Friday Food for Thought

Are you living "all ears"?

Friday's Food for Thought ~ 

P.S. ~ What do you all think of the new blogger layouts available? Mosaic? Flipcard?  How does one choose?  Or do you.  I'm kind of partial to the blog design I've labored hours over. :)

Artist Spotlight: One Day ~ Oona Hassim

One day I would like to own an original Oona Hassim painting.  I first discovered Oona's work at the 2010 Artropolis, and was enraptured by the mesmerizing painting of a crowd bustling every which way, a scene which reminded me of Chicago's Union Station.  I spent a good twenty minutes following the various individuals' paths, then stepping away and taking in the painting as a whole, a mass of moving objects, the effect of hustle and bustle captured so perfectly. Artropolis 2011, I literally ran up to the Woolff Gallery outpost when I spotted another one of Oona's crowd portraits.  And that's when I knew, I simply love this Zambian artist.


'Urban Landscape:: Pink Reflections'

'Urban Landscape:: Fragmented Tones'

I love that she fuses figurative and abstract painting so perfectly.  I love that she focuses on random crowds in large cities, dashing this way and that, trying to get to their individual destinations, yet collectively losing their individual identities.  I love that when you first look at her paintings, they encapsulate this movement, and make you look deeper into them, until you are following each person giving your own story to each and where they are going.

'Urban Landscape:: Weekend Crowds'

'Wandering Crowds'

Her paintings are both modern and timeless.  Her colors are both subtle and bold.  The use of soft grays with flashes of colors amongst the crowd is brilliant.
 

'Demonstration Stampede'

'Drifting Crowds'

'Leicester Square:: Evening'

'Leicester Square:: Muted Greys'

'Leicester Square:: Saturday Night Fever'

'Urban Space:: Lingering'

I've already warned the husband, it's a life goal of mine to one day have an Oona Hassim painting for our home.

{all images}

Rainy Day Cravings

On these rainy fall days, I long to light a candle, read a good book, become a homebody.  Of course that's not always possible when working long hours with social events, gym time, or puppy classes filling up the evenings. So I find myself having serious cravings on these rainy days ~ to get back to simplicity, and a quiet cozy home.  When it happens, it's bliss.

{images}

{I wish we could capture our pup sleeping this peacefully.  She loves posing for the camera though, so as soon as she hears it she wakes up.}

{I'm thinking it's possible to create those teacups candles.. must look into that}

These are my rainy day cravings. What makes your heart flutter on a rainy day?

Oatmeal Muffins that won't leave you with a muffin top

Happy Monday!  This week I am feeling more rejuvenated than most, as I had a perfectly relaxing weekend, spent doing a lot of this...

{cooking all day with fresh ingredients}

and this

{sipping lattes}

and pampering our pup with romps in the park until sheer exhaustion, much like this...

{a tired puppy is a well-behaved puppy, yes?}

and was even able to complete some baking, which turned out beautiful {and really tasty}, oatmeal muffins!

I'm not much of a baker for a couple of reasons.  Mainly, I love the art of cooking over the science of baking. I find myself wanting to substitute ingredients more often than not, so the outcome is often nowhere near the original recipe.  This holds up fine in cooking, however it can be disastrous when baking.  And secondly, I like to cook fairly healthy, and find it much harder to bake healthy, as so many staples are butter, cream, sugar... yummmm...

But when I found a recipe for these oatmeal muffins, their health factor (oats and flax? yes please) and my desire to hibernate a bit this weekend made these entirely feasible.  The extras are in the freezer and will come out to thaw the evenings before busy mornings.  I also plan on trying this recipe again with other ingredients in place of the raisins (the original calls for blueberries), as I think they'd hold up wonderfully.


Oatmeal Muffins ~ makes 12
recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons natural oat bran
• 2 tablespoons flax seed powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• Pecan pieces, for topping

Preparation: 
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper muffin cups. Whisk oats and next 9 ingredients in large bowl. Add buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla; whisk to blend. Stir in 1/3 cup boiling water and let stand 5 minutes. Fold in raisins. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups and sprinkle tops with pecan pieces.

Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20-24 minutes for standard muffins. Cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins out onto rack; cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

{images via}

Friday Food for Thought

via

Keep it simple.

