le sauce

bright

I was recently reminded that the thing my house is missing is a dose of neon. Something fluorescent. A splash of acid on the wall or across the floor. And it needs to happen in my dining room.

I've always liked neon, whether in or out, since it came on my radar when I was a kid in the 80's. Maybe part of my attraction is simply nostalgia but only part. I find myself fixating on neon letters in posters, on signs, especially on simple background and in an unexpected environment. When I saw this (faux) room at the Interior Design Show in Toronto earlier this year, my neon itch became downright chronic.

I still can't stop thinking about how good that sign looked in a dining setting. I keep coming back to it and I think I've decided I want something similar, a subtle (can't they be neon and still subtle?) sign to hang on the very dark walls in my dining room. If you're not convinced, get in that line forming behind James...

...which means, I may to have to start smaller with a neon print, or some neon-lined bowls.

Maybe work my way up to a table.

Still, I'll get a neon letter sign quoted... there's no harm in that...right?

(And by the way, how cool is that a river-runs-through-it dining table!)

first taste: hot cocoa in the murry kitchen

Childhood picture books, stories and TV shows that depicted food and dining made a real impression on me. Illustrations of steaming bowls of pasta or a piece of toast smothered in purple jam gave me my first taste of foods I'd yet to try, and are sometimes still the archetypes I hold food up to today. Instead of simply reminisce, I'm going to bring those dishes to life the way I imagined they'd be.

On a dark, stormy night, on her journey to the kitchen from her cold attic room, Meg had time to get down on herself about everything from her mousy appearance, to her IQ level to her recent scrap with bullies at school. This girl needed a drink! She knew it, and decided on hot cocoa. That this was a romantic choice, for a young girl, chilled, a little scared and a lot bummed out, was only part of the appeal to me as I read those opening pages in A Wrinkle in Time. There was also the accepted adult-ness of the whole situation, because who should be heating up milk in anticipation of both Meg and her mother showing up in the kitchen in need of some, but the "baby brother" of the family, Charles Wallace, wise and weirdly intuitive beyond any human's years. He goes on to offer to make Mrs. Murray a liverwurst and cream cheese sandwich and Meg a tomato sandwich but they had me at hot cocoa. 

Don't get me wrong, I loved every page of the popular sci-fi novel and I still do. (I just downloaded the audio book read by the author, Madeline L'Engle herself. There were parts that still scared me when I listened before bed. "There is such a thing as a Tesseract!") But it was the first "scene" hooked me, no question. The idea that you could wake up in the night and have a luxurious snack--that you could dirty a pan at that hour to boil milk for cocoa (how much?? who had cocoa powder at the ready? I'd have to work for months to first explain to my parents that it was the opposite of Nestlé Quick, that no, microwaved chocolate milk would not cut it and then try to source it because there was no way their half-hearted wild goose chase would be successful. And God help me if it was expensive...), and that your family would join you instead of chasing you back to bed yelling about the hour and rising early for school/jobs in the morning--that was fantasy I ate up as much as any other part of the book.

I don't blame my parents for not knowing what hot cocoa really was, how to make it, or how it differed from hot chocolate which was a little more widely known (read: marketed). I had a chalky mug or two of cocoa that I tried to enjoy (read: use to transport me to the Murry's kitchen and their entire messed up, brilliant, multi-time+space-dimensioned adventures). But we can do better today. 

First, on hot cocoa, CHOW notes the same, that while "...hot cocoa is sublime. At its worst, it’s chalky, watery, and too sweet. This version, provided by François Payard, of François Payard Bakery in New York, is definitely in the former category: so creamy, rich, and chocolaty that it’s a suitable stand-in for dessert.

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (such as Weiss)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
Granulated sugar, to taste

Bring chocolate powder, fresh cream, and milk to a boil; stir; and pour in a cup. Add sugar if desired.

Note: For a lighter version, use 1/3 cup fresh cream and 2/3 cup skim milk."

And An Enlightened Palate adds: "Hot cocoa lacks the creaminess and luscious mouthfeel of  a cup of hot chocolate, but it is more concentrated and has a more chocolaty taste...there is less vegetable fat (natural cocoa butter) in the cocoa than there is in shaved chocolate...fat coats the palate and minimizes flavor."

And offers a different method (note the technique):

2 teaspoons dutched cocoa powder ( we prefer dutched process cocoa because we feel that these cocoa powders have a deeper flavor, darker color and a smoother texture that blends flawlessly in hot beverages.)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons cream, not heated
6 ounces boiling water

Optional: whipped cream or mini marshmallows for garnish

Place the cocoa powder and sugar into a mug and mix well. Add the cream and stir into a smooth paste. Add the boiling water and stir until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Ladle the hot cocoa into a mug and garnish if desired.

And, though this wasn't a contest, there is a winning technique in my mind. An Enlightened Pallette's method resulted in the best cup of cocoa I've ever had--the blend and pour method made for a deliciously creamy cocoa and it came together in seconds with water from a kettle and no pot to stand over. It was perfection with just one tweak that I would add to either recipe...

