Little Clouds of Potato Happiness

The trouble with eating your first gnocchi, or more specifically gnocchi ala Romana in Italy, is that everything you try when you come back to the States largely pales in comparison. It has been more than a decade since I devoured this treat in Trastevere on a regular basis, but it is a taste that lingers. I occasionally find myself duped into picking up an allegedly primo brand of dried gnocchi at a specialty store or event splurging at the pasta counter at Whole Foods. However, they all disappoint. Whether dressed in a vodka sauce, bolognese, or simple tomato sauce they never live up to the food memory.

Emboldened for no good reason other than time, when I came across Cook's Illustrated (tired of me mentioning their recipes yet?) for potato gnocchi with brown butter and sage, I thought why not. This did require me to go out and purchase a potato ricer (takes up less space than the other alternative: a food mill).

The headline? Wow that's a very handy kitchen tool. I have no idea what else I will use it for, but for this recipe it was an imperative. The result was awesome. Full unadulterated food awesomeness. The recipe is shockingly simple and straight forward. The most time intensive piece was rolling out and cutting the pieces, which really wasn't all that long. And their trick for creating the ridges? So simple.

And while this is certainly not a true ala Romana take, it is absolutely fancy dinner party, holiday deliciousness, anytime you need a fix worthy.

Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish, or 4 to 6 as an appetizer

For the most accurate measurements, weigh the potatoes and flour. After processing, you may have slightly more than the 3 cups (16 ounces) of potatoes recquired for this recipe. Discard any extra or set aside for another use.

Ingredients

Gnocchi  

• 2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (4 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon salt 

Sauce  

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. FOR THE GNOCCHI: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Poke each potato 8 times with paring knife over entire surface. Microwave potatoes until slightly softened at ends, about 10 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking. Transfer potatoes directly to oven rack and bake until skewer glides easily through flesh and potatoes yield to gentle pressure, 18 to 20 minutes.
2. Holding each potato with potholder or kitchen towel, peel with paring knife. Process potatoes through ricer or food mill onto rimmed baking sheet. Gently spread potatoes into even layer and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Transfer 3 cups (16 ounces) warm potatoes to bowl. Using fork, gently stir in egg until just combined. Sprinkle flour and 1 teaspoon salt over potato mixture. Using fork, gently combine until no pockets of dry flour remain. Press mixture into rough ball, transfer to lightly floured counter, and gently knead until smooth but slightly sticky, about 1 minute, lightly dusting counter with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and dust liberally with flour. Cut dough into 8 pieces. Lightly dust counter with flour. Gently roll piece of dough into ½-inch-thick rope, dusting with flour to prevent sticking. Cut rope into ¾-inch lengths. Holding fork with tines facing down in 1 hand, press each dough piece cut side down against tines with thumb of other hand to create indentation. Roll dough down tines to form ridges on sides. If dough sticks, dust thumb or fork with flour. Transfer formed gnocchi to sheets and repeat with remaining dough.
5.  FOR THE SAUCE: Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally, until butter is browned and releases nutty aroma, about 11/2 minutes. Off heat, add shallot and sage, stirring until shallot is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and salt; cover to keep warm.
6. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add remaining 1 tablespoon salt. Using parchment paper as sling, gently lower gnocchi from 1 sheet into water and cook until firm and just cooked through, about 90 seconds (gnocchi should float to surface after about 1 minute). Using slotted spoon, transfer cooked gnocchi to skillet with sauce. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. Gently toss gnocchi with sauce and serve.

Betty Crocker That's Who

Before the oven. Too busy eating after.

It turns out that when it comes to apple pie, Betty Crocker is a legit source. Of all the various recipes I've tried over the years, I keep coming back to her French Apple Pie recipe every time. It's simple and always comes out just right. I made it with honey crisp apples this time because it was what I picked up at the orchard.

Usually I use a much tarter apple for baking, but this actually came out with just enough bite and sweetness. I also use a lot of apples. It calls for eight cups, I use eight whole apples which usually makes for a tall, but delicious pie.

I also made it in my very fancy new metal pie plate from the Culinary Diplomacy kick off. Perhaps it was the diplomatic mojo in the pie plate that made it turn out so well.

Baking Blitz

Grazing through cookbooks on a lazy afternoon is a great way to meal plan and get yourself into trouble. So, as I am currently borrowing the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook from a friend, I am using it as an excuse for both. The index makes my mouth water as I flip through trying to find new ways to use ingredients already in my pantry.  Even with access to their online recipe database, having a physical cookbook opens up a new set of possibilities.

The other afternoon it was the cause for not one, but two baking endeavors. Triple Coconut Macaroons and Classic Brownies. They are both so good they merit title case capitalization.

