Postcard

A SHOT OF ESPRESSO:
The Franca Espresso Cup in Summer Lavender can hold just the right amount of caffein needed to get an afternoon going.

Lavender Madeleine, with a hint of Vanilla



For our launch event of the Franca Cups our very own parfumeur Emmanuel Martini baked a batch of 100 madeleine cakes infused with lavender flowers, a hint of honey vanilla, and the perfumer’s magic ingredient – a touch of Muscovado sugar Vetiver (which isn’t featured in the recipe below, as it's a bit complex to proceed with).

Ingredients for 24 madeleines
• 130 grams of flour
• 3 whole eggs (150 grams)
• 140 grams of white caster sugar
• 135 grams of unsalted butter
• 70 grams of semi-skimmed milk
If without the lavender flower infusion, reduce down to 50 grams
• 10 grams of organic lavender flowers (Natur Apotheek)
• 5 grams of baking powder (1 level teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons of liquid honey
• 1/2 level teaspoon of fleur de sel (Salt flakes)
• 1 teaspoon of lemon zest
• 1 and 1/2 vanilla pods
• 1 tablespoon of peanut oil or grapeseed oil
• Form for madeleine: Form for x 12 Madeleine, 7,5cm x 5 cm from the brand Gobel, (Kunst og Køkkentøj in Copenhagen)
• Perfumer's Trick: Add 1 drop of organic essential oil of French Lavande fine (Lavandula angustifolia) to the batter at the very end of the method before letting it cure in the fridge.

Method:
• Slightly heat the milk in a small saucepan (approximately 50°C), add the lavender flowers, stir gently, let it sit for 5 minutes, then pour it through a sifter, pressing with your hand to collect the infused milk in a bowl. Set aside. It should remain 50 grams of milk. Adjust by adding a bit more milk, if necessary, as the dry lavender flower can retain a bit of milk. This can be prepared the day before and left overnight in the fridge.
• Melt the butter (135 grams) in a light-colored pan until it starts turning slightly brown, then let it cool slightly.
• Scrape the vanilla pods and mix them with the 2 teaspoons of honey; set aside.
• In a bowl, beat the 3 eggs (150 grams) with the white caster sugar (140 grams), 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, ½ teaspoon of fleur de sel, and the honey with vanilla preparation until the mixture whitens.
• Add the tablespoon of grapeseed oil, sifted flour (130 grams) with baking powder (5 grams), and mix just enough to incorporate the flour.
• Take two tablespoons of melted butter and mix them with the pan of melted butter. Then add it back to the batter and mix. Slowly pour in the milk (50 grams) and mix.
• Place a circle of cling film on the surface of the mixture and chill for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. Grease your madeleine molds with soft butter and flour using a pastry brush or a dusting pouch. Spoon the batter into a pipping bag (pastry bag) and fill the molds to 90%, then chill for 1 hour.
• Preheat your conventional oven (without hot air/convection) to 180°C. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on your oven (the top of the bump should appear dry). Immediately unmold by gently tapping the mold vertically on the countertop, then transfer the madeleines onto a wire rack, or by tilting them sideways on the mold.
• The bump retains its shape and has a delicate texture, crispy edges, and a pronounced vanilla taste.

Tips how to use the piping bag:
Filling the piping bag: to make filling your piping bag easier, stand it upright in a mug or tall glass.
Using the piping bag: Don't overfill your piping bag, and squeeze from the top as you ice to prevent icing leaking out of the top.

Creams, soaps and lotion at Aesop, shoes at the newly opened A.P.C., tea at Sing Tehus – I buy the Sencha. For food look no further than Helges Ost where I buy lunch on a weekly basis and delicacies to bring home for an easy dinner. The gigantic mistletoe in the Studio is from Blomster Hjørnet where I buy flowers all the time. Get your port and champagne at Juul's Vin og Spiritus. It is impossible to leave Dora empty handed. I have bought vintage Christmas decorations and candles there recently. As well as beautiful tea towels for the Studio kitchen. Have breakfast at Granola, sandwiches and ris a la mande at Italo Café, wine and something hot to eat at Le Gourmand and coffee and everything else at Les Trois Cochons where the service is great, but I don’t come often as Eddie (my dog) isn’t allowed.

