September 26th, 2008

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Tomatoes in the Summer: Straight up, in the garden

Friday, September 26th, 2008

There are two types of people: those who enjoy tomatoes plain, and those who don’t.

I was in the latter camp until I started paying more attention to seasonality and quality of produce. Now, when I get a tomato that is perfectly ripe and juicy, the best way to eat it is plain. In the garden, right after it’s picked.

If you don’t pick it from the plant, you can enjoy it in your kitchen with some sprinkled sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Mozzarella, basil and olive oil don’t hurt, either.

The above photo is my dad. We were touring the gigantic garden of a Hutterite Colony near Conrad, Montana.

poll by twiigs.com

Posted in Ingredients | 2 Responses »
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Ingenious Packaging: Sushi becomes cute

Friday, September 26th, 2008

There are two types of people: those who find cute packaging endearing, and those who find it annoying.

When I was in London I stopped by Tesco Metro to grab a quick lunch. I found a package of assorted sushi and sushi rolls. The soy sauce was packaged in a little fish-shaped plastic vial, complete with textured fish scales.

I found it endearing.

poll by twiigs.com

Posted in Products | No Responses »
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Amy Butler Plate: Flowers, beauty, wishlist

Friday, September 26th, 2008

There are two types of people: people who like to buy things that are just like what everyone else has, and people who like to be different.

Don’t you just love this plate? And just wait until you check out the accompanying bowls, teacups and saucers on Amy Butler’s website.

Finding so many amazing artists and their products for the home makes me wish there could be sold through a single, well-known gift registry. I find Crate and Barrel to be classy, but boring. We registered for the Madison dinnerware sets and the Manaos II flatware. But I’d rather support smaller businesses and have unique furnishings.

poll by twiigs.com

Posted in Dinnerware | No Responses »
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Double Boiler: Measuring Cup + Saucepan=Makeshift and workable

Friday, September 26th, 2008

There are two types of people: those who love buying specialized gadgets for each kitchen task, and those who avoid them.

Like many, especially New Yorkers, I don’t have a huge kitchen or tons of cabinet space. When I read through a potential recipe I always worry that the last paragraph will reveal the need for an ice cream maker, juicer, 12-cup food processor or wok. Because I don’t have these things. And I don’t want to buy them because my oven already stores cookie sheets, muffin tins and glass casseroles that don’t fit in my cabinets.

Double boilers I’m no longer worried about. Not because I have one, but because I invented (though surely I’m not the first) the method pictured above.

1. Take a saucepan and a glass measuring cup that fit snugly together

2. Fill the saucepan with an inch or so of water (so that it’s just below the bottom of the measuring cup). The beauty is, you can see through to the water!

3. Heat over burner, following recipe.

Voila! I love kitchen utensils that serve multiple purposes. Multiple purpi.

poll by twiigs.com

Posted in Techniques | 3 Responses »
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Fiestaware: Retail, outlet, obsessive compulsive satisfaction

Friday, September 26th, 2008

There are two types of people: those who love symmetry, order, sameness and predictability in their dinnerware, and those who are totally confused by what I just said.

For people nodding from the start, I probaby don’t have to tell you that the photo is of Fiestaware. My sister loves it. When my grandma asked her what she would like as a high school graduation present, my sister- 17 years old- answers, “Fiestaware.”

Getting married this year, at age 27, her infatuation persists. Gift registries are amazing things. She finally got enough Fiestaware to entertain grand dinner parties and teach future children all of the rainbow’s colors.

Luckily she lives in Missoula, Montana, where I took the above photo. A shop downtown sells amazing quantities of the stuff. I can imagine that store could be good (or bad?) for an obsessive compulsive employee. You could spend all day re-stacking, re-organizing, re-aligning.

poll by twiigs.com

Posted in Dinnerware | 2 Responses »
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Coffee: French Press, Dining Car Mug, Bizarre Lack of Addiction

Friday, September 26th, 2008

There are two types of people: those who drink coffee and those who don’t.

This is perhaps one of the most decisive splits out there.  Each side is baffled by the other.  “How could you NOT drink it?” versus “How can you DRINK that stuff?”

For me, coffee is so wonderful. The ritual, the warmth, the steam.

Oddly I do not have to have coffee. I can drink it 9 days in a row and on the 10th, forget or get distracted. No pounding head, for which I am thankful.

But… I like it, and am so happy to enjoy it.  So most days I drink it despite lack of caffeine addiction.

This photo is from my cousin’s house in New Paltz, NY. I do not have a french press myself but I enjoy his when I visit.

Posted in Coffee | 1 Response »
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