To Market, To Market

Perfect produce from Eckerton Hill Farm

By Mollie Chen
There is something to be said for shopping as therapy. For me, when melancholy or frustration (or even the spare half-hour) strikes, I head not to Barneys or Saks, but to the nearest market. Francine Prose captures the spiritual nature of grocery shopping in her lovely essay, "Religion Found," in the June/July Saveur. It is worth grabbing the issue for that piece alone. I know all too well what she means when she talks about the euphoria inspired by crates of ripe fruits or rows of unfamiliar ingredients. Whenever I travel, I head straight for markets, whether it is the iconic Boqueria of Barcelona or the fascinating convenience stores of Shanghai. In Carrboro, North Carolina, of all places, I stumbled upon the underlying hippie co-op culture at the amazing Weaver Street Market. In New York, there are infinite purveyors to investigate and discover. When I lived in Hell's Kitchen, I could spend hours in the various shops along 9th Avenue: the wonderful International Grocery run by a wizened shopkeeper whole doled out generous samples of feta and manchego and the West African Grocery stocked with unfamiliar items like efirin and dried fish.

A Real Gem

By Nandita Khanna

World on a String: A multi-strand tourmaline necklace from Hornig's collection.

More so recently there has been a heightened awareness in fashion about giving back to the local community, sustainability, and smart consumerism. When I came across New York-based jeweler Joan Hornig, who donates 100 percent of the profits from her line to a charity of the buyers' choice (drawn from a list of more than 160 organizations), I'll admit, I was flat out stunned. It then dawned on me that Hornig truly embodies this forward-thinking movement with her delicate, but show-stopping nascent collection.

Eating New York (and New Jersey)

On the hunt for micro-greens, garlic scapes, and gooseberries at the Union Square Greenmarket

By Mollie Chen
Upon finishing Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Science, Miracle, I had an uncontrollable craving for fresh, local produce. I grabbed the reusable tote bag that my mom gave me (after I veto-ed my father's suggestion that I should invest in a rolly cart like the one my grandmother drags through Chinatown) and skipped to Whole Foods, smugly imagining the luscious local fruits and vegetables I would buy -- so recently picked as to still have dirt clinging to their humanely cultivated roots. I sped through the automatic doors, plunged into the frigid air-conditioning, and made a beeline for the produce department. And there they were: strawberries from California, bananas from Peru, and apples from New Zealand.

A Rare Import

A Stately Affair: Space.NK's U.S. flagship sits on historic Greene Street in New York's trendy SoHo neighborhood.

By Nandita Khanna

As a student studying abroad at University of Oxford in England to my delight I found that small, inexpensive pleasures abound: a pain au chocolat at the patisserie on High Street, an afternoon spent perusing the books at Blackwell's, and watching students perform Shakespeare on the Thames. It wasn't until I traveled into London that I discovered small pleasures could be found there too--only there it's for a costly sum given the current exchange rate. It was then that I came across Space.NK.apothohecary in Covent Garden, and quickly became hooked on high-end beauty products and the store's eponymou--and affordable--beauty line. What struck me about Space.NK was that I wasn't finding run-of-the-mill beauty lines that I'd find at say, Sephora, but I was finding special, more boutique-y feeling lines that weren't on every girl's vanity. The great thing was that the lines carried here were quite diverse--there's everything from Acqua di Parma to Laura Mercier and exclusive lines like SheerinO'kho and Eve Lom.

Space.NK's founder, Nicky Kinnaird (who I'm proud to say, shares my initials), believes that beauty is a natural extension of fashion, and in her first atelier in Covent Garden helped garner attention for the likes of Anya Hindmarch and other up-and-coming Brit designers. Kinnaird believes that there isn't one particular brand that does everything perfectly (a rather sensible approach, if you ask me), but rather, plenty of different brands that do a few things very well. With that very mindset, Kinnaird launched her own eponymous line Space.NK, which now includes fragrance, aromatherapy, thalassotherapy, and even beauty tools (like a genius eyelash curler, but more on that later). Plus, there's several great travel sets including the "Fragrant Traveler" that comes in scents like Compelling (inspired by Kinnaird's trips to Morocco) and Soulful (influenced by her trip to a Japanese hot spring 1-1/2 hours outside of Tokyo).