Most shocking is how easy these both were to make. And I mean easy. I usually expect CI to ask me to do something crazy to one of the ingredients to get the perfect outcome. And I always do whatever crazy thing they ask me to do because they are never wrong. Seriously, their track record is even better than the Barefoot Contessa and that's saying something.

So make these with confidence and knock the socks of people at the next school bake sale.

Classic Brownies

Be sure to test for doneness before removing the brownies from the oven. If underbaked (the toothpick has batter clinging to it), the texture of the brownies will be dense and gummy; if overbaked (the toothpick comes out completely clean), the brownies will be dry and cakey.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans or walnuts (4 ounces), chopped medium (optional)
• 1 1/4 cups plain cake flour (5 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), cut into six 1-inch pieces
• 2 1/4 cups sugar (15 3/4 ounces)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13- by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. If using nuts, spread nuts evenly on rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.
4. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts (if using) evenly over batter and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve. (Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

Triple Coconut Macaroons from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients

• 1 cup cream of coconut
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 3 cups unsweetened, shredded, desiccated coconut (about 8 ounces)
• 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (or flaked), about 8 ounces

Instructions

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray parchment with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.
2. Whisk together cream of coconut, corn syrup, egg whites, vanilla, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Combine unsweetened and sweetened coconuts in large bowl; toss together, breaking up clumps with fingertips. Pour liquid ingredients into coconut and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Chill dough for 15 minutes.
3. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Form cookies into loose haystacks with fingertips (see illustration 1, below), moistening hands with water as necessary to prevent sticking. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.
4. Cool cookies on cookie sheets until slightly set, about 2 minutes; remove to wire rack with metal spatula.    
   
   

Tomatoes + Bacon = Nom, Nom, Nom

The herbs in our little balcony garden have taken off and we have rosemary that keeps getting taller and taller. Not wanting it to go to waste (or turn into a small tree), I went in search of a new recipe to use it in. Yes, yes we use it with white fish, but I wanted something else.

Enter Cook's Illustrated Fresh Tomato Sauce with Rosemary and Bacon. As it turns out, it uses very little fresh rosemary, but once I read the bacon part there was no turning back. This recipe is worth altering your meal plan to make, it was that tasty.

Makes enough for 4-6 servings depending on how much sauce you want/how hungry you are.

• 6 ounces bacon (6 slices), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 3 pounds ripe round tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 3/4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Granulated sugar (I only need about a teaspoon)
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved thin with vegetable peeler (about 3/4 cup) 

I think you could easily use canned tomatoes in a pinch, but since there are still local ones to be had at the market, I used romas I had on hand and did the old boiling water/water bath trick to get the skins off (I cored mine before dropping in the water). Ah kitchen tricks.

Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off bacon fat from pan and discard.

Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil, swirl to coat pan, and add garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until tomato pieces lose their shape to form chunky sauce, about 10 minutes (I used a potato masher at the end of the time to really break them down a bit more). Stir in parsley, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Toss sauce with pasta and serve, sprinkling Parmesan and reserved bacon over individual bowls.

They recommend a tubular pasta, e.g. penne, but we had it with linguine and it was delicious. Oh, and the big shaved pieces of parm on top + bacon = awesomeness.  The little kick it has because of the red pepper flakes is what puts it over the top.

Because Amazing Is Something We Need in Our Lives

This post is about super heroes and food, art and travel.

The last two weekends were filled with quick trips to visit friends in New England and the Midwest. Both trips were extra heart warming for me because they were to see dear friends that I used to see every day, but life has put miles and often busy schedules between us.

To have four full days to talk about everything big and small with those who know you in and out,  is the best way to recharge. Also, to be able to hang out with four fantastic kids and two dogs (who we loved long before Mason) makes for a fun, always shifting time. Follow it up with a dynamic twin duo, one awesome pug and more good friends and August is full of splendor in my book.

I am in complete awe of how my dear friends balance their lives as mother, wife, friend, and colleague. (I can hear them scoffing at the word "balance" right now.) These women are extraordinary individuals who will feign politely when you say to them "you're amazing." But really, truly these women and so many others I know can say to Ann-Marie Slaughter with a voice full of experience "Of course we can't have it all by someone else's definition. The liberating reality is we can have it all when we chose to define our lives and our happiness for ourselves."

This is not a one day, one year actualizing reality. It's a life's work.

Yet, the grace, calm, and humor my friends bring to their lives and the multiple roles they hold is something remarkable. There is no time out when you're raising children and sure ends get frayed from time-to-time for everyone, but each time I'm able to spend time with my friends who are mothers, I leave buoyed and humbled by the sheer range and volume of tasks and cares they handle in a day.

You are modern day super heroes in my book and my life in enriched for having you in it.

