tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35930268594548850852012-02-16T01:19:11.219-05:00Ruminations on food, restaurants, and culinary minutiae in London, New York and many places in between.Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.comBlogger521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-89276478692497678822009-05-11T17:49:00.006-04:002009-05-11T18:31:02.826-04:00

I've been admiring Wendy's blog A Wee Bit of Cooking (and her gorgeous dog, Marco, who features prominently) for some time now. It's already been nearly a year since she posted this recipe for Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos adapted from The Moosewood Low Fat Cookbook. It has been, therefore, nearly a year since I've been meaning to make them.I finally got around to this today, partly

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-47390821817154480272009-02-20T14:16:00.003-05:002009-02-20T14:21:28.466-05:00

Obama Sushi. Need I say more?Via coldmud via The Food Section.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-52704346130694444162009-02-09T13:53:00.004-05:002009-02-09T16:30:51.667-05:00

Not only do they have the Alps, fantastic transportation and Zurich (the 4th most livable city in the world), but living in Switzerland means eating Swiss chocolate. And lots of it, apparently.The NZZ (a newspaper that many people I know love, but I can't really read) reported today that despite the economic downturn/credit crunch/recession/depression/whatchamacallit, the Swiss "Schoko-Industrie"

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-78579165364741509502009-02-08T09:04:00.005-05:002009-02-08T09:35:36.919-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything here (and that's an understatement), but recently I read something so puzzling that I have to share it.A summer scene on the banks of the Gull River, MindenSome of you may know Minden, Ontario; famous for the surrounding cottage country, Dollo's IGA and the Rockcliffe Hotel/Tavern, it is a small town of which I am very fond.It seems that there is some

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-4934367383289328862008-09-01T11:57:00.003-04:002008-09-01T12:18:22.593-04:00

Did you know that the flowers of a fig are actually inside the fruit? And that a breadfruit is essentially an overgrown mulberry? Gorgeous close ups of seeds from the amazing Kew Gardens via the BBC. 

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-12403697068665547042008-03-30T09:58:00.001-04:002008-03-30T10:30:02.579-04:00

I went to the new, gleaming Waitrose in Bloomsbury last week to get something for supper. I was, as I always am at Waitrose, impressed by the variety of the offerings: jerusalem artichokes, sharon fruit and cave-aged gruyere among them. But I stopped when I got to the packaged fresh fish. I am a regular buyer of fresh fish at Waitrose, but this visit I found the selection less than inspiring. I

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-78242547546850698312008-02-06T16:23:00.000-05:002008-02-06T16:50:31.539-05:00

Jonathan Church, media director for Tesco, seems to have become a little jumbled while defending the new £1.99 price of whole chickens in this BBC News article."We have been working hard for a while to increase the amount of higher-welfare chicken we sell." He says. But he also says that customers can be assured the chickens (and the article implies he is referring to the £1.99 birds) have been "

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-48239095523010305192008-02-03T15:11:00.000-05:002008-02-05T17:06:47.229-05:00

I'm all for re-usable shopping bags. Actually, I've been trying to work out if it's bad to get a plastic bag or two every week to re-use as garbage bags, because I've run out and don't see the point in buying bags for that purpose (any ideas welcome). I'm getting off topic though. The point is that though I am into reducing my waste, I must admit that I was a little skeptical when I started

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-50259199934956790262008-01-27T16:42:00.001-05:002008-01-29T18:17:41.265-05:00

Yesterday we popped into our favourite cheese shop, Neal's Yard Dairy, to buy some cheese for brunch today. The guy behind the counter asked what it was for, so I told him I wanted to make an experimental cheese bread pudding. A look of disgust flashed across his face so I quickly explained - my idea was for a cross between a cheese souffle and a savoury bread pudding. A springy macaroni and

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-86411004477652501222008-01-26T07:49:00.000-05:002008-01-26T15:56:42.100-05:00

Bill Gates has pledged $306 million to supporting small-scale local farming in developing countries, mostly in Africa. By the end of 2008 the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation plans to invest $900 million in agriculture worldwide reports The World Bank. Check out the foundations's website here.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-64465434664335098582008-01-26T06:43:00.000-05:002008-01-26T07:32:42.751-05:00

...calls for a sunny breakfast.Freshly-squeezed orange juiceBanana and cranberry muffins (recipe below)BirchermuesliBaguette, butter and jamBanana and Dried Cranberry Muffins(adapted from allrecipes.com)Makes 10-12 muffins (depending on the size you want).1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salta pinch of nutmeg1/3 cup dried cranberries3 bananas,

