tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:59:12 +0000Fennel and Carrot Peel SoupSensory AwarenessPatricia Wellspita breadSusan Hermann LoomisPaco PenaMediterranean stylespicesNiceGerrie BremermannValombreuseterraceHerendGarnier-ThiebautWisteriaFrench Country Cuisineboletus mushroomsThe Gipsy Kingsimpatienscooking classes chez nousRestaurants FrancesummerTiffanyBunny WilliamsFresh Strawberry TartebarbequeStrawberry Souprecipesoutdoor livingfamily and friendsBing Cherry Frangipane Tartesugared fruitJohn FowlerMacKenzie-ChildsChristmasPloufBloomy RindChez PanisseRothschild Bird chinafacadessoul mateBiot glassOld Smokey meat smokerCote d'AzurMy recipe fileChefwearStone Wall FarmTablescape ThursdayCatapano Goat FarmDeep Sea WinesCIAMaugerWellfleet Oyster FestBen's GardenJABliving roomsbloggingour living roompinkDash and AlbertFarallonClayton's Clay WorksCarson and Co.Carrot et cetera cakeVignette Designexterior paintFrench Country DecoratingConway Family WinesCharlotte MossgarlicRoostersrainbowsGhirardelli ChocolateSan GimignanoBaccaratseashore decoratingherbstaboulehChris SmithScalamandrehyrdangeasOsprey Cove Organic FarmmusicThe Inn at Castle HillAutumntzatzikifashioncolor wheelcustom wine labels paintingCowtan and ToutShantell Martin IllustratorAnthropologieNewport ShowhouseentertainingJohn RobshawBaranzelli Silk SurplusJambon PersilleModiglianiRancho Arroyo GrandetoileFagioli in StufaPaco de LuciaTranquility LodgechocolatesCindy Rinfretthrow pillowsTomates Confits/Sun Dried Tomatoesour pool terraceJack Dickerson ArtAbbiamo TuttoNorth Fork winesMoroccan PrestigeTED TalkspoolBrunschwig et FilsChocolate and ZucchiniParisnasturtiumsOililytrompe l'oeil paintingRanier cherriesfamily celebrationsMadeline WeinribAlice WatersChef Paul WahlbergDorothy DraperCompany CThe Mane LionSang Lee FarmsBirke BaehrManuel CanovasstatuaryMastering the Art of French CookingJulie and JuliaBreast Cancer Awareness MonthupholsteryDiamond Baratta DesignflamencoEddie RossLorcacushionsLa Vache Qui RitCarolyne RoehmTastehummusJulia ChildcolorLuca Francesco TiciniSoupe au PistouBare Cove GourmetDrakeeating in coursesdecorating booksJohn DerianOsborne + Littlefois gras"how-to"Michael PollanCody FarquharMissoni/Missoni Homewoodland/natural decorhome James Collection (the)Hingham Farmers MarketPierre DeuxEdible SchoolyardSouleiadodry rub for barbequeorganizingCote de Texas/Joni WebbConcord grapesCharles FaudreeManitas de Platapaint chipsDickerson Art GalleryChina SeasMcCall WinesAtlantic Spice CompanyAromapig roastBarbeque sauceartisanal cheeseCreme Patissieregypsies/caravansneuroestheticsLinda DannenbergProvenceOrganic FoodBastille DayVietriTargetEl BalazoDavid LebovitzmuralsAlain Saint JoanisRatatouilleCarlton Varney/Carlton VSlow FoodChef Robert GonsalvezKeith IrvineSan FranciscoEmile HenryPeche MelbaTurnwald Collection (The)wine labelsJan Sevadjianorganic gardeningforaginghttp://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)Blogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-5408830939238796265Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:20:00 +00002012-02-06T15:28:07.960-05:00woodland/natural decor"how-to"HerendThe Mane LionChristmasThe third vignette in a "natural holiday decorating" group I created recently for the Boston Globe g Magazine, was a woodland setting, which is absolutely one of my favorite subjects to play with. There is something about all of nature, but especially woodsy materials, that I just adore. Mosses, twigs and pinecones remind me of glorious walks through forested areas, under canopies of leafy trees,http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/12/natural-christmas-decor-woodland.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-7361687161656797696Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:57:00 +00002012-02-06T15:30:34.823-05:00seashore decorating"how-to"ChristmasLiving on Cape Cod, we are surrounded by seascapes and an abundance of interesting shells. So this year, I decided to create a holiday seaside vignette. This is one of three natural settings I was asked to design for The Boston Globe, although this one didn't make it into the final article. I used a mix of local and more tropical shells, corals, starfish, etc., that I have collected over the http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/12/natural-christmas-decor-seashore.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-93120394951103783Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:35:00 +00002012-02-06T15:34:16.993-05:00"how-to"sugared fruitTablescape ThursdayChristmas Some of my winter holiday decorating ideas were featured last week, in the Boston Globe's g magazine, their Arts & Lifestyle section. I had prepared three separate vignettes for the writer and photographer. As it turned out, two of the three were featured in the article. Since the article has now been published, I can blog about these three vignettes, including some background how-to info. Firsthttp://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/12/natural-christmas-decor-glittering.