If you can,
May 4, 2020
pick up a carry out order and support your local Mexican restaurant tomorrow. If you can’t, you can still cook and celebrate in place. Shaking things up with Chef Alex Stupak’s recipe for Cheeseburger Tacos couldn’t be easier. The key is the meat to cheese ratio, basically 1/1. Fill some warm tortillas, top with a few classic toppings and you’re done.
Alex Stupak’s Cheeseburger Tacos Serves 4-6
1 tsp. lard or vegetable oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
Salt
1 lb. white melty cheese such as chihuahua, Monterey Jack, or Muenster, grated
12 flour or corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small tomato, cut into 12 slices
1 avocado, cut into 12 slices
½ medium white onion, minced
Mexican hot sauce such as Cholula or Valentina, for serving
Chopped cilantro and lime wedges, for serving
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the lard until it shimmers. Add the ground beef and cook over moderate heat until it’s browned and crumbled, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted in,about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat in the pan. Spread the mayonnaise on the warm tortillas. Divide the cheeseburger filling among the tortillas and top with the tomato, avocado, and onion. Drizzle with hot sauce, garnish with cilantro, and serve with lime.
Photos: Evan Sung
Staycation
April 26, 2020
While we are all itchin’ to get back to work and life as we knew it, that might still be a while off. As the country moves into a “soft” reopening of the economy there might be an even softer release on travel restrictions keeping us closer to home. Upgrading your outdoor spaces might ease things a bit, making your own backyard into a vacation destination you’ll actually enjoy. The Swell Group of classic modern outdoor seating, designed by Richard Schultz for Knoll, will have you feeling like you’ve just landed in Palm Springs or Miami Beach. Based on his original 1966 group, these new pieces are generously proportioned and still, like the originals, need no cushions to provide maximum comfort. The cost of plane tickets and hotel rooms translated into a modern outdoor living statement will easily keep you sitting pretty for years.
photos: https://hivemodern.com/pages/product6407/knoll-richard-schultz-swell-single-seat-club-chair
No More Puzzles, Please
April 14, 2020
You’ve assembled your last jigsaw puzzle. I hear you. I’ve never been a jigsaw puzzle fan either. Still, sheltering in place may have you looking for a project that will keep your hands busy and take your mind somewhere other the ever changing news. It might be time to learn a new skill or revisit and old one. This Heel Stitch Hand Towel from Purl Soho might be just what you need to occupy some quiet time and end up with an elegant end result. Even if you’re a beginning knitter this project is not near as complicated as you’d think…it’s a simple combination of the basic purl and knit stitches. The pattern by Jake Canton for Purl Soho is free, and the yarn is available online so there is no reason to go out. Just 2 skeins of Purl’s Field Linen and some #3 sticks will produce an absorbent textile of heirloom quality that will add a little luxury to the task of washing your hands. So, if you needed a good reason to put down that bag of chips…this might be it.
Photos: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2019/08/12/heel-stitch-hand-towel/
Working from home?
April 1, 2020
It might be time to think about upgrading that kitchen chair. Even if you are pulling it up to a makeshift desk or dining room table, a new work chair can make all the difference in your productivity if not your mood. Until April 6, Hive Modern is having a “Herman Miller Work From Home Sale” where all Herman Miller Executive and Task seating is 15% off with free delivery. The Eames Aluminum Group designed in 1958 includes an assortment of executive, management or task seating and their Aeron Chair, originally released in 1994, is an ergonomic modern classic. Or, you might find something from the Saarinen group of executive seating from Knoll more to your liking, with arms or without. We’ll be sheltering in place and working from home for the near future but nobody said it had to be uncomfortable.
Eames and Aeron chair photos: https://store.hermanmiller.com/office/office-chairs?lang=en_US&hpn=12
Saarinen Chair PhotoS: https://www.knoll.com/shop/by-category/seating/work-chairs
Just in Time
March 24, 2020
Just as you might be getting a little stir crazy with the ever growing ” stay in place” orders there comes a bright spot to break things up. A little ahead of schedule, and thankfully so, is the Heath Ceramics Summer Seasonal collection. With all of this Covid-19 madness who couldn’t benefit from a little bit of bright Summer color? It’s just whats needed to brighten up a gray day or our gray mood. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite as I am generally partial to neutrals. But, desperate times call for desperate measures. New glazes like Grove, Wave and Desert might be just what the doctor ordered. So, take a spin through the collection online and get inspired, treat yourself or maybe someone else who needs a lift during these unusual times. Yep…feeling better already.
Photos: https://www.heathceramics.com/collections/summer-seasonal-2020