Much to my delight Kinnaird opened her first US location here in New York in SoHo--giving faithful Space.NK habitues like myself a new place to play. Because isn't that what apothecaries are all about? Spritzing and sampling to your heart is content? I like to think so. Here, Belfast-born Kinnaird, a frequent flier and constant globetrotter talk to us about her new store opening and some of her travel tips (and discoveries).

Yet Another Ode to Sweet-Savory (Or: More Proof that I am Predictable)

Photograph by Erika Dufour

By Mollie Chen

This afternoon, a surprise gift of Vosges Haut-Chocolate goodies gave myself and my colleagues a much-needed boost to get through the end of a horrific September close. Last week, at the Fancy Food Show, Vosges had a huge booth set up with all their wares on display -- everything from their addictive chili and cocoa-coated tortilla chips to their fun exotic candy bars. Unfortunately I didn't get close enough to taste any of them because the table was swarmed the entire time (honestly, with all that deliciousness laid out for the taking, do you blame those people?). Luckily one of the company reps was nice enough to send me their latest catalogs and press releases, plus samples of their most exciting treats. Tough life, I know.

The Chicago-based company, helmed by owner and founder Katrina Markoff, sets the bar with her globe-trotting ingredients, unflagging quality, and Bergdorf-approved packaging. I remember the first time I stumbled into the pocket-sized Soho outpost, with bright purple walls and chic, boutique feel. Oddly enough, it was for a Bobbi Brown event, but I remember being much more interested in the strangely enticing flavors than the fall eyeshadow trends. (Their green tea bars are marketed as beauty bars -- great for your skin and even better on your tastebuds.)

In-Flight Noshing: Summer Update

Planes, trains, and automobiles - summer travel calls for an ample supply of snacks. Earlier this week, I braved the sweltering heat wave to check out the Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center. There, I was a kid in a candy shop - only a candy shop stocked with everything from salsas and tapenades to pretzel bites and pita chips, plus exotic foodstuffs from around the world. I gave myself a tummy ache sampling things but I also came away with tons of ideas for my next journey. Now if only I had somewhere to go...

Margaritaville

By Mollie Chen

Tequila, like brussels sprouts or licorice, inspires near-worship in some and absolute disavowal in most. Most of its bad reputation can be traced to disastrous drinking experiences - 21st birthdays and the like. When drank, tequila is usually covered up by saccharine, electric green margarita mix or a generous pour of orange and cranberry juices. I never thought I cared much for tequila but then again I wasn't a huge asparagus or beet fan until I had them in season and perfectly cooked. Last September, I spent 12 days in Mexico, during which I discovered Acapulco's redeeming qualities, began an obsession with doorways, and found that the best way to beat the heat was with a freshly made margarita.

More recently, I found myself in Cape Cod with a bowl of limes, a bottle of fancy tequila, and a house full of uncharacteristically relaxed New Yorkers. My next step seemed obvious.

The tequila, courtesy of a restaurant PR friend with impeccable taste, was the newest premium spirit from Milagro. The company, which I hadn't heard of before, is known for their high-end tequilas - high-end because they are made from 100% blue agave (lesser brands are a combination of blue agave and fillers like sugar cane or maize). Milagro's latest creation is the Select Barrel Reserve Silver, which gets its smooth, silky flavor from being mellowed in French oak barrels. Not surprisingly (if you know me), I was sold on it even before I tasted it - the hand-blown crystal bottle, with its sculptural glass flower on the interior (meant to represent the blue agave), would add to the aesthetics of any liquor cabinet.