Locally grown

I was lucky enough to get out onto some of the back roads of Michigan yesterday on what turned into a beautiful warm spring day. I visited Michelle and Danny Lutz of Maple Creek Farms in Yale. They run an organic farm that provides for up to 700 families every year through their CSA program. I'm writing an article about them for edibleWOW, so you can read more about that later.

On my way back I stopped at the Westwind Milling Company in Linden, MI. They grow their own grains organically and process it into flour in a mill built in 1836 — pretty spectacular. The mill holds their bakery and shop that offers other locally produced foods. I had been wanting to get up there for months and am so glad I did. It really is like an old-time general store. I enjoyed a great conversation with Lee Purdy, the owner and Brenda Payne who works there. I couldn't resist the flours and walked away with all sorts to try out: whole wheat, dark rye, barley, multi-grain, as well as some Michigan honey. Check it out if you're in the area. And stay posted for bread-making updates!

Who needs Bisquick?!?

Biscuits! Who doesn't love a good, flaky biscuit?! I made some delicious ones the other night from an old copy of Saveur (Look how high they rose!) and thought I'd share this super easy recipe.

Chive and Cheddar Biscuits
• Heat oven to 450°.
• Whisk together 2 cups flour, 2 tbsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. baking soda in a bowl.
• Using a pastry cutter (or two knives), work 8 tbsp. cold butter cut into thin pats into flour mixture until the butter is the size of small peas.
• Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk, 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup finely chopped chives to flour–butter mixture; stir with a fork to form a loose dough.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface; gently pat into a 6" × 9" rectangle. Fold in thirds as you would a letter; pat into a 6" × 9" rectangle again.
• Dip edges of a 3" round biscuit cutter in flour; punch out 6 biscuits from dough. Transfer them to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. (Form and cut dough scraps into another biscuit or two, if you wish; they won't rise as high, though.)
• Brush tops with 2 tbsp. heavy cream; bake until lightly browned, 14–16 minutes. Makes 6.
Note: If you don't have buttermilk, add a scant tablespoon or so of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for a few minutes.

I substituted dill for the chives and would definitely cut down on the salt next time at least by half — especially with dill. AND, good news, it makes more like 8. And they are big and fluffy and flaky and GOOD!

Hot off the presses!

I just posted a couple of new prints to the shop: Sloe Gin Fizz at Etsy. I've always been fascinated with old cameras, so there's a drawing of my childhood Instamatic that I dragged off to camp every year for nine years. I must have hundreds of photos from every summer. Nowadays with a digital camera that seems like nothing, but when you consider it was actual film?!

And the second print is a vision I've been having lately of giant birds taking off with peoples' houses - yikes! What does that mean?!?!

"But then I became a special event…"

You just never know where you and your work will show up on these crazy world wide interwebs. I was trolling through my Google Analytics data this morning trying to find out why I had a lot of traffic to my Etsy shop yesterday. And while I wasn't able to figure it out, I did find that a few days ago, my rain boot was featured on a Czech blog on the Fler.cz site and brought quite a bit of traffic. I also found out that Google can translate pages for you, though they may need to brush up on their Czech skills. Here is the translation:

Dancing in the Rain
Today I am astonished you-instead of order out spring, so there mysteriously appeared a little snow and it covered me. But then I became a special event. Waiting for the tram, and protecting people zachumlaní before pršosněhem, heap umbrellas. And then the fight started at the two ladies. Well, read the administration, ladies. Just pani and around fifty, fashion clothing. A knocking is open deštníkama: o). It was very comical, and they had people smile and forget about the rain and snow vystrkovaly necks to see better.

I do not know why you ladies liked, I do not know whether they knew it was a rough deštníkové balancing the accounts of the past, or just neschoda about who goes first. However, it was ridiculous. Frequently, the fight that results are ridiculous, but we do not see.

Sometimes máchám umbrella and ubližuju people around him. Not on purpose, but because it is through the sulfur-see. So probably I dance in the rain in tunicates: o).

Have a nice day: o).

You get the gist, I think?! We, too, had an out of order spring event of snow on Sunday. Anyway, it's fun to see where you land and to read about the woman who wrote this fun account of umbrella wars. She has an online shop called MamaZoo (how fun?!) and is a graphic designer and mom living in Prague.

