Jimena Azpeitia

The very first season of Top Chef holds a special place in my heart. It’s what inspired me to start cooking in earnest and it made me much more aware of all of the hard work that happens behind closed doors to bring food to our tables when we dine out. Season one featured my favorite Top Chef “cheftestant” of all time, Harold Dieterle, and it also introduced me to Katie Lee. A fellow southerner, Katie was born in West Virginia and eventually moved north to New York where she worked in restaurants and became a professional fishmonger. Since her days in the back of the house, Katie has gone on to work as a co-host of The Kitchen on Food Network and write her own cookbook dedicated to comfort foods, The Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions. Today she’s sharing a recipe with us that is perfect for the upcoming holidays: a free-form apple pie. Known also as a crostata, this pie has a rustic elegance to it that embraces imperfection and makes your life a little easier if you’re trying this for the first time. I love any recipe that doesn’t require perfection and embraces a homemade look, so this is definitely going on my holiday to-do list. Thanks to Katie for sharing this with us! xo, grace

Click through for the full recipe after the jump!

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Over the past 10 years, I’ve written about thousands of new products. Some designs come and go, but there are always a few that stick with me as truly innovative and beautiful. For me, the most memorable design that, sadly, never ended up coming to market, was Dutch designer Hannah Allijn‘s incredible origami-inspired curtain. On the surface, it looks like a flat curtain, but when pulled, it condenses like a beautifully crumpled piece of paper to let the sun in. I’ve had that design in my mind for years now, and I always get excited to see any new home good that takes its inspiration from origami. The latest is a piece that I also love, the Unfolded series of wallpaper from Sidonie Loiseleux.

Inspired by the intricate folds of origami and the patterns it leaves behind on paper, Sidonie created five new styles that represent different folds. The finished paper is based on a photograph so it lays flat, but still has the look of texture and shadows that comes from a three dimensional piece of folded paper. White walls are sometimes a bit too sparse for me, so I love the idea of this as a spin on the look, but with a bit more detail and fun. Click here to check out the Unfolded series from Sidonie Loiseleux. xo, grace

Curro Claret worked with Metalarte on a social project that produced a series of lamps made from shoelaces. The Shoelaces collection involved working with people who might have had a rough past and are trying to get back on their feet. Through design, it’s an opportunity to assist in their recovery.

Using reclaimed shoelaces from Camper shoe stores, the colorful and quirky lampshades are made from open metal frames with the laces tied side-by-side around it.

Claret worked with Camper previously to design one of their stores in Barcelona based on his work using reclaimed materials and a group of people from the Arrels Foundation. The process had the people not only building the furniture but involved them in the design process along the way. The result is a curtain made from shoelaces.

[via MoCo Loco]

Nostalgia time. Remember when you were a kid and how you’d build make-shift tents or forts out of the bed or sofa? If you do remember, two things: One, you had a good childhood, and two, you’d want one of these.

The Orwell Sofa is the fancy, adult version of that home-made fortress. Designed by Barcelona-based designers Alvaro Goula and Pablo Figuera, this piece of furniture can turn into a sofa, a daybed, a bed, or a private cabin. Simply hop in, let the curtains drop, and take a relaxing nap. It’s a place to find peace and privacy within your home – your very own fortress of solitude.

The post Orwell Cabin Bed: A sofa that becomes a fort to let you sleep in complete privacy appeared first on Lost At E Minor: For creative people.

Love the simplicity of studioroller.

(via designmilk)

Artist Steve Pazuk paints with fire. This is stunning.

I know what I am making this weekend: Caramelized Apple Tarte Tatin.

This made me laugh.

“Journeys are the midwives of thought. Few places are more conducive to internal conversations than a moving plane, ship or train. There is an almost quaint correlation between what is in front of our eyes and the thoughts we are able to have in our heads: large thoughts at times requiring large views, new thoughts new places. Introspective reflections which are liable to stall are helped along by the flow of the landscape. The mind may be reluctant to think properly when thinking is all it is supposed to do.”
– Alain de Botton

This see-saw table, De Tafelwip by Marleen Jansen, should make for interesting dinners. Also, it will prevent you from ever eating alone. Made me laugh.

Villa E is a stunning mountain lodge built on the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, by French designers Studio Ko. They designed the house with respect towards its landscape and a minimalist design approach. Local materials such as the red colored Ourika stone were used to create an interesting mix of tradition and modernity. Inside you find clean lines and modern design but also artisan objects such as handmade ceramics, vintage rugs and stone sculptures. To me the most striking feature are the full-height windows which give unobstructed views on all sides.