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-46167977130464622382008-01-19T16:36:00.000-05:002008-01-19T17:08:27.247-05:00

In most cases I hope to provide people who visit nylon diner with stimulating content that entertains and perhaps educates. I love to check up on how people find nylon diner (through links, seach engines, etc) and what interests bring them here. Here are some recent searches that led people to my little blog, in order of frequency:five second rulechocolate stress3 little pig punsbavarian

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-5899270142189101542008-01-06T14:02:00.000-05:002008-01-08T02:39:31.603-05:00

Ok, I know, it's already gone by but I'm stretching the last day of Christmas to the 6th because today is Epiphany and I haven't made or even eaten any Galette des Rois to share with you. I am consoling myself by sharing my gingerbread house instead, and I feel that requires it still to be the Christmas season, so I declare today the 13th and final day of Christmas.I made this house a few weeks

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-31959721070923533842008-01-05T07:23:00.000-05:002008-01-10T02:40:56.858-05:00

Patricia and Carolyn, the lovely ladies at PS and MiragePaperCo's Designer Blog respectively, have tagged me! I had never been tagged before yesterday, and then I had the pleasure twice in one day!Here are the rules:1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.2. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-43722796819111170682007-12-07T16:31:00.000-05:002007-12-07T18:30:50.640-05:00

The Economist tackles the causes of the rise in food prices here:"Increasing wealth in China and India... is stoking demand for meat in those countries, in turn boosting the demand for cereals to feed to animals. The use of grains for bread, tortillas and chapattis is linked to the growth of the world's population. It has been flat for decades, reflecting the slowing of population growth. But

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-63962821990507266232007-11-22T07:03:00.000-05:002007-11-22T02:04:11.997-05:00

I'm always impressed by friends who go to St. John for the first time and order the bone marrow. My dad always said when I was little (and still says, actually), "If you go to a hamburger joint, order a hamburger." Well if you could characterise St. John by one dish it would be the roasted bone marrow on toast with parsley salad, and that's the thing to order there. It's always on the menu and in

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-60280532921196038052007-11-19T13:03:00.001-05:002009-03-10T06:46:14.911-04:00

Æbleskiver (n., pl.)- Doesn't this word sound like something you might call a truant child, skiving off of school? Well it's not. Æbleskiver are spherical Danish pancakes. In English the word is most often written ebleskiver or aebleskiver according to my (mostly) trusty source Wikipedia.Photo courtesy of Baking With Sourdough StartersI came across these on Baking With Sourdough Starters via

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-82991418511867265442007-11-02T13:32:00.000-04:002007-11-02T14:27:29.175-04:00

We drove out to Berkshire a couple of weeks ago for a mushroom-foraging folly. I had always wanted to eat mushrooms I had picked myself and I daydreamed of lightly browned, soft fungi dripping garlicky butter into a dark piece of toast.I still dream about it, because despite all of the mushrooms we saw that day we didn't eat any and only picked a couple to examine them. I could not, and still

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-54718400336254969512007-10-30T20:02:00.000-04:002007-10-30T20:25:01.631-04:00

I love these chocolate spiders (by Not Martha on the Design*Sponge guest blog). Who knew Pocky were so versatile? I was thinking here in the United Kingdom we could substitute Cadbury's chocolate fingers. I bet some black licorice strings would work well too, although they aren't always a hit with the young folks.The top spider is my favourite as he (or let's call it a "she", since in my mind she

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-30501500114890312402007-10-24T12:11:00.000-04:002007-10-24T14:39:27.928-04:00

Remember the pigs who were eating junk food because the price of corn had been driven up by demand for corn to produce US-subsidized ethanol? Is the biofuel worth it? I'm all for (well-considered) alternative sources of energy, but the chain reaction that these subsidies have sparked just keeps going.It turns out that other crops are being turned into biofuels too, notably wheat, which is an

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-5911276040764613702007-09-26T17:28:00.001-04:002007-09-26T17:36:32.557-04:00

Have you ever cooked with flowers? I can't say I've ever cooked with them, but I have used them as a garnish and as a decoration. Most recently I used an assortment of flowers containing lots of pansies to top my Easter cheesecake.In this Observer Word of Mouth post Paul Levy discusses his adventures with floral ingredients in relation to a new book by Frances Bissell called "The Scented Kitchen:

