coloring my world

this arrived by post yesterday. more wild, saturated color. i ordered this striped lucite bracelet as well as the tea towel and apron for myself last thursday at the tate modern museum gift shop. it arrived monday. how great is that? this modern world with its super fast cross atlantic mail service still astounds me. i didn't choose express service either. normal. i also ordered some birthday gifts for my oldest whose middle name is tate and who, unbelievably, is turning 15 this week. (how that adorable baby turned into this giant person i cannot fathom. let me assure you i am far too youthful to have a 15-year-old child, or am i? what year is it?). oh yes 2010. hrumph. but anyway. color. wild. riotous color. warms me. energizes me. (secretly keeps me young.)

color on my mind

in january, i always start to crave color. wild, uninhibited, gorgeous, saturated color.

this french bag i picked up in tokyo that was made in china, is just what i want to look it. it is so brilliant, the hand-painted design, the adorable nature, bird, insect scenes, the two different plaid patterns on the inside, the great little coin purse that snaps in. it seems to go with everything, although you would naturally think just the opposite.

it is from a great kid focused design shop in france. la marelle editions. this bag was designed by the fabulous nathalie l'ete. check out the online store here. polypropylene. so simple, such a great shape.

wonderful wintery day

2 inches of fresh snow to cover up the muck. and bunny tracks i think. happy weekend xo, g

crispy roast duck with steamed buns

well. we did it. winter indoor project number 1. we received david chang's momofuku cookbook (a marvelous christmas gift, thank you!)and we made his authentic recipe for steamed buns. then, we used nigella lawson's incredibly simple and tasty recipe for crispy roast duck from nigella express. the result was more than pleasing, in fact, a marriage of heavenly proportions was born. without a doubt this was the number one tastiest dish i prepared all year. with homemade quick pickles as an accompaniment. we ate all this in front of the fire one cold cold night, in our cozy dining room, as snow fell outside. atmospherically delicious, i'm telling you.

unfortunately, due to publishing copyright laws, i cannot share these fabulous recipes and reprint them here. but, if you want a taste of heaven, do try it. go out and buy these books if you haven't already. or borrow them from your local library. added bonus, because this is so easy and all the bun making takes place in advance, this makes an excellent crowd pleasing dish for your very fortunate guests. simply serve with slivered cucumbers and scallions and hoisin sauce. we also made quick pickles, carrot, eggplant, cucumber and lotus root, from david chang's momofuku cookbook. really fun and also very easy. one caveat, the buns do take several hours due to multiple rests and risings, but they freeze with no decline in quality so make them as far in advance as you like. just steam them for a minute or two just before serving. well worth the trouble. and i don't see why i don't always just keep a stack of these in my freezer from now on, until forever. and nigella's roast duck recipe couldn't be simpler, you merely roast for 5 and a half hours in your oven at moderate heat and then shred. couldn't be simpler. really. put it in the oven and forget about it while you make all those steamed buns. this concludes winter project number one. 100% effective as a distraction from the arctic weather pattern currently reeking havoc in our northern hemisphere. epically satisfying.

hello january

here we are. a whole new decade. very exciting. i am thrilled about this. lots to look forward to. new directions, all that. 

meanwhile, this winter photograph was taken as i was looking out my window this afternoon around 3. and, while looking out at the frozen, unforgiving, granite hills of connecticut, i suddenly realized, it is really cold out there. as in COLD with capital letters. brrr. we all have our coping mechanisms for these minor hardships like winter.

my first year back here in real winter, (after 9 worry-free years of winterless california weather) i kept ordering warmer and warmer clothing from the likes of online shops like patagonia and ugg. effective, but expensive. r recalls new boxes arrived weekly. (because, of course, we could never be warm enough). the next winter, i desperately planned elaborate vacations to sunny beachy places like the caribbean. idyllic, white sand beaches, lavish, forget all your troubles resorts, but we got food poisoning, bad food poisoning. and we aren't super beachy anyway. also outrageously expensive. new boots, sweaters and outerwear are far more frugal it turns out. last year we suffered, but survived. this year is different. i am accepting. i have a "system" in place. here is my system: 1. have air-o-swiss humidifiers going all over the place. literally. everywhere. must keep it moist inside. moisture is the key to life after all. i cannot keep it as moist in here as i would like, say as moist as the rainforest exhibit at the central park zoo,  or the tropical greenhouses at kew, but it is suitable. 2. exercise like it is going out of style: yoga, weights, running, skiing, etc. 3. eat lots and lots of hearty, soothing, fresh, vibrant, delicious, foods. 4. have lots of exciting projects to work on indoors. 5. go shopping and to museums, look for visual inspiration everywhere, buy lots of shelter magazines, etc. maybe one day per week devoted to this 6. when all else fails and you want to climb the walls from being inside so much, clean and organize. 7. also, permission to nap if you want to, winters were made for napping.

meanwhile, here we are and i've actually been following this plan and cooking and drawing up a storm. so many great things to show you. here we are january 4: 74 days until spring. lots to do lots o do. a whole winter to enjoy. winter dread, on the other hand, banished.