Last Saturday began all grey and rainy, but of course we knew we can count on our burger lovers to not let us down for a cheesy feast for Burgers & Hip Hop at Prince Charles! Obviously, when it’s time for the biggest burger party in town, there’s also the duty to crown the city’s best burger! Celebrating everything cheese, we couldn’t wait to see who’d make the best cheeseburger in Berlin – and we proudly present you the final results right here:

What would a cheeseburger feast be without the guys from Melted Cheese? Their Notorious BFS burgers were topped with raclette cheese and people couldn’t get enough of it with the line got longer and longer throughout the night…

As a highly awaited contester, Tommi’s Burger Joint created a special Mac’n cheese burger. People really liked the creative take on the burger, although some of them noted that they would have preferred the simple and classic cheeseburger served at last time’s Burgers and Hip Hop which scored them 2nd place.

There’s only one word: Scarmoza! The Italian cheese was an instant hit and added a creamy texture to the Afrika Burrata burgers by Pic Nic 34. Also the basil pesto worked surprisingly well.

Good things take time, right? The 65-hours cidre steak of Umami/Comptoir du Cidre – already a favorite at Street Food Thursday – made for a very tender meat and people kept talking about how good it was. Which is why it almost made it onto the winner’s podium, but there were three other burgers which you liked even more…

With already more than 5 different joints in the city, no wonder Schiller Burger has enough expertise collected to score 4,23 of 5 possible points! They relied on this very expertise when they brought out their classic restaurant burger Cheese Surprise. What didn’t surprise us is that they made it to an very honorable 3rd place!

The top two places couldn’t have been closer this time – with an amazing result of 4,41 of 5 points, Bunsmobile once again proved that they know a thing or two about how to make a delicious burger: both Cheddarhill Gang and Bacon’s Delight pleased the crowds with delicious meat and cheese and people especially loved the addition of the crispy bacon braised for 3 hours.

They all were delicious, but one was even better: Piris, who already landed second place in the first edition of Burgers and Hip Hop, finally made it to the top! The Buckshot consisted of a chipotle cheese steak burger. With a great score of 4,55 of 5 possible points, people overall loved the juicyness and spicyness. Their vegetarian version with haloumi and sautéed mushrooms was also a great hit! CONGRATULATIONS! We can’t wait to hand over the trophy to the rightful winner!

And since there’s no burger feast without dessert, our friends of Zwei Dicke Bären created a special version of their ice cream sandwiches made with goat cheese and rosemary. It was the cream of the crop of another great burger bash!

The post Berlin’s Best (Cheese) Burger: #6 appeared first on Stil in Berlin.

This week’s video is a split screen comparison of New York and Paris that’s kind of fun. If the embed doesn’t display for you, click over to Vimeo. h/t Likecool

I know, I know, we just talked about gingerbread two weeks ago, in a biscotti, hot chocolate-dipping format. It’s too soon! I completely agree with you. But this was a request; a commenter asked if there was a way to transplant the intensity of everyone’s favorite gingerbread cake into a waffle format. Asking me this is like asking a Muppet if they like to count. I live for this; I thought you’d never ask.

True enough, the so-called gingerbread waffles I browsed on the web seemed to be in name only; pale beige specimens, softly spiced, more gingersnap than gingerthud. Proper gingerbread should make an entrance, with no restraint in the ginger or molasses department. It should be dark and a little sticky. It should either be adored or reviled; there’s rarely any middle ground. Lucky for me, my family, both young and old, cannot get enough.

... Read the rest of deep dark gingerbread waffles on smittenkitchen.com

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© smitten kitchen 2006-2012. | permalink to deep dark gingerbread waffles | 207 comments to date | see more: Breakfast, Christmas, Photo, Winter

Prime rib recipe, how to cook to perfection a standing rib beef roast, step-by-step instructions and photos. Perfect for Christmas and the holiday season.

Continue reading "Prime Rib" »

stadshem.

i’ve been noticing a trend lately or at least a whole lot of pinterest pins of some really chunky textiles — hand-knit pillows, rugs and bed throws and it’s a trend i quite like. it tempts me to run out and get some of those very fat knitting needles, or knitting noodles and see how long it takes me to make one of these beauties. when i see these though, i keep thinking ‘chunky monkey’ — must be too much ben & jerry’s on my brain. anyway, i digress — these are lovely and look like they’d keep you nice and cuddly warm all winter long — even while you’re knitting them. oh, and if you need some more inspiration check out this awesome instagram feed from modern wool.

nocturnal knits.

anna & ellit; daniella witte; nadine; beklina hand loomed rugs; helten kelt; and my paradissi.

stil inspiration.

aaseber on instagram.

modern hepburn.

some great knitting noodle inspiration from honestly wtf.

my paradissi.

stadshem.

dis og mia.

wool stitch knit blanket from the line; BLANKET FROM H&M VIA OH WHAT A ROOM; hitta hem; and monday to sunday home.

ollie & seb’s house.

