At the Market:: Concord Grapes & Concord Grape Pie

As you might have noticed I took a little baking break, which was partially due what I mentioned in  yesterday's post. Sometimes I am just too tired.  But I am back today with my series At the Market where I am giddy with excitement because table grapes, in particularly concord grapes have arrived.  They actually came to the farmer's market that I frequent in the end of August, earlier than I expected so every Saturday since I have been buying them by the pound wondering just what to bake with them.  I settled on a Concord Grape Pie, a lip smackingly good pie that captures the essence of fall in just one bite. 

Currently Inspired :: Pinterest Picks

Happy Friday everyone! I am looking very forward to the weekend since I have something very exciting in the works tomorrow, it is this burgeoning side project that I cannot wait to share with you soon.  In the meantime, here has what has been inspiring me recently on Pinterest (you can follow me here). The mood of fall has inspired me recently, here are just some images that conjure up this quiet season. Have a great weekend!

The Alps

We drove through the Italian and French Alps on our drive back from Italy to Paris.  Lush green mountains cascaded up to snow-capped mountains, which made me feel like I was dreaming.  Even the warm May air did not scare the billowy snow clouds away.  I was excited to see Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. In order to get to the other side you drive through a 30-minute tunnel and once you exit you are greeted with undulating valleys with brave hand gliders overhead.  Here are just a few of the images that I managed to snap while hanging my head out our Renault rental car.  

Currently Inspired:: Fall's Moody Light

 Right now I am inspired by fall's beautiful light. Even though we have less than one week before the official day of fall, it definitely feels like the season has arrived.  Moody clouds, crisp air and fall's chunky sweaters are slowly coming into the fray.  Here are some images that are currently inspiring me for the start of the the season.  

Peaches with Lemon Verbena Cream

Plucking fruit from a tree makes me impossibly happy.  I am not sure if it is the nostalgic element or the fact that I know I am going to be biting into something delicious.  Over the holiday weekend we went peach picking which also led us to picking our own vegetables, something I haven't done since I was a child. We are in the prime of tomato, zucchini and eggplant and let me say I took full advantage. I picked so many cherry and sun gold tomatoes that have been eating them non-stop. We headed up to Fishkill Farms, my favorite by far in upstate New York not only for what they produce but also the rolling green hills and the mountains in the distance.  Peaches were at their peak, I gladly stuffed bags full eager to eat and bake with them.  Instead of doing a traditional peach pie I decided to make something a little lighter.  I roasted peaches in the oven and then topped them with Lemon Verbena Cream, an incredibly fast and easy dessert.  

Petal by Petal: Cosmo

Being in a creative person, I find it essential to step out and venture into neutral territory, some place that I am not constantly stimulated by the computer screen - Pinterest! Blogs! Instagram! The place that I regain my center is being in nature, whether it is at the beach or spending time in the grass in the country.  One of my favorite things is to be consumed by flower fields, wild or cultivated, there beauty is something that you just cannot get when sitting behind a computer.  Typically I shoot by Petal by Petal series in my studio (rather my Brooklyn apartment that I try to transform and make it condusive to a photo session), but switching things up to step out but if stepping out and being with the flowers in their element is an option then I jump at it.  I took these photographs of towering and incredibly vibrant cosmos a few weeks ago at a farm in Upstate New York.  Shades of purple and pink stood out in a sea of green that was almost unreal (note, typically I may bring the saturation levels up when editing a photo, but not here, these flowers were that green).  Read on to learn more about this summer beauty!

Arles, France

 I hope that everyone had a great long holiday weekend, three day weekends are one of my favorite things!  It is hard to believe that it is September and I still have some photographs from places that we explored on our honeymoon in May.  I purposely spaced them out so that when I was ready to share them the memory would again be fresh in my mind, because precious memories they were.  

I have a love for France, obviously, I have shared that many times here!  I have visited northern and eastern France and the South of France, but until May hadn't really explored Provence, a place that has now left an indelible mark on me. My mind is oftentimes blown by the beauty that exists in this world - there are just so many places to see and experiences to be had.  The charm of Provence is like no other, from the cobbled stones streets, stone homes accented with the prettiest pastels to the Roman ruins that still linger, it is a site for the eyes.  We visited Arles, a place once inhabited by the Romans and a plethora of artists including Vincent Van Gogh (it is where he painted the famed  Cafe Terrace at Night).  It was pure pleasure to wonder the narrow streets and stumble upon a Roman amphitheater (that is still used today!) or the best open-air food market that I have ever seen - artichokes! lemons! cheese! bread! melons! (the list went on an on).  All I needed was a kitchen.  Our stay was not long enough, I hope to return to this section of France once again but visit Avignon, Aix, and St. Remy.  If you are looking for a boutique hotel to stay, I recommend the Hotel d’Arlatan, it was a relaxing and beautiful space.  Okay, now I officially have the travel bug once again...