Oh, and the World's Fair exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins was tremendous. It is a testament to what can be accomplished when a museum harnesses the power and creativity of cross-functional teams to create a better, richer visitor experience. Well done friends.

And the food? Well, nothing beats Oklahoma Joe's and trying out a few new places too. 

We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, 

we take a little of each other everywhere.

Blueberries on the Brain

It started with a crumble recipe. Which I have yet to make. The  backlog of blueberries in my fridge were scarified for other goods. But when DH came home and asked for baked goods for work, I knew I had to make blueberry muffins. Short on time, I went in search of a quick and easy recipe that would have simple ingredients and big flavor. This one is a keeper. I made a few tweaks based on the notes and also I always think a little fresh zest brings out fruit flavor in baking.

The crumble topping melted a bit. Use colder butter.

Blueberry Muffins 
Modified from Allrecipes.com
Makes 1 dozen regular size or 8 large.

 Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1-3 tablespoons of orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. (optional)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Add zest and vanilla extract. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Babbling from a Beach Chair

We spent a week at Surfside Beach, SC for the second annual family beach week. Seven adults, one fantastic and precocious soon-to-be five year old and seven days of perfect weather. From my beach chair perched beneath a shady umbrella the following occurred to me in no particular order:

1. You really can go to the beach for a week and not get sunburn. It just requires a lot of sunblock and large hats.

2. If you can't actually disconnect from the office fully, the tension never really leaves your back.

3. I am way too attached to my iPhone for far too many tasks, tidbits and mindless moments.

 4. Devouring books, printed on actual paper, is still one of my absolute favorite things to do. The Lemon Tree and Japanland, both excellent reads.

5. No matter how long you stare at the ocean it won't give you the answer to the questions you're asking, unless you're really ready for the answers.*

6. Being an outsider to the tribe known as mothers becomes a very different experience every year further you go in life.
 
7. Lifeguards don't really guard beach goers, but they do handle beach rentals, check their phones/laptops and work on their tans, a lot.

8. Cheap airline flights are not always worth the cost savings.

*It does however prepare you to hear exactly what you were looking for while sitting in a pew on Sunday morning after you return. 

The Sound of Silence

Taking a moment to quiet the voices in and outside my head by replacing them with the sound of the ocean.

With any luck, I'll have solved the world's problems by week's end.

In case that doesn't happen, I'm working on my tan and sand castle building skills. It seems like the sensible thing to do.

Now It's Home

We were having such a good time we didn't take any pictures.

I always smile when I read or hear friends remark this about their trips with their families. Everyone was just so into whatever was actually happening whether it was a simple pleasure or complicated endeavor, no one had a chance to step back and capture it for posterity.

Don't get me wrong. I love photos, seeing and taking them. But there's just something very wonderful about being so swept up (or tied up) in an experience you never grab your camera (phone).

So this past weekend when dear friends, old and new, came by amid 100+ degree temps (and post summer mega storm) to break in our new place there was no time to take a photo.

Now several folks were without power (and remain without, sorry guys) so they may have lingered a little longer to enjoy the A/C and avoid the hot boxes that their own houses had become (we'll pretend it's because you were having such a good time).

But, for a few hours of a single afternoon, it was really lovely to have our friends and their adorable (and incredibly well behaved) children fill every inch of first floor with laughter and conversation.

When you settle in a city far from home, your friends become your family. And for well past a decade now, we've been lucky enough to have some of the best friends one could conjure up to have as a part of their lives.

So thanks for helping us officially call DC home for keeps and may it not be as long until we all share an afternoon together again.

Lampshade Economics

Last weekend I purchased a lampshade at Target (said of course with the ridiculous yuppie pronunciation). Simple, functional and turns out slightly damaged when I got it home.

So I returned to Target to exchange it for a new one. No problem. In and out in no time.

The catch.

The original shade was purchased in Virginia. The exchange happened in the District.

It cost me 15 cents more to exchange the shade in D.C.  because of the difference in tax rates. Plus the $1.50 in parking (no free surface lots in Columbia Heights). Of course, I started compounding this cost differential in my head on a variety of things we purchase on a regular basis and was not pleased. Ouch.

And yes, this is where all my Virginia friends can remind me that this is why people move across the river.

Departure Ritual

In some ways this post is a public service announcement to help those with dogs appreciate that, while their dog may be crazy, he/she is not this crazy.