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-49163908576952082002007-09-25T07:36:00.000-04:002007-09-29T04:10:08.241-04:00

The rather fortunate fallout from our recent Swiss adventure is my renewed obsession with birchermuesli. Served by Dr Maximillian Bircher Benner at his Zurich sanatorium around the turn of the 20th century, it has maintained its healthy reputation (although the original required condensed milk for hygiene reasons) as it has gained popularity. It's as common as gipfeli (Swiss croissants) for

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-28866415021014280252007-09-24T07:41:00.000-04:002007-09-24T07:41:02.479-04:00

Our recent trip to Germany and Switzerland was a welcome chance to re-visit the cuisine of a land often over-looked as being all sausage and fondue, no substance.The real local market (affordable, shopable, friendly and without 29 different varieties of aged balsamic vinegar or hemp lavender pillows) lives on in Germany. We visited Kaiserslautern's "markt" on a particularly bountiful day in late

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-41775401819469325692007-09-09T12:32:00.000-04:002007-09-09T17:35:26.092-04:00

Have you ever tried ackee and saltfish? Macaroni pie? Ever sandwiched a pattie in a soft, sweet coco bread? Do you think Solomon Gundy must be a misspelling of a classic nursery rhyme*?If you've never travelled to the Caribbean you've probably been missing out on the best of West Indian cuisine. According to Wade Lyn's post on word of mouth, The Observer's food blog, "recent research revealed

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-82620718446386784752007-09-07T17:35:00.000-04:002007-09-07T17:41:31.651-04:00

Just when I thought I was getting sick of cupcakes, I see these gorgeous ones from VeganYumYum via Design*Sponge.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-38295797333021878032007-09-05T17:22:00.000-04:002007-09-07T17:29:28.911-04:00

My last days in New York were crammed full of deliciousness of all kinds. At first I tried to fit in all the things I hadn't done, then I went back to revisiting my favourites places. All the while I was finishing up all of my work at the pottery. Considering how quickly it was all glazed, I am happy with the results. This is one of my favourite bowls, filled with one of my favourite fruits.I

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-53346600244786292392007-08-15T18:45:00.000-04:002007-08-15T21:50:51.657-04:00

My favourite NYC museum, The Lower East Side Tenement Museum, is expanding. Well, that's not really it, because the space already exists. Renovating? No. Degrading? Sort of.According to this Grub Street post, the museum plans to expand to show more of the experience of tenement dwellers between 1863 and 1935. They will recreate a privy behind the building and restore (that's the word) the

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-53023136842946317592007-08-08T17:41:00.000-04:002007-08-13T08:25:21.015-04:00

Oh, the irony. I just came back from my local gourmet food store where I was browsing for dinner ideas. I decided, while in the vegetable aisle, to make some guacamole and have it with black beans and rice. I gathered ingredients then headed over to the bountiful cheese section to find something to go on top of the beans. I wanted to use a Mexican cheese - preferably Cotija, the salty, crumbly

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-9285680773654854402007-08-03T16:29:00.000-04:002007-08-03T16:48:07.779-04:00

Back in March I entered the Waitrose Food Illustrated search for a new food writer. No, I didn't win, but the winning entry has been published in the August Issue of WFI and you can read it here. It's very good. And if you feel so inclined you can read my entry here:Beast of Baking“Off-limits” was something I experienced very little as a child. The medicine cabinet was definitely a no-go, and I

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-23354251319730987562007-08-03T11:31:00.000-04:002007-08-03T11:52:49.620-04:00

That was close. We were both supposed to be away for the past couple of weeks, and the herbs would have had a premature death due to dehydration. Luckily for them (but not for him), Jan had to stay at home while I was away, so the plants get to live! For now.The basil is very upright, the parsley is a little bit wonky and the coriander is all topsy turvy. But there are real, recognisable little

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-20984015577731836462007-08-03T10:40:00.001-04:002007-08-03T11:30:08.085-04:00

Foods can carry strong associations with people, time, seasons, weather, moods and places. Over years of coming up to Ontario’s cottage country for a lakeside break over the summer, my family has begun to associate the cottage with grilling, and meat in particular. We’re not always a meat-centric bunch, but something about this place (might have something to do with the oven being broken) leads

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-72560172395255750902007-07-13T10:08:00.001-04:002007-07-13T10:17:56.604-04:00