More and more artists and creators are taking the smartphone seriously as a real camera and tool for creating powerful images. And while apps can help create great pictures, if you want to take your smartphone camera work to the next level, there are a few great products that are helping artists achieve these amazing images.

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EAT



Preheat oven to 400°F.  Prick the potatoes with a fork so steam can get out of them.  Place on a rack and bake until soft. This will take about 1 hour.  Peel while still hot and press through a potato ricer.  Place in a bowl with egg yolk, flour, and salt.  Work the mixture together quickly. Don’t over work it as that can make it gummy in texture.  Take pieces of the dough. Roll into a 1”-thick sausage and cut up into 1”-long pieces.  Boil gnocchis in a large pot of salted water. They are done once they float up to the surface.  Melt butter in a pan and stir it until it gets brown.  Fry sage leaves in butter and set aside. Keep warm.  Cook the pancetta in a pan until golden.  Mix gnocchi, butter, sage, and pancetta in a large bowl and season with pepper.                           

If ever there were rings to shout my name, it would be these – the Silhouette series from OBJCTS. The unisex rings come in four geometrically shaped silhouettes of either a circle, a square, a triangle, or a hexagon. The coolest thing? They’re 3D printed so they’re available in various materials and sizes.

Each ring is designed and produced in NYC and is made to order in your specific size (4 – 12) and material choice via Shapeways.

lovely under the cabinet space-saving shelf, via nordic design.

here’s my latest dispatch of the decorating dozen. one dozen ideas for kitchen shelving solutions. kitchens can be a real tough spot when it comes to finding space — it seems for me there’s never enough room for all my kitchen accoutrement. so i go vertical with racks for pots + pans, a tall, three-tiered coffee cart, and shelving to stash large bowls and serving pieces that won’t fit in my cabinets. ikea’s a great resource for inexpensive shelving and racks, as is west elm (i like this wire mesh shelving unit). here’s a decorating dozen ideas for kitchen shelving. when out of space, go vertical, dear readers.

i like the look of this library of cookbooks stored above this kitchen cabinetry, via the design files.

metal shelves display lovely collections too pretty to be locked away, via desire to inspire.

this looks like a fairly simple DIY idea — just a great modern looking box shelf (backed by a great black wall), via dos family.

i love this sleek, modern single shelf, along with that amazing white subway tile backsplash, via patix.

a simple wood shelf displays a pretty collection of copper and vintage kitchen wares, via the design files.

susie tompkins buells’ pretty and very organized open shelving, via remodelista.

this, i love. making great use of this kitchen corner with these simple wood shelves, via veneer designs.

love these white shelves paired with marble countertops — very feminine, via style at home.

love this unexpected repurposed vintage cabinet in a modern space, via skönahem.

i love this little ‘cubby’ of a built-in shelf. why waste that precious space? via the brick house.

this is a really sleek, and industrial looking metal shelf that looks clean and modern, via ohhhmhhh.

On October 25^th, extravagant and stylish men from around the world gathered in Portland, Oregon for the 2014 Just For Men World Beard and Moustache Championship. Roughly 300 people entered the championships, where the best contestants reaped their laurels in 18 categories with three prizes in each.

The range of beard and moustache categories is quite impressive: there are Natural, English, Dali, Imperial, Hungarian, and Freestyle categories for the moustaches, and Goatee Natural, Fu Manchu, Imperial Partial Beard, Musketeer, Sideburns, Amish Beard, Partial Beard Freestyle, Full Beard Natural, Full Beard Styled Moustache, Verdi, Garibaldi, and Full Beard Freestyle categories for the beards.

Take a look at some of the contestants and winners of this year’s championship. Follow the links below to see the full list of winners in all of the categories!

More info: worldbeardchampionships.com | oregonlive.com (h/t: imgur, today)

Related posts:

1. 20 Best Entries From 2013 National Beard And Moustache Championships
2. Mr. Incredibeard Becomes Internet Sensation With Creative Beard Styles
3. Beardo Beard Hat with Detachable Beard

10 Of The Best Entries From The 2014 World Beard And Moustache Championship originally appeared on DeMilked on October 27, 2014.

I knew pandas were cute, but I never thought they could also be so… seductive. London-based lingerie brand ‘KnickerRocker’ is selling this cute underwear line that features the faces of different animals like bears, foxes, bunnies, pigs, and pandas.

