Archive of ‘Culture’ category

A&O in Martha Stewart Weddings

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insta wedding

photo by La Femme Epicure

I am literally bursting with excitement to see the name Apples & Onions LA in Martha Stewart Weddings Summer 2014 Issue. It was an honor to contribute the pre-ceremony snack, Indian Summer Trail Mix, to the October wedding of my pals Sarah and Kelly. Their wedding has a 10 page spread in the MSW magazine on stands today (online gallery here). While images of the welcome snack did not make the magazine, there is a link in the vendor list to Apples & Onions LA. Now I can say I’ve been in Martha Stewart magazine!

Indian Summer Trail Mix

photo by Evynn LeValley

Scharffen Berger dark chocolate chunks, salty pretzel twists, diced dried apricot, roasted almonds, dried tart cherries, chocolate covered raisins, yogurt chips, toasted coconut flakes and salted pistachios all mixed together.

photo by Evynn LeValley

Drew and I volunteered to model the chilled French cider served alongside the trail mix.

Trailmix in Cookbook cones

photo by Evynn LeValley

Mossy beds and vintage cookbook cones made by the bride, Sarah and her sister Rebecca.

Lydia and Drew Howerton

photo by Evynn LeValley

Drew is excited about the cider.

xx,

Lydia

 

 

Current Must Reads

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“You read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” -The Fault in our Stars by John Green

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I feel this way to some degree about all the books below. Some are just fun, others will change the way you move through the world. Thanks to this article for the permission to love and talk openly about Young Adult fiction.

The Fault in Our Stars- John Green

Eleanor & Park- Rainbow Rowell

Delancey: A Man, A Woman, A Restaurant, A Marriage- Molly Wizenburg

The Sense of an Ending- Julian Barnes

The Circle- Dave Eggers

Crazy Rich Asians- Kevin Kwan

Still Alice- Lisa Genova

The Snow Child- Eowyn Ivey

The Interestings- Meg Wolitzer

The Lowland- Jhumpa Lahiri

Me Before You- Jojo Moyes

 

What are your current favorite reads? I’m always looking for my next obsession.

 

xx, Lydia

My Favorite Secret Recipes from the 1990’s

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I’m so excited to be featured on TheKitchn sharing my favorite recipes from the 1990’s. Remember the era of warm goat cheese on salads, sun dried tomato everything and bagel pizzas? While most 90’s food fads have fallen out of fashion, I still have a few secret recipes I make at home.

Baby Spinach Salads with Bacon, Raw Shaved Mushrooms, Hard Egg and Red Onion with Warm Balsamic Dressing- This was on every cafe menu when I was growing up and I used to order it when I wanted to be “healthy.” I made it all the time for dinner my senior year of college once I had my own kitchen. Easy and satisfying and just as good with turkey bacon.

Sun Dried Tomatoes– I still love them on salads, purred in dips, minced into turkey burgers or added to simmer sauces to bump up the flavor. Maybe if we called them Umami Bombs they would be popular again?

Baked Potatoes– Why did loaded baked potatoes go out of fashion? My Mom used to order a plain baked potato and a side of chili from a Wendy’s drive through when we were on car trips and got to eat fast food. She would top her potato with the chili and enjoy a mildly nutritious fast food meal. I thought she was the height of glamor as I munched on my junior bacon cheeseburger in the back seat. Now days I roll the cleaned potatoes in olive oil and tons of sea salt and roast them until tender. Salty, crispy skin and fluffy steaming flesh inside. I’ve always wanted to have a baked potato party with chic toppings like chives, creme fraiche, aged white cheddar, sauteed kale and caviar. And champagne!

Fusion Pizzas– I miss Thai inspired pizzas with peanut sauce, shaved carrots, bean sprouts and tons of cilantro. Same with BBQ Chicken Pizza! I now make these at home on brown rice tortillas with was less cheese and more vegetables. A GREAT pantry staple or leftovers meal when you have an open bottle of BBQ sauce, left over chicken, half a red onion and some odds ends of cheese to shred and mix on top.

Hard Shell Tacos– As many authentic street tacos as I enjoy in Los Angeles made from fresh masa pressed to order and warmed on a plancha, I crave the hard shell tacos I grew up eating on “Taco Night.” I could fry my own tortillas at home but it seems too indulgent.

