Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Arts and Crafts

Last week marked the 2010 Ann Arbor Art Fairs. As usual, it was hot. Unfortunately, there were also some severe storms. We did manage to see a lot of the fairs on Wednesday night. We were particularly enamored with (and ended up purchasing) this photo of a Scottish Highland bull from Joel Anderson. I think that it will look great in a kitchen nook. I also really liked these sheep. We also picked up a hand-carved whale on wheels for L.




On Saturday I dropped by Blue House, a handmade studio in Ann Arbor, to check out MittenMADE, a 2-day craft event featuring artists from Michigan. I really liked the wellie prints from sloe gin fizz and the letterpress cards and posters from Elevated Press.


Wellie print from sloe gin fizz



Letterpress card from Elevated Press


But I am really excited about the workshops offered at Blue House. The deadline for my list is looming (don't worry, it is almost complete), and I have spent a lot of time thinking about the things that make me happy (other than O and L, of course). Handmade things (edible or not) are way up there and appear in multiple places on the list. One thing that I'd like to do is sew something. That's right; I am keeping it simple. I think that the Beginners Quilting Series at Blue House sounds like the perfect fit.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Birthday recipe rundown: Chocolate pots de crème



Whew. Lately there has been too much illness in my house, my friends. Thankfully, nothing has been serious, just disruptive.

My parents came to visit for my birthday, which was a lovely treat. We spent some time at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, where L. practiced standing up on anything and everything. We also went to Top of the Park and lounged around on a blanket listening to good music. Altogether a very relaxing visit.


The very cool monkey puzzle tree (photo by O.)



Hanging with Dad


On my actual birthday, we went out for sushi and L. hammed it up with the wait staff and chowed down on sushi rice. O. made me celebratory chocolate pots de crème from the Tartine cookbook. They were extremely decadent and super delicious.







So now that my birthday has come and gone, I am working diligently on my list. It has actually been a nice opportunity to reflect on the types of things that make me happy and how to incorporate said things into (or in some cases, back into) my life. More to come. But for now.....the recipe!

CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRÈME
From Tartine by Elisabeth Prueitt and
Chad Robertson

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 3/4 cups heavy cream
3 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
8 large egg yolks
Unsweetened softly whipped cream for serving


Preheat oven to 350˚F. Have ready 8 custard cups or ramekins that hold ¾ cup each. Choose a baking pan or baking dish for a water bath large enough to accommodate custard cups or ramekins without touching, and deep enough to hold water that will reach three-fourths of the way up the sides of the molds once they are added. Pour enough water into the pan to reach about halfway up the sides of the pan, and place the pan in the oven while it is heating.

Pour water to a depth of about 2 inches into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a gentle simmer. Select a heat-proof bowl that will rest securely in the rim of the pan over, not touching, the water. Put the chocolate in the bowl, place over the water, and heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, and salt, place over medium heat, and heat to just under a boil. Place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and whisk until well blended. When the cream mixture is ready, remove it from the heat and slowly pour it into the melted chocolate, whisking to incorporate. Slowly add the chocolate-cream mixture to the egg yolks, again whisking well to incorporate. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or large measuring cup. You should have about 1 quart.

Line up the custard cups or ramekins on the countertop, and pour the mixture into them, dividing it evenly. Pull out the oven rack holding the water bath and place the molds in the bath. Pour in more water if necessary to reach three-fourths of the way up the sides of the molds.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. To test for doneness, jiggle one of the molds; the center of the custard should still be a bit wobbly, but the outside should appear set. Remove the water bath from the oven, and remove the custards from the water bath. Let cool. The custards will continue to cook and set up as they cool. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

Note: The whipped cream was delicious, but I actually preferred mine sprinkled with some smoked sea salt to bring out the deep chocolate flavor. I think that these would also be fabulous with lavender or lemongrass (steeped in the cream mixture).

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Inspiring


Photo by David La Spina for The New York Times

I ran across this article in The New York Times about Alexandra Reau, a fourteen-year-old who runs her own C.S.A. Amazing.

I am still waiting for my tomatoes to ripen. The Super Sweet 100s are getting close and I think that the Purple Cherokees will be next. I am so ready for a Caprese salad! Now if I could only bring myself to do some weeding.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Maps

O. and I really love maps. I'm not sure what it is about them exactly. They are practical yet can be works of art. Here are a few handmade maps that recently caught my eye.

Karen M. O'Leary hand cuts absolutely stunning maps. They are modern and minimal and incredibly interesting. She also make some really beautiful prints.










