Ladles & Linens Kitchen Shoppe L & L Blog By: Fayeruz Regan blog: 4th of july, 4th of july party, al fresco, almond cracker recipe, alternatives to plastis and more

by Fayeruz ReganMay 09, 20240 comments

Las Vegas: A journey of culinary excess

Now that I'm older, I realize there are two versions of Las Vegas. There's the Vegas of my youth, where my girlfriends and I would split a room four ways, play penny slots, and frequent clubs where, if we were lucky, men bought our drinks all night. Now that I'm older, I've seen a different side of Las Vegas. The sleeping situation is decidedly less cramped, with no air mattress in sight. Penny slots are replaced by roulette tables, and instead of flirting for cocktails, a woman in a little black dress made a tableside old fashioned to the tune of ....$150. ...

by Fayeruz ReganApr 25, 20240 comments

Men, hot sauce, & the transcendent pepper

Anyone else notice the strange thing that happens with men and hot peppers? It starts out innocent enough. The gateway drug to both men and women is usually Buffalo wings, which leads to them picking up Texas Pete at the grocery store. Then, as you appreciate the different flavor profiles of...

by Fayeruz ReganApr 12, 20240 comments

Slumber party highlight: The pleasure dome

That's right, my friends and I still have slumber parties. I highly recommend it. When I host, there's homemade food, romantic comedies, and for some reason, we end up doing elaborate photo shoots. My friends allow me to experiment with make-up, fit them with wigs, and position them atop our...

by Fayeruz ReganMar 27, 20240 comments

Simple and elegant: Brown butter sage sauce

In the world of Italian food, two sauces reign supreme: marinara and Alfredo. The latter is an American iteration and can be found on menus across the country. The former comes with a variety of add-ons. Add ground meat and your marinara becomes Bolognese. Add heat and it's arrabiata. But people...

by Fayeruz ReganMar 12, 20240 comments

Road food: High desert edition

The term "food desert" started in the 1990s, and is meant to describe underserved communities that lack access to healthy and affordable food. I'm all about urban farming and accessibility, but sometimes I think...poor deserts. While it's true deserts lack lush vegetation, a lot of life is hiding in plain...

by Fayeruz ReganFeb 27, 20240 comments

Buttered rum...but make it poundcake!

I realize that I should be writing about Valentine's day before Valentine's Day, to get the inspiration flowing. This year it crept on me, but I whipped up a rum poundcake for my husband so delightful, I would be remiss not to share. On this feast-for-a-martyred-saint-turned-Hallmark-holiday, we stay low key, but...

by Fayeruz ReganFeb 27, 20240 comments

What is mukbang?

The internet is a strange place right now. My Instagram feed displays two distinct, and very different types of content. The majority is news from the Middle East, and the rest consists of extremely filtered videos of Asian women picking up giant items with their chopsticks. They chew and swallow as quickly as they...

by Fayeruz ReganFeb 16, 20240 comments

A love letter to comfort food

Sweater weather (AKA "swetta wetha" - I knew you were thinking it) is something one gets excited about in the fall. It's not eagerness for the cold so much as a respite from humidity. The longing for crisp air. But by the time January rolls around, the "wetha" isn't much...

by Fayeruz ReganFeb 11, 20240 comments

Making vegetables happen: Stuffed mushrooms

I had no idea stuffed mushrooms were considered upscale. That’s what the recipe websites say anyway. But making stuffed mushrooms is simple. In fact, it’s akin to deviled eggs. You pop out the middle (yolk/stem), mix it with other ingredients, then stuff everything back in. Both dishes require cooking. Only...

by Fayeruz ReganFeb 02, 20240 comments

Gourmet Jell-O shots for the win!

I can't believe it's already been a year since Sarah's epic 40th birthday bash. I knew she had always been a fan of karaoke, so this year I threw an intimate karaoke house party in her honor. We've come a long way since karaoke machines, which were quite limited. Now,...

by Fayeruz ReganJan 19, 20240 comments

The socials make me do it: red pepper sauce

I feel like cooks are divided into two camps these days. There’s the cookbook people, and internet recipe people. I wish I were both. I want to be both. My husband and friends have given me gorgeous cookbooks on Korean cuisine and Palestinian food. My husband is a dedicated cookbook...

by Fayeruz ReganJan 12, 20240 comments

Traditional New Year's Eve foods to bring good luck in 2024

Though I'm not a believer in luck, I am a fan of traditions. They can be comforting as they mark the passing of time. It wasn't until I moved to the South that I heard of black eyed peas being the choice food for good luck in the new year,...

by Fayeruz ReganDec 24, 20230 comments

When more is more: A maximalist Christmas!

There's just something about tacky light tours and ugly Christmas sweaters. A maximalist Christmas, with all its sparkly, chaotic energy, produces joy. Why not embrace it a bit this holiday? What other time of year do we find ourselves spreading out boxes full of what are essentially knick-knacks? Maximalist Christmases...

by Fayeruz ReganDec 16, 20230 comments

Tipsy & toasty with Sarah Nicholas

Ladles & Linens owner Sarah Nicholas hosted a holiday party at her home last week. Imagine a place with the elegance of The Jefferson, mixed with the whimsy of the Greenbrier. That's Sarah's house. Just last week I posted about creating nooks in your home for partygoers - inviting little...

by Fayeruz ReganDec 09, 20230 comments

Host a holiday they won't forget

I have a streak of Clark Griswold in me. This happens to people whose parents went all out to make the holidays special. We're nostalgically hard-wired to recreate the magic we felt as children - especially if we have have children of our own. Unlike Clark Griswold, I'll never be...

by Fayeruz ReganNov 30, 20230 comments

Holiday entertaining? Just roll with it!

Though the pandemic has been a real stick in my spokes, I do love to entertain. Cocktail parties were my favorite, because creating a beautiful spread felt like an art project. I used all the familiar tricks: layering heights, fresh-cut flowers, tea lights. The table is free from plastic packaging,...