Embracing the Season

Right now many of us are craving coziness and comfort. We want to make our homes warm and welcoming and spend time with our loved ones. November goes by so fast, culminating in everyone's favorite holiday -- Thanksgiving. In the spirit of creating some "comfort and joy," here are twelve things I am most looking forward to in November. It's all about slowing down and savoring the season.

1. The Days Getting Shorter

Believe it or not, I look forward to the days getting shorter. Being from the East coast originally, where the weather was cold and nothing felt better than getting home and warming up in front of the fireplace, I always loved the shorter days of winter. We may not have that cold weather right now, especially where I live, but as the nights arrive earlier it feels cozy to light the candles, set the table with flowers, and have friends over for a weeknight dinner. 

2. Some Really Good Television --

There is so much good television right now. I have been watching "The Crown" which is airing on Netflix. This beautiful new series, created by Peter Morgan, is about the life of Elizabeth II and begins with her accession to the throne at age 25 in 1952. Peter Morgan wrote the film "The Queen" and the play "The Audience;" "The Crown" feels like the natural next step in his work. I have watched the first five episodes and am riveted. I loved the actress Claire Foy as Anne Bolyn in "Wolf Hall" and she is excellent as Queen Elizabeth. And what a sumptuous production. It is filled with so much history, for example the Great Smog of 1952 in London. I didn't know about this. Have you started watching this series? The episode on the coronation is brilliant. Notice what a big role the Duke of Windsor has in this story. Which makes a lot of sense, since Elizabeth wouldn't have become Queen if he hadn't abdicated the throne. He changed history forever. I would love to know what you think!

3. Reading a Classic Novel --

It's the time of year to hunker down with some good classic novels and Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf is the one I am reading right now. "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers..." And so begins Virginia Woolf's modernist masterpiece which consists of one day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway. As she goes about her day getting ready for her party, we are in her head as she moves back and forth in time -- recalling her youth, interacting with the people around her and evaluating her life. Her loves, regrets, fears, joys, and general observations of life are all woven throughout this stream-of-consciousness novel. Her character is revealed layer by layer. At the same time we are in the head of another character, a young man named Septimus Smith who is suffering from shell shock after World War I. Through this character Virginia Woolf explored the topic of mental illness, a subject with which she was very familiar. Other characters are vividly portrayed: Peter Walsh, Sally Seton, and Richard Dalloway -- all have played an important role in Clarissa's life. And from their perspective, we learn of the impact she has had on them. Woolf was doing something new with Mrs. Dalloway -- writing a novel that reflects the way people really think. She also wrote some of the most beautiful prose you will ever read.   

4. Travel --

Fall is such a great time to travel, especially to the East Coast to see the glorious fall foliage. We were in New York in October where we saw the amazing exhibition Charlotte Bronte: An Independent Will at the Morgan Library and Museum. If you get to NY before the New Year, be sure to visit the Morgan. The Bronte exhibition will be up until January. This is the kind of exhibition savor. In fact, I will probably go again when I am in NYC in December. If you go, be sure to check out the original manuscript of The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens which is always on display at The Morgan at this time of the year. The Morgan is a treasure trove and a place to celebrate the written word. It is one of my favorite places to visit and I go every time I am in New York.

5. Pumpkins and Mums

This is the classic combination for fall

6. The color orange

It really makes things pop! Here is our Thanksgiving table, 2015

And the garden, 2010

7. Plaid

Plaid feels tailored and crisp, just like fall.

These candles from Anta in Scotland would be perfect for the holiday season!

8. Cooking 

This weekend I had my family over for dinner and made Ina Garten's "Roasted Italian Meatballs" and "Kale Salad with Pancetta and Pecorino" from her new cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey. They were delicious!


9. Hot Mulled Cider

Tis' the season for hot mulled cider. Go here for my favorite recipe.
Photo via here

10.  A Delivery from Heywood Hill

I can't wait to see what Heywood Hill sends me for November. Go here to read more.

11. Listening to podcasts 

Listening to podcasts is another way to slow down and savor the season. Miranda Mills from Miranda's Notebook has just launched her podcast series Tea and Tattle and the first one is about Hygge, the Scandinavian philosophy of togetherness and coziness. Just what we need right now. Go here to listen.

12. Thinking about Christmas

This is the month to order tickets for "The Nutcracker." Going to this ballet in December is a magical holiday tradition.

By the way, I hope you had a fun Halloween. We went trick-or-treating with our little granddaughter who was dressed up as Madeline, the character from the Madeline books by Ludwig Bemelmans.  She was adorable!

Dinner in the Garden

The garden on the morning of our party

Thursday is the first day of fall but here in Los Angeles we're still hanging onto summer. The daytime temperatures have been in the eighties which makes the nights beautiful. This weekend I gave a birthday party for my sister. Dinner was on the patio and we stayed outside until until after dark. The weather was perfect!

