JOIEJOIEdeVIVRE

LOVE: Signs that SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!

2011-01-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

I am loving the signs and photography at Oh Dier by William Dohman. I mean, if you've got to say something, say it out loud right? The unfinished paint on the wood, the bright colors, and the choice of words--awesome! Wouldn't these be great hanging in the kitchen or even the inside of your front door?

Enjoy!
--J

PRETTY: onceuponapaper

2011-01-03T15:27:00.001-08:00

Hey all,

Happy New Year! To start the year off right, I thought I'd share some paintings from onceuponapaper. So cute and bright and happiness-inspiring. It's a good way to begin the year. Enjoy!

--J

JOY: Happy Holidays!!!

2010-12-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

Hey all, hope you are having a wonderful holiday season! Though this time of year can be a little insane and stressful(and it usually is for most people), at the end of the day it always comes back to appreciating and loving the important people in our lives. And of course, to enjoy the food that brings people together too! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Take care, stay safe, warm, and cozy!
--J

PHOTOGRAPHY: Some snapshots

2010-12-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

I had some time today (well, sort of). So I decided to play around with Poladroid. Oh, how I love this program! The pictures from my previous post were, "poladroided," so to speak. But I just couldn't help myself, I just had to convert a few more...I hope you enjoy!

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(1) Downtown San Francisco
(2) Pike Place Market, Seattle
(3) Snowshoeing in Stevens Pass
(4) My desk
(5) Greenhouse in San Francisco
(6) Montana skies
(7) Cherry blossom buds
(8) Cookie from wonderful friend

--J

EATS: Birthday Cake!

2010-12-21T16:22:00.000-08:00

December birthdays kind of have it rough. I mean, with all the holidays that happen towards the end of the year, it's kind of hard to schedule a birthday party. Which is why the December birthday have to do it between Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa or just not at all. But what fun would that be? My good friends Natalie and Hess both celebrated their birthday early in December, and so I decided to make them both birthday cakes! One was a success and the other one was very much the opposite of that (more on that later). Either way, they were both learning experiences. Starting with my successful cake, I made my friend Natalie a yellow birthday cake with chocolate ganache frosting from Joanne Chang's new cookbook, Flour. Luckily, Joanne has been very generous with her recipes over the years, so I am able to post her recipe here. But the cake! Buttery, vanilla-y, home-y. So good. Like the box version, but much better. And the grown-up spin is the dark chocolate ganache which compliments yellow cake so nicely. Happy Birthday Natalie! I wish I could post the picture of Natalie with her birthday cake, but my friend Eric can't seem to get it off his phone. Oh well. I will instead post a couple of pictures that I think are representative of her.

Natalie is smart.

Natalie is beautiful

And, she has the the sweetest, sunniest personality!

For the cake: * 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks/342 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature * 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar * 3 eggs * 3 egg yolks * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract * 3 cups (360 grams) cake flour * 1 teaspoon baking powder * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda * 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt * 1 cup (240 grams) nonfat buttermilk

For the chocolate ganache frosting: * 12 ounces (340 grams) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped * 1 cup (240 grams) heavy cream * 1 cup (2 sticks/228 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature * 1 cup (140 grams) confectioners' sugar * 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions For the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement (or a handheld mixer), cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3–4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. (This step will take 8–10 minutes if using a handheld mixer.) Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar. in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla just until combined. On low speed, slowly pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the bowl and paddle again, then beat on medium speed for 20–30 seconds, or until the mixture is homogeneous. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. On the lowest speed, add about one-third of the flour mixture to the egg-butter mixture and mix just until barely combined. Immediately pour in about half of the buttermilk and continue to mix on the lowest speed until the buttermilk is almost thoroughly incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well. Again on the lowest speed, add about half of the remaining flour mixture and mix just until barely combined. Add the rest of the buttermilk and mix just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. At this point, it is best to finish the mixing by hand. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and, using the rubber spatula, fold in the remaining flour mixture just until the batter is homogeneous. As you fold, be sure to incorporate any batter clinging to the sides and bottom of the bowl. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the cakes spring back when pressed in the middle with a fingertip. Let cool completely in the pans on wire racks. (The cooled cakes can be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 1 week. Thaw at room temperature, still wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.) For the chocolate ganache frosting: While the cake layers are cooling, put the chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. In a small saucepan, scald the cream over medium-high heat (bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan, but the cream is not boiling). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for about 1 minute, then slowly whisk together the chocolate and cream until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours, or until completely cool. (Or, refrigerate the ganache until cool, about 30 minutes, whisking every 10 minutes). Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use a handheld mixer) and beat the butter on medium-low speed for 10–15 seconds, or until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, salt, and vanilla and continue to beat on medium-low speed for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy and smooth. Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar. On medium speed, add the cooled ganache and beat for about 2 minutes, or until completely combined. Stop to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Turn up the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute, or until the frosting lightens in color and thickens. You should have about 4 cups. (Use the frosting the day you make it, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, then bring to room temperature and paddle again for a few minutes until smooth before using.) Remove the cooled cakes from their pans. (Be sure they are completely cool. If they are even the slightest bit warm, the frosting will melt and you will have a mess.) Using a long, serrated knife, trim the top of each cake to level it (the layers will have rounded a bit in the oven; the trimmed scraps make great nibbles). Place one cake layer on a cake plate or cake pedestal (if you have a revolving cake stand, use it). Spoon about 1 cup of the frosting on top and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the edges. Carefully place the second cake layer, top-side down (so the even, sharp edges will be on the top of the finished cake), on top. Spoon about 1 cup of the frosting on top and spread it over the top and down the sides of the cake, smoothing the frosting as well as you can and covering the entire cake with a thin layer. This is the crumb coat that will keep any loose crumbs from migrating to the surface of the finished cake. Spoon a heaping cup of frosting on top of the cake, and spread it evenly across the top and down the sides. This is the finishing layer of frosting. If desired, spoon any remaining frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a small round or star tip and pipe a decorative line along the top and/or bottom edge of the cake. The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

INTERIORS: Love and Lusting in Paris

2010-10-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty much in love with this bare bones approach to a beautiful 1800s property in Paris. The curves, natural color palate of warm beige and white, reminds me of my childhood in Vietnam and how close we lived to nature. My plate has been heaping full, with unexpected emergencies amidst busy non-profit fundraising and political campaigning season, the past few weeks, and there's nothing that sounds better than curling into a space like and read my resh new copy of Robert Frost:

All photos from the NYTimes.

BOOKS: Laurie Colwin

2010-09-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

I love me a good book. Even better, I love a good book with good food descriptions in it. Something about the description of what characters are eating, makes me feel like I know them and then can truly be friends with them. I think of it as breaking bread with the story and really getting to know the ins and outs of the lives of the people that I will be spending hundreds of reading pages with. Would Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley truly be properly wizardish and British without treacle tart, butterbeer, or Bertie Bott's every flavor beans? I don't think so. I was wending my way through a Half-Price Books this weekend and happened upon this book:

And in doing so, I found a kindred spirit. I am not a stranger to Laurie Colwin's writing. The first time I read a column by Mrs. Colwin was in an old issue of Gourmet magazine. I was struck then by her writing style: honest, witty, warm, and friendly. However, reading her collection of essays truly made me feel as if I were in her kitchen, gabbing about the merits of mushrooms, biscuits, and of course, books. In her book, Mrs. Colwin too, writes about her love of cookbooks and novels with fantastic cookery. And here I thought I was the only one who could gain 5 lbs from reading a book. Finding Mrs. Colwin's book made my weekend, as I curled up in a couch, hot chai in hand, and savored her words. Sadly, Mrs. Colwin died unexpectedly from a heart attack at the too-early age of 48 in 1992. I imagine that she is still much missed, though it has been nearly 20 years since her death. But I am glad that the author was able to share so much in her short time, making friends and breaking bread with all of the foodies out there, for generations to come.

Recipes of what I ate while enjoying Laurie Colwin's words:
I got this recipe by way of 3191 (thank you Stephanie!):
Stand-by Family Granola inspired by/adapted from Crunchy Granola in How to Cook Everything & 3191
6 cups rolled oats
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds (I only had nuts on hand, so it was a combination of hazelnuts and pine nuts)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup creamy honey
Dash Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking pan (at least 9 x13) over medium heat on the stove top. Add the oats and toast, stirring for a few minutes. Add the coconut, nuts and seeds and spices and continue to toast for a few minutes more until everything begins to brown and become fragrant. Warm the brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Pour over oats mixture and stir to thoroughly combine. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for approximately 20 minutes (it depends on the size of the granola batch and the size of the pan). Check every 5-10 minutes or so and give it a good stir. Allow to cool and store in an air-tight jar.

