the glutton's progress

Gluttony on Tour: Day 1 -- Pies-n-Thighs

2012-01-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

We high-tailed it to Brooklyn for breakfast.

Our favorite breakfast spot in Williamsburg:
Pies-n-Thighs

You may remember that I hung out here for hours
last summer.

"Fish & Grits" for two!

Funny mug graphic.
Oslo Roasters coffee. More on them later...

We sat right next to the dessert case.
This became a problem...
We immediately got these three donuts to go,
plus six molasses cookies

Breakfast! Finally!

Happy

Free donut holes.
Why they thought we needed these, I don't know.
Saved for later.

Next, it was time for pie. Decisions, decisions...

key lime

banana cream

chocolate pudding

peanut butter


coconut macaroon The WINNER!

compressed coconut flake crust (with eggwhite binder?)
chocolate glaze
vanilla cream
chocolate covered almonds
OMG

After all of that, a walk was in order.

Gluttony on Tour: Day 1 -- In Transit

2012-01-25T05:02:00.000-08:00

I was delighted to discover that Severo was checking a bag.
Hurrah! Out came the larger suitcase.

We took a red-eye from LAX and transferred in DFW.
Here we are, approaching Dallas in the dark.

While I sat and drank a Starbucks...

Severo got us upgrades to First Class. SCORE!

Looking grumpy but just tired and hungry.
OK, grumpy.

Sev has intimate knowledge of the DFW AA terminal.
He likes this breakfast pizza and I agree, it's good for airport food.
We had to wait until 7 for it to open.
Will add name of establishment later when boy is awake.

There was a beautiful sunrise when we departed

See y'all later, DFW

Georgia O'Keeffe moment

We landed in Newark.
Amusing signage at the car rental.

Manhattan, here we come!

Gluttony on Tour: New York 1/19 ~ 1/22

2012-01-23T06:18:00.000-08:00

I had all intentions to report on this trip as it transpired...
I WAS TOO BUSY EATING!!!
This trip, I managed to come home with more clothing than food. Here's some of the booty:

1) Desigual mini skirt with NYC motif
2) Uniqlo heat tech tanks + socks
3) Sev's 25¢ NYC tin, Duane Reade
4) cobalt Wigwam socks, Sockman, St Mark's Pl
5) ceramic "go" cup, greek deli style,
MeMe Antenna, Williamsburg
6) Oslo Roasters Freya blend roast coffee, Williamsburg
7) Hot Sox tights from Sockman
8) Barbie pink knit cape + scarf from
Mandala Tibetan Store, Williamsburg
9) bag from Rice to Riches --
ate the pudding before airport security,
tub of caramel sauce made it through, sanctioned by TSA
(missing -- still in Sev's bag:
six molassas cookies from Pies n Thighs)

Stay tuned for a full report on what we did, I'll roll it out slowly.
It was a super fun trip. We packed in a lot of eating and touring in very little time. Need a vacation to recover from my vacation!

Happy Anniversary My Love!

2012-01-16T05:03:00.000-08:00

15 years together! WOOHOO!!!!

here we are eating Zankou
in the back seat of my car
before going to a gig
at the Rhino pop-up last June
us, in a nutshell

we met at this CG gig at Checca

we got to know each other during Poptopia
two weeks later

on Valentine's Day, you wooed me
with a weekend at the Bonaventure
and dinner in Chinatown
(because Cheesecake Factory in Pasadena was
just A BIT too crowded)

in March, you flew me to my first SXSW festival
here, Beatle Bob clearly wins the pattern mixing award

I love getting to go backstage with you
(here, ten eyes at House of Blues)

watching you play

traveling to exotic destinations

dressing up and going out

meeting your alter ego Maurie

having fun in photoshop

Here's to fifteen years of adventures and many more to come! Mwah!

recap of 2011: 8 months of gluttony

2011-12-31T20:46:00.000-08:00

I ate:

april: BP Oysterette

may: Border Grill Foodtruck

I cooked:

I traveled:

Portland: PDX ACE camp

NYC: Circle Line evening tour of the harbor
with The Smithereens

Providence: with Patucci and Mark

took the bus to Utica

I chased the moon:

eclipse

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Tradition: Popovers for Breakfast

2011-12-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

here is the recipe from my 43 edition of Fannie Farmer
click on images to see bigger

cast iron "gem pan"
tip: put it in the oven while preheating

the ingredients are simple:
flour, salt, eggs, butter, milk

I mix it all in the blender

I wind up filling the cups about 2/3 full

here's how they look after 20 min @ 450˚

another 15 min @ 350˚ and they're done!

while waiting, I get out all the jams
this year's array, left to right:

Deborah's fig [too old to eat]

my Raspberry [killer]

my strawberry

Linda's + my Almond Brandy Plum

Linda's + my Plum

my Seville Marmalade from Roxanne + Ed's tree

my Mango

Trader Joe's Lemon Curd [oh, my]

Hill Orchards (RI) Apple Butter

Hash House (Las Vegas) Apple Butter [OMG]

Hash House (Las Vegas) Persimmon [insipid]

Loretta Lynn's (TN) Southern Peach Pecan [one of Sev's faves]

Vallee Blueberry [yum]

the table is set...

YUM!

Another Lunar Eclipse

2011-12-24T17:35:00.000-08:00

My eclipse viewing reminded of another similar moon viewing.
April 96, at The Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT.


these are two separate sketches that I composited digitally I'm considering framing them like this they are wider but have termite holes in them

I sat in a van with Lawrence + Tex on top of a hill and scrutinized what transpired. Since it was a moonrise, rather than a moonset, it was easy to see the redness in the completely dark moon.
I sketched these the next day from memory.

beautiful dawn: 12-19

2011-12-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

moon for the misbegotten

2011-12-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been living in a cave, you're aware that there was a full moon lunar eclipse this morning. I gathered up a bunch of cameras and embarked at 4:30 to see it at the beach. It was supposed to get all huge and red as it was setting and THAT I wanted to see.

some of the gear
yes, FILM!

Choosing which beach took some time. I opted for Playa Del Rey, but parking was tight - there were a bunch of cones set up blocking many of the spots. (Later I discovered it was for a film shoot of some sort).
I thought: PCH over Dockweiler - the higher angle might provide good shots with the palm trees in the foreground. I went and gave it a try:

It was a good angle, but I REALLY wanted to sit on the beach and hear the waves.
I went back to Playa Del Rey

the lifeguard shack made a good support when it was still dark

Of course I ran out the battery in the Lumix so I had to use my iPhone
The moon is a tiny speck in the next two shots

at this point, the moon was no longer visible.
I think it went behind some haze or clouds

I was slightly disappointed that I didn't see a giant orange orb set in the west. That, however, was vastly outweighed by the experience of sitting still on the beach, hearing the waves, watching the moon change, watching the sunrise...

I must go to the beach more often, I live so close.

The film shots will, of course, come later. Have to wait for the processing!

awesome oatmeal

2011-12-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

I have come up with an oatmeal recipe that I'm happy with.

I use Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats
because they have more "tooth"

the recipe works fine for rolled oats too

oats, almond torani syrup, raw slivered almonds, dried tart cherries

makes 4 servings
use a large saucepan

1 cup oats
3 cup water
some salt
about 1/3 cup cherries (or other dried fruit)

put water + salt in pan and bring to boil
add oats, stir, lower heat to simmer
add cherries
simmer for 20 min uncovered, stirring occasionally

divide into 4 bowls

embellish with sweetner of choice, milk, nuts and coconut
(I am especially fond of the cherry/raw almond/ almond syrup combo)

tip: when cooking for one, divide the extra servings into containers and save for later. reheats in microwave nicely

commute painting 9/30

2011-12-05T18:01:00.001-08:00

commute painting 9/30
Originally uploaded by anne m bray
Via Flickr:
corel painter + tablet

Colorado

2011-11-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

Big Cloud Over US290 in Texas

2011-11-20T16:17:00.000-08:00

Coffee Tanker

2011-11-13T16:52:00.000-08:00

Blythe, CA

2011-11-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

Arizona

2011-11-13T15:28:00.000-08:00

messing around with Painter and 09 road trip photos

Tourist Report: Travel by Bus

2011-09-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

I needed to get from Providence, RI to Utica, NY and was too cheap to rent a car.
Bus or train? Train would have been nice, but I would have had to take a bus anyway to Springfield. And Greyhound lured me with "free WiFi" on their website.
Bus! $70.

