Hands down, no questions asked, I’m a foodie, continually inspired by food.  Besides my family, food is the singular thing I think about, ok obsess about, every minute of every day.  I get silly excited when that perfect combination of flavors hits my palette & most often I wrestle in my mind if I need order a 2nd (I usually do) or rush home, stopping off at the market, to buy the ingredients to re-create the dish on my own.

This was in fact the case recently when in LA dining with friends at Evaleigh. We ordered a buratta, spring pea & mint mash served with a perfectly crusty & golden piece of  bread. After that 1st dreamy bite I went silent, though in a food trance, then ooohh’ed & ahhh’ed to the point of annoyance. I cannot express to you how mind blowingly yummy & simple this dish was. The buratta was super creamy spread atop the warm & oiled crostini & elevated with the brightness of this seasons finest; spring green peas rustically smashed with fresh mint & a touch of lemon.The flavors were so delicate & complex simultaneously!

Needless to say we ordered another & once back in NYC I immediately created a swoon-worthy version for myself & my guys.  At the green market I snatch up some asparagus, mint, & fresh green peas….a trifecta of ingredients that scream SPRING IS HERE!  A hearty loaf of peasant bread and a quick stop at Whole Foods for the buratta and I had everything I needed.

Please hurry & make this perfect spring snack! The deconstructed presentation is quite pretty for entertaining & the lemony dressing is refreshingly tart, complimenting these springtime stars allowing the flavors to really pop! Warm weather fare at it’s best…fantastically healthy, bright, creamy, & crunchy!

SHOP  S W O O N

   Stainless Steel Sauce Pan                 Global Chef’s Knife                          OXO Silicone Brush          Olive-Wood Cutting Board        Charcoal Porcelain Bowls

I get it, we all grow up….I need to accept that he wants to be with his friends at the skate park where noooooo kissing mama is allowed & that rough housing with dad  is more fun than reading with mom ; ((

There is one activity I will NEVER give up! Jivan & I have been creating together in the kitchen since he was an iddy biddy baby….it’s just one of our things! We bake cookies, make panna cotta, he’s the perfect veggie chopper at dinnertime, & he is an expert at making pesto.  So, when Jivan recently declared he would like to make homemade pickles, I jumped at the opportunity!  Pickles are a new acquired taste for Jivan & he has become quite the connoisseur….sampling all the artisanal varieties on our Sunday visits to the Brooklyn Flea & Smorgesburg.

I’d never made pickles before so I was excited to dive into this new endeavor together and see what we could conjure up. I explored numerous sites to gain an understanding of the process & we somewhat created our own non-recipe, not paying close attention to measurements & just having fun with my “guy”.  I was about to say “little guy” but perhaps “GUY” is more fitting for a double digit pre-teen….eeeekkk!

On this very special occasion, the tables were turned! I was Jivan’s sous chef….he did all the chopping, adding of spices, & even made the brine himself.  My little pickle is growing up!

SHOP  S W O O N

 Canning Jars                                     Global Chef’s Knife                          OXO Measuring Cup                  Magnetic Measuring Spoons            Acacia Wood Board

Safe to say that with the arrival of Spring, comes a very distinct excitement in the air.  Suddenly we are all walking about with coats off, sitting at outdoor cafes, & visiting the green markets to see a plethora of spring veggies!  At the first sign of spring one particular vegetable that makes its way to my families’ table weekly are sugar snap peas.

The key to maximizing flavor is to eat peas when they are freshest & that is NOW and throughout spring when they grow in abundance!

With their vibrant green hue, crisp snappy texture, & sweet clean taste… Sugar Snap Peas are the absolute perfect snack eaten raw or blanched, naked or dressed up….they are oh so snappy good!

One of my favorite ways to serve these peas is blanched & served atop freshly whipped ricotta. The brightness of the peas, with their punchy crunch, pairs so well with the creamy complexity of the ricotta.  Finished with a drizzle of evvo, squeeze of lemon, & plenty of chopped mint…doesn’t get fresher than this!

One of the dishes we feasted on was their beef & lamb kefte….and there it was locked in my consciousness. LAMB KEBABS…TZATZIKI ON EVERYTHING. NEXT EYE-SWOON POST!

After returning home from Miami I headed out to Amagansett for the first time since December.  The opening spring weekend and the unveiling of the grill after an annoyingly long winter had me chirping like the birdies.  As I have mentioned before and perhaps a given by now, cooking makes me happy, plain and simple…..and Mediterranean food makes me even happier….and grilling makes me the happiest!!  Needless to say I was swooning this spring afternoon…in my home, outdoors, laughing with family & friends, sitting at a picnic table on the lawn as the kiddies run about, doing what I love most.  Also, can we all agree that tzatziki makes just about everything taste better?