Le Gourmand, Værnedamsvej 3a
Sing Tehus, Værnedamsvej 4
Granola, Værnedamsvej 5
Dora, Værnedamsvej 6
Aesop, Værnedamsvej 7
A.P.C., Værnedamsvej 8
Blomster Hjørnet, Værnedamsvej 8
Helges Ost, Værnedamsvej 9
Italo Caffé, Værnedamsvej 10
Les Trois Cochons, Værnedamsvej 10
Juul’s Vin og Spiritus, Værnedamsvej 15

Private pictures of Vita Andersen at home in the apartment shared with us by her daughter Tatiana Andersen Camre.

VITA FAVOURITES:
The first edition of Vita Andersen’s debut collection of poems “Tryghedsnarkomaner” from 1977 sold out in 10 minutes and ended up selling more than 100.000 copies which is a lot for a small country like Denmark. It depicted the life and mind of a woman in a way that had never been seen before. And as with all great litterature it is still relevant reading today. She was a productive writer but here are some of the favourites:

READ:
I loved “The Parisienne” by Isabella Hammad and am taken with my first reading of “Enter Ghostwriter,” her latest book. Isabella Hammad is aBristish Palestinian and the story is set in Haifa so it is a strangely relevant read.

BEAUTY:
Honey is fast becoming one of my absolute favourite skincare brands. One of the women behind the brand Liv Winther, was the most wonderful Beauty Editor when I did Cover magazine, so I know that there is heart and brains behind the brand.

TREAT:
French Nougat: the sophisticated treat for the festive season ahead.

SCENT:
Love the universe of scent called Régime des Fleurs created by Alia Raza who work with some of the world’s most impressive noses. There isn’t a single one I don’t like.

READ:
I’m bringing Edmund De Waal’s Letters to Comodo. I loved his The hare with amber eyes and I think that we all have an obligation to educate ourselves. Especially at a time when understanding current affairs takes knowing our past. So I am reading yet another book on the systematic anti-semitism that has saturated European society for centuries.

WATCH: 
I read in The Financial Times that Ralph Lauren loves the TV series 1883, so I’m giving it a go this coming holiday. The costume and set design is wonderful, and it is refreshing to watch a story where men take honour in defending their women – and where women are strong and stunning.

READ:
Still have Stockholm on my mind so Doctor Glas set in the Swedish capital is the perfect autumn read. It was first published in 1905 but is surprisingly modern. Interesting how we often think of ourselves as “modern” yet it often turns out the the people of our past were much more radical.

WATCH: 
This time of year I always miss New York. After decades of going for the shows in September I miss the vibe, the inspiration, the quirky shopping and the light. So this weekend I am watching Love Story with Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal from 1970 as it is probably is the closets I will get to New York this Autumn.

EAT:
I am in the mood for cooking this weekend and I will be getting my inspiration from the new cook book by the women behind Easy Peacy.

TREAT:
Unlike most, I’m not a big fan of chocolate, however, Friis Holm chocolate is the exception. We always have it at the La Bagatelle Studio.

A special friend of mine Thorvald Stigsen, who owns my favourite seaside restaurant Tisvilde Kro, has compiled a list of music for me and La Bagatelle. It makes me dream of far away places, snake charmers and Tales from the Thousand and one Nights.
Link to playlist.

BREAKFAST:
I have a number of male friends who love eating dinner out on their own. I wouldn’t dream of it. The interesting thing is though, that I love having breakfast at a café by myself. Besides eating, I read and I write, get ideas and think new thoughts. My go to places are Atelier September in the centre of Copenhagen and Italo Caffé on Værnedamsvej where my Studio is.

I love books I can sink my teeth into so Fatma Aydemir’s Ånder or “Djinns” in German seems perfect for now. When you want to remember what slow days feel like, but the pace is picking up, this is what you want to go to.

