrate their big 50th they are bringing back this critically acclaimed production. I already have my ticket to this one!

Art

Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs at the Tate Modern in London
Photo via here

Probably the art exhibition I am most excited to see this fall is Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs at MOMA.  It originated at the Tate Modern and is opening in New York in October. In the 1940's, Matisse turned exclusively to cut paper as his primary medium. He cut painted sheets into forms of different sizes and shapes and arranged them into compositions. This was a blockbuster show at the Tate. I hope to make it to New York to see this one.

Theater

The play Wolf Hall in London
Photo via here

If you can get to London this fall, the theatrical offerings are incredible. Hilary Mantel's books Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies seem to have taken over the London stage. They have been turned into plays and are now running at the Aldwych Theatre on alternating night. They are so popular that the run has been extended -- through October 4.

Happy September!

By the way, have you read The Secret History by Donna Tartt? What an excellent book! I loved it.

An English Autumn

Autumn in Sussex

My trip to London and Florence was wonderful. Autumn was a magical time to visit. The weather was crisp and cool, and there was inspiration around every corner. Once I catch my breath, I will write all about it. Here are a few of the highlights from London:  a production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap (in its sixtieth year now!), a visit to Kensington Palace and Gardens, a tour of St. Paul's Cathedral, shopping at the legendary food purveyor Fortnum & Mason, and tea at Brown's Hotel. There was much, much more...but one of the most special experiences was a trip out of London and into rural Sussex on a beautiful fall day...

There was lunch at this pub

Ploughman's Lunch was the perfect thing to order
Good English Cheddar and home cooked ham served with warm bread from a nearby bakery

Then a visit to this very special home

The garden was still blooming

The sitting room was painted an ethereal shade of green

The bedroom was filled with books by her favorite writers and art by her sister Vanessa, including a lighthouse on the fireplace surround.

I finally made it to Monk's House, the country home of Virginia Woolf. This cozy and unpretentious house is filled with the spirit of Virginia and Leonard Woolf. Everywhere I looked I could imagine the conversations and creative work that happened here. It is a home bursting with their personalities. To visit was a dream come true! More details to follow... 

There's much more on London coming up, including this.
It's impossible to resist Sticky Toffee Pudding when you're in England!

The first photo is of the conservatory at Monk's House

Fall Notebook

The garden all tucked in for fall

November, 2010

I used to keep lists of everything I needed to do in the fall. When my daughters were young, fall was the busiest season and it still is. Their birthdays and the holidays were squeezed into three short months. As they got older and one went to college in Maine and the other worked in New York, we managed to squeeze in a trip to the East coast every October. There was a lot of planning and juggling, and lists were a necessity. Recently I have found some of these old lists and they have brought back wonderful memories.

This year I want to reinstate them and put them together in a notebook, the old lists as well as the new. There is so much to do right now and this season, my favorite, always goes by too fast. The house needs to be spruced up and the garden will need new fall plants. My feeling is that if I get back into the habit of keeping these lists and records again, I will savor every detail. And in the future, I will look back and remember. In the next few months there will be more entertaining than usual as well as holidays to celebrate -- all the things I love. My old lists are filled with flowers to buy, candles to replenish, tablecloths to take out, and recipes to make. I am noticing there are things I still do each year, as well as things I forgot about and want to do again. So I decided this year to keep a fall notebook. This season is filled with so many delights. So here we go. Let the season (and my notebook) begin with Pumpkin Recipes!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Pumpkin Cream-Cheese Frosting

This is one of the best cakes I make. I found it in a Country Living magazine years ago. Although it looks impressive, it is very easy to make. You mix together an easy batter that produces three layers of the most delicious and moist pumpkin cake you will ever taste. Then you frost them with a rich cream-cheese frosting flavored with pumpkin puree and orange juice. This will become a favorite in your house as it has in mine. Go here for the recipe.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

These cupcakes are the creation of Ina Garten. Covered with cream cheese frosting and topped with pieces of Heath Bar, they are as pretty as they are delicious. Go here for the recipe.

Pumpkin Bread

This is the pumpkin bread I have been making forever. I remember cutting it into slices and packing it in my daughters' lunches when they went to school. It is delicious with a cup of coffee in the morning or a cup of tea in the afternoon. This recipe makes two loaves, so you can freeze one for later.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

2 and 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup canola or safflower oil

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 x 5 x 3 - inch loaf pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. Whisk together the sugar, eggs, and oil in a separate bowl until well blended. Stir in the pumpkin, water, and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until all the ingredients are moist and blended. Do not overmix. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean and the top begins to crack slightly. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pans. Serve warm or place on a baking rack to cool.

