Illustrator Linda Olafsdottir

I've been extremely inspired by the work of several artists new to me this week. I've been pinning like mad on my "Illustrated Goodness" board on Pinterest. One of the standouts is Icelandic illustrator Linda Olafsdottir. She specializes in children's' books, but has great range. Her street paintings in oil — very much inspired by Wayne Thiebaud, a hero of mine — are just as skilled as her lovely pencil sketches. Her compositions make use of fantastic perspective and the colors or wonderful. I'm a fan. You can check out her web site and blog for more.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I recently got around to framing and hanging this super-licious accordion. I absolutely love the illustration — and the "main squeeze" caption below it — and picked up this letterpress card from Elevated Press knowing that I wanted to frame it. At the time, I hadn't yet met Alisa Bobzien, the talented artist who designed this piece, but now that I have, I love it even more. She is super talented and kind. Be sure to check out more of her work and her shop — and that of Elevated Press — and feel the love all day long. 

IF: Suspense

This is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday topic: suspense. I think it is a bit too flat to convey a sense of suspensefulness, but that's why I need to keep doing these exercises, yes?! Exploring…

Soft Pretzels

The boy has been asking me to make soft pretzels for ages. My prior experience of soft pretzels was from those carts in New York and they never lived up to the expectation created by the smell. I found this amazing "pigs in a pretzel blanket" recipe that was more my speed, but the boy really wanted regular ol' pretzels. So I went along with that plan and these were a happy, happy surprise. They are anything but regular ol' and I will happily make them again and again. They were super t-a-s-t-y! Perfect for superbowling — or any weekend afternoon, really.

Soft Pretzels

Adapted from From Away
1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115º F)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
vegetable oil/cooking spray
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
coarse salt

Combine water, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast on top and wait until mixture starts to foam, about 5 minutes.

Add flour and butter and begin to mix with dough hook attachment on low speed, until ingredients are combined. Turn up the mixer to medium speed and work until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, approximately 4-5 minutes. 

Remove the dough, lightly coat the bowl with vegetable oil, return the dough, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm spot in your kitchen until it doubles in size, about one hour.

Preheat oven to 450º F. Lightly oil two cookie sheets. In a deep skillet or roasting pan, combine the water and baking soda. In a small bowl, beat egg and water. Have your salt on hand. Bring the water to a boil.

On a lightly oiled work surface, divide the dough into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a long, thin rope. Twist into pretzel shape.

Gently drop pretzel into boiling water, one at a time if necessary, and cook for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon or flat spatula, let drain over skillet and place on oiled cookie sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse salt. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes until a deep, golden brown is achieved. Remove to rack to cool slightly before serving.

Clickety-Clack: Typewriters on parade

I drew this little Olympia SG-1 for a client who wanted a custom rubber stamp made for this year's International Typewriter Appreciation Month (ITAM) which is this month, February 2012. Mr. Type Clack found me through my work for Ryan Adney's Magic Margin blog and the Typosphere grows pleasingly smaller each day.

In other typewriter related news, have you heard about Type-O-Matic? It's a magical online service who will hand-type your correspondence and mail it out into the world — all in the strictest confidence, if you please. So you could send an anonymous love note that special someone this year or just a really nice thank you note. Their list of FAQs is extensive and entertaining. So let's get typing!

Magical vintage finds

Do you see the magic? Do you? It's there… So this is the "before" photo, or maybe a "middle of the way" photo. I recently found that little table on the left (aka "the magic") and decided it would make the perfect little entry bench.

Get this: It's a fold-up picnic table. Can you imagine that picnic?! I'm sure it would involve flowing floral skirts, champagne flutes and maybe a few actual flutes. And yet, it's actually quite sturdy. 

The plan is to sew a gorgeous cord-trimmed boxed cushion to fit neatly on top of the wee bench née picnic table. I'm thinking a white background with stunning yellow print that I may design and print myself (hello, ambition!) The chair is one of four I picked up ages ago and always meant to paint. Now I really mean to paint it. 

Something like this. I haven't recovered from this yellow discovery yet. This is the vision. The chair shall be this stunning shiny happy color with a coordinated cushion to the left. I can't wait. 

As an aside — I found these two beauties on the same trip. Jackpot! The side table on the left is from a cabin on the UP and the crate is going to be turned upright and fitted with some kind of metals legs that I will one day magically discover (I imagine something similar to the legs on the little green table, though maybe they will be hairpin legs). Stay tuned!

Pide Lahmajun aka yum

So I put out the call the other day on Twitter for recipe suggestions for ground emu. We've had a pound of it lurking in the freezer from our meat CSA for a little too long and I was determined to use it this week. I took a cursory look on the interwebs for suggestions, but searches for ground emu recipes turned up endless Kraft era suggestions that drowning it in cream of mushroom soup or smothering it with creamed corn, bottled salsa and cheese. Other suggestions recommended using it however you would ground beef.

