just a few things that made it home from the market…
broccoli| chinese broccoli| meyer lemons| blood oranges| tomatoes
Oh, Pershing Square. It’s been ages. Glad we could hook back up again.
See you next week.
N♥
Tangents | I Got You Covered
something set me off… now i can’t seem to stop
I don’t even have a record player, but I want this Sonny Clark record. On VINYL. Must have it.
It all started because I was trying to suss out a particular visual reference for something I’m working on and ended up tooling around the Birka Jazz Archive looking at old album covers. I checked out some old Columbia stuff first, but I knew what I was looking for was probably either from Verve or Blue Note.
I still don’t know if Blue Note was what I wanted, because I got all caught up in the work of graphic designer, Reid Miles. Oh, my word. Talk about a day well spent. He created these amazing album covers that frequently stopped the scroll. It’s like my finger said “Girl, you might want to wait.” His use of color and type elicited audible reactions that I hope nobody else actually heard.
I’m getting all giggly & screechy over records from the mid 1950s to late 60s. I haven’t been this excited about a record cover since I was little and I hid in the closet with that Nikki Giovanni just to stare my name in print. Seriously, I don’t even need to listen to the albums with the covers that send me. I kinda just want to hold them and look. I’m already intrigued and inspired.
A googly-bingish search for more on Reid Miles sent me to Hard Format where I studied the well curated display of some of his most beautiful work. A link at the bottom sent me off again. Now, I’m listening to previews of old jazz records on itunes and staring at the cover of every Blue Note record released. Crazy.
From this tangent: I get another GENRE of freaking music to absorb and another interesting website for me to explore… great!
N♥
CubeFarm Cookery | THAT Tuna Salad!
culinary adventures on the jay oh bee…
fresh lime| mayonnaise| plain yogurt| onions| tuna fish| bell peppers| pickled jalapeños| cilantro
I’m going to be really honest. I don’t like most people’s food. Potlucks scare me. I still try, though. And I get super excited and can’t shut up when something rocks my world.
I tend to ask a lot of questions when folks are offering up food. Lorena and I played like 40 questions when she was passing around cookies once. I think it scarred her. I’m usually the last person she offers anything to now. Hey, I get a minute to gauge from everybody’s questions and reactions whether I should just take a pass. I’m okay with that.
A few weeks before I was set to leave the CubeFarm, she hesitantly asked if I wanted to try some of her mother’s tuna salad.
I was in a Why Not? mood. Verdict: OH, MY WORD! We all kept grabbing more crackers and digging in. It’s kind of funny how surprised she was.
You know what was next, right? I needed to know why I’d never tasted tuna salad like this before. I love my momma’s, but, um, it ain’t this. So… the questions and answers.
THAT Tuna Salad!
adapted from Lorena P’s adaptation of her mom’s recipe
2 tins of tuna fish
mayonnaise
plain yogurt
2 whole limes, juiced
1 pickled jalapeño, chopped w/seeds*
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium bell pepper
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of pickle jalapeño liquid
handful of cilantro, chopped (20? stems)
It’s so simple. And it’s all about your making it to your taste. Add the tuna, onions, bell peppers, cilantro, and chopped jalapeño to a mixing bowl. Juice the limes. I like a bit of pulp, so I use a reamer right over the bowl. Add pickle liquid.
Here’s the thing: how much mayo you add is really up to you. Do you like your tuna loose/wet or kind of not? I don’t really measure my mayo because it depends on how big that medium onion is or if I’m in the mood to add the whole green pepper. So add what you like. Start out with adding a tablespoon at a time if you’re not sure how much to add. Whatever amount of mayonnaise I’m adding, I do 2/3 mayo and 1/3 yogurt. It adds another dimension to the flavor and texture.
Um, there’s a bit of heat, but not like if it were fresh. I keep the seeds, you can do as you please. Lorena’s mom actually just uses the pickle juice and puts fresh jalapeños in her tuna.
Don’t forget to salt & pepper to taste. There’s something about that last hit of salt that just makes this just… ahhhh.
The Story I Heard: After all my questions, LP started offering up info. I like that. She explained that her mother didn’t like the smell of the tuna, so she started adding lime juice. She laughed when she said her mom puts cilantro in everything. It gave me a chance to see a different part of Lorena.
The stories, also, helped in the store. Lots of pickled peppers. You go see what I mean. Hello, Variety. LP and her mom use La Costeña* with the carrot and onion on the label.
The NikkiBits: I like. Lots. It’s funny that my mom still isn’t far. She was all about stretching a can of tuna. I was raised that tuna wasn’t tuna without onions, celery and green pepper. I forgot I was out of celery, otherwise it would have been in there.
It’s killing me right now trying to forget about the bowl in the fridge. I want to be able to tell you what it’s like with a little time to sit and set up. It hurts bad. I want it. You don’t understand what I’m doing for you. I’ve got the shakes.
What’sNext: If I could I actually make mayo and not another disaster, then I would def use that for my tuna. I have to try to figure out what the flavors in the pickling liquid before I try pickling my own. For now, it’s going just be a lot of tuna salad until I run it into the ground which could be months from now.