JEWELLERY DU JOURS:
Besides making beautiful glasswear for the table, the girls behind Akua have also managed to create the jewellery of the hour in Copenhagen: a heart made out of mouth blown and handmade Murano glass. Mine is blue but I also love the red and the subtle pink one.

I have started reading Goliarda Sapienza’s “The art of Joy”, and my plan is to read it in the shade of a blooming tree in the garden.

For years I have used my online calendar only. However, it never really worked for me, so I have bought a Smythson calender and I absolutely love it. If it’s not in my red book, it’s not happening. Bonus info: it starts the week you buy it, so it doesn’t run from January but in my case from May to August next year.
Smythson.com

Mrs Dalloway is perhaps Virginia Woolf’s most important book showing the inner world of the female mind. This version by Vintage Classics is coming with me to my country home this summer.

Bendix Shirt, striped Indian cotton
Sysser Vest, vintage Japanese silk
Rampling Pants, Tuscany yellow silk velvet

Favourite place to pick up books and hang for a coffee:
Thiemers Magasin, Tullinsgade 24

Bendix Shirt, striped Indian cotton
Rampling Pants, Devon rose silk velvet

Bendix Shirt, striped Indian cotton
Annie Pants, needlecord in coral rose

When we need something special we treat ourselves to the best sandwich and juice in town:
Italo Café, Værnedamsvej 10

Marseille Shirt, Stockholm grey cotton Khadi
Andrea Top, white wavy pearl satin
Elise Skirt, striped Indian cotton

Best place to pick up soap and lotion. Our choice is the Reverence Aromatique Hand Wash:
Aēsop, Værnedamsvej 7

Marseille Shirt, striped Indian cotton
La Colombe d’Or Jacket, vanilla white wool and linen
Hepburn Pants, toffee corduroy

Where we buy fresh flowers every week:
Blomster Hjørnet, Værnedamsvej 8

Didion Jacket, vintage Japanese silk
Rampling Pants, lavender silk velvet

Ida Jacket, vintage striped Chinese cotton
Bendix Shirt, cotton lawn white
Lilli Pants, Chinese blue French linen

The grilled gourmet toast is our comfort food of choice:
Le Gourmand, Værnedamsvej 3A

Andrea Top, ice blue wavy pearl satin
Bendix Shirt, blue striped Indian cotton
Rampling Pants, August blue silk velvet

Thank you to photographer Frederikke Agnete, stylist Caroline Harbro and talent and art student Divijah Rajendra

Joan Didion is perhaps best known for her masterpiece A year of magical thinking which is one of the very best things I have ever read. Blue Night is also breathtakingly brilliant. I also really like Telling stories from Let me tell you what I mean about her method of writing. I love her language and how she makes me think.

The documentary The center will not hold that is on Netflix about her life is a “must watch” for the weekend. An extraordinarily admirable life.

Recently I reread Joan Didion’s A year of magical thinking. Last time I read it was over a decade ago, and I urge everyone to read it. Her honest voice touched me more that I can say.

The documentary “A Storm Foretold” by Christoffer Guldbrandsen that came out a month ago, is what I will be watching this coming weekend. It is the story of American politics, of how an established political party is turned into an antidemocratic movement during Dunald Trump’s reign.

A friend of the house and the nose behind La Bagatelle’s scents is Emmanuel Martini. He is a French independent parfumer who trained in French perfume composition houses in the South of France, more specifically in Grasse and in Manosque. Mr Martini became a parfumer because of the beauty of the craft:
“It is a very uncommon language that provides beauty, emotions and feelings about aesthetics. It is not material but very abstract and it requires true sensibility.”

When doing the scents for La Bagatelle his thoughts behind them were to do “something that like everything else at La Bagatelle is about a lot of beauty and creativity”.

The Library, a scent in the shape of a candle

The latest scented candle by Emmanuel Martini is called “The library”. It is inspired by the memories of a journey to the Caribbean with cigar smoke, drinks of rum and citrus fruits being mixed. It takes your mind on a journey far away with the strike of a match.

