studio rien: adding drama to arrangements, simple winter cake, and a detective story
pleasure in the time of slush
Hello my kittens, on this slushy day,
When I buy flowers, I more or less know what I’m getting. Sometimes a few blooms are rotten (bummer) or the shade might be slightly different than it seemed, but for the most part I know what I see. But every now and then: a bud opens and it is a shocking color, totally different from its friends. Or a flower just lasts and lasts, weeks later still smiling from a vase. A caterpillar sometimes appears, hidden in folds. A surprising sweetness that takes me unaware, and for a moment out of body. How did you come to be?
And so this week, I wish you an unwonted delight, a moment of sweetness in the hopefully last of winter days.
pop up in march!
For my New York friends: hold the morning of Saturday, March 18! I’ll be popping up in Fort Greene with the season’s best flowers. Let’s celebrate the start of spring together — more to come!
schedule those spring and summer events
As I prep for a baby shower this weekend (is anything sweeter?!), it’s a reminder to remind all of you… social times are coming! Reach out for those birthdays, bachelorettes, and congratulations. Someone remarked recently that they were shocked by how much an arrangement changed their space. Experience the same! Email to explore. (And if you’re lucky, we might also talk about making you some orange blossom, date syrup, and cara cara granola…)
around the studio
engrossed: My high school friend Paz just published the incredible novel The Shamshine Blind, and I can’t put it down. Taking place in an alt world where Argentina has conquered the US and colored pigments are inflicting emotions on the populace, it feels like the best of noir with a great sense of humor. // more than the sum: Ok, so yes, this is another dish from the Four Horsemen, but I swear it’s worth it and takes 5 minutes to prep. Toss together chopped celery, toasted walnuts, a shredded Medjool date or two, lots of lemon juice (lots!), many full mint leaves, olive oil and—weirdly key to the whole thing—both kosher and flaky salt. Top with cheese, ideally piave vecchio, but if like me you can’t find it, anything delicious that grates. // wish I was taller, wish I was a baller: A common question during ✨Flower Parties✨ is how tall to make an arrangement. The traditional guidance for a balanced piece is that the entire arrangement—from the base of the vase to the top of the tallest stem—should equal 2.5x the height of the vase. (In other words, another 1.5 vase height on top of the vase.) But my advice? Gauge the appropriate height… and then promptly break it. Throw in a stem or two that tower over everyone else, because height is drama, my friends, and flowers are fun. // everybody’s got one: I honestly have no idea how I ended up on this 2021 episode of Radiolab, but the deep dive on the placenta was fascinating. My body made one and I still didn’t know the half of it (turns out it belonged to the baby not me?!) // don’t think twice: For years, whenever unexpected guests have appeared, I’ve broken out a citrus olive oil cake. Equally perfect for brunch and dessert, it has a crisp lid and melty interior. And best of all, it doesn’t require a mixer, and odds are high you have every ingredient you need. Recipe below.
xo, and all the celery, freyan
rustic citrus olive oil cake
For years, Maialino was our go-to for family celebrations, cozied up in a beautiful corner of Gramercy, ordering negronis and artichokes and platters of perfect pasta alle vongole. We rarely made it for brunch, but if we did their olive oil muffins were the star of the show. This is their recipe adapted to make a fat round cake.
You’ll need:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 and 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt
.5 teaspoon baking soda
.5 teaspoon baking powder
1 and 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (Use the best stuff you've got! You're going to taste it)
1 and 1/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1.5 teaspoon grated orange or other citrus zest
1/4 cup fresh orange or other citrus juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier (Note that I’ve subbed other citrus liquors in, but after years of experimenting… the deep brandyness of Grand Marnier is honestly best.)
All you do:
Heat oven to 350 and grease a 9" inch pan at least 2 inches tall (cake will rise significantly). Add parchment paper and grease again.
Whisk together all dry ingredients, except the zest, in one bowl.
Whisk together all wet ingredients and zest in another large bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until they're just combined.
Pour into pan and bake roughly an hour. Cake will get lovely and brown and crisp when done, and a cake tester should come out clean, though the inside should remain completely moist.
Note that this cake is most delicious on the first day (…and especially in the hour after it comes out of the oven…), served with coffee or amaro, but will keep a few days, if you don’t mind losing the crisp lid. Also, feel free to top with passion fruit curd for extra delight.
ps, did someone forward you this newsletter?