clarabellanyc.com

Yes… I know, I’m a little cheesy sometimes. At least I try to embrace it;).

A good listen if you’re in one of those kinds of moods.

Landon Pigg - Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop

That’s right shoe lovers. I did some serious thinking and decided that in honor of this stunning weather, the current economy and respect for shoe lovers everywhere, I’m lowering the price on the SS09 Tashkent shoes. Woo Hoo!!

The Shaun (loooooove)

dropped from $490 to $390!!

The Niko

dropped from $480 to $380!!

The Santia 

dropped from $480 to $380!!

Seriously… $100 off the latest styles this early in the season? Who can beat that??

In the crafty category, my next project will be two little leather journals. I’m lucky here because I have loads of leftover supplies from my old book-binding days. I’m no pro and I’m sure I’m breaking the honored ‘rules’ left and right, but I’m hoping to still make a lovely book or two. The larger one will be a gift and the little one is for me… notes on the go.

The beginning:

I only had my phone camera for this one, so I didn’t end up taking pictures the whole way through. I’ll see if I can do a little instructional to post so you know how to do the book page inserts.
If any of you have any DIY suggestions, things you’d like me to try, etc… Let me know!

I know I know… what the heck does cooking have to do with Accessories. Not much really. But if I were to only post pictures and little comments here and there, would you really still want to read my blog?;) Still experimenting with some new ideas here. As mentioned in the last culinary post, I’m no chef gourmet. I am, however, trying my hand at a little creativity in the kitchen. Breaking out of the food monotony if you will. It’s always a little more difficult when you’re cooking for one, but maybe that’s why I feel I have to share the experience with all of you. Give my meal a purpose! So, at my mom’s recommendation I went back to an old favorite, Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook. It’s been years and years since I’ve attempted anything with filo, but I’m going for it tonight. Tonight’s creation: Broccoli Strudel. I’m excited. I loooove filo and I rarely have the opportunity to eat it so tonight should be a treat. That is, if I don’t mess it up. A distinct possibility. I left my camera at the shop, so I’ll be relying solely on my phone camera to prove I actually did it. As with last time, I’ll post a few photos upon completion. For those looking to give it a shot, scroll down for the recipe. And to those have no interest, call me… maybe I’ll invite you over for dinner;)

Mollie Katzen’s Broccoli Strudel

from Moosewood Cookbook

first a few things about Filo: You should be able to find it in most grocery stores in the frozen foods section. Before using, let it thaw out thoroughly while still wrapped (this will take an hour or so). Unwrap just before using, take out a pile of however many sheets you will need, rewrap the rest and refrigerate. Cover the sheets you are about to use with a slightly damp towel - they dry out quickly!

Ingredients:
1Tbs. olive oil

1cup minced onion (I’m using shallots)

1 large bunch broccoli, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

lots of black pepper

2 medium cloves of garlic

2 cups good bread crumbs (I might skip this)

2 cups grated cheddar

2 Tbs lemon juice

10 sheets of filo pastry

3 to 4 Tbs olive oil (for the filo)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375. Oil a  baking tray.

2. heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

3. Add broccoli, sale, and petter, and cook, sitting, for about 5 more minutes. Add garlic and satue until the broccoli is just tender (about another 5 minutes)

4. stir in bread crumbs, cheese, and lemon juice. Taste to adjust seasonings.

5. To ASSEMBLE: Place one sheet of filo on a clean dry countertop. Brush the top lightly with oil, then add another sheet. Brush with oil, then add another. Continue until you have a pile of 5 leaves. Add half the filling along one end, fold in the sides, and gently roll until you have a neat little log. Brush the top with more oil, then carefully lift the pastry and place it on the oiled baking sheet. Repeat this to make a second roll and place it next to the first one on the tray.

6. Bake 25 - 30 minutes, until golden and exquisitely crisp. Cut with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Yum.

Don’t forget to check out Mollie’s site online. I just discovered it and it’s got loads of additional recipes and insights:

Mollie Katzen

UPDATE: Pictures!! It was actually pretty tasty! I paired it with a Pecan/Garlic Whole Grain Pilaf from Near East. Filo is a bit challenging to work with, but I’m thinking with some more practice, I’ll be making baklava in no time;).

