emily in sf: foggy and clear

Bread Heals All Wounds

2010-01-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

Sat, 01/23/10
Bread (ahem...Cupcake) Pudding
from Lizzie May

Hoorah!

After posting my last entry about the doomed cupcakes, I received many suggestions from loving friends and family about what to do with the charred remains, including: cake pops, rum balls, and the practical advice, "just swipe them in frosting and chow down!" (thanks, Stacy.) I finally settled on Lizzie's bread pudding recipe, with adjustments made for sweetened cupcakes.

This recipe was about as foolproof as they come: 4 eggs (plus a yolk), a 1-1/2 cup mixture of milk and half & half, 1 tsp vanilla, a smidge of cinnamon, and... Voila!

Aaahhh...

All Better!

Lizzie also mentioned raisins, but I didn't have anything special to soak them in (i.e. rum), so I left them out, but I think even just plain raisins would have been a good addition. But this bare-bones version turned out fine, as is. Yummy eggy goodness.

Next up on the Bread Train is...

Sun, 01/24/10
Sourdough Baguettes
from The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley

This was my first attempt at really kneading dough... Until now, I've baked lots of loaves of yummy, crusty, rustic bread, but only using "no-knead" methods, all derived from New York Times' No-Knead Bread.

Those loaves have all been good, some better than others, and recently very good, after using the techniques described in Cooks Illustrated's "Almost No-Knead Bread" recipe.

However, I was up for a challenge, and I figured old-fashioned bread kneading would be the ideal next step in my bread-baking journey.

(Also, I had just acquired some prime kitchen loot: a SuperPeel and a heavy duty FibraMent baking stone. These items nicely took the place of the cast iron pot I had used for baking all my no-knead bread.)

Anyway, so I followed the instructions for a series of kneading, resting and rising: methods gathered from not only this Peter Berley recipe, but also Julia Child's bread-baking French Chef video "The Good Loaf", and step-by-step pictures in her cookbook The Way to Cook.

The process was labor intensive and time-consuming, but very fun—something I'll likely try out next weekend.

Here are the end results:

Talk about rewarding!

The bread was made from my sourdough starter, and it tasted wonderful. Also, thanks to steam created from tossing water into a hot pan on the oven floor, the crust of the bread turned out just as lovely as my no-knead loaves (which acquire their steam from the tightly-lidded cast iron dutch oven):

Yum, yum, yum.

Well, like I said, I'll be practicing this recipe many more times... Maybe I can turn it into pizza sometime, too!

Stay tuned for more crusty, doughy goodness.

1-2-3-4—FAIL.

2010-01-20T00:12:00.000-08:00

(Failed Attempt No. 1): Tue, 01/19/10
1-2-3-4 Cake
from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Well, this sucks.

Here we have the dried up remains of what could have been tonight's completely gorgeous cupcakes:

(Sorry, eggs; sorry, butter.)

Everything was going PERFECTLY— I was all set to make Alice's 1-2-3-4 cake into cupcakes for a coworker's birthday, and the batter was beautifully formed—right down to my first soft-peaked egg whites— but then an evil moron twin dug her way into my head and forced me to:

a. not grease the inside of the cupcake liners, and
b. completely crowd the oven.

I'll name my twin Tracey. WHY did Tracey talk me into setting both tins into the oven: not only at once, which I guess was probably not a great idea, but on the same rack?? Tracey, you're SO STUPID!!

After 9 minutes, I smelled burning. ("It's nothing!" Tracey reassured me.) And after 17 minutes, all was lost: all 24 cupcakes had turned black and smokey.

Here are the survivors:

So now I think I know what to avoid next time. Until then, I wonder if there's a recipe or some home-thrown dessert that can be made with the sad remains? Maybe something along the lines of a bread pudding? God, it sucks that I used up 2 whole sticks of butter for this sad mess.

Oh well—better luck next time. Tracey's staying out of the kitchen from here on out.

An Almond Cake

2010-01-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Sat, 01/16/10:
Almond Cake
from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

So here is my second cake ever baked... I used some new tools (2 aluminum 9-inch cake pans and those previously mentioned insulated cake strips), and unfortunately, the aesthetic results were only so-so: as the cake cooled in the pan, the layers started to shrink from the top of the pan, but stayed in place at the bottom, resulting in sloped, hard-to-stack sides... maybe my new tools need to be worn in a bit, kind of like a pancake griddle? Or it could be that I didn't soak the cake strips for long enough: I only remembered that they needed to be soaked at the very last minute, after the batter was all mixed up, so I gave them a kind of rushed soaking for about 5 minutes: I did notice they were sort of browned when I removed them after baking. Anyway, according to Mom, those cake strips are supposed to help layers stay even, so next time, I'll be sure to start soaking at the onset of ingredient prep. (but if there are any experienced bakers out there with advice on how to avoid "shrinking sides", please leave comments!)