The first leg I had to go in the wrong direction from Providence to Boston. I rode Peter Pan.

They give the buses names.
Who the heck is Rufio?

The Wifi was excellent. I got some blogging done.

Boston South Station, next leg to Albany + Utica.I got there early (caught an earlier bus, thank goodness).

snagged a sad sandwich

the line for Albany got really long

my seat was behind the driver and cramped

in Albany I was able to change seats, less cramped

barge canal

upstate NY vista

All in all, it was an OK ride. I didn't have to schlep my heavy suitcase too much, good. Disappointed by the feeble WiFi between Boston + Utica.

recipe: mar vista > little compton chutney

2011-09-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

The tomatoes were just starting to ripen on the eve of departure.

Because I'd be gone for 26 days, and Severo is not all that dependable for garden upkeep, I decided to harvest what I could and take them with me.

They went on tour from NYC to CT, MA and RI, where they met up with some Little Compton apples and were transformed into chutney.

This jar then toured upstate NY and Martha's Vineyard, MA.
It shall be opened in Mar Vista upon my return to CA.

Recipe is from Joy of Cooking, pp 840-1 (1953 edition)
Patucci and I made a combination of the Indian Relish and Apple Chutney recipes and adjusted for the quantity of tomatoes that we had. Basically, we used the recipes as guidelines for ratios of ingredients.

6 grams green tomatoes
6 grams tart apples, peeled + cored
(ours were squash ball size -- don't know variety)
1 md onion
3 inches fresh ginger, peeled
3 small lemons, seeded

chop above to 1/4" dice, put in large saucepan
(we grated the ginger and it was kind of stringy - dicing would have been better)

add

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c cider vinegar
1 c sugar
some ground red chili pepper
1 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp salt
[1/2 tsp tumeric] we didn't have it -- would have been good
1/2 c raisins
a few whole cloves and allspice

simmer on stove until thick -- a couple of hours
(we let it sit overnight to meld flavors even more)
remove cloves + allspice
fill jars, process or freeze

made five 8-12 oz jars

Little Compton, RI

2011-09-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

I spent August 4 - 6 with Patucci + Mark in Dewey's rental, "Marvel House" in Little Compton.

google satellite shot of location

I forgot to take shots of the house, designed and built by an architect and not your typical Cape cottage.

I had a lovely view from my room

nautical shade pull

cool cubby room with snug bed and bookshelves off of my room

The dogs:

Belou surveys her domain in the living room

Pip naps on the beach

Coco rarely stayed still

walking the dogs to the beach

the beach

gluttony on tour: day 7. Dinner at Al Forno, Providence, RI

2011-08-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

Severo made the wise decision to postpone his departure to Newark until the evening. That way, he could join us for dinner at Al Forno and have less traffic on I-95.

clams Al Forno and marguerita pizza

mmmmm

duck legs

pasta with pea shoots

me, Patucci

Dewey joined us when dessert arrived and a beautiful sunset ensued

lemon cake with whip cream and citron

Mark, Dewey

gluttony on tour: day 7. Brunch at AS220, Providence, RI

2011-08-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

AS220 is an arts/food collective located in downtown Providence. The owners have bought and rehabbed several buildings and now serve the community with a restaurant, a funded jukebox, a gallery space, artist studios, a letterpress/ silkscreen lab etc.

We concentrated on the foo(d).

grilled Italian sausage, peppers + mushrooms,
with cheddar cheese and garlic spread
(and maybe some eggs?)

mozzarella, tomato on baby greens

gluttony on tour: day 6. Providence, RI

2011-08-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

We were to meet Patucci and Mark at The Hot Club and needed to kill some time so we drove by my old loft on Pine St.

409 pine

The twin buildings have been converted into "luxury lofts" and the 2700 sq ft full floor spaces have been split into smaller units.
When I moved in in 1979, I had 30 windows that needed reglazing.

my windows looked nothing like this!

We had our rendezvous (no pix) and then eventually made it to dinner at Apsara's, my favorite Cambodian place

Patucci + Mark

nime chow - mmmmm

We ate a lot of dishes but I was in too much of a food coma to take pictures or make note of what we ordered.

Tourist Report: Boston, MA (includes further gluttony)

2011-08-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

Despite having lived for four years in Providence, I had never been to the North End. My bad! After our seafood feast, we took a postprandial stroll around.

the exterior of Paul Revere's house

on the Freedom Trail

on the Italian Ice trail

mmmm divinity fudge detour

mission accomplished - lemon ice

We then embarked to Providence.

gluttony on tour: day 6. Neptune Oyster, Boston, MA

2011-08-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

I scavenged my breakfast from the hotel's complementary breakfast setup while Severo slept. We then made our way down to Boston for a seafood feast at Neptune Oyster

oyster menu - loved the descriptions

Severo hoists a Kumamoto

chowdah

lobstah roll
we ordered it hot with just lobster and butter

Severo's "Neptunes on Piggyback"
pulled pork, fried oysters, etc

bliss

"I'm with the band" Salisbury Beach, MA

2011-08-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

The green room of the Blue Ocean Music Hall was unbelievable!

the green room with a view

preparing for the gig

young fan

Severo in the audience during Blood and Roses

"I'm melting"

finale

Tourist Report: Salisbury Beach, MA

2011-08-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Salisbury Beach is on the North Shore above Boston. I'd say it's the poor cousin of Newburyport. It has a run-down boardwalk vibe with lots of interesting sights.

men in black - Paulie, JK, Severo

my "lemonade" from Joe's Playland was really sour sugar water

Carousel Lounge - Live Entertainment
included an Elvis impersonator working the karaoke station

gluttony on tour: day 5 natick to salisbury ma

2011-08-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

For Saturday breakfast we found Gourmet Decisions in Natick via Yelp.

a tired Severo


a demented Anne (I don't remember what I ordered)

We made it to Salisbury in good time. I stayed at the hotel while Severo went to sound check. He was going to come back and get me but the beach traffic was horrendous. I rode to the venue with Paulie and Pat.

"I'm with the band" Natick, MA

2011-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

I stood at the soundboard during the Natick gig

3.2 decibels over

gluttony on tour: day 4 CT

2011-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Breakfast in Old Saybrook found us at The Parthenon on the recommendation of Bernadette from The Kate.

strawberry waffle!

"I'm with the band" Old Saybrook, CT

2011-08-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

The Kate is a very nice theater in Old Saybrook, CT.
I wandered around during sound check

a bank of casablanca lilies - heavenly scent

original ticket window

custom water

I stood in the wings stage left during the performance

gluttony on tour: day 3 CT

2011-08-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

Friday's gig was at the Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center (The Kate) in Old Saybrook, CT. Getting there was no picnic.

We stopped at the Fairfield CT turnpike food plaza. I succumbed to McDonald's and Severo got a VERY orange "Jamaican Chicken Patty" from A McD affiliate

Hard to determine what made it Jamaican

gluttony on tour: day 3 nyc

2011-08-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Friday morning we walked up to Grill 21, a Filipino restaurant.

Severo had sausage, eggs and garlic rice

I had fried milk fish, eggs and rice

Next was a side trip to the Bronx to pay a parking ticket.
While Severo was working on that, I stayed in the car and stared at the cupcake he'd snagged at a party the night before.

It did not last for long.

To avoid the horrible traffic over the bridges exiting the city, we took a circuitous route

and went over this one.

no traffic on the 174th street bridge!

"I'm with the band" nyc 7-28

2011-08-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Severo's first gig was on a Rockin' the River Cruise, a Circle Line evening tour of the NYC harbor. (He plays bass with the Smithereens, in case you didn't know)

Sev tuning Pat's guitar

ahoy matey

A little after 8pm, we embarked from Pier 83 to go around the tip of Manhattan, circle under the Brooklyn Bridge and return. I stood in the back of the boat, to see the sights.

