Foodie Friday: Kid-Friendly Taco Salad

Both of my sons are pretty proficient in the kitchen. One loves to concoct things, like a mad scientist. He’s recently been experimenting with fruit infused water. I found a glass on the counter the other day with a vanilla flavored sparkling water he mixed, complete with recipe card tucked underneath. If you catch him on a good day, he might think it’s fun to set the table, with two forks and unneeded spoons, homemade recipe cards, and candles. Fire!

The other one, true to form, is much more practical. He can follow a recipe on the box (he excels at boxed cake mix and Rice-a-Roni), which is useful, because the kid is always hungry. We’ve recently started to teach him some more meal-like recipes too, like homemade chicken soup and tacos. Since he can be easily overwhelmed, we started out by giving him sous chef jobs. So far so good.

This is one of his favorite meals—taco salad. It’s a good dish to do together, because while I fry up the (organic, no antibiotic, grass-fed, etc. etc.) ground beef (he’s so not up to raw meat yet; thinks it’s gross), to which I add taco seasonings, he can get started on the washing and cutting of lettuce, tomatoes, and scallions, and microwave a handful of frozen corn. I cut the avocado, since that’s a bit trickier (not sure there’s any in this photo, we must have been out), sprinkle on the grated cheese, and we’re good to go. Takes a little bit of time due to the frying and chopping, but not too bad, but it’s healthy and filling for a 12-year-old.

Taco Salad Prepared With My 12 Year Old Son

T A C O   S A L A

Cooking, photo & styling by Marni Elyse Katz for StyleCarrot.

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Design Diary: Leather District Loft by Michael Ferzoco

Michael Ferzoco of Eleven Interiors has made a bit of a specialty sprucing up living spaces for single men. That’s not to say he doesn’t deal in couple, families, and women—he does—but recently I’ve written about a couple of so-called bachelor pads” that he’s designed.

This one, which appeared as “All That Glitters” in Boston Home (photography by Michael J. Lee) is owned by a doctor who moved to Boston from Richmond, Virginia, where he lived in a four-level Italianate row house. When he relocated, he decided to seriously downsize, purchasing a 994-square-foot loft in Boston’s Leather District for him and his two large dogs. He now lives there with one mix breed beagle named Daisy.

After living there 13 years, he consulted interior designer Michael Ferzoco about upgrading his furnishings and re-imagining his kitchen. While he still loved the “gritty” feel of the neighborhood, he wanted a more luxurious living experience once he stepped inside. He says, “I wanted a place that felt like a very comfortable—but chic—hotel suite.” Ferzoco infused grandeur into the small space.

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Ferzoco left the four large windows bare, so the space is bright all day. He helped the homeowner “vigilantly edit” his belongings. They kept the pair of mid-century modern leather-and-wood armchairs that the homeowner purchased at a yard sale in Texas. They also kept the large mirrored Scandinavian armoire from the 1800s, which the homeowner had purchased from close friends. Ferzoco steered him to replace his sofa with two new Minoti “Hamilton” sofas from The Morson Collection in Boston, which the homeowner had been admiring for a while.

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The mirrored console from Horchow pre-dates Ferzoco. The homeowner purchased years ago in what he calls “a two martini moment,” on the advice of a friend. He couldn’t believe how large it was when it showed up. It definitely adds a spot of glam.

Suspended track lighting by Bruch highlights artwork by local artist Sand T. Kalloch. Ferzoco says, “I’m not into recessed lighting; it makes the ceiling look like Swiss cheese.”

The homeowner says, “I  lean toward clean lines, but I also have an affinity for older things with classicism,” so they kept the clawfoot Baker dining table and chairs, which he purchased after finishing his residency. The chairs are upholstered in gray gabardine.

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The emerald green and gold Bisazza mosaic tile backsplash goes all the way up to the ceiling. Chilmark Architectural Millwork made the glossy white lacquer cabinetry. The countertops are Caesarstone in Arctic White. The LEM Piston stools are from DWR.