The recipe suggested that the cake remain plain, and served with fresh fruit or whipped cream, but it also mentioned an alternative gussied-up look of apricot jam glaze. I tried that on and between the layers, and I think it looks nice. Another attempt to hide the messy layers was an adornment of blanched and toasted almonds. Amazing what a little symmetrical pattern can accomplish.

Waiting for James to come home so I can slice this and EAT it...

Finally!

(For the record, this was James' "favorite dessert yet!")

The cake really tasted fantastic! This is my second cake from Alice Waters' cookbook, and so far it seems that she really has a knack for keeping the texture extremely moist and fluffy. That chocolate cake from my birthday included buttermilk and an addition of hot water (the latter of which my mother found pretty unusual), but I think these two ingredients really helped to keep the cake moist for several days: its texture was excellent almost a week later. This cake had very few ingredients: sugar, butter, almond paste, 6 eggs, and flour (as well as baking powder), but they must be the right ingredients; the cake just melts in your mouth. Lovely!

I think next up is Alice's 1-2-3-4 cake, a recipe she includes in The Art of Simple Food for cake novices. The numbers refer to the ratio in ingredients: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs. I'll wait a week for these calories to settle, but stay tuned!

Hey, Everyone else is doing it, so why can't...

2010-01-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

Whoa. Just looked at the ticker there... and it's been about a year. hmm.

Well, Happy New Year, no time like the present, whatever.

Anyway. Been doing a lot of cooking and baking lately—around October, I even learned to make pie dough!—and after receiving a mess of new kitchen loot and cookbooks for Christmas, I got to thinking, how 'bout I start a foodie blog/journal?

(I mean, it's never been done before, right??)

So... recently, here are some things I've added to my kitchen repertoire:

Wed, 01/14/10
Kale and Potato Soup with Red Chili
from The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison

This is something I probably would pass up on any other night, but I had to figure out what to do with some week-old kale from my CSA box, and the cookbook index directed me here. Another thing in the recipe that was quite unusual for my cooking habits was the chili flakes: I'm sort of a wimp when it comes to spicy foods. But this soup was great! It took a long time to cook and for the flavors to marry, but the time spent, plus a little mashing of the potatoes helped thicken it up nicely, so it seemed much more creamy and fattening than it really was. And it also called for nutritional yeast(!), which I haven't seen listed in any cookbook besides my old Southern Standby, the Grit Cookbook. So there you go: nutritional yeast makes it out to the Bay Area. Whaddya know. Oh, and the soup was sort of spicy, but not so much that I couldn't handle it: it really livened up what could otherwise be a pretty bland-tasting soup.

okay, next:

Sun, 01/10/10
Tarte Tatin
from CooksIllustrated.com

I discovered this recipe long ago, but held off on making it until I could use the recommended 9-inch cast iron skillet to cook it in. After receiving said skillet for Christmas, I knew this would be a good christening dish. Okay... it was a bit more challenging than that...

I managed to burn the caramel a bit on the bottom (or top), and the apples were sort of sloppy and not quite as formed and glistening as I had hoped, and I spent quite awhile afterwards scrubbing the skillet that probably could have used a good seasoning prior to any cooking. But still.. you can't really go wrong with sugar and apples and butter... so not a bad first try, all in all.

My first inspiration for Tarte Tatin was Julia Child, of course: I've been watching her French Chef videos on Netflix, and I love that she totally screwed this one up, too: in the video, she ends up with a pretty sad-looking tart after using "obviously mislabeled" apples... oh well: like she said, no matter what it looks like, it still tastes good!

Speaking of Ms. Child, James gave me two of her cookbooks for Christmas, Baking with Julia and The Way to Cook. Both of these books are splendid, and the first recipe I tried from the latter was:

Sun, 01/10/10
Leeks au Gratin

Whoa! Talk about rich... this was pretty intense. The recipe called for her "master recipe" of Cheese (Mornay) Sauce, by way of Béchamel Sauce, which was an extremely thick mixture of

2-1/2 Tbs butter
3-1/2 Tbs flour
2 cups hot milk
1/2 tsp salt and several grinds of white pepper

I added this mixture to braised leeks and some Gruyère cheese, and ended up with a very, very rich casserole: which would probably be a much better side dish than a main dish. On very special occasions. Thoughts for next time: this is not a main dish, you'll be full after two bites, and don't overcook the leeks. Live and learn.

Back to desserts:

A few weeks ago I went back to Georgia for the holidays, and to celebrate my 30th birthday, I baked my very first...

Sun, 12/27/09
Chocolate Cake (!)
from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

My mom was in the kitchen with me for maternal guidance, handy tips, and moral support, but I pretty much did it all by myself, and the results were amazing. Good old Alice Waters!

Prep time with Mom: making Alice's buttercream frosting (pink, of course!), on perfectly-leveled layers (thanks to Mom's secret weapon: insulated cake strips)

The Candles

The wish...

The scrumptious Cross Section...

...and the Gourmet Magazine shot. Happy Birthday, indeed.

---

Okay, I think that's enough for tonight...

More to come soon.