...a tiny sprinkle of salt.

Charles Wallace probably saw that coming.

...

I thought of Katherine, whose illustrations you've seen here in the past, as soon as I wrote this post. I hoped she would agree to bring Meg and the Murry kitchen to life and I hope you love her illustrations in this piece as much as I do. For more of her delicious illustrations, check out Drawn and Devoured.

...

the arthur, toronto

When I left my job at the magazines last year, I left a lot of amazing people. But around that time and since, so many seems to have left to pursue another passion, just like I did. So I was surprised, but also not surprised, to walk into a stylish new shop on College St. in Toronto and find my ex-coworker running things. Liz Ikiriko and I didn't have enough opportunities to work together at the magazines, but whenever our paths crossed, it was always a pleasure. Her creativity was evident in her work there too, but I was so excited to see her new outlet, a vintage housewares and decor store that was perfectly styled and cozy at once. I coveted enough things on my first visit that I had to start snapping pictures to take home and narrow down my picks (there's a stunning silver seltzer bottle that belongs on my bar).

The serving pieces you own need to serve a purpose and I think one of those is to make the experience of cooking, eating and entertaining more pleasurable. I admired Liz's eye for choosing lovely items in so many different styles, and for the beautiful tableaus she created throughout the store to display them. I asked her to share a little about her thoughts on entertaining and how she picks her gorgeous finds.

I hope it inspires you, whether to set a beautiful table for friends or to build a beautiful plate of food for one.

Does what you love to eat or how you eat with friends and family affect the pieces you buy?

Absolutely! I’m not that into formal/delicate/precious dining. I’m happiest when I get to share cooking with friends/family. I gravitate towards foods that are simple, casual, fun and tasty. So I think I approach the kitchen items I source the same way. I look for unique, sometimes quirky items and/or things that feel like they’re meant to become fixtures in your home.

What catches your eye when it comes to pieces for kitchen or table? Does your taste change or is it consistent?

I’d say that I’m not consistently into just one focus of kitchenwares. I definitely think in terms of styles so for instance, I’ll get caught up in 70’s pottery and will spend a month just sourcing organic shaped vintage stoneware pieces and then the next month I’ll focus on blue willow, english granny styles. I like to mix it up.

Do these pieces reflect your personal dining style? Would they appear on your everyday dinner table or if you invited people over?

They do. Unfortunately, I bring the best to the shop so what I have at home is a bit hodge podge. We keep things pretty simple at home. I have a lot of my grandparents kitchenwares that hold a lot of great memories so that keeps me happy in the kitchen. My biggest influence/ideal is this insanely beautiful photography/cookbook – called Breakfast Lunch and Tea at the Rose Bakery. You can pick it up at Good Egg in Kensington. Its my dream inspiration for my home kitchen.

Do you have a favourite piece either in the store or at home? Are there any pieces you've had your eye on for the store or for your home?

I can’t part with the vintage Le Creuset when I find them! I’m always crossing my fingers that I’ll find them in some dusty old thrift shop in the middle of nowhere. And I’ve been collecting Dansk pots as well but I think those might make there way to the shop. I’m really into the farmhouse kitchen feel. I’m also a big nerd about coffee so I always like collecting coffee paraphanalia. I’m always hunting for one of these.

 

You have a great eye for beautiful pieces and the tableaus you set up to display make them even more attractive. Any advice for people setting a table or enhancing their cooking or dining space?

I just like pulling out a lot of items and testing out a few options. My hubby’s the opposite – he has a very visual mind so he’ll plan everything before he does anything. But I need to lay something on the table and then play around with options till it feels right. I tend to try to start with a few anchor pieces and then fill in with hits of colour or pattern. As I said before – I’m always thinking in terms of themes so I’ll aim to put together a little bright summer picnic tableau or a rustic cottage setting or a pretty french country kitchen theme. I’ve kind of set up the shop that way. It was too overwhelming to style the whole place so I just started laying out little pocket size scenes.

The Arthur is located at 550A College St. in Toronto.

All photos by Liz Ikiriko--thanks, Liz!

 

tempting: dining pieces, black and blue (and white) all over

I can't seem to get away from a black and blue theme when I set the table, so I'm going to stop trying. There's always a lot of white, sometimes gold accents or wood depending on the mood, but otherwise, I like inky blues that disappear into black backgrounds. I've had my eye on the following pieces for the dining room because the hues are calling me, and so are the fun and functional designs.

I think I'd buy everything in the Mjolk store but these items would be the first. The black lacquered spoons are pretty enough to display (hell, even the first image is pretty enough to display!) but I would use them all the time. I have a water carafe by my desk and at the table for dinner parties so that refills are easy and encouraged, but theirs with a black coal insert (which absorbs chlorine while releasing healthy minerals) and matching black stopper is stunning. I sort of like that it has a single, important purpose too. It lends a sense of authority to it that matches its design, I think. And then there are these fun and gorgeous crow bottle openers. I don't need another bottle opener yet I fear I may buy both of these...

