feed yourself

2012-01-20T10:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some videos of the Seattle "Snowmaggedon" or "Snowpocalypse". The big thaw is under way but it's been a crazy week.

Get Your Art On: Mani Stone

2012-01-19T06:48:00.000-08:00

Decided to make my own mani stone (yes, that is a cat paw in the upper right corner). A mani stone is a stone on which is inscribed, carved, or painted “Om Mani Padme Hum” (or Om Mani Padme Hung). In (Tibetan) Buddhism this is the mantra of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Chenrezig. These stones can also hold prayers or other mantras. The faithful leave these stones at sacred places. Huge piles of them can accumulate. Look here for wonderful pics of mani stones.

I found a simple image of the characters online and sketched them in pencil first.

The script is Tibetan and each syllable in the mantra is represented by one character: om - ma - ne - pad - me - hum. Often the characters are different colors. This is my first attempt so I kept things basic. But future mani stones will be colorful and I’m going to experiment with more stylized scripts or other languages.
Then I painted the characters in black acrylic craft paint. And whether it's food or art projects, a cat is standing by, waiting to investigate.

Pesto Bread

2012-01-18T11:19:00.001-08:00

Again, left over cooked cereal makes great bread. Combined with left over homemade pesto it makes great savory bread. I used the exact same idea from the last bread post. The only addition was I spread a layer of homemade pesto onto the dough before I rolled it up and let it rise a second time. Now each slice has a bit of pesto. Not too much. Just enough.

Snowy Seattle

2012-01-16T07:52:00.001-08:00

Working from home. Drinking coffee. Safe and warm.

Homemade Bread Made with Buckwheat Groats

2012-01-10T08:17:00.000-08:00

When life hands you leftover hot cereal - make bread. That's what I've been doing with the various hot cereals we've been eating on the weekends. Plain rolled oats, seven-grain mixes, buckwheat groats (kashsa) have all been used to make delicious breads. I'm not an exact bread baker but I am an enthusiastic bread maker. I simply don't have the patience or the interest in bread that takes days to proof, in measuring out percentages of ingredients, and in buying special pans the loaves sit in to rise. I just want to jump in and bake bread. The results taste delicious and make people happy. What more could I want?

Here is what I used to bake the latest batch, using leftover buckwheat groats.

*2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast dissoved in not quite a 1/3 cup of warm water plus a large pinch of sugar

*2 tablespoons hazelnut oil

*2 cups white, unbleached bread flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour (using the scoop and sweep method)

*1 cup cooked and cooled buckwheat groats

*1 tablespoon (almost) salt

*3/4 cup skim milk

*additional bread flour for kneading the dough

Into my largest bowl went the flours and about a tablespoon of salt. I mixed these ingredients until distributed evenly. To this I added the cooked cereal and mixed in by hand. Buckwheat groats, unlike cooked other cereals, will pill or separate and distribute nicely. For stickier cereals you can spread the leftovers onto a cookie sheet to cool then cut it up with a knife. You can also break apart by hand. Just depends on how wet or dry the leftover cereal is. You could even spread it out on a cookie sheet and dry it out in a low temperature oven. This step would even add a bit more toastiness to the finished flavor.

To the dry ingredients I added all of the wet ingredients and stirred to combine with a wooden rubber spatula. I made sure to scrape all the goodies from the sides of the bowl. I stirred this until I got a consistency I could work by hand with the aid of additional flour. I used about an additional 3/4 cup.

I kneaded the dough, adding flour as needed to keep it from sticking to my hands, for about 8 minutes. I stopped kneading when the dough had a nice spring-back action when poked with a finger.I set the dough to rest in a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the oven. Any place warm with no drafts will do.

Once the dough had doubled in size, I cut it in half and gently spread out each portion into a rouch rectangle. Starting at a short end, I rolled up the dough, pinching each seam closed (gently). Each loaf went into a loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. I let the loaves rise for about another hour while I preheated the oven to 350 degrees.

When the loaves had risen well above the pan into a nice rounded loaf shape, I popped them into the oven. I baked these loaves together until the internal temp reached at least 190 degrees. I say at least because, again, I'm not too exacting with bread. Our oven is old and heats unevenly so I have to turn everything half way through the process. And I'm busy doing other things while the bread is baking. So if I take the bread's temp and it's 190, It's done and I don't sweat it. If I check the temp and it's 200, it's done and I don't sweat it. Get it?
I removed the loaves from the pans and let them cool on a rack as long as I could before I was compelled to slice off each heel - my favorite part. If I could bake a loaf of only heels I'd be in heaven.

And, yes, that's Miles in the upper corner. He rushed over to smell the bread. Like always, I've got to be on cat high alert when I set out food on the table for a photo.

Love On The Rocks

2011-12-31T14:57:00.001-08:00

Spotted on our walk in Lincoln Park today.

Buckwheat Pancakes

2011-12-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

I eat pancakes about once a year. Some years, I don't eat any pancakes. I'm OK with that. The world is full of great food and I never feel deprived for the lack of pancakes. But S really wanted pancakes over this holiday weekend. And I have buckwheat flour I need to use. Pancakes were a no-brainer.

These were delicious, no argument there. These were easy. These will hold you all the live long day.

2/3 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups milk of your choice
1/4 cup butter (or butter substitute of your liking), melted
2 eggs (or egg substitute equivalent)
Optional: a dash of vanilla; a pinch of cinnamon; a pinch of all-spice; and/or grated orange zest

Mix the dry. Mix the wet. Mix the two together. Batter will be thick and a bit lumpy.

I heat the griddle on medium, sprayed it with cooking spray and then started ladling the batter. Not too big, not too small. I let each cook 3-4 minutes. Then I flipped and let them cook another 3 minutes or so. You can tell when they've "set" and that's when I remove them from the griddle and ladle out another batch.

Top these to suit your fancy. I dig fresh cranberries, almonds, and real maple syrup.

Baking Cookies

2011-12-22T18:41:00.001-08:00

Some are ginger molasses. Some are cookies stuffed with chocolate covered marzipan. All are fun and delicious.

Christmas Tree - Unlit But Lovely

2011-12-20T18:57:00.001-08:00

Because Miles chews electrical cords, the tree has no lights. But we love it. Misu attacks the ornaments but it's a great tree.

Volunteer Park Conservatory

2011-12-17T05:51:00.001-08:00

I snapped a few phone shots while my mom and I were at Volunteer Park Conservatory yesterday. Every year there is a beautiful Christmas display. But I also never tire of the cacti and succulents.
Of course, it's hot and humid in the "Crystal Palace" so pictures can be tricky. Plus, my glasses fog up.
Such a contrast between the bold colors of the Christmas display and the subtle desert hues of the succulents.
Well, OK, some of the flowers on some of the cacti are vibrant.

Hot Breakfast on A Cold Day

2011-12-10T09:33:00.001-08:00

After viewing the lunar eclipse in the frigid cold, steel cuts oats hit the spot. A splash of milk, some diced apple, slivered almonds, and a drizzle of maple syrup dress it up.

Catching Up With Journalfest 2011 And Preview of Play 2012

2011-11-25T06:55:00.000-08:00

I've received my confirmation packet for Play, a winter art retreat held at

Fort Warden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington. Teesha Moore and Tracy Moore are the folks who bring us Artfest and Journalfest. Sadly, the Journalfest I just attended in October is the last. And Artfest 2012 is the last. Likewise, Play 2012 is the last and that's why I jumped at the chance to go.

I had waffled about going for the last two years. Would it be too small for me? Artfest is too big (over 500 people). Journalfest is more manageable (150 people) so you can easily make friends but also disappear if you like. But would Play be too small. It's just about 45 people staying in the officers houses (rather than the dorms). Could I hang out with the same small group for three whole days? When I learned that Play 2012 was the last, I tossed aside any indecision. It was now or never. And I need a challenge - socially and artistically. Hanging out with other artists for three days will be inspiring, educational, and just plain fun.

Basically, Play is three days of doing your art, whatever it is. I've just received my confirmation packet and I've learned that there are other activities planned for those who want to participate. Tracy is an avid Lomographer (analogue/toy camera) enthusiast. He'll be guiding a photography walk and he'll also be demonstrating how to make your own TTV (through the viewfinder) camera. That's where you take pictures with your digital SLR through the viewfinder of an old twin lens reflex camera. I've done a little bit of this and it's really fun.

Teesha will be doing a couple hours each day of a painting/mixed media workshop and I'm definitely going to participate in that. Also, there is a theme project of a photo cookbook. We're all supposed to bring a recipe photo card for each participant.

So there are plenty of creative options and I'm going to do all of them.

A large part of the whole Journalfest experience is the location. Ft. Warden State Park in Pt. Townsend, WA is so scenic and October can be a very beautiful time of year. From water droplets on the richly colored leaves, morning mist on the lawn, the early morning colors, to mushrooms hiding in the rhododendron glen.

One of the classes I took involved working with wooden book covers and decorating them. I used nails and rivets, milagros I bought months ago then “lost” but found, and bottle caps. Not to mention several iridescent acrylic paints. I got to use a drill, sandpaper, hammers, a doming set, this funky saw thing, and some heavy duty scissors that cut metal.

To turn a bottle cap into a domed piece of cool art, you cut off the ridged border, flatten it, then round it out using a doming block/set.

I made my own rivets in order to affix these little washers to the book. I made the washers too. To make the washers, I took old pieces of tea tins and the like and drilled several small holes. Then you stamp out little circles, making sure the hole is in the center. Then you flatten the circles with a quick whack of a little hammer. To make a rivet, start with a little nail. Drill a hole for the nail. Insert the nail. On the back side slip the washer over the nail. Snip off most of the nail. Then flatten the remaining piece of nail to secure the washer in place. There you have it, hand-made washers and rivets.

Let’s not forget paper for the book. I measured and cut my paper, folded it into signatures, then sewed the signatures into the covers with a single-needle coptic stitch. Another successful journal created.

Homemade Sausage

2011-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hey, want to make sausage at home that doesn't involve casings and butchering and meat grinders? Not to mention you can choose the seasonings. Then read on. Here is a recipe that involves less than an hour of your time but will leave you with homemade sausage at the ready in your freezer for weeks. And this is another recipe that lends itself well to variations on a theme - my favorite kind of recipe. I found my inspiration in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living in a piece by Lucinda Scala Quinn.
Start with pork shoulder because it is flavorful and has a good ratio of fat to meat. I had the butcher prepare about five pounds of boneless shoulder at my local grocery store. Once home, I trimmed off only the most obvious and extra hunk of fat. At just over $2/lb (less if you bone it yourself), it's a very economical way to stock up on homemade food.