Care and Use Instructions (or: "It Broke")

2009-02-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

I recently received the stunning gift of a beautiful bright-green Le Creuset Cookware Set. I had baked my last loaves of No-Knead Bread with my Dad's older 7-qt Le Creuset dutch oven, so naturally I was eager to christen the Dutch oven in this new set with another batch of bread.

Well, last night I was reading the little booklet that came with my set, and noticed that the black phenolic knob on the lid was only oven-proof to 375 degrees. "Hmm..." I thought. "The NYT No-Knead Bread recipe is so popular, that surely many people have been able to use these pots at 450 degrees with no problems, and I've been able to use my older pot with no problems... so, eh, it'll be fine."

As you can probably guess... it was not fine. The knob was loose after taking the lid out of the oven 30 minutes later, and while nervously trying to screw it back on, the knob chipped right at the base, and I realized that my beautiful little brand-new pot was busted.

After several hours of panicking and fretting, a late night web search directed me to several wholesalers who sell Le Creuset pot knobs: not only the replacement black phenolic knobs, but hardcore, sure-thing, 100% heatproof stainless steel knobs, at just $10 a pop. Most dealers only sell one or the other, but I found this handy dealer who sells both: IraWoods.com. Here are the links for the Le Creuset Stainless Steel Knob and Large Phenolic Knob.

What really made me feel better during this web search was discovering that I wasn't the only dummy out there, stubbornly destroying her perfect cookware. It turns out that after the New York Times published the Mark Bittman No-Knead Bread recipe back in Nov. 2006, so many folks damaged their LC knobs that people took to stealing knobs from display models at department stores: see article Knob Heads: No Knead Bread Update.

So, the moral of this story is: when you receive a lovely and valuable gift, always read (and believe) the Care and Use Instructions, to ensure the gift stays lovely and valuable.

But don't feel so bad if you do mess up: a lot of people out there are just as stupid as you are, and are more than happy to blog about their mistakes.

Such a long time such a long time such a long lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely time...

2008-11-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it hasn't really been a lonely time, I just like that song.

But it HAS been a long time since I posted my last blog. EEK! I blame it all on Facebook.

Okay, so here's what I've been doing for the past 5 months:

1. Drawing!! I switched figure drawing classes a couple months ago, and am now studying with Michael Markowitz, an artist at the 23rd Street Art Gallery in Noe Valley. Here's my link to the Flickr page with some favorite pieces from both his class, and my previous class with Linda Corbett at Palo Alto's Pacific Art League: My Figure Drawing Set on Flickr

And here are my big faves:

9/23/08, 23rd St. Gallery, 1-hr pose; conté crayon, pastel, charcoal

10/06/08, 23rd St. Gallery, 2-min gesture; charcoal

10/06/08, 23rd St. Gallery, 7-min pose; charcoal

10/06/08, 23rd St. Gallery, 1-hr pose; pastel, conté crayon, charcoal

2. Reading: Mostly thanks to Caltrain, I've had my nose stuck in some pretty great books lately. My most recent amazing read is The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood. This book was my introduction to Atwood, and I am completely hooked. As soon as I was finished with Assassin, I went out and bought another Atwood novel, Alias Grace. After a somewhat slower start than Assassin, this one is proving to be just as engaging. Also on the "Recently Read" shelf: Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides. Absolutely LOVED it. On the nonfiction side: Don't Get Too Comfortable, by David Rakoff and When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris. Both were very funny books from reliably hysterical writers.

3. Biking! Recently my boss at WPI set up a ride from Mill Valley to Mount Tam with the Obama-centric theme of "YES WE TAM!" This is the JPG of the email invitation he sent out to announce the ride:

Here's the album with pics from the ride on my Facebook Page: Yes we TAM! Bike Ride

By the way, while we're on the subject of Obama, let's all vote on Tuesday, mmkay?

4. Visiting my Family: James and I went to visit my sister this past weekend in Colorado Springs, and then took them all down for a roadtrip to celebrate my Grandpa Tom's 80th birthday in Albuquerque. Charity has the most adorable kids I've ever seen, and deserves a medal for raising them so well while her husband's been away for most of the last 5 years in Iraq. Here are Gibson, almost 9; Jonathan, 7; Conner, 4; and baby girl Sydney, 8 mo:

My Sister's Great Kids

That's about it. Also on this list would be: moving with James to a cute place in Belmont, listening to and watching the debates, becoming addicted to This American Life podcasts, getting deeply involved in the political goings-on of Getting More Bike Capacity on Caltrain, and, most recently, pumpkin carving:

I hope everyone else has been just swell. I promise I'll be back soon!

Where the Hell is Matt?

2008-07-16T22:57:00.001-07:00

My Mom sent me this link, and she NEVER sends me forwards or links (or very rarely sends them, anyway), so I figured it had to be good. I was correct:

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Because I'm not made of wood, I was sitting there with tears rolling down my face by the end of it. Wasn't that good??

