departure gate

This is what my October has looked like. On and off of flights, back and forth to Los Angeles. Lots of work, and lots of play, too. Spent some time in Pacific Palisades, discovered a great little cafe that serves My New Favorite Thing, Ever (tm): a green lemonade. That's lemonade with mint and a shot of spinach juice. I know it sounds weird, but it was amazing.

Also spent some time in the Coachella Valley with David, visiting Joshua Tree and touring the Salton Sea (as much as one can 'tour' a mostly-abandoned, completely desolate mid-desert lake that is barely able to sustain life.) It's been a tough few months since he moved away, so it was wonderful to be able to spend some quality time together.

Now I'm thrust back into life back in Oakland... Off to work, and the real world.

A time for honesty

I'm afraid I have a confession to make.

I'm not a good cook.

I mean, I thought I was. I really did. but now, now... I'm starting to doubt myself. I was raised with excellent cooking role models- I could name every PBS culinary personality, long before the advent of the Food Network. My father was the chef of the family, a titled passed on to him by his younger brother (a Diabetic pastry chef, who refused to abandon the trade.) My grandmother, well... she's inspired me to compile a cookbook, someday. My brother and I were always busy making a myriad of fresh baked cookies. Food was everywhere. And good food, too.

But looking back on some recent eating exploits, it seems that all of the successes have been collaborations. Amazing Monday night dinners with my former housemate and our respective fellows were totally a group effort. That trick of frying up slices of polenta in butter, topping with slices of fresh mozzarella, basil chiffonade and fresh tomatoes? Yet another housemate's recipe. Last week's kick-ass herbs de provence-rubbed roasted pork tenderloin served with wilted arugula and rice pilaf? I was sitting on the couch the whole time.

So it should have come as no surprise last night when my attempt at making something delicious failed. I grabbed pots and pans, wilted some onions, added garlic, toasted the rice, deglazed with white wine and prepared to make an awesome rice pilaf. Chicken stock, lots of salt (but still not enough?) some basil and other herbs. More garlic? No dice. Nothing seemed to do the 'flavor' trick.

So here I am, eating my self-described "rice with yellow" for lunch. It's fine. It has a flavor. But it could be so much more.

On my way to work this morning I caught a bit of and interview with Jacques Pépin, talking about his new book, More Fast Food My Way. I'll have to podcast the entire interview later, but in the snippet I heard he made some interesting points about food. It's not about The Golden Arches or the Slow Food Movement. 'Fast Food' doesn't have to be a bad thing, it is just food, fast. It can still be from scratch, it can still be delicious, but you don't have to spend your entire weekend preparing one meal.

Of course you still could, and he does. And I might. And I promise to strive for flavor. However, for the rest of this week I think I will stick to baking. That seems to be my true calling, anyhow.

Now, if only I could get my dad to hand over Uncle John's carrot cake recipe, I'd be in business.

oh, october..

another month, fading quickly. i'm doing quite a bit of traveling this month, so my usual non-blogging tendencies are compounded by just not being around my computer. i am, of course, around my camera still quite a bit.

so, even if i'm not writing about it, rest assured that i am photographing it.


cheers.

hello, autumn.

I can say, without a doubt, that it is now fall. Nevermind that fall doesn't come until this weekend, but stepping out for chai just now, it became very clear that the passage of time is, yet again, totally unavoidable.

Hello, Autumn.

what to make when you don't know what to make?

i have food. i have plenty of food. but does any of it necessarily "go" together? not really. also, i have a terrible habit of buying things that "sound good at the time" and then not cooking them before they go past their prime.

so what's a hungry girl to do?

step one: chop and sautee red onion. add ground turkey, salt, and whatever seasonings you have on hand.

step two: boil water, trim and halve brussel sprouts. blanch brussel sprouts for 2 mins, then remove to a baking sheet. garnish with salt, pepper, olive oil and hell, toss a couple scallions on the top, just to see what happens. roast in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.

step three: don't throw out that water! heat it back up to a boil, toss in a package of gnocchi. sure, why not? remove from water when those tasty little pillows float to the top.

step four: toss ground turkey and gnocchi with some pesto sauce. add salt to taste, and serve brussel sprouts on the side.

step five: nom nom nom.

hey, it works for me.

Below the Blue and Briny Sea

If you're around in the Bay Area tonight, definitely make a point of stopping by Periscope Cellars in Emeryville for the opening of Dana Robson's new solo show, 'Below the Blue and Briny Sea.'




This new work combines vintage maps and nautical charts with hand-stitched sea creatures and vegetation. The effect is really striking in person, and if you can't make the show tonight, do try to stop by the tasting room at Periscope sometime in September to see the show!