Try it. I think you might like it.
N♥
HFTM | Hollywood 30Jan11
just a few things that made it home from the market… just not today…
Today’s trip to the Hollywood Farmers Market was called for rain. Well, kinda.
I wasn’t really planning on going this morning. I left the option out there, but, really, I’ve got plenty and don’t need to shop for another few days. That and and it was raining. Heavy. Okay, heavy enough.
Since I’m into process and practice, here’s a bit of what I did with what I brought home the most this month. I love some citrus. Made the spiced citrus pomegranate marmalade I tweeted about trying to figure out.
meyer lemons| tangelos| tangelo peel| navel oranges| ginger| cardamom| pomegranate molasses
Recipe? Ha! Ha! Ha! You do know me, right? Let’s just say I’m in “perfecting” mode. I’ll get back to you with the real when that happens.
I do need a name for this creation. This joyful melange of flavors that has me giggling at the thought of breakfast tomorrow. Mmmmm, help.
N♥
Here’s a quick look at what made it home this month…
Full-Fledged Slack | Wax Poetics
ummm… rectifying this in 3 2 1…
I can tell you where I bought my first issue of Wax Poetics. I was here, in LA, on vacation. We were at some sneaker shop on La Brea. He was eyeing the wares and I was looking at the pubs. WaxPo got the music dork in me mad giddy. Putting current obsessions in historical perspective. Turning me on to people, places and movements that inspired folks I respected.
I devoured it. Every page. Every article. Every photograph. Issue after issue. Until, I moved.
I guess I didn’t handle the big change that well. Honestly, there was a lot going on. When I left NYC, I shut down. I really wasn’t listening to anything or anyone that wasn’t already close to heart. I wasn’t going to shows. I wasn’t reading and making connections to why I love what I love.
Coming out of that space was slow going and I’m so excited to be open again.
The fix: i♥waxpoetics, hardcore. still.
I need the back issue bundle and a subscription. Loved that the issue on the stands when I was about to go to Jamaica for the first time was the Reggae Issue. It was in a carry-on by the door when we decided to postpone the trip and avoid a torrential downpour.(♥:When is that happening now?) I was curled up in a corner reading it a few weeks later in DC when my mom tells me she’s getting rid of her vinyl. I ended up all dust covered begging for EVERYTHING; flipping through more Gregory Issac’s records than I remembered she’d had.
If I don’t support what I dig, in whatever way I can, should I really expect it to be there when I find my way home? I don’t want there to be a next time to find out. Where’s my wallet?
N♥
Evolution Of A Relationship | Cheese, Glorious Cheese
what i eat and how i see food changes…
gorgonzola | parmesan | sharp cheddar
Cheese constantly tests my will. We’re so much better when we’re far, far apart.
I spent MLK weekend pet-sitting for P+K. I consumed cheese and beer. No, really. I didn’t feel like dropping dough at Whole Foods because in a pinch my tastes tend toward a $6 pkg of capellini. So, I played my version of Door Knock Dinners. (♥: Pls tell me you remember…)
It’s always interesting to see what someone else has in their pantry. Things I normally wouldn’t or just can’t buy. The cupboards seemed a bit bare this time around. The freezer, though, that’s where I found myself. Me and the Cheese.
I ended up eating Mac & Cheese from a box the first night and a risotto with black beans and turkey sausage, the next. Everything Cheese. Cheddar, Gorgonzola, Parm and more. Cheese.
I hoped that when I got home, I could shake it. I was sick. Coughing from my toes. Ridding myself of all types of things and still eating cheese.
Within days, I was at Trader Joes getting the Goat and shredded bits of Italy’s finest. Pizza. Four Cheese Ravioli with a tomato goat cheese sauce.
It’s funny that I’m fretting. I know how to stop. I worked it out a while ago. But, there are times that going without makes me feel all deprived and brings back memories. The ones growing up where we had Grape-Nuts and all that other not “fun” stuff.
How did I compensate for having another reason to feel different from everyone else? Oh, I ate what we had. All of it. Colby, Wisconsin, New York & Vermont Cheddars, Havarti, Kraft Singles and Boursin when I could sneak it in the grocery cart. Did I tell you about flying home from summer vacation one year with a 5lb block of Gov’t cheese? No? Yeah.
I’d eat warmed* cheese with a side of scrambled egg. I’d nibble straight from the package or in chunks on stoned wheat thins. Made grilled cheese sandwiches and cheesy grits with a splash of hot sauce. My favorite cheesy rice turned into black beans and rice with sharp cheddar. That morphed into my black bean and couscous dish. There’s more, but I’m scaring myself.
I know me. I know me and cheese. I can make it work when I only bring home and cook with a few of those “help, I won’t make it to my next meal” snack packages. Selection sucks, but I get the taste that I’m looking for without eating myself into another breakup. But, I think we’ve gone past that this time.
So, yeah. Cheese, sweetie. We need to talk.
N♥
* I figured out one of those afternoons after school that I don’t really like eggs and used a lot of cheese to try to hide it.
HFTS | Sipping On That Syrup
just something i picked up at the shop…
I was trolling the ‘International’ aisle at my newly (♥: Oooo, child, finally!) renovated neighborhood conventional grocery spot. Fine, I was at Ralphs.
