Top 10 {Things I Love} :: Holiday 2012

I have to admit, I have been a bit slack about keeping up with my Top 10 lists the past few months. Mainly due to lack of time from external projects and cookbook photo shoots (which isn’t a bad thing), but I felt it’s time to get this monthly feature back up and running – especially around the holidays with so many fun and cool things I’ve discovered that would make great holiday gifts for the home and foodie in your family! So here’s my Top 10 Things I Love for Holiday 2012…these should keep you and your loved ones happy all year ’round.

SpiceLab

1. The Spice Lab Gourmet Salts

One of my good friends bought me a set of these amazing gourmet salts for my birthday and I have to say they not only taste great but come in these cool little lab tubes that fit perfectly on my crowded countertops in my tiny NYC apartment. These are some of the best, rare and unique gourmet sea salts in the world; and they even come with reference cards with detailed descriptions and suggestions on which salts go with which dishes, making it easy to create the perfect combination of flavors. Some of the salts you’ll find in their sets include: Chili Pepper Cyprus Flake Finishing Sea Salt from the Island of Cyprus, Pink Himalayan Crystal Sea Salt from Pakistan, Hawaiian Red Alaea Sea Salt, and Viking Oak Smoked Mountain Salt from Denmark.

http://shop.thespicelab.com/

Corkcicle

2. Corkcicle Wine Chiller

I discovered this fun little gadget at the NY Wine and Food Festival this year. It’s a sleek icicle/cork topped wine chiller that you freeze in the fridge and then place inside your wine bottles to keep your wine chilled. They come in classic cork, a variety of colors and they even have festive topped designs to celebrate the season. Talk about a cool holiday gift!

http://corkcicle.com/

Jan Burtz Pottery

3. Jan Burtz Pottery, ABC Home

This beautiful handmade pottery and ceramic line is something I found at ABC Home in New York City a few weeks ago and all I can say is it’s gorgeous. Organic shapes with a simple design, her ultra-thin tableware is artistic and elegant all at once, making your holiday table one to remember or a unique gift for a friend.

Read the interview with Jan Burtz from Handful of Salt

http://www.abchome.com/giftscollectables/dinnerware/tabid/204/productId/86/Default.aspx

Michel Design Works

4. Michel Design Works

I discovered this lovely collection of glass plates, serving trays, napkins, kitchen towels, soaps, candles, shower gels and creams at Parkleigh Pharmacy in Rochester, NY and fell in love with their beautiful design and luscious holiday scents such as Au Chocolat, Fleur de Noel, Snowman, Christmas, Nutcracker Sweet and Balsam Fir. Love this line! You can find their products at any upscale gift shop (such as Parkleigh Pharmacy) or order online.

http://www.micheldesignworks.com/

Nespresso Lattissma+

5. Nespresso Lattissma+

I already have an obsession with Nespresso coffee and machines, but now there’s a new kid on the block that I’m in love with! The new Lattissma+ is the ultimate coffee brewing machine that’s compact and sleek in design. In addition to its quick start up time and auto-off functions for energy-efficiency, this machine boasts a milk frother as well and can make perfectly portioned espressos, cappuccinos and lattes at the touch of a button. It comes in 4 elegant colors (Silky White, Ice Silver, Passion Red and Midnight Blue) to match every style and personality with a moderate price at $399.You can find them at Nespresso.com, Nespresso Boutiques (New York, Boston, Miami) and in select fine retailers such as Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, Macy’s, Crate & Barrel. Don’t forget to buy some of their colorful Grand Cru coffee capsules that come in a variety of coffee strengths and flavors. Once you have a coffee machine this cool and easy, you’ll be hooked for life – I promise.