Let's start with the seasonings. Some of the classic spices for sausage include fennel, garlic, paprika, sage, and thyme. For my recipe I used the following (measurements are always heaping in my kitchen):

5 pounds boneless pork shoulder (you can make more or you can make less)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons freshly ground allspice
1 1/2 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper

Take the boneless pork shoulder and cube it relatively large. Lay out the pieces on a baking sheet and freeze for about 20 minutes. You want to give the meat some durability before you pulse it in the food processor. You don't want it turning to paste after just a few pulses. Of course, if you were making steamed pork dumplings you'd want a paste. Another recipe.

While the pork is freezing, mix your seasonings. If you like, divide the mixture into as many equal parts as potential logs of sausage. Unless you have a giant food processor, you will need to work in batches to grind four or five pounds of meat.

Working in batches, season and pulse the meat to the consistency you like. I pulsed my batches relatively fine. I like a smaller grind to use for stuffing. And I want the mixture to hold up to slicing later and keep a patty shape in a frying pan.

After the first batch is pulsed, I cooked some of the meat in order to taste and, if needed, re-season or add more meat. It's the only way you're going to know if your flavors are heading in the right direction. Don't wait until you use this sausage in a nice recipe and find out with the first bite that it's bland or has too much sage.

As you pulse each batch, shape them into logs and wrap in parchment paper. According to the recipe I followed, you can freeze the sausage for up to six weeks. The parchment rolls sure do look rustic and all, but I put these parchment-wrapped logs into a freezer bag before I put them in the freezer. To use as patties, thaw the sausage only until it will yield to a knife so it's easy (and safe) to slice. Thaw it completely if you plan to crumble it and cook it.
It was delicious served along with baked polenta squares.

Pic test

2011-11-18T12:33:00.001-08:00

Android Blogger App Test

2011-11-18T12:13:00.001-08:00

Just testing this app. I can add a link: to the library.

And a pic. But will it orientate correctly?

Lights In Westlake Square

2011-11-17T21:29:00.001-08:00

Walking from Artfest Annex back to my car I passed through Westlake Square. Pretty night tonight.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Will Bake For Food Preparations

2011-11-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last night I tested a recipe I’m thinking of making as part of the 2011 Will Bake For Food bake sale. This is the event where Seattle food bloggers bake delicious goods to sell to benefit the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle and King County.

I'm glad I took the time to follow the instructions as written by the author (a discipline I rarely exhibit). I found a couple of issues that I do not want to pass along to bake sale customers on a printed recipe card. The resulting product is delicious but a couple of tweaks to the method are in order.

Join me on November 11 at the University Heights Center in the U-District from 11 am-2 pm. I’m bringing sweet and savory treats.

Butternut Squash with White Beans and Sage

2011-11-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

When I look at a butternut squash I see two recipes. The lower bulb part Ill seed and season with olive oil, salt and pepper and perhaps homemade sambar or garam masala and roast until tender. But the upper part is solid squash, a real treat when you want to peel and cube squash for risotto or curry, soup or stew.

I had one lone can of cannellini beans and a butternut squash. I knew I could turn these into two meals simultaneously. Oh, and on our way down the driveway to take a walk I spotted our sage plants, still with plenty of green leaves. Sage would be the perfect herb for the beans and squash.

Like I said above, the lower part of the squash I seeded, rubbed with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and a dusting of sambar powder and roasted at 400F until tender, roughly 30 minutes.

The remaining squash I peeled, sliced into slabs, sliced the slabs into sticks and the sticks into cubes. In a large non-stick pan I sauteed the squash, three cloves of garlic (chopped), and one medium onion (chopped) in olive oil for about ten minutes. I then added about 1/4 cup of water and covered the pan with a lid, turned down the heat to low and let this simmer for about fifteen minutes. I then seasoned with salt, pepper, a heaping tablespoon of chopped fresh sage, and one seeded jalapeno pepper. The pepper is not for heat (that's why I seeded it) but for color and a bit of crunch. I nice contrast to the soft squash and beans. Oh, yeah, now is when I added one 15oz. can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans. Give this all a good mix and let it simmer for another ten minutes. If it dries out, add another 1/4 cup of water. Be sure to taste and, most likely, re-season - beans absorb salt like crazy.

Serve this immediately or at least warm. A sprinkle of a salty dry cheese is nice too.

Autumn Leaves

2011-11-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

Snapped these shots in our driveway.The camera on my phone has a very decent macro lens. And I have a very wet left knee. But I love the water droplets and the difference in colors from one half of the leaf to the other.

Bob's Bagels at The Undertown

2011-10-28T07:16:00.001-07:00

You can't be in Pt. Townsend on a Friday morning and not go to The Undertown for Bob's Bagels. Here we have an everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers and onions. It's delicious. It hits the spot. It's good for what ails 'ya.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Headed To Journalfest 2011

2011-10-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Later today I will head to Port Townsend to attend Journalfest. This is the third Journalfest and my second. I'm very excited. I'm all packed. I'm actually working from home today until about 11 am so I can then hop the ferry from Fauntleroy to Southworth (about a mile from our house).

Here are the three classes I will be taking:

Thursday: Journaling Place

Friday: Wild Wood Journal

Saturday: The Grimoire

I hope to be posting throughout the weekend, even if it's just pics of the great Port Townsend scenery.

Will Bake For Food November 12, 2011

2011-10-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to participate in the 2011 Will Bake For Food bake sale! Seattle food bloggers bake delicious goods to sell to benefit the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle and King County.

Join us on November 11 at the University Heights Center in the U-District. Check out the Seatte food bloggers who are participating. Yikes, I've got to get my photo up there.

From the WBFF site:

"Our friend, Justin Marx, has pulled together an amazing raffle that will blow you away. Over the next few days we’ll start to share the prize details – you won’t want to miss out! Look for the Raffle page and check out some of the generous gifts given to us by local supporters.

Brett and Curtis from Drippr are back for another shot at hot drinks this year, and word is that they’ll be brewing individual coffees as well as the press pots. They’ll be serving Velton’s Coffee, a local roaster from Everett, WA."

Save the date!

Almond Cornmeal Cookie

2011-10-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

This delicious cookie was inspired by Martha Stewart's Lemon-Cornmeal Sheet Cookie from the November issue of her magazine. I replaced the original recipe's lemon zest with a pinch of cinnamon, I cut back slightly on the sugar, and I omitted the additional sugar on top. I really don't like overly sweet cookies and I wanted something a bit earthier than lemon to pair with Peet's medium roast coffees.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fine ground yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon anise seeds
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten for egg wash
1 decent pinch cinnamon
2-3 tablespoons sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, anise seeds, baking powder, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in whole egg. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture.

Press dough into an even 1/4-inch thickness on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with almonds. Bake until golden - 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Break into pieces.
In the same way I substituted ingredients for this final cookie, I can see future cookies in which I've used cinnamon and nutmeg, cardamom and anise, lemon or orange and cardamom, or even coconut and pistachio. So many flavor combos to try!

Peet's Café Solano and Café Domingo

2011-10-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

I was sent a 12 oz. bag of Peet's Café Solano and a 12 oz. bag of Peet's Café Domingo as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Peet's Coffee. These are Peet's new medium roast coffees, available in stores now.

I haven't made drip coffee at home in a long time. I'm more of a latte gal and make myself big mugs of espresso with steamed milk and lots of foam. But I do like drip coffee and always have it in restaurants after dinner. So I told myself to participate in this Foodbuzz Tastemaker program to get back into the swing of drip coffee.

Our house is already a Peet's household but we prefer a darker roast. I was a bit hesitant about a lighter roast. Would it be strong enough? Would it have enough flavor? In a nutshell the answers are yes and yes - in the right context. Both coffees taste very good - Café Domingo has a hint of toffee and Café Solano has a broader aroma of, well, coffee. Both blends work for us if we add a bit more coffee than is called for in the directions and if we drink it after a meal.

Both coffees paired very well, perhaps better than a darker roast, with the almond cornmeal cookie I made. The cookies have a hint of anise and cinnamon. These two flavors, along with the cookie's nuttiness, are classic coffee companions. The cookie is not overly sweet and I don't sweeten my coffee so I thought the two were perfect together. This cookie is just crunchy enough to sustain a very quick dunk.

We were very pleased with these medium roasts. Both of these roasts are available in ground and whole beans. Here is an online coupon for you – up to a $3.00 value when it's shared with three friends - Peet's Medium Roast Offer.

The recipe for the almond cornmeal cookie is right here!

Future Risotto

2011-10-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

No matter how you spell it, we'll be having these in our risotto tonight!

Quick Beer Bread

2011-10-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

We have lots of beer in our refrigerator. We're not big beer drinkers. We buy it when people come for dinner. Often it doesn't get drunk. So it sits in the refrigerator for months. It's taking up space. But not for long. I'm making beer bread until all the beer has vanished. Look out friends and co-workers - there's a beer bread in your future.Beer bread is so easy to make why didn't I think of it sooner? For this loaf I used Left Hand Brewing Co.'s Good JuJu, a seasonal offering brewed with real ginger. The ginger is very subtle even if drinking this straight but it's a complete non-issue once you cook with it. I found Farm Girl Fare's recipe for inspiration. Once you have the basic idea you can get very creative. I added fresh herbs because I had them. I can also see adding dried fruit, seeds, nuts, cheeses.

Ingredients:

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached bread flour
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
14 ounces beer (or 12 ounces beer & 2 ounces water)
1 handful fresh dill, chopped
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 garlic close, minced

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. Slowly stir in the beer and mix until just combined. You will have a nice thick batter.

Spread this batter into a greased 8-inch loaf pan. I then drizzled a bit of olive oil over it. I baked this until a thin knife stuck in the center came out clean, about 45 minutes. And I turn the pan around about 20 minutes into baking because our oven is hotter in the back.

Let this cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes then slide it out of the pan onto the rack and let it cool about 10 more minutes. This bread tastes best warm but we also enjoyed it at room temperature and even toasted.

Analog Ambassador Voting Round

2011-10-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to learn that I've made it to the voting round in the Analog Ambassador Contest sponsored by Old School Photo Lab. Four contenstants were chosen by the panel and one will now be chosen by the people.

Old School Photo Lab is promoting old school photography and toy camera photography. Winners are equipped with a Holga camera (a classic amongst toy camera enthusiasts) and film and processing. In return, Ambassadors blog about spreading the analog word to the world.

You can vote (maybe even for me!) on the Analog Ambassador section of Old School Photo Lab's site. I can let you know that you will need to create a user name and provide a valid email address. You will be sent a password with which to log in and then vote. Cick on the Analog Ambassador link on the top left to see the four finalists. You cast your vote (or votes) by rating contestants from 1-5 using the little dots under the entry. Links are provided to each participant's blog entry if you'd like to check out my competition. I'm told by voters that it just take a few minutes. You can vote through October 22.