There was a good-sized crowd. It was more about socializing back where I was than listening to the band, who played in the bow in an enclosed space.

It was amazing to see the Statue of Liberty up close and all lit up

Passing under the Brooklyn Bridge

looking up the East River

Pat ended the set exactly as the boat docked -- an excellent piece of stage craft.

Sightseeing Report: metropolitan museum, nyc

2011-08-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

I went to the Met to see the Alexander McQueen show. Severo had never been, so we wandered around the Egyptian wing a bit before I went to join the line.

graffiti on Temple of Luxor

Severo did not want to wait on the long line for the McQueen show so he went back to the hotel to rest before his gig.
See the McQueen photos and sketches over on SpyGirl
After emerging from the above, I came upon an exhibition of African masks made from modern detritus.

Calixte Dakpogan, Le Gardien

It was a great way to transition into reality.

While looking for the exit, I came upon a youth drawing workshop in the Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court. These siblings were very intent in an artist and model scenario, art directing each other.

gluttony on tour: day 2 upper east side, nyc

2011-08-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning found us on the upper east side. We had breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup, a cute (but slow) place. If you like tea, you will be amazed by the tea menu.

rosemary hollandaise over eggs and lox on savory scone
with roasted asparagus and pears

pumpkin pancakes

En route to the Met, we spotted this establishment

"Still haven't found what I'm looking for" comes to mind

gluttony on tour: day 1. reunion at les halles, nyc

2011-08-01T08:17:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for photos. I really could not remember where I ate on Wednesday, July 27.

a small portion of our group

Oh yes! A reunion with high school classmates at Les Halles! (caution: link has music)
Fantastic fun, food, friends.
I had a grilled calamari salad and some of Terri's fries.
Delicieux!

Sightseeing Report: williamsburg, brooklyn, ny

2011-08-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

After sitting for hours waiting for Severo, it was nice to get up and walk around. We wandered the streets of Williamsburg and saw:

a victorian house with metal trims

flour delivery at a polish bakery

fur balls in two sizes at peachFrog. are they decor?

religious statuary at salvation army

q-tip signage

the wall of lost socks

the garden of ???

gluttony on tour: day 1. williamsburg, brooklyn, ny

2011-08-01T07:05:00.000-07:00

Almost a week ago, I landed at JFK after a red eye flight in business class (thank you Severo). I made my way to Brooklyn where I was going to rendezvous with Severo, who flew into Newark and was getting a car.
We decided that Pies -n- Thighs would be a good spot to meet. Good decision!

it did not take me long to decide on the Fish n Grits

mmmmm

homey ambiance


rare moment with empty tables

I parked myself at my table and waited for hours. (Severo's Chicago connection got canceled and he had to scramble for another flight). Fritz, an old College of Creative Studies friend who lives in Brooklyn stopped by for his breakfast. We hadn't seen each other since 1978, when I moved out of NYC!
There was a great fashion parade of cute girls in summer outfits. (Check over on SpyGirl for those pix).
Severo finally showed up at about noon.

also ordered Fish n Grits

I had a great time hanging out at Pies -n- Thighs. The food is GREAT.

Chain Letter Santa Monica: part 2 - Saturday night

2011-07-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

After a relaxing sushi dinner at Sakura, Lani, Severo and I went up to Bergamot to check out the Chain Letter show. We parked in a secret spot and walked over - wasn't as crowded as I was expecting. (It was 8pm when we got there).

I was thought the parking lot would be a wall of people like at a concert. Not so.

Lani, me

on the line for the D2 space (annex #2)

view of the line from D2... party!

here is my piece in the back of D2
you saw this earlier in part 1

#762!

"dark" would be a good description of D2
we decided the show looked like an artsy rummage sale

cool pencil sculpture

Hey, I know that guy!

Some people came by chartered bus. Smart!

an artist bus

look! artists!

We opted out of waiting on line at the main gallery space.
Charlotte said "it moved as fast as a Galapagos tortoise"
I'll see it when I get back from my l-o-n-g vacation.


the line for Shoshana Wayne - where the early birds exhibited

art patrons enjoying something from one of the food trucks

We ambled over to F1 (annex #3) - the line wasn't too long. But it turned 9:00 before we got to the door so we were turned away. I felt sorry for the poor interns who had the task of doorkeeper.

At least one artist made money from this - these tees were sold in front of Shoshana Wayne. These guys said they were sold out but that he was taking orders! $10.

"I was in the Doug Harvey Chain Letter Show and all I got was this lousy T-Shirt"

See lots of links about the show in part 1. Too lazy to do them all again.

Chain Letter Santa Monica: part 1 - Friday

2011-07-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

FB link

A crazy art event transpired this week at Bergamot.
It all started with a call for art on Facebook:

"Chain Letter" is a group show wherein 10 artists have been invited to participate.
Those 10 then invite 10 artists whom they admire.
Those 10 invite 10 more and so on. This cycle continues for 30 days.
The result is an exponentially massive, artist-curated group show based entirely on admiration.

Organized by Christian Cummings & Doug Harvey

Opening Reception: Saturday, July 23, 6 - 8 pm
Installation for artists: Friday, July 22
shoshanawayne.com

More than a thousand artists converged at Bergamot on Friday. I heard it was gridlock on Cloverfield and they had to call in the police. Those lucky enough to find parking queued up for hours for intake and installation.

photo by Steve Craig

I was lucky - Katherine Kean very kindly braved it all and got my piece in the 2nd annex in D2. She also took a piece that Lani Asher had mailed me from San Francisco. (I had to work).

there is my piece when Katherine installed it (photo by Katherine)

I saw much heated discussion on Facebook on Friday over how insane it all was. Sant Khalsa drove from San Bernardino (75 miles) only to turn around and drive home, unable to cope with the hubbub at Bergamot. Here is her Chain Letter piece that she faxed to Shoshana Wayne:
Sant Khalsa
Participation: From Here to There and Back
Inspired by the L.A. Art & Life Experience

Friday, July 22, 2011

Awoke early this morning with the best of intentions to deliver my mixed media photographic sculpture, Tree and a wonderful clay and rubber piece by my colleague and friend, Alison Petty Raguette to Shoshana Wayne Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica for the Chain Letter 2011 exhibition, a summer group show curated by Christian Cummings and Doug Harvey.

I felt it was important to participate because I wholeheartedly support the concept of the exhibition. I also wanted to acknowledge through participation, the inspiration I gain from so many of the artists I personally know and share ideas with in the L.A. art community as well as others I have never met.

I arrived at Bergamot Station at 9:30 am (thinking that was early – before 10 am) after an almost two hour, 75 mile drive from my home in San Bernardino. The I-10 freeway Cloverfield Ave exit off ramp was backed up with hundreds of cars carrying artists with their work. By the time I got through the gate of Bergamot, traffic was in a deadlock and a line of artists had formed around the property. Artworks were sprawled everywhere (some very large sized works transported in U-Haul trucks). I existed the parking lot and circled the surrounding neighborhood looking for parking as artists walked long distances carrying their artworks. Meanwhile, the line of cars from the freeway was rapidly getting longer and parking was nowhere to be found. After a phone conversation with Alison, I decided to head home and accept that our artworks would not be included in the massive heap of inspired creative debris that would cover the floor of the gallery.

Driving home, I thought about my experience and my disappointment. I also thought about how many of my conceptual ideas for artworks come while I am driving on the So Cal freeways and that the act of driving to Santa Monica from San Bernardino and back is my piece, my Participation in the Chain Letter.
Sant Khalsa

There was a big outcry when the gallery capped the artworks at 1700. A Salon des Refusés was created by Marino Pascal

Chain Letter Overflow show

That's BS. First there is no rules and then they cap it at 1700 people. WTF?
#1. Real artists are always late.
#2. Real artists don't wait in line.
I'm setting up a chain letter overflow exhibition at 6551 West Bl, Inglewood, CA, 90302.

