Notes for November

Latest discoveries and inspirations, a few items on my radar and my recipe for apple crisp.

Nov 15, 2025

We are half way through November? I am just getting my bearings into the fall season. After wrapping up some client projects and working on some of my own, it will be busy until the end of the year.

I have been enjoying taking days offline here and there to reconnect with what is inspiring me. Here are a few things :

The art of pairing down - Sorting through clothes and taking a realistic look at what I actually wear and donating the rest.
andSons Chocolatiers - I have known the brothers behind this Beverly Hills chocolate shop for a few years now. I recently went downtown to see their new kitchen and talk to their Chef, Sandy Tran (formerly of The French Laundry.) It is hard to overemphasize how delicious and different their chocolates are, they basically have ruined all others for me now. Chef Sandy seeks out ingredients from the farmers market and somehow gets the true essence of the fruit and flavors into these tiny works of art. A perfect gift for Thanksgiving or as we head into the holidays.
A recent visit to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. I love their permanent collection, but they also had an interesting exhibition on the history of gold.
Live Auctioneers - I have had a very pricey Italian neoclassic walnut dresser on my 1stdibs wishlist for years. While scouring Live Auctioneers there was one exactly like it, I bid and won! Even with the shipping it came out to less than a quarter of the original one I had bookmarked. I just got it this week and it is a lesson in patience for waiting to find something you love.

Things of Note

Apple Crisp Recipe

A golden, buttery, oat-y crumble topping with fruit served warm with ice cream may be my favorite of all desserts. This is a recipe I have made a hundred times and could not be easier. I make a batch and freeze half. Combine all the topping ingredients and work the butter through so it all becomes even dispersed and a crumbly texture. Allow the top to get golden and bubbly. Ice cream is a requirement.