The Summer Shoe Hunt

Design: Laura Messersmith | Images: Vans, J. Crew, Sperry

Every season, whether we’re leading into the crisp days of fall or the golden days of summer, I go on a shoe hunt. Usually I have something specific in mind; it might be for the perfect pair of brown riding boots, an streamlined black ballet flat, or in this case a summery slip-on. So, lately I've been cluttering up my Pinterest feed with options I think might work.

The pursuit of the slip-on is a little more conceptual than my usual hunts – this time I’m looking more for a set of qualities, rather than for a specific style. In my mind the perfect summer slip on would be:

1. Casual, but stylish.

2. Comfortable like a sneaker, but with the ease of a flip flop.

3. Something I can throw on at a moment’s notice for a quick trip to the bodega or plan to wear all day with no underlying worry that I might regret the decision later when my toes are pinched beyond tolerance.

None of these requirements seems especially outlandish or excessive, right? But, mix in the fact that my feet have very high standards and the challenge becomes a little more, well, challenging.

Because my feet are finicky and high maintenance – like a pop-diva with a 14 page tour rider – the shoe hunting process leads to a rotating cast of boxes from all manner of online shoe emporiums. Thank goodness for free shipping or I might singlehandedly be keeping UPS in business.

After much research – ie. skimming through pages and pages of options – I’ve narrowed the choices down to my top three slip-on candidates: canvas skateboarding kicks, espadrilles, and boat shoes (which were later inexplicably vetoed by Mike).

After trying on several of each and factoring the opinions of husbands and friends, I’ve decided on the Vans in washed coral. They check the box on wear-ability, are super comfortable, definitely ‘go’ with my causal summer wardrobe of capris, shorts, and now thanks to the whims of Fashion – Tom Sawyer styled jeans. Extra bonus: Vans is making them in lots of fun colors and patterns – because if I’m not going with a neutral I may as well draw as much attention to my shoes as possible, right?

What are your thoughts on summer shoes? Do you have a go-to style or favorite pair that never let you down?

Scouting: Santa Ynez Valley, California

I visited a winery for the first time when I was in college (the Finger Lakes are known for wine production) and it’s been love ever since, up to and including our honeymoon trip to Napa four years ago. Mike and I bought a few bottles for celebratory occasions – some of which we still have - and continue to take home ‘souvenirs’ whenever we taste something great. It’s a fun way to remember a trip months after you’re back home.

Santa Ynez Valley, California | Image: Laura Messersmith

So, when we received an invitation to a wedding in the Santa Ynez Valley – home of Santa Barbara’s wine country - we knew we had to tack on a few extra days for some ‘scouting.’ The valley is about 2 hours north of Los Angeles (depending on traffic, of course) and about 30 minutes east of Santa Barbara. Alternate time behind the wheel so you can take in the gorgeous vistas as you drive over the mountains from the coast - beautiful!

We found some great places during our long weekend and after the hustle of Manhattan it felt so restful to be in the country for a few days. We’d love to go back!

Here’s what we did:

Stay:

Hotel Corque I personally love to see a place on foot (you can take the girl out of the city…) and this hotel is right in the heart of Solvang, so it was easy to walk the town right from the front door. Service was hospitable; our room was very comfortable and immaculately clean, so top points there. Definitely a solid choice as a base of operations.

Solvang, California | Image: Laura Messersmith

See:

Wineries! There are a ton of options, both in the countryside and among the tasting rooms in Los Olivos and Solvang. Here are two where we particularly liked the wine and the tasting experience: Beckmen Vineyards and Stolpmann Vineyards Tasting Room. Yes, we brought home 'souvenirs.'

Los Olivos I loved the Western frontier town vibe here, even though Los Olivos has been on the map for more than 150 years. The architecture is a charming mix of Victorian gingerbread and prairie tin roof. Plan to spend a day or so wandering the streets and investigating the shops, - Los Olivos General Store was my absolute favorite, one of everything please! – visiting the tasting rooms, and browsing the art galleries.

Solvang feels like a storybook Nordic village was dropped into the California countryside and has the claim to fame of being the setting for the movie Sideways. It’s a mix of Scandinavian influences, but I think the Danish have a slight advantage…. Lots of picture taking opportunities – windmills, nesting stork statues, and whimsical architectural details.

Wildling Museum in Solvang is a small museum, but had two excellent and completely different exhibitions on during my visit. I loved both Thomas Paquette’s luminous landscape paintings of National Parks and Everett Ruess’s rustic woodblock prints of the California wilderness.

Santa Ynez Valley, California | Image: Laura Messersmith

Eat:

Bouchon we drove over to Santa Barbara one evening for a special dinner here and really enjoyed the dining experience. The food was delicious and the service was attentive and welcoming. Definitely try the scallops three ways and the lemon blue berry upside down cake – amazing!

Fresco Valley Café is tucked away off the main street, but well worth the few extra steps. We had a lovely, relaxing lunch in their garden (quiche Lorraine for me, Italian sandwich for Mike) one afternoon. The food is definitely fresh, as the restaurant name would suggest, and skillfully prepared. I did (begrudgingly) share a bite of my quiche but it was hard to give up.

