Facelift.

Good evening, my lovelies!

I've been a bit twitchy about my blog's layout and look for a while now, and wanted to try something new. Tonight I played around a bit, and created a whole bunch of potential headers and themes. A sampling, for your enjoyment!

I'd love to hear what you all think about the one I chose - be it good, bad, or in between! I'm excited to have a more seasonally-appropriate header, and think I might change it more frequently now. If you have any requests for a particular theme or photo, let me know!

And now it's time for bed.

Queenie's Treasury

Sorry that the Treasury is a bit late this week - I woke up this morning and was busy with housework (and lunch with the bro and sis-in-law) until...right now! (OK, I admit - I paused to mix myself a Manhattan.)

First up this week, a truly awesome blog. Cherrypatter NYC is a look at fabulous things to do - and places to shop and eat - all over New York. It's full of gorgeous photography and great content. Just this week, Cherrypatter has spotlighted the Eero Saarinen exhibit, provided a guide to 5th Avenue in the 100's, and visited Mario Batali's pizza restaurant, Otto. If you're planning a vacation to (or staycation in) New York anytime soon, I highly recommend you check this out.

Next up is something a bit less cheerful, but still pretty darn interesting. Kevin DeMaria, a former Gourmet staffer, took a series of photographs of the magazine's offices and staff members as they packed up their stuff (note the preponderance of wine) and wrapped up their work back in October. Wistful, funny and lonely, these photos capture both the end of an era and the very human side of corporate downsizing.
I subsrcibe to a few wedding blogs, mainly because they tend to showcase great photography and some amazing ideas for events that can be easily translated to dinner parties and holiday decorations. One of my favorites, 100 Layer Cake, regularly features what they call "Real Weddings," though they look more like fairy tale concoctions of hipster perfection. This week they featured Chris & Jessica, and I was completely blown away by everything about their nuptials. The bride's turquoise shrug (I'm a big believer in colorful wedding parties), the souvenir tea towels, the seaside setting...love, love, love.

The healing powers of a broth.

I've had a nasty cold for the last few days, and haven't been able to taste much of anything. I have, however, been craving all things brothy and spicy. I ordered some curry noodle soup from my local Vietnamese delivery place a couple of times, but decided on Monday that it was time to take the situation into my own hands.

It was time to make chicken noodle soup.

I don't have a family recipe for chicken noodle soup, but I figured I could suss it out. I chopped some carrots, celery and onion, added a bit of mustard and tomato paste for a round flavor, and added stock from my freezer. (And I do mean straight from the freezer - I didn't bother thawing it first; just let it melt right there in the pot.)

When I'd finished the first batch, it tasted good, but just a tad flat. I remembered an old chef's trick: add a dash of vinegar to a sauce or soup at the end of the cooking process to brighten it up and add dimension. I grabbed the sherry vinegar, added a shot, sprinkled in a bit more salt, and ended up pretty dang happy.

Now, I don't know about you, but one of the worst side effects of my colds is that my sense of taste is seriously dulled. The one thing that really satisfies me? Heat, of the spicy variety. So I've been eating my chicken noodle soup with healthy squeezes of Sriracha. You may or may not care to follow my lead here. I'll tell you what, though - it really clears the sinuses.


Queenie's Penicillin (Chicken Noodle Soup)

Because I wrote this recipe while I had a bad cold, I used an awful lot of salt. My advice on salt is to add small amounts throughout the cooking process, and to taste as you go. Salt should enhance flavors, not be a flavor in and of itself.

1 tbs. olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, barely bruised with the back of a knife
1 large carrot, cut it half and thinly sliced into half-moons
2 stalks of celery, sliced (including tops)
2 tbs. flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tbs. tomato paste
2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups cooked pasta (cooked to just barely al dente)
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 tbs. sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a 4-5 quart, heavy-bottomed pan (I use my enameled cast-iron dutch oven) over high heat until shimmering. Turn the heat to medium-high, add the onion and saute until transluscent. Add the garlic and saute a minute or two more, then add the carrots and celery. Salt the vegetables (about 1/2 tsp. should do it) and saute until they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the parsley, thyme, mustard and tomato paste, and stir them all into the vegetable mixture. Allow to brown a bit, then add the stock. Generously salt and pepper the soup, bring to a simmer, then cover the soup and reduce heat to medium. Simmer the soup for 8-10 minutes.

Add the peas and pasta and taste for seasoning; you don't want to over-salt, but if you add a bit of salt now, it will make a rounder flavor than if you add all the salt at the end. Simmer the soup with the peas and pasta for a few minutes, then add the chicken. Simmer for another couple of minutes. Add the vinegar and stir to distribute.

At this point, you can either adjust the seasonings and serve immediately, or cool the soup, chill it in the fridge, and reheat on the stovetop later. Again - don't forget to check the seasonings before you serve!

Serves 3-4.

Fresh from the bay.

On my last day in California, Faith took me on a road trip up Highway 1 (also known as the Pacific Coast Highway) to Point Reyes. On the way we stopped in Stinson Beach, where we browsed a teeny tiny bookstore, and Bolinas, where we got dirty, dirty looks from the locals. (Bolinas residents are infamous for their dislike of tourists; the signs pointing to the town have routinely been torn down by its inhabitants.)

