A Dose of the Delightful

Friday Wishful Thinking: Norway

Wintry weather's got me imagining travel to cooler climes. Fjords, glaciers, the Northern Lights, the sun at midnight - I've never seen any of these wonders, and I sure wanna go to Norway so I can. It's seemed like a magical nature wonderland since I first read Roald Dahl's Boy as a kid.

Norway is also where you can take one of the most beautiful train rides in the world: the trip from Oslo to Bergen. There's no other route in Europe with a higher altitude, and the views are expectedly breathtaking.

In my dreams, I'd like to go once in the summer and once in the winter; here are some magnificent pics of Norway in all seasons.

More to see on my Pinterest if you're so inclined - happy Friday!

Calligraphy Practice: Inspired by The Man in Black

I've taken a few calligraphy lessons and been practicing my Copperplate plenty, filling up pages with the same letter over & over again. But when I'm done with practicing fancy, traditional letters, I like to reward myself with a fun, unstructured practice doodle. It's the same feeling I used to get during volleyball practices, when we'd have to do drills all practice long, and then we'd get to scrimmage at the end.

On the days I work at Regas, music is the backdrop for a productive, creative, teamwork-driven atmosphere. Having good tunes to work to brings out the whistle-while-you-work attitude in everyone and provides lots of fuel for inspiration. Selections vary from Otis Redding to Sky Ferreira to David Byrne - it's just a hodgepodge of excellent tuneage. Lately, I've been listening out for song lyrics I'd like to do practice calligraphy work with, and when Johnny & June Carter Cash's "Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man" came on in the studio, I immediately wanted it to be the subject of my fun practice doodle.

I used an old grocery bag, a Zebra G nib and my cheap oblique pen holder, and Dr. Martin's Pen White, and some black ink - I think India ink? - that my calligraphy teacher gave me. 

More calligraphy & lettering posts to come!

Sneak Peek: Oh Joy for Nod

At the end of last week, I got the chance to preview some fun stuff that Joy Cho of Oh Joy! created for The Land of Nod. 

I really enjoy The Land of Nod - as they describe it, it's design for kids and people that used to be kids. I'm a big fan of anything multifunctional, and I appreciate their thoughtful approach. In addition to designing their entire product line in-house, they regularly work with super talented artists and illustrators, which lends everything a really unique and often whimsical perspective. 

I got to chat with Joy for a bit - who is, by the way, just as nice as you'd think! She was very intentional about including many items that could be used for kids or adults in her collection. Here's a peek!

This wood & neon side table was a favorite:

 

Sprinkles sheets! Maybe not so much for grown ups, but pretty irresistible textile design. Joy was inspired by her daughter Ruby's favorite food (smart kid!) to include lots of ice cream details.

This charcoal gray diagonal stripe sheet set was simple & classic.

There were several drawer pulls Joy created; the layered wood & acrylic stripe were a fun rainbow twist on mid-century modern.

This lamp!

Also definitely not for adults, but this blanket was pretty mouth-watering. 

 Oh Joy for Nod will be available at The Land of Nod in April 2014! 

Aside from what Joy designed, there were lots of other adult-friendly finds. This wood & neon side table was a favorite.

And I really dug this circular metal shelf.

Well, hello.

This rope-bordered mirror would fit perfectly in a beach house.

The preview was located in the upstairs space of Haven's Kitchen, one of my favorite restaurants in recent memory. They have an incredibly thoughtful approach to food & gathering, plus the design of the place is spectacular. Lunch was quiche & kale cauliflower salad.

I couldn't agree more with their chalkboard.

Happy Monday!

Recipe: Smothered Cauliflower with Eggs

This one's adapted from the August issue of Food & Wine, which was just chock full of vegetarian recipes. Food blogger Heidi Swanson came up with this one - if you haven't visited her blog 101 Cookbooks, do so immediately!  The photography is really mouth-watering.

I made just a few changes to make it gluten-free as well, and as usual, opted to use organic veggies & spices and pastured eggs. As you can see, one of my eggs isn't quite perfect...oops! 

Smothered Cauliflower with Eggs (serves 4, half portions & serves 2)
One 10 ounce head of cauliflower, leaves removed & cut into slabs
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound yellow tomatoes, cored & finely chopped OR 2 containers yellow cherry tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
Salt
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
4 eggs

1. Cook cauliflower until crisp-tender in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water (about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander; pat dry. 
2. In a bowl, combine the almond & coconut flours. Toss cauliflower with flour, tapping off excess. (The original recipe calls for all-purpose flour).
3.  In a large skillet, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add cauliflower and cook over medium high heat until browned. Make sure you turn it! Add chopped tomatoes, crushed red pepper, lemon zest and season with salt. Cook until the tomatoes are broken down (about 5 minutes). 
4.  While tomatoes are cooking, toast the almonds until browned.
5.  Make 4 wells in tomato sauce using a spatula or spoon. Crack an egg into each well. Cover and cook over medium heat until egg whites are set (about 3 minutes).

I ate mine with a slice of sprouted grain & seed bread, which has a really delicious nutty flavor especially when toasted. 

 

Friday Wishful Thinking: Gone Campin'

Labor Day Weekend is here, and it sure would be nice to spend it in these places, doing these things.

More on Pinterest. Enjoy the holiday!

