celebrating the raucous artist of the kitchen, Julia Child

Last night I celebrated Julia Child's 100th birthday at Pearl Cafe in Missoula, one of 100 restaurants hand-picked around the country to participate in the nationwide homage. And the only one in Montana.  I appreciate how Julia fearlessly encouraged our country into confidently exploring and preparing food at home. I also adore how thorough she was in her research and how vibrant she was as a character.  Had we ever met, I'm certain we would have been fast friends.  Many of us obviously feel this of her, which insured her success.  I think the Julia Child Restaurant Week is a fab idea and we should celebrate her this way every year.  

From the prefix menu, I chose the pork pate´ first plate, the lamb stew and the lemon tart dessert.  I chose well and enjoyed every bit.  I enjoyed it so much that I forgot to take any photos until dessert, a sloppy quick shot with my phone and after digging in, but remembered to toast Julia for her culinary leadership!

lemon tart, Pearl Cafe, Missoula, MT, 2012

Here's a link to the Missoulian article about Julia Child Restaurant Week and an interview with the owner of The Pearl in Missoula. 

The celebration continues until next Wednesday. My friend and I got lucky and squeezed into some empty spaces at the bar, but I recommend calling for a reservation.

Here's a link to a website with the list of the participating restaurants around the country in case you aren't in town.  

The actual date of her birthday is August 15th.  If you appreciate raucous dinner parties too, remember to raise your glass to the queen of them, Julia! 

el bulli

Friday Flick: 

If you love to cook, and if you also love art, you must watch this movie documenting the avant-garde cooking at a restaurant in Spain of the same name, El Bulli.  It's about the art of experiencing food. I'm still thinking about the water, the ice and the frequent obsessiveness that comes with creativity.  And the moments of absurdity and grace found in its pursuit.

 

As an aside, we saw El Bulli in Portland at the very comfy Living Room Theater.  We had just eaten dinner, so I only gobbled down a Lion Bar.  Next time I plan to enjoy a taste from their tapas menu and a glass of wine with my movie.

El Bulli is by archaeologist, language teacher, author and filmmaker, Gereon Wetzel.

shellac and helen money

This past Sunday we shot video of Shellac playing in Missoula for Sustain, the Travis Bean Guitar Doc that we've been making.  

I met the guitarist, Steve Albini, when we interviewed him in Chicago but this was my first time seeing the band perform live and these guys know how to put on a show.  As ambivalent in attitude as they may seem in some of what I've read about them, their show absolutely pays attention to the audience with banter, momentum and  intensity.  At one point, Albini gnaws at his guitar strings as if it were a chicken leg.  But watching him, and I was directly in front of him zoomed in on the guitar strings at this moment, and hearing the sounds that result, he's almost elegant about it. Considering his straightforward, confidence and enjoyment making well-prepared food for his wife (I follow his cooking blog, 'Mario Batali voice',) his performance with a guitar makes sense.  Like he's lapping at a bowl of three-minute gazpacho.  He makes and enjoys his soup, and he'll share with you how to make it, too.     

Any decent footage that comes out of that dark, low-ceiling den called the Palace will be saved for our movie.  For now, here is a still photo of the band setting up.  Albini is in front wearing his trademark mechanic's jumper.

   

The opening act rocked too

Helen Money, a one-woman electrical cello band, opened for Shellac.  Her weighty notes were a revelation for me.  I bought her latest cd, In Tune, to ruminate over as autumn settles in.  

Here is 'Mondo' by Helen Money with animation by Nelson Chan.

To learn more about the movie we are making on Travis Bean Guitars click here. 

Both bands will be performing in California, Oregon and Washington in the coming days.  Please report back to me if you catch a show.

the REAL pancake tuesday

is today! 

If you've been following our Pancake Tuesdays, you might already have heard, but here is a link to a Wiki page that gives some history on the annual Pancake Tuesday (also called Shrove Tuesday).  Our tradition is a non-religious weekly event often - and at its most fun - with guests.  (Due to a travel-packed year, our regular schedule has sadly fallen, which we hope to resume this Spring, but even if it's just the two of us, if it's Tuesday, we instantly think pancakes and they go on the menu!)  Click the highlighted text 'Pancake Tuesdays' in the first sentence to see other posts of our Pancake Tuesdays which is essentially a fun, no-pressure cooking club.

