Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala

Wednesday night was the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House Gala at Cipriani in New York and I was lucky enough to help out the incredibly talented design firm, Kapito Muller, on their table. For this annual event, some of the top interior design firms in New York are each asked to design a table, and then tickets are sold for the event and the proceeds are given to the organization. We had the freedom to design our table however we liked, but the general suggested theme was Adam & Eve's garden.  

Our first stop on Wednesday morning was the Chelsea flower district on 28th street. There, we picked up varying shades of pink ranunculus. 

We packed up the flowers and brought them to Cipriani on 42nd street. When we arrived, the other designers were at varying stages in their table decorating process: some had only just begun and other tables looked nearly finished. 

For our table, we opted for a pink and green color scheme. We used an Allegra Hicks printed fabric for the table cloth and beautiful sea moss green Anna Weatherly dishes trimmed in geometric gold. The flatware was tortoise Bunny Williams for Ballard and the candlesticks were Stephen Antonson. 

Finally, each seat had a Hayley Sarno illustrated menu, Frette napkin, and individually wrapped Ladureé macaroon. The bust in the middle is a nod to the theme and we arranged the flowers in bunches at varying levels surrounding the bust. 

The other tables were gorgeous as well. Below are a few of my favorites. 

I wore a Giambattista Valli dress and jacket with Zara heels. 

{Me with Alyssa Kaptio and Vivian Muller}

The event was lovely and certainly one I wish to attend again & perhaps in the future design my own table! 

Egg Shop vs. Egg Slut

It seems like for the last couple of months my Instagram feed has been infiltrated by photos of eggs. Poached eggs, eggs over quinoa, fried egg sandwiches, egg on top of avocado toast, etc. The egg craze certainly extends between coasts as first, Eggslut opened in Grand Central Market in DTLA and then just this year, Egg Shop opened on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In terms of which restaurant I think is better, I'm impartial. My favorite dish at Egg Shop was the "Spandex" which consists of a poached egg over miso quinoa with greens, avocado, and pickled quinoa. The most popular dish at Eggslut is the "Fairfax" - soft scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, caramelized onion, and sriracha mayo in a warm brioche bun. Whether you're LA or NY based, both are eggceptional and definitely worth checking out! 

Egg Shop
151 Elizabeth St. New York, NY 10012
Sun - Thurs 8am - 12am Fri - Sat 8am - 1am 
(646) 666 - 0810

Egg Slut
317 S. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90013
Open 7 days a week 8am - 4pm

My best friend Hillary's review of Egg Slut on her food blog, In Search of the Next Meal 

5 Kitchen Essentials

There are certain things that, in my opinion, every "grown up" kitchen needs. This Dean & Deluca Spice Rack sits elegantly on my kitchen counter. Admittedly, I rarely use the spices but it is certainly a piece of art! Williams-Sonoma Hand & Dish soap are staples next to my sink. My favorite scent is the Meyer Lemon and it feels like I am always buying refills.  A good quality olive oil is must-have in every kitchen. I picked up a set of Shun knives in Tokyo this summer, and it vastly improved the quality of my prep work. And finally, Maldon sea salt is great to have on hand to finish off a savory dish or sprinkle over chocolate chip cookies. 

Recipe: Freekeh with Caramelized Shallots, Chickpeas, & Yogurt

 Craving something hearty but vegetarian, I made this dish last night and loved it so much it will definitely be incorporated into my repertoire of weeknight dinners. Freekeh is a grain that is somewhat difficult to find, but my nearest Whole Foods had it. It has the consistency of barley but fills you up the way quinoa does due to its protein content. Served warm with a dollop of cool yogurt, it's the perfect dish to throw together on a whim! I served it as a main to myself and my picky roommate who to my surprised, loved it as well. She even loved the kale sprouts I served along with it - a new variety of vegetable that is a cross between Russian kale and brussels sprouts - delicious! 

My Favorite LA Restaurants

It's dreary New York days like these that I most miss dining al fresco at my favorite restaurants back home in LA. It's not as if New York City lacks a great restaurant scene - but after a weekend of heavy eating in stuffy restaurants, I miss grabbing a casual bite at some of my LA go-to's like La Scala for their infamous chopped salads, Kogi BBQ Korean tacos, Reddi Chick rotisserie chicken and french fries, or Bay Cities godmother sandwiches.