Old Mission Santa Inés, Solvang, California I Image: Laura Messersmith

Olsens Danish Village Bakery is a family owned, casual café and bakery where I picked up a quick breakfast of pastries our first morning. Apricot Danish for me, savory ham and cheese croissant for Mike; and I dearly wished I had a purchased seconds. Really flaky, light pastry and a delicious, not overly sweet filling with whole pieces of apricot. I didn’t share…

Paula’s Pancake House seems to be a Solvang institution and I can see why it’s a favorite for both locals and visitors. I have high standards and I loved the thin, slightly lemony flavor of Paula’s Special Danish pancakes with strawberries. Mike was really happy with the California Special Omelet he had – excellent flavor, nice fresh avocado. Classic diner with a Danish twist.

Sides Hardware and Shoes Don’t let the name fool you; this is an excellent restaurant in Los Olivos that you absolutely must try. Sides is rocking that fine line between casual and polished both in their food and in the atmosphere. We can attest to the deliciousness of the Fried Brussels Sprouts, Fried Chicken Sandwich, and the Bacon Burger. An excellent spot to stop between wine tastings.

Solvang, California | Image: Laura Messersmith

Los Olivos, California | Image: Laura Messersmith

Cranberry Orange Scones

Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, and her cookbooks are already a source of guidance for basic recipes but her show serves as my inspiration for more adventurous culinary efforts.  I’ll follow along with an episode of the Barefoot Contessa, then choose a recipe to try in my tiny New York kitchen. We’ll see if I can keep up with the Contessa!

Cranberry Orange Scones | Image: Laura Messersmith

Episode: “Jeffrey Home Alone”

The Set-up: I think the Episode title says it all….

The Menu: Parker’s Beef Stew, Espresso Ice Cream,  Cranberry Orange Scones

0:19 – Ina starts us off by making calling in to question Jeffrey’s ability to assemble a non-cookie based meal when she’s away from home. Zing!

1:07 – Despite her jokes about Jeffrey eating nothing but dessert, she is making him Espresso Ice Cream. First step: scald the milk. Pro Tip #1: Ina describes this process as heating the milk until the edges begin to bubble and steam rises, but doesn’t come to a boil. This seems like a really subtle difference, I’d have to watch it really carefully.

1:34 – Ina has the egg yolks and sugar beating in her Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and adds the scalded milk to the mixture. I’m glad to see that even Ina Garten has trouble pouring into the bowl of a mixer – a thoughtful friend would get her the pouring shield attachment as a gift…

3:39 – The ice cream custard has been heated and thickened – now it’s flavoring time! Quite a bit of ground espresso, a little Kahlua, and some vanilla so that Jeffrey will be buzzed either way.

4:44 – Next we’re out in the garden to gather rosemary and bay leaves (naturally both are readily available) for Parker’s Beef Stew – named for former Barefoot Contessa chef, Parker Hodges.

5:10 – Step one of Parker’s Beef Stew is to marinate the beef in cabernet sauvignon with smashed garlic and a bay leaf for a few hours.

9:01 – The beef pieces are done marinating and it’s time to start cooking. Ina drains the beef, but retains the marinade for cooking later. I always thought that was a no-no, but I doubt she’s trying to off Jeffrey with beef stew. Not terribly subtle.

10:13 – While Ina sautés the beef (tossed in flour) and chops up onions, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms she offers us Entertaining Tip #1: People often expect an elegant dish, but something causal like beef stew for a dinner party can be a welcome surprise. And, it has the added benefit of being a dish that improves with time.

11:24 – I think Ina’s having one of those days in the kitchen – she burnt her finger when heating the ice cream mixture earlier and now she just flinched away from the hot stew pan. Ina, I feel your pain, sometimes it all just seems to go sideways!

12:36 – She didn’t really explain why, but the stew making process involves two large pots – one to sauté everything in, which she deglazes with the marinade, and one to roast in the oven. I’m trying not to be jealous of her pots. (That’s not a double entendre.)

14:16 – The stew goes into the oven and the Espresso Ice Cream mixture goes into the ice cream maker for phase 2 of the freezing process. I don’t own an ice cream maker and I can’t honestly see myself using one – Häagen-Dazs is way easier.

19:08 – Ina is chopping chocolate covered espresso beans to mix into the Espresso Ice Cream – I love a little texture in my ice cream, so I am 100% on board with this addition.

20:22 – We cut to Jeffrey driving home. He remarks that Ina usually leaves him a ton of food when she has to be away and that it’s “really tough being Mr. Garten.” Yes, that espresso ice cream looks like torture.

21:17 – Back at the Garten homestead Ina’s making one last thing: Cranberry Orange Scones. She says Jeffrey will be “really spoiled” so they’re on the same page when it comes to the care and (literal) feeding of her husband. I can’t get too snarky because I actually think it’s really sweet.

22:35 – Scone time and Pro Tip #2: Keep the butter very cold and dice it into small cubes – this keeps the small pieces of butter together and when the heat of the oven hits them they release steam which makes for a light scone. This is so key for all pastries and biscuits.

22:48 – Pro Tip#3: Keep all the other ingredients cold (eggs, milk) to help the butter stay cold.