I was given this beautiful book by a wonderful and tres chic lady in Stockholm who subscribes to my Postcard and shares my love of books. She thought I would like Small Things Like These, and I will be reading it during the Easter Holidays.

I have always loved the Nordic sophistication of Stockholm. Copenhagen is cute and cool, but Stockholm is grand. 

Fabrique Stenugnsbageri are all over Stockholm and their bread and cinnamon buns where so good, I had to bring some with me home.

Petit Marche, Karlavägen 30A is really a cute flower shop but the owner also sells excellent coffee. It is up the road from Cathy Nordström, so that is where we got ours.

Naturally Cathy Nordström’s charming place on Karlavägen 24 is a must. Her prints, pillows and tea cozies are wonderful.

I wish I’d seen the Carl Larsson paintings at Theilska Galleriet, but I was closed when I could go. Just another reason to come back. I did get to see the obligatory Svensk Tenn. I like many of their textiles, but I particularly appreciate the furniture Josef Frank has done for Svensk Tenn. It would fit in really nicely at my new country home.

Have Ramen at Tengu, Rådmansgatan 12 and any kind of food your heart desires at the indoor market by the hotel Villa Dagmar. It is also an excellent place to stay and enjoy your breakfast. Next time I will have to check in at Ett hem - it is nothing short of the dream!

I have followed them for a while and will get one of their lampshades for the Studio. I like everything they do. Check out @ateliervime for more inspiration.

Super grid: I managed to get my hands on one roll of this rare and very high quality cotton grid from India. It is stiffer than the more normal cotton but it gets soft in the wash. The Marseille Shirt looks so beautiful in this fabric – a forever classic.

She probably knows more about films than anyone I know, yet it is impossibel for Emma Rosenzweig to select her favourites. Nevertheless, when pushed here are five films that she loves. I will be watching them in the coming weeks:

The Piano teacher – Michael Haneke
India Song – Marguerite Duras
Faces – John Cassavetes
The Night Porter – Liliana Cavani
The Mirror – Andrej Tarkovski

The sound to my month is a gift from Rasmus Skousen. He has made a playlist of the softest music to get us through January and it seems soothing and just perfect for now. It lets me wander in my mind while listening to a mix of music ranging from Hamid al Shaeri from Egypt to American Country Music from Glen Campbell. Download La Bagatelle Vol. 02 on Spotify.

It is my favourite time of year to buy flowers. Mimosa flowers are filing Værnedamsvej and the showroom, but snowdrops, daffodils and all the other flowers that go with this time of year seem to come with a promise of better things to come. 

I have been getting a lot of credit lately for my book recommendations, which I am actually really proud of. However, I just started Tolstoy´s “War and peace” which is a good 2000 pages, so it will be a while, before I will be on to the next book. Wish me luck. 

He is my favourite DJ. Whether it would be at some fashion party in Copenhagen, an art do or a summer party in Tisvilde where I have a house, he would be playing. I am of course talking about Christian d’Or who also happens to be a nice guy. So when I called him up a couple of months ago asking if he would do the perfect party playlist for La Bagatelle, he agreed. And here it is an eclectic mix of music from all over the world that is sure to get you in the festive spirit. We have it on repeat. Download it for free with Spotify.

Emmanuel Martini is something as exotic as a “Nose” – a parfumeur. He is also my good friend and we have a very special project under way. In the meantime, before I can reveal what we are up to. I can highly recommend his room perfume called Aestas Liguria by En Doft @endoftav

I love mistletoes – the bigger the better. The picture is from the livingroom of my old home. It is from 1916 and it shows because Inès is a lot smaller than she is today.

Watch out for the new brand of poetic tableware Akua by Annika Agerled and Josefine Arthur. Their glasses remind me of a mix of travels to far away places as well as tables set by my mother and grandmothers all through my childhood. Annika Agerled is wearing an Ali Jacket as well as a pair of Lilli Pants in the launch image of Akua.

