After toiling away in my studio for a few months, I have finally completed my little apron line and posted it on Etsy.com. In the meantime, I am continuing to make more items, which I will be selling privately and not posting online. If purchasing one or more of these very soon-to-be-sewn items interests you, please drop me an email and save yourself a shipping fee (and U.S. pricing).
'Black Thunder, Josephine Baker' -by Paul Colin
What happens when a dress-wearing interior decorator / former fashion designer attends a full time culinary school program for 15 weeks…..in the world’s most hideous uniform? Once she overcomes the realization that she is, in fact, far more vain than she had earlier thought, she then begins to anticipate the day when she will be sprung from the joint- not only to be reunited with her civies, but also to do her bit in bringing sexy back to the kitchen.....
Somehow, I’d made it to forty without ever having to wear a uniform (unless you count grade 6, when I played second flute in the North Shore Youth Band and had to wear a burgundy blazer). Whether or not it had been a conscious choice to spend my years avoiding wardrobe repression, I’m not entirely sure. But I am certain that, once required to adorn the same nasty ensemble day in and day out (January to April 2008), plus realizing that my yearning for creative self expression was going unfulfilled- I felt awful and, still worse, I looked awful! I don’t know whose bright idea it was that ill fitting, synthetic, asexual clothing (that disguises both curves and muscles) equals professionalism, but I doubt they’d be much fun to go out dancing with. I dreamed of the day when I could get cooking with some inspiring kitchen fashions.....
‘An apron is simply a loin cloth with ruffles.’
- Gloria D. Nixon-John
What’s so wrong with a workplace peppered with feminine and / or masculine beauty, anyway? Was anyone ever really that bent out of shape because of a momentary, eye pleasing distraction? I highly doubt it. The culinary world is full of both men and women, working side by side and usually dressed in the exact same generic attire. Have we not come far enough in our battle of the sexes that we can celebrate the differences and simply get on with the many tasks at hand?
I thought it might be fun to seek out the opinion of an industry professional. Tony Minichiello (one of my fabulous Northwest Culinary Academy instructors, plus the school’s co-owner) was kind enough to share his opinion regarding the apron:
“There's a scene in the German film of a perfectionist chef, Mostly Martha, where she starts her day of work by tightly wrapping and tying her apron around her waist. I very much related to that scene. More than the chef's jacket, and definitely the hat, the apron tightly wound around my waist makes me feel ready for my work. Without it I literally feel naked."
"I'm a traditionalist (when it comes to the apron), I have to admit. I like the long, plain white one that wraps just above the hips and comes down below the knees. It also must have long tying strings - I like the big bow in the front. I love - and I do mean love - folding it a couple of times at the top and a very tight knot, as if wearing a weight-lifter's belt.”
As for the pants.....the very same day my friend, Kieran, was issued his culinary school uniform (while attending a different culinary school), he headed straight to his tailor for alterations, anxious to correct his stiff, bulky, one-size-fits-all pants that made him look as if he was continually “sporting wood”.....talk about distracting.
Above: 'Adam and Eve' -Rubens 1628-29. (Museo del Prado, Madrid)
‘Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons’
- Bible: Genesis 3:7
‘Apron’ originates from the old French word ‘naperon’, meaning ‘napkin or small tablecloth.’ We traditionally think of aprons as being used for cooking (though they have been cook’s companion for hundreds of years), but other occupations such as butchers, welders, school teachers and shop keepers also historically wore aprons to protect their clothing from getting dirty. Keep in mind that these were times when most did not have the luxury of owning a large wardrobe, and the clothing that they did have was washed by hand. Since the early 19th century, women have used aprons for many purposes. In addition to providing protective cover, these garments helped with a variety of important tasks.
‘For domestic workers in the early 1900s, the apron was a convenient, all-purpose tool, used to carry wood and kindling, to gather eggs and vegetables, to wipe their brows in the noon-day sun, or just to hide a special treat for a willing helper.’
