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Put ‘em Up

12.26.09
mitts1
photo by george billard

What better day than Boxing Day to tell you about these silicone mini mitts over which I have been obsessing? These nubby little grippers are truly a perfect design. So far I’ve only seen them here, made by a company called Dexas. I love that they’re available in 5 colors. They’re sold singly, but I recommend you get a pair. Mine have put my leather potholders from the Demon (aka Dean & Deluca) totally out of commission. Just be sure you wear the mitts properly, with your thumb in the shorter part, otherwise things can get a little awkward.


I can’t think of how to work this in gracefully, but I have to mention the death of Vic Chesnutt. In the words of his friend and supporter, Michael Stipe, “We’ve lost a great one.” An overdose of muscle relaxants put Vic into a coma earlier this week, and he died yesterday at the age of 45. An incredibly talented musician and poet, he had pondered suicide even before a car accident (he was driving drunk) left him paralyzed at 18 (though, amazingly, he still managed to play guitar). Vic was recently interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air; listen to the man and his music here. Or go online and find his song, Flirted With You All My Life, off his album At The Cut. It’s a beautiful expression of his conflicted yearnings for death. Among other things with which he struggled (depression, alcohol, drugs), Vic was apparently also dealing with a lot of debt incurred from his medical expenses. When will that refrain cease to haunt us? Thanks for staying with us as long as you did, Vic Chesnutt. May you rest in peace.

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The House Cocktail

12.22.09
housecocktailphoto by george billard

I got into bourbon about 10 years ago, when a friend introduced me to Booker’s. I had been a Scotch drinker up until then, and am still partial to a nice Glenlivet or occasionally something peatier. But I do have a bit of a sweet tooth, and love the vanilla flavors in a good bourbon. Made from corn mash and aged in charred oak barrels, bourbon has a smooth, smoky roundness, like liquid amber. I drink it on the rocks, with a couple of brandied sour cherries, or in my favorite cocktail that I make with the addition of just two simple ingredients. I suppose it bears some faint resemblance to an old-fashioned. I will be shaking one up this evening, and sipping it as I gaze, hypnotized, into the fire.


The Eldred

serves 1

  • 2 ounces bourbon (try Booker's or Tuthilltown's Baby Bourbon)
  • 1 generous ounce maple syrup (grade B preferred)
  • 1 generous ounce fresh lemon juice
  1. Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake it up.
  2. Serve in a rocks glass.

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Grindhouse

11.7.09

mortar&pestle


You can really connect with your inner cave woman when using a mortar and pestle. Or maybe it will take you back to Baba Yaga, that terrifying witch of childhood fables who flew around in a mortar, using her pestle as a rudder. There’s something very primal about this kitchen tool, although you can see that the one I have, above, is pretty civilized. I also have a deeper one made of cement that I use for making papaya salad Thai-style, and a small wooden one I use for crushing herbs. Some people like to use a traditional Mexican molcajete for guacamole, although I prefer squishing the avocado in my hands. And real pesto aficionados always rely on a mortar and pestle. They are available in a wide range of materials, from porcelain to marble. My point is, your kitchen shouldn’t be without one. Any time you need to smash or pulverize anything, in smallish quantities, your mortar and pestle will give you greater control than a spice grinder or food processor. Use it to make spice mixes and salt blends, to crush peppercorns, mix compound butters, make a garlic-salt paste, and on and on. Read the rest of this entry »

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Natural Cleaning

9.20.09

good_housekeeping_1908_08_a


Would it surprise you to know that I’m a lazy slob when it comes to cleaning my own house? And for the last god-knows-how-many years, I’ve been lucky enough to pay someone else to do it. Money I consider extremely well-spent. But now that I’m  a country mouse in my own little house, living in a town where the only cleaning person a neighbor of mine could find was an unreliable meth addict (is there any other kind?), I’ve been forced to take things into my own hands. Before you go all Betty Friedan on me, let me say that I get plenty of help from the husband. And I also rely on a host of natural cleaning products. Read the rest of this entry »

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Scented Geraniums

9.10.09

leaf

I love scented geraniums (pelargonium). Their sweetly spicy aroma makes me swoon and revives me all at once. (I wonder if this is why they were so popular with Victorian ladies?) There are so many different varieties—apple, lime, ginger, lemon, rose, frankincense—and they retain their smell all year long. The oil exuded by their leaves is said to repel mosquitoes and biting flies; it is also antibacterial and speeds the healing of cuts and burns. My friend Kenny wears it as his signature fragrance. A couple of drops on your pulse points and you smell great all day long. You can also use scented geraniums in cooking: to flavor sugar or simple syrups; to line the bottom of a cake pan before pouring in the batter; in vinegars and marinades; combined with lemon balm or mint for tea. Read the rest of this entry »

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Al Fresco

9.7.09

porch

photo by george billard

Our house is pretty tiny, so adding on a screened-in porch made a very dramatic impact on our lives–especially from May to October, when we practically live in this big outdoor room. It almost doubles the square-footage of our home and it’s cool and comfortable and safe from May flies and mosquitoes. There are built-in banquettes big enough to lie down on (or even spend the night on), a hammock, a couple of outdoor pantries and a big table where we eat our meals. We can look over at our vegetable garden or out at the many birds that come to visit our trees and the feeders G has put up. We hear the mourning doves coo, watch the butterfly bush attract its lovely fans and see the bats swoop out in the evening. These are the simple, everyday pleasures of living in nature and they define our lives. What Thoreau called the divinity—the genius—of nature brings a calming rhythm and a real delight to our daily business.

 

When was the last time you gave yourself the gift of some time in the great outdoors?


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What a Tool

7.29.09

muddler

sorry for the lame photo

A muddler is a handy bar tool, used like a pestle to mash (aka muddle) fruits, herbs or spices in the bottom of a glass. This helps release and meld their flavors, the better to infuse your drink. It’s kind of essential for an authentic mojito or caipirinha or mint julep. (It also comes in hand for beating back sneaky individuals who are constantly trying to filch tidbits off your cutting board.)  This video from Chowhound takes a pretty authoritative stance on how to properly use this smashing tool. I own the above version which I’m not that thrilled with because there is some sort of finish or varnish on it that comes off (into my drink?) so I suggest you find a naked wood one or maybe a metal one but maybe not one made of plastic when you make this classic mojito… Read the rest of this entry »

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