dumplings.

I've written before about our weekly dinners with Cait and Curt. With the arrival of tiny Oliver, the ritual has become somewhat more unpredictable than it was this summer, but whether it's dinner on a Tuesday or dinner on a Sunday, we still find ourselves gathered around their table on a weekly basis. These days the only difference is that we pass a tiny burping being from one shoulder to the next as we enjoy our meal.  On Saturday, we made dumplings.

Curt did most of the work while the rest of us cooed at Oliver's ability to bob his head rhythmically and blink his eyelids.

Kale and mushrooms, garlic and ginger, sauteed and folded into dumpling wrappers.
Pan fried until deep golden and crispy.

Served with scallions and jalapenos and sauces for dipping.
The food's secondary to the company, which only serves to tell you how much we love this newly minted trio.

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my week in objects (mostly).

five little things that made my week.

1. this bagel.
{because of the company}.

2. this pillow case.

{because every single thing in liane's shop is incredible right now. and this one's now on my couch}.

3. this banana.

{because i was on a banana kick this week. don't know why}.

4. this skirt.

{because sometimes dressing up makes a frazzled day feel better}.

5. this table top.

{because mildred set it and served us pea soup in glass bowls}.

other things:
more love for my toolbox.
a lookbook with yours truly.
post offices at risk.
architecture, memory, & loss.
this is rather more lighthearted.
ultraviolet inspiration.

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make-believe: making my own clothes

Lately, all I can think about is how much I'd like to be able to make my own clothes. I imagine running my hands over bolts of linen and cotton, cutting along patterns, getting the fit just right and having a whole collection of go-to dresses for the warmer weather that I know, I know, is just around the corner. I don't own a sewing machine and the last time I used one I broke the needle not once, but twice. Still, I can't help thinking about slipping on a simple dress to wear all spring and summer long. Here, a few beautiful bits of inspiration made by other people.

What about you? Have you tackled making your own clothes?

1. Bridge & Burn: Wren 2. Modaspia: Fiji 3. Pamela Tang: W. 4. Rennes: Vergennes 5. Mother: Mary-Jane

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< two fifty: life in a tiny apartment.

Take advantage of under-the-bed storage bins.

For once I am suggesting that you actually invest in a product made for the sole purpose of organizing. In general I'm cautious about this kind of endorsement. When you have a habit of moving frequently, it's unlikely that investments you make in storage solutions for one space will work in the next. We've talked about this before. But in the case of under the bed storage, I make an exception. The reasons are simple enough:

1) In a tiny apartment the space under your bed is a vast swath of useable territory that should be conquered and exploited.
2) You'll likely always have a bed under which to stash things, so the storage won't be obsolete when you move.*
3) If you don't invest in storage bins or bags the likelihood that the space beneath your bed will become a final resting space for errant socks and dust bunnies and crumpled college sweatshirts grows exponentially.
4) Storage bins designed to fit under beds are worlds easier to use than the array of cardboard boxes and garbage bags and overstuffed gym duffels you might currently be using.

In my humble opinion, under the bed storage units are not all made alike, and it's worth doing a bit of research before investing. The most important thing is that the containers actually fit where you want them to. Until recently, the boxes that we kept under our bed could only slide out from the side. With only a few inches of clearance on either side of our bed, this meant needing to lift the foot of the bed in an Atlas-style maneuver that left your shoulder bruised and your neck pinched. When you keep your linens under the bed, it's nice to be able to access them without needing She-Ra around to do the heavy-lifting.

We gave our old boxes to the super of the building next to ours (neighbors helping neighbors!) and bought a cloth bag from Muji instead. It slides easily in and out from the foot of the bed, and it unzips all the way around for easy access. For storing things like James's text books and our ever-handy extension cord collection, we have three clear plastic boot boxes from The Container Store. They're slim and simple and they stack easily for moving purposes. Most importantly, they clear the bed frame.

While I'm giving unsolicited advice, I'll say two last things: 1)These things come in lots of colors. You'll never regret going with something neutral. 2) Steer clear of under-the-bed plastic drawers. They're cumbersome to move and they become easily warped and bent. Better to stick with a classic and sturdy box instead.

*If you've gone the route of shipping palette on the floor, this might not be the post for you...sorry.

