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 ReganNov 17, 20240 comments

Take your pleasure seriously

There are two times in a woman's life when society expects her to be a stressed out shell of herself. So much so, that if she isn't frazzled, one might think she isn't doing it right. When are these two times? During her wedding planning, and during the holidays. I got married in 2006, when the term "bridezilla" was still being bandied about. I didn't fall into that trap. As a natural hostess, I love planning parties, and this felt like planning the biggest party of my life. I didn't take it too seriously. Marriage was serious. The wedding? Well...

by Fayeruz ReganNov 09, 20240 comments

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

There were a lot of jangly nerves on election night, and we chose to avoid the fray and do something that required sitting back and being in the moment. Why not roast some chestnuts on an open fire? It was our first time, but what occasion could warrant it more?...

by Fayeruz ReganOct 22, 20240 comments

Thanksgiving for everyone

Tofurkey has been a running joke around the holidays since the 80s movies of my childhood. No one is shaming the product for being vegetarian. It's just that the product itself is so bleak. It jiggles like a jello mold of salty food additives. Why should vegetarians be punished for...

by Fayeruz ReganOct 17, 20240 comments

Making veggies the star, not the obligation

I remember when Jessica Seinfeld wrote a book called Deceptively Delicious, where parents were advised to "hide" the veggies into their meals, so that kids didn't know what they were eating. But that sets a weird precedent, doesn't it? It's posititioning vegetables as enemies right out the gate. At some...

by Fayeruz ReganOct 03, 20240 comments

The viral spiral

I've been hosting dinner parties since college, and while they've come a long way since then, one piece of advice runs throughout: presentation is everything. When I was too poor to afford a vast charcuterie selection, I grilled sausages, sliced them, and stuck fancy toothpicks through each disk. I'd toast...

by Fayeruz ReganSep 05, 20240 comments

The ultimate back to school breakfast trick

There's no way I haven't complained about this before. I am incredulous when I see the way weekday breakfasts are portrayed in movies and on TV. Both working parents look incredible in tailored suits, and the table is laden with fresh-squeezed orange juice, eggs and toast. The father has time...

by Fayeruz ReganAug 01, 20240 comments

In my chia pudding era

If you follow this blog, you know that TikTok and Instagram influence a LOT of the chances I take with cooking. My poor, sweet husband plies me with gorgeous cookbooks, but nothing compares to a sleek thirty-second video that moves so quickly you don't know how labor intensive the recipe...

by Fayeruz ReganJul 19, 20240 comments

Cruel summer cure: Seasonal cocktails

As I write this, the United States is in the midst of a heat wave. Here in "River City" we can't even cool off in the James because of the E. coli levels. Corn is literally popping off the stalks in corn fields, and D.C. broke a heat record on...

by Fayeruz ReganJul 11, 20240 comments

No lettuce? No problem! Cool off with easy kitchen sink salad.

I want to be clear that no kitchen sinks were used in the making of this salad, or any salad by this name. The very thought makes me shudder. For those who don't know, "kitchen sink" refers to "everything but the kitchen sink," when the cook takes leftovers and odds...

by Fayeruz ReganJun 27, 20240 comments

The socials made me do it: The viral Dubai chocolate bar

I couldn't take it anymore. Maybe it's because I love pistachio. Maybe it's because of the crunch the bar makes when people bite into it. Though it's a chocolate bar, it gives an extended crackling sound when bitten. I am talking about the Dubai chocolate bar, and the world is...

by Fayeruz ReganJun 14, 20240 comments

I finally tried Kava - it was worth the wait.

Much ado has been made about KavaClub. Before this hotspot opened on Main Street, Richmonders were treated to a year's worth of headlines detailing the bureaucratic hold-up, courtesy of the Virginia Department of Health. I had been dying to try Kava for years. An old boyfriend of mine came home with a...

by Fayeruz ReganMay 23, 20240 comments

Feeding the neighborhood

It's that time of year again. It's warm outside, but still too soon for humidity and bugs. It's a fleeting window of opportunity, and I encourage everyone to get outside and enjoy it while it's still comfortable. It's also that time of year when all the neighborhood kids are playing...

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...

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...