A Cook's Kitchen

I wanted to share the kitchen from my in-laws house. I've been
working with them on a complete remodel of their entire waterfront
property...we're talking taking the walls down to the studs and adding on about
700 square feet! We're now getting to the final details such as designing window
treatments and furniture placement. It's been a lot of fun and a great challenge
for an interior design student like me. I'm glad my first "real life" design
project is one that I will be able to enjoy after it's all done!

The view from inside the kitchen looking towards the living
room

Because my mother-in-law entertains quite a bit and is a great
cook, this kitchen has every bell and whistle: pot filler, warming drawers,
double convection ovens, two sinks, refridgerator drawers, etc. It's really a
cook's dream kitchen!

Here it is in action!

One of my favorite details is the recycled glass tile backsplash. It's a beautiful slate blue that echoes the color of the water viewed from the window.

The marble counter tops have beautiful grey and gold veining throughout.

Play Time On The Upper East Side

It's been just plain yucky outside lately...rainy, windy, cloudy, just blah. So, when I saw the blue sky appear this afternoon, I just knew I had to get myself outside to enjoy the break in bad weather. My first stop was to Payard Patisserie for a coffee and pastry. Not only are the chocolates and pastries to die for, but the interior design is also divine...think 1930's Paris perhaps?

I devoured this lovely little banana tart!

The cafe section

A view from the formal dining room

A better view of the beautiful light fixtures

The more formal dining area

And onto my next stop...Central Park. There is nothing like "the Park" in the Spring. It just doesn't get any better than this...

And on my towards the subway, I came upon these two little "love birds" in a window. Aaaaw.

Got Milk?

I couldn't help chuckling as I walked past this store front on Madison Ave. What is "Bessy" doing on the same street as Vera Wang and Christian Louboutin? Oh well, she looked cute and brought a smile to my face.

The Partay Was Fabulous

If I do say so myself. Everyone left with full tummies and a bit tipsy. I did wake up the next day with a raging hangover which I didn't really shake off completely until today. Ooooooooh.

I really think the yummy chocolatinis that the hubs made at about 1:00 a.m. were the culprits. Boy, were those bad boys delish!

The camera didn't appear until late in the evening when we were all a bit "happy".

Besides the Chocolatinis, the crab cakes were the next big hit. I found the recipe somewhere on the internet a while ago and have been waiting for an opportunity to make them.

I thought I'd share the recipe with you!

Mini Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

1 lb lump crab meat

2 cups Japanese bread crumbs (Panko)

2 eggs, well beaten

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoons parsley, minced

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Place crab meat in a mixing bowl along with 1 1/2 cups of the bread crumbs, the eggs, mustard, and other remaining ingredients. Mix gently, leaving the crab lumps as large as possible. Shape the mixture in little patties (mine were about an inch and a half in diameter). Coat each patty with some of the remaining bread crumbs. Chill for at least 1 hour before cooking. Heat 1/4 cup of cooking oil over medium heat. Saute each cake 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side in the oil.

Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients:

2/3 cup mayonnaise (I used low fat)

2 scallions, white and green parts chopped

2 tablespoons finely minced flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons drained white horseradish

4 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tobasco to taste

In a small bowl. whisk all the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Greek Eye Candy

I was up late last night battling bouts of excitement about our upcoming sailing trip in the Greek Isles. Rather than just lay in bed thinking about it I powered up the laptop and found some beautiful Greek boutique hotels via Small Luxury Hotels of the World http://www.slh.com/. Sweet dreams quickly followed.

{Vedema Resort}

{On The Rocks Resort}

{Mykonos Grand}



{Hotel Belvedere}

{Elounda Gulf Resort}

{Chromata Resort}

{Minos Beach Art Hotel}

Bye, Bye Brooklyn Party

Since we are moving to Stamford, CT in about two weeks (eeeek!), the Hubs and I are throwing a final little shin-dig tomorrow night for a handful of our closest friends here in NYC. We're so looking forward to hanging out with everyone over a cocktail and some nummy hors d' oeuvres. Here is what's on the menu...

Caprese Crostini

(thank you Freckles Chick for the recipe)

Bacon-wrapped Scallops

Rosemary Cashews

(thank you Kristin for the recipe)

Mushroom and Feta Pockets

(Thank you Suzie for the recipe)

Mini Burgers

Mini Crab Cakes

Vegetable Crudite

Stinky Cheeses

Chocolate Fondue