Tidbits and Tiddlywinks (2)

This is adorable, fun, sweet, fascinating, comeplling. The song "Down Below" by Johannes Stankowski, is available to download at www.olympus.eu/penstory. (I just love it!) And the PEN really is a great camera...and it is now available in the US!


+ people who know me know I am obsessed with disco balls. This is the best idea yet.

+ Scanwiches always make me hungry. Too bad there ain't no Beer Battered Catfish, Salsa, Purple Onions, Lettuce, Tomato, Spicy Mayonnaise on a hero sandwiches within a 3 mile radius of my office...

+ this is random and cool. Go on. Click the link.

The Move Title Stills Collection

(NB: Blast! I can't get this to format correctly. And now I have to work so I don't have time to take care of it. If you click the images, though, you can see the whole thing. And, be prepared to loose the next hour, maybe two, of your life, to pouring over this awesome website. Don't say I never give you anything. --MEP)









This man is a genius. He has collected over 80 years worth of title stills, and posted them all online for us to enjoy.

You know those surveys where they ask you what you would be if you could be anything in the world. Well, usually I say "International Jewel Thief" of "16th century beer wench" but sometimes I am tempted to say "one of those guys that makes the crazy awesome titles for movies." Here are some favorites. (Follow his updates here.)







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In other, totally less fun and less time consuming but pretty neat nonetheless, movie news: some bright guy made a movie montage of quotes from the AFI 100 Greatest Film list. I can name about 90% of these, though I've only seen probably 75%. How will you do? (Oh, and no, he didn't include all 100 films...)

Christmas Spirit Fail

Did you catch last week's reference to the Christmas Spirit Fail Blog? Did you immediately click the link, and waste two hours of your morning reading their hilarious, awful postings?

Well, you should have, because Christmas Spirit Fail is brilliant. And shocking. And horrible. And definitely the best part of my morning these days.

Thank God we have them to dispel the secrets of popular Christmas characters and traditions, like:
+ Why Alvin is the best chipmunk.
+ Amy Grant's adult Christmas (oh, not adult. grown up. oops...)
+ Santa Claus' true identity
+ What Josh Groban really believes.

Seriously. Christmas Spirit Fail. Refuge for the weary Scrouges out there...

The best thing I've heard in a long time

Peter, Paul & Mary - San Francisco Bay Blues - 1965
by thegirlstheyrock

Said (2)

I'm going to breed african violets when I am old, rather than having cats. I just think they are so delightful.
--Emily Hale on old age, and her lack of affection for pets.

Photo source

Better Christmas Music

OK! Now that I have killed your earbuds with tuesday's Bing Crosby and David Bowie, I thought I'd post about some great Christmas music. I have a huge (really, HUGE) collection of sacred Christmas music, most brazenly stolen from my father's even huger collection. Are you looking for a 13th century meditation of the Blessed Virgin Mary's motherhood, in french? Yes, I've got that. I have another in Catalan too, if you're interested.

But for secular music, I have very little. I have Harry Connick Jr.'s two excellent Christmas albums, When My Heart Finds Christmas and What A Night! Plus Diana Krall's less than stellar Christmas Songsand a good but not great Starbuckscompilation. So what I am getting to remedy this situation. Here are the albums at the top of my Christmas wish list:

+ Oscar Peterson Christmasis understated jazz, at it's best (see "O Christmas Tree", above).

+ Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas (need I say more?)

+ Last year I got to see Von Trap (younger) family's favorite carols, and it made me realize how much I'd love to own Christmas With the Trapp Family Singersand Christmas With the Von Trapp Childrenfor their take on the traditional German and Austrian folk songs, as well as familiar tunes like Greensleeves and Silent Night. (I'll grant you, most of these songs are not secular, and this was supposed to be a "secular" list. Perhaps "pop" would be a better word, except that I hate it. Oh! Accuracy! You plague me.)