Chai (from chai concentrate recipe found here)

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Empty condensed milk into a jar or plastic container with tight-fitting lid. Stir in the sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Store in refrigerator.

To use: Brew a cup of strong black tea, such as Assam, then add two heaping teaspoons of concentrate or more to taste. Stir well until concentrate has fully melted.

To give: Pour into small jars with lids and tie with an attractive bow, or wrap the jar first. Attach a tag with instructions to keep the mix refrigerated and how to use it.

To keep: Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Take care and break bread friends!

--J

WEDDING: Project Centerpiece

2010-09-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

Sorry it's been awhile, August kind of just flew by, and before I knew it Autumn and September arrived on my doorstep. But what a fun month August was! My friend Dao got married, and I got to learn how to do many things: decorate cans as vases, make flower centerpieces, bake her wedding cake (with accompanying cupcakes), etc. It was such a joyful day! One project that I really enjoyed was decorating aluminum cans as vases. The cans are great because they are: 1) Pretty! 2) Environmentally friendly, and 3) Really, really, easy.

All you need are: old cans (big soup cans work well), cardstock paper, modge podge (or some sort of sealant), scissors, brush, and vintage labels. Here's the how-to:
1. Clean and dry outside of cans.
2. Cut and measure cardstock paper to the proportions of the can. It does not have to be exact measurements. In my case, using a 12" x 12" piece of paper, I eyeballed the approximate height of the can (about 8") and then chopped off 4 inches of paper. Now, a 12" x 8" piece of paper was not enough to make it around the particular can I was using, so I cut the 12" x 4" piece of paper I had leftover to cover the space. Because a vintage label is going to be going over this layer of cardstock, the end results from this step does not have to be neat.
3. Slather on a layer of modgepodge on the can.
4. Press cardstock onto can. Then modge podge this piece of paper. Continue doing this until your can is covered with cardstock and modgepodge.
5. Allow to dry for 4 hours, or for best results, overnight.
6. Slather modgepodge over the area you want you label to be.
7. Press label onto modgepodge.
8. Paint yet another round of modgepodge over your label.
9. Let dry for at least 4 hours.

I found my vintage labels here and here from i-DiY, which stand for i-do-it-yourself weddings. Great site for very pretty labels and other goodies! Here is a preview of some the labels available:

Okay all, take care, and catch you all again soon!
--J

DESIGN: Cavallini & Co

2010-08-25T18:31:00.001-07:00

I received a delightful Eiffel Tower Thank You card today made by Callini & Co and I'm absolutely in LOVE with their products.

They have everything from rubber stamps (above) to gift tags (below).

I might even covet one of these beautiful weekly planners to get a head start on 2011. All their products are so whimsical and fun, and made with impeccable taste and quality. The thank-you card I received was printed in Italy!

My fave has to be the wrapping paper made from a printed map of Parisian monuments below. The vintage inks, coming from someone who works on maps and urban planning documents all day, these are absolutely heavenly and makes me want to revert to old school design. Hope you find these as delightful as I do!

All products and images are from Cavallini & Co's website. Enjoy!

ARTS: Moleskin Sketchers

2010-08-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Moleskin's online gallery of sketches? Submitted by Moleskin lovers, there is everything from pencil sketches to complete water colors, and are absolutely stunning. I'll let them speak for themselves below, enjoy!

I think my favorites are by Paul Desmond (above) and Mattias Adolffson (below).

SUMMER: City Love

2010-08-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've been out taking pictures. Call it a funk. Or a bad day. That actually lasted three months. Sigh. Lots of work and studying and life can really take a toll on oneself. But, I think, after this weekend, that maybe I can say that I am starting to reclaim my mojo? I hope. Well, at least it's a start. And I can't think of a better way of getting out my uninspirational funk than by taking pictures and sharing it with you all. =) Best of all, I took pictures in one of my favorite places, Pike Place! I hope you all enjoy!

I can never get enough of Pike Place Market. Love it, love it, love it. My very first photo adventure took place here as well. So, some very good memories brought me back for another go.

Fresh veggies. Makes me think of Deborah Madison's book Local Flavors. Time to get started cooking! I'm excited.

Fresh lilies. They are so pretty, that I think I will have to incorporate these into my friend's wedding (see Tams's previous post). Won't these look nice in a bouquet with some gerbera daisies, rosemary, and sage?

The sight of these striped umbrellas and flowers in window boxes really make me happy.

I ate a big bowl of salad for dinner after taking pictures. Pretty sure this is the reason why...

Fresh juice bar. Yum! Sadly, as it was the morning when I came down to take pictures, I opted for a caffeinated drink.

My friend Monica checks out miniature cheesecakes. They had some delicious sounding flavors! It's a must-try one of these days.

Been a sucker for interesting labels and signs lately. Like the vintage tone of this one, not to mention the contents of the shop itself.

Olive oil, such an essential cooking item. The display and layout of this shop are so pretty too.

Dried fruit stand is practically mandatory every time I go to the market.

Label says it all. Dried strawberries and dried sour cherries are my favorite!

Enjoy all!
--J

Summer: Wedding Fever!

2010-07-23T16:28:00.001-07:00

It would be fair to say Jean and I are officially having wedding fever. One of our very best friends is getting married in three weeks and we're all feverishly preparing for one of the happiest days of our friend's life. I'm in charge of wedding planning, and Jean is in charge of the cake and creative direction. We are also collectively managing the decors. Jean and I cannot stop swooning over beautiful wedding inspirations from books, magazines, and yes, blogs.

{Photo: Frolic!}

Our friend's theme is white and yellow, it's a small and intimate wedding, with lots of loving touches from friends and family.

{Photo: Sweet as Candy}

Jean and I have been inspired by the use of fresh herbs like lavender and rosemary for the table centerpieces, keeps it organic, not too pretentious and also a great take away for guests.

{Photo: Creature Comforts}

How pretty are these light pink chiffon flowers? Jean and I are pretty sure we can incorporate these in there some how, they're just so delicate and feminine, after all, isn't a wedding about celebrating beauty and love?

Love the idea of this origami table scape from our friends at Escapade.

{Photo: Martha Stewart Weddings}

We also adored the idea of a citrus in glass centerpiece, the imagery makes me think of summer, happiness, and the freshness of the couple's new chapter together.

How adorable is this? A yellow ribbon and a white paper bag can brighten up a whole wedding.

Jean is a great collector of beautiful containers, we were thinking of using them as impromptu vases with a wonderful bit of personality and character.

Our bride is a chef, the checkered napkins reminds us to mentally prepare ourselves for the feast to come, and the casual potted plants invite ease and comfort, to fill ourselves up with scrumptiousness and the love going into our bellies, and focus on why we're really here: to celebrate love.

{Photo: Design Sponge}

We are so happy to be a part of the wedding planning, and will be thrilled to post the wedding photos as soon as we get them next month! Congratulations Steve & Dao! We love you and cannot wait to see you share the rest of your lives together.

Weekend Getaways: The Northwest

2010-07-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

My friends and I took a last minute trip to explore the northwest. We ended up with a three lunches escapade, wine country getaway, and beach adventures. Here are some photos from the weekend?

Molly and I at what I like to call the Northwest version of Petra.

STYLE MAKERS: Summer Shorts

2010-07-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

I spent three hours yesterday trying to finding the perfect pair of shorts and ended up with three t-shirts, two skirts, and only one pair of house shorts. The search for perfection is never complete. The perfect pair of shorts has to have some essential components: length, fit, versatility and ofcourse...how good does it make your booty look?

Here are some inspirations...

From Garance Doré, this is about the length of the shorts I got yesterday, though I don't dare wear this length to work, maybe for household chores and a day at the beach.

Texture brings these shorts from Karla's Closet beyond the typical khaki and denim. Love the styling of the clutch and a breezy blouse. Makes me want to take a weekend getaway to Maui!

Two choice picks from My Cherry Gum, the tropical print on these shorts and the classic car makes them Miami or Cuba worthy.

