Movers and Shakers

Brooklyn residents Kate Gilliam and her bartender-restauranteur boyfriend, Cory Mason, shake up each holiday season with a cocktail party complete with plenty of old-school drinks and easy appetizers. They hand make everything from the invitations to the absinthe, and encourage guests to dress for the occasion.


Forget Cosmos, this party is all about celebrating vintage spirits as they welcome guests in from the cold with Hot Buttered Apple Cider and later turn to Jefferson Sours and Absinthe to keep the party going.

In between the storytelling and drinking, they snack on Roasted Chestnuts with Black Pepper Honey, Marinated Olives with Herbs and Star Anise, assorted cheeses and breads, Smoked Fish with Honey-Mustard Dill Sauce and Cucumber-Coriander Yogurt, and a Roasted Vegetable Platter. And to tackle late night sweet tooths, the Orange-Scented Brownies with Dried Cranberries, Pistachios, and Ginger are a surefire success.


After midnight, the sounds of Billie Holiday fade into M.I.A. and other dance appropriate beats—just the way every party should go down! Read more about this darling duo in December's Bon Appétit; they have definitely inspired me to plan a little party of our own this season.

Sweet-Talk

Tomorrow I'm in charge of desserts and I've narrowed it down to the final contenders. Rest assured tonight there will be lots of sweet-talking as I'll be up to my elbows in butter and sugar.

Baked Pears Stuffed with Almonds, Orange and Chocolate in Flaky Pastry
Taken from Jamie's Kitchen; serves 4

4 perfectly ripe pears [or substitute poached apples or nectarines]
1½ oz. blanched almonds
5½ oz. butter
1¾ oz. sugar
zest of 1 orange
seeds from 1 vanilla bean
2½ oz. best-quality bittersweet chocolate [70% cocoa solids]
16 sheets of filo pastry, defrosted if frozen

Preheat oven to 325º F. Carefully peel the pears and carve out each core from the bottom [same for poached apples; with nectarines, remove the pits carefully], which will give you a hole about 1½ inches deep.

Put your blanched almonds into a food processor until very fine. Place in a bowl with 5 tablespoons of the butter, the sugar and the orange zest. Add vanilla seeds and mix until smooth. Bash up the chocolate into small pieces and add to mixture. Divide into 4 balls and put to one side.

Melt the remaining butter in a pan for brushing onto the filo pastry. Dampen a clean dish towel and wring it out—use this to cover the unused filo pastry so it doesn't become dry and brittle. Working with one piece at a time, brush a sheet with melted butter. The sheets may be about 12" x 17", so cut in half for 12" x 8½" pieces. Lay the next sheet of pastry on top and repeat until you have 4 brushed layers. Cut the layered pastry down to an 8" x 8" square.

Take one ball of almond mix and fill in the pear's hole, packing the excess filling around the pear's base. Place pear in the middle of the filo sqaure, then gather up the pastry around the stalk and pinch tight. You can leave it looking rustic and floppy as this will look lovely once it's cooked. Repeat process with other 3 pears.

Brush the outside of the pastry with any remaining melted butter, then bake on parchment-lined baking sheet for 25-30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve with fromage frais, crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.


Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie with Maple Whipped Cream
From Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP; serves 6


1 cup of graham cracker crumbs [1 sleeve, ground in the food processor]
1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons melted butter
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1 can pureed pumpkin or 1¾ cups fresh
¼ teaspoon each ground allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
Maple Whipped Cream, recipe below

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a pie pan. Mix together with your fingers and press evenly to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. It helps to press the mixture with the bottom of a small measuring cup. Bake for ten minutes or until light brown. Let cool while you prepare the filling.

In a large bowl, beat together the ice cream, pumpkin and spices. Spread evenly into the cooled pie shell and stick in the freezer for at least three hours before serving.

To make the Maple Whipped Cream, whip 1 cup heavy cream using a standing mixer, handheld mixer or whisk until stiff peaks form. Whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons real Vermont maple syrup to taste. When ready to serve, spread the top with Maple Whipped Cream.


What's cooking for your Thanksgiving feast?

Funny Farm

The minute I spotted Mctega's Gilded Menagerie necklace, I knew we belonged together. My wish list is getting embarrassingly long, but a girl can dream...right?

