Sophie Tajan

Sophie Tajan : simple compositions and subtle colors.

Currently Cooking

Fresh Figs and Mascarpone

8 small (or 4 large) fresh, ripe figs, stems trimmed, halved lengthwise

1/3 cup mascarpone, softened

1/3 cup mild honey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

4 sprigs fresh mint

Arrange the figs cut-side up among four plates. Use the back of a teaspoon to gently press into the center of the flesh and create a small indentation.
Add a spoonful of mascarpone to the center of each fig half.
Place honey and spices in a small heat-proof bowl and set over a pan with simmering water. Cook over medium heat.
Whisk to blend, until the honey is liquefied and warm,1 to 2 minutes. Drizzle honey over each fig, garnish plates with mint sprigs, and serve immediately.

Recipe: Body + Soul

Kaufmann Mercantile

One of my guilty pleasures is browsing through Kaufmann Mercantile’s online store for elegant and durable bags, notebooks, and leather goods. Most of their products are handmade or heirlooms with plenty of life left. For those interested in the history of brands and materials, read Kaufmann’s “Field-Notes” — a collection of essays about designers, production design, and everyday details. Currently reading: “How to Master Knots,” “Care for Cast Iron Pans,” and “Preserve Leftover Herbs.”

1. Blackwing Pearl Pencils

2. Brass Money Clip

3. Zippered Wax Canvas Pouch

4. Manila Hemp Seed Envelopes

5. EDC Bike Kit

6. Soapstone Chalk

7. Handwoven Palm Carryall

8. Japanese Crackle Glaze Ceramic Tea Cups

9. Foldable Japanese Rain Boots

Currently Cooking

Gluten-Free Granola

6 cups gluten-free oats

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup coconut oil, liquid

3/4 cup macadamia nut butter/raw peanut butter

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey/maple syrup/agave

3/4 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 325º

2. In a large bowl combine the rolled oats, Brazil nuts, and pecans.

3. In a glass measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon and sea salt. Mix well with a fork. Drizzle the syrup mixture over the oats, and stir as you go. Gently stir until oats are evenly coated.

3. Spread the granola mixture onto the two baking sheets. Bake in the center of the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden.

4. Remove from the oven. Cool.

5. Pour granola into a large bowl. Add in the dried cranberries and stir.

6. Store in an air-tight container.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Goodness
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Currently Craving

1. This portrait by Parker Fitzgerald

2. This abstract painting by Jessica Sanders

3. An arrangement of white blossoms

4. Painting a room with this color palette

5. A copper lamp to go above the dining table

6. Indulging with a plate of fresh oysters

7. Making a chilled soup like this one from The James

8. Exploring the Oregon coast and taking a dip in the ocean

9. Sending surprise care packages to my friends on the East coast

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Returning to Sea

But when from a long distant-distant past nothing subsists, after the people are dead, after the things are broken and scattered, still alone, more fragile, but with more vitality, more unsubstantial, more persistent, more faithful, the smell and the taste of things remain poised a long time, like souls, ready to remind us, waiting and hoping for their moment, amid the ruins of all the rest; and bear unfaltering, in the tiny and almost impalpable drop of their essence, the vast structures of recollection. — Marcel Proust

Two weeks ago, my friends and I drove to the tip of Montauk to escape the smells of warm trash on sidewalks and roasted nuts of street vendors. We welcomed the warm air brushing through our hair and claimed our territory on the rocky beach. I read a book while rotating under the burning sun, trying to bake evenly. Eventually, sweat along my hairline forced me to leave my nest and explore the coast.

I tamed my skirt as it blew in the wind and peered down at my feet. My toes imprinted the sand, making a mark, a sign that I was there. But as I lifted my foot up to take another step all evidence that I was there disappered. The moment was fleeting. Forgotten except in the hidden corners of my brain but the smell of salt, of sea, it will always be a part of me.

No matter how long I’ve been away from a water, the ocean feels like home . I embrace the waves’ consuming hugs, dance in the whispers of the shore. Like a prodigal son, I return to this familiar place and feel an undeserved and overwhelming welcome.

Tastes Among the Pine

Three farewell espressos at La Colombe. A cab ride from Brooklyn to JFK. Two bags of dubiously packed luggage. Six sleepless hours on a plane — I left NY for Portland. Said goodbye to taxis and hot dog stands for taco trucks and pine.

It took a week to acclimate to my new surroundings. In the morning, I took walks on forested trails scented with rosemary and oak. At night, I made watermelon burrata bathed in sea salt and olive oil.

Whatever I did was accompanied with an unfamiliar silence. A meditative quiet.

But even with this joyous solitude, I can’t help missing my weekend strolls to Brooklyn Larder for a cup of iced coffee and a slice of tortilla espanola—smiling after dipping the first triumphant bite into spicy mayonnaise—watching bikers, runners, and strollers pass by on Flatbush.

Or afternoons in Prospect Park, reading a book on lush almost buoyant grass while carefully dodging frisbee throwers and wagging tails.

And of course, nothing can compare to a simple but elegant dinner at The James. Slowly sipping on a cocktail while watching evening light stream though corner windows to highlight a plate of oysters or asparagus chilled soup.

Here are places that I will remember as I soak in my new quiet. Places I can taste even among the pine.

La Colombe

The James

606 R & D

Brooklyn Larder