A Confession (and other tasty things)

We've had a fantastic post NYC full week in Vermont, which is as lush and green as a jungle right now! I'm always amazed how this can possible be after such a long, freezing, snow-covered winter? Life's mysteries are truly a magical thing....

So, on to my confession: the short of it is recipe development in the traditional sense (exact measurements, step-by-step instructions, etc) goes against every grain of my "inner chef" and I just don't enjoy it, and honestly I can't do it. I do, however, very much enjoy creating visual recipes and making lists of  ingredients in the form of intriguing, and hopefully, mouthwatering titles. From there the magic comes from within YOU! I want to empower YOU to use all your five senses when you cook: taste it, see it, feel it, smell it, even hear it as you chop, blend, grind, mash and spread, and get lost and carried away in that process rather than navigating a mundane recipe (with all do respect to recipes). Your preferences in tastes and presentation are unique and different than mine-- and that's good! Let's celebrate! No more conservative, box-you- in recipes that don't fit your needs or desires! Let's open our minds, hearts and refrigerators together and find what's already there- greatness!! 

So here goes your first cooking project- created by YOU and inspired by me:): 

Smashed new potatoes with (plenty of) Extra Virgin Olive Oil, (Coarse) Himalayan Sea Salt, (heaps of) garden chives, (a generous cap full of) white truffle oil and (a splash of) balsamic vinegar (for brightness). 

*see pic above for visual inspiration* 

Enjoy! and gosh darn it, HAVE FUN! ;-)

Xx's

Mi&O

Goodbye, New York, NY

So this is it-- I mean REALLY it! We are fully out of the city now and starting our new country life in northern Vermont. I must admit it's been pretty fun saying "we live in Vermont and Manhattan" for the last year and having fantastic places to dwell in, but ultimately our hearts and needs are in the country- together. Of course, we will always visit the city and love knowing where to go and how to get there! But for the summer our focus will be on rediscovering what it is like living together as a threesome, trying to make us a foursome (haha), and taking over an art store (The Studio Store) on Main Street, Johnson! Yup, we are going to be Mom&Pop shopkeepers and Olive is going to grow up surrounded by high quality art supplies and the Green Mountains of Vermont. Not a bad life, i'd say.....Thank you all for supporting us on our journey getting here....<3

Garden and field to kitchen and table

The rhubarb and asaparagus are gracing our table and mouths everyday now! They are my absolute favorites and it's been fun creating new recipes as well as resurecting some tried and true- like strawberry rhubarb pie, for example. ;-) Something that I didn't expect and "accidentally" discovered was how perfectly rhubarb pairs with savory fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme?! I made a delicious strawberry rhubarb compote for our crepes that had maple syrup as the sweetener and fresh thyme as the complementing herb. Sweet, tart and  savory tangos on your tongue with each bite....highly recommend hitting that dance floor! :)))