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So...this
weekend I decided I would try to recreate a breakfast dish I had a couple
of months ago up in Seattle. It was like an Italian egg's benedict. A hearty
slice of peasant bread instead of an English muffin, a marina sauce instead
of hollandaise. Egg's Benedict is one of my absolutely favorite all time
dishes so I was enthralled with this version. I have never really experimented
in the kitchen, I usually need the security of the printed word, plus,
I never remember that I can experiment. So, inspired by Judy Rodgers,
I decided to go for it. My biggest hurdle was the battle of the tomatoes.
Fresh or canned? I tired to remember the sauce used in my inspiration and
can tell you that I am pretty sure it was not comprised of petite-diced
canned tomatoes from Top Foods. However, the camp of fresh tomatoes had
a severe tactical disadvantage. There were only two of them. One and a
half after a soldier was drafted into the BLT the country of Jeffery was
making. It was decided that the army of Del Monte would back up the Special
Forces Unit of the Fresh Plum. I am proud to say that my experiment was
a success. It was not a taste-bud revelation like the original, but it
sat in my belly in the warm, comforting way I was looking for. Sorry for the lack of updates, I am particularly busy with work at the moment and it's all consuming. Good news is that the bulk of it is over. I recently joined a cookbook club. One of those where you get four books for four dollars and then you only need to buy...blah blah blah. I received my initial sign-up shipment the other day which was: Nigella Bites, Nigella's Forever Summer, The Zuni Cafe cookbook, and The French Laundry cookbook. My favorite by far is the Zuni Cafe book. I have been fortunate enough to actually eat there so I was excited about that one, and it does not disappoint. Judy Rodgers has re-insipred me to write in my food journal, take notes, and taste as I go. I love it. I am a little disappointed in Nigella's books, however. I love Nigella, and I have her How to Eat book, and it's a lot better in my opinion. The French Laundry is a beautiful, beautiful book. I don't think I would ever make a lot of the items (stuffed pig's head, anyone?) but it's still fabulously inspiring and I really want to eat at the restaurant. For the Holidays,
J and I received a gift certificate from my brother and his family to Williams-Sonoma.
I am so excited to spend it. I tried to do it online, but you have to go
to the store to used it. I was going to buy this 1
qt. All-Clad saucier, which is half off (and backordered), but I couldn't
use the certificate for it. I bought it anyway because the smallest saucepan
I have is actually a stockpot. Not very small. I am compiling a list of
things I may get instead. Things like soufflé dishes, a silpat sheet,
those little mise en place bowls, a slotted spoon! I am pretty excited. One of my favorite new blogs is from the artist Lori Joy Smith (found via Peppermint Tina). I have been reading her entries and found another fabulous artist who I love. Sara Varon. Ordered her book/comic Sweater Weather from Amazon and I can't wait to get it. A few weeks ago, Keri Smith had an entry that mentioned Moleskine sketchbooks. I had never heard of them before, and then lately it seems that they are popping up all over the place. Okay maybe one other place, but I swear I saw a reference to them somewhere else. Because I need to be cool like everyone else, it has been decided that I need a Moleskine. I was going to order one from Kate's Paperie next time I needed some retail therapy, but this weekend I found a shop here in Olympia that carries them. J and I were walking by the storefront and my super spy X-ray vision saw them displayed inside. I love the Moleskine and I am afraid to write/draw in it. I have a tendency to be afraid of new sketchbooks and fear that I will mar the overall coolness factor by lame drawings and entries in the front. It's almost like I don't get my sketchbook-groove on until somewhere in the middle. I don't really need a new sketchbook either. I still have a brand new one I just bought that is 85% empty. At least I know that the Moleskine is going to be waiting for me when I am ready for it. I also scored
two iron dragon candlesticks from an antique store for 7$. I ran into the
bookstore next door where J was waiting and he asked what I bought. Bless
his heart, he tried to hide the look of horror when the words "Dragon"
and "Candlestick" came from my mouth. I don't blame him. In fact,
if someone said "dragon candlestick" to me, I would envision
something you would by at a store that sells crystals and wicca books.