My blog has been taken over by "FakeDomain.com"

2008-05-25T12:48:00.001-07:00

Has this ever happened to anyone else? This is what my blog address re-directs to.

Life on a bike

2008-05-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

So, on tax day last month, I was given the unexpected and delightful gift of a fabulous new bike! (to be exact, a 2007 Fuji Absolute LX silver hybrid.)

I was slightly intimidated at first, because I had almost never ridden a bike in my adult life (I think a total of 5 rides, from the time I was 16 until now). But I've gotten the hang of it: riding in traffic, going up hills, wearing clipless pedals (after falling over in front of traffic at red lights only about 7 times), and all; and I absolutely love riding on a bike.

This bike has really changed the way I think about exercising, the concept of fun, driving, getting around, and freedom. It is awesome. And, at the end of the year, it will make me a bit richer: My boss, who is an avid rider, has an employee "health incentives plan" of forking over $0.10/mile to a biking employee at the end of each year. Well, 28 days later, I've earned $19.45! (and that includes one week that she was busted in the shop (we won't talk about why.))

I've decided that it's worth my while, time-wise, stress-wise, health-wise and air-wise (and just about breaking even cost-wise, comparing a long and somewhat expensive train ride with the outrageous cost of Bay Area fuel), to ride my bike to Caltrain and take the train into work. It's a short bike ride to and from the station from my house to work, but at the end of the day, I can get off a few stops early and go for a nice, long twilight ride before coming home (and burn like 500 calories(!) at the same time, which makes for a much more satisfying workout than sweating on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes at the gym).

So here are some pics of me and my new baby:

On one of my first rides, to Peet's.

Taking a break on one of many trails in the hills around my house.

Looking ahead on the bike path. I absolutely ADORE these trails!

If you ever needed a reason to start biking, this would be it.

Figure Drawing Class: First day at school

2008-04-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

YAAY! Just got back from very first drawing class since 2002. Hoorah! I heard about this 10-week class from a woman I talked to a couple of weeks ago about art classes. She suggested this school in Palo Alto because they offer classes with models, which was always my favorite part of art school. Am lucky enough to have WPI foot the bill for my "continuing education." Have never been so giddy about going back to school!

I took some pics of the best work from tonight. Class started with warmup of ten 10-second and ten 30-second poses, then on to some minute-longs, and then some longer poses. Class was small, about 4 or 5 total, and had really great easels. (UGA never was blessed with good easels in its painting department: they had precarious metal frames, with oil-paint-coated hinges, and on several occasions they collapsed onto some poor student during my classes. My painting teachers were always very bitter about the huge percentage of the art school budget that was typically given over to the tech-heavy design school. Anyway, these easels were great.)

I discovered that I couldn't quite remember how to use white conte crayons: more than once, I destroyed a couple of drawings by smearing in some white too soon. But these were the best:

10-second pose

10-second pose

30-second pose

30-second pose

first part of a longer pose: about 30 minutes

long pose: about an hour total. This one was very tough, but I stuck with it. It looks strangely proportioned, but there's still a kind of tense, uncomfortable energy I like about it.

More to come next week!!

James naps

2008-04-02T01:41:00.000-07:00

Ever since we got new comfy couches in the living room, I find my boyfriend dozing off about 20 minutes into any television show we may be watching, especially in the evenings. Here he was on Sunday night, and then tonight during Conan. Sleep makes for a good model.

Open Studios?

2008-03-16T03:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm thinking about going out there and starting to create and sell some work. James and I stopped by a gallery on Market Street today: we were attracted to the big colorful paintings on the wall (sorry I can't be more descriptive: they were bright and blocky and geometric, and on one wall there were some pseudo-Thiebaud-y-type Sonoma landscapes I didn't really care for, and there were also some images of crayons). Anyway, I made a beeline for the chocolate lab on the ground and started chit-chatting with the gallery owner: "Oh hello, is this a chocolate lab? So, how do artists usually get work in here?" I was very suave.

Anyway, the woman told me about two things: she holds artists' critiques on Tuesday nights, and that there are lots of Studios that I could join and work in. Woo-hoo!

So now I'm all antsy about creating again. I drew three pictures tonight while listening to a few podcasted episodes of RadioLab (a fabulously entertaining and engaging show on NPR that is quickly topping Fresh Air in my list of radio favorites).

Just because they're usually easiest for me, I did self portraits. Here's one, and the source image (by the way, I got another HAIR CUT today!!! Can't write a blog without mentioning a HAIR CUT!!):

So I'm officially inspired and energized, and I'm going to check out this whole Studio thing. I think it involves renting space in a studio. I know there are lots in the City. Will check it out.

Homework for Emily: One drawing (or, as Simon in the hotel bathtub would say), "Draorwring" a week.

OBAMA: Vote Hope over Fear

2008-02-05T22:56:00.000-08:00

Vote Hope Over Fear.
Vote Unite Over Divide.
Vote Belief Over Doubt.
OBAMA: Vote.