Setup, opening and strike: 5-9pm Sat Jul 23, 2011

how to sell stuff

2011-07-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

My cousin Lisa asked me: "I've been wanting to ask you about how one sells their photography." As if I knew! Rather than answering her privately, I thought I'd share my thoughts and then you, dear reader, may chime in on the comments at the end if you so desire.

this is one of Lisa's photos
I swiped it off her FB page
lovely, don't you think?

1) I have a website: annembray.com (since 1998)
It functions as more of an online portfolio of my roadscapes but I HAVE made a few sales from it

social media sites

2) I have a flickr page (2007)
I prefer posting here to FB. Anyone can view the work. A good place for showcasing work if you aren't ready to do a web page.

3) Blogs. Lots of blogs! Sketches and Impressions was the first (2008). This one came next (2009). Also started in 2009 are Pattern Recognition (surface design) and Cupcake Safari (all things cupcake). In 2010 came SpyGirl (fashion) which has totally taken over my attention. It seems there IS a fashion designer within me after all -- when I design for MYSELF!
Have I sold anything from the blogs? Probably not. They have been a great way to meet like-minded souls and a fun way to talk about my process.

4) Facebook (2009?)
I feed my blog posts through FB. Many friends won't bother checking the blogs but will read them from FB. Have made sales from this linkage.

5) Twitter (2010?) @annembray
I felt like I had to. I feed lots of stuff through it (Pinterest, Instagram, blog posts) but rarely go there and use it. Sales? Doubtful

online retail

6) Society6 (2010)
I am VERY happy with this site. All I have to do is upload my image files, enter info and decide on prices. They print, collect $$, ship. One drawback: I don't know who purchased stuff (unless they contact me). Can feed new uploads to Facebook. Yes, sales. This might be a good one for you to try, Lisa.

7) Cargoh (2011)
I was all ready to start posting inventory on Etsy when I met Cariann, who developed Cargoh along the same model as Etsy with the enhancement that she curates who can sell. So I went with Cargoh. No sales yet, but I've hardly uploaded anything and I've only had my shop for 11 days. Can feed new uploads to Facebook. Lisa, another one to try if you'd rather do your own printing + shipping. Or Etsy.

WARNING: DO NOT get involved with any retail site that requires a fee upfront. They are after your money, not looking to sell for you.

exhibiting

Getting into shows is of course the traditional path of sales. I've been a member of TAG Gallery for 13 years. I usually exhibit every year. This year I sold six things. Last year I sold two. The year before nothing.
When I declared myself a fine artist for the second time (1993), I entered lots of juried shows. Good exposure and a few sales. I also did local art fairs. Those are great for finding out what people respond to. I did very well at some, no sales at others. It all seems to be very hit or miss. Then again, I don't relentlessly market myself and I'm not in a commercial gallery.
For photography, I suggest reading LENSCRATCH. Aline has an Exhibition Opportunities section as well as many interesting posts. Hello my photographer readers - this is where your comments on other sites to visit, etc will be most helpful for Lisa!

recipe: walgrove manor cole slaw

2011-07-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

I started from this epicurious recipe
Then I customized it to:

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 large onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 medium cabbage (about 1 pounds), thinly sliced
1 cup baby carrots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup parsley

Combine vinegar, sugar, oil, mustard and caraway seeds in nonaluminum medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and dressing comes to boil. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cool a bit.

Combine onion and raisins in large bowl. Add dressing; toss to coat. Add cabbage, carrots and parsley, toss again. Cover; refrigerate until cold, tossing occasionally, at least 2 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep refrigerated.)

Notes:
I didn't wait the 2 hours, but I bet it'll taste even better then.
[It DID!]
The mustard gives it a nice tang!
Intended to use parsley but somehow I bought cilantro instead. Didn't use.

gluttony in portland: day 6

2011-07-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

My last day in Portland was spent at a leisurely brunch with Lisa, Tim, Anita, Barry, Stosh + Francesca.
Staying near Gresham, we attempted to go to Edgefield (closed), The Black Rabbit (closed for private party) and when that failed, we went to Riverview in Troutdale.
A lovely finale for a fantastic trip!

Lisa stealth shot this. I had no idea!
me, Anita, Francesca, Stosh, Barry, Tim

gluttony in portland: day 5

2011-07-05T06:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday. We got to LUCE early! Yay!

getting ready for more creative business work

At lunchtime, we were forced outside for some air and pizza was ordered. Lisa and I wandered the neighborhood, window shopped and returned to ransacked pizza boxes with not much remaining. Oh well.
More work ensued,
1:1s with Erin,
and killing time at Matador...

3 tomatoes: ketchup, salsa, juice
2 starches: fries, chips

"I EAT VEGANS"
Lisa: "What do vegans taste like?"
Anne: "Chicken"

until we reconvened at Navarre for wine...

eating, drinking, making merry

appetizers...

pickle plate, ken's bread, radishes

radishes w/french butter

fava shoots (I would have liked them better braised), pear, cheese

and dinner

menu like a questionaire

"bird" haha

thus concluded our ACE Camp experience.
But wait! The gluttony is not over!

gluttony in portland: day 4

2011-07-05T05:37:00.000-07:00

the binder

Friday was our first full day of "Camp"

coffee from Heart

We convened at LUCE and got down to some serious creative business work!

my new mission statement: "do it with gusto"

For lunch, we split up into small groups and foraged.
Lisa, Caroline, Carina, Kristina and I chose La Buca

fumoso panini + pesto-topped mash potatoes
sandwich = meh
spuds = OMG!

We returned to Camp for a couple hours of more work, then Lisa and I went home for an AWESOME Tim dinner: grilled tuna and veggies

have you ever grilled rapini?
give it a try! SO DELICIOUS!

fire!

gluttony in portland: day 3

2011-07-05T04:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday in Portland started out slowly - Lisa needed to sleep in! Fine by me.
When we finally got moving, we started with a late breakfast at Tasty n Sons

coffee!

chocolate donut hole!

egg on grilled + parmaseaned asparagus + bacon

Next, we shopped the neighborhood. Some cool shops!
[Shopping report will be on SpyGirl eventually.]

On to downtown Portland.
Lisa had to submit some paperwork at work. I waited in the lobby and amused myself.

Next we worked our way over to the Ace Hotel to meet our fellow ACE Campers (no affiliation). Of course we were late (this became a running gag for a while) so we missed our goodie bags. Drat! We all walked over to the Nines Hotel, to have cocktails in the atrium.

the gals

We grazed on appetizers and got to know one another.

warmed olive with lemon zest. mmmmmm

After a thwarted attempt at having dinner at the food trucks (they were closed), Lisa and I went home to a Tim dinner.
Thus concludes day 3.

cilantro pesto

2011-07-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 c pine nuts, toasted
• 1 chile pepper, roasted, peeled, seeds removed
• 1 bunch cilantro
• some olive oil

toast the pin nuts in a pan until golden brown
meanwhile, add garlic to a food processor with blade running
add nuts + chile, pulse
(scrape down sides of processor as needed for blending)
add cilantro and a drizzle of oil, pulse
add more oil as needed for nice consistency

add salt + pepper to taste

yield: 3/8 c approx

on corn on the cob

on frijoles y huevos

I painted today

2011-07-04T17:12:00.000-07:00

I won't try to explain WHAT I'm painting yet.
It's the fact that I did it.
And figured out a place to do it.
It's a start.

gluttony in portland: day 2

2011-07-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Day 2 in Portland was a frenzy of eating, lurking and shopping. Plus a Vietnamese dinner.

We started the day with a power breakfast of hearty oatmeal and Lisa's Vitamix blended fruit drink (mmmmmm) (No pix, sorry). I think I have to get one of those mixers. An easy and delicious way to get the five fruits/veggies servings into my diet.

Lisa walked me from her office to Powell's so I'd get my bearings. En route, she got some coffee at Pearl Bakery

and I got a macaroon

I forgot I had this and carried it around all day.
Happily discovered it around 4:30pm while sitting in Lisa's office.
YUM!

I planted myself in the Powell's cafe with cafe au lait and a scone, hoping to use the free wi-fi.