You can find more information about Periscope and the gallery at their website. Periscope is Emeryville's only winery, located in a former World War II submarine repair warehouse. This rustic and historic setting is the perfect compliment and contrast to Dana's charming artwork.

45 Years Ago; Today...

Is it any mistake that Barack will be giving his acceptance speech on the same date as King Jr's famous "I Have a Dream" speech? I think not.

November is approaching rapidly, and I am glad to see that our country is still dreaming, still hoping. I'm very excited about the changes that we will see this January, and frankly I can't wait for this dark time to be over.

It's about time, America.

Thanks, I think I will...

Saw this flier a few nights ago, after work. Sometimes it takes something so small to make you smile.

Walking Anesthetic.

A little snippet from listing to the radio, last night...

"It didn't hurt 'cause she's so pretty."

-Margaret Cho, on being tattooed by Kat Von D.

Love it. :)

This ain't just California Cuisine.

Okay, here comes your cliche statement of the week: Good food doesn't have to be fancy, complicated or pretentious. It just has to be good.

But you know what? It's true. This past weekend I had the pleasure of putting together an impromptu backyard barbecue with Boyfriend David and some of his friends. We fired up the grill and prepared a small spread of tasty things (pork four ways, anybody?) and enjoyed the simple pleasures in life: good food, good friends, beer and a well-landscaped backyard.

My personal favorite dish of the barbecue was Chef Scott's grilled veggie salad. It started off with some purple and yellow cauliflower heads, grilled dry over an open flame. Next on the fire was the escarole, which was tossed and chopped with the cauliflower and toasted walnut halves, then dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

The end result? A simple, delicious, unique dish that showcases the fresh vegetables perfectly and looks and tastes amazing. How can you go wrong?

small rewards

A friend recently stated that he deserved an "Award of Excellence." I agreed, so I stayed up late to make him just such an award. Now I want to make a whole bunch of them, just to have on hand to give to friends as they continue to show how awesome they are. They all deserve one!

welcome to blogust!

*blink blink* ... Is it possible that my last blog post was from May? Clearly I've been a bad host! But I promise that I have been busy doing all sorts of good things, and having a quite enjoyable summer. I'm working plenty, sure, but I've also made time for a couple of trips down to Los Angeles- which happens to be the boy's new adopted home. as much as I've always said that I don't care much for L.A., I have been enjoying my time there spent with him. It's also been nice to catch up with old friends who I never get chance to see!

So far it's been a summer full of crafting, photo-taking, museum-hoping, Virgin America-flying, dress-wearing good times. How can you go wrong?

But now it's time to get down to business. Today begins a new month, a month which I hope will be full of fun, colorful and exciting tidbits of daily life. The month of Blogust, if you will. It's a personal challenge, but I'd be happy to have you join me! What will you blog about this August?

For now, here's a snippet of some of the new goodies I've been creating to share with ya'll...


A new tote made from vintage, recycled and new materials, featuring one of my very favorite fabrics from my collection of vintage yardage. Find this, and other vintage-y goodies, over at minorthread.etsy.com.

hot chocolate party

One of my coworkers mentioned yesterday that she likes to make flavored hot chocolates by infusing herbs into them- lavender and sage were two that she mentioned. Now I'm lusting over the idea flavored sipping chocolates, and of opening a 'Cafe Spa'- giving chocolate and coffee infused facial and body treatments and serving delicious and unique coffee, chocolate and tea concoctions.

Maybe it's just me, but it feels like the most delicious idea I've had in a long time!

I'm not actually so chocolate-obsessed as this post might suggest, but just the idea of infusing milk with fresh sage and pairing it with a not-too-sweet cocoa, then pouring a round of deliciousness for my friends just sounds... amazing.

The first meeting of my business class is tonight, so I'd better start jotting all of these ideas down!

spring flowers

Ranunculus- one of my favorite flowers, no matter what time of year. I picked these up from my local grocery last week- even though the Bay Area was in the middle of a blistering heat wave. I knew they wouldn't last long (and they knew it to) but I felt the need to rescue them from the dumpster, where they were surely headed. It was a win-win situation: they brightened up my studio for a few days, and they got to enjoy a little shade, a fresh cut and some cool water in the process.

Gardening has been tough this year, with water rationing and the lack of spring rain (April showers there were not.) I've planted a few things, but there are no showy blooms to display here. I can, however, live vicariously through the gardens of others. To name just one, there is the lovely Amy Shutt, whose blogs I have been following for years.