I am tempted to say that Café Gitane on 242 Mott St. has been my favourite always. I first came more than twenty years ago and daydreamed that I was a regular, a part of the cool crowd hanging out. I would go there and write up my articles and people watch. The food is still good and it was the first place I ever tasted mint tea made on fresh mint. I couldn’t resist that it was served in tiny Japanese iron teapots. I felt ever so chic. 

Desert Vintage on 34 Orchard St. on Lower East is one of the very best vintage stores with a very sophisticated selection. I find it odd to buy Eupean brands in the States, but they really pick out nice styles. And whatever they have from American designers is excellent. The store itself is also worth a visit, the vintage furniture is to die for. Once you leave you should pop round to The Corner Bar at the hotel Nine Orchard to either celebrate your purchase or possibly your restraint from buying anything. Either way, it’s a good place for at drink. Ignacio Mattos has the place and he is New York’s hippest chef right now and also runs the Lodi in Midtown that feels like a busy café in Paris, Altro Paradiso that serves excellent easy food, and Estela that is more cosy and special. Dream place for a date.

Not far from Desert Vintage you’ll find Bode on 58 Hester Street with a cute mending store next to it. Close by on 123 Norfolk St. is Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s store. It is a bit run down, but her mix of classic as well as sporty cool stuff really is the epitomy of the well travelled, easy going New York look that will take you where ever you want to go.

In order to enter Ted Muehling`s totally wonderful store on 104 Franklin Street, you have to book a time slot in advance. But it really is worth it. His space is like nowhere else. He is a master of jewellery that is totally timeless yet seems forever relevant and his candlesticks are sublime. The smart “master of anything to do with food” Laila Cooks wears his rings on her pretty fingers.

Balthazar opened up in the Spring of 1997 but immediately looked like it had been there always. Keith McNally was the mastermind behind it and it became an instant favourite. The designer Jane Mayle introduced me to it when I interviewed her for Vogue in the late nineties. Her epic shop was just around the corner. I still love Balthazar. We have celebrate my daughter Barbara’s birthday there a number of times and you just can’t beat breakfast at Balthazar (Unless of course you have a bagel to go wrapped in tin foil from a corner joint. They are pretty good too). Prior to Balthazar Keith McNally ran the legendary place Odeon in Tribeca with his then wife Lynn Wagenknect. Go for lunch, have the omelet and thank me later. She also runs the Café Luxembourg on the Upper West. Brilliant and local atmosphere. Book a table well in advance if you want to be sure to sit inside.

Roman and Williams Guild NY on 53 Howard Street houses an amazing interior store. I particular like their small celection of books and the pancakes they serve in the restaurant.

The farmer’s marker Union Square Greenmarket is well worth a visit. It makes you dream of living in New York and going grocery shopping for the entertaining of friends in the weekend.

I know that there are many fun and interesting galleries popping up all the time. But if you don’t have a lot of time nothing beats Moma on 11 West 53 St. and I love the Guggenheim on 1071 5th Ave and the Met close by on 1000 5th Ave. Don’t even try to see the whole thing. Cellect an area such as the Eqyptians and be blown away by the splendor. 

Tarragon vinegar: It is so easy to make your own, and it adds sophistication to any kind of dressing or sauce all through autumn. I grow my own tarragon in the garden, but if you don’t, just buy some fresh and add it to a nice bottle of white wine vinegar. Voilà. 

In Spring I will be going back to the garden of Sissinghurst, one of the most famous gardens in England - and the world. I want to see Vita Sackville-West’s garden when all the bulbs are in full bloom. In the meantime I am digging small holes in my lawn laying as many bulbs as I can. When Spring comes it will hopefully look devine, and maybe just at little bit like Sissinghurst.

I walk as much as I can at the moment, and I particularly love my late afternoon walks in the forrest. Picking mushrooms when out is one of the great pleasures right now. As is picking apples and grapes.

I have collected glass for decades, a bug I probably got from my mother. I especially collect a lot of vintage glass. But I also love coming to C. E. Fritsche and water at home is served in this kind of glass from them. Kompagnistræde 12, 1208 Copenhagen K.