http://www.nespresso.com/lattissima/?l=us_en

Tea Forte

6. Winter Spice Collection, Tea Forte

There’s nothing better to warm you up on a chilly Winter night than a cozy mug of hot tea. Tea Forte has several tea collections of aromatic herbal and black teas, but my favorite is the Winter Spice Collection with delicious flavors such as Harvest Apple Spice, Sweet Ginger Plum, Winter Chai, Sweet Orange Spice and Hazelnut Truffle. The tea comes packaged in individual mesh infusers, and you can also get a brewing infuser mug or teapot to go with it. Other than that, all you need is a warm fuzzy blanket, some cozy slippers and a crackling fire to make it a perfect night in from the cold.

http://www.teaforte.com/store/gourmet-tea/tea-collections/winter-spice/

Pottery Barn Jewel Cut Barware

7. Jewel Tone Cut Glass Cocktail Collection, Pottery Barn

Who can resist a little bit of bling around the holidays? Pottery Barn has a lovely bar collection that comes in brilliant jewel tones (red, purple and gold) with etched cut glass in gorgeous designs that will fancify any holiday cocktail party or soiree. The cocktail shakers and set of 4 martini glasses run $39.50 each. GORGEOUS!

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/jewel-cut-glass-cocktail-shaker/

Zingermans

8. Zingerman’s

This is the ultimate go-to destination for hand-curated artisan and gourmet foods: they have gourmet and imported Coffees and Teas, Baked Goods, Candy, Chocolate Figs, Cheese, Chartucerie, Hand Pies, Fruitcakes, Olive Oil, Smoked Ham, Freshly Baked Breads, Pickles, Condiments and a whole boatload of other cool goodies you’ll want to get your hands on. You can join one of their Monthly foodie clubs: Bacon Club, Olive Oil Club, Baker’s Club, Forbidden Foods Club. Lots of fun DIY Kits including a Reuben Sandwich-making Kit. How fun! Order a Christmas gourmet goodie gift box, filled with a Zzang Original Handmade Candy bar, a mini Hot Cocoa Coffeecake, Spanish Chocolate-covered Figs, a half pound of their own Nor’easter Cheddar, a small Zingerman’s StollenSpiced Pecans and a loaf of Chocolate Sourdough Bread. If you want to get really fancy, you can sign up for a Zingerman’s Artisan Food Tour with your sweetie and travel to Italy, Hungary and Spain. Not only is their gourmet food delicious, but quirky and fun and created by a community of small artisan food producers in the Ann Arbor MI area. LOVE.

http://www.zingermans.com/

iomoi

9. Decorative Lacquered Trays, iomoi

Founder Irene Chen worked at Calvin Klein and Donna Karan before teaming up with co-founder Matthew Grenby to create this luxury lifestyle brand with beautifully designed products for the home with a modern twist. Their lacquer trays are sleek and colorful and add some festive fun to your holiday table and cocktail parties. They also carry ice buckets, paper and glass coasters, gift tags, petite matches, stationery, handbags and accessories that reflect their bold geometric designs.

http://iomoi.stores.yahoo.net/section-lacquer-trays.html

Williams Sonoma DIY Kits

10. DIY Kits, Williams-Sonoma

For your ultimate DIY-er/Foodie in the family, Williams-Sonoma has an array of homemade kits including cheesemaking kits, herb gardens, sprouters, vinegar pots, kombucha making kits, butter, mustard, mushrooms, cider and wine presses. With all this fun stuff you’ll never have to leave home to make your own delicious homemade gourmet goodies for family and friends.

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/agrarian-garden/agrarian-garden-homemade-kits/

 

It’s all about U (& Me!) :: Nespresso U-Launch Pop-Up Party NYC

Gosh I’m a lucky girl, but it’s not just all about me – it’s all about U, too. I recently attended a Nespresso Pop-Up party in the trendy Meatpacking District in NYC, to celebrate the launch of their new U machine.

I mingled with the Nespresso team, Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef, and several other tastemakers and food influencers

under a big grand tent brightly lit in pink, while sipping wine and champagne, tasting delicious chocolates and hors d’oeuvres and sampling their luscious espressos and hearing all about this amazing, shiny and new coffee machine.

