Hi, you. Shutter Sisters invited me to do a guest post which was published today—yipee! I created a little piece about how to use food as a muse and a new “palate” for expression. You can read all about it here…
Cheers, xo
All photos via Angela Sinclair
Gardening, especially for folks in arid, hot Arizona, can be a challenge. The natural southwestern United States landscape is amicable towards hardy, sturdy plants that can withstand huge temperature swings and long, dry stretches. It’s no wonder that Angela Sinclair, an interaction designer who lives in Phoenix, was struck with the idea to help foster creative container gardening in the area. She herself is an avid gardener, not only growing her own food, but cooking it as well. Her friends believed that gardening and growing their own fresh food was out of their reach, even an impossibility for them. Angela decided to show them otherwise.
Fresh Start gardens became Angela’s Master’s thesis project. It was a turning point for Angela because she realized that gardening was the intersection of all of the things she was looking to explore and connect (community, health, authenticity, etc) and Fresh Start was born. At its core, this project grew out of a desire to empower her friends and others like them, who didn’t believe they were capable of growing a garden.
Angela held a kickoff event on April 16 at the downtown Phoenix Public Market. She created an interactive booth encouraging and enabling people to start a small container garden. Keeping it small-scale and intimate, she gave a single container to each person who could then choose to plant with radishes, lettuce, or spinach. Fresh Start and Angela provided the materials and instruction. People were really enthusiastic about the project and quickly filled up all the available spots! For folks to follow-up with, Angela hosts a social networking community as a forum to ask questions, post photos, and share experiences. The project is still under way as people’s starter gardens are still growing.
I personally love this project for so many reasons. Community-centric, giving back, and providing tools for growth and learning are all priorities I ascribe to design and designers alike. And she did a great job with the aesthetics of the project as well. All the signage pieces were designed to be both sustainable and low-cost, using cardboard and a laser cutter. Angela made sure that no space was larger than what she could print at home, skipping large format printing in favor of small sections that she could glue behind the openings (genius). The signs have an organic yet industrial feel with the cardboard, hardware, and colorful images. Congratulations, Angela!
1.
embrace my talents as well as my short comings.
2.
swim in my pool at least three x’s a week.
3.
focus focus focus.
4.
reach out to those who my inner critic says I shouldn’t.
5.
befriend my inner critic.
6.
obtain a Kombucha mother and make a never ending supply.
7.
give myself the same advice I give my best friends.
8.
find my niche/tribe through authenticity and sincerity.
9.
have more sparkling cocktails in my life.
10.
get married.
How about you?
The photos are from a fun day at the Court House farmers market, shot with my Diana mini.
These past few months, it seems as if I’ve been coming across more and more stunning work, wonderful people, and inspiring finds than ever before. I am notorious for having a dozen or more tabs open in my browser at once, never wanting to close them down for fear of forgetting or loosing track of what I found. (I do bookmark, but then I don’t always check them — internet organization can be boggling at times!) I used to have a strict policy (ah, youth) when I first started blogging and the only work I would show on my blog would be solely my own. However, I soon learned that there is a beautiful reciprocity that happens when we share in each others strengths, passions, and accomplishments.
Inspiration occurs when I meaningfully connect with people and through my immediate environment. The people thing is interesting; I may never have actually met the person but can still feel a strong connection through their work and life’s lens. I have, however, (gratefully) met in person some of these astoundingly talented and illuminating people. I am pulled towards those who tend to be constantly evolving and growing as people, designers, and artists. I think this aspect of humanity, and within our selves, is simply amazing.
I understand a place via sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste; they give me a multi-dimentional and detailed explanation that isn’t necessarily obvious. My work and my heart are informed through these tactile and tangible experiences. Over time, I’ve realized the importance of my surroundings (both of people and places) which is why I’ve gravitated towards photography more and more.
In gratitude to those who have given me—and countless others—inspiration along the way. Thank you.
Who or what inspires you?
What does your life taste like? In any given moment, the flavors can change, meld, swirl, and morph. But concentrate on just that one moment. Maybe you can’t help it–that one moment has been all consuming for you and your thoughts for quite some time now. Or maybe you’d rather pluck that one particular flavor out of life’s-stream-of-many to discern, to hold, and to savor. People ask me, “what is your pie?” and my answer is always the same, “which day?”
