Never in a million years did I think a 5’2 shorty like me could wear harem pants. There are plenty of fashion trends I just don’t touch. But sometimes, I change my mind–like when I tried on these at OndadeMar’s Cartagena store. All the fashionable girls on the street were wearing printed harem pants and short playsuits, so on our last day of vacation I thought I’d give them a shot too. They’re pretty much like wearing super comfy pajama pants, perfect for a laid-back, summer weekend look. My harem-pant trick? Folding over the waistband to bring up the dropped inseam, so they’re not at my knees!
For my guy friends who follow my blog and think my recipes are lacking a certain manliness—and for my readers’ husbands, fiancés, boyfriends, brothers—this one’s for you. When I was in grad school at Syracuse years ago, John came up for a visit and requested a trip to Cooperstown, New York. Every baseball-loving guy’s dream, right? To make the day trip somewhat of interest to me, he booked us for a microbrewery tour at Brewery Ommegang, which handcrafts the Belgian-style beers we had just started to get into at that time (and now pretty much the only beer I’ll drink).
At the end of our tour, we got to talking with one of the brewery guys, and he scribbled down a rough recipe for us for marinating chicken using one of Ommegang’s brews. I’ve managed to keep up with the recipe after all these years, and I figured it was high time I shared…because what guy won’t be into flavorful, beer-marinated chicken? Of course it’s a recipe that’s equal parts manly and chic, with Belgian beer, orange zest, ginger, sesame oil and other delicious ingredients. Keep reading for the recipe and enjoy!
Hennepin-Marinated Chicken
1 12-ounce bottle of Brewery Ommegang’s Hennepin Farmhouse Saison (check your local wine/beer shops)
Zest of ½ an orange
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
Sesame seeds
2 very large bone-in chicken breasts (boneless breasts will work just fine too)
In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, combine all marinade ingredients. Add chicken breasts, remove air from the bag and seal. Press the marinade into the breasts, moving them around in the bag so they’re well covered. Place the bag in the refrigerator and let the chicken marinate for a few hours. To cook, heat a grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and transfer to the grill, generously salting each side so it will brown nicely. Grill until cooked through, depending on the size of your chicken. To serve, sprinkle with extra sesame seeds. Goes great with summer sides like grilled corn, fresh salads or this grilled potato and zucchini salad, which is our current favorite!
I’ve had quite a few questions from you guys about what I wear to work. Since workplace attire varies so much from company to company, job to job, and even city to city, I definitely don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach to offer. But I’m more than happy to share some peeks into my version of “business casual” at my current job–what I’ve found to work for both our corporate culture and the casual vibe of Madison (not to mention my body type).
If you break down the anatomy of this look, you get to the four elements I use as a formula for my summer work outfits most days: (1) a feminine top in a flowing fit, (2) skinny pants in a dark color, (3) comfortable wedges, and (4) a long necklace. What are your go-to summer work looks?
The definition of wanderlust: a strong desire to travel. For me it’s in fact a constant desire, and I’m always planning our next trip. As tomorrow marks the five-week countdown to crossing Greece & Turkey off our travel wish list, I thought it would be fun to dish on a few others on my list and see what’s on yours. We all have them, right? Places we’re dying to visit–whether halfway around the world or maybe even just a few states away. One thing’s for sure: the more places we visit, the more our list seems to grow. It’s constantly expanding and evolving, and there’s nothing I love more than moving a country from “To Visit” over to “Have Been.” We keep those running lists in the notes of my iPhone, so new thoughts of wanderlust don’t get forgotten. Without further ado, here are just a few (of the many) countries on my list. Be sure to tell me in the comments what the top five on yours are!
Simple syrup is exactly what it says it is–simple. A key ingredient in many cocktails (mojitos! whisky sours! gin fizzes!), simple syrup blends easily into drinks whereas granulated sugar by itself can end up grainy at the bottom of your glass. Infusing the sugar-water mixture adds an extra dose of flavor, great for making unique cocktails at home or for gift-giving to a hostess. Read on for the basic recipe to see just how easy it is to make, plus get inspired with some infusion ideas. The options are really endless…
Basic Simple Syrup Recipe
2 cups sugar*
1 cup water
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat.
*I use the 2:1 sugar-to-water ratio many mixologists use, for a thicker syrup. Many recipes call for a 1:1 ratio.
Infusing the Syrup
Add your infusion (herbs, fruit, zest, spices) to the hot syrup and submerge, allowing the mixture to steep. Once cool, transfer to a glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid. Keeps in the refrigerator for several weeks.