Give Him a Hand

Leave it to Phillip Lim to design such a festive Holiday collection that's wearable both day and night. And, of course, those gloves are so spot on!

Code Red

Attention Santa:
Leather jeweled driving gloves have shot straight to the top of my Most Wanted list. I promise they'll be in safe hands.

Snowed Under

Like snowflakes dangling from your ears...

The Great Gadsby

This weekend I couldn't wait to dine at Bedford, the newest addition to our neighborhood. Named after chef-owner Robert Gadsby's hometown in England, the restaurant offers a Progressive American cuisine with influences taken from his culinary studies in Italy, France, Singapore, Japan and Thailand. Gadsby is especially known for his customized on-the-fly creations at his previous namesake, Omni Hotels’ Noé.

With a focus on fresh and pure ingredients, it's no surprise the produce is grown on a rooftop garden. But my favorite feature is Chef Gadsby's open demonstation kitchen. Known as the Chef's Table, this 10-person, $150 each seating epitomizes a dining experience. Gadsby serves anywhere from 3 to 21 courses [depending on your appetite, so come hungry!] and cooks to your liking; no menu selections here! He offers tips and interacts as he prepares a special feast right before your eyes.

Bedford's vision, menu and exceptional customer service are certainly welcomed additions to Houston, and I'm thrilled to have this gem here in The Heights!


[UPDATE: Restaurant Closed.]

Clear the Air

Why serve foggy ice at your holiday soirées when you can make it crystal clear?

Gift Guide Part 2: Mile High Club

For the Frequent Flyer who calculates air time in mileage, not minutes, and believes the 7 Wonders of the World are nothing compared to their own discoveries, this first-class list will leave them flying high. Bon Voyage.


1. Little Cream Books are A-to-Z luxury guides that disclose the most exceptional spots in the world for skiing, golf, architecture and sampling the cool life. Think Cream of the Crop Destinations meet Little Black Book Exclusivity.

2. Monopoly World Edition has you traveling across six continents as you skip around the board armed with a credit card and digital banking device that tracks your balance. After all, who has time for counting cash when you're a jet setter?

3. For $10 a month, you can have unlimited calls no matter where on the globe you land. Simply download Skype onto your computer and you're off. Say hello or share a laugh with anyone, anywhere without breaking the bank.

4. Transferable, durable, clean and classic, these Personalized Luggage Tags make it easy to stake claim on your belongings.

5. Attention Shopaholics: This handheld luggage scale keeps you from paying oversize fees and doing the embarrassing Shuffle of Contents at the check-in counter.

6. The To Go Bottle Set includes 7 refillable, leak-proof, shatter-resistant vacuum bottles all under 3oz. Stored in a reusable transparent zip-top bag, it simplifies carry-on packing.

7. I'm completely obsessed with Matthew Burke's Japan and Ireland country-shaped cutting boards from Room Service. Have a pen pal in France or Spain? Burke can also create custom boards of any country. And when hung, the board falls in the exact position found on a map!

8. This translator may be tiny, but it packs a punch! It speaks and displays writing in English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Greek, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Portuguese, Hebrew, Japanese, Spanish and Russian, and boasts a world time alarm clock, currency and metric converters, calendar, talking calculator, voice recorder, and eight travel games.

9. The newest U.S. Passports include RFID tags so your info can be scanned by Passport Officials. Stay safe from clever identity thieves with the Steel Thread Passport Wallet. Constructed from stainless steel fabric, it blocks electrical fields so your personal information can't be electronically purloined.

10. Transit Maps of the World is a collection of historic and current maps of every urban transit system on earth. Just what you need to be a contestant on The Amazing Race.

11. Plan a year to remember by cheering on camel races, witnessing wife-carrying championships and participating in monumental food fights! A Year of Festivals takes you around the world in pursuit of the most flamboyant celebrations.

12. Orla Kiely's luggage not only looks good coming around the carousel, but will withstand the beatings endured during travels.

13. Tired of running out of power at 35,000 feet? Just plug the MagSafe Airline Adapter into your airline seat power port and keep your MacBook juiced for the entire flight. And continue to stay fully charged as you leave the plane with Apple's World Travel Adapter Kit. These six AC plugs have prongs that fit electrical outlets across the globe, including North America, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong.