I used to be non-stop with the crafty stuff. My mom (and probably my dad too) used to take me to this crazy little supply store in Portland when I was little to pick up materials to make random little dolls, sew little clothes for said little dolls, make bracelets for all of my friends and family, etc. I come from resourceful stock. My mom is an avid crochet and knitter [remind me to post a photo of little me in one of mom’s many creations]. My dad is pretty darn good with the wood-working, having made my very first ‘big-kid’ bed and even the coolest loft bed a girl could ever ask for in his first apartment in Portland. There were (and still are) always projects. We like to work with our hands. None of that changed in my adult life. Shortly after relocating to NY after college, I tried a series of book-binding classes, and then the jewelry and shoe-making classes that helped encourage the eventual opening of Clarabella. My knitting skills aren’t nearly as refined as my mom’s, but I’ve been holding my own in the hat and scarf department. Sadly, with the opening of the shop, I’ve let my crafty streak die down a bit. Maybe it was laziness, maybe it was poor time management, or maybe the shop kept me so dang busy, all I ever wanted to do when I got home was eat a quick dinner and collapse on the couch. Well… it’s time to get my butt in gear and get back into it. There is something highly satisfying about making with your hands. I’ve got a few journal projects in the lineup, but in the spirit of trying new things, I’ve been trolling the DIY projects on the lovely Grace Bonney’s Designsponge for some new ideas. I already love Grace’s site, but the DIY never fail to inspire. So, project #1. I think tonight I’ll try the Cork Trivet and Coaster Set DIY. I’ve got a good number of wine corks saved up, a sharp exacto blade, some wax thread, a sturdy needle and some extra time tonight. As with the experiments with cooking, I’ll post photos once all is said and done. Wish me luck!!

UPDATE [w/photos]

So, I only got one made last night… still a lot of sewing left! That said, I’m pretty pleased. They look cute and are actually pretty darn functional. A few pictures for you. If the finished product is cute, I’ll post that later as well:)

[I’ve got a full lineup of projects… hoping to continue to transform my apartment, piece by little piece!]

Final Update:

Finished!!!

I’ve been in a serious new music streak these past few weeks. Have you ever had one of those moments when you scroll through the tunes on your ipod and you just feel uninspired? It’s not because your music is bad, maybe just a little tired and in need of a  spruce-up? That’s how I was feeling. I started taking note of recommendations from friends, blog posts, SXSW reports, tweets, etc.. Then I took all these recommendations to The Hype Machine. If you haven’t been there, you’ve got to check it out. It’s a fantastic music streaming site geared toward new music discovery and blog appreciation. Anyway, through all of this exploration, I found some pretty amazing new bands. While they may not all be new to you, many are new to me, with a few new recordings from old favorites mixed in. I’m in a serious state of bliss right now. I’m usually perfectly happy to obsess on my own, but have decided not to keep all of this aural happiness to myself. Each track below is a clickable link to listen. Maybe you’ll find something you like too! Enjoy;)

Clarabella’s Current Shop Playlist:

1. School of Seven Bells - Face to Face on High Places

2. Phoenix - Girlfriend

3. Fujiya & Miyagi - Collarbone

4. Local Natives - Airplanes

5. Jason Lytle - Brand New Sun

6. Alligators - Where Does It Hide?

7. (the sounds of) kaleidoscope - new language

8. Dirty Projectors & David Byrne - Knotty Piny

9. Say Hi - The Stars Just Blink For Us

10. Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You

11. Earlimart - Too Many People

12. RealEstate - Old Folks

13. The Traditionist - I Know My Ocean

14. Jackie Greene - Rock, I Don’t Live In A Dream

15. Dan Auerbach - When The Night Comes

16. Grizzly Bear - Cheerleader

17. Speck Mountain - I Feel Eternal

18. Evening Magazine - Apple Eye

19. Jesse Harris - Watching the Sky (This is a myspace link)

20. The Mostar Diving Club - The Honey Tree

21. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

22. Guillemots - Trains to Brazil (acoustic)

23. Parson Redheads - Ram On (Reprise)

24. Local Natives - World News

25. School Of Seven Bells - Half Asleep

Ha! Haha;) For those of you who know me, you might get a huge kick out of that title. I’ve never been much of a cook. I come from great chef stock… really, I do! My grandfather was master of all things Italian and my mom drew from his expertise and went a few steps further with Amercian Gourmet, Vegetarian and Macrobiotic. Me? I learned how to make the fresh pasta (yep… from scratch) and can make a pretty decent stirfry, but aside from that, my skills are few. Being the single gal who lives alone, I really only try new dishes when I decide to throw the annual dinner party or am in some vacation house with friends. Let’s just say it’s rare. So… as the failing economy continues to, well, fail, and breakfast/lunch/dinner at home is a more regular occurance, I’m getting more and more sick of my tired old dishes. With that in mind, I’m thinking it’s time to experiment. I’m starting tonight… with Ratatouille. I had one a few weeks ago that actually left out the dreaded eggplant and it made me see the dish in a whole new way. It also seems like the type of dish that could turn out really well with little effort and has the added bonus of being a great left-overs dish for next day lunch. I’ve got all the ingredients and am ready to roll. I pulled this recipe from foodtv.com. It’s originally from Emeril Lagasse, but I made a few adjustments… namely leaving out the dreaded eggplant and substituting yellow bell peppers for the green ones. If it looks anything close to edible, I’ll follow up with a little photo;).

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
* 1/2 cups small diced yellow onion
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
* 1 cup diced green bell peppers
* 1 cup diced red bell peppers
* 1 cup diced zucchini squash
* 1 cup diced yellow squash
* 1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
* 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the green and red peppers, zucchini,  squash and thyme and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.

** I do realize this is an unusual post for the site, but I’ve been scrolling back to revisit the posts from my first year in the blog business and I realized that the blog is much less personal these days, that it’s lacking my voice. I hope you won’t mind a few extra ‘erin musings’ from time to time. Stay tuned for some new restaurant recommendations, my new favorite lingerie shop and a super awesome list of new bands that have me hooked.

UPDATE:

so… I’m not winning any prizes (certainly not for presentation!!) and I need a better camera to boot, but I was still pretty impressed with myself and the ratatouille result. I wonder what next week’s adventure will be?? [btw - I paired it with whole grain pilaf with a bit of garlic - mmmmm.]
 

Just got word from the lovely Cheyenne Morris that one Ms. Blake Lively has been spotted in Tashkent by Cheyenne classics, the Coles. I already love Blake’s style (even if she does make me feel every single one of my 32 years!) but am even more impressed now that she counts Tashkent among her beloved brands. Yay Cheyenne!!

Sad to say that Clarabella no longer has the Cole style, but for the Summer update, check out the Santia.

The first shipment of Mariana’s Spring/Summer 09 shoes came in yesterday afternoon!! There are still a slew of other styles on the way, but we needed a little something to get us started… to get us excited for Spring! So, what did we get? Three gorgeous sandals… that’s what;). Check ‘em out. Take advantage of the last few hours of the pre-sale online. Come by to check them out in person. Flash me a huge smile and maybe I’ll still give you the pre-sale discount;).

The Alecia:

The Odessa:

 
The Ashlee:

xxErin

So… I kept the birthday a little quiet this year. Normally, I’m a shout it from the rooftops kind of gal, but this year I kept the shouting to a minimum. Don’t get me wrong… I still put it out there, but I’m not sure that there is anything truly special about 32;). I did ring it in with friends at my new favorite neighborhood bar (aside from dba bklyn on n. 7th) Radegast Hall and Biergarten - the amazing place where they serve the best pretzels I’ve ever had and beers the size of my head. And, shocker of all shockers, I took the day off! It’s a rare thing these days and therefore truly appreciated. Before I took that day off, two bouquets of flowers arrived at the shop and one more was waiting for me when I returned. Friends and family who remember how much I looooove flowers. Thank you all so much. It smells A-MA-ZING in here!!