White Layer Cake with Strawberry Buttercream

If I could, I would bake a cake at least once every two weeks.  This has nothing to do with my sweet tooth either, it has more to do with the process of creating something beautiful.  I always say that my four favorite passions all phonetically begin with the same sound - fashion, food, flowers and photography.  When I can pair a few of these things together it makes me impossibly happy.  To relish in the end of summer, I decided to create a white layer cake with strawberry buttercream and decorate it with soft pink lisianthus flowers.  This recipe is unique because it incorporates two different types of frosting - a buttercream and an Italian meringue.  The latter takes a bit of time to make but it is definitely worth it.  It takes on the consistency of fluff and melts in your mouth.

Setting the Table:: A Fragrant Herb Bouquet

A table setting would never be complete without a flower arrangement.  The spring and summer months are filled with luscious floral blooms, so it is inevitable that they will end up in a pretty bouquet front and center on the table commanding all of the attention.  Also in abundance during the summer are herbs - parsley, basil, oregano, sage, mint and lavender, just to name a few that are very inexpensive and can be picked up at your local farmer's market.  On a recent trip to the flower market, instead of picking up another variety of dahlias or roses, I opted for a fragrant mixture of sage and lavender. The color palette couldn't be prettier, soft foamy greens blended with textured French lavender and when nestled into a antiqued silver vessel the result is organic yet beautiful.   

Life Lately & A Short Vacation

(My new settee that I absolutely love)

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all had a great week and an even better weekend ahead.  Here are just a few snaps that I have taken with my cellphone over the past few weeks.  I have two phones, one for work and one for personal but the latter shattered last week (into a pretty shape pattern nonetheless) so it makes editing photos that I take with it pretty hard/interesting to edit.  Lately I have been playing with the filters on some of my favorite apps. I love VSCO Cam and I recently downloaded Photoshop Express.  Do you have any favorite apps to edit photos?  

And on that note, I am taking a little blogging vacation next week.  After all it is August and just like you want to savor summer before it leaves us, plus I am hard at work on something I cannot wait to share with you.  Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you next Monday!

(Playing with filters at Table 87 in Brooklyn, terrific coal oven pizza)

New England Clam Chowder

We have had a fantastic summer when it comes to the weather. There have been very few unbearably hot days with more days in the high 80s and cooler evenings.  On a recent weekend, the temperature was perfect to enjoy some New England Clam Chowder on our porch.  While there were plumes of smoke floating from neighbor's grills, it was nice to enjoy a comforting bowl of soup that is a staple in New England year-round.  Traditional chowder is cream-based, I decided to lighten it up using whole milk.  I have found that when a recipe calls for heavy cream, you can substitute quality whole milk (I love Ronnybrook Farm) and you will not even miss its heavier counterpart.  

Petal by Petal:: 'Café au Lait' Dahlia

It has been far long since my last Petal by Petal series. Well that is changing now and what better time than summer when flowers are plentiful, especially local varieties that only emerge once a year.  One of my favorite summer blooms is the dahlia. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, like this vampy red version that was featured here last summer.  The flower market in New York is over-flowing with this variety right now and while I thought my process of elimination would be difficult, it ended up being quite easy after seeing the 'Café au Lait' dahlia.  This particular variety is known as a Dinner plate dahlia because it is literally just that, nearly the size of a dinner plate.  The smaller varieties of dahlias have a longer shelf life, unfortunately the larger they are the quicker they begin to wilt.  Even though I only had them for about three days, they still added a dose of happiness to our home.  

Currently Inspired:: Pinterest Picks

Recently I have been fueling myself with as much inspiration as possible and here are some of the images that have been the catalyst for creative research.  I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend, savoring the moments of summer.  

Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches with Sea Salt Flakes

During the hot summer days there is nothing like treating yourself to ice cream.  Growing up, one of my favorite seasonal treats was an ice cream sandwich that was usually obtained by waiting for the ice cream truck to drive by our house.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic and decided to make my own super soft chocolate cookies and filled them with gelato, Talenti, to be exact.  Having made a different variety of ice cream sandwiches before, the key learning is to bake the cookies just until they are set, so that once they are cooled they are chewy and can be easily enjoyed with ice cream. Topping the cookies with Maldon sea salt flakes is the perfect way to take a childhood treat and elevate it to something 'grown-ups' will like.  

