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sights in Britany from my mom :)

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x

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Some lunar stuff I threw and detailed today!

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Tove Jansson, The Summer Book

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A young girl plays in a replica of a lunar-module in Toronto, Canada, August 1975.Photograph by Robert Madden, National Geographic Creative

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nearly done with the swords suit. whew. i had to change the vines a bit due to hand and wrist pain.

the entire suit will be available for view, as well as other works, at push/pull in seattle, beginning september 13th until november. hope to see local pals there.

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let me put my money where my mouth is and give you my advice for improving "European" recipes so you can make fun of me too if you want. I won't complain

Not everything needs ginger in it. I really like to use ginger as a sort of bridge between 'sweet' / 'warming' spices and 'savoury' spices—like, paprika and allspice can be kind of jarring together, or create an uneven flavour profile, but ginger will round it out. Add fresh ginger in with the aromatics for fresher, zestier notes, or add ground ginger in with the rest of the ground spices for something more mellow. It's really good in soups.

I might also saute some ginger and garlic in neutral oil and then add greens to wilt + salt to taste; then top with a drizzle of sesame oil. Basically this kucai recipe, but with whatever bitter greens you want.

Mince some raw garlic (or use a garlic press) and use a little bit of it to top soups with. Totally different vibe from fried garlic. Very zingy.

Rather than changing the amount of cinnamon, I'd recommend toasting the cinnamon in a dry skillet for 30 seconds (if it's ground cinnamon) to a minute (if it's cinnamon sticks: crush them a little, toast while stirring occasionally, then grind in a coffee mill). Even if you're baking and not cooking, it makes a huge difference!

Also try going to a halal market or specialty spice store and grabbing a few different kinds of cinnamon (quill cassia, cinnamon 'bark' which is a different kind of cassia, Ceylon cinnamon which is a different species). Mixing these together will add some subtle depth and complexity of flavour.

If something calls for just cinnamon, consider adding cloves; allspice; cardamom; nutmeg; and/or mace (mace my beloved). I also like to add a touch of white pepper to a 'warming' spice medley like this. I think it really brings out the sharpness in the cloves etc.

If it asks for vanilla, add 1/4 of that amount of almond extract; or the same amount of orange blossom water as vanilla; or some fiori di Sicilia; or a pinch of mastic gum. Unless it's a very particular baked good with very tight tolerances for the amount of liquid you add, like macarons.

If onions are a major component of the dish, consider whether you want to fry them low and slow (brings out a lot of sweetness, even if you're not all-out caramelizing them), or if you want to fry them on medium-high until they're browned (very aromatic with nutty and toasted notes). A quick fry on medium-high just until they're translucent and softened is usually not what I go for, because it misses out on both of those possibilities.

If you're making a whole pot of soup, fry the aromatics and vegetables in like a solid cup of extra virgin olive oil before adding the broth or stock (it's cheaper at halal grocery stores). Also throw in a couple of whole cloves; some crushed dried red chili pepper if you can handle heat; and a bay laurel leaf or two. Consider some whole black peppercorns, which will impart flavour to the oil, and add a nice pop to whatever bites of soup end up having one.

Olive oil + onion + garlic + whole cloves + red pepper flakes + bay leaf + black pepper is basically my 'base' for anything that I'm trying to give an Italian or Sicilian vibe. Fry these things together (with more olive oil than you think) then add whole fresh or canned tomatoes and fry some more. Remove the cloves and bay leaf and blend until you reach your desired texture. Cook down until you reach your desired consistency. Add another glug of olive oil, a couple drops of soy sauce, salt to taste, and some more black pepper. Taste it and see if your tomatoes are sweet and tart enough: if not, add some sugar and/or a little bit of white or red wine vinegar. You've just made the best tomato sauce on planet earth. Use it on pasta or anywhere passata is called for.

Add a bit of ground white pepper at the end of the cooking time of a soup or stew.

Mix the dried spices that the recipe calls for in a small bowl and keep adding them gradually at different points in the cooking time: some to fry with the oil at the beginning, some to simmer when you first add the water, and some as a finishing spice 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Make sure you're deglazing your pan. You don't usually want to fry a bunch of stuff and then not add water to it to unstick the leftover flavour from the bottom of the skillet. You can use wine, vinegar, stock, broth, or even water. The exception is something like the chana for chana chaat or a dry aloo sabzi where you really want the flavour and texture of the dry spice powders. But that's not what we're talking about here.

I've got no complaint with using a blend like an Italian seasoning mix or herbes de Provence in place of dried oregano or parsley.

Basil pesto doesn't need cheese or pine nuts in it. It just doesn't. Basil, olive oil, garlic, and fresh lemon juice is enough. But try adding a couple sprigs of mint in with the basil.

Lemon juice. I can't believe that post didn't mention the power of lemon juice. Saute some bitter greens in olive oil with some garlic, then top with coarse sea salt and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.

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I don't read Apartamento, but we sell it where I work, and when I flipped through the pages I found this piece on Tove Jansson that I thought looked great. Scanned it in the office so I could read it later, sharing here for others to enjoy.

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“An ancient Italian bronze statue is examined after being discovered in the ruins of a Roman bathhouse.” (Artnews)

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My vintage medical/funeral/embalming collection. I’ve bought and sold a few pieces since this photo was taken, but it’s still a fun one to show off.

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King, of the Summer Court 🌿✨

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this 'being really tired after work' thing is really getting in the way of this 'pursuing my artistic hopes and dreams' thing has anyone else noticed this

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Bella Ramsey as Birdy in Catherine Called Birdy (Film, 2022).

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Sketches by Gustav Gaudernack, 1910

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wall above my sewing table

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San Ildefonso Pueblo painting

1. Opa-Mu-Nu (Ricardo Martinez), Sleeping Fawn in the Mountains in the Spring, 1928–1932. Tempera on paper / 2. Popovi Da (Tony Martinez), Skunks and Squirrels Under Sky Crescent, 1930-1939. Tempera on paper. / 3. Oqwa Pi (Abel Sánchez), Deer and Sun, 1920–1935. Tempera and graphite on colored paper board. / 4. Popovi Da (Tony Martinez), Skunk, Ducks, Rooster, 1930–1939. Tempera on paper board

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yo what