Have Some Pithivier and Stay Awhile!

I love learning new foodie terms and my latest is "pithivier", which is defined as a round, enclosed pie, usually made with puff pastry. The filling is often a sweet frangipane, but those with savory fillings may also be called pithiviers. It is traditionally finished with a shine to the crust from either an egg wash or a thin layer of carmelized sugar at the end of cooking.

This Pear Pithivier was Robin Levinthal's offering on Top Chef's Restaurant Wars episode last week.

It looks delicious and the judges said it was the best dish Robin had made so far!

Go Orange For the Season!

In honor of you know which holiday, I decided to browse Etsy for orange things today. And I was delighted to find some beautiful things in this often underrated color!

This is the Gilbert Skirt from Renneslechateau on Etsy . It is such a sweet little skirt, made from soft pumpkin colored corduroy and I think it would be quite versatile.












Here is a Crocheted Scarflette from Beebun . It has a cute scalloped edge and can be worn several ways. I love the little flower detail!

















This is a Sweater Cowl Hoodie from CastCouture.
I love the color and the shape! It has inbuilt pockets in the paneled body and a cowl neck hood.
















For something unique for the season, don't miss this Strap Wrap Chameleon Shrug by Malam on Etsy . It has extra long, flared sleeves and can be worn in a variety of ways. It is made to order to fit your size.

Visit these Etsy shops for a splash of great color for your fall wardrobe!

A Gift and A Vicarious Tour!

I could not resist buying this book for my sister's birthday. She is an avid knitter. And since our family is of Italian descent, it seemed like the perfect fit!


Of course, I also couldn't resist flipping carefully through it before mailing it off to my sister and I'm glad I did!




The book is called "Knitting in Tuscany" by Nicky Epstein. Along with some of her original patterns, the author presents tips and travel recommendations with beautiful photography and interesting commentary on the history of knitting in the region.

A glass of wine is always a welcome break!

I adore this beautiful knitted, wool version of Pinocchio! Author Carlo Collodi was born in Florence.

Siena is a beautiful, medieval city in Tuscany.

This is a knit wreath based on a terra cotta coat of arms for the Wool Guild. "On your wall, it declares your affiliation with the International Order of Knitters."

I found this book beautiful and inspirational. I couldn't begin to accomplish most of these projects, but I would love to wander around Tuscany and imagine doing them. I know my sister will love it!

Another Contender Gone and a Top Recipe!

And so we said good-bye last night to Top Chef contestant, Ron Duprat.
Ron is an executive chef from Haiti. He cooks with exotic flavors with a Haitian Creole influence.


I liked Ron's big, gruff personality and I was a little sad to see him go. But, the challenge of deconstructing a paella was too much for him, since according to head judge Tom Colicchio he didn't appear to know how to make one to begin with.


Below is one of his recipes. It sounds delicious and not too complicated for a home cook. I think I may try it this weekend in honor of Chef Ron!








Pan Seared Salmon with Spinach and Cannelloni Bean Saute and Citrus Butter

* 8 ounces wild salmon, filleted into 4-ounce portions
* 4 ounces Chablis
* 2 ounces heavy cream
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 lemon, zested and juiced
* 4 ounces spinach, washed and cleaned
* 1 small can cannelloni beans
* 1 clove garlic
* 2 ounces unsalted butter
* Olive oil
* Salt and pepper

1. For citrus butter, reduce Chablis and heavy cream by half with bay leaf and lemon juice. Mount slowly with butter (whisk in cold butter). Strain and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a saute pan, heat 2 ounces olive oil and add salmon seasoned with salt. Cook until golden brown. Remove from pan and let rest.
3, In another saute pan with oil, cook spinach, garlic, and cannelloni beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


To Serve:
1. Using a ring mold, pack spinach-bean mixture onto center of plate. Remove mold.
2. Gently place salmon on top of spinach.
3. Spoon citrus butter sauce over salmon and plate.
4. Garnish with lemon zest and fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

photos and recipe via

Back from the Beach!

I've just returned from another quick trip to the beach with some great girlfriends.

We only had one day of sunny weather, so not much time was spent on the beach. But, the rain made for some lovely rainbows at the end of the day!

And we saw beautiful sunsets from our balcony!

The best thing, of course, was the wonderful visit with dear friends!

Last of Summer

Last blooms of summer.

And a visitor!

Goodbye to a Favorite Author

I was sad to hear about the death today of one of my favorite authors, Dominick Dunne. Oddly enough, I had visited his website for the first time today and had left a post of encouragement on his message board, regarding his battle with cancer.





I very rarely leave any sort of message as a fan, but I had just finished reading his book, " The Way We Lived Then" which is a sort of pictorial memoir about his life and the many famous people that he met along the way.



Mr. Dunne led a fascinating life among the Hollywood elite for many years before events in his life brought him to a serious crossroads and a period of self-examination. From there, at age 50, he began to write and embarked on a second career as an author and journalist, often covering high-profile murder cases, such as the O. J. Simpson trial.





He wrote several best-selling novels and was a columnist for Vanity Fair. I enjoyed watching him host the show, "Pride, Privelege and Justice" on TruTV.

Dominick Dunne was 83.