I love this time of the year. The days get shorter and the weather begins to cool down. We start to see pumpkins and squashes at the farmers' markets. There is an excitement in the air. It's all about celebrating the comforts of home.

Happy Fall!

Lovely September

"Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first of September was crisp and golden as an apple..."  -- J.K. Rowling

Being from the East coast originally, I tend to associate the beginning of September with cool and crisp weather and a return to greater activity. There is a desire to get down to business and start new and exciting projects. It feels like the beginning of a new year. But the weather in Los Angeles doesn't cooperate, at least not yet. It is still hot and not at all like fall, or at least the fall of my dreams. But I have no problem moving ahead to cooler days in my imagination. I find a quiet and cool spot in my house and sink into a good novel or a new cookbook.

Looking ahead to fall cooking and baking, I found these recipes for apple cakes, which to me capture the essence of the season. Apples and September just go together. If you have ever been to Maine in the fall, then you know that going to an apple orchard and picking apples is one of those magical fall experiences that you get in New England. I went to a one in Auburn, Maine a few years ago and I will never forget how much fun it was. In the meantime, bake these apple cakes and in no time at all you will be feeling very autumnal!

Upside-Down Apple Cake with Walnuts and Sage
Recipe here

Apple Blackberry Cake
Recipe here

Apple Brownies
Recipe here

Teddie's Apple Cake
Recipe here

 If you are looking for a book to transport you to a place of seasonal beauty, pick up a copy of  The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher. This is the book I am currently reading and it has swept me away to the Cornish coast of England. A classic, romantic saga, this novel will definitely take you out of the heat of early September and help you feel some autumnal bliss.

And if I am completing this fantasy, I would love to do my reading in this gorgeous room designed by Ben Pentreath. An architect and interior designer working in London, he has a 19th-century country parsonage in Dorset where he spends his weekends. I am in love with the way he has decorated his country house. This room is an absolute beauty. I can't wait to visit his home decor shop when I am in London this fall. Go here to see more of his classic English interiors.

For me, September has always conjured up the feelings associated with the return to school, and even though I haven't been in school for a long time, the feelings of anticipation remain. There is the promise of new beginnings and the start of exciting and creative projects. I am working on a few ideas that I can't wait to share with you...

What books are you drawn to at this time of the year?

September really is a lovely month!

Go here to find out more about the apple orchards in Maine.

Monday Morning Recap

How was your weekend?  Did you relax after Thanksgiving?  We had the pleasure of celebrating with a dear friend in Sun Valley, Idaho.  We had a delicious dinner on Thanksgiving which was followed by a weekend of hiking, shopping (books and holiday linens) and relaxing.  I had a lot of time for rereading one of my favorite books -- The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford.  I also found myself engrossed in many interesting magazine and newspaper articles over the weekend.  Don't you just love it when you have all day to read?  Here are a few things I read that got my heart racing...

Winvian Hotel in Litchfield Hills, CT

photo via here

For sheer escapism, I was swooning over an article in the Wall Street Journal on "What are the Coziest Hotels in America?"  You will want to check this out and book your next trip!

photo and one below via here

 In the same newspaper there was an article about Grace Coddington, the inspiring artistic director for Vogue Magazine.  I fell in love with her when I saw the film "The September Issue."  Her fashion layouts in Vogue are beautiful and ethereal, and really works of art.  Remember the recent Edith Wharton spread?  If you saw the movie "The September Issue" you got to know her then.  Now there is more -- she has written an autobiography which has just been published.  I cannot wait to read it!     

 Grace Coddington's memoir Grace 

photo via here

In an article in The New York Times, I learned that Martha Stewart is inspiring young entrepreneurs, 20- and 30-somethings, to develop their craft ideas and turn them into a career.  After all this time, she has something to say to the young generation.

photo via here

And at this time of the year there is always news about Charles Dickens.  In an article in The New York Times, we learn about the revival on Broadway of Dickens' unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood.  This article is filled with fascinating information on Dickens' life and how it is reflected in his unfinished novel.  Did you know that he was on an exhausting book tour and in poor health at the time he was writing it?  He died before finishing at the age of 58.

All of the December issues of my favorite magazines are out, always an occasion.  Lots of great ideas, stories, and inspiration for the holidays.  It's easy to pore over these for hours with a cup of tea.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

I had forgotten the ending.  Don't you love it when an author surprises you and touches your heart at the same time?

And, of course, all of this reading was accompanied by some really good Thanksgiving leftovers!

How was your weekend?