Nautical inspired shorts with gold buttons adds a little something special to a basic and navy stripes.

This is probably my favorite look from Paris in the summer by the Sartorialist inspires me to remember that basics, when pulled together with taste are the key components of personal style.

The sailor over sized-button details on these navy shorts makes even the shortened length have a trouser like quality.

The tailored fit and leather trimming on these shorts from Chasing Cherries had me swooning. How perfect are they?

One of my favorite looks. From Knight Cat. Comfortable and sexy with a bit of tomboyish charm. View more inspirations from My Daily Style.

Summer & Urban Craft Uprising

2010-07-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Just a little note on how beautiful it is today in Seattle. Summer is finally here?! I hope?! Well, the sun came out, and that's all I can ask for because when the sun comes out in Seattle, the city is truly spectacular. On another note, Urban Craft Uprising is this weekend. And if you haven't been before, and you have some time this weekend, stop by! My Tam and I went a couple of years ago, and we had a blast! I am including some pictures from that adventure in this post. And for the foodies, Mobile Chowdown is also taking place in Seattle Center!

Very cute stuffed robot

A belt with nerds (the candy) in the buckle

Love that yellow purse!!

Have a great weekend!
--J

Summer Skirts

2010-06-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

The best summer days are spent on the water, in a boat, feet buried in the sand, with a pretty pink umbrella drink in hand, head tossed back hair in face road trips, a good read accompanied by blissful warm breezes. Seattle has none of this right now, it's cold and gray, the entire city is lacking Vitamin D and sun rays so I set my gaze on happier sunnier things, like hunting for the perfect summer skirt and accessories for our new living room! Enjoy:

From Park and Cube. Maybe with this skirt I can float away to Rio, or Nice, perhaps Bora Bora?

American Apparel Skirt from Karla's Closet hose posts, are impeccable as are her outfits, she has skirts galore. Am envious and amorous of her collection and her taste!

This could be the go to item for the summer. Lingering Rays skirt from Anthropologie

Skirt from Duskjacket Attic,wouldn't it be so perfect for work?

{Click on photo to enlarge)
Beyond skirts, I fell in LOVE with this print at Made by Girl from a Coisas Da Doris, a shop in Brazil.

STYLE MAKERS: J. Crew's Mickey Drexler in the WSJ

2010-06-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the Wall Street Journal article on J. Crew's CEO? It's pretty inspiring. He turned around Ann Taylor, GAP, and is now making history for sequins and the casually well dressed at J. Crew. There's also a hilarious video of his staff on their take of their character of a boss.

Photos courtesy of the Wall Street Journal.

A Conversation on Cool

2010-06-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

Known for the iconic black and white tres cool photos of the famous, glamorous trend setting class, one of my favorite blogs The Impossible Cool with sultry, sexy, and the untouchable element of 'I don't give a damn, but you know you want to be me because you know I look good' photos and quotes like the image above, and quotes like:

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Now, there's more of where this goodness came from. TIC has released a new blog: A Conversation on Cool. More carefree, more interactive, a sunnier disposition of the style makers of former generations who we all wish we could be. And whose unattainable style we still copy in our time.

Below are some favorite images and quotes from the site. Enjoy! And join the conversation.

Always keep your face toward the sunshine - and shadows will fall behind you. ~Walt Whitman

This has got to be my favorite Marilyn Monroe photo.

All images from: The Impossible Cool and Conversation on Cool

LOVE: Friends

2010-06-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello! How have you all been? I'm sorry that it's been so long. So crazy busy. Just when I think I cannot work harder, I am proven wrong. But the summer months are approaching and I am very happy about this, though Seattle appears to be ignoring this fact. It's been a rainy June thus far. I must perform an anti-raindance if things continue as they have been. I wonder how that would look. Hmmm. The coming of summer is also a time for goodbyes. My good friend Ryan is leaving Seattle to pursue his second year in pharmacy residency at Duke, and I shall miss him. I became friends with him in pharmacy school, though I had seen him in a couple of my undergraduate classes. He was a go-to friend, the guy that will make you smile when life feels dire. Ryan also has an incredible knowledge of music and food, and just is all-around fun. Hi-jinks and adventures always ensue with Ryan.

I lack the intelligence and the words to be profound, but I will say this: friendships are just about the best things ever. Friends add a richness to life--they are the spice and sugar that enliven and enlighten everyday, normal, ho-hum events to lasting memories. They are also the salve and helping hand, when life is just a little too hard. Reflecting on Ryan's leaving, I must say that I am so grateful for the friends that I have and have had. In fact, I am pretty sure that any anti-raindance would involve kicking up one heels and dancing with a friend.

Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends.--Unknown

If there ever is a tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart...I'll always be with you.--Winnie the Pooh

The best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams, and memories.--Unknown

Friends are the Bacon Bits in the Salad Bowl of Life--Pizza Place Sign

Thank you Ryan for inspiring this post! I'll see you soon!
--J

LOVE: This kitchen

2010-04-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

It is the kitchen which makes me first fall in love with a house, and where I envision most of the living to happen. The home of photographer Dan Martensen and artist Shannan Click would be a great muse for creativity in the kitchen, on the canvas, or in the pages of my journal.

In the kitchen, plentifl counter space, natural wood and bar seating welcomes entertaining and allowing the chef (say me) be a part of the party while whipping up some delish eats.

I love the open space, the exposed woods, the relaxed decors and architectural detailing.

This feels like a home for open living. With your heart wide open and your creative spirit awakened.

Even the garden has an untamed loveliness. Carefree and beautiful, the way life should be.

All photos from the Selby.

EATS: Brunch is the New Lunch!

2010-03-23T17:11:00.001-07:00

(Top photo via poopoorama on Flickr, the rest are the writer's own unless mentioned.)

The scrumptious symphony of savories and sweets, melting yoke succumbing to the gentle white membranes of a well poached egg swirling in hollandaise sauce, for these and so many more reasons, March is my month of brunches. It is the meal I most look forward to, appearing only during the calm weekend days when we can savor without being rushed. Above is my favorite pick of the month: the duck confit hash at Bastille, new French cuisine made of potatoes swimming in a slow cooked duck confit sauce braised to perfection topped with a perfectly poised poach egg and rosemary from the restaurant's rooftop garden. This is the slow food movement singing to me on a plate, sustainability at its best, and weekend living as we want it to be.

La Taberna del Alabardero Huevos Rotos-“Broken” Fried Eggs Over Shoestring Potatoes and Mushrooms served table side during happy hour but I think it would be a scrumptious dish for brunch.

Some delightful selections with a beautifully made cappuccino at Bakery Nouveau including a twice baked chocolate croissant, crisp fresh BLT with bread just pulled from the oven and quiche Lorraine.

At Monsoon, swoon worthy baked eggs with shiitake mushrooms, mustard greens, bechamel, smoked bacon and parmesan and below, oxtail pho with hon shimeji, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms.

(Photo above by +russ on Flickr)

And ofcourse, the heaven of brunches, the mecca of eggs benedict and the weekly union of the best there is in scenery, seafood and brunch culminates at Salty's on Alki. With a heady amount of eggs benedict, omelet, salmon, pastries, pasta, seafood options, from cupcakes to bagels and biscuits and gravy, there is probably not one brunch craving you have Salty's is not able to fulfill.

You can barely make it out, but beyond these windows are views of the city's skyline against a backdrop of water and blue skies.

Scrumptious little morsels of joy, passion fruit and mango baked with love and tenderly scooped into mini crumbly tarts.

Enjoy and good eating!

Golden Syrup

2010-03-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

Growing up, the best way to describe me was awkward. Really skinny, messy hair, metal braces with mini-springs to correct my bite (crossbites are just about as awkward as you can get, just FYI), and glasses. To top this off, my awkward phase didn't end in high school. Oh no, it extended well into my undergraduate years (minus the braces and glasses, thank goodness). In my second year of college, I got a part-time workstudy position, doing some web support. And that was where I got my first exposure to what I can only describe as British nonchalant cool. All this happened in the form of my office mate, Carrie. She was getting her masters in Art History, but prior to this she had worked in New York for Conde Nast. She was just about the coolest thing on the planet. And in addition to this, she was incredibly nice to boot. Some people are just so damn lucky. The department that I worked for often had shindigs that involved food, and during one particular event, Carrie made flapjacks. Nope, it's not what you're thinking (if you're American, that is). Flapjacks on the other side of the Atlantic are an oat-y, buttery, chewy cookie. Quite tasty (though, to be honest, have you ever known anything that was buttery and bad?). Since then, I have tried to find recipes for this treat. Unfortunately, all of the recipes I found required this thing called golden syrup. Some recipes suggested using corn syrup as an alternative, but typically my results from these recipes turned out pretty awful.