- ‘Ma Dear’s Aprons’ by Patricai C. McKissack
‘In farm communities, women would use their aprons to plant; twenty or more women would line up side by side, each with her pouched apron full of grain, and would sow the freshly plowed fields in unison with the seeds from their aprons.'
- From 'Aprons- Icons of the American Home' by Joyce Cheny
Following the Great Depression, many 1940s aprons were made from the patterned linings of flour bags and seed sacks. This heavier fabric was also used for making dresses, shirts, children’s clothing and quilts. For some, feed sacks bring to mind the scarcity of material, but at the same time there is a romance to the idea that women could make something beautiful from something so mundane.
In the 1950’s, society started to see a new stereotype. During this era, women were usually portrayed on television as good homemakers, perfect wives and doting mothers….rarely seen without their aprons. By the 1960s, the apron’s popularity was beginning to wane, as more people bought cheaper clothing and installed washing machines (and dryers) in their homes. The 70s brought somewhat of a revival, in the form of a shapeless, bibbed apron (think ‘Kiss the Cook’, full frontal nudity and cheesy beer jokes) as a companion to the (then) new found popularity of home barbequing.
These days, we are currently enjoying a new kind of apron revival. This time around, aprons have as much to do with making a fashionable statement as they do with our culture's growing passion to cook and entertain at home. According to Austin based apron designer Chasity Gordon of Belle and Burger, “The resurgence of aprons has everything to do with the foodie movement and the growing desire for people to cook at home…..The apron is a real celebration about being at home and making things and family." Most recently, as we enter a new period of economic turmoil and uncertainty, it makes more sense than ever that we are seeing a mass return to domestic arts. I predict that activities such as cooking, preserving, sewing, growing our own food, and doing pretty much anything D.I.Y are about to become hotter than ever. As we figure out how to save money while still enjoying our lives…..we are sure to learn some valuable new skills and surprising pleasures such as creative expression, self sufficiency and stronger communities.
My own apron collection, ‘global peasant- bringing sexy back to the kitchen’, is due to launch on Etsy in two days. Playful, colourful and cheerful, each piece is made from engineer stripe cotton and accented with pre-loved (and laundered) vintage fabrics that have been reworked into one-of-a-kind pieces. Silhouettes include bistro, café, bib and gathered skirts that are sure to elevate kitchen play. Stay tuned for Monday…..
I know it sounds lame, but I'm busier than stink these days. I don't expect any sympathy.....just trying to explain the sorry state of my blog entries of late. I actually have lots of great stuff to share, just as soon as the dust settles. In the meantime, I have decided to call on others to help out.....in the form of guest bloggers. It is with enormous gratitude and appreciation that I introduce today's virtual guest.....my super fabulous super fine friend, Cecilia Greyson. She is a self described "avid writer, bicyclist, and persimmon lover who lives in Vancouver and wishes that pineapples grew in her backyard."
Cecilia's apple photo- I love a guest who sends their own artwork!!!
"Simple pleasures. That's become my de facto motto of the moment, my mantra in a jumpy economic climate. Maybe I'm lazy, maybe I'm a lousy cook, but I can't help but celebrate my current mode of eating – a stripped down, bare bones, let 'er rip roots revival, delighting in the simplest pleasures that the planet has to offer, unadorned and unaltered.
This fall, I'm a happy resident of the Garden of Eden. (Or the Garden of Eating, depending on your viewpoint.) Autumn fruit is centre stage on my table, served without sugar, spice, pastry or pretence.
Organic apples are incredible, crisp and tart and sweet by turn, sliced with the peel in a bowl and eaten in chunks, juicy and satisfying. Soft orange persimmon flesh is spiced naturally with cinnamon-esque perfume, incredibly sweet on the tongue. Pomegranates, so hard to peel, are worth it for every lemon-tangy morsel rich with lipstick-pink juice. Grainy pears are sugar-sweet and fragrant, and grapes are simply divine: little round globes of pure honey, green and purple and red.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm missing out on something special. After all, what fancy restaurant would serve any dish this simple? But I keep coming back, having my fruit and eating it too, and enjoying the incredible variety we're given at this time of year. Yes, it's true: I do like them apples."- by Cecilia Greyson
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Holy crap.....he won! I didn't dare dream he would seize victory as he did (though I prayed for it in a daily "Please, please I will never, ever swear again" sort of a way). The world has been watching.....and the world is thrilled for his victory. On November 4, Barack Obama united America through his eloquent words of inclusiveness and empowerment.
