I have a new addition to my cookbook collection that I want to tell you about. It’s Domestic Chíc by Kristin Sollenne. The book came out earlier this month and it’s lovely. Kristin Sollenne has been on a few Food Network TV shows as a judge or mentor and she’s oversees the three kitchens of New York City Restaurant Group’s Bocca Di Bacco. Her style is lightened Italian-American fare that aligns with what’s in season. 

Domestic Chíc isn’t just recipes though, it’s about making entertaining easier and more enjoyable. The book is divided into four sections for each of the seasons, then within each season there are menus for different entertaining occasions. So, for winter there is a New Year’s Eve menu, a Super Bowl menu, as well as a few other menu ideas. The idea being that if you were having a party you could cook everything from a given menu and you’d have your starters, mains, and desserts – but alternatively you could go à la carte and just pick and choose what you liked.

I’m really into the menu ideas. I think it’s helpful for holidays when you know you’ll be cooking – like Thanksgiving, or maybe Valentine’s Day. I also think it’s nice because it could encourage you to be festive even without an occasion – like her Nautical menu. Also, I really loved that she used similar items across menus. I think this makes cooking really easy and less expensive – especially for new or infrequent cooks. If I was going to be asked to buy pecans for a pecan pie – then I knew I could go back to Domestic Chíc and find one or two other recipes that called for pecans. I love that because then nothing gets purchased and then left to take up space forgotten in my cupboard.

Above each menu is a head note with a little anecdote about Sollenne’s own memories or experiences and then a decorating suggestion to complement the menu’s theme. On the surface I like the idea of this. I think when entertaining it’s valuable to set a whole mood. And why not run wild with your theme? But, I really wished the accompanying photos showed what she described. For with a fall menu she suggested using jewel tone plates to highlight the bold colors of autumn, but the photo was of white plates and some orange leaves. I like the visual inspiration and just thought that would have been helpful.

But, while we’re talking about photographs let’s talk about Kristin Sollenne. She’s crazy beautiful. She looks like Princess Jasmine. In the cookbook there are a few photos of her working as a chef, and those are my favorite. There are also a few photos of her in heels and a cocktail dress wearing her Cellini aprons (I think it’s a brand she designs). She’s super cute. However, I’m not sure anyone can cook for a dinner party in a cocktail dress and heels. You gotta throw that on right before guests arrive so they can be all, “wow you are so put together,” and you can nod and say, “oh thanks!”

What makes the book though is the recipes. There were so many recipes that I immediately wanted to make. In reviewing this cookbook I made four recipes. I made a cheesecake with berries, melting brie with fruit, pumpkin gnocchi, and this recipe for pumpkin bread. As this is an entertaining book the portions are huge. Specifically, this pumpkin bread recipe makes two really big loaves! I made the cheesecake first and it was really delicious and much easier than I thought it would be. It also was really delicious with a subtle flavor of vanilla and lemon zest. It was so good Ryan and I decided I shouldn’t bring any in to work to share with my colleagues.

For this recipe, and for some of the others I made, I would have liked visual indicators in addition to time indicators. I had never made cheesecake before… and as it cooked it rose and looked like a giant cheesecake muffin. I was nervous. Should it look like that?! The recipe just said how long to bake it. I listened to the recipe and the cheesecake deflated and looked and tasted great in the end. But I was worried, I didn’t know! It worked out well though, so maybe I’m stressing too hard.

The melting brie was beyond easy and would be perfect for an appetizer at a party. Who doesn’t love melted cheese? The pumpkin gnocchi is where I ran into problems. I was not able to get the dough to come together and so all I had was orange goo. I’m willing to try it again as it might have been user error. As well, sometimes I have problems with US recipe using UK dairy. My guess it that the fat contents are different and so things don’t come together in the same way. Who knows, it didn’t work.

The pumpkin bread however was a different story. It worked like a dream and was so delicious. I love pumpkin bread from Starbucks or from the Pillsbury box – so I’m excited I can now make this on my own. It was so easy to make and tastes delicious. The bread is soft and tasty. It’s great for breakfast, probably with enough structure to toast, and infinitely snackable. I know snackable isn’t a word, but it should be. I can see this pumpkin bread becoming my autumn staple. It’s perfect for the season, sweet, and simple to make. I can see bringing it to work to share with coworker, I can see making it for cabin weekends with my friends, and I can see making it just to have for breakfast.

Although I have a few issues with the book, overall I’m really into it. I can completely see turning back to it on Thanksgiving to make a pecan pie, or on Christmas for cinnamon buns, or just for dinner so I can make curried linguine al’vongole. I think it will become a book with food splattered pages and creases in the spine. Check it out, it’s great.

Domestic Chic was given to me for free by Waldorf Publishing. The opinions, writing, and photographs in this post are all my own. 

Recipe from Domestic Chic by Kristin Sollenne. No changes or additions from me.

Messy level: Pretty straightforward recipe, you just need two bowls, mix, and bake. Very simple.

Pumpkin Bread

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

90 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

 

Author: Kristin Sollenne from Domestic Chic

Serves: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups pumpkin
• ⅔ cup water
• ½ cup candied pecans, loosely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans. In a medium-mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and cloves.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugar, oil, and eggs. Stir in pumpkin. Slowly blend the flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. While blending the mixture add the water incrementally. Pour the batter into two prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top. Bake for 90 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the oven.

3.3.3077

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First of all, I think it’s wonderful that I can go see a farm while still being in London. On Sunday I wanted to do something out of the house, but I didn’t want to do the usual things. I was feeling tired of crowds and museums and loafing around. I found a list of “alternative” things to do in London and Hackney City Farm caught my eye. I could be outside, I didn’t have to book anything, it was free, and only a short ride away. Yes please.