Before leaving the house the following checklist must be completed:

-Remove all pillows from bedroom
-Remove all bits of miscellaneous clothing from room
-Ensure all items are put away fully in the bathroom
-Open only lower shutters on one wall of windows
-Turn on iPod with classical music loop
-Turn on tabletop fan for extra cooling and additional white noise
-Make sure the bed is fully made
-Lock clothing closet door in bedroom
-Pull bathroom door closed
-Leave out sacrificial rug for shredding
-Call and if necessary bribe dog into said room
-Provide treat and or pets for jumping up and settling on bed
-Back out of room slowly
-Lock all THREE locks on exterior of bedroom door
-Exit house quickly and with minimal noise

Yeah, and this is the better version that doesn't involve having to dope up our dog on (vet provided) tranquilizers that are so strong they would knock a human out for days. He actually doesn't howl or bark when we're gone now, a vast improvement.

So we've reached a workable (ha!) solution that the dog is settling into the new place, nine months on, that seems to do the trick. Of course we've had to literally put a lock on our closet door inside the room because he has eaten enough of my work clothes now that I'm starting to think he's commenting on my shopping choices.

We have also replaced the door handle to our room at least seven times. Why you ask? Because he literally crushes the inside knob of the door handle over a series of weeks with his teeth and jaw. Mind you, he's not a chewer of other things though. Oh and we have bite marks on no less than three shutters on the windows in the room, but at least they aren't blinds. We've left (jinx) those days behind us. And we have a pile of small IKEA rugs that we go through every few months as he randomly shreds one while we're gone, purposely left out for him to do so (vet recommended). Way cheaper than the 8 x 10 he worked his way through in the first two months we moved in.

And he's gone through no less than five, easily more dog beds/blankets that sit on his actually indestructible kuranda dog bed. And yet his trusty plush companion Jack, is still in tact through it all.

Of course if there's a thunderstorm a sudden drop in barometric pressure, all bets are off and we are likely to return home to a huge mess that takes on various levels of "I cannot believe I got home first and have to clean this up."

He's eight now. We've had him since he was about 1.5 or so. We're not sure who's crazier at this point. Us or him. We talked to the gypsies, they won't take him. So, we decided to keep him.

Slipping into Summer

Late afternoon as I dipped my toes in the large fountain at the National Gallery Sculpture Park, I closed my eyes to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, the murmur of people around me and the first notes from the live jazz band drift across the courtyard. This (to me) is Washington in summer. 

There's just something about slipping off your work shoes.

There are a few spots I love to escape to and in the often punishing summer months of our fair city, this is one of them. The cornice of the Archives building in full view, but it's shadow just out of reach. Glimpses of Calder, Paine, Bourgeois appear and fade from view amidst the tightly trimmed boxwood.

Starting a weekend out here seems almost perfect. For as much as I love having the garden almost to myself earlier in the week. Jazz in the Garden brings out melted Washingtonians in droves to perch on blankets and cast aside blazers, to linger over a glass of well queued for wine or sangria. Every piece of grass and pavement is transformed into a private party of friends and new acquaintances.

Taking It All In

Artist Alexa Meade photographs her portrait.

About a month ago, I declared I was selfishly taking the rest of 2012 for me and that if the world wouldn't mind I was just going to enjoy things I wanted to do for awhile and perhaps sit down long enough to enjoy a properly chilled cocktail. (DH very graciously smiled and said, "whatever makes you happy.")

So I've been carving out more time to catch up on the art scene in city and last night I headed over to the National Portrait Gallery to catch their Portraits After 5: Camera-Ready Color organized as a part of their exhibition In Vibrant Color: Vintage Celebrity Portraits from the Harry Warnecke Studio.

Full color and absence of color.

Local DC Artist Alexa Meade created two live portraits that you could interact with and, well they could interact with you. The very definition of ephemeral, these two-hour paintings, merged portraiture, sculpture and photography without missing a beat. To see the work documented on her site is engaging, to see it live is spellbinding. The whole point was to document yourself with the work. To physically interact with the painting.

 It was great to see so many people out to see the spectacle and even better to see people (usually tourists) just happen upon it and get completely drawn in. Bravo to the curators and educators at the Portrait Gallery for finding a great way to bring portraiture to life in a fun and unexpected way, and promoting a local artist to boot. An art hat trick.

Taking in the crowd and canvases at the Kogod Courtyard.

Mexico City Corn

Since migrating from the Midwest there have been no shortage of jokes about my knowledge and love of corn being a direct result of the fact I grew up near corn fields. Yes, that's right, all heartland expats share a secret society of knowledge about this starchy vegetable. So imagine my surprise when I bit into my first ear of the season at Standard the other week and my mind was blown.

I'm not a purist when it comes to how you prepare corn. (Although I will say, why boil it when you can grill it?) But this was a new spicy, delectable preparation: Mexico City Style Corn on the Cob. Holy blessed street food.

