4PM sharp.

On a chilly fall afternoon, at 4pm sharp, I stop and drink a hot chocolate. Rather, every day, at 4pm sharp, I stop and drink a hot chocolate, but it tastes better on a chilly fall afternoon. I used to do bikram yoga at 4pm sharp every afternoon….the two have much in common. For one, they’re both hot.  Though the hot chocolate does not last a full 90 minutes, this ritual I have of stopping everything and clearing my head is extremely useful as my yoga practice once was… just breathe deeply and focus on your third eye.

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COOKING SUCKS

I think it really sucks to have to cook all the time. Really. And then you’re expected to write about it and give away all the special secret things you do to make such decadent sensory overload alcoholic evenings. Sometimes you just need a break from it all.

This weekend, I had really had enough of it all, so I drank a perfect manhattan,

then hopped in my car , which really is the most chic car in the entire world, I know,

and drove myself (i only had ONE drink, it’s ok.) to a magical place that normally only exists in fairy tales or the best kind of children’s books, but for me it really does exist because I’m very lucky. I hid in in bed all day eating things lovely people made for me and pushed into my lovely laura ashley room on a lovely cart on lovely china with lovely teas and jams and sausages and very lovely bacon and lovely beans and super incredible lovely pork pies and lovely bangers and mash .

…and i’d occasionally press this button….

 

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CHANGE

I felt the season change. I wasn’t really paying attention and was honestly preoccupied by something entirely other than the weather, when I suddenly realized I was completely alone in a misty fall colored garden with the end of summer dahlias fading from yellow and the green of the trees darkening and it was raining gently, and I felt just perfect there.

These two lovers were the only other ones in the garden with me.

 

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PRESSED

I love style dot com for many reasons. I sometimes think that if it’s not on style dot com, it doesn’t exist.

READ ABOUT IT HERE

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THE LATEST BIG PROJECT

Here are a few shots from our latest big project…a restaurant in paris…………….the first of many new environments we’re creating for eating for drinking for flirting for sleeping for dreaming for remembering the good ol’ days.

PICNIC

Now here’s one for the book. A casual, yet always glamorous, picnic of fries, and they are french we’re at paris plage after all, and white wine….so easy anyone can make it happen. Don’t forget the corkscrew, and please take off your shoes and show your sexy summer feet.

 

 

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SUMMER CAMP FUN TIMES

HICKEY SHIELDS NEWS FLASH

WE DO SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST COOK.

STUFF IT

There are big fat gorgeous juicy red summer tomatoes out there right now, so go pop a few off the vine and STUFF IT.

If you have a few children,parents, aunts, uncles, cousins or your crazy out of control friends from paris visiting your summer house, get them to help, the more the merrier and who doesn’t like to get their bare hands in some raw meat?? who? Summer cooking is often a group activity and throwing things is advised. Get crazy, you’re on vacation.

stuffing it in 10 easy steps:

1. wash your hands and the hands of those who will be getting in on the stuffing action. it’s not worth getting swine flu over a stuffed tomato. really.

2. prepare the stuffing.  season 1lb (500g) ground pork or veal with garlic, onion, parsley, herbes de provence, salt, pepper, and a pinch of hot pepper.  add 1/3 of a stale baguette torn into small bits. add 2 eggs. 

3. mix this all with your hands. feel the flesh ooze between your fingers. close your eyes….

4. meanwhile….someone can be preparing the (8) tomatoes. chop off the top and hollow out the middle flesh and juice into a bowl and set aside. this is a good job for a child as it’s messy.

6. stuff the tomatoes…and stuff them good.

7. put the top of the tomato back on like a cute hat.

8. pour the juice and some fleshy bits around the tomatoes in a big roasting pan.

9. splash with olive oil and coarse sea salt

10. roast for about an hour at 375.

 

STUFF IT.

HAPPY 4TH

Hey, happy 4th…one of my favorite holidays of the year…..i’m off to have three legged races up the mountain olive pit spitting contests budweiser kronenbourg merguez marinated lamb shoulder marco polo in the piscine zeee best day of summer.

 

enjoy!

lovejosh.

 

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