Her catch-all weblog, day-lab, chronicles her adventures as a mother, business owner and lover of all things vintage. She's also lovingly restored rooms in her rented Baton Rogue home, and carefully cleared overgrown gardens and is bringing them back to life. Read through her past entries and see some amazing 'before & after' photos of the spaces she's renovated. I hope you'll be as inspired as I am.

recycled charm

Despite my humble, pre-teen DIY beginnings selling beaded bracelets on the playground, I'm not really one for jewelry. I have a few choice pieces- Maya Brenner's silver California necklace, Monique Leon's Magic Wish Bean necklace- but in general, I just don't wear it.

But when the eco-friendly shop 2ReVert was featured on Etsy.com's front page a couple weeks back, I was smitten. The goods? Fresh pendants, earrings, bracelets and other goods made from recycled skateboards. The jewelry did more than just appeal to my inner 15-year-old tomboy: the 7-ply maple is a throwback to my teenage years, when my father was making a living producing skateboards. The 'board business has since died down, but the sentiment remains. The piece I chose combines some of my favorite elements- woodgrain, the color orange, clean lines, recycled materials- with a nice reminder of the Good Old Days.

How can you beat that? See more at 2ReVert.etsy.com.

a little help from my friends.

clearly i'm not a very diligent blogger, these days. but there are a few folks out there who are keeping rather interesting and refreshing accounts of daily life and the joys held within. while i don't think i'll be able to live up to the goodness of these weblogs, i'm happy to call these folks friends..

first off is a new-ish blog dedicated to featuring independent artists and designers. san labels looks promising so far, and i can't wait to see what new things she discovers.

you can't bring up indie artists and designers without giving props to the ever-awesome taryn hipp. her blog, aptly titled one girl, lots to say is a collection of awesome indie links, personal anecdotes, and witty observations.

one of these days, i'm going to actually make it up to portland to visit my dear friend summer. but until then, i can follow her lovely world by stopping by design is mine, her oft-updated, always amazing collection of favorite things. design is mine is chock-full of things you swear you didn't know you needed- until now!

if you're anything like me, when you're not drooling over handmade goodies and tasty art pieces, you're probably thinking about food! sure, lots of people like food. some people even love it. david takes things to a whole new level with his blog, horny for food. don't let the title scare you; this blog is totally work-safe. while you won't find questionable images of your favorite dishes, you will find smart, irreverent commentary on the state of consumption. david touches on all sorts of topics- from primers on choosing wine and a "how-to" for amateur diners to restaurant reviews and an exploration of the link between california cuisine and gangsta rap. go, read. really, i promise you'll love it.

recycled goodness

i've found that the best cure for a chilly, grey afternoon is to be productive. today, i dug into a huge bag of fabric scraps from the the blissen studios and put together some patchwork pot holders using my favorite patterns.

these little gems are made from 100% recycled materials- the scraps, some old towels for the padding inside, and even the little loop of rick-rack trim.

i've made a bunch of these for myself, friends and family. today's efforts can be seen in my etsy shop, along with some other handmade goodies.

i have many more ideas for ways to use these fabrics scraps, so stay tuned.

knit works.

i've been doing my fair share of making, lately: knitting, sewing, cooking, photographing. it's been a very productive year, so far. most of my crafting efforts can be seen (and purchased!) from my etsy shop.

the red and pink scarf shown here is knit up from my current very favorite yarn, Malabrigo Kettle-Dyed Merino Wool. the yarn is incredibly soft and cozy, a real treat compared to many other pure wool yarns out there. i can't help but snap it up in every color, and rest assured that i will be knitting with it for a good while.

speaking of knitting, i'm slowly putting together a profile on ravelry.com. i'm hoping to use the site to keep track of my yarn stash, track my projects and maybe learn a few new tricks!

among my goals for the next month are to get a minor thread's main shop up and running again, and to update typewright.org with many, many photos. keep an eye out!

tea fortunes.

i've been drinking a lot of tea, lately. and i've noticed that my normally-silent beverage has had some choice pieces of advice for me.

you can see more tea fortunes and other lovely cups-- and add your own-- at the cup of the day group on flickr.com.

the passage of time.

it's hard to believe that a year has come and gone, so fast. it's winter again, and almost time to ring in a new year.

it has been a year of many, many changes and i am looking forward to a great 2008.

just a word of thanks to everyone who has lent a moment to be a friend, and given a word of support. i couldn't have made it, without you.

one of my resolutions for the new year will be to take more photographs. be they polaroids, lomo shots, pinhole, digital- there will be more to share.

be well, everyone.