 

What are your favorite 90’s foods? Any secrets you want to share?

 

xx, Lydia

Hello! And goodbye, from Ohio

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Marlowe at window

Hi, friends.

I’m writing today from the house my husband and I recently bought in Columbus, Ohio. Snow covers the ground and sifts down from the pine in front. My daughter stands at the window, licking the glass, and pointing out every “burd” she sees. I’m miles from the sunny kitchen where I wrote my last post. I miss Los Angeles. I miss my friends and the mountains. I miss having the luxury of wishing the sun wouldn’t shine so brightly. I miss having warm shoulders and tan feet. I miss the early evening light and the smell of magnolias in our yard. I miss talking to all of you here.

Relocating was not something we had planned. Angus and I both believed we were in Los Angeles for the long haul. His new job offer was unexpected and we surprised even ourselves by how quickly we accepted it. Maybe we had an instinct? Because polar vortexes and SmartWool aside, Columbus works for us.

When we created A&O in 2008, Lydia and I didn’t know a thing about blogging. We just dove in, impatient to see what kind of future two friends could create together in their small apartment kitchens.

We wanted a place to document our growth as personal chefs, to catalogue the things that caught our eye, and to remember the moments that shaped our personal lives. Combined, the jumble of images, meditations, and recipes you find here form the timeline that matters to me most. It’s a testament to the work and time that Lydia and I have shared and the ways in which we’ve grown up together.

Life in Columbus is good, but it is different. And It doesn’t fit with how I envision A&O. Our once little company will continue to grow, as will this blog, but I’m sorry to say that I will no longer be a part of it. I want to thank you for spending time with me here these last 6 years. It has meant more than you know.

I’m not leaving the food world. You can find me here, where I’ll soon start sharing my writing projects, as well as recipes and photos from my work as the recipe editor of edible Columbus and a cooking instructor at The Seasoned Farmhouse.

I leave you in the very best of hands. Enjoy the many gorgeous things and brilliant tips Lydia shares. I’ll be reading right along with you.

xoxosl

 

Remebering Camelot

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This week marks 50 years since the assassination of JFK. Here are a few of my favorite snaps from Pinterest of John and Jackie Kennedy.

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” My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”- John F. Kennedy

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“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.” -John F. Kennedy

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“Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.” -John F. Kennedy

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“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” -John F. Kennedy

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“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” -John F. Kennedy

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John F. And Jacqueline Kennedy With Baby Caroline Kennedy

“Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.” -John F. Kennedy

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All images from Pinterest

xo,

Lydia

Green Moving Boxes

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Drew and I recently moved to a new neighborhood in Los Angeles. We rented these fantastic Green Boxes for our packing process. The company delivers a complete set of reusable plastic boxes + eco freindly packing paper and crinkle wrap to your door. You pack up your treasures and secure each box with the provided zip ties and cute craft paper tags for labeling. Then you move (wince.) Once you unpack the Green Boxes, schedule a pick up and they come collect them from your new pad.

Green Boxes

NO cardboard, NO taping boxes and NO struggling with a box cutter to break them down. NO manicures or trees are ruined in the process. The boxes stack safely since they are so durable so you have more room to maneuver around your place as you pack and unpack.

This company services the Los Angels and Orange County area but maybe you can find a similar company in other areas? Give it a google.

xo,

Lydia

Autumn Essentials

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Happy Autumn Friends! This summer has been full of change for Apples & Onions. The end of some things and the beginning of new things. We have been away from this space  for awhile, but with the onset of fall we are back! We look forward to sharing new parties, recipes and exciting collaborations we have percolating.

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How darling is this print by Jones Design Company? I’m dusting off my slippers and stocking up on white pumpkins and Honeycrisp apples.

xo,

Lydia

Why I Love Feedly

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feedly

 

You are a blog reader.

But maybe, like me, you still prefer the visual punch of a magazine. Or the freedom to flip back and forth between stories. Maybe you secretly dream of editing your own glossy.

If so, meet Feedly.

Feedly organizes your favorite blogs into a magazine layout. Just click “magazine view” at the upper right on the homepage and your blogs will magically morph into a magazine you’ve curated. Congrats, you’re an editrice.

Google Reader, I can hardly remember you.

xx

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