Author Archives: Victoria Vitale

Reflections in the Kitchen

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Something magical happened yesterday in a Like Water For Chocolate kind of way.  Rather than pass on a specific project or a certain recipe to you all today, I want to share an experience I had in the kitchen.

I set out in the afternoon to make minestrone.  I need something to warm my bones in this cold weather, and it is the first thing that comes to mind.  My family made “minest” a lot when I was a child, and it’s a dish that is incredibly comforting to me.  I call my mom to ask her for the recipe (which is always “a little of this, a little of that” — the Italian way), and when she doesn’t answer her phone, I have a moment of mild internal panic.  My grandmothers have passed away, and my great aunt passed away just two months ago.  Heavily reliant on my family’s matriarchs for culinary wisdom, who else is there to call?

Luckily, my mom calls back only a few minutes later.  She provides me with an outline of possible minestrone ingredients, approximately how much of each goes in, along with when to add the ingredients to the simmering pot.  I’m used to this by now, and find comfort in making it my own as I go.

I always channel members of my family when I am cooking or baking.  When it’s cookies, it’s Grandma Anne or my mom.  When it’s a hearty dinner, it’s Grandma Elisabeth.  When it’s drop-dead-amazing breakfast scones, it’s Grandpa Augie.  This minestrone recipe is Grandma Elisabeth’s.  My mind wanders and I begin thinking of what her house might have smelled like when she was a child.

These moments in the kitchen connect me to those who are no longer with me, and so I continue making these family recipes as often as I can.  Later, when I sit down to transfer my scribbled notes onto a recipe card for my new recipe box, I realize something.  I realize that I am writing down the recipe not for myself, but for others to read many years from now.  I am writing, without meaning to, a set of instructions that are intended for someone else — maybe for a child or a grandchild to mull over when they’re my age.

We have boxes and binders full of recipes from my grandparents, and I love nothing more than to flip through them to see their handwriting, read their stories, and see what types of ingredients they used to cook and bake with.  Grandpa Augie bookmarked his cookbooks with all kinds of pictures, drawings from grandchildren (myself included), party invitations, postcards, and other clippings.  It sometimes feels like he left a scavenger hunt just for me to someday find.

I lift the lid, smell my simmering minestrone after some time has passed, and cry.

Fall Music Playlist

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It’s been quite some time since I’ve shared a playlist on Scissors & Sage.  On Friday, I left you with a Picking Favorites to send you off into your weekend.  Now, I’m here to help ease your way back into the work week with some music!

I’ve been listening to some great tunes lately, both in person and through my headphones.  Anne and I went to WXPN’s 3-day music festival this summer and had the time of our lives.  It was just the musical reawakening that I needed.  Some artists on this mix played at the festival (see: The Districts, Lake Street Dive, and Lucius), and others I’ve been listening to on the radio.

Jeff Tweedy and his son Spencer collaborated for their first Tweedy record, Sukierae.  Their music video for “Low Key” is pretty fantastic, and has cameos from Melissa McCarthy, Conan O’Brien and Andy Richter, Mavis Staples, Steve Albini, Chance the Rapper, and Wilco’s drummer, Glenn Kotche.  Jeff Tweedy also wrote “You’re Not Alone” for Mavis Staples in 2010 (track 7).  Watch them play it together here.

Lucius is a band that I’ve been seriously enjoying recently.  The two frontwomen match both their outfits and their voices impeccably.  You’ll never hear one singing without the other, as they’re either in harmony or in unison.  I can’t seem to get enough of them.  Good thing they sing backup vocals on Sukierae, too!

“‘Cause In Better Light, Everything Changes”

  1. Holocene – Bon Iver
  2. Funeral Beds – The Districts
  3. Better Than – Lake Street Dive
  4. Low Key – Tweedy
  5. Don’t Just Sit There – Lucius
  6. Saturday’s Song – Hiss Golden Messenger
  7. You’re Not Alone – Mavis Staples
  8. Kentucky, I – Molly Parden
  9. Destination – Nickel Creek
  10. Rainbow – Robert Plant
  11. Bluebird – Corinne Bailey Rae
  12. Two Of Us On The Run – Lucius

Picking Favorites

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Happy Friday, everyone!  Have anything fun planned for this weekend?  Here is my second installment of Picking Favorites to hopefully send you off into your weekend on a relaxed, stress-free note!

As fall really sets in and the weather continues to drop, I can’t help but fantasize about being in the countryside.  When all is said and done, I think it’s where I belong.  I’m googley-eyed over this barn from A Complete Life.  I could walk the property with one of these cups in hand, sipping a warm drink and taking in the beautiful scenery.  (These cups are from PRESERVE, Blake Lively’s new online marketplace.  Each cup is handmade, and no two are the same.)  When I finish my drink, I could settle into a knitting project with some of Rachel Duvall‘s hand-dyed organic indigo fiber.  I can see it all now!

I’m a believer in less is more, and these ceramic bowls from WAGOKORO are dreamy to say the least.  The color palette of these cotton scarves from enhabiten lends itself nicely to fall clothing.  Mustard yellow is such a fantastic color, but it’s always so hard for me to pull off with blonde hair.  And with these whimsical, dreamy red berries from Moods of the Moon, I am reminded that the holidays are around the corner.  I am so excited to celebrate Thanksgiving with Anne’s family and Christmas with mine!  We have a lot to be thankful for, and I am looking forward to the family time.