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-6908566409600681104Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:04:00 +00002012-02-06T15:35:04.202-05:00Concord grapesrecipesLast week, in my post on foraging, I promised to write more about making Concord grape jam with grapes that are ready to be harvested this time of year. Concord grape jam has such intense flavor and fragrance - there is nothing else like it! While we are picking the grapes, the aromas wafting from the vines and even down the road are strikingly vivid. Looking up under the wild vines, you see the http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/10/concord-grapes-one-of-autumns-sweetest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-5335685408538325920Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:25:00 +00002012-02-06T15:38:37.235-05:00foragingboletus mushroomsrecipesWell, we were back in the woods today, foraging for more mushrooms, and we also came home with some beautiful rose hips and cranberries. They were all growing together, so what the heck - the more the better!  We got a lot of both Boletus edulis and Boletus bicolor today. The Boletus edulis are called King Boletes, and for good reason - they are very large and almost regal, sometimes hiding, http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/09/they-dont-call-it-king-for-nothing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-6220445605649142730Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:36:00 +00002012-02-06T15:39:09.461-05:00Targetour pool terraceAutumnMissoni/Missoni HomeAnother great quality about Autumn is its still sunny, but noticeably cooler weather. We enjoy lunches, and often dinners as well, on the terrace outside our kitchen, almost as frequently this time of year as we do in the summer months. The light is different now, with the sun crossing the sky at a lower angle than it did a couple of months ago. The shadows are more intense throughout the day, http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/09/autumn-on-terrace.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-4706533641195483154Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:50:00 +00002012-02-06T15:39:46.753-05:00foragingOrganic FoodAutumnChez PanisseConcord grapesboletus mushroomsI don't know about you, but I am one who always gets a little bit depressed over the end of summer. It goes back to my childhood, when every Labor Day meant the end of our glorious summer vacation on Cape Cod, and a return to school (even though I liked school) and Minnesota (even though I liked those winters, too). Then after I had kids of my own, the fall always meant the end of my time with http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/09/joie-de-vivre-in-autumn-foraging.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-6644539834014648786Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:42:00 +00002012-02-06T15:40:15.019-05:00Tomates Confits/Sun Dried TomatoesToday, I have been out in the rain taking some pictures of the tomatoes on the vine, and picking a whole new batch for today's preservation. I thought I'd share pictures of what the tomatoes look like just before they go into the oven to be dried out, since my post yesterday only showed what they looked like when finished. On the vine (the leaves are just starting to wither): Prepared and http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/09/tomates-confits-sun-dried-tomates-part.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-7027222366944225879Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:44:00 +00002012-02-06T15:41:17.261-05:00Tomates Confits/Sun Dried TomatoesrecipesThis time of year, vegetable gardens (in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway) are just bursting with tomatoes - more than can be eaten right off the vine or in daily salads. One of our favorite ways to enjoy and preserve this bounty is to "sun-dry" them. I put them in the oven, instead of actually drying them in the sun, as it gets the job done more efficiently. By September, the New England sun justhttp://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/09/tomates-confits-sun-dried-tomatoes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-7126851881197260629Mon, 05 Sep 2011 18:10:00 +00002012-02-06T15:41:54.270-05:00Linda DannenbergPierre DeuxFrench Country Decorating With the sudden closure earlier this summer of the 23 wonderful Pierre Deux stores nationwide, followed by bankruptcy proceedings by their parent company, Arts des Provinces de France, I have been mourning the end of an era. Pierre Deux was hugely responsible for the surge in American interest in French country decorating, as well as in our bigger-picture interest in French lifestyle. Although http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/09/au-revoir-pierre-deuxet-merci.