Famille Summerbelle's whimsical world map via Hither and Thither. I think that this would be really fun in a kid's room.


Detail of hand paper cut





And the perfect daydreaming map courtesy of You and Me, The Royal We. Hand drawn by Oliver Jeffers, the print comes with 202 pins to "chart your path to global domination. 200 of the pins are black, one of them is red and one of them is blue. Red is for headquarters, blue is for next target." How fun is that?




Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Recipe rundown: Almond cake



This may be my new, go-to cake. It was really easy, delicious, and is the type of cake that you could serve at any time of day. I found it on David Lebovitz's blog. David adapted the recipe from Chez Panisse Desserts, and I made one small change (due to the typical weight of almond paste in the US). I made it for a dinner party at a friend's house and served it with Santa Rosa plums, white nectarines, and black raspberries.


I think that it might have been even better the next day.


ALMOND CAKE
Adapted from David Lebovitz


1 1/3 cups (265g) sugar
7 ounces (198g) almond paste
3/4, plus 1/4 cup (140g total) flour
1 cup (8 ounces, 225g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
6 large eggs, at room temperature


1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (162ºC). Grease a 9- or 10-inch (23-25 cm) cake or springform pan with butter, dust it with flour and tap out any excess. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the sugar, almond paste, and 1/4 cup (35g) of flour until the almond paste is finely ground and the mixture resembles sand.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup (105g) of flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Once the almond paste is completely broken up, add the cubes of butter and the vanilla and almond extracts, then process until the batter is very smooth and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, processing a bit before the next addition. (You may wish to open the machine and scrape the sides down to make sure the eggs are getting fully incorporated.)

After you add all the eggs, the mixture may look curdled. Don't worry; it'll come back together after the next step.

6. Add half the flour mixture and pulse the machine a few times, then add the rest, pulsing the machine until the drying ingredients are just incorporated, but do not overmix. (You can also transfer the batter to a bowl and mix the dry ingredients in, which ensures the dry ingredients get incorporated evenly and you don't over beat it.)

7. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for 65 minutes, or until the top is deep brown and feels set when you press in the center.

8. Remove the cake from the oven and run a sharp or serrated knife around the perimeter, loosening the cake from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

Once cool, tap the cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper, and set on a cake plate until ready to serve. (Tip: Warm the bottom of the cake pan directly on the stovetop for just a few seconds, which will help the cake release.)

Storage: This cake will keep for four days at room temperature, well-wrapped. It can also be frozen for up to two months.


Saturday, July 3, 2010

On the list: Tanya Aguiñiga and Crafting Community at the Ace Hotel

I first noticed Tanya Aguiñiga's rope necklaces via a post about the Community Shop on the Heath Ceramics blog. Here's a peek into her studio. She has an interesting story; she was raised in Tijuana and uses her experience of living in two cultures as inspiration for her work. Recently she designed a Toddler Texture Forest for The New Children's Museum in San Diego. It looks like such a whimsical place; I would love to take L. there someday.


Toddler Texture Forest at The New Children's Museum



But what I really love is her jewelry, especially the small cotton rope necklace. The larger necklaces hanging on the wall look fantastic, too.

Community Shop at Ace Hotel Palm Springs







The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs (home of aforementioned Community Shop) also plays host to the Kimmel Kids Crafting Community retreat, a weekend of eating, crafting, and family hang-out time in the desert. Such a cool idea. Sign me up!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Nesting (kind of)

One of the more challenging concepts for me (as a planner) is that we do not know where we will end up living when O. graduates. Unlike other graduate students who typically pick a city or region they would like to live in and then apply for jobs in said city or region, PhD candidates are required to be open to living in a wide variety of places. So we could end up on either coast, in between, or in some other country (though this is less likely). While this is exciting at times, it is sometimes nervewracking.


Nonetheless, I like to daydream about the type of place that we will (eventually) call home. I have always wanted a big farmhouse table (which I fully realize may not be possible in certain cities). I especially love salvaged wood tables. I think that the
Whiskey Tank Table made from oak whiskey staves is pretty much perfect. And it is on sale. Sigh.




Whiskey Tank Table at Sundance

I also love this trestle table. Restoration Hardware- who knew?


Trestle Table at Restoration Hardware



And then there are the chairs. I would love to pick out some colorful French bistro chairs or better yet, design my own pattern. How fun would that be?





Maison Gatti







TK Collections


Or keep it classic with a Wegner wishbone chair. Decisions for another time. At least the process is fun (and free), right?