Chef Gerald overseeing our knife skills while cooking in Provence…
Continue readingcooking class in Provence
truffle hunt
gnocchi with truffle
Continue readingeating and drinking in France
Yesterday morning I broke a piece of baguette and smeared it with French butter and then soft ripe cheese and then topped it with local honey, it was sublime. I’m drinking small cups of espresso, forgoing the tall American coffee, and usually indulging again at half past three.
Second son’s girlfriend says le vin rosé is like water, and you know how you’re supposed to get in eight full glasses of that.
Booie asked me where the pantry is in the kitchen and I replied, ‘no pantry, we buy what we need and will use on the daily’.
We started with a party of six, grew to eight and then ten, and now back to eight, and on Thursday we will be five. We’ve been gone three plus weeks now, on holiday with really nothing to do, simply enjoying one another’s company in this beautiful country of France. We are blessed, and the husband is the triple gold star.
I’ve been cooking as most times we prefer staying in and accustoming myself with an electric cooktop and an oven I don’t understand, but that’s okay. Everything makes me think, even the every day run to the market where I have to navigate the carts, and the checkout.
The first half of the trip I was fairly disciplined with the workout routine and now as we’re getting ready to head home, I’m savoring every lazy hour of undriven bliss.
We’ve been eating and drinking in France, and that’s a very good thing. All photos here by Maxwell Collins, on Instagram @maxyny.
a good formula
Monday’s can be tough, although I used to love Monday’s when the kids were little, and they all had to go back to school. It was a formula then, and a formula now to make the day a little easier. Jeans and a tee, and chicken for dinner. Kids are grown, youngest two in college, […]
Continue readingday 4
Running a little behind here yet self-employed and self-published so I’m the only one losing any sleep over this, big huge problem.
In the interim I have found the summer pant: intricate textured stretch jacquard Italian style pant in yarn-dyed stretch cotton in an on-trend plaid and stripe combination. Tried them on in the studio with twenty-six-year-old daughter, she loved them too, added them to doctor client’s order this morning, and placed my order this afternoon. Thinking these are the perfect dress-up run-around version of denim pants that I default too way too often. These are 76% cotton, 20% polyamide, and 4% elastane, giving them incredible wear and ease. I’ll pair them with a white blouse or tee and navy cashmere something, crew or cardigan if needed.
What I was really wearing as it’s still cold was a navy cashmere turtleneck hello late March, current favorite camo jeans, black scarf, black coat, and combat boots. All wardrobe classics and things that will hang around. The coat is Celine from before Phoebe left, and the scarf is Fendi from before Karl passed, both gifts from husband, and both things I’ll keep and wear until threadbare.
We ate out that night at Billy Club, and I had market salad as you can never have enough green things and Bolognese as I make it often and am constantly trying to improve it, therefore trying it wherever it is served. Chef added rosemary, thyme, and a bit of lemon, three aromatics I’ve never tried. House made tagliatelle pasta was divine. Started with a tequila Three Stacks cocktail because I’m kind of wondering just how much wine I can drink…. It was a great meal and a fun night out.
Every day dress: clothes, fun plaid pants and kind of all black, food: dinner out at Billy Club.
Day 4, check.
day three
I’m working trunk the entire upcoming month of April, minus a getaway to celebrate Easter and maybe a quick trip to Florida. Working trunk means being with women one to one in my downtown studio surrounded by 300+ pieces of luxury clothing items and helping them find styles that they love. This has been the professional piece of my life for almost nineteen years now.
Most women love having help in the dressing room. I think deep down we all have a need for affirmation in how we present ourselves to the outside world. For sure the clothes we wear speak about who we are, where we are, and where we’re going. As a stylist I help women refine their message with what they wear. I’ve been doing it forever, it’s always evolving, and I don’t think I’ll ever tire of it. It’s in my DNA.
Wear good clothes, eat good food, love those around you.
Most days I’m in jeans and a tee, this is where I’m truly most comfortable, and as a creative it’s a look I can do. At the studio I tried on a pair of easy flowing satin and reverse satin pants in on-trend olive green with a little fitted jersey shell from the summer 19 collection, these two items definitely upgrade the denim and tee look.
Before I leave for the day, I like to have dinner prepped or planned out, it simply makes me feel good and gives me a sense of calm knowing what I’m feeding those I love. Yesterday it was meatballs in tomato sauce. Sauce was a little watery on the plate, whatever, we had five at the table, nobody complained.