I forgot flapjacks for awhile. Until I got my latest issue of Bon Appetit. And lo behold, Molly Wizenburg, of Orangette and A Homemade Life fame wrote about flapjacks in her column! So, keeping to theme of this supercool post, I must give a shout-out to Molly. What a fantastic writer and cook! And because of Molly, I got thinking the following: well, Molly lives in Seattle. I live in Seattle. Molly made flapjacks with golden syrup. There has got to be someplace in Seattle where I can get my little hands on some golden syrup. And yes, indeed, Metropolitan Market has golden syrup! Listed below is the recipe that Molly used. Praise the Queen. Now, if I could only get my hands on some self-rising cake flour so that I can make some rock cakes, I'd say we were ready to have an Anglofest.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup*
2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or old-fashioned)
Pinch of salt

* A type of syrup popular in Great Britain; available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and British import shops.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add oats and salt; stir until coated. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread out in even layer.
Bake until top is golden (edges will be darker), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut into 4 squares; cut each into 4 triangles (mixture will still be soft). Cool completely in pan before serving.

Enjoy! --Jean

STYLE: Hats and Scarves Are What I Loves

2010-03-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

I love this image. It encompasses everything I love: dining alfresco, dressing for yourself and not for everyone else. An external expression of internal bliss.

Recovering from a delicious four day weekend, my uniform of choice for all four days are: tights/skinny jeans, hat, scarf. It speaks of a bohemian life, living for the moment, appreciating what is and not wanting or desiring of more than just being. It is what I wear when I feel most myself and free spirited. Below are more inspirations from the Sartorialist. Enjoy.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

2010-03-01T17:38:00.001-08:00

Though working on my very own inspiration board, this mood board creates such an inspiring space from a cool and simple palate.

Mercedes Benz Museum Tornado.
An internal ventilation system built to form an artificial tornado.

Artificial glaciers, artificially maintained deposits of snow/ non-electrical ice reserves

A renovated fisherman's cottage turned cozy haven, reading nook included.

An artistic palate. How lovely is this home in Brussels?
The painted pillows are genius!

Lovely clothes from Toast, loving the yellow necklace and relaxed settings. How I swoon to unwind in a room full of hammocks!

The ooOO chair

Recipe of the week for gray cool Spring days: Tortellini Sausage Soup

You forget sometimes...

2010-02-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

It's so easy to get caught up in things (e.g. school, work, TESTS), that you can forget that there is something to be happy and grateful about. A lifetime ago (maybe a couple months really), I was a happy girl--I had two yummy balls of alpaca yarn in my hand. A baby blue, and a rusty red-orange one. Then school hit. Like a train. Thank goodness for the yarn. It helped me through the end of last quarter. And I completed a project.

At the time, Youth Venture Seattle had their offices broken into. One of my best friends, Tams, immediately threw herself into raising money for the organization. Tams volunteered and mentored with this organization and their mission of spotlighting young changemakers really struck a chord with her. Tams's efforts were tireless and she was able to raise money and find corporations to donate new computers and equipment. This was on top of her very busy work and volunteering schedule. At the time, all I could do was donate. And study. And knit. I talked to Tams about her work after the school storm. When I think about it, I am amazed. How could one person do all that she does in her spare time? That day, I gave Tams the hat that I knitted, not realizing that the colors I had chosen were that of Youth Venture's! It was all very fitting. And I realized then, that I forget sometimes, more than I like, about what's important. But most of the time (thank goodness), there's someone that reminds me, through selfless actions, of what truly matters.

--Jean

Take a Breath

2010-02-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been awhile. After the new year, it's been so incredibly hectic, that I don't know where to begin. But now, that I can finally breathe, I thought that I'd say hello. First things first though: how has the new year been treating you? Did you make resolutions? Are you keeping them still? For me, I didn't make any resolutions. Why? I'm very good at rationalizing. So much, that I can always convince myself that I should (or shouldn't) do something. But I am pretty good at setting goals. Goals give you a reason to rationalize what you're doing. See how good I am? =). Here are my goals:

1) The Wedding Cake Project. One of my best friends is getting married, and she also an incredibly talented chef. She is now working for one of the Northwest's most influential chefs, Tom Douglas. Woohoo! I'm so proud of her. Anyway, I offered to make her a wedding cake. Not the quadruple tier type, just some small ones. But, given the fact that she's has cooked me so much good food, I really want to make her a delicious cake. So, I'm plotting, and I'm hoping to let you all know how it goes. Her only requirements are that the cake not have fruit. She likes anything else. If anyone out there has good ideas...

2) The Rock n' Roll Half Marathon and the Milk Carton Derby. Time to flex my calves and my engineering ability (HA) with milk cartons! I'm excited. I haven't started training on running yet, but I'm hoping that playing on two soccer teams counts for something. I've also recently started swimming again, because I'm helping my friend train for his Ironman. So maybe that counts too. Or I hope it does anyways.

3) Knit and crochet more. Sigh. There is never enough time for this.

4) Celebrate the little things. Ahhh, and here we come to the meat of this post. Celebrate times with friends, quiet times alone, and the times that you come up for air. And here's a good way to do it. Two words: mulled wine. It's delicious. My chef friend recently hosted a pasta party (Theme of the dinner: pasta power hour. Isn't that great?). My only contribution was mulled wine, but it complimented the food pretty well. Plus, it was nice, warm, and had yummy spices. It is a great winter drink, and it took about 10 minutes to make. And, if you buy the spices in bulk like I did, then the total cost was ~$2. Which, given these times, isn't a bad thing. Makes me feel like celebrating.

Mulled Wine--From Ina Garten via Food Network

Ingredients

4 cups apple cider
1 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
1/4 cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, zested and juiced
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
4 oranges, peeled, for garnish

Directions

Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve.

I skipped the orange zest (accidentally) and the decorative orange peel (not accidentally). Don't forget to strain the wine before drinking!

Take care! And I hope the next post coming will be sooner rather than later!
--Jean

Ramona the brave

2009-12-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

High waist skirts and babydoll dresses, typical vintage wear. Ramona West brings it with a modern twist: mini. Fun finds for the cute and trendy, yet not so daring, with styles for those like me who aren't blessed with the beautiful birthing hips. Paired with sassy tights or whimsical socks, you'll be ready to take on the winter in style!
http://shopramonawest.com/catalog/index.php?osCsid=870dea7959f6fe3273ab6df45f7f4569

THANKSGIVING: The Prequel--Part II

2009-11-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

Hey all! My good friend John has posted the Thanksgiving prequel pictures! Yay! He did a great job with the photos, as always. I hope you enjoy!

Mimi, with a bowl of cranberries

My friend Yane's dish.She made a dish from her home, Brazil!

Theresa's turkey. So very good!

The whole spread(some dishes not pictured above):
Theresa's Turkey
Mimi's stuffed mushrooms and cheese and honey crostatini
Yane's Brazilian Chicken Bake
Jeff's salad and juice
Lexi's fruit salad
John's cranberries
Jean's mashed potatoes and stuffing
Jake's bread rolls
Hess's apple pie
Jenny's palmiers, stollen, and spinach filo tart

THANKSGIVING: The Prequel--Part I

2009-11-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my friend and volleyball team captain, Theresa hosted our team's end-of-season dinner. And, because it is so close to Thanksgiving, she decided she would make turkey and the rest of the team would bring all the trimmings. It was a great idea! Now you understand the Thanksgiving prequel part of the title. It is only the first part of the prequel, because I am going to post about what I contributed to the dinner--ranch dressing mashed potatoes and rustic bread and mustard greens stuffing. The reason for this is simple: I forgot to take photos during the actual dinner because I was too busy gorging. Oops. However, my friend John, who is a much better and more dedicated photographer than myself, took plenty of photos. As soon as I can get those from him, I shall post them here. Until then, here's a play-by-play of the beginning of the holiday eating season!