BasilParsleyCorianderWe have progress! Everything has sprung up. In fact the coriander shoots are becoming a tangled mess and I'm not sure what to do about it. The most exciting development is that new, real leaves are appearing on all the herbs so they are starting to look more like their "adult" selves. I am slightly worried about what is going to happen to them while I am away over the next

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-26750867600617895492007-07-11T08:44:00.000-04:002007-07-11T09:02:33.206-04:00

Slightly off-topic, I know, but I had to share some photos of signs and store fronts from San Francisco. I spent a lot of my time there looking up and around at the great 60s and 70s (I imagine) lightboxes, neon signs and store fronts. Check out Little Paris - a great, if slightly out of place, storefront in Chinatown. And I threw in an old rusty car for good measure.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-4846517580736149132007-07-09T15:43:00.000-04:002007-07-09T22:32:44.650-04:00

I could write an entry about every single thing I ate, and lots of things I only looked at, while I was in San Francisco. Unfortunately that’s too much of an undertaking right now, so here are some of the highs (and lows):The Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market at the Embarcadero:This is the ultimate farmer’s market, especially at this time of year. Cornucopia would be an understatement. There is a (well

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-88098425266451642272007-06-21T09:27:00.000-04:002007-06-21T09:37:57.052-04:00

I've been checking on my little darlings at least a few times a day. I thought it was all in vain until last night I saw a glimmer of white sprout - and this morning there was quite the show! The basil turns out to be a little precocious, sprouting on day 3, no less. Still no sign of the parsley or the coriander - maybe they're feeling shy.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-33830940046458056462007-06-19T12:11:00.000-04:002007-06-19T12:34:37.838-04:00

Yesterday I took the plunge and planted the seeds I bought back in February. I'm using a planter that came with the soil included, in pellet form - perfect (I hope) for the urban gardener. Just add water.I've planted Italian parsley (seeds above), as well as coriander and basil, since they are my most frequently used herbs. My punishment for procrastinating is that there will be no homegrown

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-79662872289041722042007-06-06T10:10:00.000-04:002007-06-06T10:38:57.908-04:00

This is too beautiful not to share. Check out the gorgeousness of KUIDAORE, a new favourite food blog of mine (that's new to me, not new to the world). Joycelyn writes mostly, though not exclusively, about baking and sweet things. Her writing is engaging, her photos are delectable and I imagine her food is both.

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-40957499253505039542007-05-21T13:22:00.000-04:002007-06-19T12:36:20.339-04:00

The Food Section linked today to a highly disturbing article from the Wall Street Journal. Lauren Etter reports that due to rising demand for corn-based ethanol, a biofuel subsidized by the U.S. government, corn prices have risen so much that farmers are seeking other foodstuffs to feed their livestock. The result? Pigs and other animals are increasingly being fed "cookies, licorice, cheese curls

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-15488156494575565402007-05-18T09:19:00.000-04:002007-05-18T09:46:00.888-04:00

While waiting for a friend the other day I got a chance to go into a bookstore that I have always wanted to peruse - McNally Robinson (52 Prince St). Not only do they have a little cafe with handsome baked goods (unfortunately I had just had breakfast so I didn't get to try any), but they have a well organized selection of books and magazines.The periodicals were already looking good from afar

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-32616262391315953562007-05-10T16:10:00.000-04:002007-05-10T16:37:29.791-04:00

You know you've used it, but does it work? Yesterday in The New York Times, Harold McGee wrote an article on whether we can actually trust food that has been on the floor for less than five seconds. According to him, there is truth behind the notion that the longer food is on a surface the more bacteria it picks up. However, very small numbers of some microbes can still make us sick. Hence, McGee

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-12341005697501359232007-05-10T09:36:00.000-04:002007-05-10T09:50:15.850-04:00

For all of the frozen yogurt lovers who were as disappointed with Pinkberry as I was (see the post), I think I may have found a good alternative. Heidi Swanson over at 101 Cookbooks just blogged about a great recipe from David Lebovitz's new book, The Perfect Scoop. It's simple (containing just yogurt and sugar, with optional vanilla) and adaptable, so you can make the frozen treat to your taste

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-29419202574467314172007-05-08T08:12:00.001-04:002007-05-08T10:21:00.981-04:00

When I was upstate last weekend I did some cookbook shopping – one of the only kinds of shopping it is important to do on a full stomach. I bought a couple of books to add to my NY library, which made the collection a grand total of four. But then friendly brown box came in the mail this morning; and then there were five.I miss a lot of the cookbooks that I left in London, particularly my

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-28522129997601437512007-05-02T11:30:00.000-04:002007-05-03T08:37:44.418-04:00