I set two tables with Heather Taylor Home linens and flowers from Hollyflora

Everyone arrived at 5:30 and we had plenty of time to enjoy the garden

We started with Greek mezze appetizers

I went to our local Farmer's Market in the morning and bought an array of Greek specialties from a wonderful vendor there. They included stuffed grape leaves, feta with herbs, hummus, tzatziki sauce, roasted red peppers, olives and tapenade. We made our own pita chips. I loved serving it on this three-tiered stand that I found at Rolling Greens Nursery. This appetizer turned out to be a good thing for dinner as well since there were three vegetarians in the group who just piled more of the yummy Greek appetizers onto their dinner plates. 

Buffet table

I was very excited about the menu. My sister lived in San Francisco for many years and each time I visited her we went to Zuni Cafe, the popular restaurant on Market Street owned by Judy Rodgers. The restaurant's signature dish, the one we always ordered, is Zuni Cafe Chicken with includes luscious croutons soaked in juices from the chicken on a bed of arugula.

I wanted to recreate that dish for my sister's birthday dinner. I found the perfect recipe from Ina Garten. We made her Lemon Chicken with Croutons and served it with a big arugula salad. Everyone just piled the salad onto their plates and topped it with the chicken and croutons. We also served rosemary and Parmesan polenta and a big platter of roasted vegetables.

Dessert was Pumpkin Spice Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

This cake is always a winner and I love to make it in the fall. Decorated with flowers and kumquats from the garden it was special enough to be a birthday cake. Go here for the recipe.

Are you still hanging onto summer in your neck of the woods?
Even though our weather feels like summer, I'm very excited to be entering the fall season!

Amanda Brooks' English-Country Style

The living room in Amanda Brooks' house in England

If there's one type of architecture that captures my heart, it's an English country farmhouse. The September issue of Architectural Digest arrived just in time to satisfy my passion. There is a great article on writer Amanda Brooks' Oxfordshire house which hits all the right notes:  timeworn ceiling beams, reclaimed wood counter tops, vintage farmhouse kitchen table, unpainted plaster, pine cabinetry, piggery turned into a painting studio, garden shed, boot room, and rose-filled gardens. Sigh... this is my dream house. Take a look at this lovely place, decorated by Amanda Brooks who brought to the decoration her favorite aesthetic -- English-country style which she loves for its "timelessness and lack of pretension." Oh yes, I could live here! This house simply exudes warmth and coziness.

The 1820's farmhouse owned by Amanda and Christopher Brooks

A corner of the living room

Living room

Tea tray in a sunny niche of the living room

Sitting room

Kitchen

Landing

Their daughter's bedroom

Master bedroom

Boot room

Garden shed

Amanda Brooks in her garden

Go here to read more about Amanda Brooks and her Oxfordshire farmhouse. All photos via here.

What is your dream house?

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!

Pleasures of the Season

What is it about celebrating with girlfriends at this time of the year that is so comforting? Maybe it's because this is the season to count our blessings. And friendships are one of life's greatest treasures. It's the time of the year when we celebrate our friends. If you're like me you probably belong to a book club, bridge group or other organization with girlfriends. Most women I know love to have a reason to get together on a regular basis. Maybe it's over work, books, art, writing projects, knitting, golf or philanthropic activities. In the best of circumstances, these groups give women an opportunity to talk, listen, support, and encourage each other. Getting together on a regular basis keeps the connections strong. And appreciating each other during the holidays with a festive get-together is a wonderful way to end the year.

Yesterday I hosted a holiday lunch for my bridge group. I see these women each week for bridge and I treasure our regular get-togethers. We always manage to catch up with what's going on in our lives. And each December we make time for a holiday lunch. This year we had a potluck. My job was to make soup and savory scones. My friends brought salad, a gorgeous cheese board and a luscious chocolate cake. It was a cozy lunch on a cold December day here in Los Angeles. The fireplace was lit, spiced apple cider was simmering on the stove, and spirits were high. It's the kind of celebration I love during the holiday season. Sometimes the simplest pleasures are the most meaningful. Spending a cozy afternoon with friends brings a little extra joy to an already wonderful time of year.

Everyone loved the menu and I wanted to share three of the recipes with you:

Mulled Cider with Winter Spices

18 cups apple cider

1/3 cup orange juice

Peel (orange part only) from 1 large orange, cut into strips

1 bay leaf

1 and 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

3 whole cloves

3 whole allspice

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Pinch of salt

2 and 1/4 cups applejack brandy (optional)

Mix first 10 ingredients in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer mixture 30 minutes to blend flavors. Strain mulled cider into mugs. Serve cider, passing applejack brandy separately, if desired. Garnish each serving with a cinnamon stick. Serves 16.

Sugared Lemon-Rosemary Scones

2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 and 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed

3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

In a food processor, pulse the flour with the 1/3 cup of sugar, rosemary, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-size pieces of butter still visible. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the 3/4 cup of cream until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead just until it come together. Gently roll the dough into a 14-inch log, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the log into 8 rounds and transfer to the baking sheet. Brush the scones with cream and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the scones are golden. Let cool slightly before serving. Serves 8.

Smoky Split Pea and Root Vegetable Soup (go here for recipe)

Enjoy! 

