Everyone has a short list of menu items that their brain scans for. For Tad, it’s the words bolognese and beets. For my friend Merrill, it’s ricotta and rosé. For me, it’s anchovy, tonnato, and zucchini when it’s in season. So local Ojai favorite Rory’s Place had me defenseless with its “Romanesco zucchini tonnato, anchovy bread crumb, pickled mustard seed.” I will be working on a recipe for it to share this summer.
In other summer prep news, my friend Anna told me about this amazing bug catcher (and releaser). There are a lot of bugs everywhere in summer, so stock up on this humane and well-designed tool, which is Tad-approved. Ojai is full of spiders, and he’s the spider-catcher in the family. I’m the shrieking spider-spotter. The catcher tool even has a built-in magnifying glass should you want a close look at a spider’s pedipalps.
Tad delivering lunch from Poppy’s at mile 16; the Great Saunter route went by my favorite NYC building.
More scintillating inspo in this week’s Homeward:
Our return to NYC
A guide to outdoor furniture: what we did for outdoor “rooms” and seating areas in Ojai; which products we chose; and why outdoor furniture feels so disconnected from the rest of the design industry. (There wasn’t enough room here to include my 50+ picks, so head over to Rec League to see them all. A reminder that free subscribers get 15% off with this code. Paid subscribers, scroll down for a special discount.)
We returned to New York for the summer. To pigeons nesting on our bedroom air conditioner, loudly cooing every morning. To fireworks awakening us at midnight (a special feature of living in Brooklyn Heights). To a bathroom that needs major wall and cabinetry repair due to a leak while we were away. And to a kitchen drawer that refuses to stay closed and sneaks out to stick at 7 inches open (I measured).
Jojo Feld and Virginia Sin celebrating the opening; a singular SIN lamp.
That said, we’ve also been reminded of New York’s unparalleled energy. On our first day back, I went to an opening for SIN, a ceramics brand created by Virginia Sin, whose porcelain paper plates I bought back when her business was her side gig. The Greenpoint location is Virginia’s first brick and mortar store, and it’s like a shoebox filled with treasures. We have her square, woven flushmount sconce in our Ojai house.
My Saunter-mate Shauna and one of the Saunter staff, herding the cats.
I joined thousands of walkers for the Great Saunter, a 32-mile (34 with the odd detour) loop around the shoreline of Manhattan, then spent the next 24 hours horizontal. I ate a cardamom bun from Ferrane and a cruller from Daily Provisions. I walked a packaging trade show at the Javits Center, and learned that New England still boasts a number of paper printing companies that were started in the 19th century—which grew out of its textile printing industry.
Daily Provisions yuzu cruller and caramel chocolate cookie (dessert while watching season 3 of Industry).
My neighbor in Ojai texted me a photo of the “moon water” she’d made (moon water is like sun tea but made with water, crystals, and moonlight instead of water, teabags, and sunlight), and I felt very far away from Ojai.
Our Backyard Design
As it’s getting “warm” in New York and many of you are probably starting to think about opening your windows and dusting off your grills, it seems like a good time to show you what we did for outdoor furniture in Ojai. We worked with Terremoto to create a landscape with lots of separate areas and modes. Then we collaborated with Reath Design on clusters of seating areas. Here’s a zone-by-zone lay of the land: ...
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Welcome to Come On Over, Food52's newsletter about hosting life's big and little moments. This month, guest editor Lidey Heuck — recipe developer, food writer, and author of Cooking in Real Life — shares her thoughtful approach to hosting and cooking for the people you love.
Welcome to Come On Over, Food52's newsletter about hosting life's big and little moments. This month, guest editor Lidey Heuck — recipe developer, food writer, and author of Cooking in Real Life — shares her thoughtful approach to hosting and cooking for the people you love.
I may be the mother of a 16-month-old, but my mom is still themother in my life. I don’t have many memories of cooking with her as a kid, but I do remember the scenes she created—candlelit dinners, holiday greenery in every doorway, even a birthday party where the kids were invited to draw all over the walls before my parents renovated.
Now that I have a daughter of my own, I feel the reins in my hands. I can’t wait to cook with Holly as she grows up, but more than that, I want to instill in her an appreciation for finding magic in everyday moments. The little details that make an ordinary occasion feel special and transform it into an indelible memory. Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks for doing just that.
More With Less
For a 5-minute, statement table setting, opt for individual stems in bud vases over a traditional flower arrangement. It looks casual and cool, and you can play with different types and colors of flowers.
For a 5-minute, statement table setting, opt for individual stems in bud vases over a traditional flower arrangement. It looks casual and cool, and you can play with different types and colors of flowers.
This steak and arugula salad with pickled peppers and blue cheese is funky, bold, and pairs perfectly with a glass of full-bodied rosé or a chilled red. Skirt steak is forgiving on the grill and a great choice for beginner cooks, or whomever you’d like to cook for you on Mother’s Day!
This steak and arugula salad with pickled peppers and blue cheese is funky, bold, and pairs perfectly with a glass of full-bodied rosé or a chilled red. Skirt steak is forgiving on the grill and a great choice for beginner cooks, or whomever you’d like to cook for you on Mother’s Day!
Place cards tell your guests where to sit, but with a little creativity, they can also add personality to your table and serve as conversation starters. I’ve used vintage seed packets, postcards, recipe cards, playing cards—the list goes on! Plus, they become a little memento for your friends to take home from dinner.
Place cards tell your guests where to sit, but with a little creativity, they can also add personality to your table and serve as conversation starters. I’ve used vintage seed packets, postcards, recipe cards, playing cards—the list goes on! Plus, they become a little memento for your friends to take home from dinner.
This mashup between strawberry shortcake and tiramisu is a total crowd-pleaser, and the perfect way to celebrate fleeting strawberry season. If you’re hosting on Mother’s Day, it’s a great dessert to make a day in advance, too.
This mashup between strawberry shortcake and tiramisu is a total crowd-pleaser, and the perfect way to celebrate fleeting strawberry season. If you’re hosting on Mother’s Day, it’s a great dessert to make a day in advance, too.
You don’t need a beautiful garden to make the most of spring. I collect small terra cotta pots and plant annuals in them for pops of cheer all around the house. The only hard part is remembering to water them all!
You don’t need a beautiful garden to make the most of spring. I collect small terra cotta pots and plant annuals in them for pops of cheer all around the house. The only hard part is remembering to water them all!
My ideal Mother’s Day morning: sleeping in, having coffee and pastries delivered to bed, snuggles with the little one, and plenty of time to catch up on all my magazines before ever setting two feet on the ground.
My ideal Mother’s Day morning: sleeping in, having coffee and pastries delivered to bed, snuggles with the little one, and plenty of time to catch up on all my magazines before ever setting two feet on the ground.
