Color Stream

by Australian artist Dale Frank

oh joy

Seven Uses for Baking Soda

{good}

Rain coats

$50

{lands end}

Red Hook Recommendations

Time Out New York's Recommendations on Van Brunt Street here.

Places like Saipua, a floral shop that makes its own soaps, are mentioned.

Breakfast Quinoa With Fruit and Almonds

{ny times}

Breakfast Quinoa With Fruit and Almonds

Quinoa cooks so quickly that you can make it for breakfast without getting up especially early to do so. But you can save a precious 20 minutes if you cook the quinoa ahead of time.

The trick here is to cook the plums just long enough so that they bleed a little bit, which makes the porridge very pretty, but not so long that they completely break down.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 to 3 plums, pitted and diced
• 1/4 cup dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries or diced apricots
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (more to taste)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 24 almonds, halved or slivered
• 4 cups (loosely packed) cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked)
• Milk or yogurt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, and add the butter. When the sizzling begins to subside, add the plums, dried fruit and cinnamon. Stir gently until the plums begin to break down slightly, one to two minutes, and add the honey or agave nectar and the almonds. Stir together for 30 seconds to a minute, and add the cooked quinoa. Toss the ingredients together gently and heat through. Add milk, if desired, and heat through, stirring. Or serve as is, topped with yogurt if you wish.

Yield: Serves four to six.

Advance preparation: Cooked quinoa will keep for about four days in the refrigerator. The entire dish can be made a day ahead, and reheated in the pan or in a microwave.

Spicy Baked Rigatoni

{dash}

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 2 each sweet and hot Italian sausages, casings removed 
• 12 oz. rigatoni pasta 
• 2 cups of your favorite prepared marinara sauce 
• 2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, diced 
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn coarsely 
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1/4 tsp hot red-pepper flakes 
• 12 oz. mozzarella (make 6 slices and dice the remainder) 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Lightly oil a 9x13x2–inch baking dish. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat.  Add the sausages and cook, breaking them up into clumps, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl. 
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well and add to the sausages along with the marinara sauce, tomatoes, basil, oregano, pepper flakes, diced mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and cover the top with the mozzarella slices. 
4. Bake until the cheese is melted and the pasta is heated through, about 20 minutes. 

Roger Ebert's Chicken With Fragrant Rice

{serious eats}

Roger Ebert's Chicken With Fragrant Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 cups jasmine or basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 to 3 cups cut vegetables such as bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, etc.

Directions

1. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the water and combine rice in the rice cooker with the oils, salt, garlic, and ginger. Stir well, then place the chicken and vegetables on top. Turn on the rice cooker and allow it to cook until finished. (This recipe could also be prepared in a medium saucepan with a lid: proceed by bringing to a boil and simmering over low heat until the rice is cooked.)
2. Once ready, stir the ingredients well to coat the rice with oil and serve with Sriracha or other hot sauce, if desired.