Apr
12
Happy Weekend
01/ The Human Tower Competition!
02/ Blocks, a photo series of a life-sized block man.
03/ Sweet black and whites of a girl and her tomcat.
04/ This Lime and Coconut Cream Tart needs to happen.
05/ YES to these Zoo Portraits.
06/ You can eat works of art!
07/ Such a fun birthday surprise.
08/ Yes to all things cotton candy, including this lemonade.
09/ Time-lapse video of a full moon rising over L.A.
10/ Need this DIY Bike Bar Cart for summer. And a bike.
This week on Design Crush:
Watercolor Stickers
Grillmaster Serving Trays
Luxury 3 Ways + a Contest
LSTN Headphones
The Statement Door
Sunny Day Sunnies
Canevas Abstract Cushions
Martone Cycle Co.
GoodLife Key Tags
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Mar
22
Happy Weekend
01/ Great things can happen when you play with your food!
02/ Cosmic Surgery, a portrait series replacing faces with oragami.
03/ Note to self: Get to San Francisco to see the Bay Bridge Lights in person.
04/ Someone brilliant thought to create art by injecting paint into bubble wrap.
05/ Picasso’s women in real life.
06/ A yarn-bombed school bus!
07/ Milky Ways, figures that project light from within.
08/ Lullaby Factory, a special treat for sick kids in a London hospital.
09/ An espresso maker for the microwave – Piamo!
10/ Underwater photos of people swimming under waves.
Miss anything this week?
RIP Google Reader
March DIYs
Easter Egg Tastic
4FATHERS
Spring Fever
Paint Stacks
First Look: WideAngle
Neon Animals
Design Crush + Joss & Main
Drip Tease
Feb
28
Taste Tour: West
This month we ventured to West, a restaurant that would feel at home in any major metropolis but calls Oklahoma City home. I’d dined at West a few times prior to visiting for the Taste Tour, but always on their beautiful outdoor deck mid-day. This time we were lucky enough to be seated inside on the first evening of their latest menu release. Chef Eric Smith guided us through our menu selections, recommending both signature West dishes and new additions.
Both Caroline and I had just been through a few rough workdays and were ready for a cocktail. She opted for a classic while I perused the bar menu and settled on the Cranberry and Citrus Fizz. It was delicious – perfectly balanced and not overly sweet!
The very first thing to hit our table – Warm West Chips – ended up being my very favorite. House made potato chips served warm and tossed in a light bleu cheese fondue, then topped with bleu cheese crumbles and balsamico. I’m not a big fan of bleu cheese, but the variety used is so mild and complimentary to the balsamic that I almost cried when it was time for them to take away the plate. We also had a grilled Caesar salad with polenta croutons before our main dishes started to roll in, I loved the twist!
The Spicy Tuna Tacos were seriously delicious, I love jicama slaw and the fact that these had it sold me immediately. The whipped avocado and tomato basil ginger glaze took it all over the top.
Both Caroline and I agreed that this was our favorite dish. The Red Wine Risotto was served with a small filet, which if you know me isn’t usually something I would eat. But it worked so well with the decadent, perfectly cooked risotto that I couldn’t stop myself. Of course there’s no way we were able to eat everything in front of us at once, and this is what went home with me in a doggy bag. (My mouth is watering at the memory!) Caroling also took on the *job* of trying the Lemon Pepper Filet and a side of West Mac and Cheese (those leftovers went home with her!). I enjoyed a side of grilled broccolini that was simple and perfect.
Caroline couldn’t pass up a shot of my Grandma’s turquoise ring. I love it so much.
As if all of the food already mentioned wasn’t enough, we also tried two desserts. Roasted Peach and Ricotta Bread Pudding (they have a seasonal rotation every four months) and Banana Cake for Two, the latter of which made my eyes roll around in my head for a good fifteen seconds after the first taste. West also serves a dish of cotton candy (one of my favorite sweets and smells) at the end of every meal, a very fun and whimsical touch that’s sure to leave a good taste in your mouth about the entire dining experience. Thanks so much for a lovely evening, West!
All photos ©Caroline Cohenour
Disclaimer: West provided all food mentioned above, words and opinions are my own.
Feb
20
A Feast For Your Eyes
This post is sponsored by Lean Cuisine. See what’s cooking at the Culinary Roundtable here.
When you’re a lover of design, finding the beauty in everyday things is second nature, and that includes your dining experience. Beautiful, warm textiles and vibrant table settings – and most important, fresh, colorful ingredients – can turn an otherwise regular meal into a pleasurable dining experience that pleases both the palate and the eye. That concept is on the menu at the Lean Cuisine Culinary Roundtable, featuring renowned chefs and restaurateurs coming together to identify the hottest culinary trends
Heading up the artistic kitchen creations are Chicago’s Paul Kahan, who introduces farm-to-table cuisine; Michelle Bernstein of Miami, who brings multicultural flavors to the table; and New York-based Lior Lev Sercarz, known as a spice guru.
Feast your eyes on some of the highlights of their collaboration, and get inspired to design your own dynamic dining experience:
From colors and textures to bold flavors, the newest Lean Cuisine varieties (including Ranchero Braised Beef and Chile Lime Chicken) answer the Roundtable’s call to culinary creativity.
Head to Twitter and follow the #culinarychic hashtag and @LeanCuisine to talk about the beauty in food, and more healthy lifestyle ideas. For more about the Roundtable, like Lean Cuisine on Facebook.
Jan
25
Happy Weekend
01/ LEDscape, an installation of 1,200 IKEA floor lamps.
02/ Defrosting an entire cold storage building.