Pietopia, on all fronts, was a success this year. It was fun, it was quite big, and there was a ton of pie. However, I’ve realized that the definition of success for myself doesn’t necessarily lie in any of these outward factors. Instead, it’s success lies in what this contest has taught me these past three years. Pietopia has been a lesson in illuminating the vast potential, complexity, and beauty of human life.
Not long ago, a friend of mine hit the nail on the head by saying, “there are THREE things certain in life: death, taxes, and uncertainty in itself.” So much of life is uncertain that there really is no time to dwell on the fact that we just don’t know what exactly is going to happen at any given moment. Sure, we can plan, project, and create frameworks, but in the end, do we ever really know how things will turn out? This is where human potential (and complexity) comes in. We all have the ability to grasp those unpleasant or life-altering situations by the horns and grow–embracing them by finding a sense of purpose, having faith, and getting through them with grace, gratitude and finding an unexpected richness in life. Shit happens. And we all know this from experience! But what Pietopia has shown me is that people do indeed take hold of their lives and turn the bitter moments into moments sweet with new knowledge, maturity, and experience.
I’ve been waiting for a terrible tasting pie and have yet to see one entered. This may be because it’s hard for many to imagine submitting and winning for a “bad-pie”, or we have been trained sub-consciously through cultural grooming that pie contests are delicious, or people genuinely do find the good and beauty amidst life’s hardships. There is a conundrum of learning from life’s hardships: when things do get hard, many people tend to lean more towards rigidity–to find that control–than simply letting go, allowing themselves to think outside of the box for a moment, and moving forward. And there is a reason for this–sometimes we just need to hold on a little longer to get to the heart of what it is we are learning for ourselves. I wanted to take this regular, human process and make learning from ourselves more accessible to our selves. Pietopia creates a playful structure that gives people room for deep contemplation and self-connection, that also satisfies all our needs to grow during a time of hardship or great joy. I love the reflective nature of the stories, built in with something so tangible like taste. And I love that people embrace this concept with me!
I am happy for Pietopia not only because we raffled off a ton of pies so wonderfully donated by a few lovely local bakeries (so much fun), but because the contest celebrates our lives as they are. Here and now. In the present. In all their imperfect and beautiful glory. Sometimes our present situations really are hard to swallow, much less someone else’s. But it is interesting. Imagine the feast that could unfold if everyone approached the table with the flavors of their lives, ready for each other to consume, commune, and connect through.
You can find the winning stories and recipes of Margit Beerlie, Caroline Ford, and Hannah Kane by clicking on their names. I had been writing a series for the semi-finalists, and it turned out that the first three pies I made for the semi-finalists series, also happened to be the winners! Those stories and recipes were compelling not only for me, but the judges as well.
22×30 silk-screen and watercolor print, by Karen Berger.
The art work this year was stunning. Vanessa Kauffman, Robin Miliken, and Karen Berger’s prints are breath taking–if you’d like one, take a look at the Eating Is Art shop, they’re on sale there. Chris Baskin out did himself with some of the most beautiful pie plates imaginable. He donated enough for the winners, but make sure you take a look at the rest of his beautiful collection on his website. In the end, I feel blessed, excited, and exhausted. It was a great event, but also I’m looking forward to being able to focus more on the personal and individualized work I do with my clients at Joyful Life Wellness.
22×30 silk-screen print, by Robin Miliken.
22×30 silk-screen print, by Vanessa Kauffman.
Plates by Chris Baskin.
