Friday, November 27, 2015

Good night, Earth

Happy holiday from the vodka infusion


That clear infusion of clove, allspice, and cinnamon in vodka in the foreground of the first photo, from November 15? Now it looks like this and tastes like pumpkin pie! Perfect for holiday drinks like a tampered coffee.

Happy holiday weekend morning in America! Happy non holiday for retail friends not yet the weekend not really morning anywhere in America except Hawaii! Happy Friday or Saturday outside America wherever you are! Happy calling it Friday for mental health reasons and to stay in sync with your peers in the past and across vast space peoples off planet and out system!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

RIME display crate base wall, part 1



This is the first mock-up of a crate wall for the display crate. It is white burlap over 36 x 36 x 1/2" homasote with 1 x 4 pine battens. 
Thank you to the Edgewater Historical Society for the materials suggestion. The homasote is a light-weight, self-healing material used for all of the EHS' walls. It will be forgiving of the many push pins and hanging nails that will be used over the years. It is a bit like an affordable cork, but far more robust.
The white burlap provides a nice cover for the homasote, and with its loose weave helps hide the holes that the years will inflict as shows rotate through the display crates. I also think its off-white textured surface will help it look clean over the years.
The pine battens are a standard part of crate design, but also serve to hide the burlap edges, strengthen the homasote, and provide secure contact points for the hinges that will be added.
This first panel provided several lessons. I will be taking it apart tonight. The homasote needs to be painted with a white latex paint before the burlap is applied. This is to prevent off-gassing and bring out the white in the burlap covering. As well, I want to use a spray fixative to secure the burlap on the face of the panel and ensure it is tight and free of creases. The battens will hide the edges of the burlap. Then the battens and homasote will be painted white. 
If that works, then I will make up the other five sides of the crate and start testing hinges!
And then we will end up with something like this:










Good morning, train

Good morning, sun

Good morning, sky

Good morning, clouds

Sunday, November 22, 2015

jar salads and infusions

On the right, one vodka and one Bragg's apple cider each infused with garlic, ginger, jalapeno, and crushed mint leaves. Those should make for some curious drinks.

This week's lunch salads are baby romaine tossed with the contents of these jars: pomegranate seeds, garlic, Spanish onion, ginger, jalapeno, Thai chiles, fresh lemon juice, fresh lime juice, olive oil, fresh mint leaves, balsamic vinegar, extra hot Mexican giardiniera, granny smith apple, carrot, zucchini, squid ink pasta, fresh anchovies, and five varieties of heirloom pepper.
Also mixed in is a wasabi pea snack mix made by my little local grocery, and a seed and nut and dry cranberry trail mix they make. Mmmmm, curiosity in my mouth!

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Fruit salad cake cake salad

I was once known for my conceptual cooking. These days, moreso for my postmodern mixology. Today, however, I served my first conceptual confection, the fruit salad cake cake salad. A cocoa zucchini cake with a fruit salad explosion at the center, drizzled in a berry compote.

Much thanks to my wife, for the cocoa zucchini cake recipe.

I am pleased to say the cake was enjoyed by many. 

Good morning, Chicago