HOPEoverFEAR.org

Visit HOPEoverFEAR's gallery at Zazzle

Typos and other sad, nit-picky details in the life of a graphic designer

2008-01-12T01:13:00.000-08:00

So when I'm not designing during the day, I spend a lot of time thinking about questions to ask the Internet. If I think of something to ask, or to comment on, chances are at least twelve (or thousands of) people have asked that question, or noticed that thing, or had that realization, themselves. To me, the mass consciousness that the Web has created is just terrific!

I find myself especially drawn to sites that list errors of others: Pages like the one I discovered in IMDB today that list "goofs" in various movies and TV shows. Here's an example for the movie "Mary Poppins". In this page, they list technical and continuity errors like strings showing and people switching places from cut to cut: in other words, only details that nerds would notice. (Incidentally, they didn't list the one blinding error I always notice when watching that movie: when Mary and the children march out of the room after "Spoonful of Sugar," I swear the bed closest to the door is cut in half.)

Anyway, so this website is great fun, and it just goes to show you that people love to say "Ha-ha! You did it wrong!" to hard-working artists. This irritating characteristic of mine comes in handy, however, when I'm laying out graphic pieces with long stretches of copy: I'm usually pretty good at finding the annoying little typos, misspellings and stray spaces in a paragraph.

So tonight, when I was washing my face, I was amazed and delighted to find a typo on my Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Facial Wash packaging: "In a perfect world, we'd never gets spots and life would be fair, for everyone." "GetS!" Never mind that the Body Shop continues to talk about their fine work with the Bunjum Aboriginal Co-op -- they didn't catch a typo!! On a piece of packaging that was distributed in the hundreds of thousands! Fascinating!

I immediately went online, sure that some other nerd out there had discovered this as well, and was saddened to find that I was the only one.

Alas, here I am, alone, on a Friday night, in my lessened state of gloating:

"Ha-ha! Look what I found!"

Turning 28 is a fire hazard.

2007-12-28T00:36:00.000-08:00

So today, I am one year older.

I talked to my nephew Gibson this morning on the phone today. Gibson is 20 years and 1 day younger than me, and will be turning 8 tomorrow. I told him that I was going to have 28 candles on my birthday cake today, and he asked, very concerned: "Won't that start a fire... or explode?" I just laughed, but then later, when I lit all 28 of them, I was alarmed at the rate the candles were burning down, and pretty surprised the smoke alarm didn't go off after blowing them out.

I guess Gibson knew what he was talking about after all.

Painting of my nephew Jonathan

2007-12-20T18:22:00.001-08:00

Let's see if my CSS skills are savvy yet.

Will there be snow on Friday?

2007-12-20T18:01:00.001-08:00

Will there be snow on Friday?
Originally uploaded by Emily: Foggy and Clear

For Eric's Typography Friday. Counting down till Friday, when I can add my first post to the Pool....

Christmas Card '07

2007-12-20T17:59:00.001-08:00

Christmas Card '07
Originally uploaded by Emily: Foggy and Clear

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

"PIGGY PUDDING?!?"

2007-12-16T17:09:00.001-08:00

Christmas Came a couple weeks ago when my boyfriend and I bought our first Christmas tree together. As is the Tradition in any Hunter home, as soon as the boxes of ornaments were opened, the CD John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together began to play.

Here are some pics of our lovely tree, as well as a favorite tune to listen to, featuring Miss Piggy herself:

The Muppets Sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas

"...No, figgy pudding. It's made with figs."

"Oh. Sorry!"

"...and bacon."

"—What?"

The tree, no tripod, in the light.

The tree, no tripod, in the dark.

My favorite ornament, from the Christmas I turned 6: a chubby pink Cabbage Patch Kid. YAYY!!

Sort of a spooky, but nevertheless, beloved, folk doll: after about 6 years, I looked under the dress, and saw this "girl" was actually wearing pants. Maybe it was supposed to be a boy? From Estes Park in Colorado: very similar to Helen in GA.

The ornament I can't bear to throw away. I think I made it at a craft-Church thing with Emily Ann Patrick when I was about 8. I've tried scotch-taping it back together, but I think it's beyond hope.

Haircut, Y'all!

2007-12-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

So here I go with another 'do. I decided to do something completely different from the bob I've had for the past few years, and came out of the salon looking like this. I love it!

So Fresh and so Clean!

"To the left! To the left!"

"To the right! To the right!"

"Now Slide! Baby, just slide! Slide! Baby, just slide!"

Poms

2007-12-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

So at a WW meeting a couple weeks ago, someone mentioned pomegranates were a good snack. I decided to pick a few up at Trader Joe's last night and see what they were like.

First impression: After cutting one open, I decided to go crazy and dig in and try it.

I got very red hands, and spattering everywhere, and some of the juice got on my upper arms, and it was very messy.

Then I looked it up on line. That helped. My pom-eating experience today was much cleaner and more enjoyable.

