Party Bits & Bites
What could be better than lounging around on a Sunday evening with some girlfriends, a glass of wine, and the Oscars? Add in a couple of fun, new snacks to the Deux Maisons ”light bite” repertoire and I think you’ve got it! Because – honestly - who can resist a little red carpet commentary (heavens, look at Angie’s leg!) while indulging in charcuterie and clearly some kind of cheesy goodness? Enjoy two new quick but delicious light bites for your next gathering – no matter how big or small, these will surely be a hit.
Manchego Red Onion and Pear Tart
inspired by Sweet Paul’s Pizza
1 Puff Pastry, thawed
1 Pear, thinly sliced
1 Red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (or more!) manchego cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Preaheat oven to 400 degrees. Place puff pastry on baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Place slices of pear and red onion across tart and sprinkle (gratuitously) with manchego. Bake for 30-40 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Remove from oven and slice with a pizza cutter.
Sweet Paul made this in pizza form - which would likely be even more delish!
Pancetta Wrapped Cauliflower Bites
The Kitchn
1 head of cauliflower, cleaned with the greens removed
8 to 10 slices of prosciutto or pancetta
4 to 5 leaves of fresh sage
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil for brushing on the cauliflower
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Carefully trim the cauliflower, leaving as much of the stem intact as possible. Slice the head in half from top to bottom and cut as many half-inch slices as you can from the middle until it starts coming apart. Lay the large slices carefully in a pan with raised sides which you have lightly coated with olive oil. Brush the tops of the cauliflower with olive oil. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, turning once with a spatula at about 15 minutes.
Remove the roasting pan and let the cauliflower cool. Place sage leaves on tops of cauliflower pieces. Wrap cauliflower and safe with a piece of prosciutto or pancetta. Lay any extra pieces of pancetta over the larger slabs of cauliflower. Return the roasting pan to the oven and allow it to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the prosciutto/pancetta is brown and crispy.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, and serve!
Mussels with Chorizo in Tomato Sauce
by Elizabeth
Confession: my meat and potatoes, ranch dressing and jalapeno loving husband taught me to eat mussels. I’ve personally always had a texture issue with food, which I’m trying to force myself to get over - mushrooms, oysters, greek yogurt have all been conquered. But sometime over the last six years husband secretly decided he liked mussels and I had no clue until we were in Chicago in 2010. I still thought maybe he wasn’t really serious about liking mussels and was just messing with me, but then we finally visited Urbano Café here in Dallas before Christmas and he wanted to order them for an appetizer. I felt peer-pressured to like the mussels, so I dug in. And I enjoyed them, a lot actually. Granted I was just as interested in the sauce as I was the mussels themselves, but still – mussels had been conquered! We decided to have another fancy Valentine’s dinner in this year, so I gathered all my cooking courage and convinced myself I could make mussels at home. It really is easy and the sauce comes together in just a few minutes, you just have to be sure to only cook, and then serve, the mussels that are still fresh. (see note below.)
Mussels with Chorizo in Tomato Sauce, adapted from Urbano Café and Big Girls Small Kitchen
Makes 2 appetizer servings
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili peppers
1/4 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 ounces dried Spanish-style chorizo, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
1/8 cup basil, julienned
Heat oil in a dutch oven or large, deep skillet with a lid. When it’s hot, add the shallots and cook until softened, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and red pepper and cook for a minute more. Add the chorizo slices and allow them to begin to brown, 3 – 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for a couple minutes until they begin to soften and release their juices. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook down for a few minutes. Add the tomato sauce, half of the basil, and thyme sprigs. Stir together and cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to mingle, 5 minutes or so. At this point, you can let the sauce sit over very low heat until you’re ready to cook the mussels.
Add the mussels to the pan, cover with the lid. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes, until the mussels have opened. Discard thyme sprigs. Sprinkle with remaining basil and serve with grilled bread for dipping.
*A note about mussels. When you bring them home from the store, fill a plastic bag with ice and place in a bowl. Remove the mussels from the plastic bag you brought them home in, place over ice bag and cover with a light towel. Store in the fridge for up to two days. Discard any mussels that have opened before you cook them (this means they have died). After you cook the mussels, discard any that did not open during cooking (this also means they are no bueno).