Most of us are guilty of doing it from time to time....starting with the best of intentions, we put our leftovers in the fridge, leaving them to fester and get smelly, until they eventually achieve compost status. Last week I stumbled upon a recipe for making rice pudding from leftover cooked rice- something I often have kicking around in the chilled abyss known as my refrigerator. Though the recipe's flavouring ingredients didn't particularly rock my world, its basic quantities served as a great starting point. From there, I took things in a somewhat Asian direction, plus I added some bling of my own. The end result was sweet, soothing and scrumptious- elevated comfort food, if you will.
Coconut-Vanilla Rice Pudding
2 c cooked basmati rice
1 1/3 c 2% milk
2/3 c coconut milk
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1/4 c brown sugar
2/3 c raisins
¼ tsp salt
¼ c toasted slivered or rough cut almonds
¼ c good fruit jam
Combine regular milk, sugar and salt in heavy saucepan. Using a sharp pairing knife, split the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. With the tip of the knife, carefully scoop out the pulp from the centre of the bean. Add the bean and the pulp to the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer and add the cooked rice and the raisins. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until thick and creamy, 10-15 minutes. Then add the coconut milk to the rice mixture. Continue to stir, cooking until the pudding has come to a thick and creamy consistency (so the rice is really tender and the extra liquid has evaporated). Remove vanilla bean. Spoon pudding into serving dishes. To garnish, warm jam in a small pot over a low heat and immediately drizzle over the pudding. Lastly, sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serves 4.
During last month's San Francisco trip, I was stopped in my tracks by Nikki McClure's charming art book ‘Collecting Raindrops'- The Seasons Gathered. To flip through its oversize pages is to be sweetly transported and deeply moved. I bought it on the spot, not even looking at the price (at $29.95 US, this delightful treasure is a bargain at 4 times the price).
"Nikki McClure of Olympia, Washington is known for her painstakingly intricate and beautiful paper cuts. Armed with an X-acto knife, she cuts out her images from a single sheet of paper and creates a bold language that translates the complex poetry of motherhood, nature, and activism into a simple and endearing picture…..Her work depicts the virtues of hard labor and patience.....weathered hands washing dishes, people sweeping, mothers caring for their babies, and farmers working the land….."
'Collecting Raindrops' takes its reader on an eloquent tour of the seasons, beginning with the slowed pace and introspection of Winter and finishing with Fall’s harvest and preparations. ‘Share the Table’ (above image) instantly reminds me of my great fondness for soup….cooking it, eating it and, of course, sharing it. There are few foods I can think of that are, both literally and figuratively, as heart warming and restorative as a piping hot bowl of thoughtfully prepared soup. As autumn settles in and the days bring with them a chill….as the harvest provides us with a bounty of hearty, tasty winter produce…..it is, quite simply, time for soup.
Thai-Coconut Squash Soup
This soup is spicy and creamy, yet not too rich. You could also use pumpkin or butternut squash, in place of the acorn. If you like your soup extra spicy, add more curry paste!
2 acorn squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 litre chicken stock
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon (or more) red Thai curry paste
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt (or to taste)
fresh cracked pepper
1 fresh lime, cut into small wedges
Preheat the oven to 375*
Carefully cut each squash into quarters. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Slather each piece of squash with butter, sprinkle generously with salt, place on a baking sheet skin sides down, and cover loosely with tin foil. Roast in the oven for about one hour or until the squash is tender throughout.