Portofino, Italy

The beauty of Portofino was exactly as I had dreamed it would be – still  turquoise water, Italianate mansions perched high atop a cliff and a enlivening breeze of lemon blossoms and salt water.  We drove from Genoa to Portofino with a goal of laying in the sun, lingering over a long afternoon lunch (that was finished with gelato) and climbing to the top of the hillside to see the view from up above.  The end of May is the near the end of the mid-season and right before high-season which allowed us to spend an entire day not completely overwhelmed by fellow tourists.  We ended up hiking from Santa Margarita, a beautiful seaside town just under two miles away from the port town of Portofino.  The trail we hiked took us high into the hills where all you could hear are birds chirping and the invigorating smell of the water and towering cypress trees.  Like that of the Cinque Terre you enter Portofino from the top and make your way down the hill, where you are quickly surrounded by luxury boutiques and outdoor cafés.  A hike to Castello San Giorgio is definitely something that anyone exploring the town should do since it gives way to one of the best views of the port.  The colorful architecture of Portofino is very unique.  The facades are painted in tromp l’oeil and are made to look as if they actually have textural details.   Here are some of the moments that captured the beauty of this stunning Italian locale.  

Little Bits of Happiness No. 11

(Living out a fairytale in Italy)

Happy Friday everyone! Today I am going to keep it short and share some photographs from my Instagram feed, which has been a long time coming. You can follow me here! I hope you have a great weekend.  

(An iconic photograph from Portofino, Italy.  Photos still to come!)

White Peach & Rose Lemonade {I HAVE MOVED TO ROSE & IVY JOURNAL!)

To discover more recipes and beauty, please visit Rose & Ivy Journal by clicking here!

Growing up I loved lemonade for it's sweet and tart taste and how it could put a few dollars in our pockets by having a stand on our suburban sidewalk.  As I have gotten older it hasn't been a drink that I have gravitated to as much, until now.  I decided to get creative and craft a more feminine and grown-up version of this iconic sip by blending fragrant white peaches with rose water for a refreshing summer drink. Not only is the shade of this drink beautiful, but it strikes the perfect balance between sweet, floral and tart.  The white peaches and the rose water lend a delicate floral aroma while the lemon provides the right amount of zest. 

Jardins des Tuilleries, Paris

Wandering around Paris it is hard not to get pulled into the beauty of the Jardins des Tuilleries, a vast garden oasis stretching from the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde.  Dotted with fountains, sculpted boxwoods, blooming flowers (ruffled garden roses, heady lavender and pink fox glove were in full bloom in May) and green iron chairs that are spread out so the modern day flâneur can relax and take in the beauty of their surroundings. Meanwhile, gardeners are out in full-force manicuring even the littlest corners to make sure that its perfected beauty remains that way.   During the day, the garden is bustling with tourists and Parisians alike, but come sunset or sunrise it is the perfect place to take in a deep breath and enjoy a few minutes of peace, where you can hear the water splashing from the fountain and the birds chirping from high above the linden trees. 

Strawberry Soda

Growing up there can be many rules that you do not understand at the time, one rule that my mom had was 'no soda in the house'.  Actually at the time, we were living in Ohio and called it 'pop', but our move to Vermont made us transition to call the fizz drink 'soda'. Anyways, out of all of the rules, this was one of them that I am very glad my parents instated.  Besides being loaded with artificial ingredients (have you ever checked out the label - caramel flavor and high fructose corn syrup? No thank you) it can lead to weight gain, which can then bring on unwanted disease.  Last Christmas my husband received a Soda Stream, one of the best gifts ever, that allowed us to not only make seltzer with the click of a button but also allowed me to experiment in the kitchen.  I love carbonating cucumber or lemon water for a refreshing drink. I recently purchased two pints of strawberries from the fresh market that were unfortunately not that sweet.  Instead of turning them into pie, I opted to make equal parts jam and strawberry syrup.  One basically creates the other so you can get more out of doing less, don't you just love that? 

The Louvre, Paris

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! And the good news is that this week is a short one since it is the Fourth of July.   In college, as I have mentioned before, I majored in art history.  Originally I was a communications major, since I wanted to work in magazine editorial, but I changed half-way through because it wasn't giving me the writing that I craved.  My new major allowed me to craft a hefty dose of writing while simultaneously doing so about beautiful art works and architecture.  I love painting and sculpture, but what really drew me into the program was architecture.  Ever since I was old enough to pay attention to columns, moldings and scale I knew that a passion was born, hence my love for Europe. I also clearly have a fascination with royalty, hence my love for Versialles and castles in general. I find it awe-inspiring that kings and queens could live on such a large scale with multiple castles not too far from each other.  The immense size of the Louvre can leave you short of breath, not just for the vastness but for the history that lies behind its columned facade.  One the same morning that I wandered into the Palais Royal to experience the roses, I spent extra time at the Louvre, watching the morning light reflect on the statues and slowly light up the manicured boxwoods that dominate the landscape. It was peaceful. I was one of the only souls there experiencing the architecture.  It was magical.