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-2417149052792075738Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:41:00 +00002012-02-06T15:42:33.938-05:00taboulehhummuspig roastfamily and friendsSlow Foodpita breadtzatzikientertaining Our house just feels right, even complete, when it is shared with family and friends. Slow living and enjoying the good life are so much richer when shared with people we love! Last week, Jack and I had a party to celebrate our 25 terrific years of marriage so far, and lots of our dear friends and family were here to celebrate with us. Even with Hurricane Irene looming large on the horizon, thehttp://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/09/welcome-chez-nous-our-house-is-meant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-654694801282924184Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:29:00 +00002012-02-06T15:43:10.563-05:00Paco de LuciaManitas de PlatamusicPaco PenaThe Gipsy Kingsflamencogypsies/caravans I absolutely adore an additional category that complements my post on gypsy caravans...LA MUSIQUE!  Music is such an integral part of gypsy life and, from what I can tell, it has always been so. Over many centuries, Indians (beginning in Rajahstan in the 9th-11th centuries), Eastern Europeans, Moors and other Mediterranean cultures traveled West through North Africa, into Southern Spain (via http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/02/gypsy-music.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-9147657629215288110Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:21:00 +00002011-02-22T08:29:04.296-05:00SouleiadoJohn RobshawMadeline WeinribMoroccan PrestigeMacKenzie-ChildsJan SevadjianOililyAnthropologieMissoni/Missoni HomeWisteriaPierre Deuxgypsies/caravansIn my last post, on the Dutch fashion house of oilily, I mentioned that I have always thought it would be fun to decorate a gypsy caravan, in the South of France. That got me thinking: a gypsy caravan loaded with oilily fabrics and accents - how amazingly GREAT would that be??!! I could imagine a smattering of other designers I'd add to the mix. Before I get to my caravan, here's a little http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/02/gypsy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-3593318023128618915Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:31:00 +00002012-02-07T17:17:24.462-05:00colorOililyfashion As much as I adore Missoni, (see previous posts here and here) there is another European fashion house that gets me just as excited, perhaps even more (alora, Missoni, non e possibile!) It is the Dutch design firm of o i l i l y.   I discovered oilily when my kids were little, first being drawn to their colors and patterns, then deciding my kids just HAD to wear the Dutch clothes, being part http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/02/oilily.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-6842756975266886838Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:17:00 +00002011-01-12T11:24:04.798-05:00blogging I know a lot of my readers are fellow bloggers. In fact, I hardly know anyone who DOESN'T have a blog (well, okay, I exaggerate...) Since the pervasive climate of blogging incorporates so much good will and generosity, I thought I'd share a wonderful new resource I just discovered. the blog GUIDEBOOK is designed, written and maintained by two very creative gals from California: Sarah, who writeshttp://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2011/01/blog-guidebook.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-112810165069014551Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:30:00 +00002012-02-07T17:18:20.798-05:00San FranciscoEl Balazo Last Day of San Francisco Art & Cuisine (for now!) Our last day in San Francisco was devoted to touring around the city by car - seeing things we hadn't gotten to earlier in the week. We followed a path from the Golden Gate Bridge to Ocean Beach, through the Golden Gate Park and then into the Haight-Ashbury district. This last district is so colorful - still home to aging hippies who arrived http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/11/five-days-of-gastronomy-california_09.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-6499639361265770391Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:13:00 +00002012-02-07T17:19:07.602-05:00San FranciscoChez PanisseAlice Waters The day we had all been anticipating for months was finally upon us. It was Thursday, and we were going to Chez Panisse that evening for dinner! We were so excited, expecting a wonderful evening! But to tell the story correctly, I must rewind the clock back three months.... Alice Waters has long been one of our culinary heroines, so between us, Jack, Drake and I had decided that a dinner at http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/11/five-days-of-gastronomy-california_08.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-6608664932278676709Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:00:00 +00002012-02-07T17:22:32.757-05:00San FranciscoPlouf Back to San Francisco I hated saying goodbye to Ann and Chris so soon, but the great thing about family - like true old friends - is that you always know you can pick up your connection, the next time you get together, as if no time has passed at all. We drove North following the same route we had driven South the day before. We had intended to visit Big Sur, and see the incredible coastal viewshttp://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/11/five-days-of-gastronomy-california_06.