Twiss Manor

@TwissManor tartelettes for a bit of sunshine on this snowy day! Our favorite presentation includes a range of toppings (blue bachelor buttons, dried violas, pansy petals, Persian rose petals, and Persian pistachios), in the same way that we love the whole rainbow of humanity: people of all religions, all colors, all language backgrounds and all orientations. As always, we donate a part of our proceeds to the #ACLU. (at Midtown East, Manhattan)

Our @twissmanor Marie-Antoinette almond cake with red curry jelly and bachelor buttons in @voguemagazine! So delighted, and what a pretty spread. Thanks, @sammy__rees! I also am so honored to be in the same index as @arieldearieflowers 💕 (at Vogue Magazine)

I had to drop the Bermuda pictures to say that I am very proud of and impressed by my husband's plating of this radish, nori, avocado and sunflower sprout salad. @matthewkenneycuisine you have turned my formerly meat-loving and kitchen-phobic Valentine into a radish slicing, cashew cream making vegan!! It is actually a miracle. (at Midtown East, Manhattan)

A better view of the flowers at @naturecentral 's request 😘 (at Midtown East, Manhattan)

Much of what seems to divide us should instead unite us: the (not only) Iranian secular New Year celebration called Norooz shares many features in common with spring celebrations in Judaism and Christianity, as well as with South Indian spring planting season festivals. Like the Seder table, the Norooz table, called the Haft Seen (seven "s") is a symbolic table featuring seven important items, including herbs, though here with different meaning. Like the Christian eastern celebration, colored eggs are a key component of the Haft Seen table. And like the South Indian spring celebration, flowers play a sacred role in Norooz festivities. Every family and every person creates a different Norooz table to his or her own liking, but all of them celebrate the end of winter, the reawakening of the earth, the beginning of the growing season, and the beauty of togetherness in the winter months. The celebration officially occurs on March 21st, or the exact moment of the spring equinox, but the four Tuesdays leading up to Norooz are celebrations of the Earth's elements, too. In Azerbaijan, they are called Water, Fire, Wind and Earth Tuesdays, celebrating with different games and rituals the elements that govern life on earth. Back to the Norooz table, our Haft Seen! Here are some of the "s" items that we included: #sabzeh (sprouted herbs, to celebrate growth and life), #sonbol (hyacinth, the very symbol of spring, welcoming the season with sweet fragrance), #seeb (Apple, for beauty), #somaq (sumac, the color of sunrise), #serkeh (vinegar, symbolizing patience and the wisdom of age) and #samanu (sweet pudding made from wheat germ, to symbolize wealth in the new year). Also a symbol of hope for wealth in the new year is a dish of shiny coins. The mirror is a mystic symbol of the invisible world, the world of higher understanding and inner reflection. The candles are symbols of life and vitality, as are the goldfish, and an open book of poetry is a sign of hope for more wisdom and beauty in the new year as well. The eggs represent fertility and abundance. The sweets are, of course, for a sweet new year!

"And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been." Happy Norooz! #newyear #norooz (at Bloomfield Hills, Michigan)

There were zero flowers outside on this frigid first day of April in New York, so we went to @metmuseum to see a few. Here are some bachelor buttons in the halo of an angel from Siena that are about 550 years old. (at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

The #TwissManor Instagram is now live! Stay tuned for photos from Twiss Manor catered and designed events, new recipes, and some of my favorite #NYC vendors. One of my very favorites? Friend, brilliant artist and Twiss Manor logo designer, #HappyMenocal #artsdelatable #locavore #farmtotable #catering #champagne #frenchpastry and #French #antiques #ruinart (at Midtown Manhattan)

I got this recipe from @ottolenghi and @sami_tamimi, from their brilliant cookbook #PlentyMore and it is spectacular. Meringue roulade with the lightest and most beautiful tasting rosewater cream filling. I made this one with local #newyorkgrown #tristarstrawberries and #windfallfarms rose petals, and, again, my stash of #persian pistachios. #TwissManor

Salads should be beautiful, and worthy of being stand alone meals. Here, #windfallfarms baby greens, honeybelle pears, Sweetpeas, borage blossom, raw milk manchego, organic Illinois pecans. Dressed simply with mosto cotto and black pepper, and best served on the balcony with a glass of #ruinart champagne in a chilled, antique flute TwissManor

Local #NewYorkState #tristarstrawberries, assorted local strawberries, Mexican blackberries, and my private stash of #persianpistachios drizzled with #TwissManor raspberry rose syrup, and a sprinkling of fragrant rose petals from @windfallfarms. Serve chilled as is, over a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream, and enjoy a refreshing taste of summer. (at Midtown Manhattan)

A few vintage items from the #TwissManor tabletop collection: an Italian shell spoon, a Japanese sake cup or salt cellar in the shape of a morning glory blossom, a hand-painted Bavarian dessert plate. #tablewares #vintage #antique #French #artsdelatable (at Midtown East, Manhattan)

Venue scouting last week for a farm-to-table dinner in the #hudsonvalley. A long wooden table, fragrant garden roses, fresh local produce on the table...I can see already see it! #TwissManor #farmtotable #locavore (at Hudson Valley)

Summer is here, which means it's time for picnics in #centralpark! I like my picnics to be as beautiful as they are delicious, so I choose a variety of brightly colored fruits that can be eaten while lounging. A bouquet of flowers, and a vintage French champagne basket help keep things in place, too, especially if you have a secret stash of chilled wine 🙊 #TwissManor #picnic #summer #cherries (at Central Park)

Another day, another #barn. #michigan

#lonepine #michigan

#michigan