I was hot to trot for a recipe to try and reproduce this new veggie champion. Common ingredients across recipes included chili pepper, cayenne pepper, mayo, lime, cheese (Parmesan vs. Cotija), black pepper.  Beyond that the variations included sour cream or butter, garlic, cilantro. Some are also very specific about leaving the husks on as handles or not. If you do, just soak them in advance so you don't smoke up your grill.

The version I ended up using, I would make a couple tweaks to next time. I would use the cotija instead of the parm. It really is different enough to matter; I would add a  little cheese on top after slathering the corn; and add a little more heat to the mix with an extra shake of cayenne. This version is from Cook's Illustrated.


1/4 cup regular or light mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sour cream

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 teaspoons juice from 1 lime

1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt

6 large ears corn, husks and silk removed 

While grill is heating, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, black pepper, cayenne (if using), lime juice, and cheese in large bowl; set aside. In second large bowl, combine oil, salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder; add corn and toss until coated evenly.

Grill corn, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, 7 to 12 minutes total. Remove from grill and place in bowl with mayonnaise mixture; toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

Art Escape

Baseballs by Lutz Bacher @ The Whitney Biennial.

After reading the New York Times review of the Whitney Biennial I began to plot plan a trip to the city to see the show. This quickly evolved into a "how many galleries can I possibly see in one trip" sort of exercise. It was at that moment DH opted to abstain from the experience or "36 hours of art" as I conceived of it. Stepping off the train with the prospect of nothing but art, dinner and drinks with friends, and whatever else I could fit in for almost two whole days was awesome.

Note: I've waited so long to post this that the Biennial is now closed, but I had such a fun time I'm posting it anyway. Sorry.

Excellent meals with lovely friends and family were had at the Beacon Kitchen Counter and Maze by Gordon Ramsay at the London. Two delicious midtown finds that I can take no credit for tracking down. Thanks SH. Celebrating my delightful cousin's college graduation over dinner and drinks was great fun, made me feel very old, and I am very proud of her.

Great shows were seen at MAD,  including Swept Away. Yes, that is what you think it is and yes, I do think it's art. It had this lovely quiet quality about it and reminded me of a great presentation the conservation department at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art did a few years back about dust vs. dirt on a Deborah Butterfield piece. Fascinating.

The Biennial itself was interesting, but I fear I either missed out on the most life altering of the installation pieces, or I would have benefited from the curator's insight. That being said there were three artists I really enjoyed. Lutz Bacher, Elaine Reichek, and Nick Mauss. Baseballs by Bacher was strangely captivating. Perhaps it was the audio loop that crackled in the background combined with the dusty lighting, but the purposeful abandonment of the installation was intriguing nonetheless.

The multiple works by Reichek exploring Ariadne's thread made my inner mythology geek totally smile and the use of thread to explore a thread, well, I thought it was well done. Mauss's piece Concern, Crush, Desire, 2011 held the most interest for me over his other work. It may have been more about how it manipulated the space and created multiple viewpoints into the exhibition itself, but interesting all the same.

Mark Tansey, The Innocent Eye Test.

Muse in the Ancient Galleries.

Rain kept me from seeing Tom Saraceno's Cloud City installation on the roof at the Met, but I lingered in the Ancient galleries among the marble statutes I have always loved; enjoyed Oceanic galleries for the first time; backtracked out of the mob scene that was the Schiaparelli and Prada show (OMG); wandered through the modern galleries and then slipped out to go see the Neue Gallery.

An old colleague gave me a peak of the Guggenheim (which is closed on such a random day of the week), and the little bit of the John Chamberlain sculpture show I saw (mid deinstallation) was really interesting and reminded me how much broader his body of work is. There are several prints by him in the Kogod collection, so I had a slightly geek-out moment when I saw the same prints for sale as posters in the gift shop.

The last stop was to see the Cindy Sherman show at MoMA. I completely agree with a friend's assessment that I wish there had a been a broader representation of her work, but all in all a very worthwhile show. Because how can you not enjoy a whole installation of her portraits.

I can't wait to go back this Fall, the list has already started. Sorry DH.

Urban Gardening (Sounds Way More Sophisticated Than Reality)

Something something complete. Yes, after finishing potting the window boxes on our balcony, my first though was a Family Guy, Star Wars reference. This is a sure sign a more significant portion of my brain has been corrupted by the company I've been keeping for the past 13+ years than I am generally willing to admit. Looking at you DH.

Since we moved in we've been wanting to turn the balcony into outdoor living space with plants. Having a tiny patch of access to the outdoors was an imperative for us when we moved and while it may be small, we'll be damned if we won't use every inch of it.

The World Market pillows make the herbs happy.

