Tablecloths

1/ Love the color combination on this pretty and casual Anthropologie Begonia Tablecloth. 
2/ Crisp and clean in cotton twill, the Caterer's Tablecloth from Pottery Barn can be monogrammed. 
3/ Provence Linen Tablecloth is hand-loomed in natural linen.
4/ Also from Pottery Barn, this Vintage Ticking Stripe Tablecloth can be monogrammed as well.
5/ it's all in the details. Matteo Cluny Tablecloth from Layla Grayce with a soft and delicate crochet trim. 
6/ Early Bird Tablecloth is perfect for spring and summer. 

Photo Credit: From Linked Sources

Tea at Three: Hojicha & Hazelnut Caramelia Cake

TEA: Hojicha [Harney & Sons]
SWEETS: Hazelnut Caramelia Cake [Dominique Ansel Bakery]

Picked up this round hazelnut cake from Dominique Ansel Bakery and paired it with Hojicha, my favorite tea. Both the Hojicha and the cake have nutty flavors so they went well together, although I have to say, Hojicha is a great match to a lot of savories and sweets. 

The Hazelnut Caramelia Cake has a silky mousse filling and is topped with caramelized hazelnuts. 

Best of 3: Financiers

This time around, I went to three bakeries (all on the Upper East Side) and tried their financiers. Financiers (pronounced fee-nahn-see-aye) are small, petit four sized cakes made with brown butter and almonds. The best ones have wonderful crispy exteriors. 

#3: FP Patisserie
Payard/FB Patisserie sells an assortment of financiers in a box for $25. Five different kinds, with the almond financiers being the best ones in the box. Unfortunately not all of them tasted as good (or have that nice, crispy texture on the outside). The box I picked up on Saturday was made earlier in the week so that may have changed the texture to some.

LOCATION: FP Patisserie | 1293 3rd Ave. btw 74th St. & 75th St. | New York, NY  10021 | 212.717.5252

#2: Maison Kayser
Right across the street from FB Patisserie is Maison Kayser. They have a big version of the financier, which come in multiple flavors and the size is about the same as a muffin. At the register, they have the smaller sized ones in cellophane bags ($4.75). These do have the crunchy brown edges, but the cakes overall were too chewy, almost gummy. I think they were made a couple of days before, hence, the extra-chewy texture.

LOCATION: Maison Kayser | 1294 3rd Ave. btw 74th St. & 75th St. | New York, NY  10021 | 212.744.3100

#1: Canelé by Céline
Canelé by Céline also topped our Best of 3: Canelés. Aside from canelés, they make financiers. Freshly made ones with perfectly crisp exteriors, which definitely gave them an edge over the other two. So tasty, especially the pistachio flavored ones. I picked up a sampler box (c/o Canelé by Céline), but they sell an assorted box of 24 financiers for $20.

LOCATION: Canelé by Céline | 315 East 86th Street | New York, NY 10028 | celine@canelebyceline.com

Pickled Red Onions

Photo taken the day of the Duck Rillette & Pickled Red Onion Tea Sandwich post. The one on the upper right is the one used in the recipe.

The bottom two were variations on boiling the onions with the vinegar and I missed the crunch and the bright colors. The upper left is using just room temperature water and vinegar and the onion flavor was too strong. The upper right was just perfect. I boiled just the water and vinegar mixture and poured it over the red onions.

Here's just the pickled red onion recipe. I have it as a side to my grilled cheese sandwiches, as a topping for salad, and whenever I'm looking for a little acid to a rich or fatty dish.

PICKLED RED ONIONS

INGREDIENTS
1 onion
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Thinly slice onion. (Use a mandoline slicer to get thin and even slices.)
2. Put vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. 
3. Pour hot vinegar mixture over the slice onion. Leave out at room temperature for 1 hour.

Store the pickled red onions in the refrigerator.

Eve Lom Facial at Space NK SoHo

So, let me you about my latest discovery. Actually, there are two discoveries. One, is Eve Lom. Two, is that you can get free hour-long facials at Space NK in SoHo with a purchase of three skincare products.

I recently tried out a sample of Eve Lom's cleanser and by the third day, when the sample ran out, I was desperate for more. My skin just LOVED it. It evened out my skin tone and even better, no need to slather on moisturizer after washing my face at night. It feels that good. 

The cleanser comes with a muslin cloth, but I got additional cloths, which comes in a three-pack so I can throw them in the wash after using each one just a couple of times. The cleanser comes with instructions on how to use the product. It's a multi-step process (it's fairly quick) and it feels like you're giving yourself a mini facial every night. It's so nice. 

For my third product purchase at Space NK, I got Eve Lom's moisturizer with SPF 15, which feels so great to put on after washing my face in the morning with a Mario Badescu cleanser. I only use the Eve Lom cleanser in the evening since I don't have the time to properly go through the steps in the morning.

On a stroll through Soho, I stopped in at the Space NK shop to get a couple of Eve Lom products after my samples ran out. That's when I was told about the facials they offer. I made an appointment on the spot and went back a couple of days later for my facial. You purchase your products at the end of your facial, not before. Since I was getting all Eve Lom products, I asked for an Eve Lom facial.

In the back of the store, there's a room all set up for facials. It's a nice space with plenty of room. (Much nicer than what you see in the grainy photo above!) One thing I wish they had was a chair where I could put my clothes. I was given a shopping bag to put my clothes into, which I thought was a bit odd.

When I got in the room, Gina, the facialist, had a bath wrap towel ready for me.

The facial lasted an hour and every product used was an Eve Lom product. 

Gina has a VERY soft and delicate touch, so the hand and arm massages were more like gentle caresses. I usually like a little bit of a firmer touch, but the whole experience was so relaxing, I didn't have too much time to linger on that thought.

Once my Eve Lom products run out, I'll definitely be back for more (for both the facial and the products)!

INFO: Space NK | 99 Greene Street btw. Prince St. & Spring St. | New York, NY 10012 | 212.941.4200