No luck. So I sketched instead.
I thought it was amusing that they shelved the romance novels in the cafe. Even more titillating were the SPORTS THEMED novels I discovered while drawing.

that Kate Angell - what a concept!

By then, it was lunch time. Yay!
We went to Fong Chong in Chinatown for dim sum. It was OK, but we've both had better.

I spent the afternoon wandering between Lisa's office and Powell's. I explored some of the art galleries and saw a fantastic weaving exhibition at at the Museum of Contemporary Craft. I wrote all about it here. My obsession with felt began at the museum as well. More on that later elsewhere.
I started hyperventilating in the fiction stacks at Powell's. It was like being in my fantasy library full of books that I WANTED TO READ vs the sad assortment I usually find in the Venice or Mar Vista branches of the LA Library. Sigh. They had funny displays throughout of pulp fiction. I took lots of photos and purchased this one:

"An Eye-Opening Novel of Violence in Texas"

So much stimulation made me tired. I considered laying down on a park bench and napping like a bum but decorum prevailed. I returned to Lisa's office and hung out while she went to meetings and did other work stuff.
This got us to... DINNERTIME!

My last visit to Portland (in 2005), we'd eaten at Pho Van. I wanted a return visit to have the whole roasted Catfish (Ca Nuong) again.

So we did.

the embellishments

the fish

A perfect way to end the day.
(more pix here)

gluttony in portland: day 1

2011-07-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Portland on Tuesday evening, June 21. My 'business write-off" reason was to attend the PDX ACE camp with Erin Loechner. My "real" reason was to visit Lisa and escape LA!
I maintained restraint on day 1 (it's called being too cheap to spring for airport food) but happily ate the TWO bags of honey peanuts provided on each leg of the journey.

Yep. Livin' large on Southwest.

Many more pix can be seen on my Flickr here

Words of Wisdom from Lesley Riley

2011-06-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

from Idyllwild workshop. see more

I took an "Art Quilts" workshop with Lesley two years ago at Idyllwild Arts Summer Program. This article is from her most recent newsletter.

How Not To Drown When You're Swimming in a Sea of Ideas

If I had a finished piece for every idea and inspiration I had, I could fill the National Gallery of Art here in DC. I know you can relate. You and I both will always have more ideas than we could ever take action on. And to that I say - HOORAY!
Problems do arise, though, when ideas outweigh time, resources and even space. I've identified the top four:
1. Overwhelm - When there are so many things you want to do you can often end up in overwhelm and do the unthinkable.....nothing.
2. Fear - "What if I start on this one and it doesn't turn out the way I expect. Then I've wasted my precious time and money on materials." So there goes that idea.
3. Regret - "If I work on this one, then I won't be able to work on that one and what if I forget about the other great idea?"
4. Flitting - While working on this really great idea another even greater one pops into your head and you abandon the first and start on the second. Nothing ever gets finished and you end up with a closet full of unfinished projects you have lost interest in.

So what's an artist to do? How do you swim when you are drowning in a sea of ideas?

To save you from one or all of these situations, here are four life preservers I'm tossing out for you:
1. Keep an idea catcher. It is inevitable that you will get many new ideas while you are working. Keep a note or sketchbook by your side so you can jot them down as you go. You'll be amazed at how catching those ideas frees up your attention to focus on the work at hand. P.S. Use your idea catcher 24 hours a day.
2. Work on several things at a time. Who says you can only work on one thing at a time? Ideas need time to percolate, paint needs to dry, workspace shrinks and grows with each project. By having several things in the works at the same time, there's always something to do, even at a moment's notice and even in 5 minute snatches of time.
3. Decide! Keep in mind that it's the journey, not the end-result. Any art you choose to work on contributes to your success as an artist. Whether your reason is to reduce stress or to propose an article to your favorite magazine, knowing why you are making your art gives you purpose and direction and conquers the inertia, fear and regret. You will benefit no matter what your purpose is. The biggest reward is the joy and physical well-being that results from creating.
4. Have a goal in mind. If you don't know where you want to go, you'll never get there. Not knowing why you create can prevent you from creating, even if you have a bazillion ideas. Knowing what you want from your art will help you decide what to work on and why.
P.S. If you want to know what opportunities are available for you or if you know what your goals are but are not sure how to accomplish them, be sure to sign-up for SEEK when you receive your special invitation on July 5th. It's FR*EE and FULL of Solutions, Experience, Expertise and Knowledge to get you on your way.

Want to use this article on your website or in your own ezine?
No problem! But here is what you MUST include:  Lesley Riley, The Artist Success Expert, is the creative founder of Artist Success, Solutions for the Struggling Artist. To receive her bi-weekly articles on creating your own success as an artist, visit www.ArtistSuccess.com.

more gluttony in venice

2011-06-02T07:09:00.000-07:00

We weren't planning on returning to Abbot Kinney Blvd, but that's where we ended up...

Memorial Day, noon: after picking up Severo at LAX, I was craving an Alejo's chopped italian salad, but they were closed. As was the Pasta Factory in Marina Del Rey (same menu). Severo had the brilliant idea to try Lemonade. (Remember we'd had their Lime Bar a few days ago?) Glad!

cafeteria style

the lemonade

severo's blueberry lemonade, my plate

on my plate (clockwise from top)
1) spaghetti squash, farro, pomegranate vinaigrette - meh. too bland.
took home and doctored with feta, onions + basalmic dressing. greatly improved.
2) crunchy cabbage, apple, sunflower seeds, asian vinaigrette - good
3) black kale, shiitaki mushroom, lemongrass, kumquat - YUM! will get again for sure
4) beets, pickled onion, hazelnut vinaigrette - YUM
these are all 1/2 portions

severo's plate

on severo's plate (clockwise from top)
1) asiago cheese bread
2) orecchiette, asparagus, perlini mozzarella, sorrel vinaigrette - subtle yet good
3) blue lake green beans, caesar dressing - meh. missing "something"
4) brussels sprouts, shaved parmesan, balsamic - tart! too tart!
5) seared ahi tuna, crushed orange ponzu - good, though ponzu too sweet for me
6) avocado, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, lime - YUM! amazingly generous with the avo.

salted caramel "macaroon" - not a macaroon, not really a macaron - more cakey. tasty though

cucumber + mint lemonade - a little too heavy on the cucumber - too vegetably.
did not finish and would not order again

Then we attempted another walk. It turned into shopping. More on that here.

pretty in pink

2011-05-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

made another batch of rose petal jam:

recipe is here

gluttony in Venice

2011-05-27T07:34:00.000-07:00

It all started with a craving for the Abbot's Pizza "salad slice"

under all the greenery lies pizza crust slathered with a creamy dill dressing

we also got a Bianca and a Popeye's (spinach)

Abbot's claim to fame is a "Bagel" crust

Then we went on a walk...
Down the block was the Border Grill foodtruck
Severo perused the menu (he is ALWAYS doing this, even if we're stuffed. He stores the info for future use in his databank brain). The poblano quesedilla with 3 cheeses and the potato rajas taco caught his attention. I liked the sound of the green corn tamale "cone"
Guess what:

Tasty!
We attempted more walking. "Let's go down to the light."
On the corner was Lemonade, a place we've both driven by many times but had never gone to. "Let's see what's in there." (oh no) (oh yes)
From the looks of it from the street, we both thought Lemonade was a snacky sort of place that featured lemonade drinks. We were mistaken. They had a nice-looking array of salads and baked goods. We had a long debate over what to get for dessert (Severo wanted to not decide and get two - I nixed that idea). The winner we took home to our lair:

looks like soylent green!