So this past weekend we discovered Gingko Gardens on the Hill (which is awesome) and stocked up on the hardware, plants and soil we would need to have a microscopic size "garden". It had never occurred to me to use different soil for the herbs/veggies that we eat vs. the flowers that we grow. But, the friendly gardener pointed out that if we use Miracle Grow soil to plant our herbs we'd be ingesting fertilizer through the plants. So of course I bought fancy organic soil-- because I am a total yuppie that can be convinced of just about anything I have little knowledge of will kill me or damage the environment-- and also regular MG soil for the petunias.

Of course, now I have enough soil in my garage to plant at least two other balcony gardens, so give a shout if you need some local dirt.

Squint and you can see the petunias.

Now basking in the gentle rain of this week (a sure sign mother nature agrees with our planting efforts) are:

-Herb box of cilantro, rosemary, thyme, basil and mint

-Box of mesclun lettuce (bought on total impulse, not sure why I need to grow my own)

-Two boxes of lantana, petunias and sweet potato vine (which are way over planted and will likely need to be broken into a third at some point)

-One potted hosta

 Not quite the Marigold Festival Gardens of yore, but here's hoping we can keep it alive and at least enjoy a few appetizers and drinks from our labors. So stop by and enjoy the flowers and a drink while lounging on an IKEA bench or vintage chair we've jigsawed into our little outdoor space.

Making Space for Art

Stepping off the metro at L'Enfant Plaza the moving curvature catches your eye before the sound reaches your ears. From two blocks away I was captivated. This was something special.

Late Saturday night (after the Nationals rallied, but still took a beating from the O's) I drug DH to go see Doug Aitken's Song 1 at the Hirshhorn before it closed.  I had seen the work in passing a few times, but I had not yet been able to sit and just watch.

Doug Aitken's Song 1 viewed from Seventh St at the Hirshhorn.

The installation piece envelopes the entire circular exterior of the Smithsonian museum perfectly. The technical is flawless. My inner museum geek simultaneously pondered how hard the installation staff worked on getting the width of the projection just right and the sound levels just so, while taking in the full visual effect of the piece.

This was a happening. Truly. People were casual strewn about the grassy bits and low walls of seventh street. Some in their finest attire, others partaking in full picnics they brought out for the occasion. Seventh Street gave way to slow rolling bicyclists ambling past.

On Jefferson Dr. we perched on the Sculpture Garden wall, dark shadows cloaking the bronze figures several feet below us. The ethereal music of Al Dubin and Harry Warren's "I Only Have Eyes for You" washed over the landscape in a seductive, yet meditative fashion. The layered and shifting loop of sound is by definition repetitive. The same lyrics reworked reached your ears again and again. And yet, the piece never tires.

Fleeting in nature, the installation thrusts both the museum and the Mall into an urgent context that otherwise would pass their evenings quietly and undisturbed by more than ambling tourists trekking between monuments. Yet, the strength of the work is deeper than the novelty of it's limited airing. It literally transforms the concrete 1974 structure from a shrine to modern and contemporary art to a canvas for art. This seems more meaningful than being simply a backdrop for the work. The work and the location become inseparable. Sure you could install it again somewhere else, but it would be a different work, in a different place.

This pushes the boundaries in a way distinct and yet similar to what Quixotic has done in Kansas City with both the Kauffman Center opening and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.  Interacting with architecture to make art. But instead of a single performance, there is the opportunity with Song 1 to return again to change your vantage point of the piece.

Creating relevance for the visual arts in a society that is becoming conditioned to consume work quickly and without consideration is an evolving challenge for museums. Developing inspired installations like this are certainly a critical step into bringing new and old audiences to the steps of the museum to be inspired. For people to find out for themselves why art matters.

Walking home from the Mall, I kept turning to catch a glimpse of the piece from across the expanse until it eventually receded and the city noises once again took over.

Stumbling into Running, Again

Wandering through the adjacent fancy-pants neighborhood to ours with the dog is a brilliant way to:

a) be a total voyeur looking in all of the ridiculous embassy houses (where no one actually seems to live)

Iris at one of my favorite new parks.

b) discover some amazing gardens and parks that are tucked in to tiny corners and the roses smell amazing right now

c) scope out future delusional real estate purchases

d) ease from walking back into running

By bringing the dog along, I just seem less creepy (at least I think I do...) doing all of the above and I can blame my super awkward running stride on the dog. He's a total fall guy in this situation.

At any rate, a huge thank you to all my friends near and far who continue to post about their own running exploits, because it continues to inspire me to choose my running shoes over my flip flops and to drag myself out of bed far earlier that I would every normally consider doing (particularly on a Saturday).

So this past weekend when I managed to actually run (let's pretend it's running and not the slow slumped jog it really is) just shy of ten miles, in a row, and didn't die; I realized... why yes, I can be ready to run to the Army 10 Miler this fall and yes, I will be able to have my mile time be fast enough to not get swept. 