Something we all could use a reminder around every once in a while (or every day). I hear this phrase thrown around a lot whilst at work, but that's not always where we need it. I want to keep my life simple. I want to figure out how to take all the world has to offer, the magnitude of options available, and boil it down to what makes inherent sense for me. Think about an example of this. Say you're decorating a room in your home. Do you know exactly what defines your style, making all the choices simple? Or do you hem and haw, trying to figure out what you will love living with, what will work together? I admire those that just instinctively know. How do they get there? My bet is they keep it simple. Not just the outcome, even the thought process ~ kept simple.

Maybe, if we meditate on this as a gentle reminder, we can achieve our own individual simplicity.

Friday's Food for Thought~

California Treats

California. The Golden State.  A place which conjures images of Schwarzenegger, vineyards, Hollywood and movie stars.  When the husband and I returned from our most recent trip to Cali, I found myself reflecting on what it is that makes California special to me.  The "treats" of California, the unexpected gems, the magnetic pull. Images are worth a thousand words? Consider this my 8,000 word essay on what I love about California.
 

You can almost see the grapes turning red before your eyes ~

and I learned the term for this on our wine tour: veraison



Standing atop Mount Vedeer at Yate's Family Vineyard,
steeped in history and one of the most beautiful places in the world

Did several hikes in the Big Sur area (Central Coast) ~ each view more spectacular than the last



See?



The foliage is something you'd imagine only in a storybook ~

and then there's the Redwoods ~ need I say more?

Sailing in Monterey ~ Bella on the Bay provided an absolute incredible experience

including dinner with the crew, and a midnight jaunt after our day trip, complete with disco ball

Oh California, the treasures, the memories.  I'd like to bottle it all up as a keepsake, to remember the sun, the fog, the land.  But I suppose that's what the wine is for which has started our collection. :)

Living Room Inspiration

It's been a while since I've written about settling into our new home, probably because I've been busy settling in.  But with a certain home project underway, I've been spending time envisioning how to complete our living space, and so I thought I'd share where I think we've landed.

Disclaimer: I'm not a graphic or interior designer, nor a pro with photo editing, so please humor me as I pieced together an illustration of inspiration that I'm somewhat happy with.

What I'm going for here is a blend of warm and cool colors, formal and informal elements, traditional and contemporary furnishings to equal a room which is hopefully undoubtedly unabashedly us.

The couch, coffee table ottoman, fireplace basket, Moroccan pouf, and pillows are pieces we already own. We'll be adding in a new rug, curtains, and additional seating (this gray velvet chair? love.) hopefully sooner rather than later.

First things first however, is paint color. Remember when I wrote with disdain of the green walls the living room currently sports?  Well this week they will be getting a facelift, to a warm, taupey gray (aka greige).  I think we are going with Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist (shown in background of picture above) for its subtle complexity, and to keep the room warm and homey. We tried a cool gray sample and the room started to look a little too icy winter wonderland, so warm gray it is. I've found natural lighting to be a big component of whether a room can handle a cool color, as our last place had a beautiful blue-gray on the walls that seemed to shimmer in the sun and felt more inviting than icicle.

I could go on for hours. Sometimes I wonder if I missed my calling as some kind of color theorist or image consultant, as I swear I get *obsessed* with these details. :) 

What do you look for out of a paint color? Any words of wisdom?

A trio at Leopold

A little while ago my husband, one of his colleagues and I dined at Leopold. I don't know why I didn't have high expectations, but I didn't, and Leopold, well, he turned that around real quick.

The ambiance has been described as "classy hipster" from other sources, which piqued the husband and my curiosity before even stepping in. We walked in to a designer's delight. Cool grays, warm exposed brick, nailhead scalloped dining chairs, lighting done just right. I was expecting a little more grit in this West Town joint, and upon arrival wondered if my jeans and blazer were a bit underdressed. Others in the crowd were dressed in such a literal depiction of "classy hipster", I had to stop and wonder which came first – the crowd or the descriptor (I’d much prefer the former). Mustaches tweaked just right, hipster plaid buttoned up primly, and I do believe I spotted a bow tie. It was quite the classy hipster scene to be seen.

And so we sat to drink and dine. With Leopold being of Belgian ancestry, the boys went with some Belgium ales while I stuck to the vino. The husband has a weak spot for a good Belgium ale, and was sold on Leopold before he’d even served us dinner. And then came the food, and we were all sold.