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-3928861991431545859Fri, 05 Nov 2010 15:13:00 +00002012-02-07T17:23:17.105-05:00San FranciscoRancho Arroyo GrandeConway Family WinesDeep Sea WinesGhirardelli Chocolate The Amazing Variety of San Francisco Food &Down the Coast to Rancho Arroyo Grande (Subtitle:  Cousin * Cousine * Cuisine) Our second day, Jack and I spent the morning walking ALL over San Francisco, seeing, smelling and tasting good food everywhere we went. San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, and such fun to stroll through, meandering in and out of shops and http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/11/five-days-of-gastronomy-california_05.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-4116007376940196855Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:47:00 +00002012-02-07T17:23:39.931-05:00San FranciscoCIAFarallon  Farallon - Our Introduction to San Francisco Cuisine It all began with our youngest son, Drake, and his CIA (Culinary Institute of Technology) student externship in San Francisco. As part of their culinary studies, all CIA students complete a 5-6 month externship working in the industry, while constantly learning, studying and filling out copious homework assignments for the school. This http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/11/five-days-of-gastronomy-california.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-4553141784722743451Sat, 30 Oct 2010 13:01:00 +00002012-02-07T17:24:07.442-05:00wine labelstrompe l'oeil painting Since I wrote in this recent post about my trompe l'oeil painting, I have gotten several inquiries about the wine labels. This was one I did for our family, incorporating wine labels we had saved over the years - mostly with special memories attached. I have also been asked to do special orders of friends' own labels and corks, as well as cheese labels, and other personal memory-laden items. I http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/10/wine-label-painting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-154991098373831856Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:49:00 +00002012-02-07T17:24:35.244-05:00Michael PollanBirke BaehrSlow FoodEdible SchoolyardChez PanisseTED TalksAlice WatersHaving just returned from a 5-day gastronomic vacation* to Northern and Central California, and with the memory of a perfect meal at Chez Panisse still caressing my brain, I have been thinking again (always!) about good, honest, sustainable food and how important it is that we all pay attention to the subject. Readers of this blog know that I am a huge fan of Alice Waters. She first fell in lovehttp://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/10/alice-waters-eat-local-movement-and-one.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-3988102917562856496Sun, 17 Oct 2010 13:59:00 +00002012-02-07T17:25:10.366-05:00Wellfleet Oyster FestWellfleet oysters and a shucking knife I love oysters on the half shell. For me, eating oysters fresh from the sea and shucked on the spot is about as good as it gets. Wellfleet, here on Cape Cod, is renowned the world over for its delicious oysters, which are delicate, salty and sweet. They are fabulous just plain or with a fresh squeeze of tangy lemon juice. My favorite way to enjoy these http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/10/wellfleet-oysterfest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-522703199571378573Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:05:00 +00002010-10-16T14:22:02.446-04:00Rancho Arroyo GrandeConway Family WinesNorth Fork winesFarallonChez PanisseMcCall WinesI am heading to the West coast for a visit to San Francisco and then a drive down the coast to Rancho Arroyo Grande, home of my cousins' fairly new winemaking establishment, Conway Family Wines. I will have so much to write about upon my return (think FOOD and WINE!) I am so excited to see, first-hand, the vineyards and find out more about their winemaking process, which includes tremendous http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/10/vines-and-wines-on-both-coasts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-612215127904508921.post-446722391081132047Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:27:00 +00002012-02-07T17:26:23.011-05:00muralstrompe l'oeil paintingNow that you've seen some of my trompe l'oeil painting, in my last post, let me introduce you to some incredible-holycow-knock-your-sock-off works by other artists. Art history is full of examples of trompe l'oeil painting, going back as far as Roman pompeii. In fact, the genre has never faded from popularity since the Renaissance, and has been used for both fine art paintings, as well as murals http://discoveryourjoiedevivre.blogspot.com/2010/10/trompe-loeil-painting-brief-history.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Kate Dickerson)2