I’ve been rabbit-holing in domestic vision-boarding lately. My vision is a Nancy Meyers fever dream, “original to the house” details, a gluttonous amount of natural light. However, to say I am not a DIY’er would be putting it gently. My gifts are not of the fixing & building variety. But I do very much love talking to experts.
One of last week’s birthday treats was a meeting with a local interior designer, to talk visions, dreams, and ideas, starting with the kitchen. We talked about how there’s probably original wood underneath the 1990 vinylish flooring. How we could restore French doors from a currently closed-up casing, letting in more light. Solar tubes. Anyway, all changes with respect for our old house, giving it some groove back.
I’m going on about all this because I read this ridiculous article about how new builds are the best (ignoring, as always happens, the entire country that exists between Boston and LA), and got all riled up. Ugh!!
GET RILED UP, THEN WIND DOWN WITH SOME LINKS
Completely charmed by this architect’s 344 sq. foot apartment in Paris. Stick around for the survival blanket shower curtain!
Speaking of France, here’s a nice recollection in Saveur about French onion soup
Traditionally, paella is for the boys (and NOT the diplomats)
Vera Wang talking about $500 socks and McDonald’s in a single breath is the moment
And, finally, a fervent plea to Leave Semicolons Alone
PANZANELLA IS FOR EVERYONE
I tend to have big baguette dreams. I think I’m going to use the whole thing, but half of it turns to concrete on top of the fridge, forgotten, almost like clockwork. Wasteful! Panzanella (almost literally, bread salad) is the solution.
Add whatever chunky vegetables you like here (more onion; bell peppers; raw zucchini, whatever), the key is to use up all that stale bread and change your own bread-waste narrative.
INGREDIENTS
For the dressing:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp., Dijon mustard
4 tbsp., champagne vinegar
Big pinch of salt & pepper
½ cup, olive oil
For the salad:
½ a baguette, preferably a day old, cut up into bite-sized bits
2-3 tbsp. grapeseed or other neutral oil
10 oz., cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
½ a red onion, diced
1 cucumber, de-seeded and cut into half-moons
A handful of big basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
3 tbsp., capers
WHAT TO DO
In a medium sized bowl, start your dressing: add garlic, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, whisk together a bit and then let it sit for about twenty minutes or so.
Add grapeseed oil to a large skillet, heat it to shimmering, then add your baguette bits. Toss them around so they’re coated in oil, shake some garlic & onion powder over them, and let them heat over medium-high heat. The goal here is to toast, so just take them off whenever they seem crispy and golden.
Add tomato, cucumber, onion, and basil to a large salad bowl. Throw in the baguette croutons when they’re done. Top with your dressing, and toss completely. The dressing might seem watery at the bottom -- this is fine! The bread will soak it all up.
This is best at room temp, so make it and set it aside if it’s not the main course for you -- just be sure to toss it again in the bowl to soak up any extra dressing. The salad is also terrific with a poached egg or two for lunch, topped with Maldon sea salt :)