When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop it away from its skin. Set aside. In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and then onions, stirring and cooking until onions are yellow and clear. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste. Stir long enough to allow these flavours to become slightly cooked and aromatic. Add the squash and then the chicken stock. Simmer, stirring constantly, until all the vegetables are really tender. Remove from heat. Place the pot in the kitchen sink (to avoid splattering) and puree with a hand blender. Return the pot to the stove, and reduce the heat to low. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with wedges of lime and squeeze juice into soup just before eating.
Serves 6-8 people.
A few soup quotes.....
“Soup is cuisine's kindest course. It breathes reassurance; it steams consolation; after a weary day it promotes sociability, as the five o'clock cup of tea or the cocktail hour.”
-Louis P. De Gouy, The Soup Book (1949)
"Only the pure of heart can make good soup"
-Beethoven
"Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite."
-Auguste Escoffier
Hey everybody! I'm back in business, complete with a new (but used) hard drive.....guess it's time to learn how to back up all my files, huh?
Today was going just fine..... until I dropped my laptop in the parking lot. After rushing it to 'IT Services', I awaited a preliminary exam, followed by a serious diagnosis. According to Tibor (the in-house technician) my hard drive had taken a hard dive and would need to be replaced. As my mishap had occured right before a Thanksgiving long weekend, ordering the part and performing the required surgery shall keep me sitting on the cyberspace sidelines for about 1 week, assuming that all goes well.....
Guess where I was 2 weeks ago? If you guessed 'Kashmir', you would be incorrect. I was actually a mere 15 minute drive from my house at A.C. Gilmore Farms (above), located on No. 8 Road in Richmond, B.C. (The llama’s name is ‘Ben’ and that’s the Nanaksar Gurdwara Guru Sikh Temple in the background.) I was out farm touring with my friend’s Arlene Kroeker (columnist for the Richmond Review) and Anne Casselman (creator and writer for Food and Tell)..... 3 women, 3 farms, in 3 hours.
Founded 3 generations ago by Andy Capp Gilmore, this 236 acre spread is now run by A.C. Gilmore & Sons Company. In turn, a four acre portion of the property is being rented by Gilmore grandson, Andy, and his wife, Dee. In her previous life before moving to the farm, Dee was the owner and operator of ‘Crazy Horse Live Stock & Pet Food Supply’. Full of energy, vision and enthusiasm, she was a most informative and entertaining hostess as she toured us around the land and the barns, showing us their various pets and livestock, all while filling us in on some of the local agricultural gossip..... there is enough material there to create a Dallas-esque t.v. series, I swear. Horses, sheep, llamas, goats, dogs, turkeys (who happened to be listening to country music on the barn radio when we dropped by) and chickens seem to all coexist well, though the dogs are not allowed near anything with wings, for they are sure to eat it. A self-described ‘meatatarian’, Dee does grow some fruit and vegetables close to their house, but usually gives most of it away, instead preferring a steady diet of meat and poultry..... with the exception of potatoes and the occasional squash. Because she raises her organic chickens for a duration of 63 days vs. the usual 23, the birds are allowed to mature long enough that their bones can calcify and produce gelatin (and flavour!) when cooked. At $5/ lb, these tasty beauties are a delicious bargain. The 6 pounder I bought is currently sitting pretty in my freezer, waiting patiently to become the perfect Sunday dinner. To buy chicken from Dee, email her @ crzhorse@telus.net
Making new friends at Gilmore Farms.
Next, we dropped in on Tai On Farms. Helen and her sister, who is known to everyone as 'Auntie', have owned and operated for an impressive 35 years. Originally the first in the Richmond area to grow Chinese produce, today they continue to sell their beautiful, fresh fruit and vegetables direct to the public from their retail location on No. 5 Rd.
Last, but certainly not least, we paid a return visit to Jose @ JPS Vegetable Farm. I had been to see him a few times last Spring, always enjoying his warmth, his extensive botanical knowledge and, most of all, his childlike enthusiasm. Since last May there have been a few additions; most notably, a cow named Susie. In turn, she has independently aquired 2 goat friends of her own. Though they actually live across the street, they walk themselves over to JPS each morning, enjoy a full day of grazing with their bovine buddy, and then return home each night before dark.