A friend recommended Hudson, New York to me as an antique shopping destination that is easily accessible from the city. Just a two hour train ride from Penn Station, Hudson is fast becoming a home away from home for urbanites not only with a keen eye for art and architecture but with a keen palette, too.Once a prominent port and industrial city, Hudson fell into decline in the late 19th century

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-71556351748234699482007-04-25T22:08:00.000-04:002007-04-26T09:36:21.547-04:00

The Ghetto Gourmet was my first gastronomic blind date.The "original underground experience" was set up in Oakland, California by two brothers, a chef and a poet, looking to feed and entertain people in an unconventional manner. They began to put together weekly dinners in their living room, and the movement grew larger and larger. Now events are run across the country and range from intimate

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-30601818940579698502007-04-23T08:37:00.000-04:002007-04-23T08:57:25.355-04:00

I must admit I was slightly proud to see an article about fellow food blogger, Clotide Dusoulier, in The New York Times Magazine this weekend. Dusoulier's blog "Chocolate and Zucchini" is a showcase for her passion for food as well as her idyllic life in Montmartre, Paris. Following in the tradition of her quartier, her recipes are creative and sometimes verging on the avant-garde (Broccoli and

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-55309712241899789912007-04-17T16:48:00.000-04:002007-04-26T08:48:53.456-04:00

Perhaps you have suffered from it too? Chocolate anxiety; that feeling I get when I want to make the perfect creation of chocolatey goodness can’t find the right thing to make. The dreaded feeling happens most just before birthdays or parties. It helps to know that I am not the only one; according to Julia Moskin’s article on brownies in the New York Times, she suffers from the same thing. The

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-20803990693660415942007-04-16T16:08:00.000-04:002007-04-26T08:50:14.012-04:00

The torrential rain that hit the Northeast yesterday did not keep me from enjoying an otherwise perfectly good Sunday. We met friends for brunch at Barney Greengrass on the Upper West Side and then headed to MoMA for some cultural stimulation.Barney Greengrass was a NYC favourite of mine before I even moved here. I liken this institution and another old-school Jewish stalwart, Schwartz’s in

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-17266131559431411712007-04-13T16:48:00.001-04:002007-04-13T18:10:28.455-04:00

I used to bring a packed lunch to school, and the best days were always when my mum put something extra special in it - a joke or a note, some chocolate or some unusual fruit. I was reminded of this when my mom sent me an article from the Guardian about Mimi Ito's bentoblog, an online photojournal of her children's lunchboxes.These aren't just any lunch boxes. They are impeccably organized bentos

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-88141695914988480982007-04-12T18:36:00.000-04:002007-04-26T08:51:52.206-04:00

When I went to Pinkberry last night I felt like a child who didn't quite get what they wished for for Christmas. It's as if I asked for an all-singing, all-dancing battery operated doll and received a "true to life" plastic doll instead. Still a nice present, but not quite the indulgence I was looking for.Pinkberry has nice wrapping, as I suspected. The store is lit with what look to me like Le

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-83464349056573927862007-04-11T16:56:00.000-04:002007-04-11T18:32:13.409-04:00

I can’t wait to try pinkberry. A friend told me that it has taken SoCal by storm – to the extent that it is bothering him that people won’t stop talking about it. Apparently everyone says their frozen yogurt 'really tastes like yogurt'. I’ve got to try some. I didn’t even know that it existed, let alone that there are three branches in New York. I already have a soft spot (excuse the pun) for

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-45823033957764326892007-04-10T18:43:00.000-04:002007-04-10T18:44:02.564-04:00

I'm wondering what to do with my leftover Easter eggs. I dyed them naturally with turmeric, beetroot and red cabbage so they are more than edible. I was thinking retro-chic deviled eggs, but I don’t think the two of us can eat ten boiled eggs in any form, so they will have to be eaten in installments. For now I am still happy just looking at them when I open the fridge…Although I love my eggs,

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3593026859454885085.post-23142184487484334882007-04-10T17:37:00.000-04:002007-04-10T18:03:29.509-04:00

Moving to New York was a shock to my system in more ways than one. I left a great job, fantastic friends and family and the familiarity of my beloved London. It takes a lot of time and commitment to get to know a city like London or New York, and I feel like I was nearly there. I’ve exchanged easy weekends of wandering around old haunts for the buzzing opportunity of this manic city. New York

Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10858666511646371528noreply@blogger.com2