I have a distinct suspicion that Greek might continue make an appearance in my summer repertoire.  Its fresh, its light, herby, packed with flavor, tons of veggies, and all around swoon~worthy!  Summer is on the horizon swooners….

Easter has changed a lot since childhood, I suppose as you grow older the magic disappears. But this year together with friend Erica Domesek, creator & genius behind P.S. - I made this, we brought back the enchantment of Easter.

Erica invited me over to her swoon-worthy gramercy park abode to organically and naturally dye Easter eggs using {{{genius}}} fresh veggies (beets & cabbage) and tumeric!  But no no no.…that wasn’t creative enough for Erica, she also dreamt up designing her own custom P.S. -  I made this / eye-swoon tattoo’s to adorn our stunning eggs.

The palette the natural ingredients imprinted onto the eggs were in hues of pale yellows, blues, and blushy dreamlike tones reminiscent of a perfect Ladureé macaron. Erica and I crafted, played, laughed, dipped, & dyed, and certainly nibbled on a peep or two!  Our arms also got to play “tattoo” dress up!  Essentially we engaged in some pure ps swoon~able DIY & DYE magic!  I mean who doesn’t like to get their craft on!

Kale and ripe avocados are also essential staples when I visit the market & always have a place in my kitchen, so this easy breezy lunch is an amalgam of the overtly obvious for me.

We all have an arsenal of fave recipes we pull from of our bag of tricks when in need of a quickie, inspired, inpromptu lunch.  This is hands down the dish I turn to most often when hosting family & friends out at my  house in Amagansett. It’s guaranteed to please…super hearty, & healthy!

Honestly, it’s just so easy to throw together & swoon~able. Trick here is a surplus of lemon, a touch of spice, maldon sea salt, and some great quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. My personal building blocks of flavor!

Bartending is what got me through my first few years of living in Manhattan. Now almost 18 years later here I am behind the bar yet again at Dell’Anima.  I love the nastalgia of it all….my life has changed so drastically since those early NYC days when I lived at the Breslin in a 350 sq ft apartment. (Yes, my first apartment is the now converted and much chicer Ace Hotel) Anyway I didn’t cook then, knew nothing about great food and wine, and I certainly wasn’t making Negroni’s behind the bar at the Tunnel & Palladium!

Dell’Anima in a way represents the new,”grown up” version of myself with a more refined palette!  I can probably say that partly through Joe Campanale’s restaurants I discovered new food and drink.  I began eating Octopus for the first time here at Dell’Anima, I tried my first sweetbreads, I found my obsession with Aperol through Dell’Anima, and I learned a lot about fine Italian wine through the guidance of Mr. Campanale and his passion & encyclopedia knowledge of wine!

Joe, who is a partner and holds the title of executive beverage director at Dell’Anima, is the most lovely & gracious guy who I have gotten to know well over the years though my many visits to his swoon-worthy establishments. I am soooooo incredibly thrilled that I had the chance to go back to my roots behind the bar and through Eye-swoon had the opportunity to make one of Joe’s favorite cocktails….Dell’Anima’s twist on the classic Negroni!

All images courtesy of Chloe Crespi, THANK YOU!

I have yet to visit Dell’Anima without savoring over the braised octopus, one of the dishes they are most renowned for! And rightfully so, this dish absolutely blows my mind with the punchy citrus flavor coupled with the bitter chicories, creamy beans, smoky & spicy chorizo…and then add the crispiness of the octopus….I mean {{{BOOM}}} this is an explosion in your mouth! Please promise me you will give it a try for yourself!

The captain of this ship, chef Andrew Whitney, embraced me with tattoo’d open arms into his teeny tiny kitchen, walking me through the process of their famous octopus from start to finish.  I thought my knife skills were pretty darn great until I witnessed a pro’s precision & speed at work….I think a knife skills class might be in my future.  I diced & chopped, seared & sautéed and LOVED every last minute of my sous chef field trip to Dell’Anima!

Through my consistent visits over the years (i’m a creature of habit) Joe Campanale, owner and beverage director, has become a friend and was kind enough to invite Eye-Swoon into his domain while also teaching me some of his master skills behind the bar. Keep your eyes peeled for the Dell”anima follow up post on ES!  **And be sure to check out Andrew’s hilarious Swoon-isms below!

A massive thank you to my girl, Chloe Crespi, for the incredible photography!