Each animal face also comes with matching ears you can play with (or to tease with, whatever floats your boat.) If you’re into the whole role-playing thing, the store even has matching tops to go with those undies. Now you can you can literally be a foxy lady! You can purchase the animal underwear on KnickerRocker’s Etsy store.

The post Bears, bunnies, and pandas now qualify as sexy lingerie thanks to this Etsy store appeared first on Lost At E Minor: For creative people.

How does a person’s intelligence relate to the type of music they listen to? For the last several years, a software application writer by the name of Virgil Griffith has charted musical tastes based on the average SAT scores of various college institutions. For example, students attending the California Institute of Technology have an average SAT score of 1520. By looking at Facebook to determine the most popular (or — “liked”) band of students at Cal Tech, Griffith was able to conclude that Radiohead really truly is music for smart people. A highly scientific study, I know.

As Digital Inspiration points out, Griffith’s chart reveals Sufjan Stevens, Bob Dylan, The Shins, and — uh — Counting Crows as other favorite bands of smart people. Meanwhile, Lil Wayne, Beyoncé, The Used, and gospel music comes in at the lower end of the spectrum — or, as Griffith puts it, is music for dumb people.

Among other interesting revelations from the Griffith’s chart: Smart people prefer John Mayer over Pink Floyd; rock titans like Tool, System of a Down, and Pearl Jam fall right in the middle — so, music for average people?; and people still listen to Switchfoot.

See the full result of Griffith’s findings below. Ed. Note: This chart actually dates back to 2009, but the below graphic is new.

First Birkenstocks, now endless layers of grey? Seattle sure seems to be right on trend these days, doesn’t it? But when you actually live in the grey (or with the guys who are still wearing socks with their birks) the trend doesn’t always seem quite as appealing.

However – being a black-and-white girl myself, I happen to own quite a bit of grey. And while I don’t usually pair it all together at once, the art of layering this monochromatic look is one I’m sure I’ll be trying come winter…

The secret to success with this style is contrasting fabrics, textures and shades. And a hit of black or white is a must…

Since I’m in the market for a new coat, I may just go in this direction. I was considering camel (such a classic!) but grey might be winning me over…

1. grey coat // 2. slouchy white beanie // 3. gems from catbird // 4. a slubby sweater // 5. perfect dark grey denim // 6. shearling (!!) foldover clutch // 7. white loafers. yes, white.

I know most of you are thinking I’m nuts for putting white shoes in a winter board, and yes, it’s mighty unrealistic for most, so if you need a substitute, go with your basic black boot. Maybe something with a little texture? Or, white sneaks will always work in a pinch!

I added grey denim to my wardrobe for the first time last fall, and I’ve already worn them to death, so these super affordable pair might be on the next-to-purchase list.

To get more of the look, check these out!

images :: a love is blind // unknown // the front row view // harper’s bazaar // my dubio

The post GET THE LOOK :: HEAD-TO-TOE GREY appeared first on coco+kelley.

Every now and again you get a really amazing illustration job — something that you can’t wait to get up and work on every single day. One such job came my way last year, and it was to contribute three coloring books to a new series by Rockport/Quarto Publishing: Just Add Color (there are also books by other illustrators in the series, which you can see here). One of the coolest things is that they let me choose the subject matter for the books, and, as you might have guessed, I came up with Geometric Patterns, Folk Art, and Botanicals for my three books (because they are three of my favorite things to draw).

I’ve now got these three coloring books in my shop! And retail shop owners, you can purchase these books via Hachette distributors.

UPDATE! THEY ARE SOLD OUT. But coming back in a week to ten days. Stay tuned!

Happy coloring! And have a great Wednesday.

It’s always fun sharing products from small labels, like FunkyDoris which was founded in 2012 by two Norwegian textile designers, Grethe Bjørk and Tove Trydal. Inspired by what they call the best decades of Scandinavian design (1950s-1970s), their core products are pillows, poufs and pendant lamps along with kitchen products such as tea towels, potholders, aprons and birch veneer trays. They’ve recently added a new range of handmade bowls, candle holders and pendant lights. These are great for adding shots of color in your home and of course, in the typical Scandinavian way of adding color against a neutral background – always a winner!

 

I rather like the idea of hopping on my scooter and taking off for a picnic in the countryside right about now, don’t you?

(images: FunkyDoris)

If you’re fond of constellations, then you’ll like this Starry Light by Anagraphic. The hemispheric shade lends itself to a pattern of the Northern Hemisphere’s two equinoxes and solstices and a LED light fixture projects most of its light downwards, with just enough residual light to bring out the stars on your walls. Also, as the lamp is manufactured by hand, you may customize the light to a specific date, time and geographical location.

Available from Anagraphic.