We were inspired by Karl Pilkington (of the Ricky Gervais show) to start our Pancake Tuesday tradition. Read "why pancakes on Tuesdays" for a brief explanation on how that happened.  If you also connect with Karl Pilkington's 'wisdom' or just want some more of it, I recommend that you visit Pilkipedia.  Below is a video clip of Karl arguing with Ricky Gervais and Steve Merchant about cleaning drains.

Get the griddle hot and have a Happy Pancake Tuesday!

oatmeal, semolina & frybread

Pancakes: keep 'em comin'

We've been traveling so much since last June, I haven't kept up with updates very well, but I'm not giving up.  Because of the crazy schedule, the regularity of Pancake Tuesdays came to a halt.  In early winter (or was it fall?) we had a 'reunion'. We went for the old standby of 'breakfast for dinner' and it was super faboo!    Here are some pictures, plus links to recipes from some previous Pancake nights.  

Breakfast for dinner. I highly recommend the Oatmeal Pancakes from Epicurious.  These were my favorite version of a traditional pancake so far.

Morrocan night we made Semolina Pancakes. The recipe makes 12 pancakes but we quadrupled it and had tons. Food & Wine magazine, May 2010.

American Indian. When we stopped at Mt. Rushmore this summer, we picked up some Frybread mix from Woodenknife.  It's the first mix we've used for a Pancake Tuesday.  Guess what? It was great!  I would use it again.

We have enough regulars that now we have to add another table.  I look forward to the day we spill over into the living room!  As always, the gang is fantastically creative with the sides and toppings for whatever the flavor of the night we've chosen.

Hopefully we'll squeeze in another Pancake Tuesday before the next trip!

more like B-movie Veggie Lust

 

I think this video advertisement for PETA, titled "Veggie Love," is weird and funny and not much worse than most commercials on television that I've seen, but admittedly it is way over the top.  Apparently the networks are keeping it from airing during the Super Bowl (See Good's article.) and since I don't have my own television or watch the Super Bowl, I really don't care.  

In my usual tangential way, I'm more amused with attempts at renaming it.  Garden Porn.  Greengasm.  Herbawhore.  Eve Spreads Seeds.  And as I titled this post, the plane Jane obvious, Veggie Lust.

The stunt has bought some media time just for the Super Bowl rejection alone, so that counts up to some kind of success. No doubt it will get plenty of internet traffic for its absurdity and sex-like appeal, but when I get (slightly more) serious about it, I am interested to know: Does it really make people consider or sign up for PETA's cause anymore thoughtfully or deeply?     

Lunch

Roasted garlic tomato soup and spinach salad ©T.Matlock

Scotty's Table is one of my favorite downtown lunch and dinner spots in Missoula.  The owner and chef, Scott Gille, established himself as a restaurateur in this town at a location just across the bridge.  Now in the basement level of the historic Wilma building built in the 1920s, the atmosphere feels fancier with high ceilings and plaster sculpted busts of women at the top of columns. It took me awhile to adjust and trust that it would continue to be a hearty and creative menu and I didn't need to be dolled to the max (though I love to dress up) to enjoy it. Now I regularly meet a friend there for lunch or pop in for a weekday happy hour. Scotty's is also one of three places in town that I can count on variety and excellent quality soups.  The chef is also dedicated to quality ingredients, often locally grown.  

Quesadilla © T.Matlock 

learning at Linda's

So how was the rest of the day at Linda's?  Fabulous of course!  It was way more than the just the demise of my PD150 and plans to capture moving pictures of Linda in the kitchen. (See my post, 'keep learning.') Luckily my Canon PowerShot G6, which I am nuts about and almost always have on me, made it possible for me take a few still pictures. Whew!