Well, read the administration, ladies. I'm off to dance in the rain in tunicates :o)

Surviving a cross-country move

When I was preparing to move last fall, my plants were of great concern. In particular, I had one HUGE plant that was absolutely thriving. It came from a cutting from one of my mom's plants and we always just referred to it as "the purple plant." The only real choice I had to move it was to cut it way back and hope for the best. I let my mom do the honors and into the back of the moving truck it went. In our new apartment, I set it up in our new living room and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Waited some more.
After several months, it looked like this:

Argh. Despair. My living room back on Long Island didn't have a ton of light, and neither does ours now, so I thought it would be comparable. But no signs of life. I decided to move it to the back room with more sun. Waited a little bit longer, then FINALLY, in January of all times, it started to come back to life. And now, the purple plant is thriving once again and I couldn't be happier:

New banner in progress

I've been working on brightening up my banner for my Etsy shop and the blog. I replaced the one on Etsy, but I think it's still a work in progress. I can't seem to get the type to remain crisp. It looks fine in my file, but as soon as it displays -- fuzz. I've tried rasterizing the type layers, to no avail… I'll keep at it though. I'm also not sure the colors are 100% yet. I may just work up a new drawing, too, but in the meantime…

IF: Sub(tract) housing

This is my Illustration Friday for the topic of subtract. I almost didn't make it this week seeing as it's Thursday already, but had a lot of fun with this theme! (Click on the image to see it larger.)

Why I love this neighborhood

What lovely neighbors who put their bouquets outside for everyone to enjoy! And that purple door — perfect! It may be rainy and grey out today, but I am posting this little bit of daffodil-y sunshine to brighten your day in the way it did mine.

She wanted to be a sailor…

… and so she was

I was having a hard time getting going this morning, so I decided I would try my hand at an ACEO. For those of you not familiar, ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They started on ebay a while back and the only basic characteristic all ACEOs have in common is their dimensions: 2.5x3.5 inches. This often keeps the price down and people have come to trade and collect them. Someone recently suggested I add them to my Etsy shop. So this morning, when I was having trouble gaining momentum on the numerous projects that await, I figured I could handle something that small since I couldn't get up the speed on anything else. And it worked! Along came this lovely striped lady sailor who will be added to my shop, Sloe Gin Fizz, momentarily…

Harissa is hot

It seems like every day I see a new recipe using harissa. Just a few short months ago I had never heard of it, and now, all of a sudden, I know what it is — a spicy red chili paste from North Africa—and I NEED to try it. In Crazy Water Pickled Lemons Diana Henry says that it's traditionally served with couscous and can "just about take off the roof of your mouth." Yum! Spicy is king in this household.

The version we tried last night came from April's Food and Wine and included this menu: Herb-marinated Chicken Skewers with Harissa, Parsley Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon-Tahini dressing — all thrown together in pitas with a dab of hummus, and a little chopped cucumber and tomato.

Herb-Marinated Chicken Skewers with Harissa
CHICKEN
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt
HARISSA
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 roasted red peppers from a jar, coarsely chopped
• 1 red Thai chile, with seeds, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt
• Hummus, for serving
1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, mix the olive oil with the rosemary, thyme, oregano and ground cumin. Add the chicken and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Meanwhile, make the harissa: In a small skillet, toast the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds over moderately high heat, shaking the skillet a few times, until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder and let cool completely. Grind to a powder.
3. In a blender, combine the roasted peppers with the chile, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and ground spices and puree. Season the harissa with salt.
4. Light a grill. Thread the chicken pieces onto 8 metal skewers. Season with salt and grill over moderately high heat, turning, until nicely charred and just cooked, about 14 minutes. Serve the skewers with the harissa and hummus.

Parsley Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon-Tahini dressing
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup tahini paste, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves (3/4 pound)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise

1. In a small skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the pine nuts are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer them to a plate and let cool.
2. In a small bowl, blend the tahini with the lemon juice and finely chopped garlic. Stir in the water and season the tahini dressing with salt and pepper.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the parsley with the scallions and pine nuts. Add the tahini dressing and toss well. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or plates and serve.

Let me tell you, it was delicious! The harissa is hot, but the flavors of the cumin, coriander and caraway are distinct. Wonderful and smoky.

How much for the whole tree?

I had to wonder when I saw this on the sidewalk during my walk this morning. Also, the tree tapped for sap that I mentioned in my post on Saturday was in action today:

Design the Modern Board 2009 submission

I've just sent off my submission to be printed for the Design the Modern Board 2009 call for entries sponsored by K2 Snowboards and Design Within Reach to benefit SOS Outreach. The submissions will be on display in the Denver DWR studio on Friday, March 27 and judged by attendees to the fundraiser. The winning entry will have a board produced in their design. So if you're in Denver, come on out and vote!