Thanks!

Lomography Magazine Location Page

2011-10-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

Lomography had a call for submissions of West Coast cities. As luck would have it, the only "lomo" photos I've had processed and scanned recently are all of Seattle stuff. I figured I'd filled out the form, upload the photos and give it a shot. I could barely fill out the form but it worked. They published my Location submission on there site in the Magazine section. Pretty cool.

Fall Haul From Carpinito's

2011-10-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

I took an early morning ride to Carpinito Brothers to stock up on winter squash and peppers. I'm never disappointed with this place. This year we are too busy to can tomatoes so I'm putting food "up" this year by preparing and freezing. Yesterday it was homemade sausage. Today it's roasted corn and roasted peppers. K & R brought over green tomatoes and I'll make salsa. They also gave us pears so today I'll also make "apple" sauce with them. All the gourds will live in the basement for the next two or three months. And the deals on whole salmon have been amazing lately. I must have three whole giant salmon fileted and frozen. After today we should be all set for a long Winter's nap.

Oh, yeah, how much do think this cost me? $35. No lie. Local farms are the best.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

2011-10-04T14:25:00.000-07:00

In spite of a recent and brief burst of warm weather at the end of September, Summer is over in the Puget Sound region. I'm already roasted squash and making soup. Here's a soup that is easy and delicious. And I was able to put it together from things I had on hand, my favorite way to cook.

The late Summer has provided us with tomatoes and peppers later in the season. This works to my advantage. I love to have roasted peppers on hand. I roast a huge batch, either in the oven or on the grill, then freeze what I can't use within the week.

I spied roasted peppers in the refrigerator and knew I had just one more jar of homemade canned tomatoes in the basement. I made soup, of course.

Here's what I used, more or less:

4 large roasted bell peppers (red and yellow), seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 handfuls fresh basil leaves
2 cups chopped tomatoes, seeds removed (or canned equivalent without the juice)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
coarse salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
heavy pinch allspice

In your favorite soup pot over medium heat, saute the garlic and onion gently. If it eventually browns a bit, no problem. But let it happen naturally. Meanwhile, seed and chop the tomatoes and the roasted peppers, open the cans of tomatoes if that's what you're using, pour a glass of wine, check your email. A little patience goes a long way.

Once the onions have softened a bit, about 10 minutes, add the peppers and tomatoes and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates. I think this helps concentrate the flavors. We'll thin it out later. Now is a good time to add salt and pepper and allspice. Give it a taste and re-season if you like.
Because the soup is basically cooked at this point, turn off the heat. Let the soup cool for a while before blending. It's safer this way. Next, blend the mixture in batches in the blender or food processor and keep it in a large bowl until it's all blended.

I like to strain this soup because of the seeds involved in both tomatoes and peppers. Yes, you've already removed the seeds but some always sneak through. I strain through a fine sieve, tapping it until I'm left with just seeds. Rinse the sieve and repeat until the whole batch is strained. Yes, it's extra work but it makes for a velvety soup.

Return the strained mixture to the pot and on low heat re-heat and thin to the desired consistency. I left my soup thick. It's a matter of preference and, frankly, my preference changes. If you want the soup thinner, you can use vegetable or chicken broth, water, milk, or creme.

Serve this with warm bread and you will be very happy.

Old School Photo Lab Analog Ambassador Contest

2011-09-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

I love digital photography as much as the next 21st Centurian. But film will always hold a place in my heart.

I was a late bloomer with digital, hanging on to film longer than anyone I knew. I was afraid digital would take the essence out of photography. If anyone could shoot anything at any time with no concern for cost or waste of film, then what's the point? We'll all just be running around taking photographic inventory and not really creating moments.

OK, I know, sounds grim. I got over that, for the most part. But I do still believe that shooting film harkens back to a time (and not that long ago) when we had just a few more minutes to think about the shot. After all, you weren't going to see the result for at least a few days or longer so what's a few more seconds composing a moment and maybe even changing your mind before clicking the shutter?I love details. While everyone else is grabbing the money shots of the Coliseum, I'm huddled in a corner snapping the detail work on a carved marble relief. At Dali's house in Cadaques, I was drawn to the single weed in front of the bold, blue door. Or this stark craving in a museum (this is the only shot I took before I was reminded by the guard that no photography was permitted).About ten years ago I discovered plastic cameras of all kinds. I had a few Holgas, a Classic Diana, a Lubitel, a camera that shot four frames on one exposure, a camera that made miniature Polaroids, and on and on. But after I went digital, I put those toys aside until just recently. I'm shooting with my old Holga (and a new 35mm version) and Diana again and loving it. I've dug out some old contact sheets for and yellowed issues of Shots magazine for inspiration. I'm all about the film these days.
I don't even mind waiting for the processing. It's like a little burst of Christmas when I get the email and the link to the latest photos that have been scanned and uploaded.

I'd love to be an Old School Photolab Analog Ambassador. I'd be the pied piper of film. I've already got two Holgas in my bag at all times. They are a great conversation starter when people see you pointing and clicking and, this always gets the younger ones, cranking that film advance wheel. It's all so obvious and noisy and I love it. I'd encourage people to take a breath, pause, think, and look. Really look at what they are shooting. Wait for something that moves you, whatever it is. Leave the famous landmarks to the postcard industry. Look up close, down low, behind, around. Something is waiting for your film.

Good Friends Share Their Veggies

2011-09-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

Our friends, K & R, live across the street. They have a fabulous vegetable garden and we are the lucky recipients of much of the results. We've been lucky enough to receive lettuces, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, cilantro, basil, and peppers.Look at all of this purple basil! I made a large batch of pesto using both of these basils, garlic, almonds, olive oil, pecorino romano, and a bit of freshly squeezed lemon. No, not the traditional Genovese pesto. I never make it that way. It's good, I like it, but I prefer mixing it up. I use what I have. It's all pesto (paste). And it's all good.

West Seattle Farmer's Market

2011-09-11T14:00:00.001-07:00

Great organic tomatoes from the market today. Along with K & R's basil, this will be a great salad on this hot, hot day.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Sugar Snap Peas with Ginger and Sesame

2011-09-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying this salad as often as possible this Summer. It's a fast way to get veggies into any meal or just to have on hand as a snack. I make a giant bowl of this salad and it only lasts two days. That crunchy snap with the savory toasted sesame and bite from the fresh ginger are hard to resist.

I buy a big bag (or two) of snap peas which are already cleaned and relieved of their strings. These go into a very large bowl along with:

a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
at least a heaping tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced (or diced or grated)
a small clove of garlic, minced
a sprinkle of sesame seeds, to your liking
a heaping tablespoon of Fresno chile, diced (seeded for less heat)
a couple of shakes of Bragg's Liquid Amino
enough of a neutral oil to make it glisten

Toss it all then taste. You might have to readjust. I usually end up adding more ginger. Keep this in the refrigerator and you will not be sorry.

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

2011-09-03T21:28:00.001-07:00

Came home from vacation a day early. We we're tired, wanted to be home. Vacation was fun and it was time to wrap it up. Now I've got a few hundred photos to edit and a blog to create. Soon. A recipe will be posted tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a nice dragonfly.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Test

2011-08-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Testing.

Sailing the San Juan Passage

2011-08-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

Grilled Pizza

2011-08-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Head over to The Rowdy Chowgirl to read about last Saturday's grilled pizza night. Thanks, Rowdy Chowgirl, for a wonderful post.

West Seattle Sunflower

2011-08-18T16:27:00.001-07:00

Walking around my 'hood I'm surrounded by beautiful flowers.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Early Morning Market

2011-08-18T07:41:00.001-07:00

I pass by every day on my way to work. It's the best time of the day to see the sign.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Alki Point Lighthouse

2011-08-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

My destination was Alki but I parked at Constellation Park so I could do some walking. It also doesn't hurt that the tide was out so I ran down to the beach to see what I could see. Most of the starfish were hiding on the undersides of rocks but not this one. This one was keeping cool in this little pool.
When my Alki exploring was over, I made my way back to the car. On the way, I noticed people walking around the grounds of the Alki Point Lighthouse. I've never seen people on the grounds, always thought it was off limits, private property. Usually is, but in July and August volunteer Coast Guard peeps give free tours!
I learned that the exclamation point looking symbol represents a lighthouse or other fixed light. Alki Point light is a flashing light (Fl), flashing every five seconds (5s) at an elevation of 39ft with a range of fifteen nautical miles (15M). Thus concludes my nautical chart reading skills.
The lightbulb in this light is only a 40 watts. The Fresnel lens with its big aperture and small focal length, allows the light to travel much further. Instead of one huge lens, you have several smaller sections. Less material, smaller size, lighter weight, greater distance the light travels. Below we have several knot examples.
An old photo of the light. Check out the giant fog horn sticking out of the side of the building.
The view from the top.

Never Judge A Day By Its Morning

2011-08-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Many mornings in Seattle look like this. And sometimes, the day becomes this. Today is such a day.

The Kitty Has Two Faces

2011-08-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

A new tomcat is in the 'hood. We don't know his name. We feed him even though we know he lives two doors down. But we're a sucker for a hungry cat. He looks like our girl cat, Misu (ME-soo). But since he's a boy, I call him El Misú. And you need to say it like Antonio Banderas or it doesn't count. He comes by and visits. A staring contest ensues. Eventually, El Misú growls or hisses and then I close the door.

The Tuscan Tea Room & Romanza Floral

2011-08-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

Friday we went to The Tuscan Tea Room & Romanza Floral for their happy hour. It's in the Junction, right next door to Wing Dome which is pretty funny. The two places couldn't be more different. I can see how the husbands would go one way and the wives the other. There wasn't one man in the place - as a customer. I have to admit, the place is a bit over the top with decor. Not my cup of tea, pun not even intended. That's me in the giant mirror snapping a self-portrait. And as far as tea goes, I like tea just fine. I might even like to go here for an official tea service. But I didn't look at the tea menu so I can't comment on what's available.
We were in the mood for food and a cocktail. We each had a cocktail with a grapefruit influence. S chose a drink with a sweeter taste and mine had a bit more of a bite thanks to the tequila. They have a happy hour drink menu and plenty of small plates - chiccheti ( chi-KET-tee) - which you can easily turn into a satisfying dinner. Below you see the Polenta ai Fungi and the Spiedini. The polenta was fabulous and it was hard to share it. The spiedini had a wonderful flavor but the sausage and the pork tenderloin were each a bit dry.
Here is the Crespelle Porcini and it was creamy and mushroomy and very good. We also had the Scampi Fra Diavolo (not pictured) which was very spicy. I happen to like that. My eyes watered a bit and my lips tingled. I was surprised it was so spicy. Usually places will tone down the spice for the typical American diner. I'm glad they didn't but just know that they mean business. Then again, it could have been a heavy hand on the part of the chef that evening. All in all it was a really nice way to spend the evening together. Afterwards, we strolled the Junction, window shopping, browsing in stores we'd not yet explored, and stopping at Husky Deli for dessert.

