
FARROW & BALL: RECIPES FOR DECORATING

Modern Day Living
Brian Sawyer’s Greenwich Village guest bedroom, with Ultrasuede walls.
by Sian Ballen and Lesley Hauge, Photography by Jeff Hirsch
What a great idea this book is! While we all know that New York is full of Interior Design talent, do we know who these people are? Sian Ballen and Lesley Hauge tap into their impressive New York design rolodex to introduce us to decorators and design professionals through the most enjoyable interviews and photos, all done in their own homes. Inspired by New York Social Diary’s widely read House series, the authors give us a peek into some of the city’s most coveted homes. Best of all, we get to see what these designers create for themselves, knowing all that they know, and unburdened by another’s taste, possessions or limitations. There’s no better way to [Read more…] about Making Rooms Your Own- New York Social Diary
Forget about what is on your holiday menu or what you are going to wear. What’s on your holiday reading list? As you get your interiors together before the holiday season kicks off, keep in mind that beautiful books multi-task as inspiration AND decor. Besides, it is always good to have a virtual escape within reach in case your opinionated Uncle Freddy starts up on religion or politics. Today I am previewing some of my favorite new releases that will make it easy to maintain your holiday merry- and bonus, they also make great gifts… [Read more…] about Holiday Book Recommendations
Coq au vin
Little known fact…
The pressure cooker might seem like a fad, but it was actually invented by a French physicist, Denis Papin, in the 17th century. French home cooks have long embraced the traditional pressure cooker as a way to get dinner quickly on the table, and most people grew up familiar with the whistling sound of their mother’s pressure cooker. Who knew?!
I have to admit that I was skeptical about the Instant Pot craze for a while before the irresistible Amazon Prime Day deals prompted my purchase. Having read the explosive horror stories, my brand new pressure cooker sat in the box for a while as I wrapped my head around using it. My concerns were inflated; as long as you respect a few simple safety rules, this device is a winner.
Safety aside, the next question was what to cook. Visual temptations abound on social media, linking to recipes. I tried a few good recipes and a few marginal ones, but honestly, I wasn’t bowled over. Having grown up in New Orleans, the bar is high for GREAT FOOD, so I am willing to go the extra mile. When I lived in Washington DC I learned classic techniques of French Cuisine, just to apply them in healthy ways to cooking at home. I have the utmost respect for French culinary techniques because they serve as a solid foundation for all cooking, but I’m now wondering why the long way is even taught when this culinary HOV lane has been around for centuries. I didn’t realize how big I had hit the jackpot when I discovered [Read more…] about The One Instant Pot Cookbook You MUST Own Now
© Association Willy Maywald
by Maureen Footer, Interior Design Historian
Author Maureen Footer, a former interior designer and expert in French decorative arts, gives us the first in-depth account of the two Parisian interior designers associated with Christian Dior. Victor Grandpierre and Georges Geffroy were much more than the interior designers for his home; they were personal friends and professional colleges of Dior. It was Geffroy who introduced Dior to the world of couture. Grandpierre masterminded the look of Dior’s couture house- and was the one to “brand” Dior with the stylistic details that define the brand to this day, [Read more…] about Dior & His Decorators: Victor Grandpierre, Georges Geffroy, and The New Look