 

 

Recipe: Ancient Grain Oatmeal with Sauteed Peaches & Plums

As much as I enjoy summer and am sad to see it go, I'm starting to get just a leeeeeetle bit excited about fall. More change is afoot for me, and it's all good things as far as the eye can see. I'll be able to officially call myself a student again, which also conjures all sorts of fun thoughts like schoolbooks and pencils and notebooks and erasers and OH that new book smell. I'll be taking graphic design, illustration & calligraphy classes, the former two at School of Visual Arts. I think I've mentioned before that I've never had any formal graphic design instruction, and now that I'm working at Regas, and generally taking my career in a more creative direction, it feels like the right time to get some legit training.

I have many a fond memory of oatmeal for breakfast before school; it reminds me very much of my mother. Back then, my oatmeal of choice was Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar; here's a recipe for a more grown up version I've made using some ingredients I was VERY excited about. 

First: Farm to Table Ancient Grain Oatmeal. I saw this super hearty stuff at my local Union Market and knew I wanted it in my mouth. So many reasons that made this one easy to buy: it's a local company (Westchester County), it's organic, and the variety of grains is really healthy. I'm talkin': oats, kamut, rye, spelt, barley and brown flax. 

Next: These quite attractive peaches and plums from Terhune Farms, purchased at the Union Square Greenmarket. Not only were they good-looking, they were also just magical on the inside. Sweet but tart & tangy. Yum. On to the recipe!

Ancient Grain Oatmeal with Sautéed Peaches & Plums (serves 2)
-2/3 c. Farm to Table Ancient Grain Oatmeal

-1 1/3 c. water
-1 peach
-1 plum 
-2 tblsps extra virgin coconut oil (Nutiva is my fave) 
-1 tblsp raw honey. I like WeeBee; it has tons of flavor and is unfiltered, so still has pollen, propolis & honeycomb in it, which is the good-for-you stuff. I also choose it because they operate seasonally in New York & in Florida, so I feel like it's 'local'-ish for both my hometown & current town .
-Cashew milk or almond milk. It gives the oatmeal such a nice nutty flavor. I made my own cashew milk, which is really easy to do and there are TONS of recipes online for. Also, I realize that oatmeal consistency is a HIGHLY personal matter, so feel free to add as much or little as you'd like. 

Prepare oatmeal according to package instructions. Warm coconut oil in pan; add sliced & pitted peach & plum. Sautée for about three minutes, then add raw honey and sautée for another minute. Add cashew milk to oatmeal and top with peaches, plums, and some cinnamon & nutmeg. I didn't add any sweetener to my oatmeal, but maple syrup would complement nicely.

 

Now eat that stuff up!

Friday Wishful Thinking: Outdoor Rooms

Aw, man. The end of summer is definitely palpable. I've been thinking about squeezing every last bit of outdoor time out of the days of lovely warm weather we've got before fall arrives.

I've always been attracted to the idea of outdoor rooms, particularly outdoor bedrooms and sleeping porches. I think watching the Swiss Family Robinson multiple times as a kid has something to do with my fascination - that treehouse was so unbelievably cool.

Here are some dreamy ones that make me want to move to the wilderness and never come back.

All found via Pinterest.

It's Wild Salmon Season: A Recipe from a Motorcycle-Riding French Poissonier

Didier is a professionally trained chef from Nice, France turned motorcycle-riding poisonnier in my hometown of Jacksonville. He's known to have the best catch in town, though you wouldn't know it by looking at his shop's humble exterior - isn't that always the way? Lately, when I've visited home, my dad's cooked up Didier's best tuna steaks using this recipe.

Now that it's wild salmon season (you may have seen Mark Bittman's delicious recipe roundup), I wanted to celebrate it with a tasty preparation. I got Didier's recipe from my dad and made a few modifications, opting to use all organic ingredients, substitute Bragg's Liquid Aminos for soy sauce and olive oil for canola oil. I visited the Union Square Greenmarket and picked up fresh organic filet beans & orange cherry tomatoes to pair with it. The verdict? Yum.

This produce was unbelievably good, especially the tomatoes. They have such a nice balance of sweetness and acidity.

Pan-Seared Ginger Soy Salmon
Ingredients:
6 oz. wild-caught salmon filet
ginger (fresh or powdered)
ground black pepper
organic soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (what I use)
organic olive oil

Dredge salmon in soy sauce. Season with ground black pepper and ginger. Marinate for 10 minutes if you're using soy sauce; I marinated for half an hour because Bragg's isn't quite as intense as soy sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in pan until cracking hot. Cook salmon to taste - I like mine medium rare.

Filet Beans & Cherry Tomatoes with Lemon & Olive Oil
organic filet beans (more fancily known as haricots verts)
organic cherry tomatoes
fresh lemon
organic olive oil
salt to taste

Wash beans & tomatoes. Snap ends from beans and halve tomatoes. Boil beans in heavily salted water for 3-4 minutes, until just tender. While this is happening, make a bowl of ice water. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice bath. Warm 2 tbsp. olive oil in pan on medium low. Cook tomatoes for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove & dry beans, then cook for another minute or so with the tomatoes. Serve with salmon filet, adding salt and lemon juice to taste.

FYI, I cooked the veggies first and then added more olive oil to the pan and cooked the salmon - I didn't want the veggies to have the same ginger-soy flavor.

All in all, an incredibly simple but really tasty & healthy meal.