That Cook is So Biwitchin

While rummaging around a junk shop, a frequent activity of ours, we found these stereographic prints that were part of a steamy romance narrative taking place in the kitchen.  They were too good not to share. Enjoy.

Click on the images for a larger, and ergo, a better view:

"Ah, ha! I see why I'm forbidden in the kitchen,

It's because the cook is so bewitchin'."

"O, you're so sweet! And those beautiful eyes!

By that trickery cook I was hypnotized."

Happy Saint Patty's

So... you guys know how much we love Nigella, right? Well, in celebration of St. Patty's day, rather than stumble through town in shades of unnatural green after too much Guinness, we'd like to suggest a classier route - and one with hopefully less suffering the next morning.

Nigella's Chocolate Guinness Cake. That's right. We did just type that combination of words into ONE sentence.

oh, a guiness delight!

Ingredients for the cake:
1 cup Guinness 

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 cups superfine sugar

3/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Ingredients for the topping:
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese

1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

The full podcast can be found here.

Delicious Tattoos

We have always had a thing for tattoos - specifically food tattoos and knuckle sandwiches.  Ergo, it is completely critical that we pay homage to the incredibly talented tattoo artist Amanda Wachob, who does some of the most creative and original tattoos we've ever seen.  She makes us want to run to her studio and cover ourselves (ok that's not what we look like). 

A few foodie favorites:

i'll give you fish

peaches

If you have a minute or a lifetime - we strongly suggest you check out the rest of her website.

What Men Should Smell Like

We may be ladies, but we love us some man scent.

Enter the Portland General Store - making man scents all around - Whiskey, Tabac, and Wood. They describe the Whiskey scent as a "deep woodsy and amber fragrance with a surprising hint of spice and floral complexity that reveals itself over the hours. The result is a masculine scent with the magnetism of a Hollywood star".  Yes.  Funny, because that's what we smell like after a few whiskeys too. 

And - just to make our weak hearts palp just a little bit faster, they are bottled in vintage Czech pharmacy bottles.  Seriously Swoon worthy, just like your soon to be whiskey-smelling man.

Moonshine

Speaking of whiskey - maybe we should start making our own moonshine - but only if we can keep it in these vintage J. Friedrich Moonshine Jugs:

$125 each at Factory 20

Early Signs of Spring Vegetation

One of the greatest joys that come from March thawing is the influx of fresh produce that begins to make its way into NYC’s green markets. Root Vegetables and Brussel Sprouts begin to fall off restaurant’s menus to make room for the haricot verts, snap peas, and asparagus. Chef John Fraser of Dovetail is celebrating this tonight, and every Monday, with a new Vegetable focused menu. Many of the dishes are vegetarian and vegan, but others incorporate meat and fishes as simply a way to highlight and season the very fresh and special vegetable. Escarole Salad with anchovy vinaigrette, haricot verts and chickpeas is a favorite of mine. And the mason jar vegetable consommé with mushroom dumplings (vegans rejoice) is not to be missed.

Ok, Ok, you know I can’t help myself but, please save room for cheese! Another part of what makes Dovetail so special is their outstanding cheese cart. It can be wheeled tableside and explained by their highly trained and enthusiastic staff for a very traditional cheese service experience. Last I heard, they had Caspian, a Jasper Hill Farm rarity, on their cart – proof that they are serious about cheese, and food, on West 77^th street.

Dovetail

103 West 77th Street

Dinner open 7 days with "Sunday Suppa" menu served Sundays and "Vegetable Tasting" served Mondays

Brunch: Saturday and Sunday

Lunch: Wednesday-Friday

Candy Slipper

Sometimes you need a treat - and where else would you store it, but your feet?!?!
Brilliant. These dandy shoes by Sarajevo designer Belma Arnautović bring us back to our youth, with a spin of today's shoe habit.

via

No Guts No Glory

This weekend we went to a fair run of art shows - Volta & Pulse to name a few.  Some things we liked, others we have already forgotten. One artist has remained in our minds: Tamara Kostianovsky who has created some amazing pieces, sewing and stitching her clothes into incredibly cuddly carcasses.  We love the meat hooks, we love the attention to gory detail...unfortunately we don't think Rocky would be able to train as well on these...oh well.

Image via New York Magazine 

Get In My Belly!

 

we want you to be in us too.

Dutch Art Now

The annual Armory Show is upon us, and my favorite show I've seen so far has been Dutch Art Now, a quirky collection of contemporary Dutch pieces at the National Arts Club, which opened in previews on Tuesday evening and runs until March 14. In addition to arresting photos of Dutch female soldiers, light-drenched nudes, and creepy photographic re-dos of the masterly Dutch portraits, there were many pieces featuring food. Here are our favorites:

Carli Hermes, The Apple, Photography, $12,280, Galerie Rademakers

...

Arnout van Albada, Dutch Cheese, tryptich (in 2 colli), 2008
Oil on board, $11,000, Galerie Mokum
...

