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Oof, what a week. Mostly I'd just like to crawl into bed and stay there until Monday, burying my nose in a good book. Instead, I'm going to be on the hunt for the last of the winter's salsify, which I'll tell you about early next week. Holy cow, people, I have fallen for it in a big way.

We also just got our wedding invitations, so I'm bracing myself for a few days of hand-lettering envelopes, and we have to finalize our registry tomorrow at a department store where they still write out the list by hand and then take photographs of all the items we'd like in the in-house studio before putting everything online. Quaint? Insane? Discuss.

Also, if you had to pick one thing to put on your registry, what would it be?

Elsewhere:

Have you ever heard of an upside-down cheesecake? With rhubarb compote and a crumbled gingersnap topping, no less.

Jane Lear's ode to her favorite Le Creuset pot (that also includes links to her favorite whisks and steamers) comes just at the right time.

Mark Bittman brings potted shrimp (don't you want to just want to cuddle that recipe title?) into the 21st century with pimentón and garlic. I need to throw a party!

Canal House Cooking's sixth volume, all about cooking from the grocery store, is ready for pre-order. Have a look here.

xo breakfast, a sweet little blog all about breakfast, tells us how to make Jim Lahey's Pizza Bianca without a pizza stone, with some seriously irresistible photos.

Molly gave me a jar of these hot pickled peppers in oil for Christmas and I'm now rationing them out in order to make them last longer. (In other words, I am currently hiding them in the fridge to keep a certain someone from gobbling them all up. Shh.) They are a revelation.

Speaking of which, have you heard about Molly and Brandon's new venture, The Pantry at Delancey? Classes on meat-curing and misunderstood vegetables, private dinners, a kid's cooking camp plus frozen pizza and cookie dough to bake at home – Oh, to be a Seattle-ite!

A massive Bay Area bake sale, with proceeds going to the Japanese relief effort, will be taking place on April 2; here's hoping it spreads across the country.

And, to completely change the subject, in my next life I'd like to come back as a florist. Sarah Ryhanen is my idol.

Stay safe, lovelies, and have a good one.

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39 responses to “Friday Link Love”

  1. Shauna Avatar

    The thing I always wish we’d registered for is really luxurious sheets and towels. Eight years and I’m still not over the omission. Someone will buy them for you, you’ll always love them, and you’ll never blow that kind of money on yourself down the line. I can always come up with an excuse to buy more kitchen stuff now, but never something like that.

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  2. Nuts about food Avatar

    Since most of us do not live in the Bay area, if you are interested in a virtual bake sale for Japan, one is being held by the Tomato Tart on March 30. Check it out on her blog or mine if you want to contribute! Have a good week end.

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  3. Elizabeth Ann Avatar

    A NICE SLOW COOKER! 🙂

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  4. multikulinaria Avatar

    When we got married 8 years ago, we thought of a few non-materialistic things to wish for, that would mean a lot to us. Two of them were related to food.
    First thing we asked for, was, that every wedding guest would bring his or her favourite recipe. The most creative ones (design-wise) were to be rewarded. It was kind of disappointing, that hardly anyone took this seriously…
    Second wish was ‘sushi satt’, meaning one visit to a sushi restaurant and to eat as much as we’d enjoy.
    My family picked up on this and for the first wedding anniversaries sent us invitations for ‘sushi satt’. Loved that!
    If you need help with your envelops, I might as well come by (instead of meeting anywhere else) and give you a hand… (seriously)

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  5. Giulia Avatar

    Wow, that is old school registry 🙂 My husband loved the bar code gun he got to carry around the store, zapping all the things we ‘needed’.
    Our most cherished items would be our knives, although giving knives at weddings is not supposed to be lucky.
    I also like the idea of a honeymoon registry, allowing for a trip you might not be able to afford.

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  6. Zoomie Avatar

    Oh, the excitement of wedding invitations! I love the heavy paper, the engraving, the differences in style and wording. And I am in love already with a store I’ve never visited – one where they hand-write and carefully photograph each item the bride chooses. Maybe it’s a bit insane in this day and age but I love the grace of that, and the mindfulness.

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  7. Stephanie @ Dollop of Cream Avatar

    Definitely a salad spinner.
    I mean, think about it: do you really feel like going out and spending $30 (or Euros)to buy a big plastic container that won’t fit in your cupboard anyway?
    No, you won’t do it.
    But once you have one given to you, you will have to use it. You will find a place for it. (Ours lives high, high up, on top of the cupboard above the fridge.)
    And forever — forever! — you will be thankful not to have to dab at damp lettuce with a damp tea towel ever again.

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  8. Molly Avatar

    You might already have one because you live in Europe, but I use my Fagor pressure cooker which I won at a Macy’s bridal show, more than anything else in my kitchen. Most Americans that I talk to are still frightened by them, but everything from beets to risotto can be cooked in minutes instead of hours.
    And congratulations. I loved building my registry so much I’ve built all my friends’ ones, too. So exciting!