The English master of Interiors Robert Kime passed away a week ago. He believed that creating a room starts with a good rug, that flowers should look like they come straight from the garden, and he was magical at making personal rooms that mix items chosen for their beauty and history rather than the price – although the two tend to go together. For incredible inspiration follow his store on Instagram. I for one would like a fireplace like this one that he put together in a private home.

Watch "The Hours" and read "Mrs Dalloway" at the same time. By coincidence I did that last week and it was a brilliant experience. I had read the book in my teens and seen the film when it came out. But it gave an extra dimension enjoying the two simultaneously. 

I had the pleasure of hosting a talk between two smart women Mette Hay and Laila Gohar early this summer. Laila has made a beautiful and fun collection of tablewear for Hay that is coming out in September. She has also started a brand called Gohar World with her sister doing exquite items for the perfect dinner party. An apron for bottles is one of my favouries. It can hardly be called an neccesity, yet I tend to believe it is.

Heaven is a rainy day spent in an English bookstore. I was late to reading Edmund de Waal’s amazing “The hare with amber eyes” but I will be quick to reading his third book “Letters to Comodo” that has recently been published. Here are a few of the titles that I have picked up in Waterstones.

I just love Fortnum&Mason. Whenever possible I always stock up on their Earl Grey tea, my favourite. And it doesn’t hurt that the turquoise colour is devine.

I love insence sticks and often burn one after dinner. However, this one from @noell_crystals that I just received as a present is next level and made of dry sage. Burn a little of it in the morning and it will apparently cleanse your energy. I will try it out this Summer.

I am reading “Fresh water for flowers” by Valérie Perrin right now, and if you don’t know what to bring on your holidays, then this is the one. It is wonderful.

The Royal Academy of Arts is such a special place to me, as I came there a lot when I was at University in London. I wish I had seen Whistler and the “Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan”, but I never miss an exhibition when in town.

Krogs Fiskerestaurant is our neighbour at our offices. They serve excellent fish and have the best neon sign and most beautiful façade in Copenhagen. I had a wonderful lunch there on a warm spring day and I am hoping to be back soon.  

My messy desk at home with all the pink Lustre cups I just found in an antique store in Copenhagen. We have some amazing antique stores left in Copenhagen. Shopping at them is exciting and the thrill of making a find makes the time spent searching worth it. So go hunt and find something that adds soul to your home and makes your heart skip a beat.  

Recently I was at a lovely house party at Tina Seidenfaden’s, the owner of @theapartment. She served a delicious Pavlova desert made by master of all things sweet @khantonbruusgaard. I definetely need to learn how to make it this summer. Otherwise I will have to call Anton for help.  

I have known Souad owner of the wonderful Larusi in London so long that I no longer remember where I snapped up her name. Since then her beautiful vintage rugs have been on the floors of my homes. Nights are spent sleeping in her bed linen. If I were to set the Easter Sunday table of my dreams, I would use her napkins from Swedish Himla in the colour Sunshine.
Larusi.com

The best way to combat winter blues that I know of is to jump in the sea. I have been doing it for more than a decade and although it might not be for everyone I really encourage you to try it. In my experience it is important not to overcomplicate it. There is much talk of equipment and breathing at the moment, but in my opinion all you need is a towel and a warm cup of tea.
I prefer getting in at dawn or dusk, the bright light of noon is much too invasive. A sauna is nice but not a necessity, and really you do not need it to get warm again afterwards, your blood will flush and give you the rush you need. So find a bridge (shallow water is no good), strip your clothes off, get in and get high.

I love that it is a mind game that young and older can play alike. Naturally it is wonderful to play it at a beautiful board, but within the last two years I have become very fond of the Chess app Chess.com It allows me to have a game going for days where I play with my boyfriend. But mostly I play with strangers whenever I have a minute or two. It’s a really great gift. Chess board from The Apartment.

I use mine all the time. It is perfect for making our Rampling Pants in velvet look brand new after days of wear or even rain. I pretty much steam everything that I don’t have ironed.