I have to admit, I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I fell in love with espressos and cappuccinos when I lived in Australia because they don’t actually have coffee machines or go to Starbucks due to the European influence and coffee culture over there. I got a Nespresso Pixie and Aeroccino Milk Frother earlier this year and absolutely love them. So easy and convenient and I can get my coffee fix in about a minute flat.

But the U Machine is even cooler! It comes in four different colors: Pure Orange, Pure Cream, Pure Grey and Pure Black. It’s a handsome little devil, with a sleek design and tactile interface and this machine is quite the smarty pants, too – it actually remembers your coffee preferences (Ristretto, Espresso or Lungo) and there’s no programming needed.

All you do is pop one of their colorful Grand Cru capsules in the top, fill up the water tank (which swivels around to the side to save space on your counter), press go, and voila! – you’ve got a delicious, home-brewed espresso or cappuccino ready to enjoy in about a minute. This is one classy little machine – and quite the catch, if I may add.

They have over 16 coffee blends with a variety of flavor notes to choose from ranging from citrusy, spicy, woody, flowery, winey, cocoa, to honey, and they come in Espresso, Lungo or Ristretto capsules. They also have a ton of cool accessories to go with your new U Machine too – glasses, containers, spoons, stirrers and more to compliment your awesome coffee experience at home. It’s retails for about $199, and the coffee capsules run about .68 cents a piece, which you can get online through their Nespresso Club. Who needs Starbucks when you can make your own delicious coffee creations at home?

With a coffee machine this cool and smart, it really IS all about U now, isn’t it? 

Click the photo gallery below to view a slideshow of all the event photos..fun!

Enjoy a couple of Nespresso Cappuccino recipes below, compliments of Padma Lakshmi, Nespresso’s celebrity spokesperson.

Nespresso Iced Chai Cappuccino 

Ingredients
Spice Mix:
2 parts cinnamon
1 part ground cloves
1 part ground cardamom
1 capsule of Indriya from India Grand Cru
8.5 fl oz of milk
Sugar to taste
Cinnamon Stick
Preparation
Pour the brewed Indriya from India Grand Cru into a cappuccino cup.
Add about 1/8 teaspoon of the spice blend.
Froth milk using the Nespresso Aeroccino or the steam function of your machine.
Fill the cup with the prepared frothed milk and add sugar to taste.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick.
—–

Nespresso Cardamom Cappuccino

Ingredients

1 capsule of Indriya from India Grand Cru
4 fl oz of milk
1 tsp of natural brown sugar
1/4 tsp of powdered green cardamom
Pinch of crushed raw unsalted almonds
Grind of nutmeg

Preparation

Pour the brewed Indriya from India Grand Cru into a cappuccino cup.
Mix the milk of your choice with the natural brown sugar and powdered green cardamom.
Froth milk using the Nespresso Aeroccino.
Fill the cappuccino cup with the prepared frothed milk over the Espresso.
Top cappuccino with the crushed raw unsalted almonds, grind of nutmeg, and a pinch of cardamom.

—–

Below are a couple of links to the Nespresso coffee recipe sites and their Coffee Recipes book so you can create your own Nespresso coffee recipes:

Nespresso Ultimate Coffee Creations (Nespresso Global coffee recipe site):

http://www.nespresso.com/ultimate-coffee-creations/US/en/coffee-recipes

Nespresso’s Padma Lakshmi’s Recipe Page (US only page):

http://www.nespresso-us.com/ultimaterecipes/

Download a copy of the Nespresso Coffee Recipe Book

Hanging with Padma Lakshmi
Hanging with Padma Lakshmi

Nespresso: Perfecting the Art of a Cup ‘o Joe

Cappuccino
Cappuccino

I’m not sure about you, but a great cup of coffee is something I can’t live without. Like a moth to a flame, I am lured into coffee shops and espresso bars by the mere scent of that pungent, luscious roasted coffee bean and am a prisoner to its euphoria it gives me from that first sip.

