RECIPES AND MORE FROM AN URBAN KITCHEN

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Elizabeth & James Fall 2010


I stopped by the Elizabeth & James showroom before heading off to the Soho House to start the work day this morning and got a glimpse of all their offerings for fall 2010. The new collection of shoes is their best effort in footwear to date, and there were some seriously covetable pieces of clothing as well. I loved a paper-thin pair of black leather dungarees, a dramatic feather-edged blazer, and some military-inspired button down shirts that felt like they'd be as comfortable as pajama tops.

Also exciting: the Olsen twins are launching a new denim line for wide distribution in the fall called Textile. Each pair takes hours of hand-washing, dying, and sanding to make so that they all have an individual look and feel. I ran my hand over each pair on the rack and I can attest that they are some of the softest jeans I've touched on the market.

Some of my favorite things pictured above. xo

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

In Your Eyes I Am Magnified


No one can take on as many personas with as much ease and seamlessness than Miss Moss. She goes from Old Hollywood queen to wild party girl to young ingenue to femme fatale and back around again and does it all remarkably convincingly. She's a true chameleon and that's one of the reasons she's so legendary--people see what they want to in her and it's all the truth in one way or another. I completely forgot about her days with super short cropped hair before I stumbled upon this Mario-Testino-shot spread on Fashion Gone Rogue. I love her platinum blond phase. Isn't it funny how some of these pictures were taken over a decade ago and they somehow still seem completely relevant and modern? C'est la Moss.

Originally published in Vogue Paris, January 2006.

A Recipe for Comfort (And Passover)


When I was in college, I went through a (very long) phase in which I chose to date a series of stridently confident, smoothly handsome, big-man-on-campus, uniformly terrible men (boys?). I always knew better going into the playing field with these pretty, slithering louts but nothing could stop me from marching in with all the naivete and young, brazen foolishness that only being 18 and new to a city can provide.

After a few go-a-rounds, though, I found myself thoroughly exhausted, a bit battle-scarred to the heart, and longing for something (or someone) with more stability, something a little more sane. I decided to empty my basket, so to speak, of all the on-again-off-again non-relationships I was in and wait for something better. And that is precisely when I met Justin. It just goes to show that sometimes the universe will hand you exactly what you need if you'll only make room for it.

Justin was everything I could possibly have asked for in a boyfriend. He was attentive and caring, funny and driven, and best of all, he came fully equipped with a big, lovely family that would invite me over to their home for dinners that involved tables loaded with brisket and schnitzel and steaming hot potato knishes and a strangely comforting dish called matzo brei. As an Asian girl from Hawaii, I had never had much opportunity to discover Jewish foods, so the first Passover Seder I participated in with Justin's family was quite an eye-opener.

Matzo brei is an unexpected mixture of matzo crackers, eggs, salt and pepper fried up in a pat of melted butter until golden and crispy at the edges, soft in places, and with just the right touch of subtly salty comfort. I ate an embarrassing amount of it at that dinner table and eventually managed to pry the recipe for it from Justin's mother. It was a cheap, good, filling thing to whip up on a hungry whim during all those late, sleepless college nights and it sustained me through countless study sessions, sorority hazing rituals, and a few utterly broken hearts.

Justin and I--well, we eventually broke up as most college couples tend to do and it was absolutely heart-wrenching at the time. But I did inherit his mother's recipe for matzo brei, which is, to this day, the most perfect rendition of the dish I've ever tasted. I still make it even now--for a late, lazy Sunday breakfast or an even lazier Monday night dinner from time to time. It's easy, quick as lightning to make, and completely delicious. And that, I would say, is worth any fleeting heartbreak.

Here's the recipe. Happy Passover!


Mrs. H's Perfect Matzo Brei

Ingredients
3 square sheets of matzo
2 large eggs, beaten
Sea salt and pepper
Pat of butter for frying

Directions
Bring 4 cups of water to boil and pour into a bowl. Break the matzos into pieces and soak in the water for just a few minutes. Drain the water and pat the matzos dry. Return the matzos to the empty bowl.

Pour the beaten eggs into the bowl with salt and pepper to taste, and stir until combined.

Heat the butter in a frying pan until foam subsides. Take heaping tablespoonfuls of batter at a time and gently fry, patting the center down. You can make several small pancakes or one large pancake. When golden brown on one side, turn over with a spatula and fry on the other.

All photographs found on FoodMayhem.com's Flickr page.

Friday, March 26, 2010

With a Little Help From My Friends

Me and Matt Kays
 
Andrew Mukamal and May Kwok

Alex Weiss and Paul Avarali
 
 Andrew Mukamal, Mark Holcomb, and Steven Rojas
 
 Kristian Laliberte and Maia Wojcik
 
 May Kwok, Paul Avarali, Bevy Reyes, and Matt Kays
 
 Jessica Karcher and Kelly Ricci

 May Kwok and me
 
 Matt + Maia
 
 Me and Steven Rojas (aka Roro)

Molly Freidman and Kelley Hoffman

Mike Nouveau
Kathleen Jahnke and me

 Neel Shah
 
Maggi Warner, Ro, Carson Griffith, and Adriel Reboh

Vanna Youngstein

Elin Svahn and Steven Rojas

Liam Alexander and Brian Boulos

Heather Lunny and Liz Doupnik

Jeff David-Gray

Michelle Halpern

Gigi Burris

Paul Avarali, me, David Lipke and Derek Hester

I had the best birthday ever last night thanks to a big, fun, collectively gorgeous group of friends who took me to Lil Frankies in the East Village for a yummy Italian dinner then to Baddies for some serious imbibing. I think there was a tequila shot contest going on at one point. We all ended up at Avenue and danced the place closed. It really was a perfect night. I love my friends. xo