The Cozy Season

Happy Thanksgiving! The holidays are upon us. What will you be doing to make it easier on yourself? I have learned over the years that putting too much pressure on myself will guarantee a stressful holiday. Sure, we all want to get the cooking done but bringing in some prepared items such as the pies or side dishes will make for a more enjoyable experience. And some years you may have to bring in the whole dinner. Which is what I did last year. And I have to say it was the most magical Thanksgiving we ever had. 

With our new granddaughter just two days old and still in the hospital on Thanksgiving, my husband and I woke up that morning with no idea how we would be spending the day. Would the baby come home? Maybe, but we weren't sure. And where would we all be? It turned that she did come home and we helped our daughter, her husband, and the baby leave the hospital. Fortunately we had picked up prepared food from a nearby restaurant the day before not knowing where or with whom we would be celebrating Thanksgiving. I put a turkey in the oven in the morning, hoping that someone, somewhere would be eating it. When we got the call at 3:00 pm to come help them leave, we drove to the hospital and left the dinner in the fridge. In the back of my mind, I kept on picturing all that food and wondering how our Thanksgiving dinner would work. Would we get a chance to eat it? I knew no one would be coming back to our house for dinner. Somehow the food would need to get to my daughter's house. Or maybe not. It was a mass of confusion. Fortunately our younger daughter (the saint!) drove to our house while we were loading up the baby and two exhausted parents and picked up all the food.

We all reconvened at my daughter's house with a brand new baby and lots of chaos and confusion. The turkey and all the trimmings were sitting out on the kitchen counter. Into the oven it all went and dishes were set out for eating. Somehow we ate that dinner but I couldn't tell you how we pulled it together, what room we ate it in, or if we even all sat down together. It was a blur, but a happy one. The most important guest weighed about 8 pounds and was just getting to know her new home. We stared at her the whole time in a quiet state of wonder and amazement. A new member of our family had been born. And I believe we all shared a sense that a miracle had happened that Thanksgiving and that our holidays would never be the same.

This Thanksgiving she will have just turned one and will be joining us at our table in her highchair. She will taste turkey and mashed potatoes for the first time. I will always associate Thanksgiving with her birth. This year I will have the time to cook my normal Thanksgiving feast (with a little help from a nearby restaurant!) but I don't think the holiday will ever be as magical as the first year she graced us with her presence. But there will be magic. There always is. That's what the holidays are about.

Here's to a magical Thanksgiving from my house to yours!   

Carolers' Warm-up

Lately my kitchen has been a hub of activity. Between planning for Thanksgiving, baking for my granddaughter's first birthday party and keeping my family fed, I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. We are having house guests next week and I wanted to have some go-to meals in the fridge that I can rely on for nights at home. Last Sunday I made a big pot of Smoky Split Pea and Root Vegetable Soup. We had it for dinner a couple of nights and I put the rest in the freezer to have on hand for later. Soups freeze so well.

This recipe is very special. I found it years ago in the "Bon Appetit Christmas" book. It was the main course for a party called "Carolers Warm-Up." The idea of Christmas carolers stopping by to sing and then being invited in for soup and hot spiced wine sounded delightful. There was something so quaint about this idea, right out of Currier and Ives. I used to go caroling as a child and remember being offered cookies and hot chocolate. If you grew up in a cold climate on the east coast, you may have done the same. Trudging through deep snow all bundled up and singing with your friends seems like a long-ago tradition. When I first discovered the "Carolers' Warm-up" menu in my Bon Appetit book, I made the whole thing for a tree-decorating party. I served it with cheddar-dill scones and a big salad. Of course everyone got a mug of hot spiced wine. Dessert was gingerbread. 

I have been making this soup ever since and it has become a family favorite. Carrots, parsnips, leeks, onion, bay leaves, marjoram and thyme cook together slowly in melted butter over low heat. Once this mixture is tender, chicken stock, split peas and smoked ham hocks are added. I couldn't find ham hocks so I used a smoked turkey leg and thigh that I bought at Whole Foods. I liked it even better this way. After the mixture simmers for 45 minutes, you take the turkey meat off the bone and cut it into small pieces, adding it to the soup. This gives it incredible flavor. And nothing tastes better on a cold winter night.

Smoky Split Pea and Root Vegetable Soup

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 large parsnips, chopped
2 medium leeks (white and light green parts), chopped
1 large onion
2 and 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 bay leaves
11 cups low-salt chicken broth
3 cups split peas
1 and 1/4 pounds smoked ham hocks
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Melt butter in a heavy large pot over low heat. Add carrots, parsnips, leeks, onion, thyme marjoram and bay leaves. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add stock, peas and ham hocks. Bring to simmer, cover partially and cook until peas and tender and soup thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Remove ham hocks and cut meat into small pieces. Discard bone and fat. Return meat to the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and serve.

Speaking of nostalgic cooking, did your mother use this when she made her pumpkin pies? I haven't seen pumpkin pie spice forever until the other day when I found it at Bristol Farms. I bought it in honor of my mother.

Happy cooking!

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!

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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!