To get there I took the overground to Hoxton and walked about 1/3 mile the rest of the way. The farm is also accessible from the tube using the Bethnal Green stop and then also walking about 1/3 mile. The actual farm is located inside Haggerston Park. As I walked through I saw people having picnics and playing tennis. When I arrived at the farm there were a few families and small groups of adults. The clear lack of crowds was a huge plus. I also immediately saw lots of animals. Squeal!

I liked that the animals were mixed in together. I know almost nothing about farming, but the set up seemed friendly, the animals had room to roam, and everything I read about sustainable happy animal farming seems to say that mixed use and shared spaces are the best. So anyway, it seemed a good signs that the ducks, chickens, sheep, and goats were all chilling together. A donkey was nearby too. 

The first animals I saw were goats. This little kid was feeding them bread (I’m not sure if that was even allowed), but that’s why they are so eager looking and close to the fence. The goats are a beautiful tawny color which I haven’t seen much before. Nearby were some sheep relaxing in some shade with ducks and chickens noisily wandering around and poking in everyone’s business.

I was really hoping to see some pigs during my visit. I love pigs. I have loved pigs since I was a little girl. I think they are cute and amusing. I collect things with pigs on them, I have a whole Pinterest board of cute pigs, and I barely eat pork products because 6 year old me decided I shouldn’t (in recent years this has gotten lax). I love pigs. And when I told my friend Katerina that I went to this farm she asked, “did you see the huge pigs?” The answer: a pouty no.

There was a big mound of dirt and lots of signs with facts about the pigs. But no pigs. Why? It was hot and pigs don’t have sweat glands. They were hiding in this shed (photo above) to stay cool. You can see the chickens were hanging out in the shade too. Inside you can just make out a pig leg. Sigh. So no pigs this time, but I’ll be back to see them another time. I did see Charlotte’s web though. And by that I mean, I saw an elaborate spider’s web outside of the pig pen, so naturally it’s Charlotte’s Web. Since I have a new fancy camera I wanted to see if I could get a clear shot of the web. So here it is. It’s artsy, and also gross, in it’s own way.

But anyway, instead of pigs I became mildly obsessed with the chickens and roosters. I’m thirty years old, I know what a rooster looks like. But also, I had no idea how beautiful roosters are! They are so colorful! That vibrant red cockscomb, the blue wing feathers, and the jaunty jade tail feathers. This bird is faaancy! I saw more than one rooster and I thought they were all gorgeous, but the one below was my favorite. I also heard some authentic “cock-a-doodle-doo’s” which pleased my city-mouse heart to no end.

I liked the chickens first because of how colorful they were! I know that chickens can be white, brown, yellow, black, and with lots of other color combinations. However, I hardly ever see those chickens. I really enjoyed getting to see different varieties of chickens. I also like that they were just everywhere. Sure, it was a little freaky that they were just right there next to me. And sometimes when I was taking a picture I’d hear crowing so close it felt like it was in my ear. And yes, the nervous-around-animals side of me had the small panics of “oh my God is it going to come peck my feet off?!” But the normal side of me loved it. I loved that the chickens owned the place and could really be free range and come and go as they liked. I saw them leave the coop, walk around the farm, and pop in to different pens with other animals. I even saw one chicken find and eat a worm. That’s the kind of hipster foodie thing people advocate for, so I enjoyed seeing it. I also saw some baby chicks scampering around inside, which you can see in the bottom right photo above.

In addition to animals, the farm also has a garden. It’s a smallish plot, but lovely to walk around in. I enjoyed the informative signs that explained what plants were and why some things were planted and kept together. Ripening all around me I saw raspberries, apples, squash, tomatoes, and chard. The ladybug stone is very cute and was next to a pond where apparently tadpoles had just been born. I couldn’t see anything exciting there, but I like that a plain pond had life in it. Also I didn’t know that apple could grow in big bunches. I thought apples grew… independently with space around them. But, I saw a bunch of apples so I learned something new.

While walking by a tree called the Wishing Tree I saw a number of little kids playing. One of them, about four years old, walked up to me and offered me a handful of dirt while saying something unintelligible. It felt like being at work where kids do weird things and I just have to roll with it. In the end, he only gave me one stone out of the pile. Go figure. Also, I saw this tomato plant with wool in the bottom of the pot. Why do you think the wool is there? Is it to insulate it? Or to keep the water in? I really don’t know, I might have to do some research.

After the garden, I went into the shop. They sell cute farm-themed kids toys, books about bees and composting, and branded t-shirts and bags. Additionally, they also sell eggs, honey, produce from the garden, and some potted tomatoes. A small bag of potatoes was just 80p which I thought was an incredible deal. The farm also has a pottery studio with drop-in classes for both adults (£15 per class) and children (£5 per class). It was closed while I was there, but I peaked in the window and the studio looked spacious, bright, and like a lot of fun. I’ve never used a pottery wheel, but it seemed like a fun thing to try. After walking around it seems like most people end their visit in Frizzante, the cafe at Hackney City Farm. The decor is cozy and contains a mix of well loved wooden furniture. The menu is Italian focused and uses local and seasonal ingredients. It’s a great place to sit and rest your feet after wandering around the farm. If you’re visiting on a Sunday and still  have energy after the farm, my friends have recommended walking onward to the Columbia Road Flower Market. I didn’t know it was so close and so didn’t do this, but maybe for a future Tourist Tuesday I’ll go – and also return to the farm to see the pigs.

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