Saturday
1:00am--Arrive home after a night of watching Warren Miller ski film. It was excellent!
1:30am--Adrenaline from Warren Miller film has me dreaming of slopes, and not sleeping.
7:30am--Alarm goes off.
7:31am--I hit snooze button.
7:40am--Alarm goes off. I consider buying Stovetop and instant mashed potato flakes.
7:41am--I hit snooze button.
7:50am--Alarm goes off. I consider repercussions of Stovetop and potato flakes.
7:51am--I'm up. But just barely.
9:30am--I'm showered, dressed decently enough for public viewing, and caffeinated. Review recipes that I will be using and draw up a quick list.
10:00am--Leave home to buy supplies. Two stop shopping: Target and QFC.
12:00pm--Get home and start making ranch dressing:

12:30pm--Taste ranch, and it has such a bite to it. Yikes! Stick the sauce in the fridge and hope for the best. If worse comes to worst, I will rely on my good ol' friend, Paul Newman.
12:40pm--Pull together ingredients for stuffing and start prepping:

1:00pm--Discover that rustic bread is very hard to cube. Either that, or my arms are not as strong as I thought. I am going to guess the latter. So much for getting better at rock climbing. Finish cubing. Combined olive oil and pressed garlic and tossed these on bread. Baked bread to make it even crunchier. Throw on some pan-friend pine nuts.
1:40pm--Finally done with bread. Move on to sauteing onions. Threw in mustard greens, garlic, and fresh thyme after this shot.

2:00pm--Reduced 2 cups of mushroom stock to 1 cup. Threw everything I made so far into a big bowl:
2:05pm--Add salt and pepper to taste. Then put this entire mixture into a glass pan. I'm going to bake it for 30mins before bringing it to Theresa's.

2:30pm--Discover that I do not have a potato masher. Clean up the kitchen and run to Safeway on a potato masher mission.
2:45pm--Checking out at Safeway with potato masher in hand, when one of my professors smacks me in the back with his basket as a form of a greeting. I freak out. Not because it's unusual for professors to eat, but I had been cooking for the past 2 1/2 hours. And I look like it.
3:00pm--Arrive home and start peeling 6lbs of russet potatoes. It will all be worth it. Really.
3:30pm--Throw the now peeled potatoes in a pot with some salted water:

4:00pm--Drain potatoes and begin mashing away. Note that the potatoes are rather clumpy. Not smooth and creamy like I would like. I throw in the ringers (aka, the figure-ruiners):

4:20pm--Yes! Potatoes are just the right texture! Take ranch sauce out of fridge, and the flavor has mellowed perfectly. Refrigeration does wonders. Add some sauce to the potatoes as well.
5:00pm--Clean up kitchen a bit, and begin to heat up stuffing.
6:00pm--Head to Theresa's!

...and now, the "blooper reel," or, what the cooking shows never show:

Recipes used from Bon Appetit:
Mashed Potatoes with Ranch Dressing
Rustic Bread Stuffing with Red Mustard Greens, Currants, and Pine Nuts

Changes with Mashed Potatoes: I did not use a potato ricer, because I made the potatoes right before we ate them. A potato ricer probably would have helped in the fluffiness though. I also substituted green onions for chives.
Changes with Stuffing: I used mushroom broth, instead of chicken or turkey.

More to come...

KNITS: Quick Projects for the Holiday

2009-11-18T12:31:00.001-08:00

Winter is coming, I can feel it in my bones. Actually, let me rephrase that: I felt winter dig through my skin and settle into the marrow of my bones. A couple of days ago, I got completely drenched while waiting for my bus. (Oh, Metro, Metro, why hast thou forsaken me so??). I arrived home to a very cold apartment, because, being the good energy conserver that I am, I shut off every electrical entity before leaving home. As I sat huddled next to my heater vent, shivering like a little wet chihuahua, I really wished that sometimes I were not so habitual. Winter is definitely coming. But, there are some definite perks to the new stormy chill that is descending upon Seattle. For one thing, playing soccer gets even more fun(if that's possible). The slick turfs are ideal for slide-tackling, and you can run as much as you want without overheating. Winter is also perfect for knitting. I find that in these cold months, looping yarn through my fingers and my needles is even more comforting. Throw in a cup of hot apple cider, and that is a good evening. And, as the holidays are just around the corner, knitting now may even be more timely. Listed below are projects that I have completed and enjoyed working on. They are the easy-peasy sort, one that you can easily do at the end of a long day of work, or when you've finally escaped the weather by jumping on the bus.

Pattern found at The Purl Bee here.

The Eleventh Hour Scarf, also from The Purl Bee found here.

This pattern, Calorimetry, is from Knitty.com, found here.

Get knitting and get warm! Happy winter!

EATS: How to Flip Food in a Pan

2009-11-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

Last night I made fried rice from chicken leftovers of a community event and I'm bringing to feed the staff of one of my fave local orgs. The secret to my fried rice is making an egg omelet, then cutting it into squares, instead of scrambling it into the rice. It keeps the egg pieces whole and in bite size delicious morsels once it's incorporated into the rest of the ingredients.

The secret to an omelet? How to flip the pan. One of my best friends rooted me on as I attempted to flip the omelet pre-maturely, to no avail. Patience is a virtue when it comes to cooking as well, and we might as well learn from the pros. See tips below on how to perfect your food flip. Have fun!

HOW TO FLIP FOOD IN A PAN FROM E-HOW

Step 1

Choose the right pan. You'll want to use a pan that has curved, sloping sides to it. This will give the food a slope to slide up on as you flip it. Try to use a non-stick pan if possible.
Step 2

Make sure the items in the pan are moving freely when you shake the pan back and forth. Use a gentle swirling motion with your arm to slide the food around. There should be very little or no oil moving around with the food. Sauteed vegetables or grilled bread works well for this.
Step 3

Tilt the pan away from you, and let the food slide down to that side. Give the food a little help by gently shaking the pan if you need to.
Step 4

Push the pan and food away so that the food pushes into the curved side and into the air. Catch the food by pulling the pan back in one fluid motion. The movement is a circular motion, first forward and then back as you lift your arm slightly.
Step 5

Shake the pan gently forward and backward to settle the food into the middle of the pan again.

CUTE: minifrenchie

2009-11-16T13:01:00.000-08:00

Weddings have been on my mind lately. My good friend and labmate, Brianne, recently got married. One of my best friends, Karen, has two sisters (Katie and Laura) who got engaged within about of year of each other. Laura just got married this summer, and Katie is getting married next summer. On top of that, my friends, Richard and Ellen recently got engaged. So you can see, the wedding bells have been figuratively ringing in my ear. And, it's a perfect time to introduce minifrenchie. The illustrations are so sweet, perfect for save-the-dates, prints for the hubby-and-wifey-to-be, etc. Anne Le Guern is a Brooklyn-based artist. Her style is whimsical, happy, and elegant. Sort of how an ideal wedding should be! So very sweet! Enjoy!

JOY: A plateful of cookies

2009-11-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I have been away for so long. I've been preparing (and practicing, and stressing) for a seminar about metabolomics. But here's the thing: I don't study metabolomics. Not at all. But, as a part of my program, the second year students give a literature talk. The talk can be about their research, or just related to the field of your department, and mine happens to be medicinal chemistry. My boss suggested that I branch out and do research about something that I was not famiIiar with. I may have been a bit over my head with the topic choice, but in the end, it's over, and I wasn't reduced to tears at the podium. Nor did I throw up. And I consider that a plus. Man, oh man, I do not like public speaking. Helping me throughout my prepartions for this seminar have been some very wonderful people. I cannot say it enough. I am a lucky girl to have the people that I do in my life. One particular evening, as I was trying to teach myself some statistics algorithms (I gave up, by the way, and just asked someone smarter than myself), my friend Choi brought over a plateful of cookies. Only two days previously, I had loaned him this:

And, in the middle of my principle component analysis despair, I got these Cashew-Caramel Cookies:

Though Martha has the official rights to name these cookies, to me these will be Choi's Cashew Crunch Time Cookies. Okay, maybe that it is a bit verbose. Thank goodness I didn't have to give a seminar on how best to name food! But I was completely touched by his thoughtfulness. I gave the seminar last Thursday. I don't remember anything about it. I couldn't tell you if I sounded nervous, idiotic, or just plain scared. But those cookies? Unforgettable.