+ Call me crazy, but after seeing the video below, I am determined to get a copy of Christmas In the Heartby that creepy old man, Mr. Bob Dylan.

Gift List: Cookbooks

Best memoir/cookbook of the year?

I was thinking of doing a post every day fo advent highlighting a different awesome potential gift, but I think that would get a little boring, actually. And I don't want to use up all my creative gift giving powers on the blog--I want to actually give gifts! So instead, I will be posting weekly a roundup of pretty awesome gifts that fit a particular theme or area of interest of this blog. And since this blog is pretty broad in it;s focus, so will the gift lists.

Todays (the first and easiest) will be COOKBOOKS. It's been a good year for cookbooks, and I want to highlight some of the ones that have been tempting me at the shops.

+ My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method by Jim Lahey, the creator of the original No-Knead Bread highlighted by Mark Bittman. This is a bread I might even be able to manage...

+ I tend to steer clear of "allergy" cookbooks, but The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbookis actually really good, and it fuels my current almond flour obsession. Plus, half the people who read my blog are GF-kids, so, gosh, buy it already!

+ Savory Bakingis for those who don't have sweet tooths. And those (me) who are trying to overcome their sweet tooths...

Anyone (no really, anyone) can make a dark crackling loaf with Jim Lahey's My Bread

+ For the beginner cook, don't miss Jamie Oliver's Cook with Jamieor his new release, Jamie's Food Revolutionwhich, though it has garish photos, has really great recipes.

+ For the "I want to be more than a recipe follower" cook: Sally Schnieder's The Improvisational Cook

+ 5 Spices, 50 Dishes: Simple Indian Recipes Using Five Common Spicesis published by Chronicle, which has consistently good cookbooks. This looks like a great introduction to more advanced India foods than the simple curry I make in my skillet.

+ The Pleasures of Cooking for Oneby Julia Child's editor, Judith Jones, is a real treat, both for those who do indeed cook for one, and for anyone who enjoys food. Jones is one of the greats, and her prose is a joy.

+ This is a coffee table selection, but all the same: My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Mealsis at times pretentious, at times beautiful, at times intoxicating, and always fascinating.

Salt Roasted Lobster, from The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schnieder

Bing and Bowie

From the completely awesome Christmas Spirit Fail Blog. HT: Evan Sparks

St. Andrew's Novena

Today is the feast of St. Andrew, and the day to initiate my favorite Advent tradition, the St. Andrew's Novena. PS. St. Andrew rocks.

Say 15 times a day from St. Andrew's Day (30 November) until Christmas

Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment
at which the Son of God was born
of a most pure Virgin Mary
in a stable at midnight
in Bethlehem in the piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe, o my God,
to hear my prayers and grant my desires,
Through the same Christ, our Lord.

Thanksgiving: Dessert!

Oh, Thanksgiving dessert. I always want to try something new, but then I think: how can you have Thanksgiving without libby's pumpkin pie? You can't. I can't. So, yes, we'll have it. But, now's the time to dream...here are some variations on other great desserts:

+ Cranberry Clafoutis are perfectly light and tart. (Serve with Lemon Curd

+ Apple and Quince Crisp with Rum Raisin from Bon Appetit (pictured above).

+ A mile high pear pie looks divine.

+ You can use the leftovers of this Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze for bread pudding tomorrow morning. Or just eat it plain with coffee...

+ Brown Butter Pecan Pie is the ultimate luxury.


Some snacking items for afterwards, as we all sit around and talk and sing and laugh:
+ Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (the new hot dessert, and so much better than cupcakes when made properly), are the perfect finger food.

+ I'm sorry, what did you say? You're full? No, no, you're never too full for Maple Pecan Popcorn! Just take a handful. Or six.

+ Have I gone this whole day without an Alton Brown recipe? Well, here are his ginger snaps. Eat'um quickly. They are grand.

