I've decided to collect vintage cookbooks. First editions only.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, noted late nineteenth century painter, illustrator and poster artist, brought the same enthusiasm to the art of cuisine as he did to his painting. He created his own recipes, gathered other recipes from friends, acquaintances and "clever cooks and conscientious mothers." This wonderful book is illustrated with menus Lautrec designed as well as other Lautrec works that were deemed appropriate to a cookbook. Full page menus as well as sketches serving as background to the recipes make this a wonderful book to browse through. There is also a tipped-in plate of a portrait of Lautrec done by Edouard Vuillard, a contemporary of Lautrec. Maurice Joyant was Lautrec's boyhood friend and their relationship deepened over the course of their lifetime. Joyant ran a Parisian art gallery and was responsible for recording the recipes as well as much of Lautrec's art collection. The recipes were translated from the French and appear in their original form. Although many of the recipes can be duplicated in the average kitchen, many require ingredients that are beyond the reach of just about everyone. "Saint sur le Gril (Saint on the Grill)", requires the assistance of the Vatican in procuring a real saint.

Get Lucky

Pink Gold Four Leaf Clover Cufflinks

For an exceptional good luck charm, the Pink Gold Four Leaf Clover Cufflinks present an iconic dunhill design in a luxury material. Limited to just 50 pairs, each set will be numbered on the side of the finding arm and presented in an Alfred Dunhill black lacquer box with limited edition certificate. WOW!

Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out

1982 will forever be known as the year that the punks got class -- or at least when Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello, rivals for the title of Britain's reigning Angry Young Man -- decided that they were not just rockers, but really songwriters in the Tin Pan Alley tradition. (Graham Parker, fellow angry Brit, sat this battle out, choosing to work withAerosmith producer Jack Douglas instead.) Both had been genre-hopping prior to 1982, but Jackson's Night and Day and Costello's Imperial Bedroom announced to the world that both were "serious songwriters," standing far apart from the clamoring punkers and silly new wavers. In retrospect, the ambitions of these two 27-year-olds (both born in August 1954, just two weeks apart) seem a little grandiose, and if Imperial Bedroom didn't live up to its masterpiece marketing campaign (stalling at number 30 on the charts without generating a hit), it has garnered a stronger reputation than Night and Day, which was a much more popular album, climbing all the way to number four on the U.S. charts, thanks to the Top Ten single "Steppin' Out." Night and Day had greater success because it's sleek and bright, entirely more accessible than the dense, occasionally unwieldy darkness of Imperial Bedroom. Plus, Jackson plays up the comparisons to classic pop songwriting by lifting his album title from Cole Porter, dividing the record into a "night" and "day" side, and then topping it off with a neat line drawing of him at his piano in a New York apartment on the cover. All of these classy trappings are apparent on the surface, which is the problem with the record: it's all stylized, with the feel eclipsing the writing, which is kind of ironic considering that Jackson so clearly strives to be a sophisticated cosmopolitan songwriter here. He gets the cosmopolitan, big-city feel down pat; although the record never delivers on the "night" and "day" split, with the latter side feeling every bit as nocturnal as the former, his blend of percolating Latin rhythms, jazzy horns and pianos, stylish synths, and splashy pop melodies uncannily feel like a bustling, glitzy evening in the big city. On that front, Night and Day is a success, since it creates a mood and sustains it very well. Where it lets down is the substance of the songs. At a mere nine tracks, it's a brief album even by 1982 standards, and it seems even shorter because about half the numbers are more about sound than song. "A Slow Song" gets by on its form, not what it says, while "Target" and "Cancer" are swinging Latin-flavored jams that disappear into the air. "Chinatown" is a novelty pastiche that's slightly off-key, but nowhere near as irritating as "T.V. Age," where Jackson mimics David Byrne's hyper-manic vocal mannerisms. These all fit the concept of the LP and they're engaging on record, but they're slight, especially given Jackson's overarching ambition -- and their flimsiness is brought into sharp relief by the remaining four songs, which are among Jackson's very best. There is, of course, the breakthrough hit "Steppin' Out," which pulsates anticipatory excitement, but the aching "Breaking Us in Two" is just as good, as is the haunting "Real Men" and the album opener, "Another World," a vibrant, multi-colored song that perfectly sets up the sonic and lyrical themes of the album. If all of Night and Day played at this level, it would be the self-styled masterpiece Joe Jackson intended it to be. Instead, it is a very good record that delivers some nice, stylish pleasures; but its shortcomings reveal precisely how difficult it is to follow in the tradition of Porter and Gershwin. (via Allmusic)

The J. Peterman Bucket Grill

This thing is ready for the beach. Fill it up with some charcoal and sear some yellow-fin! When you are done dump the coals, start a fire, and watch the sunset. 

More Meadowlands

I'm in love with the Meadowlands. I need to check out "snake hill" thats my next little adventure. Who wants to go?

Beretta Firearms

I love shotguns. Nice ones.  Beretta has a certain sweetness. They know a thing about making quality guns. I have my eye on this 471 silver hawk. The way it feels in your hands is amazing. Don't worry I'm not going to compare guns to breasts.  The engraving is impeccable, the wood is stunning. It goes BOOM too!

Ommegang Horseradish Mustard

Made by Whalen's horseradish products with Ommegang Abbey ale. This mustard lives up to  the name. Too much will blow your head off! Too little is not enough. Not for your vinaigrettes, but perfect for roast beef sandwiches or fire roasted keilbasa. If you can't get to the Ommegang brewery in Cooperstown, New York then buy it online. www.ommegang.com

NY Hat Co.

I love these hats. I've had my "striped Trilby" for a few years now. It's time for a new one though.   

Roof Lines

I discovered  this building after walking across the bridge from Frenchtown, Nj to Uhlerstown, PA. I'm on the hunt for the history of it. I fell in love with the roof lines immediately.

Meadowlands

First of the many of the meadowlands series. Don't worry i'm not looking for bodies!

Coming soon