Now, with the release of Bringing Nature Home by Ngoc Minh Ngo, I couldn’t be any more proud of my lovely friend. Nicolette’s loose and romantic floral styling, Ngoc’s beautifully lit and composed images, and the perfectly lived-in prop styling of Amy Wilson are a true match for each other. With a great introduction by Deborah Needleman, double-page spreads that are sexy enough to call centerfolds, and an attitude that flowers should be a seasonally-changing part of one’s home, you too will cherish this book for years to come. I for one will be taking it to bed with me next week when I face my new blank slate apartment! There’s a ton of interior inspiration to be found within it’s pages.

See some of my work with Nicolette here.

Above images by Ngoc Minh Ngo

A client contacted me yesterday in search of existing images from great restaurants across the country. On her list was a place called the Walrus & the Carpenter, which is located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. It was there, on a Pacific Northwest road trip last September, that I had the most amazing oysters of 2011 along with some of the freshest and brightest tasting salads of my life. My client’s request got me flipping through the iPhone snaps from that trip, which in turn got me craving the cool air and big trees that are characteristic of this part of the country. My affinity for the Pacific Northwest is pretty darn unmatched. It’s just so beautiful and oddly feels like home. It’s kind of like where I grew up in Connecticut but on steroids. I love-love-love the nature and the amazing farm-fresh food! (Be be back soon!)

This morning at my mom’s in Connecticut, I decided to try out the pancake recipe. Mom was using all of the milk in the house to make what seemed like a quadruple batch of rice pudding so, inspired to find a substitute, I rummaged in the cupboards for some coconut milk. That lead to pulling flaked coconut out of the pantry and all available berries out of the fridge. The Bisquick was pretty good but the coconut milk discovery was great. I used it cup-for-cup and you should too! Try it in any pancake recipe and it’ll lend a richer, more tropical flavor. Add some fresh fruit to the pancake while it’s on the griddle and top the finished pancakes with toasted flaked coconut, more fruit, and maple syrup.

Aunt Flora Nebiolo’s Sausage Risotto
Serves 4-6 as entrée

In my family, we don’t really measure much. We kind of just get it close, use our eyes, and taste things–hence the somewhat loose amounts like “1-2 carrots.” You’ll see how much you like the first time and change it the second time as you see fit. You might add a couple more ounces of tomato sauce if you want a deeper red color or a bit more tomato flavor. Whatever you like! It’s impossible to screw up.

Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 stalks celery, finely diced
1-2 carrots, finely diced
2 handfuls parsley, chopped
2 cups long grain white rice
6 cups chicken broth (approximately; good to have more on hand)
4 links sweet Italian sausage, squeezed from casing (can mix some spicy in if you’d like!)
1/2 cup tomato sauce (Aunt Flora uses a smooth canned sauce, like Hunt’s)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for the table)

Process:
Warm 4 cups of chicken broth over low heat in a small or medium saucepan, keeping heat on low. In a dutch oven or other medium pot, melt the butter over low heat then add the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and parsley to the melted butter and olive oil, cooking for about five minutes. Add the sausage, browning it and then allowing it to cook with the vegetables for about five more minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir occasionally just to keep everything from sticking. Add the tomato sauce and stir. Add the rice, giving it a stir a few times over the course of a minute or so. Add 4 cups of warmed chicken broth, stirring it into the rice, vegetables and sausage. Cook on low heat, covered, stirring only occasionally so it doesn’t stick or burn, until all liquid is absorbed. At this point, taste the rice to see if it’s cooked. If it isn’t quite done, warm the rest of the broth, add a ladle-full, and stir. Put the cover back on and allow that liquid to absorb, repeating this step until the rice is cooked. When it is, turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve in low bowls or on plates with extra Parmesan for the table. We love this dish with a simple salad and Flora’s (almost) namesake — some nice Nebbiolo.

above photo by Samwell Ortiz

above photos by Andrie Iglesias