all up in my grill
It's the battle of the indoor grills in my kitchen this week. In this corner, my trusty ol'
George Foreman grill that introduced me to life with grill marks and perfectly cooked chicken breasts every time. And in that corner, my shiny new
Breville indoor grill, which is about twice the size of George but can open flat to form side-by-side griddle and grill panels (just in case I'm channeling my inner Gladys Knight and decide to cook up some
chicken & waffles at the same time!)
So what's a girl to do? Although George is older, certainly not as fancy and a total pain to clean, I'm not ready to break up with him yet. Just last week, he and I grilled up some delish steak au poivre burgers from Whole Foods in a mouth-watering snap. But why keep a jalopy around when you've got a Porsche sitting in the driveway? The Breville has more surface area, adjustable grill plates and temperature control (so I can actually choose how I want to cook my food instead of just hitting the "on" button and hoping for the best). But, it's definitely heavier and clunkier than George and takes a lot more effort to lug out of the cabinet for a dinner-for-one grilling night. So for now, I guess they're both sticking around ... waiting to battle another day.
xxx
dining fever
Every year around my birthday, I am hit with two different, yet equally strong urges. One is to down a couple of margaritas ... stat! The other is to redecorate my apartment. Ever since moving into my itty-bitty Manhattan studio last year, I've been riding the bell-shaped curve of decorating enthusiasm and now, with yet another birthday come and gone, I'm back on the design bandwagon. This month's obsession? My blah dining table and chairs. Right now, I have a mission-style, Crate & Barrel extension table and two matching chairs that my old roommate and I bought years ago while living in Brooklyn. Loved it then. Loathe it now! For one thing, it's just not my style. (Too traditional and the wood is a couple shades too light.) And second, the two-chair handicap means that dinner parties are out of the question. And why buy more chairs for a table set I hate anyway? So, I'm thinking about getting a couple of uber-cute
Umbra OH chairs to go around the table! Sigh, I love that Karim Rashid. Even his
Dirt Devil Kone vacuum design is cute! (Okay, yes, it looks a little like a dunce cap, but I'm still swooning.)
But back to the chairs ... I am in love with the color and shape and think they'll add some modern flair to the traditional table. Plus, they're oh-so comfy for plastic and pretty affordable -- only $49 at the
Container Store. (FYI, I'm cheap.) And the best part? They're stackable -- perfect for the space-deprived New Yorker. I've been wanting to add some pink elements into the space, so I'm thinking two light pink and two fuchsia chairs ought to do the trick. I'll have to measure to make sure they fit around the table, and that they're high enough to actually eat comfortably, but I'm loving the look for now. Fingers crossed!
Tonight, I'm going to the US Open with some friends -- can't wait! It's my favorite sporting event in NYC and I wait for it every year! We're supposed to see Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova play, so it should be a fun night. Stay tuned!
xxx