Photo via Denver Urban Farm Truck
Last week, we took a little trip out to Denver, Colorado. Nestled right between the mighty Great Plains and the looming Rocky Mountains, this city is a convergence of food, sites, and culture. The entire city, or so it seems, was built using brick. Besides being absolutely charming, fusing old world sophistication with present day style, those homes are super sturdy and there to stay! It reminds me quite a bit of the Washington D.C. neighborhood, Capital Hill–but with a bit bigger lots and a little more yard (only a little though). However, interestingly enough, there is a reason behind the mostly brick architecture in Denver. In 1863, Denver had a huge fire, akin to the Chicago fire of 1871. The mayor of Denver at the time was also the owner of the city’s only brick manufacturing company. So, he deemed it “illegal” to build with anything other than brick–for the safety of the city’s citizens of course–oh, and his bank account. However, even though the ethics of what he did were highly questionable (both then and now!), the city’s history and character have been preserved beyond most cities I’ve seen and it is truly beautiful.
Denver also has something else really amazing going for it: an urban Truck Farm!
Photo via Denver Urban Farm Truck
Two University of Colorado master’s in landscape architecture students, Ashleigh Quillen and Ryan Sotirakis, decided they wanted to give Denver a new idea about what urban agriculture means and where it can reside. They are demonstrating for the city that “growing your own food can happen in even the most unlikely of places. Remnants of the past can literally become new vehicles for growing food”. Just because they didn’t have access to a backyard or garden plot to grow fresh food didn’t stop them–and they don’t want it to stop others either. Check out how they turned an old Ford 250 from Craigslist into their garden here! Personally, I think it’s a fantastic idea and am a little bit jealous that Portland doesn’t have something like this too. Seeing what they were up to was so inspiring, it made my mind explode with ideas–teaching gardening demonstrations for inner-city neighborhoods, school or corporate teaching/lunch programs… Just the sheer accessibility of the garden in a vehicle is a tremendous asset, and it really puts them way above and beyond the average “community garden”. Keep your eye out for them, they are going places! (pun totally intended).
Cheese by Rogue Creamery
This year’s IACP was my first conference and it was fantastic. What a treat it was to have over 900 food lovers, chef’s, food writers, food photographers, food stylists, and recipe developers descend on our already food-obsessed town! I volunteered for several events which in turn I was allowed to go to them. Other than designing the signage for the opening reception, I was able to help out with the lovely Ellen Jackson‘s dinner A Culinary Duet, a fundraiser for The Culinary Trust.
by Chef David Machado of Nel Centro
The opening reception was, in retrospect, a dream. Imagine yourself walking into a rococo ornate hall with ceilings that seem to reach the sky, all decorated with real pears hanging from branches, deep low lighting, and then being handed a sparkling glass of champagne as you enter. As you walk a little further over the soft, plush carpeting padding your footsteps, you are handed plate after beautiful plate of fresh, aromatic, and at times sensual foods from over 18 different local chefs. The roaring noise from hundreds of people’s chatter and exclamations slowly fades as you sip and nibble your way through the room. Every now and then you close your eyes to take in the layers of flavors and textures from what you are nibbling only to open your eyes to see the chef who made it smiling back at you. “That’s what I thought too” he might say, “the first time I tried this.” Fantastic. There was an entire room dedicated to local wines and beers where it was all flowing quite freely. And yet another room, rouge red and dark, solely dedicated to absinthe tasting. It was like a secret club that actually took me quite a while to find. The only reason I knew it existed was because I made a sign for it. I had never tasted absinthe before and it is interesting. It has a heavy anise flavor, like black licorice, but just slides right down. I wouldn’t be able to drink much of it (I’m not an anise fan), but it was wonderful to try.
Pix Patisserie macaroons
Bunk Sandwiches (seriously the best sandwich I’ve ever had: spicy chorizo, avocado, messy, amazing street food…)
Paley’s Place seafood gnocci
Raw beef nigiri
Absinthe pouring, by owner and distiller Gwydion Stone
Then there was Ellen’s dinner. Also not a dream, I have to remind myself, but a true taste of the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. There were seven local chefs and artisans, as well as the farmers and ranchers with whom they collaborated. They created an exceptional family-style meal dinner that “blended old and new” cooking traditions with Oregon’s culinary heritage. Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, authors of The Flavor Bible introduced each chef through out the meal. The menu was exceptional:
Appetizers included carrot soup with roasted Braeburn apples and chervil, a goat’s milk ricotta on walnut bread, pea shoots, and olive oil, as well as a flank steak, grilled beef heart and beef liver pate (which was actually my favorite!). All of the appetizers were done by Executive Chef Aaron Dionne of Bon Appetit Management Company.
