Posts from — September 2009

My brother and I spent the day in New York City. Being the GREAT sister that I am – gave him my first class ticket. I didn’t suffer too much as I got an exit row bulkhead on the way up.

We stayed at the new Ink 48 hotel which has been opened less than a week.  Our room was only $209 a night  and the hotel is great. Everyone is very nice and excited to have the hotel open.  Bruce and I eat a very medicore lunch at a Thai restaurant and then go to the opening of the Coca-Cola store which is an experiential marketing store that Diet Coke Brand team is doing for about 10 days off of 5th avenue. It is about 15 blocks and we walk the entire way over there.  Below are some pictures from the day so I hope you enjoy.

Decor on bulding outside Cole Hahn Store

St. Patricks Cathederal

Night Fever Night Fever....M & M Store

Wall of chocolate and NO CALORIES

Outside the Hershey's Store

A Kiss is Just a Kiss

Times Square

Kodak Advetisement

Gap Ad

Broadway

I just finished watching a cheesy Lifetime movie while my butt was on the treadmill. Only this one wasn’t so cheesy. It was a bio on Coco Chanel.  Now that gal was definitely a modern woman of her time and to me always will be.  Hard working, fabulous sense of style and more important determined.  The gist of the movie was highlighting her humble beginnings loving the man loosing the man, getting the man back, and then loosing him again when he was killed in a car accident ~ all while telling her fashion story. What really hit home to me  was towards the end of the movie she sold the company while planning a collection that technically she wasn’t allowed to show.  She signed the paperwork to sell her company.  The ink was dry.  BUT since Coco was s a screw’em kinda gal she moved forward anyway with her collection.  In true Hollywood form the collection was a success and all lived happily ever after. 

 So what is the point of the subject line being Timeless?  Two words – Coco Chanel.  While watching this movie and the fashions of  over 60+ years ago I realized I really like the word timeless.  Especially when they showed the fashions from her  forbidden collection. Any woman could walk down the street wearing those garments today and still be very chic and sophisticated.  I realize that timeless to me – is another way of saying “always in style” .

Now I am going to switch gears over to culinary – and still using the word timeless. That will also apply to food when a chef knows, pracitces and has a clear understanding of the culinary basics.  I wrote this several years ago in my newsletter and I will repeat it now. When people ask me what is in style with culinary – I tell them clean ingredients that are properly used. Honor the food, buy the best you can with the budget you have, cook these ingredients accordingly, don’t bastardize the food.  Mentally maintain the timeless philosophy and learn to be true to yourself just like Ms. Chanel. If you think and work  within  those guidelines and you along with Ms. Chanel will never go out of style you will be “timeless”.

That is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

Claire

I was in my beloved home town last July hanging at a local pub with some friends when the subject of “corn” came up.  It is only natural that this would be a topic of conversation as I was in a  farming community; it was the end of July and corn season was in it’s prime. 

For me – I love corn – just off the cobb. I don’t like the  sloppy mess of rolling the cobb in butter – salting it as more salt ends up on the table then on my ear of corn and then wrestling with the cobb to get the delicious kernels OFF the cobb and into my mouth.  Wow, I am tired already. What I like to do is cook the corn and then cut the kernels into a bowl – drop a bigger than normal slab of butter into the bowl – salt – pepper and microwave it for about 20 seconds.  As I was sitting around this table I was laughing because everyone had their own version on how to best cook corn. 

The last part of this is being single I hate having to boil water I would like a quicker method of getting this corn cooked.  This is when my friend Jody stepped up to the plate with her suggestion which works PERFECTLY.  Jody said if you are  making corn for yourself or one other person – peel 2/3 of the husk off and reach in and get out all the silk. Ok I can do that.  Then take a papertowel and wet it – ring it out – and then roll your ear of corn in the damp paper towel and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes.  WHAALLLA she is so right. You can’t tell the difference between that and boiling it – Jodys suggestion was genius and it has allowed me to enjoy eating corn with out all the darma.

Thank you Jody – I am grateful.

That is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

Claire