First of all, Linda and her husband Bill have a fantastic ranchette that is fun to just hang around and soak in all the characters, like Elvis who is a bit like me and hates to miss out on anything.

  

Wine to start the visit.

Linda casually showed us all the steps and we took turns pitching in.  She makes everything look so easy.

Um, Linda also prepared a tart and other delectables for snacking while we prepared the tortilla espanolas.

This is the Tortilla Espanola - a simple, hearty dish made mostly of potato and eggs.  

Linda is a fabulous pastry chef as well as an over-achiever in many other areas.  Fortunately for us, she generously shares her mastery as she did this day.  I think she calls this Avalanche Cake.  Chocolate, caramel and peanuts.  When you cut into it, the caramel floods down the sides, like an avalanche.

First and foremost, Linda is a fantastic painter.  We became friends through our art first, then our mutual love of good food and wine. Linda's art draws heavily on her experiences in her garden producing food for the table. Her perspective is rich and bold which comes out beautifully in her art.  And she has a big bawdy laugh that I love.

When she gets a website together, I'll link to it.  In the mean time, she has a piece you can see on Ask Art.  This summer Organic Gardening Magazine is visiting her garden and studio, so watch for a coming spread on Linda there, too.

days of greatness

Days of greatness is an expression my friend Dyna taught me.  The idea is like a birthday party extension. You get as many days of greatness as the years of your age.  Your days of greatness happen in the time around your birthday.  And you can even start them before the actual birthday if you like, but you only get that many days.  During that time, your friends and family are supposed to treat you with extra special kindness, affection and generosity.  Like a queen.

My 'days of greatness' have been especially rich and full this year. I'm just mentioning a few highlights here.

Emily took a picture of me wearing my new bike helmut hat.  B had to order it from England cause there isn't a retailer in the U.S. yet.  I can order more hat covers to change out for different fashion choices. It's absolutely great.

And then he made Hand Pies.

Just like it sounds, these are little pies that you can hold in your hand.  

It started with a recipe that I saw for Pie Lollipops.  He went for a larger size than the lollipops for a better pastry crust-to-filling ratio and abandoned the stick. An excellent decision. 

He made several kinds of filling: fruit compote, Nutella, apple, strawberry and combinations.

They were fun to make.

I helped with the details.

And they were so ridiculously cute as objects.

He was right-on with the proportions so every bite was a sweet and flakey balance.  They were a big hit at the party, of course, and saved us the stack of plates and forks to clean.  Plus, the informality encouraged everyone to help themselves. Because of the modest size you needn't feel guilty to go back for seconds or thirds, either. 

Since he made plenty, I enjoyed them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert for a few days.  That is definitely my idea of living like a queen.

The days of greatness are over now but I'm still feeling pretty damn lucky.

Ringing in My Head

I have a thing for timers.  They help me get things done. Not just things in the kitchen but everything.  When I am operating at full capacity juggling deadlines,  timers help keep me on track.  

I first used them in the studio to discipline my production schedule fifteen years ago.  My internal sense of time is very, um, well, loose.  I get absorbed in repetitive labor like hand-stitching bits of paper or teasing wool.  Now that most of my work is on the computer, editing video clips or 'drawing' virtually, I still get lost. Making marks, pixelating and re-arranging.  So once again, in an effort to keep myself on track, I am setting off bells.  

I set a timer when I start a task so that one, I get a truer sense of how long that kind of work really takes me and two, to make sure I move on to the next thing sooner rather than later.  

Okay, I'll admit it.  Timers are irresistible objects. I like looking at them.  I like winding them. I use a few at a time. A lot of noises - beeps and alarms - really bug me, but bells on timers are different.   They've become a familiar tune for order amidst chaos. 

When I saw the Gourmet Egg Timer iPhone App  made by Scott Marsden, I was curious if I would like how the timer 'works' compared to physical ones.  Would the bell be as effective? Give me the same push? Would I miss the quality of physically handling a timer as an object?  

So I tested it. And I went ahead and made some eggs while I was at it.

