I was recently honored and delighted to attend the party and auction celebrating the 70th anniversary of VIPP, held at the Design Within Reach flagship Soho store.
Vipp, a Danish design company, celebrates creativity and artistic expression by once a year asking a coterie of artists, celebrities, and celebrity artists to re-imagine and reinvent one of their iconic trashcans. The 2009 results were spectacular, and were auctioned off at this grand party with all proceeds benefiting DIFFA.
This event was very well orchestrated. The bar was set in a raised area in the far back of the room next to coat check, which immediately drew guests inward and away from the entrance. The VIPP cans were arranged in a central configuration, with open areas on either side. Cater-waiters skilled at the bob-and-weave deftly negotiated the crowd, delivering crudites in an continuous loop.
It was fabulous. And? Peppered with celebrities, if you go for that kind of thing.
On a free day last week, I was lucky enough to have the spare time to pop over to the Flower Market and browse some of the floral supply shops.
I don’t actually have much to say about these images from my beloved Jamali Garden Supply and B&J Florist Supply – they are more a feast for the eyes and a spark for the imagination.
*swoon*
I have never liked buying breadcrumbs at the grocery store – one look at the ingredients and you will know why – and artisanal or gourmet breadcrumbs make my eyes roll.
So? I make my own. I guarantee there is no better non-pigeon destination for the ends of your pain quotidien. Simply allow the ends to air dry until they are slightly stale, and pulverize in your food processor. Do not be afraid to mix different varieties of bread.
Next? Season at will! I added a little salt, garlic powder, and paprika for a zesty, basic crumb mix.
The final result created a perfect breading for my chicken supremes (recipe that evening was care of one Julia Child). It was the classic method: dredged in a little seasoned flour, dipped in egg, and generously upholstered with the delicious breadcrumbs. A little sizzle in the pan and? Oh, yum!
Yesterday we celebrated a very significant family birthday – my husband’s great uncle’s 90th. The man of the hour was attired, quite classically, in a tuxedo.
So what do you give a nonagenarian? Ha! What else but cold, hard cash? Excellent at any age, and in any delivery system of course, but my mother-in-law had a particularly inspired idea that I had to share.
Apparently the family’s favorite saying was always: What, you think money grows on trees?
Tongue-in-cheek, she asked me to make a small “tree” on which we could add leaves of folded $10 bills, affixed with ribbons – a literal money tree.
Finding the tree branches was more challenging than I expected. I tried a few craft stores, but they were too expensive. Instead, I clipped some dead-ish pieces off of the lower boughs of the trees in our front and back yards. I glued and taped the branches together to make a single “tree,” spray-painted it white, and finally, doused it with white, sparkling glitter dust. My husband filled a small terracotta pot with mortar and we “planted” the tree into it.
I thought it looked lovely, otherwordly, and unexpected, and the fan-folded paper bills were festive and organically sculptural. It ended up being a hit of the party and – of course – a favorite gift.
I recently noticed that there is a dramatic installation in the atrium of the Grand Central Market – a huge tree, suspended upside down as if growing out of the ceiling, covered in dangling crystals.
As a sucker for anything crystallized or sparkly, I had to stop and take some pictures.
It occurred to me, standing there, that draping a tree with nothing but hundreds of glass crystals and white lights would be absolutely stunning for the holidays…I am now committed. keep your eyes open for my own personal version, to be posted in December!
Planning the menu is one of my most favorite parts of hosting, and this year’s Halloween party was no exception. I often find that I have, as they say, bitten off more than I can chew when it comes to making everything, but somehow I managed a good balance on Saturday, and made a point to choose things that could be made ahead of time, served at room temperature, and easily replenished.
The final menu was not particularly “creepy,” and would work for any Fall party, large or small.
This was the full menu:
Snacks:
Pretzels with honey mustard dip
Warm flatbreads, cut into triangles, with hummus (homemade)
Cheese-its (a personal fave, AND they are orange!)
