As some of you no doubt know, Sarah has been a pretty busy lady. Not only is she heading into finals week in her grad program, but she also just started a big, new job at Lillstreet Art Center! A lesser person probably couldn’t take it, and though Sarah has recently come down with the flu, she’s pushing on through. Needless to say, with all that work, one doesn’t get to indulge in too many diversions. When you do, you’ve got to make it count. This music video counts.
Romaine and Cabbage Salad with Quinoa and Feta
One problem that we are constantly trying to solve is finding meals that Sarah can take for dinner on the day she has classes from 3pm to 10pm. This week we’re trying a salad-centric approach. Fruit salad has become a bit of staple, and we’re pairing it with a slight variation on a leafy salad we saw on The Kitchn. We used red cabbage instead of radicchio and feta instead of ricotta salata.
Romaine and Cabbage Salad with Quinoa and Feta
For the quinoa:
1/2 cup red quinoa
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the vinaigrette:
1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon honey
Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2 – 1c red cabbage
1 large shallot
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3 ounces feta, crumbled
1 large ripe avocado, thinly sliced
Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the quinoa: Heat 1 cup water in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, garlic clove, and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down to low, and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Spread the cooked quinoa on a large plate to cool.
Make the vinaigrette: In a small food processor or chopper, blend the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, honey, and a generous quantity of black pepper. When creamy and thick, set aside.
Make the salad: Finely chop the romaine into ribbons, discarding the stem end. Core and cut the radicchio into quarters, then slice each into thin ribbons. Finely shave the shallot into thin slices. Toss the romaine, radicchio, and shallot in a large bowl, and toss with the cooked quinoa. Toss with the vinaigrette, and then with the almonds and the ricotta salata. Toss about half of the avocado with the salad. Season to taste with generous amounts of salt. Serve topped with remaining slices of avocado.
from The Kitchn
Spring Specimen
{ “New Haven” by Scott Vahan Tavitian } { “North N Place” by Jessica Robles }
Craft in America: Memory
I’m a little late to the game. I’ve only recently become aware of the documentary series Craft In America, which aired on PBS with the episode “Memory” in 2009. Better late than never, right? Luckily, all the episodes are archived and free to watch online!
Through interviews with a 90-year-old woodworker, a southern basket maker, a Native American weaver, a soft-spoken blacksmith from Santa Fe, and a rebellious furniture maker slash sculptor, this first episode painted a colorful and varied picture of American craft traditions.
Admittedly, I was initially disappointed with the show’s focus on conventional forms of studio craft and established craftspeople who’d garnered a notable amount of success in the fine art world. As one whose appreciation for craft developed more recently, amid the indie craft revolution and more commercial DIY movement, I had difficulty at first connecting with these craftspeople’s stories. Fortunately, I quickly recognized the depth of knowledge and insight these expert artisans could offer to younger craftsters and that the craft practices I engage in and value today have deep-rooted, rich, and lively histories.
{ natural fiber basket by Pat Courtney Gold } { Pat Courtney Gold harvest cattails }
“Memory” presented beautiful but accessible work to aspire to and absorbing personal narratives to inspire. The weaver, Pat Courtney Gold, holding steadfastly to both her heritage and her individuality, created exquisite baskets that blended traditional Wasco designs with her own aesthetic experimentations. Handcrafted objects, she explained, “tell their own stories, have their own lives.”
{ blacksmith Tom Joyce in his studio; image credit: Bear Brandt }
Tom Joyce, the blacksmith, tenderly shared his handicraft—tools and hardware as well as substantial public sculpture made from recycled materials, including a baptismal fountain commissioned by a local church that was forged from salvaged metals donated by the community. The glimpse into this intense, impressive metalcraft was remarkable; the discussion of the “inherited history” of each piece was powerful.
{ Ghost Chair #3 by Garry Knox Bennett } { Garry Knox Bennett in his loft by Joe Samberg }
The candid sculptor/furniture-maker, Garry Knox Bennett, whose work is best described as delightfully irreverent (nonfunctioning chairs and ornately carved, traditional-style tables in garishly bright, clashing colors) was a downright hoot. While explaining how his career began with selling handmade roach clips, he proclaimed, “God bless the hippies—they loved anything ugly.”