 

I found a video demo of the app on a blog in Kazakhstan that shows the app's user interface of an egg in water. The video has a strumming harp-like loop (that is an example of the kind of noise that bugs me) but  the video still does a basic job of showing you the app in motion.  When you tip your iPhone (or Touch), the water level and egg move accordingly.  The water bubbles and makes sounds like it's boiling.  And also through sound, time ticks away just like a wind-up.

The Gourmet Egg Timer doesn't try to be a game and compete for adolescent hearts.  It just works.  When it opens, you set the size of your egg and the GPS determines your altitude to refine the cooking time.  When the timer starts, you can further choose your boiled egg preference from soft to hard.  

As a design, the simplicity of the imagery matches the function beautifully.  

By taking advantage of the device's tilt action capability, the app reinvents the timer in a new format and yet still satisfies as an object. It feels comfortable to handle. You feel the invitation to 'play' a little with the water but no pressure to totally lose yourself with or like a zombie.  I set it and go back to work until the alarm goes off.  

This app, as simple as it sounds, does just what it needs to do and does it beautifully. For me,  that is plenty and a welcome addition to my collection.

  

Savory Flatbread

Emily spearheaded our Pancake Tuesday with coriander and cilantro flatbreads.  She had a magazine clipping from Bon Appetit for inspiration.  They were fantastic. 

The main tricks seem to be keeping the dough rounds from sticking to each other during preparation and then not using too much oil and keeping your heat at medium when frying them, so pay extra attention to those instructions in the recipe.

It was a truly colorful and aromatic night with a pear, prosciutto, gorgonzola appetizer, sides of yogurt raita, chutney, shredded cheeses, and long grain white rice.

The house still smelled like Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry the next morning.  And of course, all the plates were wiped clean with the flatbreads.

Full English

Heather's suggestion to do a 'Full English' themed Pancake Tuesday was a blinding hit.

According to my research, a Full English Breakfast traditionally includes bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, fried eggs and fried bread. It can also have black pudding and blood sausage, but we skipped those (horses for courses) and just made the rest. Our clever mates also added some other English-inspired creations to the menu: bubble and squeak, lemon curd, clotted cream and berries. Plus, that cheeky Heather's send-up of English accents took the piss out of everyone. 

We did make fried bread using locally made Le Petit Outre Birdman bread and lemon pound cake from GFS, but where were the pancakes? 

Well, Bruce and I had been wanting to make crumpets since I had been inspired by a new Twitter friend boasting their buttery goodness. After being knackered with other recipes, we tried one (recommended by said friend) and successfully substituted totally brill crumpets for pancakes. They might not look like much in the photo (I can't tell, since I fell arse over elbow for them), but I am certain that all of us would recommend these fresh home-made crumpets. Quite.  

The Master Griddler 

Warm-the-soul perfect crumpets.

Scrummy bacon arrives.

If you have recipe suggestions for our Pancake Tuesdays, just give us a bell!

Asian Inspired Crepes

We had an Asian inspired Pancake Tuesday.  The idea started when Julie gave us some smoked huckleberry salsa.  (Julie is super generous and frequently drops off Thank You gifts.  Not because we are frequently spectacular to deserve it, but because she is kind and appreciative.  Maybe it's also because of her Southern upbringing.  Anyway, it's suuuuper great.) So, in her note, she suggested using the salsa with pork crepes. Well, salsa lasts about 30 seconds in this house, but her pork crepe idea lingered.  When we returned from vacation, I wasn't organized on a theme plan for the next Pancake Tuesday. I sent the Pancake Crew email entitled 'Asian-Inspired'. I didn't list any dish requests and my only marching orders were 'Get creative.' 

We did. We had lots and lots of relishes.  Spicy peanuts, wasabi peas, spicy edamame dip (from the GFS deli), thai pepper sauces, rock salt plums, plum sauce, sliced chili, jicama, daikon and radishes.  Bruce and I made pork.  Basically: saute some pork, let it cool, slice it, mix it with two-three parts Hoisin sauce and one-part honey.  And go to town on it.  

By now, Bruce is a master crepe-maker.  These crepes were perfectly light yet strong.  I'll get him to post a link to the recipe for them on here. In fact, maybe we can get Dean and Emily to contribute theirs as well.