You should strain the mixture to discard the solids before storing (or before using). Just pour the syrup through a small (handheld) fine mesh strainer. Note that if you leave the solids in the bottle or jar, the syrup will develop a more intense flavor.
Infusion Inspiration
I used rosemary sprigs, lime zest and smashed blackberries. Here are some other ideas for herbal, citrus, fruit and even spice flavors!
Herb: Mint, basil, cilantro, sage (check out my lavender simple syrup!) Citrus: Lemon, orange, grapefruit Fruit: Raspberries, strawberries, cherries Spices: Vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, chili pepper
This salad was the result of happy experimentation in my kitchen last night. The nasturtium flowers I picked up at the farmers’ market over the weekend were sadly wilting–you should use them immediately while they’re still beautifully open, but for some reason I always forget that edible flowers don’t last that long. But they were still so bright and cheerful, so I decided to create a summertime salad for one, balancing their peppery taste with sweet cantaloupe and blueberries, chewy farro, and a little blueberry habanero dressing I whipped together. It turned out perfectly pretty, not to mention delicious and packed with good-for-you ingredients. Read on for the recipe.
Summer Fruits & Grain Salad with Blueberry Habanero Dressing
Salad
2-3 handfuls of arugula
Half a cup of cooked farro
A handful of blueberries
A handful of cut cantaloupe
Nasturtium flowers
A sprinkle of sunflower seeds
Maldon sea salt
Dressing
1/3 cup blueberries
1/4 a habanero pepper
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup of oil (I used half hazelnut oil and half extra-virgin olive oil)
1-2 tablespoons of water
To make the dressing, place all ingredients except the water in a mini food processor. Blend until smooth, then add the water and blend again to thin out the dressing to your preference (less water yields a thicker dressing). Place the arugula in a shallow bowl, then top with farro, cantaloupe, blueberries, nasturtiums and sunflower seeds. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and drizzle with dressing.
Outfit details: Mara Hoffman dress | Loeffler Randall sandals (love these) | vintage clutch and jewelry
Sometimes my clothing purchases are very thoughtfully considered, practical choices. But in the case of this Mara Hoffman dress, it went more like this: love-at-first-sight moment on Shopbop.com, followed by a pouty-lip holdout, then a gleeful grab when I found THE DRESS at Bop’s summer sale on Friday. The pattern reminds me of a kaleidoscope, and the colors scream summer. And the lattice waist? I never thought I could pull that off, but I LOVE it. Just a peek of skin, balanced by a full, long skirt, and I’m ready to twirl. I had to put the dress on at home immediately, and I can’t wait to alternate it with heels and flat sandals for the rest of the hot months ahead.
Each month, my friend Elizabeth is dropping in with a special dessert in our One Last Bite series. Today, she’s sharing a traditional French dessert that takes advantage of summer’s ripe and juicy cherries. From Elizabeth…
Last month I shared a recipe with a perfect quick prep for a summer party. But when it comes to last-minute shindigs, this clafoutis [pronounced kla-foo-TEE] is the frenzied party-planner’s best friend. Not only is the prep work minimal, but I would bet you have most–if not all–of the ingredients in your kitchen right now.
According to baking purists, a traditional clafoutis should be prepared with whole black cherries, including the pits, which supposedly infuse the flan-like custard with a richer, more complex flavor. Whatever the excuse, I’m just grateful I don’t have to pit the darn things and get cherry juice all over my pretty party dress.
If you’re feeling really ambitious, try sautéing the cherries in some brown sugar and butter before tossing them into your buttered dish. Don’t have cherries or rum? How about pears and amaretto? Or plums and bourbon? Or blackberries and brandy? A clafoutis will embrace anything you throw in it (a dash of cinnamon! nutmeg! ground ginger!). Have any fun combinations of your own? Share them with us—and enjoy!
Traditional Cherry Clafoutis Recipe from Ceres and Bacchus
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 c flour
1 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (or almond) extract
2 Tbsp rum
2 c sweet cherries
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Beat the sugar and the eggs with a wire whisk until they turn lighter in color. Gradually add the butter, beating to incorporate. Add the flour all at once and whisk until the batter is a homogeneous mixture. Next slowly pour in the milk a little at a time. Add the vanilla, and the rum if you are using it, mixing well. The batter should be very smooth and shiny.
Place the fruit in a buttered glass or earthenware baking dish, cake pan (9 or 10 inches in diameter) or skillet that can go in the oven. Pour the batter over the fruit. Bake in the pre-heated oven, approximately 30-40 minutes (mine was perfect at 30 minutes–check early and often), until slightly browned and almost completely set in the middle. Let sit at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a plate and serving (or serve out of the baking pan). Serve warm or at room temperature.
*Photos by Lauren
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