In addition to these entertaining stories and inspiring insights, the first episode of Craft in America provided an essential context for contemporary craft. Through “Memory”, I realized that today’s craftspeople must have an awareness of the past—of our country’s craft traditions—to fully appreciate the present state of American craft and to actualize its best possible future. I’m excited to see what the next episode holds!
Swig & Swill: Brewing Coffee
I’m a bit of a coffee tinkerer. I don’t like getting into too much of a routine with my brew. Switching between a Chemex and an Aeropress creates a lot of variety. Both yield different results, yet neither is necessarily better.
You can also get a lot of variety from just changing how you brew a pot of Chemex coffee, and even more so with the Aeropress. It’s fun to try different things yourself, but it’s also pretty helpful to see how others go about brewing. Enter: brewmethods.com. Brew Methods is a great resource for coffee brewing recipes for those who are always searching for the best or wanting to change it up.
Come On, Spring…
{ 1. Mini Macrame Planters } { 2. Custom Portraits on Wood }
{ 3. Butterfly Temporary Tattoos } { 4. Cat Chase Wallet } { 5. Compound Ring }
{ 6. Snow & Pearl Cup } { 7. Lemon/Mint Scarf }
Needle Drop: Jason Molina
I was saddened to hear that Jason Molina passed away last weekend at thirty-nine. Molina was a touchstone of my musical upbringing. I distinctly remember seeking out Magnolia Electric Co. at Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis when I was in high school. His music provided something that my affinity for the Beatles and 60s pop otherwise lacked: a spare, haunting, often brooding mood and tone. While the rocking and country inflected Magnolia Electric Co. is powerful and a record I often come back to, Didn’t it Rain has always been my favorite. I always find a level of tranquility in the plodding rhythms, forlorn lyrics and space present in the recordings.
Secretly Canadian, Molina’s longtime record label, has a very nice write-up.
Twin Shadows
Hollow Pasta with Greek Cinnamon-Tomato Sauce
Pasta! We don’t usually make a lot of pasta, because Sarah and I have opposing ideologies when it comes to noodley dishes: she likes thick, creamy, and meaty sauces, while I prefer my noodles with just a little cheese and butter or oil.
However, I think we’ve just found a happy compromise! This recipe from the Splendid Table has tomatoes, but a lot of the sauciness comes from goat cheese. This might be the perfect combination to satisfy both of us. Plus, the cinnamon really sets it apart from your usual pasta meal. If you you are in a pasta rut, this might just help.
Hollow Pasta with Greek Cinnamon-Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 quarts salted water in a 6-quart pot
Sauce:
- Good-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/3 tighty-packed cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
- Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1-1/4 teaspoons dried oregano (Greek oregano preferred)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper or other medium-hot chile; or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white or red wine
- 2 pounds ripe summer tomatoes; or one 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with their juice
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked chicken or lamb (organic if possible; optional)
Pasta:
- 1 pound imported long hollow pasta like perciatelli, maccheroncelli, or ziti, broken into more or less 2-inch pieces, or short hollow pasta
- 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
Bring the salted water to a boil.Generously film the bottom of a straight-sided 12-inch saute pan with olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, parsley, and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper. Saute the onions to golden brown. Then stir in the tomato paste, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, sugar, and Aleppo pepper. Turn the heat down to medium and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute.
If using fresh tomatoes, grate them on a grater over a bowl, and add the pulp with its juices to the pan. For canned tomatoes, crush them as they go into the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook the sauce for 8 minutes, or until thick. Taste for seasoning, remove the pan from the heat, and if using the chicken or lamb, stir it in. Cover the pan.
Drop the pasta into the boiling water. Boil, stirring often, for 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still has a little bite. As the pasta cooks, reheat the sauce over medium-high heat. Once the pasta is done, drain it in a colander and add it to the sauce. Toss over the heat for a minute or more to help the sauce permeate the noodles. Turn half of it into a serving bowl and dot with half of the cheese. Add the rest of the pasta and top with the remaining cheese.
from the Splendid Table
Who Are You Pairing: 2013 Oscars
{ Kerry Washington } { Sarah Goodreau }
{ Jessica Chastain } { Olivia Jeffries }
{ Naomi Watts } { Lilli Carré }
{ Halle Berry } { John Guthrie }