03/ The Home Office Beach!
04/ A study of butterfly wings.
05/ Meet Momo, like Where’s Waldo with an adorable dog.
06/ NeighBirds. Heh.
07/ A Visual Compendium of Guitars.
08/ Smorgasboard, an illustrated board game for foodies.
09/ Jeni’s cure-all, Influenza Sorbet!
10/ No big deal, just an espresso vending tricycle.
Dec
31
Top 40 Posts Of 2012
A few weeks ago I was taking a look through the past year in posts and decided to put together a Top 40 collection for 2012. I had hoped to spread it out over a few days and organize everything a bit, but a family death and extended stay in Pennsylvania over the holidays set me back and I had to lump it all together. Thank you so much for continuing to help make this site such an amazing part of my daily life – here’s to 2013!
15 Chances to Find Your Ultimate Mac + Cheese // Day to Dinner to Party // New Addition //
Berry Lemonade Vodka + Homemade Blackberry Vodka
B-B-B-Buffalo // Best Word Ever // Campfire Cologne // Celebrated
Coriumi // Popsicles + Poptails – Take 2 // Little Corners // Courtney Martin
Electrolux Design Lab // Mojito Madness // Top Knot // Fluffy Raspberry Mousse
You Can Do It: Create a Gallery Wall // What I Learned: Alt 2012 // HP Designer Matchup //
Luxe Liquors
You Can Do It: Golden Glass Bottles // I Like Notebooks And I Cannot Lie //
Mixtape 17: Where All Your Girls Are Pretty // Mobile Foodie Survival Kit
Mosantimetre Turkish Coffee Pots // Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats // Pete //
Paper Sculptures
Pumpkin Marshmallow Pie // Magnetic Wallpaper // Sigils of the Houses of Westeros //
Wall Tape
Song Map // Dream Thanksgiving // Paper Flowers // Tiffin Lunch Kit
Tobias Tovera // Urban Geodes // Mighty Summit 2012 // Camp Brand
Dec
28
Cookbooked
I’m kind of a cookbook junky. Okay not kind of, I am. Winter always puts me in homemaker mode which means lots of time spent in the kitchen, and this past year has seen lots of fantastic cookbooks that I’m still dying to get in my hands. Do you own any of these? Do you love them?
The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods
Dec
27
Taste Tour: Pachinko Parlor
Pachinko Parlor sits on popular 9th Street in Midtown and is sort of an enigma. There’s sushi for the sushi lover and the sushi hater (try the Philly cheesesteak roll or the chicken curry salad roll). There’s noodles and Asian-inspired dishes and even classics. Basically, you’re sure to find something you like no matter who you are.
My friend and I stopped by for dinner on a Thursday night a few weeks ago. Pachinko has an indoor dining room, but they also have a gorgeous outdoor seating area that’s part porch/part patio and makes you feel like you’re eating at someone’s house. Even though it’s December and the evening was in the 50s we decided to brave the outdoors to take advantage of the view and the fire pit.
Pachinko‘s menu is a perfectly curated mix of appetizers, soups and salads, noodles, sushi, entrees, and desserts. They also have a stellar beer and cocktail list that follows suit.
We opted for the mulled wine, a seasonal favorite that gets requested as soon as temps drop below 70 degrees and a perfect fit for this chilly night. It was so good that it deserved two pictures, trust me.
I couldn’t get enough of the tempura fried fresh green beans with sweet chili cream dipping sauce, basically they could have been my enter meal!
For our first course we order the house salad (Which was described by my friend as having a “snappy” citrusy dressing – YUM!) and Udon noodles which was tossed with flakey salmon and a sake cream sauce.
It was sooo difficult to stop eating those noodles, but I had a roll to focus on…
A crab rangoon roll to be precise. See, I told you there were unique food combinations here! It came with a sweet chili dipping sauce and was the size of about two and a half normal sushi rolls. I ate three pieces and was about to pop. (Pssst… the noodles and even the roll were still tasty the next day!)
The presentation of everything was clean and simple, focused on the food. And the sashimi measured up just as well as everything else.
I’m a big fan of Pachinko Parlor and definitely recommend it for a casual lunch or dinner. It’s located in a great part of town so you can wander around shopping and exploring before sitting down to nosh.
All photos ©Caroline Cohenour
Disclaimer: Pachinko Parlow provided both meals discussed above. All opinions, ideas, and thoughts are my own.
Dec
19
Last Minute Homemade Food Gifts to Give
I don’t care what anyone says, homemade gifts are always some of the best. (Especially when prettily packaged!) During the holidays I think it’s nice to have a little special something for those people you wouldn’t necessarily buy a gift for but are still thinking about. Here are a few of my favorites this December.
Clockwise from top left: Maple Hot Cocoa from Not Without Salt // Cinnamon Cardamom Honey from Reading My Tea Leaves // Boozy Bacon Jam from Spoon Fork Bacon // Meyer Lemon – Orange Bitters from Whole Living // Vanilla Caramel Liquer from Sabrina Sue // Infused Simple Syrups from DIY Network // Homemade Extracts from Spoon Fork Bacon // Lavender Syrup from What Katie Made
Dec
18
New York Mouth
I’ve always, always wanted a subscription to the Fruit of the Month club for Christmas. Seriously. Well, New York Mouth takes that wish of mine and dips it in gold and throws some diamond dust on top for good measure. Hand-crafted, small-batch, indie foods from New York packaged all pretty like and delivered to your (or the lucky gift recipient’s) door. Their monthly subscriptions are my favorite, but you can also purchase a la carte. YUM.