The Lime Bar. Delicious. We added whipped cream - just because.
(Didn't notice until now that all the pix have metal surfaced backgrounds. Interesting)

Super-fiber Banana Muffins

2011-05-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

yield: Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

3 bananas, mashed

2 eggs

1/3 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

½ cup ground flaxseed meal

½ cup wheat germ

½ cup bran

½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

ginger, cardamom, clove

¼ c crystalized ginger, chopped

(1 cup chopped dates)

(1/2c chopped nuts)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C), and prepare 12 muffin cups with papers or cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the wet

3. In a Qt measuring cup, mix together the dry

4. Gently stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture, adding the ginger (and/or nuts and dates).

5. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

This is a combo of the Fannie Farmer banana bread and an Epicurious molassas, date + flax muffins recipe. I think coconut would be good in this too. Next time!

verdict:

there is "something" missing... needs more ginger? the dates? more orange zest? not sure...

muffin is very moist thanks to the bananas.

not your typical cardboard "it's good for you" bran muffin

oatmeal II

2011-05-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I've been perfecting my morning oatmeal recipe
I microwave cook it, so that I don't get a saucepan dirty

before liquids added

1/4c steel cut oats
some wheat germ or bran
1/3c slivered almonds
1/3c dried montmorency cherries
1/4c milk
3/4c water

cook in microwave for 5 minutes in 1 minute increments --
cook 1 minute, let rest 1 minute, cook 1 minute, rest, etc
(cereal will fluff up better)

ready to eat

for a little sweet, I top it with molasses

an awesome sandwich

2011-05-07T21:32:00.001-07:00

an awesome sandwich
Originally uploaded by anne m bray

Via Flickr:
TJ multi-grain sour dough bread
TJ pesto
feta
cucumber
avocado
radish sprouts

Oatmeal

2011-04-10T09:48:00.001-07:00

Oatmeal
Originally uploaded by anne m bray

Via Flickr:
with a big heap of brown sugar on it

commute 4-7

2011-04-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

beautiful clouds last night driving home

Flora Confections

2011-04-05T04:32:00.001-07:00

Flora Confections Blueberry/Pinot Noir Confiture
Originally uploaded by anne m bray
Blueberry/Pinot Noir Confiture and TJ Greek Yogurt

My love of things Flora Confections is all-encompassing.
My first taste was of the Pâte de Fruit - jewels of intense fruitiness:

yes, I'm in the hospital here

They were one of the first things I ate post-surgery last June.
The nougat, the chocolates... I could go on and on.
If you live in Chicago, you are very lucky. You can purchase goodies at the Green City Market on Saturdays. I send The Enabler when he has gigs there and he brings it home. Mmmmmmm

date in santa monica

2011-04-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

I'd been craving a return to BP Oysterette for a while and Severo had Sunday off, so we did a little jaunt to Santa Monica to be gluttons and walk the Promenade.
Our first stop was Yummy cupcakes - I needed to pick up a vanilla/vanilla to sketch for my cupcake series. We ended up with four, which we took back to the car.

We then walked down to BP Oysterette.

4pm is a great time to go --
nicely situated between lunch and dinner and no wait.

We sat at the bar so we could watch the action in the kitchen.

Here's what we ordered:

caesar salad

steamed clams, fries seasoned with Old Bay

steamed clams, lobster macaroni + cheese

brown butter apple tart with cinnamon ice cream

After all of that, we were in dire need of a postprandial walk. So we did a little exploring of Santa Monica Place and then up the Promenade.
Altogether, a very fun afternoon.

What about the cupcakes? you ask -- see Cupcake Safari for details!

a greek feast

2011-04-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

The Enabler texted me from Papa Cristo's:

YUM! A great dinner!

THEN he pulled out the desserts:
Greek Yogurt with Sour Cherries (no photo)
Then these

left: shortbread, right: soaked on orange syrup

Then these

don't know name of these -- a pistachio, an almond and a walnut flavor

The next day, I made this great sandwich with the leftovers

tabouli, greens sprouts, taramosalata, feta, onions

It was so good I made another on Saturday.

Tabouli in a sandwich might be carb overkill, but try it!

garden

2011-03-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

My "garden" has reverted to "pond" state from all the rain.

I'll replant more mustard, cilantro and mizuna after the water evaporates.
Still alive - chives in foreground, bay + olive tree in tubs.

wonton soup

2010-09-08T19:32:00.001-07:00

IMG_2467
Originally uploaded by anne m bray
My current favorite wonton soup. Extra garlicky!

Culver Cafe
www.yelp.com/biz/culver-cafe-los-angeles

cilantro salsa

2010-08-24T18:35:00.001-07:00

cilantro
Originally uploaded by anne m bray

Cilantro Salsa
makes 1 cup

2 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed off
1-4 tomatillos, roast + remove skin
2 key limes - juice
olive oil
salt

pulverize garlic in food processor
add other ingredients, puree
add more oil as needed

store in fridge

termite attack!

2010-08-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

I made an alarming discovery today.
I was gathering up work to take to the framer. One was an older piece, stored in a black cardboard portfolio on top of my red bookcase.

Upon close inspection, I noticed a perfect round hole in the foreground area of the piece

How did THAT get there?
I looked further and the ENTIRE portfolio had been bored with the same perfect hole:

Under the portfolio was a pad of newsprint

Oooooooh, termite candy.

Guess it's time to get the (metal) flat files that I bought last year functional. (Moved off the back patio and into the house)

What did I do about the hole? For this drawing, I'm chopping off 2" from the bottom. Re-signed it (but am retaining the hole + old signature under the mat). Some of the others have the hole in the middle. Not sure what to do with those yet...

gentle pea soup

2010-08-09T06:27:00.001-07:00

gentle pea soup
Originally uploaded by anne m bray
an adaptation from The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two

Gentle Pea Soup
(for those times you crave veggies but can't masticate)
makes 6 1/2c servings

olive oil
1/2 med onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced or crushed

1/4 sm cabbage, finely chopped

1 15oz can chicken or veg broth
1lb bag frozen petit peas
salt

greek yogurt or sour cream

-------

Saute onion + garlic in olive oil until soft
Add cabbage, keep sauting until soft
Add broth, peas, salt
Bring to boil
Puree with immersion mixer

Serve, garnish with yogurt or sour cream

Cream of Broccoli Soup

2010-08-05T09:31:00.001-07:00

Cream of Broccoli Soup
Originally uploaded by anne m bray
this recipe is a variation on this one from epicurious

Cream of Broccoli Soup
makes 4c

2 tb olive oil
med onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
1 carrot, sliced thin
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 head broccoli, chopped coarse
3 c chicken or veg broth

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
greek yogurt or sour cream

saute 1st group of ingredients until soft
add broccoli + broth
simmer, covered 15-20 minutes until broccoli is tender

puree with immersion mixer
add lemon juice

serve garnished with yogurt or sour cream

notes:
freezes well
a good way to use overcooked steamed broccoli (adjust proportions as needed) -- use the cooking liquid

an art retreat and a new batch of pastels

2010-07-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

I spent a few days at Dorland Art Colony to rest and recharge with the intent of getting some new pastels done for my show in October.

The Colony completely burned to the ground during the 2004 Palomar wildfire. Originally there were 10 cabins, two have been rebuilt. I stayed in "Horton II"

here is my cottage

Neither of the cottages are set up for indoor messy studio art making. (I think there are plans to build a central studio). I was DETERMINED to get some work done, so I cobbled together a set-up that worked quite well. (Which makes me think - why don't I have this type of gumption at home, where I also lack a studio?)

my set-up on the porch

I am delighted to report that I completed five pastels (in three days)!

I worked from photos that I captured on a cross country road trip taken last October. Most of the shots I used were from one leg between Williams and Kingman AZ. Pure serendipity that I drove it at sunset... I was booked at a Comfort Inn in Williams, but I couldn't locate the branch that had my reservation (Williams has three). I could tell that a good sunset was developing so I ate the room charge and reserved a room in Kingman. Worth every extra penny!

bite size greek salad

2010-07-25T11:02:00.001-07:00

bite size greek salad
Originally uploaded by anne m bray
a very cute idea. I'd 1/2 the cherry tomato (easier to eat) and add onion...

I saw this while on retreat, so it was facebook on my iPhone. Sketched up the outlines so that I'd remember it + where it came from, then colored it up when home.

link: http://cookingwithmykid.com/recipes/bite-sized-greek-salad/

the bookcase garden

2010-07-15T05:53:00.001-07:00

IMG_2073
Originally uploaded by anne m bray
3 plum tomatoes, nasturtiums, basil ][ cucumber, dill, tarragon, thai basil, lemon balm, rosemary, sage, marjoram, lavendar

which writer do YOU resemble?