Photo Upload: Cool Cat

2011-07-27T18:20:00.001-07:00

Miles is the man.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

More Summer Shots

2011-07-25T19:05:00.001-07:00

The weather during our recent trip to Sequim and Pt. Townsend was perfect. The weather today is great too so here are some shots of the trip to keep me in the mood. Above is the nifty cairn I built during our stroll onto the Dungeness Spit. The rocks there are flat and smooth, perfect for stacking. No shells on this beach, just rocks. The beach off the main drag in Pt. Townsend had some shells and even giant crab shells (of course, I picked up some for my collection) but really no flat, smooth rocks. I'm going to need to research this.We learned that Indian Paintbrush can grow at sea level.
And you can't go to the Olympic Peninsula without stopping at a lavender farm. Best time to go is the week after the Lavender Festival, on a Friday, like we did. You'll have every farm to yourself.The forecast is sunny and dry for the next several days. More pics will follow to document this strange phenomena.

Mobile Photo for Today: A Good Place To Read on a Rainy Day

2011-07-25T18:59:00.001-07:00

At C & P Coffee.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Summer, Is That You?

2011-07-24T12:35:00.001-07:00

Olympic Lavender Farm

2011-07-22T16:16:00.001-07:00

Aroma therapy on a grand scale!

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Watermelon and Feta Salad Makes Me a Winner

2011-07-19T17:37:00.001-07:00

I am very new to Twitter. I barely know how to use it or how it works. However, I do know how to reply to a tweet. There's a reply option so even I can figure it out. Westlake Whole Foods held a Twitter contest - favorite summer salads. With the reply option so handy, I couldn't resist. Especially because S and I have been enjoying an addictive combination of watermelon, olives and feta. Here's my tweet:
Here's the salad we've been gobbling up lately. Inspiration came from Nigella Lawson in an episode of Nigella Lawson Forever Summer Pink. Nigella used regular black olives but I prefer the wrinkled, oil-cured fruity ones. She used mint but, ultimately, we prefer parsley or basil. She marinated thinly sliced red onion in the lime juice and I've done it but don't always do it. Often, I just squeeze the lime over the salad. And I don't toss this salad because that just mushes it. I layer it.It's simple: slices of watermelon, chunks of feta cheese, oil-cured black olives, freshly chopped basil or parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lime. It's delicious.

Apparently, the folks at the Westlake Whole Foods liked the salad idea because I was one of seven winners. I won two tickets to the Summer Supper Club.

From the Whole Foods website:

We will be joined by Alan Linck, Westlake's Produce Team Leader, and our menu will feature local and seasonal produce lovingly prepared by Chef Hayden.

Menu includes:

Baby Lettuce Salad with Pickled Sweet Onions, Figs, and Local Cotija Cheese with a Chipotle Citrus Dressing
Chilled Cucumber and Green Garlic Yogurt Soup With a Jalapeno Plum Relish
Chile, Heirloom Tomato Braised Baby Summer Squashes with Fresh Corn, Pumpkin Seeds, Raisins, and Pinenuts on a Poblano Masa Cake with a Cilantro Crema

Here is the recipe for the opening salad. It was nice and spicy from the chipotle powder. The spice was complimented by the sweetness of the figs.
The cotija cheese gave a bit of richness.
The next course was a yogurt and cucumber chilled soup with green garlic and a plum and jalapeno relish. A bit strong on the green garlic. Not at first but it built up. I have a high tolerance for garlic but raw garlic, even green garlic, is pretty strong. But the idea of this soup was inspiring and I'll be trying to replicate it soon at home.
The final course, the dish that really shined, was the calabacitas. My version of calabacitas is more of a soup creamed with goat's milk. This version was hearty like a stew but without meat. The thick red base was full of flavor, thanks to olive oil and butter, and smothered the two masa cakes hidden underneath a wealth of zucchini, summer squash and Thumbalina carrots. Instead of corn kernels, a hunk of cobb corn was in each bowl. Pepitas and pine nuts added contrasting crunch to the soft vegetables. We ate every bit in spite of how full we felt. We knew we would not get this again unless I figured out how to make it or a dish similar. I'm up to the challenge, especially if the weather doesn't change.
Thank you Emily, Tami, Alan, and Chef Hayden for the opportunity to experience Summer Supper Club!

Headed to Olympic Music Festival

2011-07-17T09:33:00.001-07:00

Aboard the ferry Tilicum. In spite of clouds, should reach 70 degrees.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Rainy Morning Sleeping Kitty

2011-07-16T08:26:00.001-07:00

Phone pic using Vignette app.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Today's Mobile Photo

2011-07-14T18:31:00.001-07:00

Taken from high atop the Medical Dental Building downtown. Using the Little Photo app for Android.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Puget Sound Extra Low Tides

2011-07-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a big post about three visits to Discovery Park and one visit to Mee Kwa Mooks Park for low tides during June and July. I wish negative tides like these happened every day. But I think that would give us a full moon every night too and that that could get weird. Anyway, whenever I get the chance I take off for the water to muck about with the seaweed, moon snails, anemone, and crabs, and plenty of herons and bald eagles.

In the photo above, because of the perspective, it looks as if these people could summit Mt. Rainier in just a few steps. In the distance you can also see the West Seattle Bridge and some of the cranes that load and unload shipping containers on Harbor Island.

At Discovery Park, before I even get to the water, I walk through the woods and listen to the calls of the Swainson's thrush (one of my favorite bird calls) and the spotted towhee. I also pass a small meadow filled with daisies and lupine.

Just a nice clam with barnacles hitching a ride - and an existence.
A shy anemone
The Olympic Mountains seem close enough to touch.You never know what you might find on the beach. I've been on one Argosy cruise or another about eight times and I've yet to purchase the pic from the mandatory photo opp. Maybe this is what happens to all the abandoned photos?
West Point Lighthouse.
Found this beautiful crab claw shell. I love crab shells. Best part, all the joints were still connected and still worked (still are and still do).

Looks like someone stepped on this crab shell. This is how I found it. It reminds me of learning about Pangea, the super continent that broke apart to eventually form the continents are we know them today.
Behold the moon snail. Beautiful shell. Large shell. This is the first time I've ever found a shell with its inhabitant still inside. The snail spends most of its time under the sand hunting clams.But when it surfaces, let's say because of low tide, it hides inside the shell and shuts the door. Here is the underside of the moon snail. You can see that it has shut its operculum to seal itself inside. It's made of material much like our fingernails and is relatively hard. Behold the moon snail sand collar. Looks like a half-buried piece of pottery. When a moon snail is ready to lay eggs, it constructs this egg case in which it will deposit the eggs. The moon snail lives mostly under the sand but it must surface to construct the sand collar. The snail, a sizeable bivalve (the shell alone is the size of a softball), basically surrounds itself with its huge foot, the muscular apendage it uses for locomotion. The cilia on the foot gather sand until the snail is almost completely covered. The sand has been combined with mucous so it has stiffened and formed a protective barrier around the snail.
Then the snail lays several thousand eggs and the cilia go to work again, this time distributing the eggs all over the surface of the first layer of the sand collar. Next, another layer of sand and mucous is gathered forming the outermost layer. The eggs are sandwiched between the two layers. When it's all said and done, the snail must extricate itself from this sand sculpture. Again, the giant foot goes to work and the snail digs straight down into the sand, disappearing from view, leaving behind this amazing structure.
As the eggs mature and hatch and leave the collar, it begins to break apart. You should never disturb a complete sand collar. An intact sand collar is a pretty good indication that the eggs are still inside.
Thanks to the parks representative who was available to answer questions right on the beach, I learned it was a good idea to bury this snail in the sand. Luckily, two little girls equipped with buckets and shovels were up to the task at the representative's request. The snail will be safe from seagulls if it's back in the sand.

I saw only half in tact collars and even picked up a piece of one floating in the water. It's a bit leathery but still fragile.

Here is what happens when a moon snail gets hold of a clam. That hole is work of the moon snail's radula. With the radula, the moon snail bores a hole into the clam to access the juicy insides. Yikes.
Again, the sea-level perspective really plays tricks with your eyes. This boat looks too close.

At Mee Kwa Mooks I spotted purple sea stars, a shy red crab and orange sea cucumbers.
Here's a close-up. See the red crab?
This tiny hermit crab housed in this brilliant yellow and green shell was barely as big as my pinky fingernail. It was cruising along the edge of this limpet.Here it is again. I like the sun glitter in this shot.This pattern in the rocks caught my eye.Here is the Alki Lighthouse, seen from Mee Kwa Mooks Park.

Sketchbook Project Finally Digitized!

2011-07-08T18:31:00.001-07:00

I've just been notified that my Sketchbook Project sketchbook has finally been digitized! I've waited months. Granted, I do have my own scans of the whole book but they aren't very good. At least the Art House scans are clear and bright, even if I can't rotate them. Yes, for some of the pages you will have to tilt either your head or your laptop.

From the email:

Viewers can find your book two different ways so far:

1) by going to your profile (http://www.arthousecoop.com/users/bodanzarama) and then clicking on the Artwork tab.
2) by using the library directory and searching for your name. As with the entire Digital Library, things are constantly being worked on, and the searchable directory is one of them. Please allow up to 24-48 hours for your book to be indexed and searchable.

We've put together a quick little introduction video about the digitizing process over here: http://www.arthousecoop.com/digitizing.

And, because I'm a solid 6 on the Enneagram scale and I like it when the rules are followed, I am compelled to add that all of the work in my Sketchbook Project book is mine and mine alone so please do not copy it. Please do not use it as your own. Please just look at it and enjoy it. Thank you.

Owl Cookies From Mom

2011-07-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

Take a look at these cookies I just received (literally minutes ago) in the mail from my Mom, part of an early birthday package (birthday is later this month). She talked about making this recipe but kept the owls a secret. She knows I dig owls.Ginger molasses and delicious! I should add that she cut these free-hand. The one eye shut is an inside family joke but not an uncommon owl expression.Thanks Mom!

Huge Italian Veggie Sandwich

2011-07-01T11:29:00.001-07:00

Sitting at Whole Foods, about to enjoy this hearty and flavorful sandwich.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Eggplant and Roasted Pepper Sandwich and The Encyclopedia of Sanwiches

2011-06-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

I love sandwiches. What luck that Susan Russo of Food Blogga, one of my regular reads, was offering readers the chance to review her latest book, The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches. I ask for and received a copy. I’ve taken a long time to review it, much longer than I intended. Life is so busy these days. But sandwiches are one of my favorite things to eat, probably because they are an excellent vehicle for condiments, another one of my favorite things to eat. The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches is published by Quirk Books and distributed by Random House. Pick up your copy here, here, or here.
The book is not too big and not too small, a good size for reading while lying on the couch pondering your food for the day. It's also a good size to have on the kitchen counter as a reference while you work your sandwich magic.

