Monday, May 28, 2012

Mark and Me

He ordered this Japanese chef's knife to our delight. It chops the herbs from the garden he planted. Then he marinates meat in herbs and vinegar. It is an intuitive science to him. He plants himself by the little kettle black barbeque that he carries downstairs. We use charcoal. He watches the flames turn to a glow while reading from his phone. I prepare tossed greens or potatoes. He keeps the neighbor's jubilant puppy from the meat. He calls for a platter. He looks for red-pink inside the meat. I like both meat and sauce. He did it again.

Sunday, May 06, 2012

Fabric: It's What To Buy

Fabric: It's the latest fashion. Coming in in lines, asking top dollar, and fading out to greedy buyers on the sale rack. Once you see one, you may not see it again . . . . This fabric is Parisville by Tula Pink for Free Spirit in Pomegranate. A red-dy pink design on a red purple background. Red-pink is my calling card. I bought a small cut of it somewhere and fell in love as time went on. I used it in two projects. I wanted more. I went back to a number of stores in two states to no avail. I remember buying it from the bolt from a west facing wall in the store. It was not to be. Last night in my online fabric store meanderings, I caught site of it. I now have the name. I am buying some from Kerri's etsy store . . . two yards! All she has . . . . I never thought I would see for sale again. It is luscious. Now I need to plan how to use it. It is a dreamy prospect, my friends.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Pizza, Pizza

Mark got this book from his lovely girlfriend for his birthday. He began to read it like a novel. We both love cookbooks. We first made soft rolls in two forms: knots and butterflake.
This weekend we began Friday night with Neo-Neopolitan pizza dough. We made five pizzas on Sunday for his parents during six hours. We heated their pizza stone to 550 degrees F. We had no pizza peel and instead used ingenuity and parchment paper. It was a calamitious great time. His pizza sauce was exceptional. He minced fresh herbs from the herb garden he planted and brought to me.

Crushed Tomato Sauce
Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day
Makes 4 cups

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t dried basil or 2 T minced fresh basil
1 t dried oregano or 1 T minced fresh oregano
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
2 T red wine vinegar or freshly squeeze lemon juice, or a combination
1 t salt, to taste

In a bowl, stir together all the ingredients, starting with 1/2 teaspoon salt and adding more to taste. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.