casa mono

one of my favorite restaurants in nyc is casa mono. it's a tapas place, but not the fancy frou frou kind of place where they consider one bite of food to be an order of tapas. this is real tapas like we had in spain, and it's delicious, and filling! serious tapas.

some of my favorites are the pumpkin and goat cheese croquettes, the mussels, the clams, the corn (which they sadly didn't have the second time we went), the duck... it's probably all good. and it's a really cute place. the first time we were lucky to sit at the bar so we could watch the kitchen and try and figure out what we wanted to order as we watched them cook. so fun.

they also have lots of yummy spanish wines. which reminds me, if you are incapable of planning far enough ahead to make a reservation, you may be waiting a while to get a seat here. but there is a really nice wine bar right across the street that always seems to have tables and you can hang out there, casa mono will call you when they're ready for you. perfect situation.

marc jacobs

someday, i am going to get one of the marc jacobs quilted leather handbags.

cecilia




bonnie

paul mccobb chair

ok, so this isn't actually a wishlist item, but i'm posting it because i love this chair. i bought it at the brooklyn flea market last year for $30. it's a paul mccobb chair according to the guy i bought it from, who was a popular designer in the 1950's i gather. anyway, i think it's such a cool shape.

asparagus risotto

i love risotto. wei does not, he tolerates it, so i make it only as often as he is ok with. which is good, because otherwise i would eat it all the time, and i don't think it's that good for you.

today i made asparagus risotto from a recipe by mario batali that was in the new york times:

Asparagus Risotto
Adapted from Mario Batali
Time 45 minutes

1 pound asparagus, peeled, trimmed and cut into one-inch-long pieces, tips reserved
4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 medium red onion, diced
11/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add half the asparagus stalks and cook until quite soft, at least 5 minutes. Rinse quickly under cold water. Put cooked asparagus in a blender or food processor and add just enough water to allow machine to puree until smooth; set aside.
2. Put stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add onion, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add white wine, stir, and let liquid bubble away. Add a large pinch of salt. Add warmed stock, 1/2 cup or so at a time, stirring occasionally. Each time stock has just about evaporated, add more.
4. After about 15 minutes, add remaining asparagus pieces and tips, continuing to add stock when necessary. In 5 minutes, begin tasting rice. You want it to be tender but with a bit of crunch; it could take as long as 30 minutes total to reach this stage. When it does, stir in 1/2 cup asparagus puree. Remove skillet from heat, add remaining butter and stir briskly. Add Parmesan and stir briskly, then taste and adjust seasoning. Risotto should be slightly soupy. Serve immediately.
Yield: 3 to 4 servings.

it was pretty good! not the absolute best risotto of all time, but definitely good enough to make again.



and i learned something- pureed asparagus is a crazy neon green color. awesome. i should have taken a picture of that.

marc by marc jacobs

this is the perfect summery color



marc by marc jacobs posh turnlock solid hobo

jillian lewis coat

look, beyonce looks fabulous, and she is wearing a coat by jillian lewis from project runway! she is one of my favorite project runway designers. beyonce's dress is gorgeous too.









jillian lewis coat from fall 2008 collection, is $1498. sigh.

rugs!

so we have this jute rug in a chocolate brown color from west elm that is awesome in many ways. it's basically indestructible, like steel wool. it's not soft, but that's ok- it works fine in our living room. it was super cheap on clearance too. but i am hating the color more and more- i want a light color instead. i would love one of these!




we went to room and board to look around one day and this rug was so soft and thick and cushy, i loved it. but it costs like $2k. really.



this one is from west elm and looks pretty much the same, but still more than I want to pay... maybe it will show up on craigslist though, and then we can sell our old one.