I have always loved coffee, and I blame it on my parents you could say. I remember our family trips to Buffalo for the holidays when Dad would stop at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Main Street in Batavia just to get his caffeine fix half way home to keep him awake on the thruway in the blizzardy weather. Or blame it on the late night excursions to Perkins or Gitsis Diner with my best friends in high school when the weekend Friday night ritual was to drink coffee all night with a brownie sundae and diner food after a night out. Then, Starbucks came along and my caffeine addiction became to rule my life (and my wallet!)

Melbourne coffee shops
Melbourne coffee shops

It wasn’t until I moved to Melbourne, Australia in 2004 for grad school that I discovered what REAL coffee is all about. Starbucks? Dunkin’ Donuts? Not. You’re lucky to even find one in Melbourne or Sydney – and if you do, there’s no lines down the street and out the door – something that’s unheard of in New York City at 8 am on a Monday morning.

Because of the heavy European population in Australia (Melbourne in particular), a rich aromatic espresso or creamy flat white are an everyday ritual for Aussies – they actually turn their noses up to regular brewed coffee and coffee chains and wouldn’t think of drinking anything but a freshly brewed cup of joe from their friendly neighborhood barista. Head down some of the cool side streets and neighborhoods in Melbourne or Sydney, and you’ll find an espresso bar on every corner (kinda like Starbucks is here in the US), with people hanging out at tables on the sidewalk like they do in Rome or Paris. At first, it took me a while to become familiar on what the difference was between a flat white and a macchiato, but after living there for 2 years, I became a coffee aficionado, and never looked back.

Nespresso Pixie and Grand Cru
Nespresso Pixie and Grand Cru

Enter my new Nespresso Pixie machine – the new love of my life. It’s a compact, lightweight espresso machine that is easy to use, and makes a perfect cup of espresso in 30 seconds flat. Just fill it with water, turn it on, and pop in one of their colorful Grand Cru coffee capsules and choose your poison – short or long. Voila – you’ve got a perfect cup o’ joe.

Aeroccino Plus
Aeroccino Plus

I love the rich intense flavor of espresso, but I prefer a little hot milk or froth in mine so I got the Aeroccino Plus frother machine for when I’m craving a tall, creamy cappuccino or latte. There’s no messy steaming pipe to deal with either, simply pour your milk in the steel container, choose the frother or milk warmer attachment, cover it with the lid and push the button. Perfectly steamed, frothy milk in about a minute. LOVELY.

Grand Cru
Grand Cru

Nespresso has a full line of espresso and lungo (tall espressos) Grand Crus in 16 different coffee flavors – from sweet and smooth Dulsao do Brasil to bold and intense Ristretto. The capsules come in bundles of 10 at around .65 a piece, and the minimum order is 50 if you order them online – with shipping you’re looking at approx $35 for 50 capsules, delivered straight to your door after you sign up as a member online to their Nespresso Club. If you don’t want to order online, visit one of their Nespresso Boutiques and enjoy a cup in the cafe while you’re there – a mecca full of all their coffee machines, coffee blends and accessories.

I may not be in Australia anymore, but my perfect cup of joe has arrived, right at my fingertips.

Chestnut Coffee
Chestnut Coffee

Chestnut Coffee

1 Grand Cru capsule of Volluto (makes 1.5 fl oz of espresso)
1 tsp of hot milk
2 tbsp of hot milk froth
3 tsp of chestnut puree
1 tsp of small pieces of candied chestnut

Prepare the milk froth using the steam nozzle of your machine or the Aeroccino and set aside. Mix the chestnut puree with the hot milk, pour into the Espresso cup and prepare your coffee directly into the mixture. Stir, then top coffee with the milk froth and sprinkle with candied chestnut.

Find out more about Nespresso machines and coffee: www.nespresso.com or www.nespresso-us.com