If you are like me, and would like to know more about the cleaner way to enjoy this yummy exotic fruit, please read this article from pomegranate-juice.info:

Pomegranates are definitely one of the hardest fruits to eat. Instead of just biting in, or peeling the skin and biting in, you have to go through a complex (well, kind’ve) process to extract the seeds. While there is not set way for how to eat a pomegranate, in this article we will be giving you some tips that can make the process easier.

Here is a “formal” way to eat a pomegranate:
First, cut off the flowery end of the pomegranate. Then, score the pomegranate into sections and place it in a bowl of water for about 5 minutes. After this, break the sections of the pomegranate open while its still in the water. This will allow the kernels (the stuff you eat), to separate from the rind and sink to the bottom. After this, all you have to do is discard the rind and drain the kernels out of the water.

Keep in mind, thats the formal way. If you’re looking for a much easier, but much dirtier, way to eat a pomegranate, you can simply break or cut the pomegranate open and extra the kernels with your bare hands. Keep in mind though, you will get some purple juice on yourself if you go this route.

What I've been up to...

2007-12-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, people are pretty much putting guns up to my head for new posts. This is understandable, since the last post I wrote was back in August, I think.

Well, what have I been up to?

I've moved to a new house. I've bought a Christmas tree. And I've been playing SUDOKU. This addictive game has taken over my life. I'm slowly becoming faster at solving them, but I think, at the same time, I'm quickly turning into a gray-haired old lady.

Speaking of hair, I've chopped mine off! It's very short and "croppy," but by no means, "crappy." Luckily, it relies on only the skill of a fabulous stylist, and very little on any effort on my part in the mornings. Just some goo and I'm good to go.

Last night, Lizzie sent me a video of a David Blaine parody. It's very funny. Here is that video, and a part two.

And while we're on videos, my mom sent me one about a Cat Wake-up Call. It couldn't be more true-to-life:

Okay. Tomorrow, I'll try to post new pics.

Enjoy these for now!

Jimmy

2007-08-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ooh this is good. Here is the video "Jimmy", from the album "Kala", the new album from M.I.A. I don't have it yet, but it's $7.99 at Best Buy, from what I hear, and it's definitely next on my list...

Jimmy Lyrics

Recent Onion Article: The Great '07 Pug Recall

2007-05-24T11:32:00.001-07:00

It was kind of a slow morning at work, so I took a visit to The Onion and found this hysterical article. "Princess Kevin"! HA!

Dog Breeders Issue Massive Recall Of '07 Pugs

Cassoulet results: Wednesday night

2007-05-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Pure yumminess. Make it. It's like baked stew. Very, very, very good.

Too bad I'm a vegetarian, though, because I bet this would be PERFECT with sliced-up Hickory Farms summer sausage. Mmmm... I used to LOVE that stuff.

I made it with Smart Deli veggie "Canadian bacon", which was all right, if a little sulfite-ridden. Oh well, c'est la vie as a vegetarian.

What shall I make for dinner Tuesday night? Le Cassoulet? Ah-hawnh-hawnh-hanwh!

2007-04-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

Oh, to someday learn French. It will happen. Maybe I'll buy a little audio thing. Or take a class, I guess. Anyway, so I was flipping through my very favorite cookbook, Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites: Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals, and I came upon the following recipe. It sure looks mighty tasty! I'll let you know how it turns out tomorrow:

Cassoulet
from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites: Flavorful Recipes for Healthful Meals

POINTS® value | 4
Servings | 4–6
Per 8-oz Serving | 237 cal, 1.7 g fat, 5.1 g fiber

main meal | Cassoulet is the name for the classic baked bean dish that is popular bistro fare throughout France. Although baking is the traditional method, you can gently simmer our vegetarian version for 20 minutes on the stove top instead.

Ingredients
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp minced fresh or dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup dry wed wine
• 1 cup peeled and diced carrots (about 2 large)
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (1 large or 2 Roma)
• 3/4 cup pepperoni seitan
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans (15-oz can, drained)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans (15-oz can, drained)
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic, onions, thyme, bay leaves, marjoram, and rosemary and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the wine, cover, and simmer until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, potatoes, and tomatoes, cover, and simmer 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the seitan, molasses, mustard, and both kinds of beans. Return to a simmer, stirring gently, just until the seitan and beans are heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a casserole dish that has been prepared with cooking spray, cover, and bake for 45 minutes.

Bon appétit!

Can I embed music?

2007-04-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what a little Google search can do. I just learned how to embed music in 3 minutes. Actually, I just copied code from this link.

Here's a track from Arular, the cd by M.I.A. I was talking about below. It's called "Sunshowers". I was bopping around to it at work today. She's sooo good.

Woo-hoo! Go techy Emily!

(and by the way, it just so happened that the player button on the thingy in this code is pink. how fabulous!!)

"Dash your curry like you're not in a hurry!"

2007-04-30T00:29:00.000-07:00

For my blog title, I should give props to M.I.A., a Sri Lankan songwriter/hip-hop artist about whom I know very little, but whose music I completely love. I listened to her album Arular while cooking this meal tonight.