2010-07-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun little web program - it analyzes your writing and tells you what author's style you most resemble.

I tried it out with some of my art statements...

"Irwindale" was Dan Brown. (gah!)

"249 Miles: A Day on I-10 Texas" was Charles Dickens (better)

"Pattern Recognition" was Stephen King (oh no)

my Roadworks statement was Margaret Atwood (yes!)

how about a blog post?

the banana muffin post (not including recipe) was Stephen King again (nooooooo)

OK, one more try, a long post from my "spygirl" fashion blog was Margaret Atwood again

hmmmm. what are your results?

rose petal "freezer" jam

2010-07-12T13:41:00.001-07:00

DSCN0494
Originally uploaded by anne m bray

I love to add a large spoonful to plain yogurt - YUM

recipe from: recipegal.com (url no longer active)
Yield: about 3.5 cups

Ingredients:
1 c fresh rose petals (must never have been sprayed with any chemicals)
3/4 c water
juice of one lemon (no substitutes)
2 1/2 c cane sugar
1 pouch Certo pectin

Make:
In blender -- puree petals, water + lemon (be sure to put lid on blender)
Slowly add sugar, stirring as you add
Add pectin, blend for about 1 minute
Pour into clean jars quickly (it sets up fast)
Let set for 6 hours
Refrigerate/Freeze

banana nut muffins

2010-07-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

revamp of an old favorite

banana muffins
Originally uploaded by anne m bray

When I left for college in the early fall of 1974, my mom gave me my grandmother's copy of The Boston Cooking School Cookbook, by Fannie Merritt Farmer, 1943 edition. I arrived at my (rented over the phone from a printed listing) room in Isla Vista to discover that by opting for the cheaper "apartment" THERE WAS NO KITCHEN! What I had for $120/mo. was a motel room. (They were upgrading and slowly adding kitchens to all the rooms but I didn't get one until about April). So, with the addition of a mini-fridge, an electric 2-burner "stovetop", and a toaster oven, I was ready to try cooking whatever I could. The banana bread recipe was a favorite. I liked the fact that it didn't call for shortening. It was also very "forgiving" if I was low on ingredients (like eggs). It was a big hit at student pot-luck dinners (well, students will eat almost anything).

after 36 years,
here's how the recipe now looks (click on image to see bigger):

I continue to experiment with additions, the latest being the newly discovered coconut flour. Ended up not as coconutty as I had hoped -- more modifications shall ensue!

P1000944
Originally uploaded by anne m bray
banana muffin, milky ginger/green tea, fannie farmer cookbook (1943 edition)

Banana Nut Muffins Recipe
preheat oven to 325

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c turbinado sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c liquid (buttermilk? used ginger water*)

1/4 c coconut flour
1 3/4 c flour (whole wheat pastry flour best)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
spices as desired (I use ground cinnamon, coriander, cloves, cardamom)
1/2 c chopped nuts (pecan or walnut favored)

mash bananas into large bowl, add sugar + other wet ingredients, mix well
measure dry ingredients into 4 c measuring cup, mix well
pour dry into wet and mix
pour batter into treated muffin pan
bake 40 min @ 325 or until inserted toothpick comes out clean
(if made as 5x9" loaf, 1 hr @ 325)

*ginger water is fresh ginger (about 2") cut into 1/4" cubes and boiled in 4 c water for 15 min.

coconut biscotti

2010-06-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

preheat oven to 325
position rack in middle of oven
------
1/2c butter, room temp
3/4c sugar (can use less, I used 1/4 by mistake)
2 eggs
1/3c milk
2tb coconut amaretto or milk and 1/4tsp almond extract

1/3c coconut flour
1-2/3c unbleached flour
1/2c shredded coconut
1-1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1/4tsp salt

2/3c chopped nuts (macademia, almond, whatever)
also - some chopped macapuno* or/and dried apricots (didn't have either but want to try next time)
------
cream butter and sugar until light + fluffy
beat in eggs and other wet ingredients

measure dry ingredients in 4c pyrex measuring cup, mix
add to mixing bowl, mix until blended

treat large cookie sheet with Pam
shape dough into two logs 1/2" high, at least 2" apart
bake (middle rack) 25 min or until lightly browned
transfer from sheet to rack (cut in 1/2 if easier)
let cool 5 min
using serrated knife, cut about 1/2" width slices
lay slices flat on sheet
return to oven for 10 min, turning them over once
let cool on rack

store in tightly covered container

*macapuno is baby coconut, sold in jars at asian markets

adapted from Biscotti by Lou Seibert Pappas (amz aff)

walk this way

2010-06-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

a walking tour of some GREAT graphics

gringa albondegas

2010-06-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

Makes about 10 servings

I freeze the leftovers in pint size containers, 5 balls in each

This is a combination of various recipes, mostly this one from the Simply Recipes blog.
I reduced the fat by eliminating sauteeing the onion + garlic in oil before adding the stock... start that way if you wish! My version is also doubled on the meatballs on typical proportions.

Use a large stock pot for cooking and large mixing bowl for mixing meatballs

Broth:
3 quarts of chicken or veg stock
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can chopped tomatoes or 2 10oz cans Ro-tel
2 large carrots, sliced

Meatballs:
2/3c raw bulgar (or rice)
water
2 lbs lean ground beef (I use 94/6)
1/2c chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2c chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
2 raw eggs
salt
pepper
dash of cayenne

More vegs:
2 med potatoes, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
2-3 summer squash (zucchini, yellow, calabacita, etc), sliced
whatever else suits your fancy
1/2c chopped fresh cilantro

-------

Put bulgar into 4c pyrex measuring cup. Pour boiling water over to 1-1/3 line. Let fluff up. (If using rice, you can skip this)

Put broth items in large stockpot. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer.

While that is cooking, prepare meatballs. Mix everything thoroughly.

Form mixture into 1" (walnut size) balls. Drop into broth one at a time as they are formed. Stir to evenly distribute them.

Add potatoes + oregano. Cover and let simmer for at least 30 min. Add remaining items near end of cooking time so they don't get mushy.

When serving, garnish with more fresh cilantro if you have the energy to chop more. A squeeze of fresh lime is nice too.

apricot/mango "freezer" jam

2010-05-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

recipe proportions:
3 c total mashed fruit
(can be combination of apricot, mango, peach, nectarine)
6 c sugar

1/4 c lemon juice

2 pouches Certo liquid pectin

follow instructions
on included recipe sheet

yield: 8-9 8oz jars

this is an uncooked recipe -- jam will keep for 1 year in freezer

toblerone

2010-05-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Enabler went a bit nuts at the 99¢ Only Store:

We're wondering if Today's Toblerone tastes the same as in The Olde Days...

We were alarmed to see that Kraft now distributes the chocolate. Did they just buy the company or have they changed the recipe to be more cost-effective? The package says still made in Switzerland.

The Enabler thought there was less nougat. Me, my tastes have gone "darker" since my high school years (when I would polish off a bar in one sitting). It tasted like Hershey's milk chocolate to me (not that great).

dimples (cauliflower) logo

2010-05-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

from Santa Maria area

gotta love the font
but -- longhorns in CA?

sweet rose creamery

2010-05-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Enabler took a field trip to a new creamery that opened in Brentwood:

Ice cream is his weakness -- resistance was futile!
He got a pint of caramel to go ($8.00 egad). Caramel is his favorite flavor.
I sampled some and at the first lick, it reminded me of something... something... something...
I couldn't put words to the taste, needed a second spoonful... something from the past...
AHA! burnt marshmellows!
This is the first time caramel anything has evoked such a memory -- but we still like Bi-Rite's salty caramel better.

cornbread muffins with roasted poblano chiles

2010-04-11T16:19:00.000-07:00

makes 11
use cast iron muffin pan treated with Pam or olive oil spray
preheat oven to 400

ingredients:
3 roasted + peeled poblano (or other) chiles (7 oz total), chopped
1 bunch scallions, cleaned, chopped

1 c cornmeal
1 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

2 tb butter, melted
1/4 c honey
1/4 c sour cream (or crema mexicana)
1/2 c milk
2 eggs

method:
1) prepare chiles + scallions

2) mix dry ingredients in large bowl

3) briskly whisk eggs into wet ingredients

4) add wet mixture + chiles + scallions to dry ingredients, mix

5) spoon batter into muffin pan

6) bake approx 30 minutes -- until inserted toothpick comes out clean

7) enjoy!

notes:
adding corn (fresh or canned) a good idea too
this is a combination of 2 recipes: one from epicurious
and one from Fannie Farmer (1941 edition)

migas!