I wanted something that would taste good but wouldn't completely mask the taste since I had never tried emu before. I received the perfect suggestion from Ryan who had tried it before and said it was gamier than beef, so lamb recipes might be a better fit. He sent me this link to a recipe for Pide Lahmajun from the blog My Kitchen Moovement. If, like me, you have never heard of lahmajun, you are in for a treat. According to Wikipedia, it is Syrian in origin and is a round thin piece of dough topped with minced meat, most commonly beef or lamb. I completely fell for the Kitchen moovement blog — I really like the style and substance of this fellow in the kitchen. He offers a few other variations on this recipe that I can't wait to try, including one with egg, spinach and cheese. I didn't have time to try his dough recipe so used this really fast one  that turned out perfectly. So thank you both to Ryan and My Kitchen Moovement for this tremendous recipe. I made it for a friend for lunch the other day and we both gave it rave reviews. I can't wait to make more pide!

You can see how dark the emu meat is — it has virtually no fat in it,

yet didn't dry out on this recipe.

Pide Lahmajun
via The Kitchen Moovement

1 lb ground lamb
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
feta cheese optional

sesame seeds

Heat a sauce pan with a dollop of butter and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Don’t forget to season it with salt and pepper early. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Meanwhile, combine the lamb, tomatoes, jalapeno, parsley and spices in a bowl and mix with your hands. Add the cooled onion and garlic mixture to the bowl and combine well. Cut the dough into 6 even sized pieces. Roll each piece flat, making a longish, oval shape.

Smear the lamb mixture across the dough in a thin layer being careful not to tear it. I couldn't resist sprinkling a little crumbled feta on top. 

 
Fold the edges of the dough over the lamb (as seen in the pictures), brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Bake for about 20 minutes on 425º F.

Serve with a generous squeeze of lemon. Yum.

Garden & Gun love

I don't know what started it or how I landed there, but I've been combing through the Garden & Gun web site for three days now. I've never seen the print magazine, nor had I even heard of it. But now, I'm hooked. I've had multiple tabs open and keep obsessively returning to them throughout the day. There is a wonderful piece about Wendell Berry, seen above, by Erik Reese. It is a lovely meandering essay that spans six internet pages. Unheard of, right? Most welcome.

And then, in contrast, I skip over and check out the 50 best Southern bars or the 50 best Southern foods—and watch a video on how to make the perfect Rum Swizzle. I'm telling you, Garden & Gun has the best variety of content with excellent writing, photography and design. I'm in love.

And then, just when I thought I'd had enough, I discovered these beautiful Southern-made items:

The Iron Scissor Collection

from The Old Wood Co. in Asheville, NC 

Bourbon barrel table and stool

from Jason Cohen Wood Artisan in Louisville, KY

Lawrence Pulley
from Machine Shop Lighting in Austin, TX

Convinced yet?

Chicken couscous

This is a super cozy meal perfect for snowy winter days. It comes from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table. I've always shied away from savory dishes that include cinnamon or raisins with meats — it just never seemed my thing. I decided to expand my horizons this time and give it a try—I was not disappointed. I liked that the veggies are just cut into 2-inch pieces — less work! I replaced the turnips with two medium potatoes and used a couple of yellow onions, peeled and quartered in place of the small white ones. I served it with sriracha instead of harissa — not the perfect replacement, but wholly acceptable. The flavors are very subtle and soothing. I'm not sure I understand how these flavors originate in the heat of North Africa as they seem so perfect for Michigan winters.

Chicken Couscous
Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

1 Tb grated fresh ginger or 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
 3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp saffron threads, pinched between your fingers (optional)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2-3 Tb unsalted butter
1 chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces, patted dry, at room temp
5 to 6 cups chicken broth
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, split lengthwise, cut into 2-inch pieces
8 small white onions
2 celery stalks, trimmed, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium turnips or potatoes, trimmed, peeled and quartered
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking couscous
2 slender zucchini, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

For servingHarissa
Golden raisins

Mix ginger and and next five ingredients along with salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken pieces (working in batches, if necessary) and scatter spice mix over top. Cook, turning pieces so they pick up the seasoning mix, just until they loose their raw texture. They don't have to be browned.

Pour the broth in to the pot, increase the heat and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add leeks, onions, celery, carrots and turnips/potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Transfer 3 cups of broth to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour in the couscous and simmer for a minute. Turn off heat, cover and let stand for five minutes, or until the broth is fully absorbed.

Add the zucchini and chickpeas to the stew and cook until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and serve the stew over the couscous, with harissa and golden raisins and extra broth as necessary.

Book worming

I had a good, long two-week visit with my parents for Christmas this year. I had been saving several books to read during this time and dove right in the minute I got on the plane. There's something about having a decent stretch of unscheduled time to read a book in. Yes, we had plenty of holiday prep and planning and cooking to do, but really, when you're away from your own house, that leaves plenty of time to snuggle down in a nook somewhere and get lost in a story.

The book I started on the plane was Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. Yes, the cover got me right away, and then the story quickly followed suit. It is such an original story of a desperate family who runs a gator-wrestling theme park on an island in the South. It's strange and sweet and sad.