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Arnout van Albada, Saucisson
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Tjalf Sparnaay, Chocolate Glazed Cake with Strawberry
Oil on Canvas, $25,000, Collectie Harms Rolde
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Tjalf Sparnaay, Soft Boiled Egg, 2009
Oil on Canvas, $25,000, Collectie Harms Rolde
...

Tjalf Sparnaay, Fried Egg, 2010
Oil on Canvas, $25,000, Collectie Harms Rolde
...

Rachel Nieborg, Bullet #0212
Photography, $3,800, Galerie Rademakers

...

See it all (for free!) from March 2-March 14 at The National Arts Club.

March 2 - March 14, 2010
The National Arts Club
15 Gramercy Park South between Park Ave South and Irving Pl
Manhattan, NY 10003
subway: 6 to 23rd St

Free admission

A Little Fermented Curd Will Do the Trick

In the Monty Python’s Flying Circus skit “The Cheese Shop,” (third season, 1972), John Cleese is “Mousebender,” a guy who finds himself peckish… esurient… hungry… and, as he says, “I thought to myself, 'a little fermented curd will do the trick'. So I curtailed my Walpoling activites, sallied forth, and infiltrated your place of purveyance to negotiate the vending of some cheesy comestibles.”

Mousebender proceeds to ask Michael Palin as “Wensleydale,” the owner of the National Cheese Emporium, for a litany of cheeses, impressively and exhaustingly requested by name, none of which they have, but for which all of them there is an excuse. And then Mousebender does what any sane man in search of some cheese in a cheeseless cheese shop would do: he shoots the shopkeeper in the head.

The full request: Red Leicester, Tilsit, Caerphilly, Bel Paese, Red Windsor, Stilton, Emmenthal, Gruyere, Norwefian Jarlsberger, Liptauer, Lancashire, White Stilton, Danish Blue, Double Gloucester, Cheshier, Dorset Blue Vinney, Brie, Roquefort, Pont-l'Évêque, Port Salut, Savoyard, Saint-Paulin, Carre-de-L'Est, Bresse-Bleu, Boursin, Camembert, Gouda, Edam, Caithness, Smoked Austrian, Japanese Sage Derby, Wensleydale, Greek Feta, Gorgonzola, Parmesal, Mozzarella, Pippo Crème, Danish Fimboe, Czech sheep’s milk, Venezuelan Beaver Cheese, Cheddar, Ilchester and Limberger.

Want some wine with that cheese? See Monty Python’s Philosopher’s Wine Song. We love these boys.

Mr Egghead

Yes, Mr. Egghead, we love you.  You are so dapper in that red smoking jacket with your bald shiny head.  So whimsical, so uplifting, but thankfully in a refreshing macabre way. You have made us hungry to say the least.

It's Time for an Egg Sandwich

Mr. Egghead, by Andre Gottschalk

Wonderland: "A cacophony of flavours entering your mouth"

At the UK press conference for Tim Burton’s highly anticipated Alice in Wonderland being released this Friday, March 5, Anne Hathaway indicated that Nigella most-beautiful-woman-in-the-world-Lawson, inspired her portrayal of the off-kilter White Queen. “Nigella's always talking about 'a cacophony of flavours entering your mouth'. I wanted to give [the White Queen] that sensuality in the kitchen." She has a full-blown kitchen scene, in which she cooks a magic potion using only her amputated fingers.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times Burton said, "I quietly had her as my image for this character... She's really beautiful... but then there's this glint in her eye and when you see it you go, 'Oh, whoa, she's like really... nuts.' I mean in a good way. Well, maybe, I don't know."

We’ll see you at the IMAX for what will certainly be a trippy ride with an incredible cast of characters: Burton cast Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and the relatively unknown Mia Wasikowska as Alice. Alan Rickman is the blue caterpillar, Michael Sheen (who we loved in Frost/Nixon) is the White Rabbit.

Strap in your boots, and hold onto your butts.

Without further ado, a clip from the tea party scene, followed by the full-blown trailer:

...

A Passion For Pancakes APlenty

So I hope, dear readers, that there is nary a doubt in your mind about our passion for pancakes. And while Pancake Month ends in just a few days, we'd like to call your attention to a *free* event happening on March 7th.

Lady chef? Check.
Pancakes? Check.
The warmth of an open fire to get us in the mood... for pancakes? Check, check, check!



The New York Nineteenth Century Society and The Old Stone House present: Pancakes APlenty. Sarah Lohman will recreate three historic pancake recipes - save room because all three sound amazing: pumpkin cornmeal, apple/ sour milk and clove/rosewater. What?!

March 7th, The Old Stone House, New York. 11am. See you there!

What Your Kids Are Eating (It Ain't So Great)

School lunches suck.  We grew up on Straw Hats, aka Frito Pie, (read, Fritos with re-fried beans, cheese, taco mystery meat, Iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes. And Tabasco.) They were delicious, but not so good for our young bodies.

Always With Honor, the design group that did the ever delicious A.M. / P.M. badges we posted about a while ago, has done some work for the ever ethical magazine/blog GOOD to show what goes into a typical school lunch. Scary.  They also illustrate a more healthy alternative, with, gasp, FRUIT!

 

Click to Enlarge - or view it on the GOOD Website.