Inspirations for the New Year: Our 2019 Trend Forecast

As we slide into 2019, we’re taking these beautiful words from Frida Kahlo to heart. We’re feeling inspired by poetry, art, travel, culture, beauty, and by doing good. It’s almost a New Year and we’re here for it—ready to embrace our passions, delights, and goals with fierceness and generosity—to create the reality we’ve always dreamed of in 2019.

Our starting list of passions and pursuits? Keep reading…

Where to even begin—our journals are overflowing with culinary destinations, tidbits of recipes, and chefs we have to hit up.

And yet – this year we’re slowing it down with an emphasis on slow-cooked, vegetable-forward dishes. We’re into pickled onions, tart beets, and bizarre flavor combinations that set our palettes tingling. We’re throwing it back to Alice Waters and the local foods revolution, with a preference on sustainably raised and deeply flavorful hyper-local eats from surrounding farms and producers.

To really take it up a notch? We’re kicking off a Farm Dinner Series, coming summer 2019. We’ll be partnering with our favorite farms and producers in the kitchens and gardens of the great Midwest.

Stay tuned.

And till then – enjoy this bible from the OG vegetable goddess, Alice Waters and some pickled red onions.

We’re going to crank it this year—at work, at home, and on the mat—but we’re also going to take a moment for self-care, inspiration and reflection. A few items below to nourish your soul:

Cooking for Friends (at Home!)

We’re looking forward to a year of entertaining at home, the perfect backdrop to arrange our own florals, kick on a favorite record, and settle in with our friends. Every dinner party needs a few special flourishes (and an overflowing cheese plate) so we’ll be putting our Mikki board on display.

And of course, we’ll be making sure our bar cart is stocked. For the holidays, make you have some bubbly on hand (La Marca is one of our faves) and a can of Luxardo cherries (they always come in handy, believe us).

Tending to Your Home

We love putting time into making our environment(s) beautiful. After all, there’s ‘the life changing magic of tidying up’ and the life changing magic of having each detail in your home perfectly suited to your tastes.

The first step? A clean smelling candle to keep the air fresh and your heart centered. We favor our own Tarragon Bitters & Soy candle.

Is there anything better than travel? We think not. There’s no better way to appreciate the here and now than by exposure to new cultures, arts, sights, cuisines and traditions. We feed our soul this way—storing up inspiration and new experiences we take with us for many moons to come. Our top destinations are below.

Emilia Romagna, Italy

Emilia Romagna stretches from the Po Delta to the beach resorts of the Adriatic coast, and is where so many of Italy’s signature tastes take root. From Bologna to Parma and Ferrara—this is where Italy’s signature parmesano cheese and prosciutto di crudo are created, not to mention that you’re surrounded by Medieval castles so beautiful they don’t even seem real. What can we say, we like a decadent backdrop. And proximity to sparkling malvasia and pork paninos, set against rolling hilltops.

Chandigargh, India

We can never get enough of India—and we’re ready for our 6th trip back to take in Chandigargh, the “first planned” city of India, a UNESCO heritage site and brain child of architect Le Corbusier. The city is a destination for bird lovers and artists, with its 25 acre rock garden, and stunning buildings for miles.

Ribera Del Duero, Spain

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, people—and we’re putting our pinky up in Ribero Del Duero. After a pit stop in Madrid, drive 2 hours north to this heavenly wine region. The terrain here is varied with vineyards as far as the eye can see, and the temperature swings about a spectrum of 50 degrees, creating the ‘purest expression’ of the Tempranillo grape. It’s here that you’ll find some of the world’s most complex and flavoral vinos.

Malmo, Sweden

Malmo is a foodie haven, with emphasis on hyper-local ingredients, and a smattering of Michelin starred restaurants to its name. It’s here that you’ll find other-worldly vegetables, and seafood to smoke your hair back.

Detroit, Michigan

We love Detroit — and it’s in the midst of a culinary Renaissance you don’t want to miss. Our favorite food cities are always the ones in transition, and Detroit’s fusion of classic Americana and ethnic up-and-comer is as poetic as it is delicious. Shop the “Sister Pie” cookbook here – we can’t wait to visit this incredible bakery.