Crunchy winter salad with fennel and celery

Since reading the article by Mark Bittman in the current issue of Bon Appetit about recent changes he's made to his diet, calling it 'vegan until six,' which I love, I've been obsessing over the recipes on his web site. I was already a fan of the Minimalist column and especially love the charm of his how-to videos. But now I'm seriously hooked. The recipes truly are minimalist and the fresh flavor and crunch of this salad will perk you up plenty on a cold winter's day. 

Fennel and Celery Salad

Adapted from Mark Bittman

1 medium fennel bulb
2 celery ribs, trimmed and peeled
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

 

Trim fronds and end from fennel bulb and cut into quarters lengthwise, discarding outer layer if exceedingly tough. Slice fennel and celery as thinly as possible (a mandoline would be nice, though by no means necessary).
 

Whisk together olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Combine fennel and celery in a large bowl and toss gently with dressing. Season with salt and pepper and top with plenty of Parmesan, freshly shaved with a vegetable peeler. 

 

But wait — don't throw away those fronds! Reluctant to just toss the beautifully frilly fronds (fennel's not cheap, friends!), I did a quick search online and found plenty of people turning them into pesto — aha! Why not? I turn pretty much every other leftover herby green into pesto, so why not fennel fronds? The fronds have a more delicate flavor than the bulb, so  while I am a garlic freak, I would tread slowly with the garlic in this pesto — it can quickly overwhelm the lovely anise flavor. I added the peas for an extra bit of creaminess and veg,  but that is completely optional. So here's how it goes…

 

Fennel Frond Pesto

Makes about 1 cup.

1 cup fennel fronds (from 1 medium bulb), chopped

1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts, pistachios or slivered almonds
1/2 tsp Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted slightly (optional)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Combine fronds, garlic, nuts, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper in a food processor or blender and process until finely chopped. Add peas (if using), olive oil and cheese and continue to process until smooth. Season with more salt to taste.

Cute Boston Terriers? Frayed Sew!

This crazy cute little shop, Frayed Sew, in Helena, Montana (Is that not the best name ever for a handmade shop?) is celebrating two years in business this February. I worked up this ad for them yesterday to announce their anniversary sale and really wanted to share it with you, cuz, I have to say, I'm pleased as punch with it. It was inspired by some of the outtakes from the beagle project  I finished recently, with a little help from my love bird pals. Owner Becky Schreiner is a dream to work with and happens to have a little pooch or two like these Boston terriers. Aren't they sweet? 

Happy Friday and have a great, great weekend!

White Nights exhibition

There is a small gallery show at the University of Michigan's Institute for Humanities. It's called White Nights and according to the brochure is the collaborative work of Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz who created it after moving from Brooklyn to a rural area of Pennsylvania. The work makes me picture them huddled together on their couch within a big farmhouse at night, large pieces of furniture shoved up against the windows and doors, lights ablaze. That said, it is a wonderfully, beautiful show. A collection of large snow globes is at the center playing out quietly alarming narratives. These are surrounded by large photographs of similar landscapes, with equally stark, lush and startling stories to tell. 

The show runs through March 16th, culminating with a reading that night by Jonathan Lethem of his story "The Traveler Home," inspired by this work. I would encourage you to drop in and have a look. You can also see more of the work of Martin and Muñoz on their web site here.

Smoked paprika parsnip chips

I've been trying to expand the old vegetable roster around here and last week ran into some gorgeous, gorgeous photos of wide slivers of parsnips roasted to a toasty finish. Where, you might ask. Gosh, darn it if I know. No clue. I've wasted countless hours scouring the interwebs in search… to no avail. Perhaps I only dreamed of such beauty. During said scouring, however, this rendition of parsnip chips caught my eye. 

Now mind you, I don't like BBQ potato chips one bit. I always think I will and if someone has a bag, it seems predetermined that I snag a handful just to be sure I haven't change my mind. I haven't. But if they tasted anything like these babies, I would in a heartbeat. Smoky, sassy, parsnip-ity, perfect.   

Smoked Paprika Parsnip Chips

Adapted from babble.com
 

2 large parsnips
1-2 Tbsp olive oil, depending on size of parsnips
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350ºF. 

Scrub parsnips clean and trim both ends. (Nope, didn't even peel 'em.) Thinly slice into rounds. (A mandolin would probably make this a breeze, but the old knife did a fine job.)

