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today,
Dad stumbled upon Mom's
written project for her
Master's at CSUS
in September of 1980,

when Dad was Mom's
art advisor

(( the beginning ))

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made these little morsels
for breakfast
this morning

(with fried eggs and bacon)


Potato-Parsnip Latkes
with Horseradish and Dill


(from Smitten Kitchen)


recipe follows




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this cake
is not the most gorgeous
(nor the most decadent)
but it is so satisfying and delicious

(( going along with my recent buckwheat obsession ))


Breton Buckwheat Cake
with Fleur de Sel


(from 101 Cookbooks, originally written by David Lebovitz
in The Sweet Life in Paris)


For the cake:
7/8 c buckwheat flour
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp plus 1/3 tsp fleur de sel
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temp
1 c sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 large egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp dark rum

For the glaze:
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp milk

Butter a 9 or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch springform cake pan. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, whisk together the buckwheat and all-purpose flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cinnamon. (I added 1 tsp ground cardamom as well.) In the bowl of a standing mixer or by hand, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue the beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg yolks and whole egg with the vanilla and rum (I used bourbon instead) with a fork, then gradually dribble the egg mixture into the batter while beating. If using an electric mixer, beat on high speed so the butter gets really airy. Mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top as flat as possible with an offset metal or plastic spatula. Make a glaze by stirring the single yolk and milk together with a fork, then brush it generously all over the top. (You may not use it all, but use most of it.) Take a fork and rake it across the top in three parallel lines, evenly spaced; then repeat starting from a slightly different angle to make a criss-cross pattern. Crumble the remaining 1/3 tsp salt over the gateau with our fingers and bake for 45 minutes. Don't over-bake or it will be on the dry side - start checking after 35 minutes or so. Let cool completely before unmolding.


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1 morning
4 Riegels
4 breakfasts

persimmons/raw cashews/maca/banana/goji berries/bee pollen/cinnamon

buckwheat/walnuts/ghee/maple syrup/salt/poached egg

fried eggs/toast/roasted potatoes with onions, garlic, chili

flax cereal/plain Straus yogurt/toast

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<<< new necklace >>>
gold chain
red, turquoise, peach
vintage sequins


(soon on etsy)

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gold wire & vintage sequin neckpiece


p.s. cannot stop dancing to this.

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from a marvelous weekend
beneath the full moon
reveling in each others' company
(& using every piece of dishware in the house)

<<< >>>

Friday >> fresh crab >> butter lettuce salad with beets & pinenuts >>
quinoa >> manchego & quince >> Manhattans

Saturday >> chard & carmelized onion quiche >> raw kale salad >> roasted kabocha squash >> negronis >> 
chicken liver mousse with balsamic glazed shallots >> braised lamb shanks with roasted parsnips & carrots >>
creamy polenta with sage brown butter and parmigiano

Sunday >> buttermilk currant scones with crème fraîche >> frittata with brussels sprouts, onions, sweet potato >> bacon >> autumn gimlets >> bucatini al ragù >> butter lettuce with tahini poppyseed dressing, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds >>
roasted scarlet turnips, chioggia beets, brussels sprouts, onions >> apple crisp with Straus vanilla bean ice cream




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my new favorite
thing to look forward to
in the mornings:

buckwheat with creme fraiche, maple syrup,
a fried egg & bacon



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i had a taste of mushroom soup
a couple of nights ago
after my shift at Hawks

which inspired me to create this mushroom soup,
recipe compliments of Matt Gandin
during my days at Delfina

not to mention the myriad of funghi
popping up all over the woods here
the past week or two

'tis the season.