Cashew-Caramel Cookies (aka Choi's Cashew Crunch Time Cookies)

Makes about 3 dozen

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups roasted salted cashews
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
24 cubes soft caramel candy (7 ounces)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour and salt together. Coarsely chop 1 cup cashews; set aside. Process remaining 1 1/2 cups cashews in a food processor until finely chopped. Pour in oil. Process until mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes.
Put cashew mixture, butter, and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture. Mix in reserved chopped cashews.
Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; space 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 6 minutes; gently flatten with a spatula. Bake until bottoms are just golden, 6 to 7 minutes more. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
Melt caramels with cream in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring. Let cool. Using a spoon, drizzle caramel over cookies; let set. Store airtight in single layers.

Enjoy!

Images and recipe from {marthastewart.com}

REMINDER: Explore!

2009-10-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

Halloween. Thanksgiving. Hanukkah. Kwanzaa. Christmas. New Year's.
Happy Exploring!

Quote seen on the coolest catering van ever!

EATS: Boulangerie et Patisserie

2009-10-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

In the world of cookery and food, smell is key. Usually before one has seen a dish, one will probably have smelled it. And that can tell you a whole lot about whether you're going to like said dish. Smells can trigger pretty powerful emotions. For example, I have never heard anyway say, "Fish sauce? Yeah, I'm okay with or without it." Nope. It's really that you're repulsed by the smell, or you like it so much that you've got to add a little bit of it to every savory dish you produce. But the one smell I think everyone loves universally is the smell of fresh baked goods. Something about the mixture and science of eggs, flour, butter, and other additives, combined in an oven, strikes a comforting chord with people. And that one reason alone, is enough to make travelling around San Francisco worthwhile (though, San Francisco is an awesome city in general). Walking around San Francisco is killer enough on its own--those hills? Way steep. And walking around San Francisco in the morning is even more difficult. But I'm telling you, if you've got the smell of breads and croissants and cakes to lure you, well, do as Toucan Sam does, and follow your nose! It's quite a treat. Unfortunately, I can't design a scratch n' sniff program for this blog, so I'll just have to settle for sharing the photos that I took of the bakeries that I visited. I will apologize in advance: this post is really image heavy!

Esther's German Bakery, Palo Alto, CA

Such a yummy resting spot in between endless trips to Target, Trader Joe's, and Costco to prepare my brother for his college life. And, to quote the barista, the split pea soup is, "off the hook." Also, the apple kuchen was very delicious too.

Boulange de Cole Valley, San Francisco, CA

This place was where I experienced my first French macaroon, and now I'm obsessed with finding them here in Seattle. Chewy, airy, light, with a tasty filling. And so many different flavors! I tried a pistachio one, and the caramel one in the first photo was gobbled up by my uncle. I'm still a little bitter.

Boudin Bakery, San Francisco, CA

Yummy, yummy sourdough makes for yummy yummy sandwiches. My favorite part of being in this bakery is that it is located in Fisherman's Wharf, which is a fun place to be in general, and the conveyor baskets of bread. Nothing like seeing fresh basketfuls of bread make their way around the store.

Enjoy!

COLOR ESSAY: roygbiv

2009-10-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful summer it was in Seattle! It's a little hard to think about, especially since the past few week has been mostly gray, black, and various shades in between. When it was like this, the sun did manage to eek through to brighten up the day. And with that comes one of my favorite things ever: a rainbow. A small gift in the transition of rain to sun, and vice versa. I was lucky to catch one on my way home from a long day of work. It made my evening. Sometimes, when I am feeling especially low, the sight of something beautiful has an even more poignant effect on me. In this particular case, it inspired me to go home and work on my Photoshop skills and play with color technique. And so, as a final farewell to summer and hello to fall, the transition in between: a rainbow portfolio. Enjoy!

COLOR ESSAY: Pink

2009-10-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of October being breast cancer awareness month, I've decided to dedicate a color essay to the color pink. Breast cancer is in the top 10 causes of death for women in the United States. It is the leading cause of cancer of women in the United States, and it is the second leading cause of death due cancer of women in the United States. As a pharmacy student, I spent two months on oncology rotations. I had the opportunity to meet and talk to several patients who had cancer. Some of these patients would become my friends, and it was both heartbreaking and inspiring to know them. It was hard knowing that my friends would have only a little time left on this earth, yet how they chose to live those few days, weeks, or months was inspiring. Cancer is a terrible disease for those who have it, and the loved ones of the patient as well. I hope you all take some time this month to remember this, even if all you can do is offer a well wish, or a dollar to to fundraiser. Truly, every little bit counts.

Sunset in San Jose, CA

Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

Pink Glass Pumpkin, Palo Alto, CA

Watermelon slices, San Francisco, CA

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA

Pink Ribbon Cookies, Seattle, WA

This photo essay is dedicated especially to those who have been affected by the disease. Stay strong, love stronger, and never forget to hope. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Back!

2009-09-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Wow. I didn't realize how badly I needed a vacation. For awhile there, I just thought I couldn't get my lazy self to do the work I needed to do. This picture sort of gives you an idea of my mental state:

The past 2 weeks in California have been great, relaxing, and necessary, but I am very happy to be back. For one thing, I've come back to a Seattle that is in the process of transitioning from summer to autumn. For me, the new year always begins in September because that is when school starts again. I always enjoyed the newness of starting a new grade: new books, new pencils, and a new start. Plus, the weather is starting to cool down too--the refreshing bite on your cheek as a cool breeze blows by is always welcome. Also, autumn is especially great for one of my favorite activities: baking. When it's chilly outside, there's nothing better than curling up on a couch, with a book, while you've got something baking in the oven. The smells, the anticipation of something yummy to devour--total happiness! As it is Friday, and if any of you out there have time this weekend, maybe you too should indulge in this activity! To aid you, I thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes for chocolate chip cookies.

My mother is a pack rat, but in the best way possible. She is the devoted sort, that takes the time to clip recipes, ideas, and articles and file them. I am thankful for that, because sometime during my teenage years, I decided that I wanted to find the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe. A quick perusal of the recipe clippings folder, and I found a bunch of recipes for chocolate chip cookies that had come out of contest that the Seattle Times was hosting. I immediate chose the grand prize winning recipe. It is a true winner, and so easy to do too!

Dave's Chocolate-chip Treasure Cookies
Makes about 3½ dozen (approximately 2-inch cookies)

-- 1½ cups ground graham-cracker crumbs
-- ½ cup all-purpose flour
-- 2 teaspoons baking powder
-- 1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
-- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
-- 2 cups flaked coconut
-- 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
-- 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a bowl, combine the graham-cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a mixer bowl, beat the condensed milk and butter until smooth. Add the graham-cracker mixture and mix well. Stir in the coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts; mixture should appear to be lumpy and dry.

3. Shape dough into 1½-inch balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheets, allowing room to spread. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to racks to cool.

Submitted by David A. Vargus

The only changes I made to this recipe was to substitute hazelnuts for walnuts. A little more expensive, but completely worth it. Plus, if you're will to crush the hazelnuts yourself, Trader Joe's sells a big bag of them for a fairly reasonable price. And honestly, crushing them is kind of fun, as well as cathartic. And for those of you who are not big fans of coconut, please don't let the coconut scare you! It is still delicious and I have had coconut-haters eat three of these cookies in one sitting. And I can tell you this: if you feel like you're being squashed by a gigantic beach ball, baking these is a must.

Happy Baking!
Solstice Festival photo taken by Quy Q. Dinh
Cookie photos taken by Tams

MEMORY: For the littlest brother

2009-09-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am leaving for California tomorrow for two weeks! My youngest brother, Andrew, is beginning college down there, and I already know I'm going to miss him terribly. He is the baby of the Dinh siblings, and the thought of him starting college brings on some bittersweet thoughts. How did he grow up so fast? More importantly, how did I get old so fast? And yet, I am so happy for the many opportunities and new adventures that will be in store for him. He is a wonderful brother, and he deserves so much. Such is the opinion of a biased sister. I know I speak for our other sibling, Vinnie, on this point as well. One thing that I had heard from others who have moved to California, is that my brother will probably not want to move back to Seattle. In case this does happen, I compiled some reasons to entice Andrew back to the Emerald City.