Thankfully, the book is not just list after list of sandwich ingredients. Each sandwich recipe is preceded by a short history and cultural profile. Did you know this is how to order a Philly cheesesteak so you don't stick out like an obvious tourist?

1. Know what you want before getting in line.
2. Don't smile or dilly-dally when it's time to order.
3. Order like a local, and keep it to three words. The first word is one, which means you're ordering one sandwich. The second indicates the type of cheese you want. And the third is either wit or witout, which indicates your preference for fried onions. So "one, Whiz, wit" is a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and fried onions.

Now you know.

Many recipes have suggestions for variations on the theme. I appreciate this part probably the most. I rarely use recipes but I do like to use them for inspiration. So I like to know what the author suggests for ways to be creative with the basic plan. For example, a BLT is simple enough, right? By why stop there? One or two more steps and you could have a BLAT (by adding avacado) or a BLOFT (with carmelized onions and feta). From these suggestions I came up with a BLOPT (with carmelized onions and roasted peppers).

Sure, you'll find American favorites like PB&J, a hamburger, and egg salad but I really like that Russo has shared with us the sandwich traditions of other cultures. We've got the Vietnamese Bánh Mì, the Cubano, Falafel, and Croque-Monsieur, to name a few. At first pass through the book I was disappointed that I didn't see the pan bagnat, one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. Upon closer inspection, I realized Russo calls it the Tuna Niçoise Sandwich.

Photography by Matt Armendariz is clean and bright. For the most part, this works just great for me. I do like to know what the author had in mind for a finished product. But I would have liked to have seen a few gritty shots of not so brightly lit, half-eaten and crumbling sandwiches, you know? A few shots of what a sandwich really looks like when someone is just groovin' on a good thing.

Today, after flipping through the book again (almost every couple days I pick it up to help get the sandwich wheels turning in my brain), I thought hey, I've got an eggplant, I just roasted peppers earlier in the week, I've got mushrooms I can carmelize and a nice block of goat cheese. I will make a fabulous sandwich! And that's what I did.
I sliced and roasted the eggplant, after brushing with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. I carmelized mushrooms in olive oil and a few shots of Bragg's Liquid Amino which gives it a meaty but not too salty taste. I sliced open a seedy baguette, brushed with olive oil and toasted under the broiler. Then I stacked all the ingredients and had a wonderful lunch. In a couple of days, I'll no doubt pick of Russo's book again and start the whole process over.

Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips

2011-06-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a follow-up dish to making homemade tortillas. Again, making your own tortilla chips is the alternative for you if you want to know exactly what's going into your food.
When you start with a stack of homemade tortillas, you start with only what you need, nothing extra like preservatives. And, once again, they will be fresh! OK, let's say you want to make your own chips from store-bought tortillas. Here is what you get from the typical store-bought tortillas:Three different preservatives. And here is what you get in a higher-end brand of "hand-made" tortillas, the kind they tout as the real deal:Huh, my corn tortillas aren't even gluten-free if I go this route. So make a batch of tortillas then make your chips. I brushed both sides of my tortillas with a bit of olive oil then sprinkled liberally with salt. Here is where you can add any seasoning you like, including a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
I baked these at about 400-425 (hard to tell with our oven) until I saw some color then flipped them over for just another minute or so. You don't have to babysit them but you do have to stay close to the oven. This process only takes about 15 minutes.
The finished product was crunchy AND chewy. I started with tortillas which were a bit on the tick side. And there is nothing stopping you from deep-frying your chips for that serious crunch.

Who draws the crowd and plays so loud,

2011-06-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

Baby it's the sitar man (at the University District Farmers Market).

Do We Need A Bigger Couch?

2011-06-03T08:25:00.001-07:00

I should point out the sun glare in the one shot. It's going to be a sunny day!

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

West Seattle Morning

2011-06-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

It's not the best photo but it was shot on the quick with my point-and-shoot as I crested my street this morning at about 5:40 a.m. When I look at this scene, my brain deletes the electric poles and wires and I just see sun on snow-caps and fog tucked between islands.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

2011-05-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about making corn tortillas for a long time. I was delaying because I thought I didn't like corn tortillas. What I don't like are corn tortillas from a store. I find them way too, well, corny. And sometimes bitter. And by the time you buy them from a store, they aren't fresh. Nothing beats a tortilla made fresh and eaten while it's warm.

Corn tortillas are simple to make. Very, very simple. If you need some encouragement there are videos on the Internet to get you started. But it's easy, trust me. Even if you don't have a tortilla press you can do this.

First, start with some masa harina. This is corn flour that has been treated with lime. It's sold in 5-pound bags at our grocery stores. I would think any grocery store in a semi-large urban area will carry masa harina. You can also order it online. With masa harina you can make tortillas, pupusas, tamales, empanadas, sopes, and gorditas. So it's worth the effort to get some and start cooking. Now, when I take photos for the blog, I'm limited to a very small area in the house with sufficient natural light. I have a small area on the dining room table and that's about it. Any time I set up items to photograph, it's like the cats hear, "Attention K-Mart shoppers!" and I spend half the time pushing them away from the food or, in this case, the bag of masa harina. By the time you set the bag on the table and dig for the camera in your bag, the cats are all over the table - a definite infraction of the house rules. But I figured what the hell, just take the shots. Miles had to chew the bag because he loves to chew.
Misu doesn't chew but she does love to eat so she made sure she wasn't missing a snack opp.
The instructions are provided on the package. I used two cups of masa, a pinch of salt and about a cup and a half of water. The proportions are an estimate. Add enough water to form a dough like play-dough. Remember, there is no gluten in corn flour so don't expect any elasticity while you knead. And you can't over work this dough. Just keep working it until you get a nice moist but not wet dough. Place a damp towel over the dough if you still have work to do before you cook the tortillas.
You can use a tortilla press like I have here. You can find them in any Mexican grocery and even in Safeway in my neck of the woods. I picked up mine at a Mexican store in White Center. I think it was $8. Plastic and easy to clean.
Speaking of plastic, line each surface of the press with plastic wrap, wax paper, or cut open a freezer bag but leave the end seam in tact. You can open and close it like a book while it's tucked inside the press.
In the meantime, heat your griddle or your flat pan to a relatively high heat. Be mindful that some non-stick pans do not tolerate high heat while empty on a burner. Roll out golf-size balls of dough. If you roll them all out at once (recommended) keep that damp towel over them. Place a dough ball on the plastic-lined press, just slightly off-center. Place the other half of the plastic on top of the ball. Lower the top of the press onto the ball and press. Then bring the handle down over the top and press again. If you don't have a press, use a large heavy plate or pan. Use a piece of wood or an old dictionary. Something flat that can take the pressure of a good heavy press.
When you open up the press you should have a nice flat uncooked tortilla. Here is where a delicate hand and some practice will pay off. Pick up the tortilla while still on the plastic and flip it over onto your hand and gently peel away the plastic. With the tortilla now free in you hand, slap it down onto your dry griddle or into your dry pan. If the tortilla breaks just cook the pieces. Eats the same. After you make a few of them it gets easier. Cook on each side for about at least a minute. Depends on how hot the griddle is. I just let them go and go and flip a few times. Some light brown spots might appear. The tortilla might puff up. Both are signs of a homemade delicious tortilla. As you remove them from the heat, keep them in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in a dish towel.
And then you can get your grub on by filling these with anything. How about spicy ground turkey (with garlic, onion, jalapenos, smoked paprika, yellow bell peppers, a spicy seasoning we picked up in Chimayo, NM, and a heavy glug of Jufran banana ketchup) and homemade pico de gallo?
The tortillas were tender, flexible, warm, slightly chewy. And the corniness was subtle. Not at all bitter. All through dinner S and I kept raving about how good they were. You can store the remaining tortillas in a freezer bag in the refrigerator for a week (according to the instructions on the bag of masa harina). To re-heat them, I just threw them back on the griddle the next night while I made another batch. You can also loosely wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds. You can also make tortilla chips! Details to follow.

Hand Forged Metal Journals at The Annex

2011-05-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I spent the day using all sorts of cool hand tools in Tracy Moore's fabulous Hand Forged Metal Journals class. It was held at The Annex in Pioneer Square.I got to use things like a center punch, letter stamps, a dremel, a blow torch (my fave), sandpaper, some burnishing ink, hammers, this weird thing I don't even know the name for and the list goes on.

Check out Tracy's blog where he has posted shots of some of the other journals. They are amazing. I kept mine very simple. Life has just been too nutty lately and I had no energy to plot out a design prior to class. I'm glad I went and got to use the tools and learn the techniques. Now I do have ideas in my head for future metal journals.

Here are just two of many examples of Tracy's journals he displays at The Annex.

After Tracy discussed all of the tools and many of the techniques, we each set to work. The day was one big open workshop. All of us just drilling, sanding, cutting, and hammering like crazy. This is not something you would do in an apartment. I wore earplugs the whole time (considerately supplied by Tracy).

After I decided which kind of leather to use and how it would look once sewn onto the copper cover, I began altering the copper. You have to get all of this part done first. Once the covers are bound you are limited in how you can alter them. I can't remember if we learned what this method and what these tools are called but they were very popular. "Blumping" was the casual term for hammering these bubbles into the copper.

And once a girl has finished blumping, it's time for the blow torch!
Applying the flame to the copper changes it dramatically. The best part, besides just getting to use a blow torch, is you never know how it will turn out. I love how the covers look. Shiny new copper is nice but heated copper is fantastic.

Now it's time to drill all the holes for the stitching. It's a good idea to hammer in a couple of nails to hold everything to the wood block. This way the whole operation stays put while you drill a couple dozen closely spaced holes.

Now it's time to stitch.

Before you know it, you have a book.

Pioneer Square Images

2011-05-21T09:45:00.001-07:00

Waiting for Tracey Moore's Hand-forged Metal Journals class to begin. Held at The Annex. Details to come. Happy Saturday.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Chaco Canyon in West Seattle

2011-05-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

Chaco Canyon's new location is in my 'hood! My mom and I had their lentil burger recently. So delicious. The special sauce is creamy, the burger flavorful and hearty and filling. My mom had a side of quinoa salad and I had a cup of African sweet potato and peanut soup. The soup had a nice bite. I'll be making my own lentil burgers this weekend. Details to follow - probably. I've been crazy busy and I'm way behind in cooking or art journalling. But I'll be back soon.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Slow Down

2011-05-10T16:18:00.001-07:00

Life has just been flying by. A new work schedule. Extra busy at work. Out of town guests three times in a month. The latest, my Mom, is sitting with me at Bird On A Wire sipping a latte and nibbling an owl cookie. A nice day for a walk, a stroll really. And a sit.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Alternative Uses For Curled Up Cat

2011-04-16T13:38:00.001-07:00

Drawing table for the lap.