Who would have thought to use the bottom of a crystal glass to make an elegant cookie mold?  They look like different kinds of snowflakes, and could make a perfect Christmas cookie!  While I can’t find the source of this picture, this baking project is definitely on my list of things to try.  These last two pictures are showing me just how powerful the color green can be, especially this time of year.  Green and white pair so nicely together.  This sweater picture from Old Man Sea evokes the countryside and all-things natural, and Matt and Lentil Purbrick’s living room brings that woody feeling indoors in a relaxed, well-styled way.

Check out my first installment of Picking Favorites here if you missed it, and stay tuned for more favorites to come!

Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze

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A bundt tin is one of those kitchen items that you use maybe once a year.  It doesn’t nestle into any other stacked tins because it’s just so oddly shaped, and perhaps you’ve even gotten rid of one because you’ve thought, “I’m never going to use this.”  You’re probably right, although I should warn you that this cake makes that tin worth keeping.

I don’t think I’ve ever made a bundt cake before, so I went with a simple flavor profile for the cake itself.  The sour cream in this recipe makes the cake incredibly moist and just plain perfect.  I also have to say it’s quite exciting getting to flip the baked cake over to reveal the molded shape.  It’s the little things, right?

The citrus glaze I concocted for this cake is mouthwateringly good.  You could even use the glaze on other types of cakes/loaves/cookies and pair it with all kinds of flavors.

Here is the recipe in printable form.  Enjoy!

Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Citrus Glaze

Prep time: 20 minutes | Bake time: 50-60  minutes | Yields: 1 bundt cake

For the batter:

  • 9 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 3/4 cup flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2/3 cup sour cream

For the glaze:

  • 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • Pinch of orange zest
  • Pinch of lemon zest
  • 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Grease and lightly flour a bundt tin.  Preheat oven to 350°F.  Use an electric mixer to beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add half of beaten eggs into the mixture and beat well.  Repeat with second half of eggs.  Add vanilla extract.

Mix sifted flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl.  Stir half of it into the butter mixture with half of the sour cream.  Beat well.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Spoon into the bundt pan and level batter with a spatula.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cake cool in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Next, mix glaze ingredients in a small bowl until blended.  Pour or brush over cake immediately.

From Scissors & Sage 

An Afternoon at Petit Jardin en Ville

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Today I would like to share with you all Scissors & Sage’s very first small business profile.  I chose a small business that I am continuously drawn to: Petit Jardin en Ville.  This “little garden in the city” can be found tucked away in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood, and it instantly transports you to Paris.  Claudia Roux, Parisian florist and garden designer, is the owner of this magical storefront.  She offers her floral design services for weddings, special events, parties, restaurants, and hotels, as well as her garden services for your every garden need year-round.

When I contacted Claudia to see if she would be interested in having her small business profiled on Scissors & Sage, she was delighted.  I couldn’t wait to head over to Petit Jardin for an afternoon.  From the minute you walk in, your senses are fed.  Beautiful flowers, found objects, gardening tools, and whimsical French music fill the space.  Claudia, with the help of her French-born husband, Vincent, assist customers both in and out of the shop.  (I have personally received two flower deliveries at my front door from Vincent — what a happy sight!)

Claudia sat down with me and spoke of her journey to Petit Jardin en Ville, and below are some segments from our conversation.  At the end of my visit, Claudia, Vincent, and I clinked apple tart slices to celebrate Petit Jardin.  This shop, first opened in May 2014, has quickly won the way to my heart.  I am excited to share Claudia’s story with you all today.  Be sure to check out Petit Jardin en Ville online (Official Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook) or stop by in person!

From Claudia: After I met my husband, and right before we got married, I moved to France.  We were living in Paris.  I had always been artistic and had worked with florals, but I really didn’t find my path until I moved there.  Flowers are part of the culture in France, so I started to take horticultural classes.  I worked very closely with my teacher, Catherine Muller, who was the protégé of Christian Tutora.  I studied with Catherine for the five years that I lived in Paris.  I still continue to take classes with her now.  Her aesthetic is very similar to mine.  It’s a very garden-y kind of style that I like a lot.  France is a mixture of old and new, which really brings an interesting aesthetic.  It’s where I gained my understanding of combining both of those.

 

My husband and I spent a lot of time in different regions in France [collecting found items].  For example, in Bordeaux, you can find old metal grape pickers with leather straps that you would throw the grapes in as you picked.  A lot of the areas we go to are in the countryside.  We find a lot of farm pieces, which really appeal to my aesthetic, too.  We like to go and find things that others haven’t found yet.  We do bring some city-type things such as a parking sign and original advertisements from the 1940s.  Of course, I choose many things that I can put flowers in, like bottles and glasses, to evoke a feeling of a relaxed, carefree atmosphere that you find in the countryside where people spend so much time outside.

 

Philadelphia as a whole has changed over the years.  When we were looking at spaces, we kept coming back to Old City.  We wanted to be part of a neighborhood, and to emulate the spaces you would find in Paris.  Those spaces tend to be small and have a very special kind of dark feeling.  The flowers bring the light to the inside.  You know, I came from the suburbs where everything is big.  When we moved to Paris, there were so many things that I left behind that I realized I didn’t need.  You can live so beautifully and simply by just editing what you already have.  It enabled me to see a different way of life, and I love small spaces now.

 

Blogs are really important for people like me to get feelings from.  I look for interesting blogs that have a little bit of my aesthetic but also bring something different.  If you’re doing different kinds of projects, it’s always super interesting to me.  I love everything that you can do with your hands.  The more you do, and the more you create, the more people will see.

 

If you have a really great idea, go with it.  Don’t second-guess yourself; don’t hesitate.  If you really like it, and if you can spend the time with it, it shows to other people and they will like it.  In retrospect, I would have tried to start earlier and not be so afraid to start something new.