Hurray! is just one letter away from hurry

I was so wrapped up in projects yesterday that I never even made it out of the house — not even to check the mail. So this morning, the first day of spring, I thought I would go for a nice long walk. When I emerged from the cocoon of our apartment, however, I realized immediately that spring may be here, but it is certainly not in the air. I headed right back inside and grabbed my winter hat and put on a warmer jacket. Not cheered by this fact, I changed my plans to a quick walk. As I came out of the little wooded path into the neighborhood behind ours, I saw this:

I have never seen a tree tapped for sap before other than in pictures. And this jug had some liquid in it, but quite thin murky-looking liquid that I thought was quite possibly rain water. (I was told later that this was, in fact, how sap looks straight from the tree.) Nonetheless, it made me chuckle and break out the camera that I often bring on walks, but that usually remains forgotten inside my pocket. Then down the block from the sap gatherers, I found this:

Hopscotch is surely a sign of spring. There were many more welcome signs around the neighborhood, despite the snow flurries in the air:

This house had a whole hedge of forsythia — I can't wait to come back to see it in bloom. I was tempted to snap a piece off to force at home, but my conscience won out on that debate. And then I was happy to see these reminders of Long Island gardens and the beach:

And, of course, my squirrel friends were out and about. I often talk about how aggressive and crazy the Michigan squirrels are, and today was no different. This fellow stayed put as I walked right up and snapped three shots. I was sure he would jump on my back as I walked away.

And last but not least:
How great is this entry? A white shag/feather wreath — I'm not sure if it's a holdover from the December, or a spring wreath — but either way, I love it, along with the colors and great house numbers. So, my walk did in fact turn into a long one and I saw many welcome signs of spring — hurray!

It's never too late…

… for a new calendar! I'm very picky about calendars and this year I just couldn't find the right one for tooo long. And then, I found paper + twine on Etsy through poppytalk. I don't know if it was the rock bottom sale price or the lovely delicate drawings or the superb styling in her photos that got me first, but I love this store. I ordered the gocco printed 2009 calendar ON SALE HERE NOW and it has arrived. It is even more charming in person (can a calendar be "in person?" In my world, yes.) So petite and the ribbon is just right.

To Do List

Here it is 1:15pm and I'm still in my pjs. How did this happen, I find myself asking once again?!? Here is a recreation to the best of my ability:
7:30 AM — Crawl out of bed
7:32 AM — Brush teeth, wash face
7:35 AM — Make coffee
7:40 AM — Sit down at computer
7:44 AM — See that Etsy treasury is almost open
7:44.05 AM — Search for lovely peacock items
7:55 AM — Coffee refill
8:40 AM — Nab treasury

8:43 AM — Finish filling in items for treasury
8:46 AM — More coffee
8:47 AM — Clicking through treasuries, post to forum, etc
9:00 AM — Start printing new prints on fabulous new Epson R2880 printer
9:17 AM — Begin swearing profusely after ridiculous numbers of paper jams resulting in not one print
9:40 AM — More coffee
9:50 AM — Still swearing; add pounding fist on desk to temper tantrum, still no prints
10:01 AM — Break down and call support (I never do this. This is bad sign.)
10:48 AM — Hang up with support with newfound knowledge that properly feeding paper into new printer is slowly honed skill only mastered by Epson employees after years of training. Surprisingly calmed by this bit of info.
11:01 AM — Brew more coffee. East some toast with PB.
11:15 AM — Feebly continue printing away
12:05 AM — Gather fresh prints on dining table and admire glowingly with coffee in hand

12:08 AM — Bust out new frames to reshoot new prints for Etsy shop
12:55 AM — Upload new photos
1:00 PM — Wonder where the morning went?!?!
I haven't even gotten to item two on my list of things to do today. I think it's time for more coffee…

What I love about a college town

Yes, those are all staples. And at one time each one secured a flyer of some sort: bands, garage sales, lectures, etc. Gotta love a college time with so much activity! I know I do. Here's to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan.

Mama's BEST Chicken Scallopine

When I went off to Australia for a year during college in 1992, I had never ever cooked for myself before. My mother put together a little book in which she wrote all my favorite recipes. I still have this book and use it often. The spine is completely demolished and the pages constantly fall out, but it is truly a treasure! One of my very favorites is a recipe for Chicken Scallopine. It's so easy and versatile. I will share it with you here in case you can't read it in the picture above:

Chicken Scallopine
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tb butter
• 1Tb lemon juice
• 2 Tb chopped parsley
• 2 Tb choped chives or scallions
• 1/4 tsp marjoram or thyme
Pound cutlets out between foil until 1/4" thick. Sprinkle with salt. Melt butter over medium heat in large skillet. Add chicken. Cook about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Turn, sprinkle with lemon juice, parsley, chives and marjoram. Cook about 10 minutes or until tender.