The homeowner found the mid-century Austrian J.T. Kalmar chandelier, made from thick panels of textural crystal, in a consignment shop in Germany on a side trip from Russia.

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The homeowner already had the chartreuse Emma Gardner rug. The marble-topped Minotti cocktail table was purchased along with the Minotti sofas from The Morson Collection when they went on sale. The mobile-like  “Crescendo Chandelier” by Tech Lighting suffuses light across the room.

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The glass brick wall behind the sofa is pre-existing, dividing the entry from the living space. Contemporary artwork makes for a fun backdrop for the bottles.

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The homeowner purchased the cowhide when he lived in Texas. He bought the “L’Instant Tattinger” print on eBay. The wavy maple screen is by Knoll.

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The framed red silk tapestry from the early 1900s is a family heirloom.

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Master bathroom.

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The homeowner had the leather tiles in oxblood from Ann Sacks installed shortly after purchasing the loft, to give the place some character. He says, “I figured the room has no light anyway, so why not embrace the dark richness?”

Photography by Michael J. Lee

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ARTmonday: Andrea Heimer

Sex, shrubs, and UFOs pretty much sums up the work of artist Andrea Heimer, who, in her own words, paints “the dark/weird/hidden sides of the suburban landscape.”  Heimer creates small scale acrylic and pencil works on board that have the feel of Hindu miniature paintings in that they present detailed depictions of complicated narratives within a small space. (My graduate thesis focused on such Rajasthani miniatures, but that’s a whole other story.)
Andrea Heimer, who hails from Montana, did not go to art school. The scenes she paints are inspired by the strange events and relationships she witnessed in her own suburban neighborhood growing up. The images are cheerful,  cheeky, and irreverent, showcasing the perverse side of suburbia. Many of the works’ titles are mini stories that help illuminate just what she’s drawing. 
Heimer has shown her work around the country and abroad, including at the Outsider Art Fair in New York City last month. This summer her work will be exhibited at Shooting Gallery in San Francisco, Andrew Edlin Gallery in New York City,  Hooloon Gallery in Philadelphia, and Anchor Art Space in Anacortes, Washington. For Fall, she has shows lined up at Linda Hodges Gallery in Seattle, and Yard Dog Gallery Austin.
Here are ten pieces of subversive suburban landscapes by Andrea Heimer.
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“Betty Patton Lived Such A Solitary Life That She Welcomed Any Attention, Even That Of Thugs And Criminals”
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“Interruption at the Intersection of Cherry and Birch Streets”
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“A Dangerous Party Happened At The Bolands On Birch Street In 1998”
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“On July 24, 1989, Attendees Of The Annual Johnson Pool Party Said They Saw Lights In The Sky Then Everyone Went Crazy”
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“In The Summer Of 1989 Mr. McManus Cut Down A Rosebush That Was Growing Directly On The Border Between The McManus’s Back Yard And The Black’s Back Yard. The Resulting Donnybrook Was The Most Brutal Thing Us Kids Had Ever Seen In Real Life. Years Later I Figured Out The Fight Wasn’t Really About Roses.”
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“Lilly Peterson’s Parents Were Members Of The Neighborhood Sunshine Cult So She Was Too. Boys Came From Far And Wide To Listen To Her Preach The Gospel But I Strongly Suspected They Were More Interested In What Was Under Her Pink Cloak.”
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“Mr. Leland Had Served In The Military For A Time And When He Came Back My Parents Said He Was A Little Off. Everything Had To Be Perfect, From The Way The Lawn Was Cut To How Mrs. Leland Shaved Her Legs. He Almost Always Chewed Cinnamon Gum And We Were Terrified Of Him.”
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“In 1987 A Group Of Cat Burglars Ransacked The Neighborhood Stealing Jewelry, Artwork, Panties, And Other Valuables. The Situation Turned Everyone’s Fathers Into Amateur Detectives But When Rumor Had It The Thieves Started Bringing Two Hyenas As Protection During The Robberies We Chose To Let Them Be. Eventually The Robberies Stopped.”
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