Zagat

A Zagat guide is indispensable for urban dining, so it's really not surprising that the good people who created the Zagat guides, the Zagats (in the photo above- photos by Nathaniel Brooks for the New York Times) have a really cool house.

It was featured in the New York Times on October 9, 2008.



Just look at this kitchen. First, there is a gas stove. Enameled cast iron pots and a lovely tea kettle sit on the stovetop. The butcher-block counter has a warmth to it. And then there is the cupboard full of cookbooks, and a counter full of wooden salt and pepper grinders and miscellaneous cooking supplies. All the ingredients one needs for the good life.

Ramtha

Fortunately, it looks like J.Z. Knight's channeling of Ramtha, a 35,000-year-old male spirit warrier, is safe from the evil forces of Whitewind Weaver.

If you think that's crazy, imagine placing a $12,000 set of china in unlocked cabinets in a retail store. See for yourself at Knight's store, J.Z. Rose in Bellevue Square. What a great selection of books she has on her website (especially loving the Beauty & Fashion and Home & Garden selections). There is even a separate section of her website titled Art Nouveau.

Crazy people always have great taste.

Babar

There is only one thing better than a classic children's book, and that is a classic French children's book.

Here is an article in the New Yorker about Babar.

My Free Diet

Over the last year or so, the numbers on the scale have started creeping upwards, and recently I decided it had gone too far.

I considered joining a popular weight loss group, but I am too cheap. So I'm trying another method: writing down everything I eat.

This method is mentioned in the book, "French Women Don't Get Fat," by Mireille Guiliano (which has many other great tips and tricks), however in this book she only advocates doing this for three weeks, to learn what your "offenders" are (those foods you eat a lot of that aren't helping matters). Studies show that a relatively easy way to lose weight and keep it off is to write down everything you eat, indefinitely.

The thing is, keeping it up is painful. It's a real drag. But having to buy all new clothes because I don't fit into the old ones is an even bigger drag, and I'm willing to fill up volumes with boring lists of breakfasts, lunch, and dinners to avoid this.

Right away it's easy to spot the more obvious offenders. Trips to the candy aisle at Rite-Aid have been axed. Then away went white bread (including pizza), pasta, pastries, cookies, beer, and other obvious carbs. Last night I realized that I cannot keep fun cheeses in the house- I may eat these on the occasional restaurant trip, but I cannot be trusted with a big block of Stilton cheese.

So what is left? I typically eat instant oatmeal for breakfast, a salad with grilled chicken for lunch, and dinner is random- eggs and toast, 1/2 a tuna sandwich, minestrone soup, or something of the sort. (I'm not a big dinner person). Snacks are either protein in the form of nuts or cheese (with strict portion control) or fruits and vegetables.

There is one other thing that is left, and that is Fran's 1.1 oz 72% Bittersweet Chocolate Bars. These are not cheap, but they are only 125 calories each, and I can get through a day of my diet food as long as it includes one of these.

Book Review: 'What Would Jackie Do?'

I love Jackie Kennedy, and I love this book, which I found trolling the stacks at the Bellevue Library.

Here are a few excerpts:

Chapter 5: En Suite Home: Perfecting Your Domestic Pitch

"...interesting objects are not mass-produced."

"Except for neo-contemporary looks, furniture should never smack of newness. There's something a bit ne'er-do-well about a sofa that looks never rested upon. Or an Art Deco dresser that's been over-restored to gleaming perfection. Similarly, a shiny new Steinway is vulgar unless you can dash out Chopin's complete works on it. "

"...when it comes to books, there should be no hiding place...Jackie preferred open bookcases for her dining room library and - except for special tabletop tomes - avoided arranging them with institutional precision."

"...keep your memories tidy. Arrange old photographs in decorative boxes or binders, marked by event and date...In New York, Jackie preserved pictures in lovely red Moroccan leather volumes."

Chapter 6: Building Your Inner Temple: The Art of Self-Enrichment and Fulfillment

"...you must never pass up the chance to attach yourself to intriguing people, experiences, causes - venturing outside your own comfort zone (and zip code) to find new levels of depth."

"All those horrid hours spent learning to conjugate verbs...pay off big time when you glide into an Italian store and order your Parma ham like a native...Jackie spoke French, Italian, Spanish, and even a little Greek..."

"Be a conspicuous (culture) consumer...know[] the must-see plays, operas, and other goings-on about town...seek[] out the best current literature, and revisit[] old favorites...learn[] exotic dances...audit[] grad school classes..."

"Know your way around the stacks, as in, the library."

NY Times Article: Shopping for Hard-to-Find Design Books with Kelly Wearstler

Being someone who loves books and design and ideas, I loved this article, about a designer and the books from which she draws inspiration.

Green Clean

Last weekend, after a family reunion down in Auburn, the 421 household made a stop at Ikea, and I got the most wonderful book: "clean" by michael de jong (subtitled, "the humble art of zen-cleansing"). For a long time I have been wanting to rid myself of the chemicals that are my cleaning products, but to replace with what? This little book is nice because it's short (and only $7), so I don't feel like I am studying for my Ph.D. in cleaning the house.

Here's a few highlights:
First, you (mostly) only need five things: baking soda, borax, lemon, salt, and white vinegar. Cheap, so I'm on board. (Except, where does one buy borax? Not at Rite-Aid. I'm still looking. Update: I found it at Whole Foods.)

A couple of the greatest-hits recipes:

• Equal parts borax, baking soda, and Ivory soap flakes for laundry detergent

• Equal parts borax and baking soda for electric dishwashing detergent

• Add to fresh flowers: two Tbsp. white vinegar, one tsp. sugar for each one quart water

• 1/4 cup borax and 1/4 cup baking soda for all-purpose kitchen and bath cleaner; add salt as needed as an abrasive

I'm on board with the eco-cleaning, as soon as I find borax (it seems like a lot of the recipes include borax). These recipes provide yet another use for the glass jars that I love so much, and because they do not involve any chemicals, I can use rags for cleaning different things and then throw them all into the washing machine without worrying about different chemicals reacting.

All these cheap and easy cleaning solutions lead me to wonder: why did I ever start buying those toxic cleaners to begin with?

"Drawing Home", by Lauren Hirt

"Everything homeowners, contractors and students need to know to easily design and create construction and permit drawings"

http://www.amazon.com/Drawing-Home-One-Story-Additions/dp/0977730212

Paris Vogue

Love this magazine. You can subscribe to it on Amazon.com for about $150/year.

If you know a little French reading this magazine is great for sharpening your language skills. A college French professor of mine advised us to read out loud even when just reading to ourselves in order to practice speaking.