Here's hoping I get a bib this week when registration opens up for the rest of us. And now that I've written this I'll try and force myself not to wimp out.

And Then There Was Light

It's amazing how a little more light and a better looking fixture can transform a space. When we moved in the sad little light that was hanging over the dining room table needed to go. It is really the only major source of light on the first floor and it was not cutting it.

Nine whole light bulbs, it's crazy bright!

Why would you put an entry light
in your dining room?

After searching high and low for a new light, including the Paris Flea Markets where we fell hard for a 19th Century Baccarat Crystal fixture (and then realized that um, we aren't "those people") it was replaced with this new light I found on One Kings Lane. It is absolutely not what I started out looking for. I had even found this crazy, oversized rough wood piece at the Luckett's Design House that I was sure would be awesome for the space and then after we painted, I realized it would be too much of a statement for the place. I fully planned to go vintage, some great piece I would have to have rewired, but then voila.

It turns out getting all those random emails and glancing at them from time to time is worthwhile and for the record One Kings Lane really did have killer good pricing. So very excited and now we can actually (for better or worse) see each other and the food on the table.

Curatorial Endeavor

Creating demand and driving interest in visual art exhibitions is something that I love to do. The process of understanding why a curator picked a certain artist, theme, perspective is an endeavor I treasure to be a part of over and over again. So, this spring when I decided to take advantage of a little university perk and take a class to feed my brain, it was a bit of leap to select Curatorial Practice as my course of study.

Actually being a curator is a path that I considered and actively abandoned years ago, but I thought this effort might improve my understanding of what makes a curator tick and improve my capacity to support them and tell their stories. To that end, I thought I would share a little about why I selected Joseph Lappie as the artist in the class developed show Like. Comment. Share opening this Saturday, April 28 at American University.

Joseph Lappie is incredibly talented artist based in Davenport, Iowa and currently a professor at St. Ambrose University. But my appreciation for Joseph's talent began long before he garnered global accolades as a printmaker. It began (I think) in the back of Mrs. Walrath's eighth grade class at Broadmoor Junior High School. I have vague recollections of Joseph drawing dinosaurs and other figures while we were in class. We went on to high school and Joseph expanded his talent exponentially as an artist, always having a talent to entertain both on paper and in person. We lost touch as he went onto earn his BFA and MFA, but then images of his MFA Thesis exhibition crossed my path. That was 2008.

For four years, I've recalled the work from time to time as an important departure from the traditional approach to printmaking. The scale, the figures, the sculptural evolution of the print blocks, all represent truly original thinking in printmaking. Stretching the boundary between printmaker and sculptor, the work commands consideration both as a technical achievement and artistic representation.

There is a depth of sadness and inward reflection in many of the figures Lappie illustrates. In his piece There Is Always More Than One When There Is Always Only One (2008) the stature of the figures-- shoulders slumped, faces tightly drawn, conveys a heaviness, a burden that feels isolating even when among a group. The carved surfaces appear deeply marked and worn with life. Lappie speaks of this series as being pieces of himself. An external display of an internal examination of his motives as a human and a man.

Courtesy of the Artist. All rights reserved.

Layered with information, the figures' emotional forms take shape as shadows that shift between changing shapes and text. Lappie seeks to create comfort with discomfort. The more the viewer is willing to interact with the piece the more they will see of the work and perhaps of themselves.


Most compelling is that Lappie's point of view as an artist is as powerful in full scale at over six feet, as it is in a few precious inches in a handmade and bound book or print.

For the installation at American University, there are four of the matrix figures from the piece There is Always More Than One When There is Always Only One, Determination, Predatory, and Fear and Dependence in full sculptural form and three as full size relief prints, Love, Doubt, and Sexuality. Select artist books will also be on view.

There is far more to say, but perhaps it is best to let the work speak for itself. I understand now how a curator can consider and work towards an exhibition idea for years and never grown tired.

Exhibition: Like. Comment. Share.
Location: American University Museum at Katzen
Dates: April 28- May 20, 2012
Hours: Free Daily, Tuesday-Sunday
Exhibition Website: http://www.lcsartshow.com
Twitter: @LCSArtShow
Hashtag: #likeart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curatorialpractices

Proper List of Excuses

After feigning no knowledge of the fact that I even have a blog for years, DH casually shamed me the other day by pointing out that he finally figured out how to subscribe to this rambling mess--but I hadn't written in ages. So here is a quick, totally lame list of excuses as to why I haven't been writing:

View of the river at Salt Water Cowboys in FL.

