Pedi-pistol

Newest rattle. Video forthcoming.

Nearly perfect lunch

Locally made sourdough toast with butter, fresh heirloom tomato from the farmer's market, fancy cheese from Whole Foods and a special treat of chanterelle mushrooms--Delicious!

The Craftsman

I'm finally getting around to reading Richard Sennett's book The Craftsman. Since I checked this book out of the library, I have decided to record some of the more interesting (at least, to me) segments from it here so I can refer to them in the future. And maybe someone else will find them useful, too.


"'Craftsmanship' may suggest a way of life that waned with the advent of industrial society--but this is misleading. Craftsmanship names an enduring, basic human impulse, the desire to do a job well for its own sake. Craftsmanship cuts a far wider swath than skilled manual labor; it serves the computer programmer, the doctor, and the artist; parenting improves when it is practiced as a skilled craft, as does citizenship."
p.9

Another treasure

My job gave me a gift certificate in honor of my 6 months of service, so I used it to buy this sweet little vintage beaded bag.

Now, if only I lived in Hollywood in the 1930s so I had someplace to take it...

Treasures

I just got a great work table with metal drawers--the kind with the butcher block tops, such as would be seen in any metal or wood shop from the 1950s or '60s--from the Little Shop. Inside one of the drawers were all these cool keys. I mounted them on a scrap piece of wood so I can hang them on the wall of my studio.

Mm-mm good, and easy

Tried my hand at homemade chicken tikki masala tonight. It was a fairly straight-forward recipe and pretty darn tasty, though I would cut WAY down on the salt the recipe calls for.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Prep Time:
30 Min
Cook Time:
50 Min
Ready In:
2 Hrs 20 Min

Original Recipe Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 cup yogurt
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
* 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
* 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
* 4 long skewers

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste (I only used 2 of these 3 teaspoons, but it was still too salty)
* 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Preheat a grill for high heat.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

4. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Christmas in July

N and I just returned from spending the 4th of July in Texas with his family. They have a tradition of giving white elephant gifts for a Christmas in July exchange. I picked up these two beauties at the Little Shop Around the Corner. They were a pretty big hit.

And yes, those are real frogs.