1. BBQs at Golden Gardens

2. Adventures with Vinnie!

3. To make sure Mom's plants do not take over your room.

4. Going to the Fremont Solstice Festival with Dad

5. Checking out cherry blossoms at the UW. Bet your new school won't have these...

6. Just one last shot of a sunset in Seattle

Good luck Andrew! Vinnie and I are so proud of you and love you so, so much.
Love,
J & V

COLOR ESSAY: Green

2009-09-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

In honor of my new green hiking backpack, I decided to compile a photo essay with green as the main color theme! My old orange backpack's waist strap broke (um, don't ask how), and I needed to get a replacement. As I was thinking about this post, I was wondering if I even had enough photos to make this essay work. As it turns out, I must be a hobbit because greens and yellows seem to really catch my eye. Goodness knows, I'm just about as short as one! Thank goodness for those who know me, my feet are not as hairy.

An open field--Spokane, WA

Grapes--Walla Walla, WA

Green Decadence Roll at Wasabi Bistro. One of my favorites!

Spring in the Arboretum--Seattle, WA

Fresh Fish at Pike's Place Market--Seattle, WA

Yellowstone National Park, MT

Asian pears in my parents' garden. Not quite ripe--yet!

Hope you enjoy the greenery!

My Family's Garden

2009-08-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

I went to see my family this Saturday, and it was a warm, lazy, mosey-moving sort of day too. The morning was just made to stroll around in a garden, coffee cup in one hand, camera in the other. The sun shone just enough to warm the skin, without causing one to sweat profusely. The summer in Seattle this year has been hot—almost unbearably so. But as a result, my parents’ garden flourished.

The winter was harsh this year, causing a tree to nearly keel under the weight of the snow. Funnily enough, my mother improvised with the new change. As you can see, she decided to hang hanging baskets with fuchsias off the now-lowered branches.

The tree's shade did the trick in protecting the light and heat sensitive fuchsia!

My father's vegetables and fruits did very well this year too!

What a lovely day! What a great time to be in the garden, and what a summer!

My mother would tell you, her head shaking, that the garden is awfully messy. What with the uncontrollable growth of the weeds, the roses not being hedged properly, etc. I think it's perfect. It's perfectly imperfect.

Weekly Eats: Jack's Tapas Cafe

2009-08-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first installation of Weekly Eats on Joie Joie de Vivre! Each week, we will try to share restaurants, recipes, and foods that we love to eat. It is probably fair to say that there are two types of eaters: those that eat to live, and those that live to eat. If you are of the latter, sit down, and tuck a napkin into your collar. Saliva may cause your computer to short circuit. If you are the former, sit down anyways, and perhaps we can change your mind. At the very least, we’re going to give you a taste of what it is like to live in glorious gluttony. Every story has a beginning and the story of Weekly Eats is no exception.

I am lucky to have a tight-knit group of girlfriends, all of whom enjoy eating and appreciate a good meal. While it is certainly correct to say that friendships are built on trust, respect, and love, I think it is also correct to say that the trust, respect, and love begins simply by sharing a meal and conversation. For my girlfriends and me, the meals are usually at Jack’s Tapas Cafe and the conversations are always about life, work, and (of course) men. And I have to tell you something about hanging out with my girls. We shout. We laugh. We tell stories. We have a blast. And we are certainly NOT quiet. That is, until the food comes out. Despite the implications of its name, Jack’s Tapas Cafe is actually a Chinese restaurant that serves family style helpings of food. Once the platters of food are set out, the focus is entirely on the stir-fried hand shaven noodles, layered scallion bread, or three cup chicken hotpot. Alternately, sometimes we order the five spice beef soup, the braised pork belly, or the bean sprout stir fried with tofu strips. Then, for a solid twenty minutes, the only sounds heard from our table are slurps, sips, sighs of goodness, and the occasional camera clicks to document the temporary food nirvana.

Stir-Fried Shaved Noodles

My Tam and I both have a yummy history with this restaurant. My Tam knew it as a short-lived eatery, which served some of the best hand-shaven noodles she’s ever had, in addition to delicious, layered scallion bread. I knew Jack’s Tapas, as a fairly new establishment, after it had reopened. It was located two blocks down from my seedy apartment, and my roommates and I would celebrate special occasions with stir-fried Chinese eggplant and even more scallion bread. My Tam and I both think that the day I informed her that Jack’s Tapas was still existence as one of the best days of our friendship ever. At our most recent meal at Jack’s Tapas, My Tam came up with the idea of sharing this special place and others like it on our blog. The idea was absolutely wonderful, much like the woman who suggested it. The meal that inspired this brainchild is as follows: warm tea, stir-fried hand shaven noodles, flash fried tofu mixed with vegetables, and onion tortilla with egg. The noodles, scrumptious as always, were chewy, flavorful, with bits of garlicky beef tucked in. The tofu was crispy on the outside, yet silky smooth on the inside. The accompanying sauce and vegetables packed with spices rounded out this dish nicely. But oh, the onion tortilla! What a surprise! My Tam and I knew we were in for a treat when the waitress and co-owner of the restaurant told us while smiling that this dish, above all others, was her absolute favorite. The tortilla itself was light and fluffy and studded with green onions. Wrapped inside of it was a slightly seasoned omelette. It looked like a jelly roll that took the savory, less traveled path. And the taste was subtle perfection.

Flash fried tofu with vegetables

Onion Tortilla with Egg

Eating good food and sharing this experience with others is what we aim to do with Weekly Eats. Think of it as an opportunity to break (scallion) bread, or rekindle old friendships. The joy of eating lies within the food and with the people that one is sharing the fooding experience. And by this, I do not just mean your dinner-comrades-in arms. My Tam and I had finished our meal and were on our way out when the cooks of the restaurant came out to greet us. It was a slow evening and the Seattle sun was finally cooling down. Jack is a sweet man—shy, with a smile that stretches from ear to ear. Jack’s sous check was sweaty from his labor, but also, seemingly exuberant. Both men and the waitress were grinning hugely, as My Tam and I repeatedly said how much we appreciated our food. The great thing about food is that it has a bonding quality with everyone that is in some way involved with it, and for the most part derives joy for all. We had learned that day, thanks to in the inset of the menu, that Jack, "is so happy when standing in front of the wok.” And we couldn’t be any happier to keep Jack happy.

Photography by My Tam Nguyen
To learn more about Jack's Tapas Cafe: http://www.jackstapas.com/

Have a Cuppa

2009-08-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

A Photo Collection of Drinks

I love lattes. This photo was taken at the Third Place Books in Ravenna Cafe. Pretty sweet, huh?

Mango juice and orange blossom lemonade. Photo taken by My Tam. Love the colors!

Tea time! Dao's palate cleanser at her final exam. Delicious on its own.

Another latte, this time from Cafe Flora. Added bonus: this is the barista's specialty!

Cider from Pike's Place Market. Heh, heh.

A concoction of My Tam's, carried out by Cafe Flora. Cringer + orange juice. GENIUS.

All photos modified by Poladroid.

Bright Haute: Shout-out to Local Artist Kathi Mullaney

2009-08-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Kathi Mullaney is the sort of woman that makes you cheery. Handshakes are not a typical greeting. Think along the lines of a big hug. You cannot help but to smile. And her home is an extension of her personality. At a recent summer party for her children and their friends (and yes, I was lucky enough to be invited. No party crashing necessary here!), I got to see her beautiful home, her studio, and Kathi’s lovely lamps.

Walking around Kathi’s home, I was like a kid in a candy store. With about a million dollars to spare. I just ate up the coziness and homey-ness of it all. And I’m still starving. I was able to admire the lovely rock lamps, where the base is made entirely of pebbles cemented together. Topping this was a custom made lamp shade. The material was heavier, patterned linen. Shown below is an example.

My particular favorite was the lamp base made of beach glass and seashells. The blue and green color combination from the beach glass layered on top each other, with the light bouncing through them, produced a summery seaside incandescence. Pictured below is an example of what I’m trying to describe.

Kathi is also a talented ceramic artist. Have a look! It makes me sort of giddy, almost as if I were in Santa’s workshop.