Always looking at price points, brands and selection, I decided to check out the ‘Go Not So Far East’ section of the aisle to see if anything had changed.
I wasn’t planning on buying anything until I saw the Pomegranate Molasses between the Rose Water and Orange Flower Water, all seductively on sale. Oh, $4.99, you are too enticing.
“Why not?” in the store turned into “What took so long?” when I got home. I poured a little into my hand. And OHHHHHH, MY WORD. You’ve got to be kidding me. This is just…
I loved pomegranates as a kid because each one was an adventure. I can’t wait to see where Pomegranate Molasses takes me.
N♥
HFTM | Hollywood 23Jan11
just a few things that made it home from the market…
Oranges | Cilantro | Dill | New Red Potatoes
Last week, My aunt was telling me how she really wasn’t into grocery shopping at all. She’s very “one store and done,” but her mother’s sister would hit a couple of different stores in an afternoon to get the things she needed, especially if she could save a dime on something.
With that little revelation, a wave of relief washed over me. I may be crazy, but I’m not alone! It’s in the genes. I went to the market this morning, then Trader Joe’s, then 2 conventional grocery stores. I still have to go to the South Asian shop in the neighborhood to pick up a few things. And I’ve got to pop by the Korean grocery, too.
I’m am so excited. Lists, I must make lists.
N♥
LAPL At Home | Making Spaces
i have 25 books out on loan. this is just a little of what’s at home.
I adore my apartment. Without qualification. But, with the new year, I’ve made a few changes. Trashed the herbs and plants on the windowsill. The, uh, natural elements are a bit much when it’s too cold to keep the window open. (♥: Bugs, eek!) Replaced them with jars of beads and other “girl, make something!” things.
Looking for a bit of inspiration and reference, I picked up a few books from the library. Normally, Haven: Cozy Hideaways and Dream Retreats wouldn’t have made it home, but I was running behind and just grabbed the book from the hold shelf. I know what I’m looking for and this book really wasn’t it. The Beach Retreat had an image or two that I kinda found interesting. This would have so been a quick flip through at the library if I had time. If you have the opportunity, check it out. Maybe it’s your speed. Amazon has it used for freakishly cheap.
While I’m not sure I’d buy Penny Saving Household Helper, I am most definitely committing things to memory. It might actually be cute in a hostess gift basket or new grad housewarming gift-bundle. Because, really, it’s not an only gift thing, more like one of many. I’m actually having problems finishing this because I can’t put it down. No, really. I stop typing and my left hand goes in.
I’m so glad I’m getting over myself. While I noticed how “not my aesthetic” the artwork in Creative Time and Space: Making Room for Making Art is, I’m allowing the information to be my guide. Um, and Ricë Freeman-Zachery’s author photo is kinda badass. Trying to judge less, so I can learn more.
The last year has been all about process and my obsession with it. I didn’t know how to take pleasure in the doing part. Loved starting. Always knew how things would end. Never really contemplated the work. I think it was seeing Gorky at MOCA when I realized how intrigued I’d become with process, even more than outcome. It was in the MOCA store that I first saw Inside The Painter’s Studio. And this is my second time taking it out. Joe Fig, you had me at the paint splattered on the cover and artist questionnaire.
I love that this takes longer to write because I keep stealing moments to read. I really do want to just dive in.
N♥
On The Make | Beaded
learning to move from idea to completion… using frustration to help, not hinder…
I have a bracelet my mother made me when I was a little girl. It was the mini to her many. When I went off to college, I could still hear her walking up the stairs calling my name, arm full of trade bead bracelets jangling. Even though she doesn’t wear them anymore, it’s still her. Bracelets on the left, red pen in her right hand. Mommy.
I have two bracelets, actually. The one that belongs to elementary me and the one that I wore when I finally stopped caring if something looked “African” and I started looking different on purpose. I haven’t worn it in ages. A bead broke and there’s a link that comes undone. I’ve been too, let’s call it distracted, to fix it.
I’ve been thinking about making jewelry, again. It started a few months ago. Thinking about things that would really work for me. I’ve made stuff and worn it. It’s all been fine, but I was never able to really get past the kinda *pursedlipsshrug* like to hardcore ♥. I’ve been almost there, but never there there.
The thing is I hadn’t figured out what I wanted. Um, done. It’s like if Tom Binns hung out with Les Nubian in ’03, ate potato rotis in DC from West Indian carryouts and dreamed of Mississippi juke joints while cleaning houses in the Chicago suburbs in gear made by Rei, Yoji, Rick and the Belgians. Oh, and with home movies and family photos taken by Andrew Dosunmu.
Yeah, that’s a lot. And so am I. I need to embrace it.
So, I’ve been playing with the idea of doing something with trade beads. Just something simple. When I was home last month, Mom offered some up. A lot, really. And they just came in the post. I’m so excited. I want to make pieces that will build on what she gave me. Build on my memories.
While I’m doing design research and sourcing materials for something new, I’m going to fix the link on my bracelet and probably replace that missing bead.
Starting somewhere.
N♥