Friday Love.

our old room on 127th.  i loved that wall color.

there is only one Bill Cunningham

Photo by Max Cook

and I'm going to see his movie tonight!  here is the trailer for the film.  hooray!!!  hooray for really great outfits & NYC & Cunningham's work for the New York Times. HOORAY for street style.

 ...4 ever.  

Upper West Side, you so pretty (sometimes).

Photo by Jeffrey Hirsch

This is from New York Social Diary; I click around on there when I start missing NYC, (and maybe also to remember some reasons I left.)  I LOVE this photo.  It's just so heaven.  The perspective is looking south, along West End Ave on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Famous NYC Cinnamon Buns for Christmas morning.

Photo courtesy of Momofuku.com

Cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning are incredibly special.  If you don't have a go-to recipe, maybe this could be it ... This is pastry chef Christina Tosi's totally wonderful version of cinnamon rolls and the dough recipe has quite the following; it actually inspired the cinnamon bun pie served at Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC.

(Yields fourteen buns)

Ingredients

For the dough
2½ tsp. dry active yeast
¾ c. warm water
1½ c. warm milk
6 c. bread flour
2 tbsp. salt
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature

For the filling
1 c. butter, at room temperature
1½ c. light brown sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. salt

For the cream cheese frosting
½ c. butter
1½ c. cream cheese
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. salt

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and milk.

2. Knead in dry ingredients. Add butter. Let rise for 45 minutes.

3. After the 45-minute rise, roll out dough into a long rectangle and spread butter over its surface. Sprinkle it with a generous amount of light brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

4. Roll up the rectangle into a long cylinder. Cut into fourteen, 2-inch pieces. Place in a greased 9-by-13-inch pan or two 10-inch pie pans and cover with plastic. Let rise 45 minutes before baking for 12-22 minutes at 375°.

5. To prepare the frosting, mix butter, cream cheese, extract, sugar, and salt thoroughly.

6. While the buns are still warm, spread the frosting generously about the buns and serve immediately.

Holla.

Sam is modeling one of her new gifts on her head.

I spent the better part of last week in NYC. The big event was a delicious baby shower (think lots of wine, calamari, hand stretched pizzas, salmon & tiramisu from Celeste, a phenomenal Italian place on the Upper West Side). My friend glowed and rocked wonderful white bangle bracelets from India and a eight month plus belly. Her guests rocked various black ensembles, minus Genevieve in a terrific floral frock, partially inspired by a certain flower dress that is no longer with us. Vintage diamond rings were shown off and a good time was had by all. Congratulations Samantha & Sonia. Can't wait!

Antique diamond rings go great with Italian food.

Rose Cookie.

                                                                

Malted Milk Cookie.

The bag the cookies come in.

While in NY, I ate delicious miniature trio of cookies ("rose", "malted milk", and "exotic seduction" from my very favorite cookie shop, Ruby et Violette. What I have to say about this is simple: I will not stop until I can share with you the rose & "exotic seduction" cookie recipes. Think lots of curry and dark chocolate in the "exotic" treat. Besides cookies, I got some thrifting in at some of my old, beloved haunts, including the Salvation Army in Hell's Kitchen and St Frances on 96th. Found treasures include a vintage French blouse, a long sleeved tight yellow Gap piece and a set of shot glasses with sweet, etched rims.  Not sure what I'm going to do with the glasses, as I'm not much of a shot girl, but I'll figure it out and let you know.

This is a delightful and important cookie.
"Exotic Seduction"

Beppino Occelli butter, oh oh so pretty.   At Eataly, I thought about buying this extremely expensive butter because the packaging was so beautful it stopped my heart, but decided even I can't be that frivolous and settled happily for pretty little pastilles.  Notice the brackets and wonderful folding on the seams of the back of the butter.                                                                                             

So smart looking.

Expensive.

Just great.