14. Shu Uemura's Depsea Water Facial Mist will rejuvenate and enhance your skin's moisture balance after a long flight. It's 60+ minerals quickly absorb to rapidly refresh and hydrate skin by using the purest, most stable water on earth. I'm partial to the Lavender, which has a permanent home on my bedside table.

Guiding Light

I'm inspired to recreate this glass and light display on my porch or from a tree as a bright entrance to my house for the holidays. It's a great way to incorporate the seasonal white twinkle of lights in a non-traditional way.

[Entrance to Anthropologie's Rockefeller Center Gallery curated by Keith Johnson, Antiques Buyer and Gallery Director, via 1st Dibs.]

My Favorite Things

While I certainly love brown paper packages tied up with strings, head over to Simple Lovely to see my list of other favorites.


Thanks so much for asking me to participate Joslyn—such fun!

Tune In

I'm working on a little something-something for the holidays and would love to know:

What is your most beloved Christmas album or song? Do you have a favorite version of a classic or one CD that never leaves the car? What are you listening to when you deck the halls and trim your tree?

Maxed Out

I would have given an arm—and maybe a leg—to attend the grand opening of Atlantis, The Palm. The $1.5 billion dollar project is the first resort to open on Dubai's man-made Palm Jumeirah island. The festivities will go on for three days and the developers spent $20 million on the opening event; this city intrigues me to no end.



The rich and famous were out in full force, including Mary-Kate Olsen and Mischa Barton. I'm in love with both dresses, especially Mary-Kate's vintage Maxi length kaftan-inspired gown. Light and airy, these girls were dressed for a party along the Persian Gulf's coast.

Inside Out

Jungly lion wallpaper, crystals hanging from trees, garden gnomes, and a pet rabbit. I'm not sure whether I prefer the inside or outside of designers Philip Smiley and Abigail Smiley Smith's London home.

Heads and Tails

My dear friend is off to her brother's wedding in England, where all the women will wear hats and men, tails. I can not wait to see pictures!

[photo via Weddings Unveiled.]

Cabin Fever

Thanksgiving at the camp means a low-key weekend on the river playing with BB guns and fishing poles. I can already taste the toasty s'mores we'll eat during late nights on the porch. My weekender will be packed to the gills with clothes that I can get dirty, but also appropriate for our sit-down turkey dinner. Bring on the cabin fever!

Online Shopping

I love when websites encourage me to linger a bit longer because of their aesthetic appeal. I keep clicking over to these inspirational sites to get my fix of good design.

Happy Menocal: With a name like Happy, how can you not have the most whimsical and clever website around? She's an illustrator, painter and textile designer whose art is full of personality. I'm all smiles digging around on her pages.


Obedient Sons & Daughters: The site feels like a mix between a family scrapbook and Kate Spade's Things We Love. I adore the mishmash of found objects and the unconventional site menu.


Giles & Brother: Sure the jewelry is certainly drool-worthy, but so are the enchanting characters and punchy colors. I feel like I've landed inside a modern-day Medieval storybook.


What websites do you have your sights set on?

Life's A Beach

This April wedding of Jamie and Demian from New York took place in Atlantic Beach, NC. The photographs by Millie Holloman are an absolute riot and I can only imagine it was one heck of a party!

Smarty Pants

I'm afraid my daily visits to Anthropologie in hopes of finding the Engineer Buttoned Crops has me looking a bit fanatical. But the smart and slimly tailored pants are just what I need to replace my weekend wardrobe of jeans.

Gift Guide Part 1: Eat Your Heart Out

For the Foodie who prefers restaurant openings to their own birthday and can have a 40 minute discussion on where to find the best burrito in Texas, here are a few gift ideas to whet their appetite.


1. The miBook Player guides you through recipes with video clips, images and sound, and stops after each step letting you cook at your own pace. Perfect for the chef honing her baking skills or the expert Saucier looking for recipes to douse in his latest concoction.

2. My parent's gave me this tool years ago and I haven't peeled garlic without it since. Insert the whole unpeeled clove into the floppy garlic peeler, press down firmly, and briskly roll back and forth. The peeled cloves pop right out, and the skins stick to the inside.

3. Spain...On The Road Again's culinary road trip DVD and cookbook are based on the 13-episode series that features Spanish art, music, history and culture staring actress Gwyneth Paltrow and celebrity chef Mario Batali.