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carroll street bridge

For the past month or so I've been working on a freelance history project with the Brooklyn Historical Society and a public school in the city. Together with a group of ten 4th and 5th graders, I've been exploring the history of this little corner of Brooklyn. We're studying canals and factories and retractile bridges! Here, colorful shots of the Carroll Street Bridge for your Tuesday. Later today, more thoughts over on The Equals Record.

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chocolate tart with shortbread crust.

Weekends that include an afternoon with a chocolate tart cooling on the table can only be counted as successful. Doesn't matter how filled up it was with non-chocolatey activities, a weekend that finishes with a healthy dose of chocolate and a pillow of whipped cream fall firmly into the category of good. Double the points if it wasn't even you who brought the dessert into being.

This tart is easy to make and easier to enjoy. It's a riff on Baked's chocolate tart with whiskey, except for us it was minus the whiskey. Not because we're teetotalers, but just because we didn't have any handy. We've made this tart a few times recently and it's so good and so simple, that I thought we should share. I use 'we' here only loosely. James has always been the one to make the tart, I only hounded him about the process and asked him to freeze periodically throughout so that I could share photos with all of you.







Ingredients:

Shortbread crust:
10 ounces shortbread cookies, mashed (we used a little less than 2 boxes of Walker's)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 ounces butter (if unsalted, add a pinch or two of salt)

Filling:
3/4 cup cream
1/3 cup whole milk
6 ounces dark chocolate
3.5 ounces milk chocolate (we used a bar of Divine)
(the original recipe calls for 5 oz. dark and 4 oz. milk)

1 egg + one egg yolk

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (or more) vanilla (we've been using vanilla bean paste, lately)

For the crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. The original recipe calls for a springform pan. This would be useful to folks interested in being able to serve this dessert neatly. For tiny apartment dwellers, or anyone who enjoys throwing caution to the wind, a tart pan will do just fine.

2. Smash your cookies to smithereens  If you have a food processor, have at it. If you prioritize cocktail muddlers over food processors, like we do, muddlers come in handy here. (A plastic bag and a large mug could also work well). The bottom line, smash your cookies any way that you can, until they are reduced to very fine crumbs. Combine with sugar and salt, if using.

3. Pour melted butter over the crumbs and combine with a fork. Once combined, turn the mixture into a lightly greased pan (whichever sort you're using), and press it into the bottom and up the sides. Use your fingers. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes, or so.

(If you're using a ceramic dish like we did, let your tart pan warm up again a bit before the next step).

4. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust until it is dry to the touch. We left ours in for about 10 minutes. Remove crust from the oven and let cool. Increase oven temp to 325 F.

For the filling:

1. This couldn't be easier. Over medium heat, stir together the cream and milk. Don't skimp on the full fat stuff, unless you're not into things that are tasty, in which case, do.  Let the mixture simmer. Don't walk away from the stove. Nothing is worse than scalded milk.

2. Remove the pan from the burner and add the chopped up chocolate bits. Whisk everything together and then set aside so that the chocolate mixture can cool.

3. Next step is to add your eggs. Taste a bit of the chocolate to be sure that it's not so hot that your eggs will cook when you put them in. Use a fork to beat in your egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and a tablespoon of flour. (You can do this step separately if you'd like as the original recipe suggests, but just plopping everything in works out just fine as long as you whisk well).

4. Pour filling into the tart crust and bake for 20 minutes. The edges should be set, but the center should be jiggly, like most things that are yummy.  Remove from the oven and cool.

5. This tart is best served with a giant heaping mound of vanilla scented whipped cream, but we brought ours to a festive dinner with friends, so we waited to do the mounding until it was ready to be eaten. We came home with a clean dish. A good sign, I think.

Happy March.

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my week in objects (mostly).

1. this bouquet.
{because every time i came back to my apartment this week, it smelled heavenly}.

2. this light bulb.

{because we really needed a new one, and we just happened to sit down in a café across from a lighting store. one minute to closing and it was ours}.

3. this chocolate.

{because i was desperate for something sweet and i found this stashed in the cabinet}.

4. this shampoo and conditioner.

{because the ugly labels peeled right off}.

5. this folder of miscellany.

{because it was another organization project conquered this week. post-its and stamps and checks, all in one spot}.

other things.
a new month calls for a little something new, no?
this gives perspective in more than one way.
this is haunting. especially considering the plastics above.
this looks incredible.
watching this over the weekend.
wishing for a weekend away. this in tow.

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