The Friday Find: Art as Inspiration
Inspiration Painting: "Locust" by Todd Hunter
Who is ready for some Friday prettiness? These two girls certainly are! One of our favorite things to fantasy-shop for is art. Nothing can change the mood of a space so quickly, and great art just breathes life into a room. While our taste does lean traditional (in decor and in museums), we adore the colors and energy in the abstract piece above, “Locust” by Todd Hunter. We pulled together a fantasy living room to focus on our new fantasy purchase. Enjoy!
The Inspired Living Room
Resources:
Urban Home Locust Cabinet in Aquamarine
ABC Home Cobble Hill Sofa
Chocolate Dhurrie Rug
Bungalow 5 Lauren Rosewood Side Table
Juliska Amalia Corset Lamp
Mumbai Pillow
Orange Leopard Lumbar Pillow
Jonathan Adler x bench in brussels pearl
Wisteria’s Unobtrusive Coffee Table
Vintage Foo Dog
Beantown Treats
by Emily
Now that I am an east coaster, I had the pleasure of taking a weekend trip up the coast recently to visit a sweet friend in Boston. A quick trip from New York City, I had a great mini getaway weekend exploring this historic city and enjoying Boston’s smaller scale and charming neighborhood feel. Because my life revolves around food and interiors (the essentials), I have to share a few of my favorite finds (including my interpretation of a salad I had for lunch) over the weekend:
1. Hudson
Located in Boston’s darling South End neighborhood, Hudson has a terrific assortment of home furnishings, vintage finds, lighting, textiles, and accessories. Their space was perfectly styled and may look a little familiar. As you can see from the “sticker” above, their very own Jill Goldberg is featured in February’s (yellow cover) House Beautiful! The store is great and worth popping by next time you are in the area.
We are going to pretend that we weren’t lured in by a case full of cupcakes, but then that’d be a total lie. PS, they were delish. And so was their brunch! Part bake shop and part cafe, The Buttery is very popular for a good reason. My suggestion is to go for brunch, split a scone to start, and a cupcake to finish (why not?), and don’t look back. Apart from their delicious menu, I was smitten with their interior as well. Not shocking, Hudson is just around the corner. The above Instagram photo I took is the tiniest of sampling of the great space and does the cute restaurant a serious injustice. I think you should stop by.
3. And finally…a recipe!
So, apparently my memory is pretty worthless because while I thought I was recreating a salad I had for lunch at The Met in the Back Bay neighborhood, I inadvertently took some creative liberties. Regardless, it is delicious and something you should try (and alter as you wish!).
Back Bay Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
For the Salad:
1 bunch escarole, chopped
1 bunch spinach
1 endive, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1 medium apple, chopped
1/4 cup dates, quartered
1/4 cup walnuts, quartered and toasted
Apple cider vinaigrette (recipe follows)
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine escarole and spinach in a medium bowl. Top with all other ingredients and dress with apple cider vinaigrette. Salt and pepper, to taste.
For the Vinaigrette:
1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss in salad.
Store in an airtight container. Shake before each use.
Seeing SPOTS!
by Emily
Having long been a fan of animal print (likely before its wave of popularity – how on tacky on trend of me) I have fallen for another “neutral” – the spot! These two photos have been stored in an inspiration file for a time now and when I was thinking about this post it occurred to me that the reason I like the spot so much is because it manages to share all the same qualities as an animal print without being, well, an animal print. It is a neutral, adds texture, and just the perfect touch of style. People seem to either love or hate animal print (the haters just haven’t discovered the right animal print, in my opinion) so the spot may very well be a design solution for you. Added bonus? You will be avoiding a potentially contentious “I hate animal print” fight discussion altogether.
Resources
Madeline Weinrib Charcoal Mu Pillow
Furbish Spotted Ottoman Tray
Lee Jofa Cosma Fabric
Sausage, Chicken, and Shrimp Jambalaya
by Elizabeth
Happy Mardi Gras everyone! We hosted a Mardi Gras dinner party on Saturday night and I made Jambalaya for the first time (so much for not serving something you’ve never made before…) Luckily it turned out great, and more importantly we all had too much tons of fun. Emily sent some darling neon bamboo drink stirrers for our Hurricanes, we broke out the masks and beads, and somehow had a seated dinner for 16 in my dining room. Have I mentioned how much husband loves to move furniture around for me? Right…anyway, the original Bon Appétit recipe called for double the amounts listed below, and it made enough to fill two 9 x 11 casserole dishes. We served 16 with plenty leftover. As long as you keep the proportions of meat and vegetables/ liquid/ rice the same, you should be able to switch out the proteins for what you have on hand or whatever your preferences are. Everyone enjoy and celebrate tonight!
