I am starting to plan my Father’s Day menu and I stumbled upon this awesome recipe from the Barefoot Contessa. This Slow-Roasted Filet with Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise is so delicious and easy to make, that Dad will think he is at a 5 Star Restaurant!!! Bon Appetit!!!! Also, click HERE for my Father’s Day gift guide for all you last minute shoppers!!
- 1 whole filet of beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied (4½ pounds)
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 10 to 15 branches fresh tarragon
- Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise, for serving (see recipe)
- 2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable oil, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup good olive oil, at room temperature
on summer bags. I have seen photo after photo on
social media of the cutest outfits styled with the
most adorable straw and wicker bags. Here are
some of my favorites!!! I love each one. It’s so
hard to choose!!! Happy Shopping!!
I recently learned about a very serious issue plaguing our water supply. Millions of American homes are not safe from lead contamination in drinking water and many of these homes are right here in New York and Connecticut. In fact, 20% of the lead blood levels found in our children come from water AFTER it enters our properties (EPA). I did some research and found a company to test our home pipe lead levels!!!!
Today’s Book Club Monday choice is Mistakes Were Made (Some in French): a Memoir by Fiona Lewis. I interviewed Fiona last Friday and was soooo impressed. Fiona is an actress, model, author and all around “It” girl. Her memoir is chock full of Hollywood stores, did I mention she was a Bond Girl? But probably the best parts of the book are her tales of the run down Chateau in France that she renovated that truly “rescued” her. Here is the summary of this book from Amazon:
Having lived a perfectly satisfactory life in California for over two decades, Fiona Lewis wakes up one day in her fifties and asks herself, Is this it? Is this the existence I’m meant to have? She can hardly complain. After all, her life has been full of adventure and privilege: London and Paris in the ’60s, Los Angeles in the heady ’70s. Now, however, she feels lost, as if she were slipping backward over the edge of a ravine, abandoned not only by her old self, but by that reliable standby, optimism. Realizing she has to find a way to reinvent herself, she impulsively buys a rundown chateau in the South of France. (Her husband is not pleased.)
Alone in the depths of the countryside, she contemplates her childhood, her affairs––Roman Polanski, Roger Vadim––her years as an actress in some good and some questionable films, and her first Hollywood marriage to the damaged son of a movie star. As the renovation drags on, fighting with a band of impossible French workmen, she is forced to battle her own fears: her failure to become a real success, her inability to have children, and her persistent fear of aging.
And she has to contend with her husband, who has no interest in the French countryside. In fact, he resents her obsession with France, with the house, with the renovations. The house seems to have a hold over her, and he’s not wrong. He reluctantly visits and is annoyed by the cost of the renovation. Was she not content with him in LA? Why can’t she just be happy?
It’s an age-old question and one every woman must confront, along with aging, lost love, and missed opportunities. Yet, Fiona’s wit and wisdom prevail. And this provocative, brave memoir takes a stunning turn when all those unanswered questions develop into a tender and unexpected romance.
To purchase this incredible summer must read, click HERE.
AND to hear my interview with the AMAZING Fiona Lewis, click HERE
I am so lucky that the sun has not been shining here in New York because I cannot seem to find any of my sunglasses. All of my favorite pairs have somehow disappeared. Sooooo I have been on a mad search for new shapes and sizes. I figure since I am starting fresh I should try something different…Ok, so I checked a few sites and OMG!!! I was horrified…when did sunglasses become so expensive???!!!!????????? I went on my one of my favorite websites, Net A Porter and found a company called Le Specs. Le Specs was founded in the 1970’s but was recently relaunched. It is an Australian company that combines a street look with a music look and have become a favorite of celebs and fashionistas everywhere!!!! But I forgot the best part most of the styles are $100 and under!! I like THESE and THESE and THESE and THESE.
I saw a blogger make these the other day and I knew that they would be the perfect thing to share this week. We have been focusing so much on easy family dinners for the past couple of months that it is the perfect time for something sweet!!! Bon Appetit!!!!
- 2 cups lightly packed coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 16-ounce jar creamy peanut butter (1 1/4 cups)
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the coconut sugar and eggs and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla and salt until blended.
- Add the peanut butter and whisk until the dough is smooth and the peanut butter has completely blended into the batter (you might need to switch to a big spoon toward the end, which you’ll need for mixing in the chocolate chips anyway). Add the chocolate chips and stir until the chocolate chips are evenly incorporated.
- For cookies that stay perfectly mounded, chill the dough for 15 minutes before proceeding. Use a 1-tablespoon cookie dough scoop or two spoons to scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 to 2 inches of space around each one. Chill any remaining dough while you bake the first batch.
- Bake until the cookies are golden at the edges but still just a little underdone in the center, 11 to 13 minutes. Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them with a metal spatula to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- These cookies keep well at room temperature for about 4 days, and freeze well for up to 3 months.