Friday, March 28, 2014

Juuuubilee hee hee. Cherry Bombe is da bomb.

Cherry Bombe - Issue 2
 Two issues down, and the ladies at Cherry Bombe Magazine seem to be just getting started.  I've been raving about this publication to anyone who will listen.  In their own words,
"Cherry Bombe is a beautifully designed biannual magazine that celebrates women and food.  Those who grow it, make it, serve it, style it and everything in between.  It is about sustenance ad style and things that nourish the mind, the eye and, of course, the stomach."
There - I couldn't have said it any better.  The brainchild of Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu, who met working at Harper's Bazaar, Cherry Bombe was initially funded through a Kickstarter campaign. Please take a few minutes to visit their campaign page (which is now static). Kerry and Claudia's passion for this project is so apparent, and their dedication continues to fill the pages with delicious content.

Such as this recipe for Hermès Madeines - hip hip hooray!  I included it in a post a while back, but in case you missed it...
image from Cherry Bombe Magazine - Issue 2
But wait, there's more! On Sunday I'm lucky enough to be attending the inaugural Cherry Bombe Jubilee!!!!!  An all day conference/ celebration focused on women in food. I'm going to be taking heaps of notes, and absorbing as much inspiration as possible.  I'm looking forward to being in the same room as these incredible women - chefs, writers, and eaters, all with some serious heft in the culinary world.

DETAILS HERE!   I wish I could invite you all to join me, but it's sold out - sorry. :(  NEXT TIME!




Friday, March 21, 2014

seeds

Bakers Heirloom Seeds
"Mistress Mary, Quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With Silver Bells, And Cockle Shells,
And so my garden grows
."
-old English nursery rhyme

I've started my seeds, most of them anyways.  Tomatoes, fennel, coriander, dill, cucumbers, black-eyed susans, dahlias.....just to list a few... 


grow babies grow!

Monday, March 17, 2014

"il faut cultiver notre jardin"

"You have to cultivate your garden" -  Voltaire

I had such a wonderful time at my first gardening class this past Saturday.  What a wonderful group of people, all with different stories and from different "gardening backgrounds".  Our hosts,  Craig and Sarah Cyr of the Wine Cellar and Bistro were absolutely gracious.  We also have a wonderful teacher, woman named Liberty, from the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (CCUA). After spending a few hours tilling, and hoe'ing, and weeding, we shared a gorgeous lunch, prepared by Craig.  The weather was absolutely perfect, and it was such a beautiful day to be outside, get our hands dirty, and meet new friends.  I'm already looking forward to next month's class.  In the meantime,  I promise to have a new recipe for you this week. It's been a while!


lots of work to do
the hoop house, full of chicory weed
hoe down
seeds, in a lovely little wine box #opus
seeds, seeds, seeds

gathering baskets
gathering for lunch
Grüner Veltliner 
irish cheeses
lunch is served
Sarah presents the wine



Sunday, March 16, 2014

sunday brunch. short and oh so sweet.

yesterday I worked outside in a t-shirt ( I'm going to tell you all about my gardening class tomorrow!)....and this morning it's snowing out.
so I made an omelette, and then we had some ice-cream.....really, really, really GOOD ice cream.
toast rack

omelette prep: mushrooms, fontina cheese, thyme....#keyingredients

so hard to make eggs look pretty....but they taste so good!
Jeni's Splendid IceCream is just that. SPLENDID

I could go on, and on, and on about this ice cream, but I'd rather you just scoot on over here, and let Jeni and her team tell you the who, what, why, and how.  And there's also Jeni's Blog , which is killer. I will say, that these little pints are pure joy.  The flavors are so bright and fresh, combined with the creamiest, grass-fed goodness you can imagine.  I try to keep a few containers hidden in my freezer, since ice-cream is the perfect dessert for any occasion. I especially love to serve a bowl at the end of a fancy dinner.  It's a nice way to relax, and who doesn't love ice-cream? It's true that I really do have to hide them though, because Mr. Butter loves ice-cream more than me.

Friday, March 14, 2014

grow garden grow!

I am so looking forward to my first (in a series of 13) gardening class tomorrow. The classes, which are the result of a partnership between a favorite local restaurant, The Wine Cellar & Bistro and the  CCUA (Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture), will be held on an organic farm, just outside of town. They will take us through the entire growing season, beginning tomorrow, March 15th with Indoor Planting, and ending in early October.  I'll be posting updates from each class, as well as plenty of pictures and recipes from my latest gardening exploits.




















Saturday, March 8, 2014

pantry love.

Daylight savings is tomorrow! That means the days will be getting longer, and the temps may just one day climb above "frozen tundra".  Spring cleaning will soon be upon us, and in light of that,  I bring you The Pantry.  I love a good pantry,  and while mine is in fair shape,  I'm struck with a case of "pantry envy" when I compare it to these beauties.
image courtesy of House Beautiful
image courtesy of Mark D. Sikes
image courtesy The Peak of Chic
image courtesy of Remodelista
image courtesy of Remodelista
image courtesy of Dust Jacket Attic

image courtesy of Martha O'Hara Design
image courtesy of Gulf Shore Design

Friday, March 7, 2014

it's #foodtruckfriday, Chef the Film.


Casey's Pizza Truck, San Fracisco, image courtesy of Bay Zest
Pig Out, Miami, image courtesy of Phil Pessar
Greentruckonthego.com
Ozark Mountain Biscuit, Columbia, Mo
Over the past few years Food Trucks have exploded onto the food scene. The come in all shapes and sizes, and the food options are endless. When I first started working in the city, (but was too poor to live in the city) I caught the commuter train every morning at 7am. Every morning, my fellow commuters and I were greeted by a pick-up truck with a cantena of sorts in the truck bed.  The guy who owned it would pop open the side of this thing and sell hot coffee, cold muffins in plastic wrap, and egg sandwiches on a good day.  I'm not sure if he had a permit, or if this was literally a mom (at home making the muffins) and pop (driving the truck to the train station) operation, but I know it was a lifesaver on many a morning.
the old school - "Roach Coach", image courtsey of mobilefoodnews.com
Nowadays, the best way to find the closest food truck is via Facebook, or Twitter. I already know where the Ozark Mountain Biscuit Truck will be today at 11am! They're on the move, and they're everywhere.

So here's the REALLY exciting news,  Jon Favreau has written, directed, and is starring in a upcoming film, to be released in May.  "Chef is the story of Carl Casper, who loses his chef job and cooks up a FOOD TRUCK business in hopes of reestablishing his artistic promise and family."  It stars a fairly heaving hitting cast.  And, in true food truck form,  you'll have to follow the film on twitter to get the latest news!
Chef the Film