Coming to you live from my own Galaxy!

Ancient History Geek Stamp Carving

2011-04-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

I'm about to get my ancient history geek on when I show you the latest rubber stamps I carved this past weekend. They are heavily based on drawings and clay seals found at the Çatalhöyük excavation.Çatalhöyük, or Çatal Höyük, is a very old (one of the oldest) Neolithic site in southern Anatolia in Turkey. We're talkin' people lived here about 7500 BCE, OK? Old. I learned of this site while doing prep research for our Turkey trip we took back in October of 2009. And while in Turkey, we visited the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Anakara, Turkey's capital city and got to see all o the amazing articles excavated. In fact, you can visit the excavation and I would LOVE it. Some day. You can check out my pics of our museum visit included in Day 4 of the Turkey trip's blog.

There are more Çatalhöyük stamps to come. And I'm working on a line of Viking-inspired stamps, possibly branching out in Anglo-Saxon, Picts, Celts, etc. Before long I'll probably have several geek series of stamps. History geeks unite and carve!

Alternative Uses For A Fridge Pack

2011-04-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Cat tunnel.

Sharpen Your Sushi Skills

2011-04-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing catch-up with some recent events. Back in March I attended a hands-on cooking class at the West Seattle PPC Market to hone my sushi skills. This PCC location has been remodeled and it's great. With the remodel we got a giant class room with everything you'd need for any kind of cooking class. It even has large screen monitors above the display area so you can watch the action on the screen, giving you an aerial shot of the instructor's hands and work. The instructor chopped an enormous amount of vegetables for the entire class to use through two rounds of sushi roll creation. The years he spent in a Zen monastery must have taught him patience.
Each table sat four and lacked for nothing in the way of sushi accessories.

Ah, the salty and shiny tamari.
Here is my first plate of fixin's, including umeboshi paste, arugula, avacado, cuke, carrots, and baked tofu.
The trick to keeping your bamboo rolling mat like new for a decade - a resealable plastic bag. The instructor said he's been using the same bamboo mats for a decade. He makes sure not to get them wet or dirty with food.
Begin with your sheet of nori then apply the rice but not too much. This is where many people go wrong - too much rice. Then a schmear of umeboshi and wasabi.
Begin rolling, carefully but with purpose. When you slice the roll, keep your knife moist, parallel to the table, and retain a nice even sawing motion. Do not apply too much pressure or you will squish all that work you just did.
Cut some pieces on the bias. Looks all professional, huh?
If stuffing comes out of the end pieces, so be it. It all adds to the presentation.
Now for the inside-out roll - nori on the inside, rice on the outside. It's not as tricky as it sounds. This time begin with a half sheet of nori and an even layer of rice. Then take a sheet of wax paper, place it on top of the rice then slide your hand underneath the plastic bag and flip the whole thing over onto the wax paper so that the nori is on top.
Then build your roll on top of the nori.

Carefully roll it up using the wax paper as your guide. Cut your pieces while the roll is still wrapped in the wax paper. And, presto, you have the inside-out roll!
In May I will take a class on how to make piroshky.

Gochugaru Revisited

2011-03-31T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to say again I am a first-rate condiment aholic/slave/whore/devotee/whatever you want to call it. I. Love. Condiments. And I love my most recent discovery - gochugaru - because with it I can make gochugaru paste. You might remember this paste from the Kimchi chronicles two weeks ago. It's swett and spicy and salty, the trinity of condiments. Here is the ingredient list again but remember, this is for a large batch. I'll make it again soon but cut it all in half. And I will most likely cut the onions even more. Even though I plan to do more cooking with it (as opposed to just slathering it raw onto food), I found the onion flavor too strong.

1 cup gochu garu (coarse Korean red pepper flakes)

3 Tbs. dark brown sugar

1 Tbs. salt 1 medium apple, unpeeled, cored and quartered

1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

6 to 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 oz. (about 1 inch) fresh ginger, peeled and thickly sliced

To make the paste, combine the gochu garu with 1/2 cup water. Add the sugar and salt and mix well. Set this aside. In a food processor, purée the apple, onion, anchovies, garlic, and ginger until smooth. Add the purée to the red pepper paste and mix thoroughly. Then you can use it liberally on everything, even asparagus and eggs.

I hadn't intended to use it on this dish because I wasn't sure if the ginger would clash with the olive oil and parmesean cheese. Not to worry. The gochugaru made the whole thing sparkle.

I also use it on toast, on rice, mixed into homemade dal, and I even made a loaf of bread with it. It was good.

Your Point?

2011-03-30T05:41:00.001-07:00

You're trying to get ready for work and need to brush your teeth? And this concerns me how?

Day Trippin' Continued

2011-03-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more shots from our day trip to Pt. Townsend. The weather took a turn for the better once we rolled into town so we headed to Ft. Warden and the beach. We took a stroll by the water. There was an art print show/sale going on in building 205 so we walked through there too. Then once around the large main lawn. We then headed back into town for lunch and window shopping.

We really liked Wild Sage Teas. I found wonderful handmade soap. You can sit and have tea but we were on the move for lunch.We didn't go far. Just a couple doors from Wild Sage we read the menu and decided to try Fountain Cafe (Can someone tell me if they have a website? Been looking online everywhere. Wanted to re-read the menu).
S had the mussels and clams. Delicious broth. I had the homemade black bean burger with a cup of the smoked turkey tomatillo soup. Everything was great. For dessert we split the warm gingerbread with vanilla custard sauce. We waddled out of there very satisfied. Time for another walk.
The colorful yarns in the yarn store mirrored the rainbow of votive holders in The Candle Store which is connected by a doorway. I was surprised and pleased to find my favorite incense in this store - Potala Incense. Until yesterday, I could find it in only one place, Travelers on Pine. I check any and all places selling incense but I never see it. Not only does this place have it, they have it in sticks twice as long as the ones I've seen so far. By the way, you can find Potala Incense online but I like to search for it in person.
On the step of the Candle Store I spotted some coins. It looked to me as if it was left as an offering so I didn't disturb it. Don't want any bad ju-ju on me, no sir.

Day Trippin' in Pt. Townsend

2011-03-26T11:09:00.001-07:00

Latte, sesame flax cookie from Candace's Cookies, and the New York Times at The Undertown. Not a bad morning, huh?

Sketchbook Project Tour - Austin, TX

2011-03-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit behind in reporting that the Sketchbook Project Tour is underway. The show was in Austin, Texas on March 12 and 13. As it happens, I have an Aunt and Unc who live in Georgetown, not too far from Austin. I let them know the show had hit the road and they and a friend caught up with it at the Spider House. I was pretty excited that they would actually be checking out my book from the traveling library and paging through the madness. Hey, that's my book! It was odd to work in it for so long and then sending it away for ever. It didn't make me sad but I do miss it.
The Spider House looks like a funky joint (from visiting their site). The menu isn't bad either.
Hey, pages from my book.

Here is the outside of Spider House. There is a chance S and I will be heading west in the Autumn. Perhaps we'll drop in.
As if the Aunt and Unc visiting my sketchbook wasn't cool enough, today I received a package from said Aunt and Unc containing this cool cloth tote and stickers! Thank you! They didn't even know I love stickers and stick them everywhere.

Papaya & Lime

2011-03-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

This is an easy one. Peel and slice a papaya. Remove the seeds. Squeeze a generous amount of lime over it. Eat. A whole papaya can disappear in minutes. Make sure you get your share.

Get Your Kimchi On!

2011-03-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

Kimchi. You like it or you don't. You might not even know what it is. But if you know what it is and you dig it, you can make it yourself. And if you get a fellow foodie to help, it will take no time at all.

It was Christina's idea and it was inspired. I probably wouldn't have taken up this adventure on my own, in spite of being a first-rate condiment-aholic.

Christina suggested we use the recipe from In Praise of Leftovers our guide. It was a good suggestion.

Take a few hours on a rainy day and make kimchi. You will be so happy. You will have a big jar of spicy, crunchy, aromatic Korean goodness and you won't want to share. And that's OK.

First, salt the cabbage. You will need:

1 (2-lb.) napa cabbage, trimmed, and cut into 2- to 3-inch rectangular pieces (about 15 cups)
2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

This is kind of like making lasagna but the cabbage is the noodles and the salt is the tomato sauce. A layer of cabbage, a sprinkle of salt, a layer of cabbage, a sprinkle of salt, you get the idea. Put a piece of plastic wrap directly on the cabbage and then weigh down with anything heavy. We used a container of flour. Let the cabbage rest at room temperature for 3 hours.While the cabbage is salting, have coffee and talk for a while. Then make the paste.

This paste is fabulous and I've been using it on just about everything. You will have to get your hands on some gochu garu - Korean red pepper flakes. A Korean market will have them. Perhaps any Asian market might have them. I picked up a bag at Uwajimaya's. By the way, you can get a giant tub of gochu garu paste there too. But we needed a specific paste for our kimchi. So here is what we used:

1 cup gochu garu (coarse Korean red pepper flakes)
3 Tbs. dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. salt
1 medium apple, unpeeled, cored and quartered
1/2 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
6 to 8 oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 oz. (about 1 inch) fresh ginger, peeled and thickly slicedTo make the paste, combine the gochu garu with 1/2 cup water. Add the sugar and salt and mix well. Set this aside.

In a food processor, purée the apple, onion, anchovies, garlic, and ginger until smooth. Add the purée to the red pepper paste and mix thoroughly. The recipe we followed instructed us to refrigerate the paste and use it the next day. In the spirit of wanting kimchi sooner than later, we used the paste roughly three hours after we made it.

This paste is fabulous. Sweet, hot, salty - the trifecta of the perfect condiment. I will be making this again just for the heck of it so I can eat it with everything. The paste will keep in the refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Now have some lunch.
About fifteen minutes before your three-hour cabbage salting stint is over, prepare the daikon radish.

For the daikon mix:

3/4 lb. daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks (about 2 cups)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp. granulated sugar
8 to 10 scallions, halved lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
5 medium cloves garlic, minced or chopped (depends on how big of a chunk of garlic you want to bite into later)
2 oz. (about 2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks

In a medium bowl, combine the daikon, 2 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp sugar the sugar. Let rest for 15 minutes.

With your hands, rub the daikon strips until they’re soft and pliable. Drain the daikon in a colander. Wipe out the bowl. Gather the daikon into a ball and squeeze out any liquid; return to the bowl.

Add the scallions, garlic, and ginger to the daikon and toss to distribute. Add the daikon mixture to the cabbage and toss again.

After your cabbage has been salting for three hours, transfer it to a colander, rinse briefly, and let drain. Take handfuls of the cabbage, squeeze out any excess liquid, and put the squeezed cabbage in the bowl. Wearing disposable plastic gloves, use your hands to mix 3/4 - 1 cup of the kimchi paste with the cabbage mixture. Be sure the cabbage mixture is thoroughly coated with the kimchi paste. At this point taste it because you might want more salt or you might not.

Put the cabbage in a gallon-sized plastic freezer bag. Seal the bag almost all the way. Starting from the bottom of the bag, roll the bag forward to expel air. Try to prevent liquid from seeping out of the bag. When you have almost reached the top, seal the bag completely. Let the kimchi ferment at room temperature for 24 hours.

The next day, transfer the kimchi and its liquid to a sterile wide-mouth glass jar big enough to allow for extra space and refrigerate. You can eat this immediately or wait 24 hours or longer, depends on how fermented a flavor you like. Kimchi will last in the refrigerator for at least 4 weeks.

Journalfest 2011

2011-03-07T17:13:00.000-08:00

Registration is open for Journalfest 2011! I've been looking forward to this since the last Journalfest (my first). I'm determined to make my class decisions and have my registration in the mail by the weekend's end.

A Place To Rest Your Leg

2011-03-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

We all need one.

Raw Mediterranean Bread

2011-02-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

This bread is inspired by Russell James' Mediterranean Almond Bread, with several revisions.

My ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds, soaked
1 cup raw sunflowers soaked
1/2 cup flax seed, ground
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 zucchini, chopped
1 apple, cored and chopped
2 garlic cloves
3 dates, pitted
1/2 cup soaked sun-dried tomato
2-3 tbsps Bragg's Liquid Amino
fresh basil

Blend all of the ingredients into a thick batter. I suggest processing the nuts and seeds with the garlic first then remove from the processor. Then the sun-dried tomatoes, onion, pepper, zucchini and apple. Finally, put everything back into the processor along with your herbs and seasonings. Taste and re-season, if needed. Finally, spread the batter onto the non-stick sheet of your dehydrator tray. A nice trick at this stage is to score the bread into the pieces you hope to cut later. Then again, this bread is easy to slice with a pizza cutter or big knife. It's up to you. Dehydrate at 110 degrees for a couple of hours, or until you can flip the bread. When you flip it, remove the non-stick sheet and replace it with the plastic grate so air can circulate around the bread. Continue to dehydrate for several hours until the bread is how you like it. I could say six or 8 hours but it really depends on how you made the bread and how soft/crispy you like it. This raw bread (and the next one I'll post about) is just so tasty. Easily 10 times better than the last one I made. Crunchy and chewy. We have moved on in a big way. Only delicious raw breads from now on. If you can control the temperature, you can not only stick to your raw guns but you can have chewy if you want chewy and crunchy if you want crunchy and so on. Being able to control the heat gives you a better final product.
Today I had a very delicious sandwich with avacado and tomato.
Open face is easy with this bread but you can stuff things between two slices with great success.

Tobiko (flying fish roe)

2011-02-15T06:42:00.000-08:00

Hey, I forgot to mention that while at Seattle Fish Company we picked up a small jar of tobiko, flying fish roe. They have a few different flavors. We chose wasabi because we were having sushi. This is the roe you often see in and on sushi in red, yellow, orange, and green and even black.
We also like it just on a cracker.

Easy Suhi Rolls

2011-02-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

Sushi doesn't have to be complicated. The ingredients are up to you and easy to get.

Sushi rice isn't complicated either. You do need short grain rice. You also need some rice wine vinegar, salt, and sugar. Any package of sushi rice will have directions on how to cook it. If you look online for advice, you will find hundreds of variations on the theme. Basically, you cook the rice and cool it. Once cooled, you season it with the vinegar, salt, and sugar mixture. Now it's ready to use for makinori - pieces of raw fish atop a clump of rice - or norimaki - rice, veggies, and sometimes fish wrapped in sheets of nori. Nori wraps you can get at any grocery store. Nori is simply seaweed, one of bajillions, which is dried and made into sheets.
We bought the sushi-grade tuna from Seattle Fish Company on California Ave. in our 'hood. Hey, they also have smoked salmon collars. If you've not tried these and you like salmon, you are missing the richest part of the fish. I'll post about them in the near future. I sliced the tuna relatively thin and added avacado and cucumber to make norimaki.
You can see the tuna rolls here in front of S. You can also see that it's just too tempting to have a big hunk of sushi-grade tuna in the kitchen and NOT think you're going to get to enjoy it without the trappings. This is known as sashimi - just the raw fish, often dipped in wasabi. S has a mixture of a soy mushroom sauce and wasabi in that little dish. If you're going to treat yourself to this, just eat it any which way you like it, that's what we say.
I also threw some shrimp in a pot of boiling water for about a minute and made some shrimp rolls. Same process. Some of these rolls had red pepper, strips of jalapeno, cucumber and zucchini.
This is not that hard to do. You can make a party out of it. Let everyone roll their own, so to speak. And it's about 100 times cheaper than having sushi in a sushi joint.

Patterns

2011-02-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

What are some of the patterns in your life that get you stuck? I'm sorting out some get stuck patterns lately. Things I do that always end up making me ask myself, "What were you thinking?" or "Haven't we been there - done that, V?" I need some new patterns (behaviors) to get back on track with some things. I'm working on it. Art journals help. New food adventures help. Some home pilates will help (at one time a very regular pattern and well worth the effort). We shall see...

Almost Raw Sprouted Wheat Berry-Lentil Bread

2011-02-11T06:01:00.000-08:00

I call this almost raw because I used our old dehydrator to make it and it doesn't have a temperature control. I can't claim to know how hot the food gets. However, it's a raw-inspired bread because of the ingredients and the spirit in which I "cooked" it - using a dehydrator. I'm creating true raw recipes in our new dehydrator - see the end of this post.

For this bread I used sprouted wheat berries and lentils. The wheat is from Jospeh's Grainery located in the Palouse. A Joseph family member was in attendance at the ifbc - International Food Blogger Conference and was passing out bags of wheat berries and lentils. Lucky me.Sprouting is easy and does not require any special (and plastic) equipment. I use wide-mouth, quart-sized canning jars, a piece of cheese cloth, and a rubber band. To make this almost raw bread I soaked about a heaping cup of lentils and wheat berries in separate bowls in lots of water. I let these soak overnight. The next day I drained, rinsed, and drained each, covered the jars with a thin layer of cheesecloth and fastened the cloth with a rubber band. I set the jars way back on the counter in a dark corner. Twice a day I removed the cheesecloth, rinsed the contents, and drained out as much water as I could before I returned the lentils/wheat berries to the jars. In two days l had a sprout frenzy.

Here is what I put in my almost raw bread:

3 1/2 cups sprouted wheat berries
3 1/2 cups sprouted lentils
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small yellow summer squash, chopped
1 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup (packed) fresh Italian flat leaf parsely
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tamari
salt and pepper
garlic powder
dried basil
dried oregano
I processed all of these ingredients in the food processor, adding the ground flax seed last. I then tasted and seasoned and re-seasoned. The final dough is wet and gloppy. I used a large serving spoon to spread the mix onto the dehydrator trays, which I had covered with parchment paper. I rubbed a bit of olive oil onto the parchment too. I left the dough relatively thick because it will loose density as it dries. I dehydrated this for about 7 hours, then flipped the bread and removed the parchment paper to allow the other side to dry for another hour or so. How long you dehydrate is up to you.

I like this bread, though It's not as savory as I had hoped. But that's on me since I made this up. I like the texture very much. It's soft yet it has a bit of a "crust" for some tooth. As much as I like sprouted lentils, I'm not so crazy about them in this recipe. I will make plenty more raw bread but not include the lentils. No biggie.
I'm really enjoying playing with these raw bread recipes. At the same time, I'm thinking about using almost the same ingredients in a traditional baked bread.

In regard to the dehydrator, the mother of all dehydrators, the Excalibur, has since arrived and it's da bomb. It's the machine I see 9 out of 10 raw foodists using in videos and blogs. I purchased it straight from the manufacturer. Yes, made in America. Cool, huh? Replacement parts available. I got a smaller model, five trays, and opted for the model with a timer. And, it came with lots of extras AND no shipping AND no tax. We will use it for so many things we just can't do with the machine we have now. Stay tuned for more about the machine and what I create.

Stamp Carving

2011-02-09T06:45:00.000-08:00

Been carving rubber stamps lately and I really dig it. S gave me a starter Speedball kit for Christmas and I've since bought more gear. Anything goes. Whatever you can draw you can carve. I quickly ran out of tracing paper (used to transfer your drawing to the rubber) so now I just draw directly on the rubber. I know, I know, I can't seem to follow the directions in cooking or crafts. I just like to dive in and do it. I'm just making up stuff and carving it. I'll post more soon.

Artist Trading Cards (ATCs)

2011-02-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

I came across some of the artist trading cards (ATCs) I've made. What's an ATC? Well, it's basically a little piece of art. It can be anything. I've seen simple ones and I've seen quite elaborate ones. Any media works. The only real "rule" is the size - 2.5 x 3.5 inches - the size of a traditional trading card.

I like the ATC basics provided by Joumana Medlej. She explains it best.

"As their name indicates, ATC are collectables, a brilliant idea born of the older sports-themed trading cards. The one rule that makes an ATC derives from their origins: the dimensions of the ATC must be 2.5"x3.5", or 64x89mm.

To this rule are appended a couple of conventions. First, an ATC mustn't be sold, only exchanged, as the whole essence of these tiny works of art is about artists meeting (by correspondence or online if need be) and exchanging their works, thus meeting many artists and getting exposed to many personal styles. Second, on the back of each ATC the artist writes part or all of the following information: name, contact information, title of the ATC and number (1/8, 2/8...) if it's part of an edition. By definition ATCs are made in limited numbers, often no more than one of a kind. Unique ATCs are called originals; sets of identical ATCs are called editionsseries. Don't be intimidated by the concept of small editions or originals: very few people are anal about this. What most collectors really want are cards that were made with care. Based on that, numbers are meaningless."

Her site was the first place I found when I was looking for information about ATCs and I return there to admire her work. Her site is extensive, covering her travel journals, her publications, her art, photography and more.

Here are a couple ATCs next to a couple subscription card journal pages for size comparison.

I've not made many ATCs but I will. There are just so many ways to get my art journal grove on. Can't keep up with them. Just fall into one grove or another when I get down into my office. Lately, I've been carving my own rubber stamps and can't get enough. I might move on to carving wood soon! I never thought I'd enjoy carving but I really dig it.

Opening A Young Coconut

2011-02-05T13:41:00.001-08:00

I bought one simply because I'd never opened one. I wanted to know what was inside. Inside is coconut water and a small amount of young coconut meat. So now I (and you) know (if you didn't before). The first challenge was how to open? I couldn't have done it without this wonderful resource on how to open a young coconut.This coconut yielded 2 1/2 cups of coconut water. The water is sweet and I wasn't expecting that. I froze it and I'll use it to cook rice when we have a coconut milk-based curry.There is very little meat but it's very easy to remove, just scrape it out with a spoon. And don't expect the hard, flaky stuff. This is squishy, fleshy, a bit slimy. There isn't much flavor. I was disappointed. I used it to make a smoothie. So that's it for the young coconut.

little big burger

2011-02-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

Recently, and on a whim, we walked into little big burger in the Pearl district in Portland for lunch. We didn't have tons of time because we also wanted to wander in Powell's before a scheduled appointment. We weren't very hungry. little big burger was just what we needed. The menu is basic and that's perfect.
We never go out for burgers. We don't eat them that often. If we do, we make them at home. But when in Portland...Besides, S was in the mood for a burger. Jonesin'.

The small size isn't terribly guilt producing and we split the reasonably-sized order of fries. I had the veggie burger, made locally by Marie at Chez Gourmet. I'm not sure which of the Chez Gourmet burgers is featured at little big burger, but I tasted toasty rice and mushrooms. I loved it. I know the place is all minimalist, but for a condiment whore like me, simplicity is the exception to the rule. I would have loved more toppings. I'll live. S gave her burger, with Tillamook cheddar, the high sign. Delish. little big burger hit the spot. It was no more - no less than we needed.

Kitchen Projects (and a cute cat photo)

2011-01-31T08:18:00.000-08:00

Full day in the kitchen yesterday and I loved it. Like a long walk, it's meditative. Like art journalling, it's a creative outlet. And it's just plain fun. Plus, it results in delicious food. Or at least the hope of delicious food. Yesterday I started several projects.

I'm sprouting lentils and wheat berries. When both have sprouted, my plan is to turn them into a raw/living bread-like (closer to cracker probably) product I can use to satisfy that grainy, nutty, salty, savory thing I've always got going on without buying or even making crackers.

I baked more potato bread for S, this version without the yogurt. The vote is in and the yogurt component is out.

I've got yogurt straining. Makes it nice and thick. Not sure what, if anything, I'll add to it. Last time it was cucumbers, jalapenos and cilantro. It might be smoked salmon.

I've also got two dehydrator projects to write about. I made some raw banana-apple roll-ups and some raw onion flatbread. No, I've not gone raw. I'm just always on the hunt for new food items. And I'm trying to steer myself towards items to satisfy specific cravings and away from the traditional versions of the items. The standard versions of many things I crave, whether homemade or store-bought, come with dietary baggage. I'm trying to leave the baggage behind and travel with just my carry-on, so to speak.

Details to follow.

Potato Bread

2011-01-30T06:26:00.000-08:00

Inspired by a recipe from The Fresh Loaf, I made some delicious potato bread for S. I used more potato and a bit more flour and no bacon or herbs but I was reading the site because I was looking for potato bread ideas.

I'll try to remember how much of what. Experiment with it, that's what I do. I'll never be a bread baker who measures and makes sponges and loaves that take a week to make because I'm feeding a starter. That's all well and good but it just isn't me. The bread I make is delicious, we love it. Real ingredients made by hand at home. That's good enough for us.

Here is what I used:

about 3/4 cup mashed potatoes
4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 to 3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/4 tsp teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
2 teaspoon salt

Proof the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Chances are it's plenty of moisture once you mix this with the potatoes and sour cream. But it's good to have the extra warm water on hand. While the yeast is proofing, mix the mashed potatoes with the sour cream and salt. Once you know you have live yeast, add it, then about 3 1/2 cups of the flour and start mixing with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until it all comes together. It will probably be pretty wet. If so, add more flour, a half cup at a time. Soon, you can begin kneading it. I knead dough right in the large bowl I use to mix my ingredients. Less mess. Continue to add a little flour at a time as you knead until it all comes together nicely and smoothly and gives a jump back when you press it. Rub a bit of olive oil on it and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set it in a warm place until the dough doubles in size. Once doubled, turn it out onto a board or the counter-top and press it into a rectangle, gently. Don't kill all that wonderful air in the dough. Begin rolling up the dough from one of the short ends, giving the seam a pinch with each roll. Then drop the rolled up dough into a greased/oiled/buttered/spray loaf pan. Let this rise well up over the rim of the pan. Makes a nice looking loaf that way.
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. I bake the bread for about 15 minutes then turn it around and bake for about another 15. Our oven is hotter in the back so no matter if I bake it vertically or horizontally, one side will be darker if I don't turn it. To test for doneness, I check the internal temp and if it shoots to 200 right away, I'm good, bread comes out and goes straight to the cooling rack. If it needs more internal time but the top is the right color, I cover it with foil and bake a couple more minutes at a time until I get that temp.

Make some bread at home. Your family will love it. Leave that store stuff behind.

Alternative Art Journals

2011-01-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Recently, I posted about making my own journals, often out of recycled materials. I mentioned that those annoying subscription cards in magazines can also make a great art journal. Here are some examples of "pages" from my subscription card journal. I've not yet bound it because it's much easier to work on the individual cards when they are absolutely free from bondage, as it were. I'm not sure how I will bind these when the time comes. Stitching along a side would interfere in the finished work. I'm thinking that one hole punched in the top left corner would be enough and then a key ring or, cooler yet because this is Seattle and we are very outdoorsy, a carabiner. Yeah, man! A carabiner. Clip your art to your pack, man, and get outside!
As for the materials used, they are all the same as in any other art journal. I do like the small format.

The astronaut ones make me think of the earliest days of MTV. Wasn't MTV cool then? Is there still MTV? Can't think of why would we still need it. But I can't understand most of the why behind television. I grew up on it, of course. 24-7. But once I liberated myself from it, I've never looked back. Maybe there's an Amish ancestor in my past?
Yeah, I have no idea why there is a piece of book binding thread in this one but I kind of like it. Classic movie buffs will recognize Lillian Gish in the ALL TIME CLASSIC thriller, The Night of the Hunter. Chilling. Creepy.

Now that I look again at the card below, I can see that I need to bring out the detail more. Perhaps a white and/or black gel pen.
We have in this one acrylics, rubber stamp work, and collage elements.
Lots of layers in this one. I like layers.

Slaw

2011-01-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

Now this is some good coleslaw. Why don't I make this more often? Recently, I was in California visiting my sister and my mom. My mom had just had knee replacement surgery and I went to help with her initial recovery. One day for lunch my sister and I threw together a slaw with leftover cabbage from a great veggie soup I had made. We included all sorts of veggies and it was a hit. I knew I had a cabbage in the fridge back home and I started thinking about what slaw I'd make when I got home.

I love cabbage. I love raw veggies. What I don't like is classic coleslaw drenched in mayo. And what's with coleslaw that automatically comes with some sandwiches when your choices are limited? In the San Francisco airport I grabbed a roasted vegetable sandwich with feta. Yum. It came with either a side of slaw or potato salad. I knew either choice would disappoint. Too much mayo, too much salt, no recognizable part of a cabbage or a potato. Well, I got the slaw and it was very watery. And it had that deli coleslaw taste that I just don't like. Does that flavor come in a bottle that delis everywhere purchase?

There's no reason to stick to the old slaw formulas when there are endless options for dressing. This time I gave the slaw some Asian flavors - sesame, ginger, and garlic. A jalapeno pepper for heat. Golden raisins for sweetness. Slivered almonds for extra crunch.

I used the following ingredients:

about 5 cups of sliced cabbage
two carrots, grated
a cup of sliced almonds
a half of a cup of golden raisins
about a half of a cup of celery, sliced thinly
a jalapeno pepper, mostly seeded and sliced
a half of a cup of chopped fresh cilantro
two teaspoons of toasted sesame oil
about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
olive oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed or chopped
1 sq. inch of fresh ginger, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
I'm not sure how much olive oil I used. Maybe a quarter of a cup. Ultimately, I did not use all of the oil/garlic/ginger mix. I added it to taste, like I did with the cider vinegar. To mellow the garlic and the ginger, I simmered them very slowly in the olive oil. I do this often to garlic in order to bring out the sweetness and cook it enough to take the sting out of it. It's a method I use for pasta dishes or if I want to add garlic and oil to bread or a spread/dip. In a fair amount of olive oil, simmer the chopped garlic and ginger every so gently on the lowest heat setting. In the meantime, chopped your ingredients. And don't worry about measuring the oil, use as much as you need for the slaw and then save the remainder. Hey, garlic/ginger oil is never a bad thing to have on hand, right? How good will that be on tonight's salad with dinner?
So take all of these ingredients and toss them well so everything is coated to your liking. Taste and re-season, if needed. That's how I added the vinegar. I almost didn't add it. It was delicious without it but I knew that a splash of something acidic (lime, lemon, vinegar) would brighten the finished slaw. I could eat the whole bowl. But I didn't. Not a good idea to eat enough slaw for six people, even if you live alone - which I don't.

A Million Little Photos: Art House Co-op Project

2011-01-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

On the heels of mailing back my Sketchbook Project book to the Brooklyn Art Library, I'm participating in another Art House Co-op project - A Million Little Photos. I've received a disposable camera and I have a theme I can loosely follow. I take the pictures, mail them back, and I'm guaranteed at least one shot to be included in the Photomobile. The cross-country Photomobile tour begins in September 2011. This is a great way to get involved in art, in creating, in being a part of something bigger than myself. For a mere $25 I'm part of A Million Little Photos. I think that's cool.

Art House Co-op Sketchbook Project Update

2011-01-21T05:57:00.000-08:00

Back in July when I received my Sketchbook Project book, I thought January 2011 was really far away. But here it is. And my book has been mailed back to the Brooklyn Art Library to become a permanent item in the collection. Cool. Soon (I hope), I will receive word that my book has been digitized (paid extra for that - gladly) and is available for viewing.

In the meantime, I'll post a few images of my book's pages. These are scanned images. Scanned in a hurry and by someone who has never operated a scanner - me. This is why I paid for the digitization of my work. I'll post more of these and other art journal pages in the future. Here are three very different images. This first double page spread uses acrylics, and white gel pens and on the right side I've done a packing tape image transfer of the image of the Buddha. On the right you also see the great stencil properties of the Safeway bread plastic bag. Love those little dots. This one is just blank ink roller ball pen and colored pencils. And the one below is one of my favorites. The wings of the bee are real sunflower petals. Also used are acrylics, watercolors, and a starfish stamp and white ink.