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  9. momnivore Avatar
    momnivore

    Good luggage. DH and I would NEVER have dropped that kind of money on it ourselves – but now whenever we travel I love that we have a good, full set of matching luggage. Makes life so much easier. And I wish I had registered for some Le Creuset but I wasn’t cooking as much back then and just didn’t know any better. Now I look at the prices and just suffer dutch oven envy.

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  10. Adrienne Avatar

    I’ll second the salad spinner and the good sheets, and also say that it’s nice to put something totally un-wedding related on there – we got a couple of video games that we had added on a whim, some friends of ours were stoked to receive a huge civil war documentary dvd set. Good luck with the old school list-making registry folks 😉

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  11. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    I just got married in December and our registry and gifts ended up being a bit weird. My husband and I had both moved out to Seattle, but we were getting married in our hometown in the Midwest so 70% of our gifts were monetary. (Which was nice since you know we didn’t have to figure out how to send home larger items.)
    Some of my most used presents so far are kitchen related. I do wish we had received the knife set we wanted (now we can’t bring ourselves to spend $100 on knives). Also a good vacuum cleaner! A good set of luggage was also a must for us. Once we were home we bought ourselves a George Foreman grill (I love cooking grilled cheese, hamburgers, and chicken breasts on it.)
    However, we also added some non traditional presents. Mostly these were board games we loved but did not own. Also during my bridal shower, I received tons of family recipes from both sides of the family.

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  12. Jessika Avatar

    Anything le creuset but then you, Luisa, already hade a few right 😉 ?
    I’d like a restaurant oven if our building could accomodate it.

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  13. Denise | Chez Danisse Avatar

    The Pantry at Delancey seems a fabulous idea. I’m looking forward to the opening. If I had to pick one thing to put on my registry it would be something from Herriott Grace. Enjoy your hand-lettering, such a beautiful thing.

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  14. gwen Avatar
    gwen

    Is it boring to put in another vote for Le Creuset? Specifically, one of the big dutch ovens (if you don’t already have one) in whatever color makes your heart happy:
    http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Enameled-Cast-Iron-2-Quart-French/dp/B00004SBH4
    Philosophically, I think it’s really a perfect gift. You’d never never spend so much on for yourself, so it feels like a real treat and a wonderful gift — but it’s also incredibly useful, will last forever, and will make you think of the good wishes from the gift-givers every time you reach for it. 🙂

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  15. kt Avatar

    Six years out, we are glad we registered for (and received a large set of) our stainless flatware. We found our perfect, ideal set and just love it. (Stanton from Crate & Barrel) It’s smooth, heavy but well-balanced, and we use it every day. Dishes will chip, glasses will break, but if you have nice flatware it will last a very long time.

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  16. Deborah Avatar

    Luisa, if it is available, request the pot/pan Jane Lear speaks of. I had been umming and aaahing over purchasing a Le Creuset pan for years; saying I’ll get one when we have a kitchen in a home we own… but after reading that post earlier in the week I decided to not wait. I ordered mine in Cherry Red.
    🙂
    If you already own a Le Creuset, I second the suggestion for a few favourite handmade from Herriott Grace.

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  17. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    I handle the registries the old fashioned, quaint method you mentioned at a specialized retail store here in Houston, Texas. Our brides prefer it as it gives me a chance to not only bond with the bride and her family/groom, but I am able to render advice and suggestions as well as experience in what I do as a Bridal Consultant. The brides in the area in which I live seem to prefer this method, but I realize that not be the same for brides across the board. Anyway, good luck with yours!!

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  18. Charlotte Avatar

    When we got married, I must admit I didn’t really want to go the registry route but we did register (borrowing the idea from my cousin) at a local wine store. We had a lovely afternoon browsing (and tasting) various wines and the wine store was thrilled to be part of our registry. We also ended up getting lots of kitchen things such as lovely serving platters and dishes as word had gone around that ours weren’t that good!

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  19. Sylee Avatar

    I know! We did our registry at the KaDeWe too and found the experience unbelievable. Did they give you vouchers for champagne upstairs? So sweet. I’m grateful for my knives every day (though as Giulia says, knives as gifts are said to be bad luck). I’m also so pleased to have a complete set of decent cutlery, after years of eating with Oxfam spoons and forks. I put the focus on durable and hard-to-break as we weren’t sure how much we’d be moving around in years to come, and I didn’t want to have strong ties to delicate glassware.

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  20. Gina Avatar

    I think I need that upside down cheesecake in my life, right now.
    xoxo,
    Gina

    Like

  21. jonquil Avatar
    jonquil

    ginger, rhubarb, cheesecake: heavenly combination! top 5 gifties list: le crueset anything, good luggage, excellent knives, favored silverware set (amazingly difficult to find well balanced just sharp enough flatware knives), & an industrial strength food processor.

    Like

  22. sarahmilne Avatar
    sarahmilne

    Third, fourth, fifth the sheets. (Ours are from Thomas Lee, for what it’s worth. We’re obsessed with them.)