The night prior , at L’Apicio, I savored over the most incredible seabass on a bed of lentils and found myself swoon~dreaming for these teeny legumes.  Once home I began rummaging through the pantry seeking some black frenchies…found!  This prompted the creation of a veggie pasta incorporating the kale, lentils, spicy sausage, and why not..some sautéed fennel since  it pairs so well with sausage.

This meal kinda took me by storm as it was completely unplanned for dinner and certainly unintended for an ES post, yet it came together so beautifully! There were a few moments I wondered, might I have one too many  components? But it all just seemed to work…I was completely riffing and having fun….just love when that happens!

All the flavors melded together so deliciously that even my 9 year old son swooned the…duh duh duuuuhhhh…KALE DISH!  This is a perfect week night meal that can be versatile for those carb haters….omit the pasta, add more chicken broth and viola, you have a wonderfully savory & flavorful soup!  Or for those who are veggie only, you can certainly omit the sausage.

Anyone that really knows me understands that I can most often be found in the kitchen.  I get teased all the time from friends that I’m continually and obsessively chop chop chopping and prep prep prepping. They say, “I’m over doing it”…I say, “it’s what I LOVE!”

That said, when I host a dinner party I really do try and come up with dishes that can be made in advance. Oven-roasting whole fish marries ease of preparation with a stunning meal! Plus it checks off so many of the “athena swoon~worthy” boxes of approval.

Impressive presentation….check.

Advance prep.…check.

Healthy meal.…check.

Super yummy.…double check!

The best part is the versatility….stuff your fish cavity with any citrus & herbs you have on hand….you can’t go wrong.  I stuffed my red snapper with lemon, orange, fennel, shallots, garlic, & fresh thyme.  Ridiculously flavorful and moist since the skin protects the delicate flesh & keep it juicy.  I chose to serve the fish along side roasted fennel drenched in olive oil, orange juice, rind, a subtle kick of heat, & finished with tossed orange segments. A grain like bulgur or quinoa pairs so well with this meal as it absorbs all the bright juices….delish!  

While researching a holiday dish (braised meats are somewhat of a tradition for me) I stumbled upon Anna’s actual recipe on the Heritage Foods site. AHHHHH!!  I knew instantly I had to conquer this dish once and for all!

I can not begin to tell how insanely delicious this braised ragu is….The depth of flavor is outstanding and the meat is ridiculiously tender.  When I first tested the ragu  upon its completion I was giddy as a little girl for it’s wild success…I finally did it!  Thank you for sharing Anna!

With a dollup of creamy goat cheese and a shaving of fresh pecorino, it is beyond decadent! A large tubular pasta is perfect for catching this hearty sauce in each bite. YUMMMMMM……

So much more swoon-worthy inspiration to come in 2013!

Wishing you a year of abundance, contentment, creativity, beauty, and yummy food!

xx athena

It’s one of those thing you wouldn’t immediately crave but once the richness of the dark chocolate melts with the sweet nature of a perfectly ripe winter pear there is no turning back!

With the addition of Maldon sea salt and the crunch of an earthy, toasted hazelnut the bursting combination of flavor and texture is superb.

This rustic crostata scores on so many levels….particularly the flakey and ridiculously simply tart shell recipe.

If I must say so myself, this recipe is a showstopper….it’s incredibly yummy, a super elegant desert, and belongs on your holiday table!  Swoon your family & friends….I promise not to disappoint!

I adapted and adjusted this recipe from Epicurious courtesy of Bon Appetit, my go to obsession and source of inspiration!

In my home we savor the short season for Honeycrisp apples…buying a minimum of 10 apples weekly!  It’s hands down our go to snack as they are exceptionally crisp, crunchy, & sweet all at once!  We get oddly excited when these apple treasures begin appearing at the farm stands….EVERY other apple pales in comparison!

I recently had an incredible white cabbage, Honeycrisp, walnut, & pecorino salad at Franny’s & just last week at Michael’s Genuine, in Miami, I had the simplist  Honeycrisp, basil, &  feta salad that was to die for!  With the inspiration of those salads in mind I took a few favorite & staple winter ingredients sitting in the fridge & made my own version of a Honeycrisp Salad.  Tuscan Kale,apples,celery,walnuts, & pecorino… with torn bits of basil to add an herby punch that 100% elevated to dish. 

Sometimes you just need a little fat….ok, ok, A LOT of fat!  Not one Thanksgiving has come to be in my family without Narnie’s (our Americanized version of Nonna ) super creamy whipped yams.