I made it last night with Heidi Swanson's Spring Asparagus Puree on fettucine from Super Natural Cooking and it was a divine combination! As you can see above, I beefed up the amount of herbs. I enjoyed the asparagus puree greatly and had planned to write about that recipe, but quickly realized that the little book from my mom was as worthy a topic, if not more so. I plan to share more from it with you in the near future.

You must try this — it's so good and so quick and easy!

edibleWOW now!

edibleWHO? edibleWOW! That's the name of the publication that I recently started contributing to and the new spring issue is available now! It focuses on seasonal, sustainable foods, food producers and the bounty of Southeastern Michigan. I knew of the Edible Communities from the Edible East End magazine on Long Island and am very excited to be involved here. They are still working on getting their web site up to gear, so rather than a link to the articles I contributed, here they are as scanned directly from the pages… so if you are interested in reading about shrimp farmed in Okemos, Michigan or an extraordinarily green, sustainable restaurant in Rochester, scroll down and click on the images for a larger view…

Keeping tabs

I haven't written about much cooking activity lately — mostly because I have been sticking to tried and true recipes in the recent weeks and not branching out into new territories. It's been a busy time and I've gone for the routine rather than new out of convenience, surely not for lack of enthusiasm. As always, I have a stack of glossy mags lurking on the coffee table with too many pages turned down and recipes marked just waiting for me to try. As an incentive and an easy reference I decided I would make a small-ish list of recipes toward the top of my "try this soon" list:

• Tandoori Chicken, Dal Makhani and Naan (Saveur, May 2007)
• Wasabi Flank Steak and Miso-Glazed Potatoes (Food & Wine, March)
• Sake-steamed Halibut with Ginger and Cabbage (Food & Wine, March)
• Monte Cubano Sandwiches (Gourmet, March)
• The WHOLE Korean feast layed out in Gourmet this month, but most especially: Soy-pickled jalapenos, cucumber-apple pickle, short rib and vegetable stew, Korean-style Romaine, warm tofu with spicy garlic sauce, sauteed oyster mushrooms, brown rice & barley (and then some!! Yum!) (Gourmet, March)
• Glazed Chicken with Porcini and Crisp Potatoes and Creamed Broccoli with Parmesan (Gourmet, March)
• Beef Tenderloin with Aromatic Thai Spices (really interesting technique simmering steaks in water in a plastic bag) (Food & Wine, April)
• Garlic-rubbed Pork Shoulder with Spring Vegetables (Food & Wine, April)
• Lamb Pita Pockets with Tomato-ginger Compote (Food & Wine, April)
• Grilled Merguez Sandwiches with Caramelized Red Onions (Food & Wine, April)
• Warm Spaghetti Squash Salad (Food & Wine, March)
• Farro with Green Onion Sauce, Toasted Walnuts & Asparagus (Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson)
• Otsu (Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson)
• Gnocchi alla Romana (Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson)
• Fettucine with Spring Asparagus Puree (Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson)
• Stir-fried Bean Sprouts (Saveur, April 2007)
• Green Goddess Dressing (Saveur, May 2007)
• Ginger Shandy (Food & Wine, March AND an old Saveur I was flipping through today from 2007. Definitely calling my name for spring)
• Molasses-Gingerbread Cake with Mascarpone Cream (Food & Wine, April)

There. That's the most pressing of the recipes, I think. (Ask me tomorrow, of course, and I would compile a wholly different list, right?!) I'll keep you posted on my progress through the list.

Can you say "yoborobo"?

A lovely, lovely package arrived by post yesterday — WAY ahead of schedule. How tempting does this look? Not one, but two gift-wrapped items. What could they be? Well… the boy and I fell head over heels for these guys made by the incredibly talented Pam of Yoborobo.

Wesley and Chet

Say hello to Chet and Wesley. According to Yoborobo, "During the week, Wesley teaches math at the University. After all, rabbits like to multiply. Chet always plays poker on Fridays nights with the guys. He usually wins, because no one can tell what he's thinking. They think he has an amazing poker face, but really, it's the only way Chet knows how to look. " They are both adjusting well to their new surroundings — all shyness and good manners. But I feel, lurking just below the surface, that there may be trouble ahead…. Please go see this motley collection of wonderful characters in the yoborobo shop here.