4. Cuisinart's SmartStick Hand Blender chops, preps, whips and whisks to perfection. It's a soup-maker's dream, but I use mine daily. Clean up is a breeze, which makes this guy even more likable.

5. With ingredients like Triclosan and Tea Tree oil, Chef Yossi Faigenblatt's hand soap has an anti-microbial formula that keeps you safe from E.coli and salmonella by killing kitchen born pathogens. The real perk: the amazing scent doesn’t just mask smells like garlic and fish, it actually changes the molecular size of odors so they cannot be detected.

6. The Rolls-Royce of kitchen gadgets, Wolf's 15" Steamer, is my latest obsession. I saw it demonstrated at a Wolf/Sub-Zero sponsored dinner and I don't know how I can live without one. It steams vegetables, cooks eggs and custard, acts as a double boiler, proofs bread dough, warms food and melts chocolate to sheer perfection. And it can function as a slow cooker for 8–10 hours to boot. Pure genius.

7. Kuhn Rikon's Paring Knife is the ultimate bar knife. The carbon steel blade has a nonstick coating that's perfect for slicing lemons and limes, and the price is so good you can get one in every color. The Chef's Knife is great too!

8. The Be Open bottle opener is the life of our parties. It takes the guesswork out of whether or not your drink is twist-off by making it effortless to use. Just push down on top of a bottle and the cap comes right off. It also makes a great hostess gift—even better when you bring a six-pack to demonstrate!

9. I'm a sucker for dual purpose tools. The Vinoglobe acts as both a decanter and wine server, all the while aerating the wine as you pour.

10. Herb gardens are out. Growing your very own shiitake mushrooms right at home is in. With proper care, the log will produce a new crop every 8-12 weeks for years to come; it's the gift that keeps on giving.

11. Artisanal beekeepers compelled bees to frequent one kind of flower and created the American Honey Flight. Nine distinct regional honeys with flavors like Maine Blueberry, Washington Buckwheat and Wisconsin Cranberry that reflect the botanical landscape of a place. Honey for your honey.

Shop Till You Drop

I've got holiday shopping on the brain, so stay tuned for my 2008 Gift Guides. I hope they'll help in making your list and leave you inspired to find the perfect present. 'Tis the season!

Take The Floor

I'd most probably make a habit of throwing myself on the floor if I had registers like these. So gorgeous and perfect next to the rustic wood.

[via Toast]

Ring Off The Hook

Clever marketing ideas captivate me, and this one from Anthropologie has a nice ring to it.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

I literally gasped out loud when I saw this page from a recent Pottery Barn catalog. Not only is it outfitted with much holiday charm, but it looks like a home filled with a lot of heart.

On The Dot

I'd like to shake the person's hand who solved the winter conundrum of navigating an iPhone or touchscreen device while sporting gloves. They got it right on the dot.

[via +More]

Greener Pastures

I spent Sunday at my godparent's farm in Franklinton, Louisiana where the weather couldn't have been nicer and the animals provided nonstop entertainment! My Parrain [French for godfather] single-handedly runs his farm and cattle company, which spans over 500 acres and includes 186 beef cows, 9 bulls, 5 horses, chickens, hens, bees, fruit trees, and a thriving vegetable garden. He's the original Chris and Lisa Goode.


When chickens/hens cluck, it means they've just laid an egg...which also means I wasn't far behind! These guys produce a dozen eggs a day and you'd better believe I took a container full home. I especially loved the pale green ones, which are laid by Aracauna hens.


While I was busy collecting eggs, others were attending a highly important meeting around the water cooler.


The horses and bulls are fed everyday at 3:30 and you'd swear they wore watches. The closer it got to dinner time, the closer they moved to the feeding trough. I couldn't get over the Charolais bulls' curly hair!


Parrain's been doing this for over 30 years and can you believe his cattle and horses actually come when he calls for them? He swears it's a rarity and no other farm in the area has livestock that listens! Most of the beef cows are pregnant...can you tell which one is due any day now?


Parrain's latest project is building more bee boxes to accompany this one. He wants to teach the grandchildren how to harvest honey and bee-keep. I'd love to attend that class!


And then there's the garden. Full of pear and satsuma trees, potatoes, green beans, corn and so much more. My godmother must have pulled half a row of green onions for us to take home, and I can't wait to chop up all the extras and freeze for later.


I was in hog's heaven with my much needed weekend away in greener pastures.