Every day dress: clothes: olive green, food: meatballs.
Day three, check.
day one
I have a bad habit of making things harder than they need be. Here we go with day one and I’m supposed to post twice a day and maybe to Instagram stories and I still haven’t totally figured that out yet and supposedly it’s super easy so I’m going all old school with photos from the camera.
It was Sunday, and the day before husband and I drove to buy pansies by the dozens as I just can’t wait for spring. Planted most of those pansies in pots on the terrace and cooked up this month’s Food & Wine Italian Spring inspired Stewed Chicken Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs and Olives, Sautéed Chicories with Chile Oil, and Pear Crostata.
Really didn’t know what Chicories were, and now I do: Chicories are closely related to lettuces, but heartier and with a bitter edge. Cool weather crops that come into season in late fall (and last in temperate climates through early spring), chicories provide a lot of flavor to seasonal fall and winter meals. Thank you to The Spruce Eats. I guess I sort of did because Food & Wine didn’t specify radicchio and I picked that up at market anyways.
Planting and cooking took most of the day, also got in a long walk and some yard clean-up. Outfit of the day was denim on denim and vintage Bogner ski jacket.
Day one, check.
déjà vu
Another snowy February day, another chicken dinner. Really didn’t know what I was thinking, set the table for eight yet we only had six, must really be missing those college co-eds.
We’ve been reading; a book about a couple living in France and trying to speak the language exclusively, Gwyneth’s new book The Clean Plate, and a book gifted by second daughter, Ann Hood’s Kitchen Yarns. Ann’s writing about The Silver Palate’s legendary Chicken Marbella made my mouth water so much that I had to go to market to gather chickens and prunes. It was delicious.
Decided to do some Parker House rolls as well, because, well, it’s snowy and it’s February. Anything with melted butter and flaky sea salt is a win win. The broccoli was because of Gwyneth.
If you’re wondering what to do for an at home Valentine’s dinner, Chicken Marbella could be a consideration. We added couscous simmered in homemade vegetable stock, and caramelized crème brûlée. Chocolates would be welcome, of course.
Paperwhites are from dear friend, thank you, and give hope for spring.
Déjà vu everyone, xoxo.
a birthday crown
Seven years ago while in Sonoma CA bought a paper crown for Lizzie’s thirteenth birthday. She wore it when we returned home for a New Year’s Day family brunch celebration, wore it again for a more formal sweet sixteen at a private dance party with all her teenage friends, and wore it last night for a small family dinner to celebrate turning twenty.
Like a special dress you can take out and wear again and again for special occasions, love that she checked into the china cabinet where this special paper crown is kept and displayed, and topped it on her head. Love that at twenty she wears what she wore at thirteen. Simple style endures.
As for me, I’m wearing this year’s black silk blouse, sleeves rolled for cooking, and new higher waisted black leather jeans. Last year’s silk scarf tied at the waist as a belt, and good to go. Simple style works.
Happy Birthday dear Elizabeth. May your twentieth year be as brilliant and beautiful as you are. xoxo
back in the mix
The post below we wrote days ago and never hit submit, it was one of those things. Longest winter I ever recall, except perhaps for blizzard of ’77, and then I was eleven, and ate frozen donuts for days on end. This time around we stayed in, and moped, and cooked.
Finally feeling like we’re getting back in the mix, it hit 72 degrees here today, and we put on a skirt. A navy tweed skirt and a brighter blue v-neck sweater, and some silver shoes. We like things easy, and this was easy.
Yesterday we went for a country drive, wedding planning and site visit, and did some chick pea quesadillas for dinner, that was easy too.
chick pea quesadilla with greens
scratch red pepper pappardelle with spinach and tomatoes on warmed plates
laminated scratch pasta, why not?
denim shirt, denim apron, un-ironed linen napkin, honest food
one lone pizza with pepperoni, women in the family moving towards plant-based meals
Even though we have sunshine the dogs don’t even really want to go out, it’s been so wickedly unspring like. We’re simply tucking in, and doing things like scratch red pepper pasta, and scratch pizza dough; come on fair weather we’ve got a wedding to shape up for, carb loading be over.
youngest of six at Providence College
While on the road the weekend before we toured Providence College, it was cold and windy there too. We spontaneously caught up with Steve Martin and Martin Short, they were spectacularly funny, and we’re still laughing.
hydrangea and eucalyptus, one on the left kind of checked out
Sorry for rambling unorganized post, simply working on getting back in the mix.
xoxo