There is the possibility for serious sci-fi nerdy lameness with dragon
candlesticks, and perhaps they are nerdy and lame, but I really like them
and they look great in my bedroom. I love getting
magazines in the mail. The other day I got the latest Mary Englebreight
and I almost always find something interestng. I love how she focuses on
artists and showcases their studios.
I had an interesting weekend. My bed skirt
decided to chew up and spit out my sewing machine. Okay,...perhaps I am
being a tad bit dramatic, but making the skirt for my bed was NOT what
one would call smooth sailing. First off, I mismeasured and cut the wrong
sized pieces...okay, not a problem. Sew them back together..the seam will
be hidden in the folds of the gathers, and it's black fabric–hard
to see. I managed to gather and attach two sides of the skirt, and it was
while sewing the final side with about 8 more inches to sew, that my machine
decided that it had had quite enough thank you, and was staging a formal
protest by sewing over a pin and shoving bits of fabric and thread into
it's innards. I could not move the needle and it had a hold of the the
bed skirt, held hostage if you will, clenched tightly in it's jaws and
it was not about to let go. I had to free the skirt by cutting it out with
and X-acto knife thereby ruining my gathers and taking a big chunk out
of the skirt in the process. Freed of it's captive, my machine tried to
show me who was boss by still refusing to move it's needle. It was a dire
situation. An emergency call to the hostage negotiator (mom) was unsuccessful.
I made the brave decision to take matters into my own hands and I went
and got a screwdriver. Yes, I took that machine apart. It was bold new
territory, but I managed to extract all the bits of the skirt wrapped around
the bobbin shuttle and reassemble the machine without further loss of life.
I had won the battle, but not the war. I finished repairing and sewing
the final piece. I ran to the bedroom to lay the skirt on the bed, just
to get a feel for it, and then it hit me. The horror...the HORROR!! I had
sewn that final piece of the bed skirt to the wrong side of the fabric.
It was inside out. I know my machine was flipping me the bird in that moment,
somewhere in it's mechanical mind,....with a finger it didn't have. I could
feel it. I attempted to put the whole project away to chill and
regroup, but I was just too pissed off to let it go. I ripped that piece
off, re-gathered and re-sewed that puppy like my life depended on it. My
machine knew not to mess with me in that state of mind. It knew that I
could unscrew it's favorite parts right off it's body if it gave me any
more lip. I am happy to report that everything from this point on went
smoothly. I put the skirt on the bed and paraded J into the bedroom so
he could do the obligatory "oooh" and "aaaw" and marvel
at my domesticity. "Wow" he said, "it only took you three
years to make that." Yesterday, or the day before actually, I caught a snippet of Martha Stewart Living, and she and her craft guru were making Buckwheat Neck Rolls. Sounds like a hippie appetizer. I really want to make one of these, primarily to have something that matches my new bed skirt. I am thinking of making the roll out of the same fabric, or at least the fancy "sleeve" that you make for the neck roll. That would probably be a better idea since I can take it off and wash it. I also think that I might forgo the buckwheat part of it as well.....I want it primarily for a decorative effect and don't fancy figuring out a place to store two pounds of buckwheat hulls. See? it's already getting too complicated. I think I will make the bedskirt this weekend though.....I hope... I found some
leather! It's book
leather, so I have no idea what it looks like or how thick it is, but
at least it's a start. Kinda pricey, but I guess that is to be expected.
Now you will be witness to the phenomenon of Erica...I was searching heaven
and earth for this damn leather and now that I have found it I can't remember
why I wanted it. Greetings!
I have been away for so long. We had a fabulous holiday...it was awesome
and I am glad it is over. It has taken me practically a week to recover.
Saw lots of family, scored lots of loot. I ate waaaaaay too much and the
tightness of my pants is the proof. I am super behind on all of my emails,
so I promise I will get to them soon.
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