Author Archives: j

parkway

the strip of ground between the sidewalk and the street is sprouting with greenery. to stay on top of the weeds, i overturned the soil today in the setting sun. turns out, not 2 inches below the surface, the soil is moist and dark brown. how is that even possible?!? we are in a drought!!!

$3800 for $50

technically, this is the best deal we may ever get in our lifetime. i’ve been waiting for the right moment to write about our new hutch and today is perfect because i took a broken tambour door to a furniture guy in the valley and he is only charging me $50. but first, some backstory…

this is the danish hutch m saw many years ago and it is her ideal. note the curvy hutch supports and rounded teak. and all that teak – so beautiful.

we gave mama bear our current hutch on jun 21, thinking we would replace it immediately with a hutch located in downtown, but turned out the hutch was too shallow for our ittala dinner plates. we spent 2 months with mugs and bowls in the guest bedroom dresser and serving bowls on the bed and silverware in a snapware with pot lids. but on august 23, 2015, we won a hutch at an auction in connecticut for $1500. after shipping, the total cost of the piece is approximately $2000.

to help us gauge the cost, we referred to 1stdibs which had a similar hutch for $5800. turns out, the hutch said “Sold” right after we won the auction. yup, it was the same hutch just marketed differently in a seemingly complex auction process. the auction house is listed as Fairfield County Antique and Design Center even though i contacted westport auction to arrange transport and payment and i registered through live auctioneers to actually bid. here are the 1stdibs photos:

1stdibs advertised a fixed tambour door but that was the only difference between the 1stdibs description and the auction description. see that white paint on the bottom of the hutch frame? ours had the same paint and i managed to buff it out when i cleaned the wood.

i’ve spent the last 2 weeks investigating which oil to use to feed the thirsty wood and who can fix the tambour door. i eventually found old friends antiques in canoga park. when i first contacted them about the door, they were very responsive and helpful. they estimated the fix to be about $150-$200 but when i showed them the door today, he quoted me $50. let me say that again: $50. so essentially, we got $3800 for $50. and he wanted to give me $6 orange oil for free but i couldn’t accept it and i insisted on paying $5. they delivered great customer service and quality craftsmanship and, in light of recent events, i know that combo is becoming very rare.

limoncello magic

sadly, my notes from last time aren’t as comprehensive as i would like. i put a paper filter in the gold filter and am performing a first pass filtration. i’ve already made the simple syrup (4 cups of sugar to 6 cups water – double batch, just like the vodka).

on to my second filtration, still using gold filter + paper filter. (also, it turns out i can’t read very well because i filtered it 3 times last time: once with gold filter only and twice with gold filter + paper filter.) will add photos but keep in mind that the white balance of the LED lights above the kitchen table always throw the color off. i’ve been using 3500K on the sony and 3400K on the nikon. one step to one side, the photo is too blue; one step to the other side, the photo is too pink. i like 5400K so much better. lesson learned: getting the exposure right helps achieve proper white balance.

i filtered a total of three times, all with paper + gold filter. it’s sitting in the fridge (infusion and sugar separately) until i can clean the kimchi jar in the dishwasher to reuse for the final mixture.

carabiner

i always have at least one carabiner on me at all times. today, i have three. that may seem like overkill, but sometimes, like today in a bathroom without a hook, they come in very handy:

  

walking and cycling

i may have overdone it today. i had time to kill in segments today so i walked and then i biked and then i walked again. it was almost like a duathlon except i don’t run. or, rather, i run, realllllly slowly.

  • 13480 steps
  • 5.25 miles
  • 1:15:38
  • 11.4mph average speed
  • 14.31 miles
  • 5:17 min/mile average pace
  • 18.7 mph max speed
  • 308 feet elevation gain
  • 301 feet elevation loss
  • 59 feet max elevation
  • 338 calories burned
  • 21oz dehydration
  • 1:11:35
  • 12mph average speed
  • 14.33 miles

soy-braised kabocha squash

Braising is one of our favorite ways to bring out the texture and flavor of winter squash. With ginger, garlic, soy, and mirin (rice wine), the Chinese flavors in this braise make for a surprisingly versatile accompaniment to any main dish.

Saveur’s Soy-Braised Kabocha Squash
serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp. canola oil
1⁄2″ piece ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 scallions, minced, plus more for garnish
1⁄4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. mirin
1 tbsp. sugar
1⁄2 medium kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1″x4″ wedges
Instructions

Heat oil in 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic and scallions, and cook until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Add stock, soy sauce, mirin and sugar; bring to a simmer. Add squash and cook, turning once, until softened, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, turning once to evenly glaze, about 15 minutes more.

paella

  
we used 4 sticks of bilbao chorizo which had a nice texture and was less greasy and overpowering than WF mexican chorizo. i probably overdid it with the seafood but not by too much as it was consumed without too much complaint. next time, less sausage and more chicken. isn’t it pretty? all that color from the piquillo peppers and peas…