The next book I jumped into was The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I had been looking forward to this since the early fall and absolutely loved it. I devoured it over the course of about 36 hours, including middle of the night jaunts and wee early in the morning page-turning.  It's a beautifully magical love story that just kept getting better and better. I wanted to live within this world.

And last but not least, Julia Child brought me home again. My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prudhomme was a treat. Her upbeat nature and good-heartedness shines through on every page of adventure and eating. I picked up so many pearls of wisdom, not so much about cooking but living life fully. A true joy.

I also spent plenty of time flipping through this gorgeous new cookbook: Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. I've already tried four of the recipes, each more wonderful and Frenchy than the last.

And this one: For Cod and Country: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Cooking by Barton Seaver. The book is arranged by season featuring fish available at their peak and includes alternate selections based on regional. Really well-organized and well-written and the two dishes I've tried rocked the house.

But wait! One more: Vera: The Art and Life of an Icon by Susan Seid. I am so inspired by the designs of Vera Neumann but knew little about her as a person. This book is a wonderful balance of storytelling with words and photos. Lovely lovely and springy to get my designer's heart racing.

When I got home, I had a slew of books waiting for me at the library, too, so I've continued my reading spree — hooray for winter! As always, I keep a running list of books I've read here on the blog. It's one of the tabs at the top of my main page. I don't review any of the books there, but sometimes it's just fun to poke through them to get ideas. I hope you find something you might like!

Honey Oat Muffins

The smell of these muffins baking is powerful stuff. It smells sweet and warm and oh so nice on a snowy winter morning. I seem to bake a lot of muffins this time of year. I think because I feel like baking for the warmth of the oven and the heavenly smells, but am also feeling a little lazy. These muffins will do you right.

Honey Oat Muffins

via Food & Wine

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray or vegetable shortening, or fill with baking liners. 

In a large bowl, mix the oats with the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, coriander and salt.

In another bowl, whisk the honey with the buttermilk, canola oil and eggs. Pour the honey mixture into the dry ingredients; mix just until combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes, until they're golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. 

Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I experimented with half the muffin tray filled with liners and half greased with vegetable shortening. I was worried there wasn't enough oil in the recipe to keep the muffins from sticking to the liners, but both methods worked equally well. 

Animated holiday card

Back in October, I had the opportunity to work with an animator for the first time. We put together a holiday card for Zuckerman Spaeder LLC, a law firm in Washington, D.C. It was so much fun to see my drawings come to life in very simple animated form. It was also an interesting process to think about movement and how the scenes would piece together. Each of seven scenes was tied together by a triangle form that mimics the firm's logo. We also did a printed piece in black and white with just a bit of blue and the triangle die-cut. Here's a look at a few of the stills from the finished piece. You can see it in its entirety here.

METAL fabrication, art, design and more

Have you heard about or been to METAL in Ann Arbor yet? It opened last April, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I finally explored its inner workings. The shop deals in all things metal, including everything from fabrication and design to a gallery of artists' works and vintage metal finds. While I didn't tour the workshop areas, I spent well over an hour examining its shop and gallery. It's definitely one of those places where there is so much that more and more and more reveals itself to you as you wander. Have a look…

220 Felch Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Fennel-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fennel Wedges

Oh my goodness, this is a good one. I got two new cookbooks for Christmas that have completely rekindled my interest and excitement about cooking and being in the kitchen. This recipe is from neither of the new books — ha! The fennel seeds with the pork is a wonderful combination that smells like sausage while it's cooking, while being quite a bit healthier. And the fennel wedges become nicely caramelized and melt in your mouth. I served this over simple mashed potatoes. I left the skins on and mashed with some skim milk. You don't need to overly season or butter them because the sauce is very rich and flavorful. You could also serve with white or jasmine rice, egg noodles, couscous, or just about any grain.

Before I move on to the recipe, I want to direct your attention to the tabs at the top of the page here under the banner. I've added a recipe index there for your (and my) convenience. I've been wanting to do this forever and took some downtime over the holidays to cut and paste it all there. It still needs a bit of tweaking in terms of categorization, but it's a start. I welcome your suggestions and ideas on its format and hope that it proves useful to you! 

Fennel-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Fennel Wedges
Adapted from Epicurious.com

1 tsp fennel seeds
1 lb pork tenderloin

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, trimmed and peeled
2 large fennel bulbs, trimmed, reserving 1/4 cup of fronds

2 Tb extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, smashed, then roughly chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tb unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Crush fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle (or wrap in a kitchen towel and crush with bottom of a heavy skillet). Add salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Pat pork dry, then sprinkle with crushed fennel seed mixture. Pat mixture gently to make sure the pork is well coated.

Cut onion in half and then into 1/2-inch wedges. Cut fennel bulbs lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges.

Heat oil in a 12-inch oven-proof heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Brown pork on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes total, then transfer to a plate. Sauté garlic, onion and fennel wedges in skillet until fennel is golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add wine, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then stir in broth and butter. Put pork on top of fennel and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 145 to 150°F, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer skillet to stovetop (handle will be hot) and boil, stirring occasionally, until much of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in lemon juice and fennel fronds, chopped. Thinly slice pork and serve over fennel with sauce.