We started with the Smout, which is a kind of “pork butter” served with toast ~ somewhere in between bone marrow and foie gras, extremely rich in texture yet subtle in flavor. Then came one of the standouts of the night, steak tartar served with toast ~ the capers and pickle gave it bite, the mustard tang, and everyone wanted more. Out comes the salad liegoise, with its light spring onion vinaigrette, topped with a beautiful duck egg, and we were all happy our waitress had wisely mentioned we might want just two main plates over three.

Two mounds of mussels appear, with glistening frites and a choice of dipping sauces, and my mouth was literally watering. Moules and frites, oh how I adore thee. The broth was flavorful but not overpowering, and I sat back and thoroughly enjoyed each one.

I’ll certainly visit Leopold again. I can see how his charm could woo me away from the arms of other favorites if he continues to have the same charisma. I’d go for the food, stay for the scene, and save room for dessert.

An Effortlessly Chic Meal for Dining Al Fresco

al fresco at its finest

As the Chicago air turns crisp and cool, I find myself wanting to hold onto the ambiance of summer.  And what better way than dining al fresco, lighting candles as the sun sets, and lingering outdoors into the evening... even if you have to go grab a jacket to ward off the impending fall chill.  To savor these evenings, it's nice to have an easy recipe that keeps you out of kitchen and enjoying the evening sun while you still can.  Extra points go to a meal if it can be seemingly gourmet without all the hassle ~ that is, in my own terms "an effortlessly chic" meal.

This tuna steak is just that. It's elegant yet almost embarassingly simple. It puts in focus what's important ~ quality ingredients, and quality time.

The Effortlessly Chic Seared Tuna Steaks with Soy Broth
Serves 2

For broth:
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 slices peeled fresh giner, cut into julienne strips
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 (6 ounce) pieces tuna steak
1 teaspoon EVOO

To make broth:
Simmer broth ingredients in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Keep warm.

Season tuna with salt. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot and add oil, swirling pan to coat bottom. Sear tuna 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare and, holding 1 steak at a time with tongs, sear edges a few seconds.

Pour broth with scallions and mushrooms into 2 soup plates. Diagonally halve tuna steaks and prop one half on top of the other in middle of plates.

~Cheers to the end of summer~

The Rundown: The Aviary



The whimsical peach concoction with whiskey



Imagine a place of fanciful cocktails, whimsy in the form of liquid sustenance. Crystal glasses glow on backlit shelves, high-backed booths engulf you, the low din surrounds you. Hushed voices, loud laughter. Modern chandeliers drip down mystery like fairy dust, sprinkling the crowd and allowing them to be the sophisticates they wish to be, even for just one night.

I’ve said I enjoy a good mystery, and The Aviary has me intrigued. You will not find a single establishment like it in the city; though I'm sure there will be some that try. The Aviary has us all wrapped around her pinky finger, because she’s so fantastical, so insurmountable to achieve; we can’t help but indulge and then crave for more.

And the hunt to get there is just foreplay to the feast. With the unnamed door hidden within the outdoor patio, ensconced by large manicured shrubbery, even those wanting to be privy had to ask if they were in the right place. While walk-ins aren’t declared unfit, The Aviary allures you to reserve a table via same-day email reservation request. It’s not a guarantee, just a carrot to dangle. Another carrot ~ the possible invitation to the downstairs Office, which has you hoping wishing praying (really?) that you are one of the chosen. If you’re one for exclusivity, the Achatz Empire is the place to be. And that’s not exactly an insult ~ see sidebar: If I don’t love it, I don’t write about it, simple as that.

Foodie friend and I both indulged in the 3-drink prix fixe tasting menu ($45), an easy choice for those wishing for a sampling, made even more enticing as you can’t order all of these cocktails a la carte.

My choices:

~ Margarita with spiced ice cubes, which gave the drink a crescendoing kick ~

~ A peach and whisky concoction, complete with spheres of subtly flavored peach ice ~

~ An horchata spiced just right, similar enough to your local Mexican lunch joint’s, but elevated to include a more complex cinnamon and spicy aroma ~

We also indulged in the “bites”, sampling the melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, the beautiful wagyu, the scallop, and foie gras among others. Each was impressive ~ packing a punch in each bite-sized delicacy, with obvious excruciating attention paid to taste, texture, and appearance.

The Aviary is a place you take your date as you sweep her off her feet, your foodie friends who appreciate subtly and creativity in their food and drink, even in the form of $20 cocktails. It is one part mad scientist, one part innovation, and one part intrigue.

P.S. ~ I haven’t forgotten I still owe a California "treats" post to give credit where credit is due. Stay tuned.