Toasted pumpkin seeds (homemade; recipe below)
Corn chips with tomatillo salsa (homemade)
Baby carrots with cheese dip (homemade; recipe below)
Main courses and Sides:
Braised kale with fava beans (homemade)
Chopped beet and feta salad (homemade)
Mini pulled pork sandwiches with BBQ sauce (homemade)
Sweet potato and black bean salad (homemade; recipe below)
Desserts:
Halloween candy
Gingerbread cookies (homemade)
Sliced apples dipped in caramel sauce and diced peanuts
Last week was officially a whirlwind, with my birthday (celebrated thrice), an important work event, and all the planning and preparation for our party on Saturday night. I had planned to post many more pictures of the cooking and crafting that took place, well in advance of today but…there simply was not time.
This year, I actually simplified the decor plan, and went with a theme of “classic Halloween.” It consisted of (3) separate vignettes: an installation of carved pumpkins on our living room credenza; an installation of skeleton streamers, the tall candles I made, and old twigs and other macabre objects on the sideboard next to the buffet; and an installation of spider webs and pumpkin-face luminaria on the stair rail and window sills.
Most readers know I love candlelight, and when it comes to Halloween lighting, nothing could be more appropriate. For our party, I created these (very easy) charming pumpkin-face candleholders to enhance the decor.
All it took was some tissue, a little craft paper, an exacto knife, and some orange ribbon. I took large glass vases and put white pillars inside, wrapped each with yellow tissue, and covered them with strips of craft paper that I cut freehand with spooky eyes and mouths.
I used these strips because I had them – and all of the other materials – on hand in my craft studio, and because it was fun to mix and match the features. It would probably be easier to cut them out of a single wide piece of construction paper.
To finish the look, I wrapped a single piece of plain orange ribbon around the top and bottom. These will look great on a mantle, shelf, or buffet.
Last evening, we had the pleasure of attending the wedding of a couple very dear to us. The ceremony was held in a raw, former industrial space called the Green Building and the reception was in the back event room of the incredible Frankie’s 457.
The bride, a fellow event planner, asked me to imagine the decor for the ceremony. They had a limited budget and were concerned that the space, though gorgeous, was too raw and large for their small invite list.
On a site visit, the venue director casually told us that they had a large quantity of white and cream pillar candles that we could use - I was delighted. Candles, in quantity, are so romantic – they don’t need anything else.
Two rustic wood tables in the space created a perfect altar. A curved line of pillars formed the aisle. Candles covered the altar tables and were interspersed on the concrete floor to fill space. A friend of the couple sat on the chair in the middle surrounded by the candles, and performed all of the ceremony music.
The result was nothing short of spectacular. The nervous groom did the final install and I think he did marvelously.
Note: I am waiting to hear back from the bride on which company did the flowers – which were exquisite.
“Halloween sweets” almost always means candy, of course. But at our Halloween parties we are generous with food and drink, and definitely don’t want to skimp on dessert. So, in addition to the de rigueur fun-size candy options, I am serving two favorite Fall cookies: gingerbread, and the inimitable oatmeal raisin.
Here is the latter, in process:
Note: That Silpat liner was a house gift from an inspired and inspiring friend. It is a must have for any baker, and will definitely be included in my November holiday gift guide.
For the most part*, I decided to not blow against the wind and used the recipe in the rolled oats container (below).
Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:
(2) sticks butter, softened
(1) c firmly packed brown sugar
(1/2) c sugar
(2) eggs
(1) tsp vanilla
(1 – 1/2) c all-purpose flour
(1) tsp baking soda
(1) teaspoon cinnamon
(1/2) tsp salt
(3) c rolled oats, uncooked
(1) c raisins (golden or red)
1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2) Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla and blend until creamy and slightly fluffy
3) Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt – then add in batches to wet ingredients while stirring. Blend well.
4) Stir in oats and raisins
5) Drop in tablespoons on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on tray for (1) minute; complete cooling on rack.
Makes about (4) dozen.
*I also added a handful of sunflower seeds for crunch, taste, and because they are unbelievably good for you. More on those another time.
