Mad Men

Who doesn't fall in love with the style of the 60's?  Exquisite.
And I cannot wait for next season!

Brinn takes Seattle

This girl is moving from Ohio to Seattle.  I live in LA.  Seattle is closer to LA than it is to Ohio.

Stooookkked.

Actual text messages between my mom and me in a conversation about dying my hair.

Me: Your advice sucks.

Mom: You do.

Me: YOU do.

Mom: YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: WHATEVER!!! Just for that I'm going to dye my hair blue.

Mom: Like the blue in Morocco and Greece?  I love that blue!!!

Me: No I'm shaving it instead.

Mom: And everything else hairy!!!!

Me: You are so vulgar!

The view from my favorite hike. 

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

Here is a recipe for Thai coconut chicken soup, courtesy of my friend Breck (the chef).  I had an absolute craving for it yesterday so he texted me the recipe and here's what came out.

Ingredients (by category):

VEGGIES
carrots
mushrooms
celery
onion
green pepper
green onion

AROMATICS
lemongrass
garlic
fresh ginger root
sriracha

HERBS
mint
basil
cilantro

LIQUIDS
chicken broth
coconut milk

MEAT
whole roasted chicken

Then there is my friend's secret ingredient which he told me not to share.  But it's four words, the first word rhyming with "my", the second rhymes with "bed", the third rhymes with "furry", and the fourth rhymes with "taste".  Can you guess what it is?  Don't say I told ya!

I shopped at Whole Foods and everything is organic, because that matters to me.

Dice all the veggies and aromatics and throw them together in a pot.  My recipe didn't come with exact measurements so if you're a complete novice then this one will be tough for you.  But I looked online at other recipes for this dish and then I taste-tested my own as I went along.   I started with less of the strong spices and kept tasting and adding until I found the right amount.  Sweat all of these items together for a few minutes and then add the chicken broth.

Of course I didn't roast my own chicken!  Whole Foods does a kickass job roasting chickens and I often buy one and stand in the kitchen eating it like a wild animal.  Don't judge me.  Peel off the skin (and stuff it in your mouth) and cut the meat to the size you want it in the soup.  Then throw it into the pot with the veggies and the broth.  Feel free to add a little water to make the soup more brothy.

Loosely tear the mint, basil, and cilantro leaves and toss them into the pot as well.  I would suggest to be very generous with these herbs.  I put in a lot of each one, but I did a 2 to 1 ratio basil and cilantro to mint.  I'm not a huge fan of a big minty taste in my foods.  But I don't know why I don't use basil and cilantro more.  They are amazing plants.

Let everything boil for a while and then at the very end add a can of coconut milk.  I used a quart of chicken broth and a can of coconut milk.  That's as close to measurements as I got.  Then add 1 to 3 tablespoons of that special ingredient (Thai red curry paste), and lots of Sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it).

Serve with a side of peanut butter toast.  I swear it's amazing.  And voila!  So yums.

On the Porch

The Help

Keeley and Meg

Keeley and I in black and white for the premiere of The Help.

Penny Loafers

Nice work H&M.

Bullett Magazine

Maybe I'm a little slow on the uptake but I just discovered BULLETT magazine and I'm obsessed.  The photo shoots are perfect and the interviews are meaty; and are with people I'm actually interested in.  Also loving my new black thick-framed glasses that I finally got filled with my prescription.