Dean's banana topping was a big hit and offered a healthy sweet to the menu.  Like myself, I doubt Emily weds herself to any recipe but even so she really goes to town mixing ingredients.  Her inventions are very creative, complex and always tasty. This time it was a chicken combination.  She also mixed some vegetables  into a salad-like relish that came in very handy to cool the mouth or clear the palate for the next flavor combination. (Em, what was in there?) I know that I'm forgetting all of the dishes, but the point is that we had lots of variety to combine flavors, test our individual limits with chili spices, and everything was delicious. And you can't go wrong with mix at the table meals. It's fun and everyone makes what they want.

Long-grain brown rice accompanied everything, of course. We washed it all down with either sake or tequila & lime cocktails.  Okay, so tequila isn't asian but hey, we were in the mood for tequila and my email said to get creative, eh?  Unfortunately, Julie missed the Asian-inspired crepe night which could also be titled Julie-inspired, so we'll have to do these again!  Gladly.

Oh, and as a P.S.
After dinner, Emily pitched in again, combining the leftovers into an excellent filling for lunch wraps that we enjoyed the next day.  Yeah, this Pancake Tuesday totally rocked all the way around.

Baked Pancake Island Mystery

Ordered and (half) eaten at The Five Palms, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii.  The "Plantation Apple-Banana Baked Pancake" appears just like it sounds: a cake baked in a skillet (filled with the apple-banana fruit), popped onto a plate and served with poha berry butter (which is like apple butter but made with poha berries) and Tahitian vanilla bean maple syrup. It's a huge breakfast for one person.  Even two.  But irresistable.


Apparently Apple-Banana is a kind of banana called Musa Manzano. Poha Berries (Physalis peruviana) are a Cape Gooseberry native to Brazil, naturalized in Peru and Chile, and cultivated in Hawaii.  All of the photos of Poha Berries that I found were of a yellow fruit but what we had were definitely purple.  Even jars of Poha Berry Jam are yellow/orange.  And I looked up baked pancake recipes but they all look eggy or like a thin fallen souffle.  None like this one.  


If you find clues or answers to either, let me know!

Why Pancakes on Tuesdays

#pancakeday is a popular topic on Twitter right now.

In the Christian Anglican calendar, today is Shrove Tuesday also known as Pancake Day. It is customary to eat pancakes on the day preceding Lent because they were a way to use up rich foodstuffs (such as eggs, milk, and sugar) before the 40 day fast. (Feb. 16)

So that's the world news version apparently, but ours began with Bruce listening to Ricky Gervais podcasts and was inspired by Karl Pilkington talking about Pancake Tuesday.  You'll have to ask him to get the fun details and hear how great Karl is since he's a big fan.

As for Pancake Tuesday updates, we are taking a hiatus to spend time at the Big Sky Doc Film Fest and to travel a bit.  Ciao!

Pancake Tuesdays

Pancake Tuesdays continue even if my posts are sporadic.  The last two were very successful recipes, creative toppings and fun friends!  I took photos on Potato Pancake night and sometimes used the flash and sometimes didn't.  And my trigger finger was fast and slow, always catching someone in the frame when they weren't ready.  Ai ai ai!

Anyway I had avoided the potato pancake idea even though I have eaten yummy ones at restaurants, I still had it in my head that they would just be hash browns.  Now after making them, the key difference, I think, is draining the grated potatoes.  A simple, easy step with high return to get lighter texture and more flavor. We made recipes for traditional and spicy potato pancakes that I found on Epicurious.  Oh, and since we had a friend who is allergic to gluten, we substituted flour for cornmeal (polenta, actually) and they were fab!  

We had toppings of fresh cilantro, onions and a curried yogurt that I highly recommend.  Basically take a couple cups of yogurt and mix in a teaspoon or so of curry and the juice of half of a lime.  It was so yummy, I made it again the next week when we had Johnnycakes and used a recipe from my friend Nici at Dig This Chick! I'll definitely make more of both!