    Like

  23. Rachael Avatar

    I’m so glad you’re doing these food themed link days! I haven’t encountered any other themed “link loves,” and almost none that aren’t at least half composed of “isn’t this a nice yellow vase?”
    I love our Tivoli radios. Two–one for the kitchen, one for the living room. People love a few odd gifts on the registry–they still get to give something you asked for, but at least it’s a little unique.

    Like

  24. Kartik @ Bakeology 101 Avatar

    I love baked goods! So I love the idea of a massive nation wide bake sale for raising donations for Japan! And I’m in the Bay Area! Hurray!

    Like

  25. Jenny Avatar
    Jenny

    Luisa, Just to say thanks so much for these Friday Link Love posts — they really make my weekend! I just got married and simply have to join in the cheers for le creuset anything — in cerise :).

    Like

  26. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    The Le Creuset I love the most is my Le Creuset Crepe pan. It not a very popular piece and can be difficult to find, but it makes the most beautiful crepes and is very versatile. I find it especially wonderful for pancakes because there are no sides to maneuver with your spatula.
    http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Enameled-Cast-Iron-3-Inch-Cobalt/dp/B000N4Y8VK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1300666585&sr=8-1

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  27. Eve Fox Avatar

    My husband and I had two favorite wedding gifts – neither one is particularly imaginative but they both have made cooking even more enjoyable — a set of stainless steel all-clad pots and pans (our set was fairly basic but it’s totally done the job — the only thing we did not get that I still would like to have is the ceramic double boiler insert) and a set of knives by Wusthof. I had no idea how bad our knives were until we got the Wusthofs… now there is no going back. Congrats on your upcoming wedding. The prep is kind of stressful (registering, dress choice, invitations, decorations, menu, music — it’s all great but there are just sooooo many choices you have to make) but the day, itself, is magical and truly meaningful. I’m sure you will have a wonderful time.

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  28. Lauren Wilkinson Avatar

    happy handwriting! a handwritten envelope is the sweetest surprise.
    there were lots of suggestions for le creusets…i must chime in: having the most massive le creuset dutch oven possible is one of the best gifts ever. i’ve made chili for 40 in one, roasted chickens, brined things, and my little girls use it to give their dolls a bath. i also still, surprisingly, use my de buyer mandolin on a daily basis. once you’ve shaved radishes in uniform, translucent little discs, it’s hard to go back.
    thank you for all the lovely links, too. this is long overdue – but thanks for your completely generous, thoughtful new york restaurant guide. it made me plan a trip east!

    Like

  29. Hospitable Scots Bachelor Avatar

    Glad that you are going to enlighten us about salsify. It’s one of the big Gaps (among many) in my culinary knowledge!

    Like

  30. Fabi Avatar

    Lovely blog!!! Always unique and interesting!!! Please visit our blog
    http://www.fromustwoyou.com/
    xoxo Cybelle & Fabi

    Like

  31. Aimee Avatar

    Oh! I just read your post about favorite pancakes, but I cannot comment on it now… so I’m doing things all out of order and commenting on this post.
    I made Mark Bittman’s whole grain pancakes from Food Matters this weekend, and they were fantastic! Do you have the book yet? It’s great. If you do not, I posted the recipe on my blog: http://www.alittlethyme.com.

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  32. Rocky Mountain Woman Avatar

    Lovely links as always!

    Like

  33. Stacy Avatar
    Stacy

    Love Friday link love! I’ve gotten a few great ideas and recipes! Hope you keep doing it. I’ve read your blog for quite a while a really look forward to your posts. Congratulations on your up coming wedding!

    Like

  34. Sprout Avatar

    Thanks for the heads-up on the new Canal House release, just ordered it! Couldn’t resist after I saw one of the sections is called “Crax & Cheese”. I fall hard for crax and cheese.

    Like

  35. Renee Avatar
    Renee

    Congrats, Lovely. 🙂
    Definitely go for anything you wouldn’t purchase for yourself: crèpe maker, frittata pan, a platta panna pan (OK, that one was from my Finnish grandmother). I registered (and received!) a culinary torch.
    Many happy wishes and memories for you!

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  36. sally Avatar
    sally

    congratulations, what an exciting time for you!
    a few things i wish for still:
    a nice weekend/carry-on bag
    amazing sheets
    a Rex Ray original piece of art

    Like

  37. Monica Avatar
    Monica

    I got married 20 years ago, but I still wish I had a stand mixer. One of these days I’ll get it.
    One dear friend gave me a lovely wooden recipe box and had the other guests contribute their favorite family recipes. I love having all those different hand-written culinary memories.

    Like

  38. Ginger Avatar
    Ginger

    I am loving the link love – thanks for sharing. It’s becoming highly anticipated around these parts! The rhubarb recipes are killing me – grow, little rhubarb. I’ve got big plans for you!

    Like

  39. Lael Avatar

    Thanks for all the great links! That rhubarb recipe sounds amazing (I’m so excited their season is almost back!). I am also glad to know about Delancey’s new venture, as Seattle is within driving distance. And now that I know who Sarah Ryhanen is, I’m smitten too.

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