With an epic election cycle behind us and Thanksgiving just hours away, my thoughts have been focused on all that I am grateful for in this wild and unusual year.  It has felt very "through the looking glass" to me, and without lots of holiday guests to consider or an enormous and varied menu to plan, I have felt a bit unmoored.  While I am very much looking forward to creating a cozy feast for the four of us, I am missing the anchor that Thanksgiving planning on a grander scale usually provides.  Thankfully we are all healthy, safe, and together which is the biggest gift of all.  However small the gathering, the goal is to bring some festivity and beauty to the holiday, and I encourage you to put on your holiday best, and ENJOY.  Wishing you all a wonderful day filled with so much love and lots of delicious treats.

On the topic of treats, we are excited to offer special pricing on select items through Sunday, November 28th, 2020.  I am more appreciative than ever of my incredible clients.  Thank you for keeping us all going during this challenging time.  I am indeed truly grateful.  No code required, items priced as marked online, and all marked down items are FINAL SALE.  I look forward to helping you choose the perfect gifts this holiday season.  It is always a sincere pleasure, even in the best of times.  If you have something custom in mind, such as a family constellation necklace, or one of our numerology bands, please let us know sooner rather than later so we have plenty of time to work on these future heirlooms.  Knowing that you are giving something both unique and precious is a wonderful feeling, one I am delighted to help you achieve. 

I am very excited about the new Liberty prints in store now, and especially about the cotton pieces.  These will become staples for those who love the prints but prefer cotton over silk.  I personally love them both, especially the new Marlayne slip with French lace.  We have another new slip we call Ava too.  I hope you'll make an appointment to come try them on.  We spend a lot of time and energy perfecting the fit of every piece, and I'm especially proud of these two.  When I began designing our collection of slips, one of the features I wanted to make sure to get right was the back.  It seems obvious, but getting the angle and line of something just right can be ridiculously tricky.  They'll be online soon, but until then...here's a little preview.

If you are looking for a little holiday treat for yourself, have you seen our beautiful new cameo earrings?  I find them incredibly charming and light, and love the way they look, especially their blackened sterling silver setting, which adds a bit of cool to the classics.  

We also have a group of lovely new beaded necklaces, perfect for making holiday additions to your collection, or for sending to someone special as a gift.  Some of them are already online if you'd like to have a look.  I absolutely love this one and this one, and think they look especially good together.

As for Thanksgiving dinner, we have decided to forgo a turkey altogether and roast a duck.  I must say that I will miss gathering our friends and family together to eat at a long table all together, and also the incredible feast that accompanies it.  Paring down feels right however, in light of the current situation at hand.  I hope everyone can be safe and sound this year, and find true comfort and gratitude in a decidedly more simple holiday celebration.  Next year we will hopefully be back in action all together, enjoying a truly epic feast filled with all the celebratory spirit that this sweet, joyful holiday can inspire.  

Since I have been cooking nightly for so many months now, it becomes challenging to find something new or different to make.  I think we all feel more or less the same in this regard.  Keeping it simple is key, and I think that applies to Thanksgiving as well.  Tradition is important in our house, so of course we will be making Persimmon Pudding for dessert.  I've had many requests for the recipe again this year, as I always do.  So here it is!  It is decadent and delicious, and easy to make.  The persimmon crop this year has been outstanding, so it's nice to take advantage of the season.  Another important idea is to support our local restaurants by ordering for take-out or delivery.   After cooking a feast, it will be nice to have one cooked for us, and to support the restaurant industry in any way that we can.  I'm personally drooling over the menu at Bavel. I'm also making sure to support the incredible farmers who are impacted so greatly by all of the pandemic restrictions on restaurants.  You can order boxes from my beautiful friend Lauri Kranz at Edible Gardens LA, or from County Line Harvest.  

Wishing you all the healthiest, happiest Thanksgiving possible.  Take good care out there!

Persimmon Pudding (from Emily Luchetti)

Serves 8

3-4 large ripe Hachiya persimmons 

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to warm 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups of half and half (or 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.  Remove the stems from the persimmons and cut the flesh into pieces.  Purée the persimmon flesh in a food processor until smooth.  Strain the purée through a medium-mesh sieve to eliminate any bits of skin and seed.  You should have 2 cups purée.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until blended.  Whisk in the melted butter.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves onto a piece of parchment paper or into a bowl.  Add the salt.  Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture.  Slowly pour in the milk and cream, stirring until combined.  Stir in the persimmon purée.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  The pudding will sink as it cools.  Serve the pudding warm, scooped into bowls with loosely whipped cream, sweetened with a couple of spoonfuls of maple syrup.  If you have anything leftover, you can reheat it in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes.  

Enjoy,