Archive | April, 2010

From the Home Office

By on April 30, 2010 in twitter

My friend Alex almost always signs off Twitter of an evening with a goodnight message. They tickle me, these tweets, because in them she regularly invents new words to refer to her collective followers. No pedestrian “tweeps” for Alex.

Among my favorites:

Goodnight, Tweepsicle

…Tweetson (sometimes Tweeterson).

… Twitches

… Tweepsies

… Tweetiepop

… Tweetifer (sometimes Tweetipher)

… Tweetypie

… Tweetbitches

… Tweetsicle

She’s also the only one who’s ever gotten away with calling me “Arleney,” but somehow it makes sense when she says it.

What are your favorite terms for people on Twitter?

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Dinner, April 25

By on April 25, 2010 in Cooking

Thanks to the marvelous Miss Whistle, I read the Guardian’s article previewing 15 recipies from Ottolenghi’s upcoming cookbook. Tonight I made his “Chickpea, tomato and bread soup,” which is quite similar to a Tuscan ribollita.


Let me just say that even though there are just two of us, there were no leftovers.

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Photo Blog: Upper Ojai Valley, Springtime

By on April 18, 2010 in Cooking, Ojai, Travel

Ever few months we’re lucky to spend a weekend at Lavender Hill Farm, the home of our friends Sims and Steve in the picturesque Upper Ojai Valley. Here are some pictures we took on April 16 and 17.

We picked vegetables from Steve’s extensive gardens and prepared them for lunch and dinner. Artichokes are in high season and we had them three different ways: with fava beans as an accompaniment to pork chops for dinner; with onions, lardons and egg as a pasta sauce for one lunch; and with tuna and cracked pepper on toast for another lunch. We also had the fava beans, straight from the pods, with cheese and bites of salami as an appetizer before dinner one evening.

The Valley was resplendent with springtime color and fragrance. My iPhone got the color fairly well; the scent you’ll have to imagine as you peruse the photos. Click on the thumbnails to see larger versions of any of them, and click again for a yet larger version.

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Love is…

By on April 15, 2010 in Uncategorized

… when you and your spouse are trying to remember the name of an obscure place in New York, but can’t, so you give up. And hours later, one of you remembers the name, calls out just one word across the house, and the other answers, “right!”

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Negative Space That’ll Turn Your Head

By on April 14, 2010 in Gift ideas

Here’s another brilliant, unique gift. Looks like a wooden chalice, or perhaps some sort of stair newel or decorative table leg, right?

Look again.

Look to the left of the shadow. (I’ll wait.)

Is that the coolest silhouette portrait you’ve ever seen?

The folks at Turn Your Head have figured out how to, from a photo of a profile, use a lathe to cut it into the wooden forms and come up with these beautiful “pirolettes.” They can be done of a baby, or of a grownup.

They’ve even figured out how to do two on one (for a wedding, or perhaps for twins):

We’ve had one done of our son, and now are going to get our own. , When all three are next to each other on our mantle, they’ll be a discreet family portrait for those who can see it, and just be three beautiful chalices for those who can’t.

Pirolettes cost $150. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have one per year while your child’s growing up? Or to give as mementos to grandparents, or for a baby shower or wedding gift?

I’m besotted with these, as you can tell.

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