2010-04-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

We had a "perfect storm" of leftover chips from el Tarasco, an abundance of roasted chiles, and huge appetites. Not having been to Austin in a while, I Googled the recipe.
Found something close to what I wanted at Homesick Texan

here is my version:

Migas De Walgrove Manor por Dos

Ingredients:

4 stale corn tortillas (or roasted on burner) (or already deepfried)
dollop of bacon grease (or canola oil)

1/2 md onion, chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, minced or mashed
3 roasted + peeled poblano (or hatch) chiles
salt to taste

4 eggs
1/4c milk

1c grated cheese (I use NY extra sharp cheddar)

garnish:
salsa
fresh cilantro, chopped

Method:

1. In a medium iron skillet, heat up grease on medium-high, and place tortillas into pan one by one, cooking for a bit, turning once. Remove from pan, set aside. (If using already fried tortills, skip this step)
2. Add onions, garlic + peppers to the pan, and cook for a couple of minutes.
3. Add eggs + milk to pan and mix with fork immediately. Add salt, if desired.
4. Crumble tortillas into pan, stir.
5. Sprinkle cheese on top of eggs and continue to cook until melted.
6. Add garnish.

chile feast

2010-03-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

we've been eating chiles again
they were on sale at Top Valu Market for $0.79/lb (now they're $0.69!)
Severo brought a bag home, it quickly got devoured --

roasting on the grill

chile sandwich!

chile egg scramble!

we bought another bag
and another
and...

visiting santa monica like a tourist -- BP Oysterette

2010-03-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Severo and I had a date night in Santa Monica last Tues

I wanted to shoot touristy shots of the SM pier:

He wanted to try the Lobster Roll at BP Oysterette:

lobster roll with sweet pototo chips

BP Oysterette is great. Not cheap and certainly busy (even on a Tues night), but what we ordered was delicious.

lobster tacos with white beans, brown rice, grilled lemon

At $20, the lobster roll was jam-packed with meat. Very sparse on the (homemade) mayo. Yum.
The tacos' lobster filling was tasty, but I didn't like the deep fried shell -- next time I'll request the tortillas soft. The beans were outstanding. Had traces of fennel and I don't know what else -- must return and eat again. The rice was plain brown rice, ho-hum. Sadly, we were too full for dessert. Next time.

We then walked down to the pier, played tourist, shot photos and had a grand time.

Venice Fog

2010-03-21T08:55:00.001-07:00

IMG_0260
Originally uploaded by anne m bray

This was shot on iPhone using Hipstamatic app.
http://hipstamaticapp.com/
I am in thrall to both items.
Cannot get enough of either
Keep running out my phone battery shooting pix

I captured this last night after attending the 4 By 14 reception @ Julia Dean. Karen and I were walking back to her car. My battery was in the red/dead zone. I could not not take this.

eating NYC (lucky) #13 -- Mooncake Foods

2010-03-07T04:51:00.001-08:00

On the way back to the hotel, we saw Dennis entering an eatery so we followed him in.

Mooncake Foods did not disappoint. Lots of items looked good but since we weren't hungry (we went more to socialize) we ordered crawfish dumplings.

only one left when I remembered to take a photo

Thus concludes our trip to NYC. So much fun! (See some more pix on my flickr site.)
We return at the end of April for another Smithereens gig. Venue is State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ. A benefit for the Court Tavern, Patti Smith is on the bill too. Get your tickets now!

eating NYC #12 -- Thompson Cafe

2010-03-07T04:31:00.000-08:00

We were aimlessly wandering, looking for breakfast and Thompson Cafe looked good. It was. We got omlettes that cost under $6.

we discovered that asiago cheese tastes great in omlettes

eating NYC #11 - day 4 -- Once Upon a Tart

2010-03-07T04:06:00.000-08:00

Last morning in NYC... what to eat? My initial idea was dim sum, but Severo woke up too late (had to be on the A train by 1pm for our flight) He found something online nearby, which, once we hit the streets, we never found.
These tarts caught our attention, however... especially the one at 2:00.

Once Upon a Tart is the purveyor. We got the above lemon tart, a savory spinach + olive tart and a piece of fritatta for in-flight dining. All delicious.

NYC - Who Benefit afterparty

2010-03-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

I met up with Cindy Sivak after the show. She kindly drove us to the afterparty at City Winery.

with Ira Elliot (Nada Surf)

NYC - Who Benefit @ Carnegie Hall

2010-03-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

I ended up in an opera box!Didn't have camera, didn't think to sketch (doh)
DID have fun!

Severo shot this from the stage
see details here

finale on youtube, featuring Severo utilizing the full stage

eating NYC #10 -- The Pizza Suprema

2010-03-06T09:14:00.000-08:00

After sound check (I wasn't allowed backstage so I went and sat in Central Park and the Apple Store @ 59th) it was time to eat again!
Pizza Suprema fit the bill

mr happy

YUM!

NYC - backstage door, Carnegie Hall

2010-03-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

(more sound check/backstage pix on flickr)

NYC - you call this a limo?

2010-03-06T09:04:00.001-08:00

"limo" to sound check, Who Benefit @ Carnegie Hall

?, jimmy, jk, dennis

NYC - new room with a new view

2010-03-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

After out hearty breakfast, it was time to check out and relocate to the Hampton Inn Soho (provided as part of the Carnegie Hall gig).

empire state bldg still part of vew

eating NYC #9 -- day 3 -- 'wichcraft

2010-03-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

It took us a while to decide upon breakfast (we wanted something near the hotel). And it took us a while to locate the 1 park ave location of 'wichcraft (it's at the entry to gym, door on 33rd)

Severo had fried eggs: bacon, gorgonzola & frisée sandwich on ciabatta roll
I had marinated white anchovies: soft-cooked egg, roasted onion, salsa verde & frisee on country bread
YUM!

eating NYC #8 -- Magnolia Bakery

2010-03-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

After a brief respite at the hotel, we went up to Grand Central for a "snack" at the Oyster Bar (no pix). Oysters (YUM!) and NE Clam Chowder (liked The Lobster Place's better).
Then, when wandering around looking for my subway entrance (we were parting ways -- I was heading to upper west side to visit with Kim Lewis + family, Severo had rehearsal in Jersey) we saw a sign for Magnolia Bakery. Cupcake alert!!

our catch of the day:
lemon | vanilla vanilla

These we devoured when we met up again back at the hotel.
The lemon was underwhelming... too ladylike. We both prefer a more robust lemon flavor.

eating NYC #7 -- Jacques Torres

2010-03-06T05:51:00.000-08:00

The next food stop was the Jacques Torres chocolate factory on Hudson St.

We had sampled some of their confections and WONDERFUL hot chocolate the day before at the Chelsea Market and needed to stock up on product. Mmmmmmmm. It was fun seeing all the Easter chocolates on the factory racks. (more pix on flickr)

eating NYC #6 -- Cafe Habana

2010-03-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

I found Cafe Habana using the LocalEats app on my iTouch.

happy Anne with cafe con leche

Food great. One small problem... the black beans accompanying my huevos rancheros reminded me of the "borscht" from the night before.

eating NYC #5 -- day 2 -- Momofuku

2010-03-06T05:29:00.000-08:00

Our first order of business was getting me clogs at a shop around the corner. No more snow boot torture. Then on to Momofuku, for the "Crack Pie TM"

Severo had read about this in the LA Times (including the recipe). A++! We had tried going the night before but the line was ridiculous. What a grand way to start the day...