Susie and the kids at JPS Vegetable Farm. If you drop by Jose's you can purchase his fresh eggs and produce, or just wander through the quirky, enchanted greenhouse / doggy day care. JPS Vegetable Farm is located at 12700 Blundell Rd in Richmond.
Our homemade Ricotta.....No, wait- it's actually 'Day Cheese'.
Earlier this month I invited two friends over to spend a Sunday afternoon at my house…..or rather, in my kitchen. Somehow we had gotten it into our heads that we should try our collective hand at making cheese. My friend, Sylvia, is a modern day Renaissance woman who is hugely capable at figuring out how to do accomplish pretty much anything she puts her mind to.....from tiling her entire bathroom to erecting an 8 foot high bamboo pagoda in her garden and then growing a vertical pumpkin patch on it- honestly!. Having long ago mastered a recipe for ‘Sada Paneer’, she was definitely the more experienced of our cheesemaking trio. Michelle and I, both recent culinary school graduates, were used to attempting new recipes and techniques, though our curriculum had included zero cheesemaking. Having just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’, I had been most inspired by her experience attending a cheesemaking workshop at Ricki Carroll's New England Cheesemaking Company in Ashfield, Massachesetts. She then returned home, immediately applying her new found know-how to frequent fresh cheese production for scrumptious family meals. I had even sourced an available supply of unpasteurized milk, through a dairy farm in Chilliwack. Though this is a fantastic ingredient for producing optimal cheese (not to mention the way it has been done for thousands of years), it is illegal to buy and sell. The only way around this regulation is to purchase shares in an actual cow, such as the one in Chilliwack, and then pick up one's regular supply at a secret location. I figured that if our day went well, we might want to consider exploring some alternative ingredient options.....
Sylvia’s Sada Paneer
6 cups milk (low-fat to whole will work)
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1. Boil milk and then add the buttermilk. Reduce heat to medium.
Return to boil while stirring continuously, until curds form and separate from the whey. (about 4-5 minutes) Remove from heat and let stand uncovered for 10 minutes.
2. Line colander with double cheese cloth. Ladle curds into cloth.
Tie 4 corner together tie to wooden spoon and hang into pot to drain
for 2 hours.
3. Place wrapped paneer on a plate and cover with a cookie sheet. Weigh down with something heavy- like a 1 gallon water jug. Let stand for 1 1/2 hrs.
4. Unwrap paneer and cut into wedges. Lasts 4 days in the fridge. Also freezes well. Makes about 1 cup.
We decided on 3 recipes for the day- ricotta, cream cheese and mozzarella. Of the 3 cheeses we attempted, our results went as follows: The ricotta turned out not to be ricotta at all. (I only noticed this after the fact, when I went back on the recipe's website to find this reader’s comment- “What you made is a ricotta substitute called ‘Day Cheese’. I bet it tastes good too though.” It’s flavour was light and mild, though its texture was rather dry. Our second effort, the cream cheese, didn’t thicken properly. Even after leaving it at room temperature for the recipe's maximum suggested time (before I thought we might start to poison people), it was still too runny and seemed more like sour cream. And, lastly, the mozzarella was a full out flop. It had been the only cheese we attempted to make using rennet, which is a natural complex of enzymes that can coagulate milk, causing it to separate into curds and whey. The necessary reaction never occurred, and we had do dump the whole lot down the sink. Despite the fact that we ended up wasting a large quantity of milk, we still managed to enjoy ourselves, stopping for a lunch break of ‘day cheese’ with fresh bread, pesto, pickles and cold beer.
Little Miss Muffet sat on..... eating her curds and whey.....
Would I do it again? Not without proper supervision, though I would take a stab at the paneer recipe. Since then I have begun an email dialogue with local cheese maker ‘Farmer Tomas’. He does occasional workshops and has assured me that an October date will soon be announced..... one which will include the use of rennet. I think I know 3 women who would be very interested in attending.
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