This recipe is from a favorite and well-loved and -beaten cookbook that was a lifesaver in my early days of Weight Watchers. I used to set my cookbook on the top of my stove while cooking, sometimes while baking things. I only stopped doing this and got a cookbook holder after I realized that the pages of this and my other cookbooks were turning very brown and crispy. This recipe was the most fried:

Curried Cauliflower with Black Beans
from Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian

POINTS® value | 3
Per Serving | 176 cal, 6 g fat, 10 g fiber
Servings | 4

main meal | As heavenly as it is quick and simple, this is an incredibly satisfying and flavorful meal.

Ingredients
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 small cauliflower, cored and separated into florets
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• one 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
• one 19-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tbsp minced cilantro
• salt to taste

Instructions
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the curry, cumin and coriander; cook, stirring, until just fragrant, 10-15 seconds. Add the cauliflower, pepper flakes and 1/4 cup water; cook, stirring as needed, until the cauliflower is well-coated and nearly all of the liquid is evaporated, 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and 1/4 cup water; cook, covered, stirring as needed, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Gently stir in the black beans; cook until heated through, 2-3 minutes. Sprinke with the cilantro. Add salt to taste.

The cutest thing in the entire world?

2007-04-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

I think it's very possible that this is so:

Here is a video of two otters holding hands. Love it!!!

I reached my Weight Watcher's goal on April 11th!

2007-04-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

I noticed in the recipe below that I had converted all the calories and nutritional information to POINTS, with the help from Weight Watchers. I don't think I've ever mentioned on this blog that I'm in Weight Watchers. For those of you thinking of trying it, Weight Watchers is fantastic and incredibly successful. It has been for me, anyway. Since May of 2006, I have lost 22.4 lbs! I reached my goal on April 11th, and I'm currently half-way through the process of "Maintenance". This is a period of 6 weeks, during which you work to maintain your weight goal. If, after six weeks, you weigh in at no more than two pounds over your goal, you are awarded Lifetime Membership! This is very exciting, because you can continue to attend the meetings and gather the support from the group for free for as long as you keep off the weight.

I'm working very hard for this ultimate goal.

So here are the before and after pics:

Before: At my mom's graduation, 05/13/06:

After: In my bedroom, immediately after my WW Meeting, 04/11/07:

Isn't that cool?! Woo-hoo!

Garlic Curry Aioli and Sweet Potato Fries

2007-04-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

(This is from one of the aforementioned emails I sent recently to my friends and family.)

Hi Folks!

I'm sending along a recipe that my best friend Lizzie gave to me: it's a very yummy curry-based aioli. For those of you who are lucky enough to have tried my Mom's Chicken Broccoli casserole, it's very similar to the base sauce in that.

Also included here is a great recipe for Sweet Potato Fries that go perfectly with this sauce. The serving size here is based on a snack for one or two people, but this would make a great party food, so adjust the number of potatoes to your liking. Enjoy!

Lizzie May's Garlic Curry Aioli

POINTS® value | 1
Servings | 12

sauces | This sauce is very good served with any starchy root vegetable, including potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes

Ingredients
• 4 tsp curry powder
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 3/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 clove garlic clove(s)
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Instructions
Mince the garlic cloves, and combine with the mayonnaise. Whisk in the fresh lemon juice.

Stir in the curry powder, eye-balling to taste (I thought 4 tsp was just about right). Add a dash of paprika, and add salt and lemon pepper to taste.

--

Sweet Potato Fries

POINTS® value | 2
Servings | 2

snacks | These fries are perfectly complemented with Lizzie May's Garlic Aioli.

Ingredients
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2/3 tsp kosher salt

Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the sweet potato and slice it into thin strips about 1" wide by 4" long. Arrange the strips on a flat baking sheet. Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then toss the ingredients until the potatoes are thoroughly coated.

Bake in the oven for about 25- 30 minutes, turning once, until the fries are toasted on the outsides.

Yummy!

Shall I become a homebody and post recipes?

2007-04-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

I've been in la-la-land lately, reading cookbooks for pleasure, going to the produce market several times a week and buying only the ingredients I need for recipes. It makes me feel like a French woman, a feeling I love, even though I don't speak a word of French.

I've found myself emailing recipes to my friends and family at least 3 times in the past week, so I'm thinking, maybe the time has come that I become the kind of woman to... post new recipes on her blog! How trendy and hip! (I think.)

Another thing I'm planning on doing is using this blog more in general. I've been getting i-chat lectures at work from my friend Eric Shoemaker, who complains that I never blog anymore. He's right. I don't. I will try to blog at least once a week from now on.

Another thing I'll use this blog for is posting pictures I take, which I'll try to take more of. James and I went for a walk up to Alamo Square park (where the famous picture of the Painted Ladies is often taken), and over to the panhandle, and then to the Haight. I took lots of pictures, most of which James claimed (rightly) that I would immediately delete once I upload into my computer. Those included pictures of trolley wires (I mean, HELLO! How San Francisco can you get??), a drawer handle on a dresser on a side walk, a TV on a sidewalk, and a picture of cars in the street. I might post them. I might not.