Toss sliced parsnips with olive oil, vinegar and paprika. Spread in as close to a single layer as you can on a large rimmed baking sheet (Don't worry about a little overlap — these puppies shrink). 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are browned and curling and chips are crispy. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

Even better dipped in my new favorite dressing that I've been slathering on everything: salads, chips, finger.

More logo love: Deid Goods

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend and were snuggled away against the cold like me  — or out lounging in the sun if you are somewhere warmer than Michigan! January has been a busy time for logos. Here's a look at one I finished recently for Deid Goods. I was introduced to Deb Eyde's beautifully constructed handbags at Blue House and was really excited to work on this project with her. She has such a wonderful eye for color and texture that is translated into an elegant yet whimsical line of  hand-sewn felted wool hand bags, pillows and accessories. Gorgeous!

The sun makes all the difference…

…doesn't it? Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend—frolic in the sunshine if you can.

Farro: Morning, noon and …

I love trying new whole grains. A had farro—a type of hulled wheat popular in Italy—for the first time back  in 2009. I enjoyed it and cooked it regularly for a little while, but then it slipped back to the dark shadows of the pantry. I was motivated to have it again by an article in the February issue of Martha Stewart about swapping out your breakfast oatmeal with some other healthy grains like barley, quinoa, millet or cornmeal. There's a really handy grid with the different grains and their cooking times, and a variety of preparations and toppings. I've been making the farro option for four days straight and it's addictive.

Breakfast Farro

via Martha Stewart

Serves 4.

3 cups water

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup farro

Top with:

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup honey

1 banana, sliced

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 dried cranberries or other dried fruit

 

Bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in farro and return to the boil. Lower heat and cover tightly. Simmer for 45 minutes (add more water if it is absorbed to soon). Let stand covered for five minutes. Fluff with fork and serve with desired toppings. For a creamier texture: Use 5 cups of water and stir often throughout cooking, 35 to 40 minutes. 

I've been using the less creamy method so that I can do other things while waiting for it to cook and not touch the pot. The result is a chewy, nutty grain with a nice bite. Yum! I make just one serving (3/4 cup water, pinch of salt and 1/4 cup farro), but earlier in the week I made a full batch and removed about half the farro twenty minutes into the cooking time. I stored it away and made the recipe below for lunch the next day.

Toasted Farro with Greens and Tahini

via Food and Wine

Serves 4.

3/4 cup farro

1 tablespoon tahini

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 packed cups baby turnip greens or spinach, chopped

1/2 cup parsley leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt

Pomegranate molasses, for drizzling (optional)

(If your farro is already cooked, skip to the next paragraph.) In a saucepan, cover the farro with water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over moderate heat until just tender, 12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until chilled.

In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of water with the tahini and olive oil.

In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the farro in a thin even layer and cook over high heat, stirring once, until a toasted, about 5-7 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water and the greens and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until the greens are just tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and the tahini mixture and remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt. Transfer the farro to a bowl, drizzle with pomegranate molasses (I didn't have those, though I'm sure it would be a tasty addition!) and serve. 

Video: Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity

Wow! A beautiful, funny, inspiring talk on nurturing creativity by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. Whether you loved the book or hated it, listen to these words about being an artist and finding inspiration and motivation. I may have to start listening to this every morning! Thank goodness for the TED.(via Poppytalk)

Logo Love: Two Beags Barking

Here's a little logo I recently finished for photographer Rachel Philipson's new pet portrait blog, Two Beags Barking. She has two beagles — Sydney and Beag — who are brother and sister and cute as can be. Rachel is also working on a line of greeting cards that would fall under this name as well. 

Thai Chicken Sauté

Fast, fast, fast! That's the secret to this recipe — it's packed with flavor, yet really quick to prepare. Okay, you might be thinking, "Enough with the chicken recipes, already," but let me jot this one down real quick and then maybe we'll move on to some variety later this week. I'm thinking some interesting hearty and healthy grain treats, like farro or millet. In the meantime…

Thai Chicken Saute

Adapted from Cooking Light

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders or breasts sliced into thin strips
1 Tb  cornstarch
1 Tb  fish sauce
3 Tb plus 1 tsp canola oil, divided
1 cup sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TB fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 Tb Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
1 Tb sugar
1 Tb fresh lime juice
2 Tb chopped fresh cilantro
4 lime wedges

Toss chicken with cornstarch and fish sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove chicken from pan. 

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add onion, garlic, and ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until cooked through. Stir in coconut milk, Sriracha, sugar, and juice; cook 45 seconds or until thoroughly heated. 

Serve over jasmine rice with lime wedges and a generous sprinkling of cilantro.

Local Love: Miss Monet Photography

 

Think pickles! These silly, fun, charming photos were taken at the Blue House MittenMade Holiday Craft Show by the talented Monet of Miss Monet Photography. She's so fun and easy-going that even I — who am extremely resistant to photos — was happy to jump in. (That's me, just below.) It seems to take her just a mere second, yet the results are amazing. She's certainly got that special touch. Miss Monet is offering $25 off the session fee if you book by February 1 — just mention that you saw it here. So if you're in the Ann Arbor area, drop her a line! 

(That's silly Miss Casey of Fartsy Arts — she's just brimming with a sense of humor that's reflected in her art!) You can check out the rest of the MittenMade Holiday Photo Booth shots here.

Brewbie as Willy Wonka

Here's a look at a custom piece I did for my friend Ashley as a gift to her in-laws for Christmas. Apparently they always joke that their dog, Brewbie, looks like Willy Wonka, so she asked me to do a piece with Brewbie as Wonka. Voila! My favorite part are the weasel and beaver Oompa-loompas in the background representing their two cats—that rotund beaver was so fun to draw. I admit, it cracks me up. Aren't they silly?! I'm always open to custom work, so drop a line if you have an idea just itching to get out there!

Avgolemono: Lemon Chicken Soup with Rice

Avgolemono is a traditional Greek soup made with lemon, egg and broth. I tried this simple recipe for it from Food and Wine over the weekend and it's definitely going into the regular rotation. It's fresh and light, while being deliciously comforting. The most important thing about is to not allow the soup to boil once the egg is added or it will curdle. The easiest way to do this is to heat the broth first, then scoop out a cup or so. Let it cool just a bit and then slowly whisk in the egg and lemon. This is then added back into the larger pot of hot broth. It will become frothy and thicken slightly. Yum!

Avgolemono Chicken Soup with Rice  

from Food and Wine

4 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium broth


Salt and freshly ground pepper


2 cups cooked white rice, warmed

2 large egg yolks


1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled from the bones and coarsely shredded (1 pound)


1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

In a large saucepan, season the stock with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Transfer 1 cup of the hot stock to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of the rice, the egg yolks and the lemon juice and puree until smooth. Stir the puree into the simmering stock along with the chicken and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of rice and simmer until thickened slightly, 10 minutes. Stir in the dill and serve.

Note: If you plan to have leftovers, I would add the warm rice as you serve it. I found that if you store it with all the rice added, it absorbs too much of the broth.

Hello, Friday!

Might I recommend a splurge for this fine, fine snowy weekend? Jolly Pumpkin's Oro de Calabaza, a strong golden ale, unfiltered and aged in oak barrels very close by in Dexter, MI. Mmmmm… happy weekend!!

Vivian Maier: Extraordinary street photographer

Isn't it funny where life leads you? When I first graduated from college, I moved to New York and worked for the Aperture Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to promoting photography. I was primarily interested in its role as a publisher, but quickly found myself fascinated by photography, wanting to learn more. I enrolled in a documentary photography class at Cooper Union focusing on New York at night — it was such fun. I continued to take classes at night and absorb as much info as I could from my talented coworkers. This experience eventually led me back to school (though I eventually changed my focus to illustration). I was reminded of all this last night by a post on Twitter by Nan Lawson. She linked to a video about street photographer Vivian Maier. 

 

Have you read about — or seen the work of —Vivian Maier yet? She was an extraordinarily talented street photographer working in Chicago from the 1950s to the 1990s whose work was virtually unknown until recently. A box of her photo negatives was purchased at an auction by a young man in Chicago, John Maloof, in 2007. Over time he realized what a skilled eye the photographer had and sought out — and purchased — as much of her work as he could find: more than 100,000 negatives. He began to research her life and piece together her story — and it is fascinating. Below is a piece that aired on Chicago Tonight that shares more of that story and images:

 The Chicago Cultural Center is hosting an exhibition of her work through April 3. You can help support the making of a documentary about this remarkable photographer — and see more stunning examples of her street photography — over at Kickstarter.

 

It makes me want to dig out some of those photos I took so long ago. Maybe I'll share a few here next week. It also makes me want to break out the film camera and hit the streets!  I hope you enjoy reading Vivian's story and looking at her photography as much as I do.

DIY gifts: Screenprinting with stencils

This Christmas I was committed to making many of my gifts by hand. The project I had the most fun with was for my brother Matthew. He lives in a loft-style apartment and has way too many empty walls (despite being extremely loyal to his sister and showing off many of my paintings, both current and dating back to my art school days!) 

I've been drooling over the projects in Lena Corwin's Printing By Hand book for a long time and knew I wanted to try some kind of silkscreen project. She also covers stamping and freezer and contact paper stencils. I had originally pictured doing a set of nine canvases all equal in size to hang in a 3x3 grid. But since I didn't get to this one until the day before we were leaving town, that was a bit ambitious and I made do with what I could find. I picked up some frames from the ReUse Center and then camped out at Blue House for the day so I wouldn't be distracted the computer. It was such fun! I was just kind of winging it with the design and cut stencils by hand. (Since I didn't finish until late, I didn't get a chance to take better photos at home.) 

So, if you're looking for inspiration for a creative project, I would check out this book, or spend a little time at Blue House this year!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Over the holidays, the boy and I met up with his family for a meal at The Common Grill in Chelsea, MI. He and his sisters all worked there at some point in their teens, so it is a bit of a tradition for them to go there for special occasions. I certainly can't object because the menu is fantastic with especially great fish selections. Eating there reminded me of a delicious soup I made from their cookbook last winter. It is perfect for this time of year when we all tend to recommit to eating healthier and packing in more veggies, all while staying cozy and warm. This is soup is loaded with vegetables and the topping truly makes it shine. You may be tempted to skip that step, but it is the thing that makes this recipe really special and only takes about five minutes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Adapted from The Common Grill Cookbook

Makes 2 quarts.

1 1/2 Tb olive oil

1 small red onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1/2 large red pepper, diced

1/2 large yellow pepper, diced

1 Poblano chili pepper, diced

1 tsp fresh oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tb kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 28-oz can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped

5 cups chicken stock

1 lb. chicken, cooked and diced

6 6" corn tortillas

Cheese Topping

3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 tsp cilantro, chopped

2 tsp lemon zest

Heat olive oil over medium heat in heavy pot or dutch oven. Add red onion and cook until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Stir in carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are soft, about 6 to 8 minutes. Thoroughly mix in peppers, oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. 

Stir in tomatoes and chicken stock. Turn up until until just begins to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. Add diced chicken and continue cooking for 30 minutes more.

Meanwhile, cut tortillas into thin strips with scissors. Heat 1 Tb olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute strips until crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to paper towel to drain. 

Prepare cheese topping by combining three ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. 

Serve soup topped with a sprinkle of the cheese topping and fried tortilla strips.

A Look Back at 2010

Like so many of you, in the last week or so I have been reflecting on the year past and thinking about goals for the new year. I just spent the morning reading back through my blog entries from the past year. It's so nice to have this as a record and reminder of the year gone by. One of the funnier things is that on January 1, 2010, I wrote that I was very sorry to not have told you that I would be away from the blog for so long and had expected to post during the holidays, etc, etc… it seems I don't change much, as I wanted to write the same thing today! So I am warning you — and perhaps more importantly, me — that this year, 2011, I won't be posting during the week before Christmas or New Years! While I'm still working out my other goals moving forward, I thought today we could take a look back.

Over the course of 2010, I shared 57 recipes here on the blog. I would like to create a recipe index this year, but in the meantime I thought I would list my ten favorites from 2010 in the order they appeared throughout the year. The bacon, cheddar and chive biscuits were, hands down, the most popular post I made last year — I wonder what it will be this year!

• Peanut Sauce and Ginger Marinade

• Icebox Cupcakes

• Ceylon Cinnamon Rolls

• Steamed Pork Dumplings

• Bacon, cheddar and chive biscuits

• Chicken Enchiladas Verdes

• Asparagus Pie

• John's Chesapeake Fried Chicken

• Cuban-Style Pork

• Free-form Apple Tart
 

 

I tried many new flavors in 2010, too, in a feature called "Now I Can  Say I Tried It." Kumquats were my favorite new find and I have been anxiously scouring the grocery these days on the lookout since they are in season now. Perhaps this year I'll expand this feature beyond food and include new activities I would like to try, like cross-country skiing or kayaking by moonlight.

• Persimmons

• Ugli Fruit

• Fiddleheads

• Lychees

• Kumquats

You may have noticed in the right-hand column, the list of books I'm currently reading. My three favorites from 2010 are:

The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan
This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Dye Gussow
Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home by Kim Sunee

So that's about it for today. Thank you so much for reading along with me. I hope you all had a happy, festive launch into this new year and I look forward to another year of cooking, craft shows and more. I always welcome your comments, suggestions and feedback. Happy New Year, readers! 

That crazy, busy festive time of year

Whew! Big sigh. This weekend was my last craft show of the season — the MittenMade Holiday Craft Show at the Blue House Ann Arbor. I was thankful that it was close to home and so happy to see so many familiar faces. It felt like the bestest ever holiday party! 

I'm sorry I never did get to that soup recipe I mentioned last  week — it's a delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup from the Common Grill cookbook, but I just ran out of time. And now it will have to wait until at least next week, if not the new year. … I'm slowly climbing out of the pit that my office has become and will be back more regularly in the new year when things quiet down a little and leave me time for some serious cooking! The photo above is the current state of my work space. In the midst of all these shows and making, I got the new table seen above — over 9-feet long — that is crammed in the middle of everything. I haven't had time to clear out my old desk to make room, so it just went in the middle of it all and got piled on. So digging out isn't really even an exaggeration. Ah well… I'm very excited for the new huge work surface and it will all fall into place soon enough. 

I will try to post one more time this week before we head south to North Carolina for Christmas — thinking of you all and hope you're enjoying your holiday preparations!

Now I Can Say I Tried It: Persimmons

We're coming to the end of persimmon season — September through December, peaking in November — and I wanted to try one before it's too late. As the title of this post suggests, this was my first time tasting the brightly colored fruit. My association with persimmons is more from Japanese art than from flavor and I wanted to change that. I picked up two varieties at the co-op: Hachiya and Fuyu. 

The Hachiya is slightly acorn shaped and is best eaten when it is very ripe. Until it is fully ripened, it has an extremely bitter, astringent flavor. Once it is ripe, that bitterness has mellowed to a strong sweet flavor with a little bit of spice. You cut it in half and remove the core. The flesh can then be scooped out with a spoon. I really liked this texture and flavor.

The Fuyu is shaped more like a squat tomato than the Hachiya and has a crisper texture. It is slightly smaller and sweeter, too. I cut this one up into slices like an apple to eat it. I think next time I would remove the skin as it was a bit harder than I would like. Overall, I preferred the Hachiya.

For those of you newer readers, this is a bog feature that shows up every now and again. You can read about my experiences trying new foods like lychees, Ugli fruit, kumquats, and pea shoots.

Cleveland Bazaar Bizarre Recap and Treats

Hello! After a busy weekend in Cleveland for the Bazaar Bizarre, I got to spend an extra night in the hotel with the snow and wind blustering outside. I'm slowly catching up this week and am finally here with an update… The show was a great collection of vendors and I spent Sunday night spreading my purchases around me on the bed in the hotel and soaking in their goodness. Here's a look:

This one is the absolute highlight. Nope, not a gift. This one is all for me. It's a beautiful silkscreen from the extremely talented duo that is The Bubble Process. I took several trips over to their display to ooh and aah and try to narrow down my purchasing choice. I truly wanted all of them. The color choices are magnificent and I just adore the quality of drawing and line work. I encourage you to have a look at their web site. Gorgeous work. Sigh…

The makers of this lovely bracelet were my neighbors at the show, Lew and Melissa of Whimsical Wonders out of Pittsburgh. They specialize in repurposing silver-plated silverware and simply could not be a nicer pair of folks. Isn't it fun?

One of my other table neighbors, Lindsay Knits, turned me on to this Cleveland-based chocolate company, Lilly. One word: addictive. This chocolate is so good. I can't make that clear enough. The ones I bought have bits of toffee in them and sea salt. Buy some. Now. 

And, of course, some super fun beer tags from my fellow Michigan road trippers, Perfect Laughter. Yay! 

 This sweet crabby crab mug from the sweet, smart Rough and Perfect…

And, my parting shot… when I downloaded my photos today, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the one snap I took across the room (darn me, for not taking more!) includes a glimpse of Valerie Mayen of Project Runway fame. She was selling her Yellowcake wares just across the aisle from me. Fun! 

This barely touches on the level of talent at this show. Have a look through the vendor list for more, including some of my other favorites: Hero Design Studio, Holly Hue, Oddball Press, Grey Cardigan and Cleo Dee's.