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birthday spaghetti with eggplant & chanterelles >> 

boil salted water in medium sized pot. in another larger pot, add 2 tsp dried chili flake & 2 tsp ground nutmeg. toast for 1-2 minutes, then add 2 Tbsp olive oil & one roughly chopped yellow onion. cover with lid and cook on med-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. add 1 small eggplant (diced) & 3 cloves minced garlic and continue cook for 5 minutes. add 3/4 package spaghetti to boiling water (i use Rustichella d'Abruzzo pasta). to eggplant mixture, add about 3/4 lb sliced chanterelles, remove lid and cook for a few minutes (allow mushrooms to release their moisture and cook down). add a splash of sherry to deglaze pan, followed by a few tablespoons cream. when pasta is almost al dente, remove it from boiling water and transfer to large pot with other ingredients (along with a splash of pasta water). allow liquid to cook off, and remove from heat. add 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest, 1/4 c pinenuts, 2 Tbsp fresh oregano, & salt to taste. toss well and serve. serves 4.

birthday chiffon cake with cardamom-vanilla bean syrup and dark chocolate frosting >> 

i recently made Tartine's Basic Chiffon Cake recipe as a cake base for their Fromage Blanc Bavarian. however, the Bavarian recipe called for only 1/3 of the chiffon. i thoroughly wrapped the remainder of the cake and froze it for future use.
i removed it to defrost the morning i created this cake.
in a small saucepan, combine 1/4 c water, 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp ground cardamom, and 1/2 vanilla bean (pod and beans). heat over low until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. using a pastry brush, moisten the entire top surface of the chiffon cake evenly with the syrup. in a new saucepan, combine 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c heavy cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes. add 2 1/2 ounces Scharffen Berger 99% cacao unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped and 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces. stir until melted. pour into a bowl and stir in 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. refrigerate frosting for at least 40 minutes, and once thicker, frost top and sides of cake. serve with Straus vanilla bean ice cream.

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small pillow made from
worn silk kimono,
my aunt's old
belly dancing costume

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these weeks cycle by,


morning fires flowing into evening fires

and even our seemingly momentous
concerns

are ultimately distilled

to simplicity

& peace.

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 i spent my birthday morning
constructing this bit of decadence


a bottle of bubbly
a birthday crown
a dear mother
& a cute boy

(( i'll take mornings like these anytime ))


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brisk morning walks
leisurely afternoons by the fire
chicken noodle soup simmering

(( can't get enough of the fall ))

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since my parents eat almost vegetarian
i've been getting even more into creating
delicious pasta dishes,
usually making use of whatever we happen to have on hand

tonight was
rustichella d'abruzzo farro noodles
onion/chili flake/kale/roasted autumn cup squash/pinenuts/parmigiano/lemon/olive oil




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Point is, what’s so wonderful
is that every one of these flowers has a specific relationship
with the insect that pollinates it.
There’s a certain orchid that looks exactly like a certain insect,
so the insect is drawn to this flower
—its double, its soul mate—
and wants nothing more than to make love to it.
And after the insect flies off,
spots another soul-mate flower
and makes love to it,
thus pollinating it.
And, neither the flower nor the insect will ever understand the significance of their lovemaking.
I mean, how could they know
that because of their little dance
the world lives?
But it does.
By simply doing
what they’re designed to do,
something large and magnificent happens.
In this sense, they show us how to live
—how the only barometer you have
is your heart.
How, when you spot your flower,
you can’t let anything get in your way.

(John Laroche, Adaptation)

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in love with these photos from the 70s

(Die Natur erzeugt Ähnlichkeiten - La Nature produit des Ressemblances)

by Barbara & Michael Leisgen





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put this simple sauce together with the
last tomatoes of the season here in Loomis




Dice fresh tomatoes (I used about 10 cups). Dice 2 large carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 yellow onion. Sprinkle chili flakes, dried oregano, rosemary & thyme in large pot and toast for 2 minutes. Add 3 Tbsp olive oil along with carrot, onion & celery. Add 3 cloves fresh garlic, smashed. Cover pot with lid and allow to cook for about 10 minutes, until vegetables sweat and become a bit soft. Add fresh tomatoes and their juices. Cover again and simmer for around 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Puree half of the sauce in blender and then add back into pot. Pour sauce into clean jars, screw lids on, and submerge jars in boiling water for about 10 minutes to create a vacuum seal.

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new cards:
collage with stitched acetate, mica, thistle seeds