Fresh rosemary tied around the bases of the branches, such a wonderful touch!
For the first course we ate wild morel puff pastry with gathered spring greens and aged sauvignon blanc vinaigrette (wine pairings: Trisaetum 2008 Estate Riesling and Willamette Valley Vineyards 2007 Dry Reisling) by Chef Naomi Pomeroy of Beast restaurant.
The second course was a lamb, purgatorio bean, and spring vegetable roast (incredible!) (wine pairing: Erath 2006 Prince Hill Pinot Noir) by Chef Jason French of Ned Ludd as well as a grilled country ham, south carolina grits and wild mushroom red eye gravy (wine pairing: Grochau Cellars 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir) done by Chef Adam Sappington of The Country Cat Dinner House.
The cheese course was done by Steve Jones, of The Cheese Bar. There was a Borenkaas (raw cow’s milk aged Gouda), a Tin Willow Tomme (raw sheep’s milk), and a Cynthian (raw goat’s milk with herbs). The latter was my favorite–it was soft, but not creamy like a brie, and infused with the essence or perfumes of the herbs instead of them being right in there. Amazing.
Then, for dessert we had a hazelnut cake, rhubarb compote and creme fraiche ice cream by Pastry Chef Lauren Fortgang of Paley’s Place (wine pairing: Francis Tannahill 2008 Gewurztraminer) and a Piment d’Esplette & chocolate by David Briggs of Xocolatl de David. The chocolate was actually two small round chocolate cookies with a foie gras chocolate (called Foitella) sandwiched between. About half the table loved it, the other half did not. I fell into the latter category–but then again, I’m not a mole fan (and I wish I was!) so meat and chocolate together just are not my taste all too often.
I’d say Portland exceeded in showing the culinary crowd how well they do food here, beyond even their wildest imagination. The dinner was set in an old converted building that literally transformed itself as the sun set, with candles hanging from the branches at each table, easily yet daintily illuminating every place setting just enough so the diner could see what they were eating. The entire experience was a little bit like magic. I even pinched myself the next day when I woke up. As I was making my morning tea, I looked over on the counter and saw the menu sitting there–it wasn’t just a dream.
Apple Kuchen was a favorite in my grandmother’s house growing up. She would make it for special occasions, or sometimes, just because. Looking back, she probably made it more often than she normally would because I would beg her to make it with me in the kitchen! I loved pulling the chair up to the side of the counter, help her measure the brown sugar, sift the flour in her old fashioned sifter, even attempt at peeling the apples. She used to give me little pieces of brown sugar to nibble on as we baked–she’d roll a little bit into a tiny ball between her long, strong fingers, then hold it out for me to take out of her rough and kitchen-worn palm–all with a bright, very bright twinkle in her eye.
I make this cake whenever I feel like I need a hug. Yep, it’s a total sweets-for-the-soul type thing which I recognize. But it goes beyond the satisfying slice eaten after it’s done baking. Making this cake takes me back to a place when I felt seen–when I was the apple of someone’s eye and I knew it. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and meditating on the word “value”. I was surprised when I realized value permeated every aspect of my life–personally as a woman, daughter, girlfriend, in my career and financial health, and, most interestingly with my self. Do I value who I am and what I do? Do I really value my true self? Do I value what it is I’m trying to do or achieve with my life? (Deep questions–and I’ve found once I start asking, more questions keep popping up!)
Then I started to listen. Listen and feel, more accurately. For me, I feel first–then, and only then–can I put words into what is going on. And even that can take some time, like a simmering pot with its contents not quite finished. And what I heard, and felt, were important childhood memories like these: my grandmother making this cake with me, my aunt who would bring me over to her house for the most amazing sleepovers with movies, popcorn, and ice cream, my best friend and her parents who lovingly indulged my need to be with them because I couldn’t get what I needed at home, so I was there almost every day of the week. It was memories like these that started to speak, to remind me of my inherent worth, just because I am me. That’s a pretty cool thing to realize when that wasn’t displayed or taught or felt growing up. Teaching myself this has been a challenge–but incredible in so many other ways.