Thanksgiving: The Turkey and the Sides

Well, I know NOTHING about cooking a turkey, but in my dream thanksgiving, I can assure you: I cook a beautiful turkey. There are lots of people, so we're doing three turkeys. In honor of Gourmet's final issue, all these turkey's are from that late, great magazine:

+ I can't think of a better bird to cook, than this stunning Cider Glazed Turkey (above). Look at that skin!

+ Get a taste of the South with this Roast Turkey with Oyster Stuffing and Giblet Gravy.

+ Sweet and savory, a maple glazed turkey suits our fancy.



And now the sides. With such luxury in the turkey, we'll try to keep the sides simple and seasonal:

+ Fennel and Potato Gratin is perfectly balanced between sharp and creamy

+ These green beans with leeks and endive can be assembled ahead of time, but they need to be cooked right before serving. Still, they are so fresh and, yes, vibrant, that they are the perfect accompaniment to this heavy meal

+ (Since I'll have several ovens...) Would you like some Roasted Onions and Butternut Squash with sage. I thought so.

+ To round out the sides, I'll probably whip up some ginger glazed carrots, and some simple braised kale.

+ While I probably can't make anything better than our family's secret cranberry recipe, this cranberry chutney with Bacon, Rosemary and Port sounds pretty much perfect. (Pictured below.)

Thanksgiving: Soup and Salad

Continuing the dream thanksgiving...

Now, we'll move into the dining room (it looks something like this, or this). As a first course we'll be having a pumpkin soup with bacon.

The pumpkin was in fierce competition with 101 Cookbook's Garlic Soup (deemed too rich), and The Dinner Files' Cider Onion Soup, pictured above because I just couldn't resist. I'll be making it over the weekend, when my house guests, sated and jolly, need something simple and pleasing to eat. I was also intrigued by this chickpea based tuscan soup.

If you're not a soup person, here are some good autumnal salads to make:
+ Warm Chestnut and Apple Salad
+ Arugula Salad with Manchego, Apples, and Walnuts
+ Autumn Salad with spicy walnuts and pears

Thanksgiving Recipes: Appetizers

This year I am having a quiet thanksgiving with family. But that doesn't mean I can't spend lots and lots of time contemplating the perfect thanksgiving feast. Today, we'll cover appetizers (and accompanying appertifs)

Well, you walk in, I take your coat, and immediately hand you EatMakeRead's Dream a Little Dream cocktail. The cardamon warms the heart (and matches all those atumnal flavors) while the lemon piques you tastebuds.

Then you'll see, spread on the coffee table, a fine selection of appetizers, including:
+ Puff Pastry Pesto Pinwheels
+ Roasted Pears wrapped in bacon (from Tyler Florence, pictured above)
+ Crispy Olives stuffed with Sausage (From Michael Ciarello)
+ Manchego with Honey and Brown Butter (again, Tyler Florence)
+ A selection of Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, from 101 Cookbooks.

That's a good start, me thinks.

Jennie Coffin Pottery Sale, for 4 weeks!

Jennifer Coffin is one of my favorite potters, and every year she holds a wonderful sale in her home in Fairfax, VA. She usually does one big weekend for the sale, but this year she is extending it into December.

Also on sale are drawings and paintings and pottery of her daughter Sarah Coffin, who just finished a pottery internship in Spain. And drawings by her daughter, RCA (of Spoon), which are just delightful.

Big Weekend Sale:
Friday, Nov. 20, from 2 pm to 8 pm
Saturday, Nov 21, from 10 am to 5 pm

Follow-up Weekends:
Saturday, Nov 28, from 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday, Dec 5, from 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday, Dec 12, from 10 am to 5 pm


10927 Park Rd.
Fairfax, VA 22020
(703)352.4936


"Smell" by Rebecca Coffin Anderson, of Spoon

Green Dish by Sarah Coffin, of A Mass of Thawing Clay

Jennie makes great teapots