Mini Apple Pies

I've always been intimated by making pie - and it seems I'm not the only one. Despite my successes and near-successes with yeasted doughs, I let myself be intimidated by other people's accounts of finicky pie dough, not-cold-enough butter, and the shortening vs butter dilemna. Well a couple weeks ago, my cooking-project partner Elizabeth came over so we could test out making apple pie from scratch and work down my store of local apples. Once we had...

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Passing it around the Playground

Ms. JC of Mystic Domestica was gracious enough to tag me with a fun questionnaire, so I'm playing along.First I must give a caveat...I don't really believe in owning books and DVDs. I would much rather borrow them from the library or the internet and save the space in my apartment, the money in my wallet, and the resources from the earth. With that said...1. What books are on your favorite shelf?Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, cookbooks (see below), travel guides to Buenos Aires and Belgium, a couple music...

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New Member

Tonight, I have my first work shift at the Park Slope Food Coop. That's right, a couple weeks ago I joined the coop, now that I live in the neighborhood. It's a grocery store that stocks all-natural, organic, and local products and is almost fully staffed by its members. All 14,000 members are owners (by paying an investment fee and getting to vote on store decisions), workers (by working a shift every four weeks), and shoppers. And because the organization...

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To Do: Fall

Inspired by Sara's list of 30 quintessential fall activities over at Pink of Perfection, I thought it might help me organize the plans and ideas swirling around my head if I made my own lists of fall activities: things I hope to accomplish; food I'd like to put away for the winter or make while it's in season; and things I'd like to to remember to do to enjoy the season while it lasts. As you can see, I was also inspired by Rachel's post on Heart...

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Bobolink

During our stay upstate we also made a visit to Bobolink Dairy. My sister Lisa is a sometimes employee of Bobolink depending on her ever fluctuating schedule, but even though the farm is only 10 minutes from my parents' house I'd never been to see her there before. A small dairy operation offering grass-fed Jersey cows milk cheese and artisan bread, Bobolink has an onsite store open to visitors and brings their goods to farmers markets in New York...

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Apple Picking

On the last weekend of September, I escaped the city for my parents' home upstate, with dogs and friends in tow. Apple picking was first on the agenda, but we surprisingly managed to fit in a number of other quintissential fall activitities: farmers market shopping, wine tasting at a vineyard, an easy hike, a corn maze, lounging on the deck, a big birthday dinner at home for my sister, and drinks at the local bar. We also started filming a little...

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Peeks into the New Place

Although living in an old brownstone comes with the headaches of a decaying building, it also offers charming details like...Molding and wainscotting(Horribly stuck) pocket doors Tin tile (or is it molding meant to look like tin?) ceiling. And the fireplace is defunct but we'll have a mantel for hanging Christmas stockings this year!Reveling in built-in and open shelvingI wanted this kitchen cart ($25 on craigslist, doesn't get better than that!)...

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A New Project

My friend Elizabeth and I share a common love for both cooking and planning events. So in a flash of brilliance last month, I came up with the perfect project for us to take on together. It's a way to build our cooking skills and hosting skills and to dip our toes into the food world in a nonthreatening way. It also gives me something tangible to direct my rabid planning energies on. We're currently in the planning phase, so all will be revealed...

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