The next word that keeps popping into my head is “choice.” Now that “value” has been thoroughly investigated, this word has made itself very present in my conscious thoughts. Isn’t it interesting how one thing leads to the next in life? The constant growth as we progress down our paths amazes me. I’m curious to see what comes about next, and what “choice” brings up…
Have a wonderful weekend! I hope the sun is shining wherever you are 
Grandma Martin’s Apple Kuchen
2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1/4 pound butter (1 stick) 1/2 cup milk 1 egg *I added about a teaspoon of vanilla to the batter
Sift dry ingredients. Cream butter, sugar, and egg. Combine with the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk, stir until well blended. Spread in a buttered and floured 9×12 pan (the dough is very sticky, take your time spreading it out, it takes a little bit of work). Add the sliced apples by arranging them on top of the batter. Next add the topping (below).
1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup butter * I added a sprinkle of cinnamon too
Mix well as for pie crust and sprinkle over the apples which have been cut into small pieces for 30-40 minutes at 350 F degrees.
Enjoy!
A separate post was in order for the abundance of amazing cooked foods that are at the Portland Farmer’s Market. I ran into a few friends there who specifically go to the farmer’s market to eat breakfast. I admit, that is a part of why I go each week. It’s really amazing eat a fresh breakfast made with the foods that you can then go buy! The chef’s who run their stalls are all genuinely happy to be there, chatting with customers between cooking and yelling out order names. Not only does market food taste better than most food because of the access to fresh ingredients, but I believe the market chef’s good nature and their happy energy honestly puts it over the top. It’s so true! Let’s do a little experiment–cook yourself something for dinner tonight that you really love and enjoy. Get into it–pour yourself a glass of wine, put on some of your favorite music, just let yourself be in your kitchen enjoying yourself. When you sit down to eat it, slow down. Notice how each flavor makes up the larger flavor of the dish. Notice them. Notice the textures and how they connect with the flavors. Then think about your experience cooking. Did you get upset? Did you get frustrated or irritated with something during the process? Or did you just let things be and went with the flow, allowing yourself into the flow? Now how does it taste? Still your favorite dish? Or are you thinking it could be better? I’d love to hear what happens if you try this!
I know that if my heart is not into making food, I don’t like it. It doesn’t taste good, it just makes me sad–my expectations are never met with how good a dish could be if I’m not present in the kitchen. Even if it’s something I really like to eat! If I’m not there, it can turn into crap really fast. But if I’m there and really present, and what’s even more fun is when Andrew is there too, we can cook up some pretty tasty meals together. One of his favorite questions to ask is “how much should I chop this?” and my usual response is “how do you want it to feel in your mouth?” And he always does it just right! Some things you want to have a little more bulk and be a bit bigger in your mouth, but some, you really want to finely chop, lending less texture but more flavor.
If you are in Portland, or ever happen to visit the Portland Farmer’s Market, my FAVORITE food vendor is the crepe-man. He lived in France for years learning how to cook. He and his wife (who is French) moved to Portland with their family but could not give up one of their favorite food from France: crepes. He’s in front twirling the batter on the hot griddles making the crepes and she’s in back directing and helping a few staff members making the copious orders of crepes for hungry market-goers. You’ll hear a smattering of French and English, both spoken fluently and fluidly at this booth, especially to their children and each other. But their crepes, you ask? How are they? Literally, to die for. They have two different batters they use: buckwheat (has a hint of lemongrass in it…but you only know that because I told you, it’s almost undetectable but does something incredible to the nuttiness of the buckwheat flavors) and a sweet-white crepe. I really enjoy either their seasonal fruit or their Deluxe. The Deluxe has a little bit of everything including bacon, sausage, tomato, onions, mushrooms, spinach, and mozzarella, topped with some greens a sprinkling of truffle oil. The truffle oil sends these things over the top! I’m making myself hungry now!
I’m out of town for the next few days, but I’ll be back next week with more. Have a great weekend, cheers!