23:03 – Ina recommends dried cranberries for this recipe since they’re a little sweeter. I’m also guessing that they’re 100% easier to find in the grocery store in months other than November.

24:05 – Ina rolls out the Cranberry Orange Scones dough and says that she’ll bake a few now and freeze the rest to bake later. Having fresh scones just waiting to be baked is a level of domestic mastery I aspire to…

27:23 – The scones are out of the oven and Ina’s making a quick glaze out of orange and confectioner’s sugar. They look amazing.

29:08 – Ina packs her overnight bag and is out the door with a parting zinger about Jeffrey starting with the ice cream and a flip of her perfectly periwinkle pashmina.

29:39 – Fast forward to Jeffrey digging in to the Espresso Ice Cream. The phone rings and it’s Ina inquiring about the chicken stew. Jeffrey plays right into her hands, complimenting its deliciousness. BUSTED! But all is forgiven as long as he saves a little for her. The End!

Final Thoughts:

All the recipes Ina made took a few steps, but also seem forgiving on the serving timing – trying to serve everything at the exact moment it’s ready is stressful!

Some good tips re: the temperature of the ingredients – such an important element in baking – write Pro Tip #2 down or commit it to memory!

The Gartens make me laugh – they obviously know each other’s quirks and yet the teasing gentle even after 35+ years of marriage.

Cranberry Orange Scones | Image: Laura Messersmith

Lessons Learned:
The combination of cranberry and orange is a favorite flavor combination for Mike’s grandmother, and since we were driving out to celebrate her 93rd birthday last weekend I decided to make Cranberry Orange Scones. I’ve never made a scone before, but these are fairly straightforward and they came out beautifully.

I do have a tendency to roll out dough too thinly, so my Cranberry Orange Scones were a little flatter than Ina’s, but the texture was light and the orange flavor really came through. Ina often talks about garnishing with an ingredient, so I took a page from her playbook and I did make one very small change by putting a little of the orange zest I had left into the glaze. The glaze really does add a little extra punch of orange flavor, so don’t skip this step.

This recipe is fairly small kitchen friendly. I used one large mixing bowl, two sheet pans and basic kitchen tools, like measuring cups, spoons and a spatula for the dough, and then another small bowl and a teaspoon for the glaze.

The recipe does require enough counter space for rolling out the dough, and assumes that you have a rolling pin as well as a biscuit cutter. I bought a set of four from the housewares section of Zabars for about $10, but if you don’t feel like springing for them the rim of a pint glass is about the right size and in a pinch could also function as a rolling pin.

Lastly, don’t hate me, but I actually do have a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, compliments of our wedding shower, and while it's too big to have designated counter space, it did come in handy here. The Cranberry Orange Scones dough is quite thick with all those cups of flour, so if you’re stirring by hand prepare for a work out. 

The Verdict: I had quite a few taste-testers since the house was full of family and the Cranberry Orange Scones definitely went fast as people came back for seconds, so prepare to make extras if you have a large group. These really were easy and given the reaction of the crowd I think they’d be well received if I made them again. Give these a shot for your next brunch or hostess gift.

A Special Occasion

The Guest of Honor | Image: Laura Messersmith

The maternal side of Mike’s family has a tradition of making memory books for Special Occasions – proper noun – like birthdays and anniversaries. Each person in the family gets a page to capture their thoughts, record funny stories, collect pictures, poems, Bible verses, and memories deemed worthy of the memory book.

This past weekend was one such Special Occasion: the surprise 93rd birthday celebration of Eleanor Fleming, Mike’s grandmother.

You might be wondering: why 93, not 95 or three years ago at age 90?

Lucy, Mike’s mom and plan mastermind, pointed out that we never really know how many years we have left, so why wait for a number that’s a multiple of 5? Why delay an opportunity to celebrate the life of someone who lived through the better part of the 20th Century, raised 7 children, and is the grandmother to 12? Why wait to honor a person who continues to avidly follow the exploits of the Baltimore Orioles, clean-up at Jeopardy! night after night, listen to opera, and can still recite the poems she memorized as a schoolgirl?

I can’t think of a good reason to wait either, especially when there are so few occasions that bring the people we love together in one place.

The deception to throw off any suspicion from the real party in the works began with a ladies lunch on Grandma Fleming’s birthday. Meanwhile, people from across the country – Kansas, Illinois, Massachusetts, Virginia – arrived and were ‘stashed’ in hotels and guest bedrooms around town. Everyone pitched in to make the big reveal memorable and personal – gathering pictures for a slideshow, baking cupcakes, reading poems, and of course creating pages for the memory book – a salute to Grandma Fleming’s life and the role she’s played in theirs.

When the appointed time arrived and Grandma Fleming stepped out of the elevator to the greetings of her children and grandchildren she was definitely surprised. The look of amazed joy that her family would go to the trouble to show her she is loved is something I will remember for a long time. Well worth the effort to maintain the secrecy.

As the evening went on there were lots of laughs, a few tears of deep emotion, and the buzzy, semi-chaotic activity that comes when a large family is all in one place - hallmarks of a truly Special Occasion.