It is always nice to hear that someone who makes stuff that you like, likes what you do too. When Ed Droste, founder of Brooklyn-based band Grizzly Bear, mentioned Lottie + Doof on his twitter feed I quickly heard from a bunch of loyal Grizzly Bear fans and I knew that Ed would be an excellent guest for L + D.

I’ve been a fan of Grizzly Bear since I first heard Horn of Plenty back in 2004. A mutual friend sent me the album and I was immediately drawn to the music. Several years later, Grizzly Bear has transformed from Ed’s solo project into one of the most compelling and popular bands making music today. The group has legions of very devoted followers who are attracted to the foursome’s moody and seductive music. Grizzly Bear fans had been eagerly anticipating the band’s third studio album, Veckatimest, which was released yesterday. The album does not disappoint, and critics have been heaping well-deserved praise upon the group.

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Before the Miracle Fruit came dinner. My #1 rule for entertaining is that things need to be made in advance. I want to be able to enjoy my friends and spend time with them. I gravitate towards dishes that can be prepared in advance and assembled or cooked when guests arrive. Salad ingredients are washed and chopped, salad dressing is made, a pitcher of ice water is set out and the rest is ready to be popped in the oven and heated and I am ready to relax and enjoy my friends and our time together.

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I have a real affinity for Southern cooking. It first captured my imagination as a child and continues to inspire me as a cook. The South has such a rich food history influenced by so many different cultures which make it both fascinating to explore and immensely satisfying. As a child raised on Midwestern suburban restaurant food and dinners at home that usually consisted of a piece of over-cooked meat, canned vegetables and a microwaved potato, these culinary traditions were enviable. I wanted my grandma to have a cake recipe that had been passed down for generations or a secret method for fried chicken. Although my family put a lot of care into holiday food, outside of those days what we ate was pretty soulless. I began to look outside of my life for inspiration. read more+++

My friend Sophie Buhai is one half of the design genius behind Vena Cava, a women’s fashion line that launched in 2004 and has been rocking the fashion world ever since. The duo (which also includes my pal Lisa Mayock) won runner-up honors in last year’s prestigious CDFA Fund Awards and have garnered countless accolades from the fashion world and their loyal fans. If you’ve read a fashion magazine in the last few years you have undoubtedly heard about Vena Cava. Their clothing is consistently beautiful, relevant and smart and always has a sense of humor. The only problem I see with Vena Cava is that they don’t make men’s clothing—yet. I keep begging and hopefully one day I’ll be spending my paychecks on VC menswear. read more+++

Oh, carrots. They are such a reliable and safe vegetable, like the sedan of the vegetable world. They make their way into the brown paper lunch bags of countless school children across the country. Onto crudités platters at corporate meetings and dinner parties. They get glazed with some sweetness for holiday meals. If they’re really lucky they get turned into a carrot cake to celebrate a special day. And in every incarnation they are consistently good. read more+++

I have been reading a lot lately about the trade war over Roquefort cheese—a trade war that was advanced by Bush in retaliation for France’s unwillingness to accept imports of hormone-containing beef from the US (and likely influenced by residual anti-France sentiment in the USA post-September 11th). In January, before leaving office, the Bush government imposed a 300% tariff (raising it from an already steep 100%) on the import of Roquefort, essentially stopping its sale in the US.

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Even though I know better, I look forward to watching the Oscars every year. The movies I like rarely win and often aren’t even nominated—but there is still something fun about watching the show. This year’s show seemed particularly strange, but I kind of liked that about it. And I certainly liked that Milk received a couple of major awards accompanied by a couple of politically charged speeches. read more+++

I basically have the palate of an 11-year-old. If I were left to my own devices I would probably eat pizza, tacos, french fries, ice cream and cookies for almost every meal. These things remain my favorites even though I have gained an appreciation for fancier stuff like oysters, truffles, curry, sushi etc.. I’m a little afraid of deep frying, which is probably a good thing, but it normally prevents me from making fries at home. I’ve been experimenting with oven fries for as long as I can remember but was never completely satisfied with the results. Until now. read more+++

I spend a lot of time in NYC, it is my other hometown. Most of my closest friends live there and I try to visit as often as possible. Our favorite pastime is eating. They take me to their favorite places which quickly become my favorite places. One of these favorites is Mercadito, a small Mexican restaurant in the east village with really outstanding food and superb drinks. A while back, Mercadito opened a new space, just across Avenue B from their old space, called Mercadito Cantina. It is a slicker more designy space but the food is equally delicious. I was particularly impressed with the green rice casserole I ordered. It was a mix of melted cheese and perfectly flavored rice topped with more deliciously browned cheese. It was amazing. I have thought of it often since. read more+++

I’m a huge fan of risotto, it is my #1 comfort food. There is nothing like a bowl of creamy risotto and green salad for dinner. Risotto is especially great because it is so easy to customize. I’ve made so many varieties using flavorings like saffron, lemon, red wine and stirring in things like squash, spinach, bacon, and a variety of cheeses. Once you get the basic technique down, it is an easy dish to experiment with— great for the home cook that likes a solid structure with room to play around.

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