Julia and Paul Child called their kitchen the beating heart of the household which is truly fitting. In my house, there is no other room that is more lived in, visited, or used than the kitchen–ha, no surprise there really . So when I went home for the holiday, I had to fit into my packed itinerary a quick visit to the Smithsonian to see Julia Child’s kitchen in the real.
It was truly inspiring. Not because it was grand or had super fancy equipment but because it was real. You could tell it was lovingly put together and meant to be a place for gathering. It was warm, easy to move in, and had all of her tools and equipment placed on the walls and in reach for easy access while in the mode of cooking. It made Julia seem more like a person and less like the untouchable cooking goddess she has become to the public. She truly just loved what she did and wanted to share it with everyone. And that is it! No hidden intentions, no sideline motives, just good food and cooking.
I recently finished the book The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry, by Kathleen Flinn. There was a part where she was describing how she met Julia at a food writers conference in West Virginia in the mid nineties. They ended up sitting next to each other during one of the seminars and at the end Julia turned to Kathleen and said “I always love to come to this workshop. You learn so much”. This amazed Kathleen and she thought to herself, you are Julia Freakin’ Child, I thought you knew everything there was to know about food and cooking already! When Kathleen politely told Julia this, Julia just laughed and said “Oh, no, you can never know everything about anything, especially something you love”.
Julia’s passion and humbleness have always inspired me. This wasn’t the first example I had heard or read about, but this particular example from Kathleen Flinn has really stuck with me. I think it shows Julia’s greatness as well as her sheer humanness. And I aspire to approach my own passions and life with as open mind, heart, and soul as did Julia.
Today I made my first souffle–the first of many! I cracked open my vintage copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and got busy. It came out perfect–as Julia so lovingly and painstakingly sought to help home cooks achieve through her precise and thorough writing. I appreciate her clear directions and how they are laid out. Alice Waters must have been inspired by how Julia wrote out recipes, because her cookbooks have a similar voice throughout the recipe. Give this souffle a try–it was surprisingly easy and amazingly light with a wonderful flavor. I made it for a late morning Sunday brunch; it would be wonderful served with a mimosa, some fruit salad (pomegranate seeds, blueberries, kiwi, and tangerines), and a slice or two of crisp bacon.
Bon Apetit!
Souffle Au Fromage (Cheese Souffle) a la Julia Child
The souffle sauce base
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter a 6 cup souffle mold and sprinkle with shredded cheese evenly throughout, set aside. Measure out all of your ingredients.
3 tablespoons butter
A 2 1/2 quart saucepan
3 tablespoons flour
A wooden spatula or spoon
1 cup boiling milk
A wire whisk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
A pinch of nutmeg
Melt the butter in the saucepan. Stir in the flour with a wooden spatula or spoon and cook over moderate heat until butter and flour foam together for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat; when mixture has stopped bubbling, pour in all the boiling milk at once. Beat vigorously with a wire whisk until blended. Beat in seasonings. Return over moderately high heat and boil, stirring with the wire whisk, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.
4 egg yolks
Remove from heat. Immediately start to separate the eggs. Drop the white into the egg white bowl, and the yolk into the center of the hot sauce. Beat the yolk into the sauce with the wire whisk. Continue in the same manner with the rest of the eggs. Correct seasoning. (May be prepared ahead to this point. Dot top of sauce with butter. Heat to tepid before continuing).
The egg whites and cheese
5 egg whites
A heaping 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (3 oz) coarsely grated Swiss, or Swiss and Parmesan, cheese
Add an extra egg white and cream of tartar to the ones in the bowl and beat with the salt until stiff. Stir a big spoonful into the sauce. Stir in all but a tablespoon of cheese. Delicately fold in the rest of the egg whites.
Baking
Turn the souffle mixture into the prepared mold, which should be almost three quarters full. Tap bottom of mold slightly on the table, and smooth the surface of the souffle with the flat of a knife. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Set on a rack in the middle level of preheated 400 degree F oven and immediately turn heat down to 375 degrees F. Do not open the oven door for 20 minutes. In 25-30 minutes the souffle will have puffed about 2 inches over the rim of the mold, and the top will be nicely browned. Bake 4 to 5 minutes more to firm it up, then serve at once.
