Serving

Wine never seems to be at the correct temperature when you want it to be. Oh, sure, there are wine refrigeration systems and chillers galore, but the fact of the matter is that when it's time to pour, quite often the bottle isn't as ready as you are. The result is usually an open bottle of wine getting progressively colder as it rests in the fridge. The end of the bottle might make it to an ideal temperature, but the same respect should be reserved for the first sip, too.

For those times when the wine you want … Read more

It wasn't until I began to peruse the MoMA Store's Web site last year that I learned a valuable lesson about hors d'oeuvre: presentation is everything!

I'm no stranger to creating pretty presentations. In fact, many of my friends for whom I've cooked a meal will tell you that I care almost as much about how a plate looks as how it tastes. What I don't do, however, is spend much time thinking about how to serve predinner snacks, and so most of these end up gracing the coffee table in the same bowls … Read more

Good tools are a necessity in the kitchen. They save time, heartache, and money in the long run. A good knife, in particular, can really make or break your food preparation--which, in turn, can determine whether your meal inspires or falls flat.

When it comes to serving, I often choose form over function. But knives? Forget it. I don't care how much a knife costs; I care how well it cuts. For slicing tomatoes and cucumbers for Israeli salad, for example, I use the world's cheapest knives, purchased in a four-pack in Israel years ago. But sometimes, you … Read more

Summer is officially here and that brings with it one thing for sure: heat. From time to time we cover outdoor grills and other alfresco food-related entertaining. A dining table for the backyard is still a dining table after all. Considering the heat is just getting started, I am drawn to this Swimming Pool Bistro Set from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Designed to be submerged in the shallow end of your pool, the patio furniture set seems to me long overdue. Tiny perforations are docked in the table and chairs, allowing water to get in and submerge the set. If used properly … Read more

When you start looking for ways to conserve and cut down on waste, you can find them in almost every corner. Take tea bags, for example. Even if you've mastered the "reuse it before you toss it" trick, you're still throwing away every tea bag you use.

Now, you could toss the tea bags in your compost crock, but if you're using bags with staples in them, you've got to remove the staples first. And not all bags are made from compostable material. And that string, and the plastic coating on the paper tag--there'… Read more

Sometimes one meal at a time isn't enough. I don't necessarily mean overeating; rather, I speak here of flavor. The Spanish concept of tapas or small plates is appealing to me: lots of different flavors and foods during one meal. In a single setting you can have fish, fowl, beast, and everything in-between. It's a great idea for those among us who enjoy sampling different bites during a meal. Sometimes however, we know what we want in general, but perhaps not in the specific.

Like Neapolitan ice cream, this Triple-Channel Lasagna Pan covers all bases. It's … Read more

Ah, school lunches. Brown bags, zip-top baggies, paper napkins, plastic water bottles--not the most environmentally friendly solution. And thankfully, companies are starting to realize that, and come up with innovative ideas. Like the Kids Konserve Waste-Free Lunch Kit, an eco-friendly yet stylish lunch bag that includes stainless steel containers, reusable sandwich wraps and cloth napkins--all made from the safest, nonleaching, bisphenol-A-free (BPA), lead-free, and phthalate-free materials.

The lunch kit comes with a stainless-steel beverage bottle you can fill with water or juice, 2 8-ounce stainless-steel containers with leakproof plastic lids, a reusable baggie for sandwiches, a cloth napkin, and a … Read more

Salad spinners are great. Before I discovered that they existed, I would do as many others and wash my lettuce and then pat it dry. Problem is, it never seemed to really ever get dry. The lettuce, not being perfectly flat, always managed to hide moisture in some nook or cranny. After tearing the lettuce into bite size pieces and adding the dressing, the result was all too often a salad that on occasion even tasted watery. All that changed when somebody gave me a salad spinner. Problem solved. No more watery lettuce. Then I couldn't find a proper … Read more

The first time I walked into a West Elm store, I knew I would fall in love with it. The company focuses on organic housewares, both in design aesthetic and in the materials they use, and I got a good feeling when I looked around at the natural bamboo furniture and painted branches.

It's this kind of mindful design that is growing increasingly popular, as our concern for the planet waxes and our tastes for expensive luxuries from synthetic material correspondingly wanes. But the pieces that end up in stores like West Elm are no less beautiful than those … Read more