Weekend Inspiration

Found this while on the net the other day and I thought that I'd share it with you folks, hope you enjoy it as much as do!

Things to Do This Weekend

Looking for something different and family friendly to do this weekend? Try heading out to the Dekalb Markets in Brooklyn this Sunday! There's great food, shopping and a community like no other, full of artists, musicians and much more!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! So glad for the weekend to start, I plan to spend as much time as possible outside. On Sunday I'll be experiencing something new -a Yankee Game! Not much of a baseball fan, but I expect it to be lots of fun, how can it not when you're outside and surrounded by your friends. Here's a song that's been on repeat at my house this week, hope you enjoy!

Food: Baked Fontina

This summer I vowed to explore all those cookbooks that have been collecting dust on my shelf. It's an addiction of mine that I completely admit to. No matter how many months (err years...) go by without me trying one of them out, it inevitably grows larger each year. So this season I put a stop to such nonsense and have been doing quite well! This weekend I tried a recipe for Baked Fontina from the Barefoot Contessa's How Easy Is That? cookbook. I've had this book for two years now and am only just now finding out just how easy her recipes really are. This took all of about seven minutes to mince, slice and cube the four main ingredients, take a look at my results below!

I was lucky enough to have all the herbs required in my garden, saving me a few bucks!

After cubing the cheese put it in an oven safe dish (I used an iron skillet) and sprinkle the cheese with the herb garlic mix.

And a few minutes later it was done! This is a great recipe to use if hosting a party, little effort on your part and because of how rich it is, it goes a long way!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Italian Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, rind removed and 1-inch-diced

1/4 cup good olive oil

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used half and was thankful!)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 crusty French baguette

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Directions

1. Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack 5 inches from the heat.

2. Distribute the cubes of Fontina evenly in a 12-inch cast-iron pan. Drizzle on the olive oil. Combine the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sprinkle it over the cheese and olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and place the pan under the broiler for 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and starts to brown.

3. Serve the baked Fontina family-style right out of the oven in the cast-iron pan with crusty chunks of bread for everyone to dip.

What's in Now: Cheese Lovers Spread!

Cheese lovers rejoice! Last month Christoffers received a shipment of gorgeous cheese boards. The best part? They're echo friendly! The company that makes these fabulous finds is Europe2You, they spend their time traveling to sites around Europe that are about to be demolished, claiming anything that they can.

We also have a great selection of books including this Cheesemonger's Kitchen: Celebrating Cheese in 90 Recipes, below are some pics from inside!

This is another great product that we just got in, Cheese Papers, sounds odd I know, but how many times after a party have you had to get out the cling wrap for that Brie you didn't finish? This paper unlike the cellophane is made to keep your cheese fresher, longer. It's also not a bad way to wrap cheese you're bringing as a gift! They even come with To and From stickers!

Ideas For The Home: Kitchen

Look at this yacht inspired kitchen that I found on the House Beautiful website today! Designer Gary McBournie got inspired by the 1920's, bringing the wooden grills on the cabinets back in this Palm Spring home! I especially love the high vaulted ceilings with the driftwood look, it's really different from anything I've seen!

Product of the Week

This fall Christoffers has brought in a whole new selection of bags and mens accessories from the Canadian Brand Herschel Supply Co. It's still a young company, and is just beginning to integrate itself into the US. Being a small company ourselves, this is just the sort of company that we love to associate with! Along with men's wallets we carry an array of different backpacks! Below are pictures of just some of the choices! You can also click here to read GQ interview with Lyndon & Jamie Cormack, founders of HSC.

NJ Bride Mention

In the Fall/Winter 2012 issue of NJ Bride there was a beautiful article done on the Barrasso~Nigam wedding that Christoffers did the flowers for. One thing that was extra special about this wedding was that there were two ceremonies one Hindu and one Christian. It was a beautiful display of both religions and cultures coming together. Check out some of the pictures below!

Christoffers at the Atlanta Gift Show!

It's that time of year again! Kurt and Fiona left today for the Atlanta Gift Show and are meeting their daughters Ariana and Amelia (buyers for the Ampersand branch) tomorrow! For updates on the goings on of the show follow Ampersand on twitter!

Nifty Wedding Ideas: Baby's Breath

Normally I am not a fan of this particular perennial, but Erin and Parker were able to use it in a classic way, making it dainty, beautiful and above all simple. Many times I watch brides make these decisions to have the most lavish floral bouquets with diamonds or crystals and the size sometimes overwhelmingly large. Remember that most of the time LESS IS MORE! While I wholeheartedly believe that flowers help make the day special, it's important to understand and implement this rule when planning your wedding. Click here for more images of their ceremony!