I really like the details that she puts into her lamps. And how cool is it that a lamp can be both functional and fabulous? I know that there is much encouragement to buy and support local businesses, such as Kathi’s. I also know that there are many good reasons for this, economically and socially. Independent businesses: 1) typically recycle more funds back into the community, providing for further enrichment of the people in the community, 2) allow for increase in product diversity and selection, and 3)are typically more sustainable compared to chain stores, due to the need to be efficient with resources. I’ve only listed a few of the reasons why buying local is important—there are many, many more. But pssst…here’s a secret: I think the best reason to support your local businesses is because you get to know the people behind the work. Like Kathi, the embodiment of kindness and welcoming. It’s almost too coincidental that she has chosen to make lamps as a career. How many quotations are there out there about light casting out darkness, or light being a friend? It is all too fitting here because what makes Kathi’s lamps and work so interesting is that you can really see the artist behind the art. What I’m really trying to say is, you can see the wonderful woman, mother, and friend behind a perfectly metaphorical, bright and warm light.

Images from Kathi’s blog: http://hautelamps.blogspot.com/
Kathi’s work can be found here: http://www.kathleenmullaney.com/

A Heartfelt Life

2009-07-27T23:14:00.000-07:00

This is a post consisting entirely of sentimentality, but I figure since a blog is a space to take some time to share one’s interests, I thought I’d share one of mine. My Tam has done excellent work with this blog, and I think one of the finest qualities of this blog is that it is a collection of things that we here care—no wait, make that are passionate about—be it activism for a worthy cause, divinely beautiful art, or a common interest in fried dough (yum!). When My Tam first introduced her blog to me, she added as a suggestion that I might try blogging about crafts that I was interested in. And now I am finally taking her up on her suggestion!

But where to begin? When did I suddenly decide to take the time to make an anniversary card? What exactly happened that made me decide that learning how to knit was a must? What made me decide to go on photography escapades? I cannot be exactly sure when I dove headfirst into arts and crafts but my best guess is around my senior year of undergraduate college years. I still remember seeing the book that perhaps changed it all. Perched neatly on display at the University Bookstore at the Husky Union Building was Minigami by Gay Merrill Gross. Something about the colors drew me in. Pink and yellow ducks on a neon turquoise background (um, yes, choice of color scheme leaves much to be desired). On a whim, I bought the book. I returned the next day to buy origami paper. Other than that slight newbie mistake, I was on my way to loving origami. My first project was an anniversary card for my parents which consisted of three button flowers glued to some cardstock. I chose a light green background and made the flowers in various shades of pink. Inside the pink flowers I made even smaller yellow flowers to stick inside. I was quite sure that Lilly Pulitzer would have approved and proudly presented the card to my parents, after my brothers and I wrote little notes of happiness and congratulations to our parents. My parents still have this card on display in our family room.

It will come as no surprise that flushed with this success, I decided that card making was a one way route to total zen. However, as an undergraduate in desperate need to graduate, I turned my proper attention to school. Also, as a very hungry undergraduate, I also had to devote time at my part time job, to support my eating habits. And my eating habits simply consist consuming more than is really necessary. But that’s a separate post. With a major in the sciences, and a part-time job in technical support, I soon shelved my crafting aspirations. I made the occasional card here and there when I had time, but more often than not, I went to Bartells and picked up something that I found humorous. I went on to post-graduate education, which firmly entrenched me in the sciences. Don’t get me wrong, I love science and will continue to pursue a career in it. BUT. There was something else to be desired. I soon realized my need for a creative outlet when I saw a girl cross the street one day between Campus Parkway and the Ave. What was so intriguing about this girl was that she was knitting while walking. She was making a bag on a pair of circular needles. At the time, knitting was also making a comeback as the activity du jour. I decided I had to knit. Needed to knit. And so I took to this new activity the same way I did with origami. Unfortunately, the outcomes were far from successful. It took me a year and a trial of three books before I learned to knit. Despite all my frustrations, I kept on trying, with a zeal which was unusual for me. I did not take kindly to disappointment in the form of gigantic knots of yarn. Then my friend Mary recommended Stitch n’ Bitch by Debbie Stoller, and things started getting better. In fact, it got so good, that I knitted my first scarf. It was a hideous blue and I knit it so tightly that it had the texture of a place mat. I have never worn this scarf, and most likely never will. My next project was the architect scarf that I found in Greetings from Knit Café by Suzan Mischer. Finally, at last, knitting success! The friend that I gave this scarf to seemed pleased. Whether or not he actually was pleased is questionable—I did give it to him in the middle of August when he absolutely did not need it. Still, I appreciated the enthusiasm, nonetheless. I knit on and on and then suddenly I became the constant bus knitter (even in 90 degree weather) on the Metro 75.

Now in retrospect, I see that my insistence on learning to knit, and crafting in general was because I wanted an activity that brought me and those that I love happiness. As a child growing up, my family was constantly involved in crafts. I have memories of my aunt making her own ornaments for Christmas, my mother teaching me how to make jump rope from rubber bands, and my father making cans of jam during the summer. As a housewarming present, one of my aunts gave my family an embroidered piece, while another made knick-knacks for decorating. It is these pieces that I remember because I was so impressed that it was made with their own hands. That someone would take the time to create something beautiful to make them happy. I was also inspired by their creations and the attention to detail. All of these pieces still decorate my parents’ house. Along with a green card studded with pink flowers. The title of this post is, “A Heartfelt Life” because it is what art, crafts, and creativity in general means to me. There is is just something special, that is unfortunately hard to describe, about the handmade. To make something with your own hands and enjoy the entire process, to transfer this joy of making something to someone else by giving your piece, and then finally, to inspire others to pursue something that means a lot to them. Well. One cannot help but feel gladness.

But you know what? The gladness isn’t exclusive. It is, in fact, what this blog is all about.

Urban Craft Uprising

2009-07-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

What: A showcase for independent craftsters + craft author signings + DEMOS!!!
When: August 1st and 2nd, 11am-5pm both days
Where: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
Fee: It's free. But if you come early, there's a pretty nifty swag bag!
Why: (1) Support local artists and craftsmen/women, (2) jump start or further fuel the creativity, (3) because there's just something really cool about the handmade.

How to Make Multi Layered Stencil Art - wikiHow

2009-06-10T09:45:00.000-07:00

We can't all be like Banksy, but it's worth a try.

How to Make Multi Layered Stencil Art - wikiHow

Butoh: "Not thinking, only soul"

2009-05-19T23:50:00.000-07:00

NOT THINKING, ONLY SOUL

Butoh

charting uncertainty gracefully

flexibility and enjoyment with life's changes

discovering and mastering your hidden gifts and talents

joyfully living your life's passion and purpose

breaking out of imposed patterns and old stuck "boxes"

natural ease with creativity and uniqueness

playing your own special role in the world

finding enjoyment and value in your unique gifts

playing your own special role in the world

being a valuable contribution

confidence to shine forth and be seen!

connection with self and all of creation

heightened sensitivity and sensuality

capacity to listen and trust

drop in to a place of belonging

love yourself, your body, your life

become intimate with the motion of the soul

inspire one another

tap hidden sources of your creativity

powerful presence in performance and life

transform stuck areas in your body and life

nurture yourself and others in body, heart and soul

loosen up and let go

dance like a child again

FREEDOM TO BE who you are at any age, in any place with any BODY.

http://www.maureenfreehill.net/

they call it civil disobedience; i call it divine obedience- father roy bourgeois

2009-05-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Be Love offers a beautiful collection of eco t-shirts, all are fair trade & made sweatshop free. Our organic peace t-shirts are perfect for yogawear & feature designs such as Be the Change, My Life is My Message & Gandhi.

Be Love supports nonviolence education & nonviolent direct action in the spirit of Gandhi & Dr Martin Luther King.

beloveforall.org

Beautiful Blogs!

2008-12-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

INSPIRATION DROUGHT?
The following blogs are beautiful, and sure to rejuvenate your creativity!

Alix is a French clothing designer, photographer, and fashion guru.
Her photos remind me of some sort of crazy fantasyland-ish place:
http://www.cherryblossomgirl.com/

Holly Becker is a interior designer and writer.
Beautiful blog: http://decor8blog.com/

I love this site! Patterns for sewing, knitting, crocheting.
And the Inspiration!
http://www.purlbee.com/

Anna Maria Horner is a designer, crocheter, sewer, etc.
http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/

Heather Ross is a sewer, textile designer, artist...etc.
http://heatherross.squarespace.com/journal/

Indie fashion site
http://www.smashingdarling.com/