Sausage, Chicken, and Shrimp Jambalaya, adapted from Bon Appétit and my Mother-in-law
serves 8-12
4 ounces thick cut bacon, diced
1/2 pound smoked fully cooked sausage (such as smoked venison sausage or linguica), quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 pound andouille sausages, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 pound tasso or smoked ham (such as Black Forest), cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 pounds onions, chopped (2 to 2 1/2 cups)
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1 8-to 10-ounce red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or up to 1/2 teaspoon if you like it really spicy)
1 28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes with juice
1 5 ounce can V-8 juice
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 heaping cups long-grain white rice
1/2 pound shrimp, shells and tails removed, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
The Friday Find: Pepperplate App
The DM girls have been searching for a way to organize all of our bookmarked, google reader-tagged, google doc-listed, and online “recipe boxed” favorite recipes for years now. It’s become a real problem considering I have 397 recipes in my epicurious recipe box, another 215 on some cookbook making website I can’t even remember the name of, and probably a thousand tagged by category in my google reader. Which really defeats the purpose of saving recipes at all when you have to sort through six places to figure out what to make with your chicken breasts for dinner.
Rant over. Enter Pepperplate. This free website allows you to add recipes from anywhere on the web to your Pepperplate account, then magically syncs up with the app on your iphone or ipad. Life changing I tell you. Here are the reasons we love Pepperplate so much:
1. There is a bookmarklet, “add to Pepperplate” that works just like the Pinterest “Pin it” button. For dozens of recipe sites (epicurious, My Recipes, Food & Wine, even Smitten Kitchen), this button works automatically. Just click it, and poof, recipe saved.
2. For more obscure sites (like, ahem, Deux Maisons), a window pops up on the page and leads you through 3 steps of copy/pasting so you can save the recipe and photo. It takes 30 seconds, but will save you hours in the long run. No more searching through hundreds of tagged blog items or sorting through bookmarks.
3. You can create categories for your recipe – you aren’t stuck with what epicurious tells you to categorize something as. So I now have “cheese”, “Southern”, and “venison” categories in addition to the typical “appetizer”, “entree”, “sides.” The only downside I’ve found to Pepperplate so far is that you can’t add categories when you first save a recipe, you have to go back in and add them later.
4. You can create menus and shopping lists from your recipes.
5. You can scale a recipe up or down by any proportion with the slide of a button.
6. Automatically syncs with the iphone/ ipad and NOOK for easy access when you don’t have your computer handy. There do seem to be a couple of glitches in terms of editing your shopping lists on my iphone app, and searching by category, but it’s still infinitely useful.
7. It’s FREE. I almost spent $20 for another similar application plus another $5 for my iphone, and I think it’s pretty much the same thing.
If you need recipe organization help, go to Pepperplate.com stat!
A Little Rug Roundup
by Emily
Elizabeth posted about some fab rug finds just over a year ago and I revisited this quest for the stylish but affordable rug just a couple weeks about when scouting our options for a NYC apartment project. Holy Flat Woven Heaven, Batman, there is a lot of great stuff out there in a range of styles and at pretty reasonable price points. Check it out:
I love the subtle grays and can see this pairing well with color combinations ranging from oranges to pinks to reds.
2. Safavieh Ivory & Gold Tribal Rug
I love how this rug looks traditional but is actually a pretty rad tribal print. I also love that it is a neutral but has some lovely blues, greens, and reds woven in.
3. Serena & Lily Dove Gobi Frame Rug
Can we please talk about how adorable this rug is and how it is such a bargain?! It is categorized under “nursery” but don’t let that limit you.
4. Wild Color Lime Green Cowhide Rug
Call me crazy but how fun would this looked stacked and angled on top of a basic sisal rug? I am thinking play room or a sassy office. Why not? Also, this will be a fun test to see if your company blocks “rawhidecompany.com” from you – ha! Just rugs, people.
Vintage, Pink, Orange, and Tribal. How ont trend can you be?
Enjoy the new finds!
Our Valentine to You: Live in Love
I Believe in Pink
by Elizabeth
Some days we all need a good dose of Audrey optimism. If you need a last minute Valentine’s doodle, you can download this “I Believe in Pink” poster, designed by yours truly, here. Just pop it in an 8 x 10 gold or white frame and voilà, instant happiness for someone special.