...for the same reason that I'd buy these whale tongs from Design House Stockholm. Fun! They also have this line of blue and white ceramics and the handless cobalt pitcher is my favourite.

Lastly, I've kind of always had a think for blue-painted porcelain. The one below makes me smile more than any other I've seen and it's vintage Royal Copenhagan too (it's my birthday in about a month, just saying, randomly). Do you hate it? I love him! It. That bird.

tempting: illustrated guide to cocktails

 

You might say I'm just sticking my toe in the vodka when it comes to cocktails. I'm far from a mix master yet I've never thought of buying a guide before. But an Illustrated Guide to Cocktails, illustrated by Elizabeth Graeber and authored by Orr Shtuhl, however, has swayed me. I can't resist a fun illustration and this book seems to have that in spades. Just look at the cover. A fox saddled up to the bar, with a martini in one paw, looking like he's had quite the day. Talk to me, fox! I'll have what he's having. And while I'm at it, I may just have to have this book too. You too? You can order it here, and see more pics from inside this beautiful book.

tempting: one very stylish (stella) cake

Forget, for a second, how delicious this cake must be, and ponder its genius instead. Stella McCartney's team tweeted about this beauty, inspired by the lively print in their Citrus collection, which is how I (and probably some of you) stumbled upon it. The cake was dreamt up, crafted and posted by Apollina her blog, APOLLINAS. I've been obsessed with it ever since, so I asked Apollina if I could share it and her images with you. If you spend any time on her blog, you'll quickly see how natural it would have been for her to make something so creative and lovely. She's a curator of beautiful images and stylish ideas, and after an ongoing email exchange with her over the past week, I can attest, she seems like a beautiful person too.

Now back to the most important thing: the cake itself. Apollina aptly named this cake "Stella" and Stella is in fact a citrus cake with lemon curd filling, orange lemon icing, decorated with sliced citrus fruit and mint leaves. What else needs to be said, really? You know I'm not as into sweet things as savoury but this? This is my kind of cake. Full recipe on APOLLINAS, where you can bookmark it like the rest of us who are in awe of it.

 

Cake images courtesy of APOLLINAS, runway image via ELLE DECOR.

tempting: the greeen store

The lovely Clotilde, of Chocolate & Zucchini, tweeted about the smart, duel-purpose spaghetti measure and trivet you see below (she always finds the best little things) and I followed the link through to the Greeen store. As always when I find a new shop online, I clicked around for an hour, busy falling in love with this thing or that, like the sleek bamboo tray above. It's intended for the kitchen or entertaining, but I would love it for my desk. No, my dresser. This is probably the perfect jewelry tray I was never looking for and have finally found.

Greeen has aesthetically remarkable pieces and they go so far as to rate each one by how "green" its life cycle is, from manufacture to end-use (whether it's use requires low-energy and if it can be recycled.) And their suppliers are definitely the kind you want to support whether for their eco-practices or because they "create jobs in small villages and thus limit rural depopulation." Like I another reason to start buying their things. Don't click on any of these links or images unless you want to buy thing you never realized you needed either.  

 

And this is non-food related, but they have the cutest crib you ever saw. Ever. I don't have a baby to stash in it but maybe I could use it to cradle truffles or other precious ingredients?

tempting: kari herer prints

 

I originally saw Kari Herer's prints featured on Design*Sponge a couple of years ago. I'm still thinking about them. They seem equally appropriate for kitchen or dining room, as a triptych or even just a single, solemn shot on its own.

I love the subtle palette, the aged feel but especially the graphic nature of the prints--the lines and hits of texture are so beautiful.

I'd happily hang any or all of these in my kitchen but the knives are my favourite so far.

the perfect piece: apolis' market bag

Well? If I'm going to carry a market bag around all the time to avoid using plastic, I deserve to have a nice one, right? Don't you? This one is made of jute, with beautiful tan leather handles and antique nickel rivets, which alone would be reason enough to love it. But then there's the fact that Apolis' bags are made in Bangladesh, in partnership with Saidpur Enterprises, who is concerned with creating jobs for women and supporting local farmers and craftspeople. It's kind of Apolis's thing to partner with local manufacturers globally who do the same. Love them for that or for their wide array of well designed, stylish goods and great taste. That's also totally their thing.

 

cookbooks i'm craving: asian dumplings, encyclopedia of asian food

There's been so many great things said about these two book, more than enough to tempt me to buy. But in the end, I'm sold on Andrea Nguyen's book Asian Dumplings because it features a picture in the early pages of crispy, golden taro dumplings--my FAVOURITE dim sum order...and to think it would be possible to make them in my own home??

And just browsing the index of Charmaine Soloman's Encyclopedia of Asian Food convinces me that I could learn some Sri Lankan recipes that aren't even in my aunt and mother's repertoire. If you're interested in Asian cooking, check them out, or look out for some sample recipe tests here soon.