Eventually we made it to the Point Reyes National Seashore, a seriously gorgeous piece of land about 30 miles north of San Francisco. Craggy, windswept and covered in that low, slightly scrubby, multicolored foliage you find out west, it's a desolate and beautiful place. We walked down to the observation platform above the Point Reyes lighthouse, one of the foggiest and windiest spots in the country. As we walked back to the car, the fog began to roll out and the azure sky to peek through. Stunning.

After our drive through Point Reyes, we headed up to Marshall, a tiny little town (population 400 - or 50, if you believe the locals) on Tomales Bay. Tomales Bay is famous for its oysters, and we were on the hunt. We'd been told that Hog Island Oyster Co. was a good spot, but they were closing just as we pulled up. We turned around and headed down to The Marshall Store, which we'd passed a little ways back.

As it happens, fate had treated us well. The staff at The Marshall Store were awesome, and we helped ourselves to a small clam chowder and a big can of Foster's and placed an order for a dozen grilled oysters: half barbecue, half chorizo butter. We trotted outside to a picnic table set about three feet from the bay and waited for our oysters to arrive.

As you can see, the staff's awesomeness extended to treating us to an extra three oysters, something to which we did not object. The garlic bread was welcome as well, since we desperately needed a way to sop up every bit of liquor and sauce. The oysters were huge and juicy, just barely cooked by the heat of the grill, and full of saltwater essence. The ones with chorizo butter were salty and spicy, as was to be expected, while the barbecue oysters were garlicky and slightly sweet. All were delicious and more than a little bit sinful.

We did ourselves proud, though, and headed back to San Francisco (on a foggy, twisty Highway 1) with bellies full of chowder, oysters, and a bit of beer. Wouldn't mind any of the three right now, as it happens.

Inspiration.

I've started thinking about (as opposed to concretely planning) food for the upcoming holiday season, and leafing through my old Gourmets and Saveurs for inspiration. This weekend, I picked up Gourmet's December 2008 issue and decided that it is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful they've ever produced.

Between Romulo Yanes' incredible holiday cookie spread, where the cookies are paired with contemporary and vintage textiles, and Roland Bello's breathtaking, fashion-conscious Hanukkah meal shoot, the magazine had never been more gorgeous or effortlessly stylish.

Swoon with me, won't you?

Cold day; hot noodles.

My friend Lisa came to visit me a couple of weekends ago, and when our favorite brunch spot was boasting a 45-minute wait, I decided we should break with tradition and go get ourselves some noodles. It was a chilly, gray morning, and I thought ramen (and those little squeeze bottles of Sriracha) might be just the thing to warm us up.

We hopped on the 6 train and headed down to the East Village; we arrived at Momofuku Noodle Bar (site of the infamous fried chicken dinner) just as its doors were opening at noon. We grabbed two seats at the bar and ordered the shiitake buns, special cauliflower and two bowls of chicken ramen.

First to arrive were the shiitake buns, yeasty steamed pillows split open and filled with chewy, slightly crispy mushrooms. Topped with barbecue sauce, slivered scallions and pickled cucumbers, the mushroom buns may just replace the pork buns in that special place in my heart. We got these because Lisa is not a pork-lover, and I figured they're be a poor substitute. I was way off.

Next came cauliflower with pesto, boquarones and red chili flakes. This was a little too salty for me, but Lisa loved it - thank goodness, too, because I've never left anything uneaten at Momofuku, and I hope never to again!

Finally, the noodles. I've never had anything but the house special, which is a porky, over-the-top version of the classic. This chicken version is still very rich, but not quite as intense as the Momofuku Ramen itself. I loved the slightly crispy crumbled chicken; the combination of textures worked really well with the slippery noodles. I ate mine with plenty of Sriracha in every bite, and if I could change one thing, it would be to have even more scallions, and maybe some bean sprouts. I really like cold stuff stirred into my hot ramen.

But I still managed to get through it OK.

Momofuku Noodle Bar
171 First Avenue.
Between 10th and 11th Streets
212.777.7773

On this momentous day, we shall feast upon...burgers.

The morning of my 30th birthday dawned bright and sunny; being on the west coast meant my east coast friends had been up and wishing me well for a few hours already, so I spent some time checking my email and then headed downstairs to herd the crew into three of our assorted rental cars. Our first stop: Taylor's Automatic Refresher in St. Helena.

We had a 12:15 appointment at Schramsberg (more on that later), so it was going to be burgers for lunch at Taylor's, something about which a few of our party were slightly skeptical. One taste changed all that, though.

I've posted about Taylor's before, and I can assure you that their food is just as strong now as it was two years ago. The fries are fresh and piping hot, crisp and delicious. On this visit, I got to sample the standard fries as well as the garlic fries (above), which were stinky and tossed with parsley to make you feel healthy, and the sweet potato fries, which were served with a delicious aioli.

For my burger, I went classic old-school: hamburger with lettuce, tomato and pickle, topped with ketchup and mustard. The meat was well-seasoned and cooked perfectly to my requested medium rare; the pickles are still stand-out at Taylor's, and the bun is slightly toasted and the perfect texture: thick, but not too bready.

Aw yeah.

Taylor's Automatic Refresher
933 Main Street
St. Helena, California
707.963.3486