The next posts will be of all things above.

Buy (Less) Crap! Give More.

2007-02-28T12:48:00.001-08:00

Who needs more stuff? You don’t have to buy (RED) to make a difference.Join the (LESS) movement that rejects shopping as a solution to human suffering. Donate directly. Make a real difference. Limit the consumption of more meaning(less) crap.

read more | digg story

Draw Every Day

2006-11-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

One of the pieces of advice (or demands, as the case might have been) given by every single art professor I have known is this:

Draw Every Day.

I was always guilty of never doing this. Drawing every day. I made up lots of excuses for this misbehavior, including "I'm too busy being poor" once I moved to San Francisco and began paying $650/mo for a charming closet, while making $9.50/hr in a bookstore. I also used lack of space in said closet as an excuse. I also dreaded being one of "those people" who sat and drew for hours in a crowded coffee shop. What I was forgetting was that, as an artist, you are supposed to put all that self-conscious fear aside and let your creativity out. I, in fact, have a sketch that I did (see below) at a coffee shop in Berkeley during the first week I was out here. It's really good. Don't know why I didn't do this every day.

Today I don't so much DRAW every day as I SCRIBBLE MADLY every day. Did you ever see that scary movie "The Ring"? I did. It scared the shit out of me. Anyway, there was this scene in which the main character was researching the dead girl, and she was taking notes, and then looked down, and instead of notes, she saw a big horrible scribble all over a photograph of a woman's face. Remember that? OH THAT WAS SO CREEPY. Anyway, that's what I find myself doing while I'm on the phone. It's not really art, but I think just using that kind of habit as an excuse to get your hand moving with ink is a good start.

Here are some recent sketches:

Oh, and here's that sketch from the Berkeley coffee shop: dated 01.16.03.

The note beside the sketch reads: "At Berkeley Espresso in Berkeley. This guy with the ponytail was obsessively playing w/ his ponytail. Like using both hands and grabbing his pony tail back & forth. Weirdo." God, I was a sweet girl.

The Funniest e-Card Ever

2006-11-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to a wonderful surprise in my inbox: James had sent me the funniest e-card I have ever received. He is such a sweetie. I will share the love on my blog. Follow this link for some laughs:

We interrupt this broadcast...

Expletives

2006-10-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Am half-heartedly trying to bleep out expletives on my blog. This is because I have been pestering all members of my family, including Mom, Dad, and Grandma, to read it. Know that Mom would tell me that future employers would frown upon expletives in blogs. What she may not realize is that, in fact, I swear casually with my coworkers, including (especially) my boss, on a daily, almost hourly, basis.

Have decided I won't go crazy, but will occasionally censor myself out of old-fashioned respect for my elders.

There. Aren't I mature?

Only in San Francisco...

2006-10-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

...can it be foggy and clear in one moment.

My roommate and I took a trip today to the Marin Headlands, where we found it was just another gorgeous October day in the City by the Bay...

Enjoy!

Me and My Beautiful Blue Car!

2006-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Wanted: names for my new Honda. My mom says that "Hortense" dates back to my grandmother's Pontiac. Like the nostalgia value, but can't imagine saying the words "Go, Hortense, Go!" while shifting into fifth.

More ideas, please.

(isn't she so pretty??)

The '89 LXi is dead. The '07 LX in IN.

2006-10-18T23:31:00.000-07:00

So I guess now that I'm making actual $300+/mo car payments, I'm an adult. Or maybe I'm just a hot girl with my DREAM CAR!!!!!!!!!!

The delivery date is tomorrow. I'm edging out of I'm-freaking-out-mode and am easing into I'm-so-excited-mode!

AAAAAAAA!!!!

More pics to come, of course.

(and by the way, my '89 Honda Accord LXi died today. Right in front of the dealership's door. But I managed to pry $500 out of their grubby little hands for a trade-in. I RULE!!!)

Sandstrom Design

2006-10-15T02:46:00.000-07:00

I first read about Sandstrom Design in an Interactive Annual from Communication Arts about 4 or 5 years ago. I just thought about them tonight. Their website hasn't changed much since their write-up in CA from that issue. This is a good thing. Set in a simple serif font, on pastel pages the color of drab Xerox paper, the site is mostly copy-driven, and it's VERY funny. Visit it for a good laugh and lots of fun and games. (Be sure to view the Salute to the Greatest page and the Stupid Design Trick page.) Have fun!

Sandstrom Design

Golf Ball Blues

2006-10-15T01:43:00.000-07:00

I made this movie in college using a scanner, Photoshop 6, and Imageready. It took forever, but the face on this little ball kept me very entertained. This is the story of a golf ball who gets left on the green. It's been days, and no one's picked him up yet. Will they ever? What is WRONG with people? Don't they care?

Let's see what a day in the life of a lost ball is like...

Golf Ball Blues

My bookshelf

2006-10-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

These are a few of my favorite things: