an artist to like
October 28, 2009
DWELL DEEP:: Sam Wedelich, a lovely artist to follow. She does these fantastic little drawings, among other things. Her work is filled with whimsy, humor, and heart.
where the wild things are
October 12, 2009
Where the Wild Things Are in theaters on Friday!
october.
October 7, 2009
and that’s why i have to go back to so many places in the future, there to find myself with no witnesses but the moon & then to whistle with joy. ambling over rocks & clods of earth, with no task but to live with no family but the road. – pablo neruda
one day you finally knew what you had to do, and began. though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice, though the whole house bgan to tremble and you felt the old tug at your ankles, “mend my life!” – each voice cried, but you didn’t stop you knew what you had to do. though the wind pried with its stiff finger at the very foundations, though their melancholy was terrible, it was already late enough and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches & stones. but little by little as you left their voices behind the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds. and there was a new voice which you suddenly recognized as your own and that kept you company as you strode deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do, determinded to save the only life you could save. – mary oliver
there is a beautiful spirit breathing now
its mellow richness on the clustered trees,
and, from a beaker full of richest dyes,
pouring new glory on the autumn woods,
and dipping in warm light the pillared clouds.
morn on the mountain, like a summer bird,
lifts up her purple wing, and in the vales
the gentle wind, a sweet and passionate wooer,
kisses the blushing leaf, and stirs up life
within the solemn woods of ash deep-crimsoned,
and silver beech, and maple yellow-leaved,
where autumn, like a faint old man, sits down
by the wayside a-weary. through the trees
the golden robin moves. -longfellow
move, skip, and dance.
October 5, 2009
On occasion, there is a song that sweeps me away and changes everything for a moment. Pick up Phoenix’s new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, and get your dancing shoes, kids, this one’s for fall movement. The song that I cannot keep still during is track two, 1901. While walking to my car from class, I could not help myself from grinning and throwing up a fist pump.
Cold air, scarf, track two, dance. It’s all so fresh.
Stream the MP3: Phoenix: 1901
Who Does She Think She Is?
September 30, 2009
Last night, Who Does She Think She Is? was shown at school, with a discussion to follow with the director. It is a fantastic documentary addressing the strains placed on women artists. It walks through the struggles that women must endure as they balance female duty (motherhood, wifehood, domestic duties) and the creative force within. There is not an easy answer to the questions that occur with this pressure, but the film shares stories of real women who have sacrificed and are passionate about motherhood and being an artist. I was inspired to dream and stretch and press into the questions and fears that come with being a female artist. I highly recommend the documentary to anyone who struggles with the logistics of following a dream and passion while have other responsibilities.
El Anatsi at UNTITLED
September 21, 2009
On Friday night, we biked down to the [ARTSPACE] at UNTITLED for the opening reception of El Anatsi’s large scale sculptures. The work was stunning, to say the least. The three pieces covered the walls and invaded the spacious warhouse-turned-gallery, utilizing recycled aluminum and copper wiring. The metal served as a sort of fabric to construct larger than life tapestries that spoke both of El Anatsui’s native lands in Africa, and his immaculate understand of shape, space, and material.
The intricate weavings of metal were shaped to have an ebb and flow with the wall. They came out into the viewer’s space, and were suggestive of folds of skin, or a blanket hanging off a chair. The colors were striking, placed strategically throughout the raw aluminum pieces, causing the eye to move graciously over the material. The sculptures had a surprisingly organic feel with their sensuous curves, despite the inorganic material used.
I always look forward to the shows that come through at UNTITLED. They are impeccably curated and always interesting. It is a space that challenges art in Oklahoma City, and encourages the dialogue that is essential for a community to grow creatively.
ricotta, pt. 2
September 14, 2009
We made these for breakfast on Saturday morning to finish up the ricotta. So good!
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
(adapted from Bobby Flay)
Preheat a nonstick griddle.
Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk together the cheese, eggs, milk, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Brush the hot griddle with butter. For each pancake, pour approximately 1/4 cup measure of the batter on the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown. Repeat until no batter remains.
Serve hot with real butter and real maple syrup!
(Makes 12 little pankcakes, or 6 big ones.)
homemade ricotta cheese
September 10, 2009
Ricotta is a really simple cheese to make at home, and the bit of time investment is really worth it! Spread it on ciabatta bread with sauted kale, garlic, lemon, and a fried egg for dinner. For dessert smear some on toast with honey and/or jam! So tasty!
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Gourmet Magazine April 2006
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
1 quarts whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Special equipment: large sieve, fine-mesh cheesecloth
Line a large sieve with a layer of heavy-duty (fine-mesh) cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.
Slowly bring milk, cream, and salt to a rolling boil in a heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour. After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta, covered; it will keep in the refrigerator 2 days.
the secrets of a long life.
September 3, 2009
In November 2005, National Geographic came out with an article called: Longevity: The Secrets of a Long Life. I was recently reminded of the study in an NPR podcast.
Something about it haunts me. The study found three people groups around the world, residents of Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; and Loma Linda, California who had the greatest life expectancy. They studied their lifestyles and found that their relationship with food, with other people, and their daily purpose/stress level significatly altered their lifespan.
I wonder about the fast speed of life we live in America, the processed foods, the broken families and frienships. I wonder about the lack of faith we have. About how we neglect the wholeness of body, soul, and mind. And how depression, anxiety, and lonliness reside in our hearts.
Mushroom Cous-Cous Soup
September 1, 2009
The afternoon hope was to put together a simple Mushroom Barley soup while working on a paper. Under a terrible turn of fate, I burned the barely. In a desperate attempt to save the barley with ungodly amounts of fresh cracked pepper, the grinder’s top came off and I was left with a pot full of burned barely and whole peppercorns! Turning quickly to the pantry to find an answer to save the day, I found a box of cous-cous and decided to use my improvisational powers! The end product – a delicious, soul-satifying sort of soup for early autumn days.
Mushroom Cous-Cous Soup
(makes 3 bowls of soup, easily doubled)
1 cup dry cous-cous
1 tablespoon of butter
1 small red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
about 6 oz. of mushrooms, sliced
salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine
2 cups vegetable broth
fresh ground pepper
fresh parsley, if you please.
Melt butter in a skillet, or dutch oven. (You know that the better is ready when the foaming subsides). Add onions and saute for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is melty tender – about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and wine, and simmer on low, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.
While the liquid is cooking off a bit, prepare your cous cous.
Once the cous cous is ready and the mushrooms look delightfully cooked down, add about 2 cups of broth to the skillet with the mushroom mixture. Simmer for a minute or two, grind in some black pepper. Add to cous cous, correct seasonings, and serve with a parsley leaf. (If you want more of a brothy soup, simply add more broth.)
(A word on broth:: For the sake of convenience, I keep a few boxes of Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon cubes around. Simply add them to boiling water, and voila! a delicious vegetable flavor base for your soups, stews and such. For this soup I used the Vegan Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt and Herbs.)
