Seattle Shopping: Horseshoe and The Field House

When we weren't busy eating in Seattle, we were shopping. One of my favorite spots is called Horseshoe. It's a little boutique in the Ballard neighborhood with a western flair that's not over-the-top. As the song goes, it's a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll. They carry great brands, lots of sweet little dresses, girly accessories, and, the highlight for me, vintage cowboy boots. Plus, all the dressing rooms feature old shutters and screen doors. It's adorable.

And for the fellas, The Field House is right around the corner. As my husband said, "This is what trendy farmers wear." Added perk? They sell old-timey sodas in glass bottles, which really just taste better than our fancy, newfangled sodas.

Desperately Seeking Sandwich: Seattle Editon

When I heard about Seattle chef Tom Douglas' biscuit bar at Dahlia Workshop, I knew I had to squeeze it in to my vacation itinerary. It's a breakfast sandwich haven. The most difficult part was choosing just one, but I went with the fried green tomato, bacon, egg and remoulade version, which was fantastic. The biscuits are the real stars here, buttery, crunchy and hearty, and the combination of flavors was just perfect. With options like fried chicken with Tabasco gravy, fennel sausage and fontina, and ham with apple mustard, I'm eager to try other variations on future visits.

Breakfast Sandwich Search: Part I
Breakfast Sandwich Search: Part II

Nailed It

I went a little nuts with the Essie nail polish at the drugstore yesterday. Summer just begs for color on my fingers and toes, and who can resist names like clambake and watermelon?

Vacation in Photos

My Northwest vacation is over, and I'm back in New York. There was a lot of eating, but there was also some great time spent with family and friends, visits to parks, shopping, a walk through Pike Place Market, and a mini road trip down to Portland, which involved more eating. I'm still daydreaming about the fish sauce chicken wings from Pok Pok and Portland's fantastic food trucks. Returning to work after vacation always feels like a slap in my jet-lagged face, but I'm trying to remember that life is still a bowl full of cherries.

Seattle Eats

My Northwest vacation is coming to close. We're taking the red-eye back to New York tomorrow night, but it's been a wonderful visit with, of course, lots of good eating and more to come. Highlights so far include: calamari and fries from Pike Street Fish Fry, my mother-in-law's brioche French toast, sweet and savory crepes from Hangar Cafe, Delancey pizza, and Mighty-O Donuts, which are vegan, yet delicious. Back to the real world next week. Have a wonderful weekend!

A Sweet and Simple Texas Wedding

I'm in Seattle now, enjoying the cool weather, my favorite food spots, some wonderful company and basking in the glow of another amazing wedding weekend. The bride, Nora, wore a gorgeous flowy gown from J.Crew, a fishtail braid and an orchid in her hair. We referred to her as a Grecian goddess for much of the weekend. Isn't she a stunner? 

The bridesmaids also wore J.Crew, a sweet, little minty green dress with pockets. Bridesmaid bonus points! It was a beautiful ceremony and the reception was a fun, sweaty Texas dance party. The wedding cake was carrot cake and the groom's cake was ice cream cake. A stroke of genius. It was just perfect. Plus, we found an awesome Houston brunch spot called Down House.

I'm Off!

Well, I'm calling it a week. Tonight, I'm hopping on a flight to Houston for a weekend wedding and another round of bridesmaid duty. It will be my first time in Texas. I'm hoping it's just like this song describes. And after that, it's a real-life vacation! We're heading to Seattle to visit Jonah's family and our old stomping ground. It's our first trip back to the west coast since we moved to New York in October, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll likely be lazy and scarce next week, but I promise to drop in a few times, if for nothing else, to tell you what I'm eating. Hope you all have wonderful weekends!

[photo spotted on pinterest]

Breakfast Sweets: Lemon Ricotta Fritters

I get a little intimidated with it comes to deep frying things. I know, I know, what kind of southerner am I? But these lemon ricotta fritters could not be easier. The batter comes together quickly and painlessly, and you'll know the fritters are ready once they turn a perfect golden brown. Easy peasy? Yes, and also lemon squeezy. The payoff are these airy, tart, beignet-like bites of heaven.

If you're feeling ambitious, try the mixed berry jam that goes along with these. You can make it in advance, and it's an unexpectedly delicious compliment to the tartness of the fritters. These make for a fantastic fancy breakfast or brunch treat (and go along nicely with this cocktail), but they're also a totally acceptable form of dessert.

Lemon Ricotta Fritters with Fresh Berry Jam
Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay and Cooking Channel

Note: I halved this recipe and ended up with 12 fritters and an abundance of jam.

4 to 6 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk ricotta
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Lemon zest, for garnish

Heat 2-inches vegetable oil in a large, wide, heavy saucepan until it registers 370 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, zest, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together the ricotta cheese, eggs, granulated sugar, and vanilla in another bowl, then whisk into the flour mixture. Working in batches, gently drop in tablespoons of batter and fry, turning occasionally, until deep golden, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar, garnish with lemon zest and serve with Quick Berry Jam.

Fresh Berry Jam, for accompaniment
1 pound fresh strawberries, tops cut off and halved
1/2 pint blackberries
1/2 pint raspberries
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, depending on sweetness
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine the berries and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a bowl and coarsely mash with a potato masher. Let the berries sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the berries to release some of their juice. Taste for desired sweetness and add remaining sugar if necessary. Transfer berries to a medium saucepan, add lemon juice and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled or to serve immediately: transfer to a bowl and set the bowl over an ice bath, stirring until jam is cooled. Yield: approximately 2 pints

By the Sea

Daydreaming about a white, airy beach cottage where all I do is read and drink lemonade. One day friends, one day.

[attic; entry way; vintage finds; bunk beds; garden room]

Rainy Saturday Brunch

 

 

I'm condensing my usual weekend in photos into one Saturday brunch because it was that good. There's nothing better than spending a lazy afternoon in a cozy little restaurant while the rain pours down outside. The husband and I went to the homey Little Giant on the lower east side. I had a peach bellini, eggs and lox, and we shared a golden, crumbly buttermilk chive biscuit with honey butter. After that, we headed to the movies to see Midnight in Paris, which was completely delightful. All in all, a perfect Saturday afternoon.