When Narnie passed away it was unthinkable that anyone could make them as yummy as she did. After a few failed attempts & many sad bellies on turkey day, I decided to give it a try 10 years ago.  I’m not saying mine are quite as good as hers but they come pretty darn close, I now carry on the tradition.

Narnie was an incredible woman & an amazing but super messy cook…let me rephrase…a passionate cook!  I’ll never forget the look of her kitchen after she whipped up a holiday meal….I mean, even her phone had blobs of dried food on it!

So her secret recipe calls for not only loads of butter, but also half & half, and shhhhh…..cream cheese!   She chose to include brown sugar, but every year I attempt to make them a bit healthier without anyone realizing.  So this year I omitted the sugar and opted for maple syrup.

The moment Fall arrives I want to roast absolutely everything! Once roasted, veggies take on a hearty, caramelized, & rich flavor that make me swoon!

I’m also a huge brunch lady who has been temporarily deprived of my leisurely Sunday brunch dates since my recent weekend priority has me working away on my new apartment.

Well last week I decided to take brunch & my love of farm fresh veggies into my own hands & probably made one of the most divine brunch dishes I have ever created….if I do say so myself.

The best part about it? It’s oh so simple to throw together with just 5 or 6 key ingredients….two of your favorite seasonal veggies, eggs, extra virgin olive oil, herbs, and S & P.  I’d say the trickiest part about this entire endeavor  is the poaching of the egg.  This, admittedly so, I have  yet to master but got fairly close after my 3rd egg.  The tip here is to add white vinegar to the water and create a whirlpool effect to which you drop the egg into….more specific’s in the recipe below.  I do hope you enjoy this as much as I did…..

My interpretation and approach to this salad was a bit hap hazard since I already had the ingredients at hand and  thrown together without recipe.

I sat down with friends to sample this unchartered territory of a summer salad and my mouth was ridiculously happy…so delicious and perfectly balanced!

The croutons were crunchy & garlicky, tomatoes super sweet, the basil fresh, and the lemon and acid added a brightness that I continually crave….then the quinoa offered the unexpected texture that sucked up the juices and brought the entire salad together.  As went back for 2nd’s and 3rd’s, licking my fingers, all I could think of was that I NEEDED to remake this salad before the holiday weekends closure for myself & for eye~swoon!  

When summer’s in full swing I find myself making fruit tart’s regularly.  There is something about a thin snappy pastry shell that makes me {{swoon}} yet has eluded me for years. I have probably experimented and scrutinized 20+  recipes…from a shortbread type where you press the dough into your pan, to the classic French pastry.  Too often they are abundantly rich or get soggy over time.

I think I have finally found “the one”, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen, THANK YOU! I hope you don’t mind sharing ; ))

Once again the pairing of citrus..light & lemony, coupled with sweet and succulent strawberries has made its way into my heart, into my kitchen, and finally into my mouth….yumm!

The addition of folding freshly whipped cream into an otherwise standard lemon curd, a tip learned from Pastry Pal, transforms this filling into a velvety & airy mousse, slightly less pungent than a straight up curd.  This tart is certainly a keeper in my repertoire and can work with any assortment of berries.

Bright red cherry tomatoes, ripe peaches, fresh herbs, sweet corn, and juicy watermelon.  These are my summer staples & with them I make  three specific salads all summer long….somehow I never tire of them.

Eye-swoon would not exist without my super talented, creative, & beautiful friend Amy Risley…who designed the blog & whose birthday we celebrated, at my home, on a gorgeous June afternoon.

Myself, Amy, Jackie, & Erica, of P.S. I Made This, whipped together a feast of summer’s fruits & veggies in a fun, festive,  & girly fashion. We played ping pong with friends, swam in the pool, cracked open a piñata, poured one too many glasses of rose, and swooned over the “surprise” layer cake Erica created!  The day was to celebrate Amy & swoon her with love, gratitude, & yummy food!  These three salads represent summer’s delights and are perfect for any BBQ!

The pastry chef, Hedy Goldsmith, creates dessert’s that are unique, ever changing, and {{SWOON}} worthy!  She recently came out with her own cookbook but this perfect Summer Meyer lemon pudding cake came from the MGF&D cookbook.

For me, nothing screams Summer more than the brightness of zippy lemons paired with a bountiful of summer berries.  This dessert fits the bill with it’s airy soufflé like cake top and it’s soft, gooey & lemony pudding below….a fool-proof dessert that magically separates itself into two distinct layers!  It’s also great for dinner parties since the pudding cakes can be prepared in advance and ready to go with a dollop of chantilly cream & berries!