1. Mornings- We're still not friends, but I've been getting up way closer to 6 or 6:30 voluntarily that I ever thought possible to make it to (gasp) the gym or yoga. As a result, my evenings are getting cut shorter and shorter because apparently you have to go to bed early to get up early. Who knew?

2. Class- No I haven't lost my mind and decided grad school would be fun to do, again. I'm taking Curatorial Practice merely for the fun of it and you should totally come this Saturday to the exhibition opening and see the amazing work by the artist I selected Joseph Lappie.

3. Neighborhood- I'm having a total love affair with our new neighborhood and the dog is the main beneficiary. He's getting way more walks than he used to and I think being a city dog agrees with him. Well, at least he's tolerant of the slow pace I take to gawk at all of the embassy houses on the other side of Connecticut. What's brilliant, is the sidewalks are huge and no one actually walks there, so it's me, the dog and the secret service patrols. Btw, if any wants to purchase and gift a townhouse on Wyoming to me, feel free.

Beach in St. Augustine.

4.Decorating- Turns out that trying to decorate your house like a grown up takes time. Well, the good news is, I'm totally out of budget for now, so this project will be on temporary hiatus.

5.Travel- Both taking it and the lack of- meaning I've been lucky enough to see friends and their brilliant babes in Illinois, Missouri and Connecticut in the last few months and also escape to Florida for a nice long weekend with friends. And, DH has been home more this winter/spring than anytime I can recently recall. That's even with a trip to the middle of the Indian Ocean. So, I actually get to see him and do stuff. Crazy, I know.

So sorry, all three people who read this (4 with DH), I know your reading schedule has been just totally throw into havoc as a result. Let's just move on and instead think about how awesome Society Fair is in Old Town (total new favorite spot), the fantastic Doug Aitken: SONG 1 installation at the Hirshhorn, and tastiness that is this blueberry pie.

Food Makes the World Go Round

I could pretend that we plan our week around high minded ideas of volunteer service, meditation, reflection, and exercise. That would be a complete line of B.S. In reality we plan our week around food and when we can eat in relation to work. Yes, how lame is that?

The calculation of how much or how well we will eat during the week is a complete function of how well I can plan and pull off cooking for and during the week. This is in turn impacted by how strung out I/we feel about work; whether we're both in the same country; and whether I actually make it to the store and shop for the magical menu I say we're going to consume.

I've also noticed I fail at inserting good food into my schedule when it is compressed. For example, if I am slated to meet my trainer at 7am, I try to figure out what I could possibly shovel in my mouth at say 6:15am with zero effort and then what I will shovel in my mouth between 8:45-9am when I am running out the door to the office having just sprinted through getting ready after the gym. I never think of weekday breakfast as a leisurely activity. Rather, it's a riddle that most days I completely fail to solve.

Bananas. Yep, that's the answer I reach most often. And, really? How many bananas can one girl eat?

I've also realized that if I fail to plan something super tempting, we'll often default to eating out. Total idiot move on my part. Why not revise menu planning to include something more exciting than steamed bok choy and salmon... and not entirely crockpot based.

So this week, I am attempting to just start with the act of actually cooking. Not eating out because we're too lazy to plan and to eliminate throwing food out. More on this in another post, I'm completely mortified and intrigued by how much food we're wasting in the U.S.

Since we've started our subscription to Arganica, it's like Christmas morning on Sundays to find out "what's in the local box." This week we were delighted to not only find the potatoes, turnips, sweet potato and onion we expected to see (based on the time of year)- but also beautiful mushrooms (two varieties); those gorgeous heirloom cherry tomatoes we've had before; fresh rosemary; and two types of fresh lettuce.

Making sure we don't waste our delicious (yuppie) front door delivered produce is certainly an added incentive to cooking regularly as well.

So far this week (and yes I started cooking on the weekend) we've got Split Pea Soup made and ready to go in the freezer; Barefoot Contessa Turkey Meatloaf (we ate one half and I froze the other half to make another day); Hashbrown Quiche (just trust me); Barefoot Contessa Spinach Pie; Weight Watchers Mac & Cheese; fresh greens.

Still to make this week chicken quesadillas, quick beef bourguignon (thank you N!), and a new squash soup recipe. I'm hoping at least the soups will bridge into multiple weeks with some freezing.

Hashbrown "Quiche"

• 3 cups frozen hashbrowns
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup ham steak diced
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper diced
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 4 oz. shredded cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt/pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Press frozen hasbrowns into a 9 inch pie crust, pour melted butter on crust to set hashbrowns. Bake hashbrown crust for 25 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees. Layer in ham, pepper, jalapeno, onion, cheese. Whisk together eggs, milk, s/p and pour over layered items in dish. Bake again for 25-30 minutes until knife comes out clean and eggs are set.  Reheats really well.