Wordless Wednesday

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Favorite Cookbooks and Magazines

I learned to cook rather late in life. My mother never really learned to cook from her mother (“children don’t belong in the kitchen!”), and I never really learned from mine.

All through college I waited tables and got free or cheap meals. It wasn’t until I started working in bookstores that I learned the joy of reading cookbooks and took an interest in cooking for myself.

Being a bibliophile for most of my life, I bought many cookbooks that were gorgeously photographed, specialty cuisines, ethnic or regional. But I didn’t know how to actually cook out of them. I lacked even the most basic cooking common sense. So I covertly and slyly bought Cooking for Dummies. The recipes weren’t that great( i never cooked out of it) but it explained a few technical things.

After asking around I finally bought How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

I still use it to this day (there is now a new, revised version).

I’ve never been a dieter and normally eschew low-fat foods, opting for the bigger, fuller flavors of “regular” food. As I learned more about cooking I started getting more interested in healthier, lighter food. It was only because I was on vacation with little else to do but browse a huge stack of donated Cooking Light magazines, that I fell in love with them.

It is not diet food! It is about using fresh, quality ingredients and using herbs and spices to get great flavor while eliminating fat and salt. I have learned a lot from this magazine.

Now I have two bookshelves of the magazines and a recipe box over-flowing with Cooking Light recipes. I was ready for something new.

Enter the book, America’s Test Kitchen,

Since I had grown up lacking the basic fundamentals of cooking, I’ve always been fascinated with the “whys” of cooking, with the chemistry and science of it all. While I have a few books that discuss this down to the molecular level, America’s Test Kitchen makes it easy by doing all the hit and miss for you, and then explaining why it does or doesn’t work.

It also provides product recommendations. Truly tested ones, NOT sponsored ones. So not only do they tell you which canned corn tastes better, but why, and why it works better than fresh corn in the recipe.

The publishers of America’s Test Kitchen also put out a few magazines, none of which really appealed to me before. Cook’s Illustrated was always a little too fancy and upscale for my tastes. But now that my skills have improved and I feel a little more confident, I now really enjoy the magazine.

There is no advertising in the magazine and a good number of the illustrations are detailed drawings. This is a very “how-to” magazine. It totally appeals to my inquiring mind about how and why certain things work. Like the book, it has product reviews and recommendations.

And now my latest fave, also from the same publisher, Cook’s Country.

 

First I had to admit I’m a little bit country. Maybe because I’m getting older or maybe because my style has evolved, but there is a bit of country in me. I think part of it is a lot of my retro-1950’s style goes so well with, and often doubles as the country aesthetic. Cherries, roosters, apple pie and rick rack. Country and retro!  The magazine has a distinct country-retro feel that I like.

One of Cook’s Country regular features is Lost Recipes. Cooks looking for or sharing recipes from the past. The issue pictured above had recipes for 7-UP Pound Cake and Stained Glass Cake! I’m so in love. It doesn’t get more retro than that!

I still own, and use all of these books and magazines. I have long since weeded out the fancy books that I’ll never cook out of. Now I stick to a handful of proven favorites. As my tastes continue to evolve (jello? ok, maybe devolve!) I may use some less and find new favorites, but for now these continue to serve me well.

I don’t have children and I worked in restaurants all through my 20s and 30s so my cooking is very restaurant influenced. A piece of meat with a sauce, a sautéed or steamed veggie and an often garnished plate.

What’s your style? What are your favorite cookbooks/magazines and why? If you didn’t learn to cook from a family member how did you teach yourself to cook? What types of food does your family like best?

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Vintage Motel and Restaurant Signage

Alas, my scanner has died. I have stacks of vintage books sitting patiently, waiting to have their spines cracked in order to be shared with the world. Their spines will just have to remain intact for now and let photos do the talking.

I have a serious crush on vintage signs and typography. On my various travels around the west I’ve taken snapshots of some signs that are just totally lost in time. Unfortunately, most of them were taken from a moving vehicle, not the best method of getting a good photo. Lucky for me, I’m after the general shape and style of the sign than a beautiful shot.

This “checkmark and post” style is everywhere. I don’t know if it started out as a trademark for a single company or if it was just popular. Was Motor Lodge a company too, or just another word for motel? Dunno. The two signs above were within 2 blocks of each other.

Same style, different state. When I see these dynamic shapes I always wonder how I could incorporate them into my work.

I love the free-form blobby shape surrounding the trapezoid! I may have to design my business card like it.

I could see this shape as a business card or hang tag. I could even punch holes to simulate the lights.

We’ve seen this shape before! A little less flashy but just as dynamic. Hey, I wonder if I could make a booth banner that shape! Both eye-catching and directional.

Too bad this one is such a poor shot. Great font style and I love the stacked shapes.

This is a great example of efficient design. Two shapes, two colors, two fonts. Simple, bold and conveys frugality to the budget conscious traveler.

I love this sign and I wish I had a better shot. I adore the swirly “motel” shape and simple font. It wants to be a pillow, or an appliqué on something fun.

But why should motels have all the fun?

I suspect that this one is a reproduction, not truly vintage but I like it anyway.

I have many more but they are scattered across two hard drives and it’s getting more and more difficult to manage them!

I can’t wait to take another road trip and capture more lost-in-time signage!

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Be careful what you wish for

I wanted business to pick up. Now I barely have time to blog. I wish the money were coming in as fast (are you listening, universe?) but that too, will come in time.

I’ve gone on and on about how much I’m enjoying the Farmer’s Market so I won’t say it again today but here is one of the reasons why. Big special orders! This is what I was working on all last week. Three 6 foot table coverings, in oilcloth, with removable sides and back access.

These babies were a bear! I thought it would be simple. It looks like they should be simple, right? I’d never made them before so I was lucky I had a table the same size to fit them to. Trying to sew 9+ feet of rather stiff material was more of a challenge than I expected but after ripping out only a couple seams and mitering the corners I arrived at a good fit.

And just look how adorable they turned out!

The perfect backdrop for Auntie M’s Cupcakes! She knew exactly what she wanted and that helped a great deal. We were booth neighbors on the first day of market, the first time at market for both of us, and we hit it off ever since. Just look at these delicious little gems!

Displaying them under glass cloches is genius and truly sets her booth apart from the other bakers.

Even though working on special orders takes me away from my regular work it’s actually a good thing. It’s a guaranteed sale. That’s a good thing too because market that day was terribly slow but my sales were outstanding due to special orders! (I also made up some sand bags for the market managers booth.)

And now Auntie M has asked me for sand bags too (notice the kitty litter buckets? Ew, not with cupcakes!). And more coverings for 2 end tables. And a cover for the water cooler. And eventually, 3 more covers for 8 ft tables! Now that the hard part is over (engineering them) they will be much quicker. Then the second part of my wish will come true too!

Cha-ching!

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Summertime

Ah, summer! I am truly a solar powered gal. When the sun is out and shining I am up and at ‘em, full of energy and motivation. When it’s cloudy and grey I’m dragging my feet and procrastinate. Needless to say I love the long summer days!

Here in the northwest we get a lot of those grey days but when summer rolls around the long 16 hour days make it worth the wait! Alas, things just start getting warmed up when solstice arrives (this sunday) and the days get shorter again.

I am greatly looking forward to this summer. This year I am doing the Farmer’s Market, which I adore. I get to travel with my sweetie and see the country. I live on the water (surrounded by it, in fact) and get to admire it’s beauty every day. Summer means more parties and gatherings, sandals and skirts, eating outside, whether on out own deck or the local pub’s. Swimming, hiking, gardening, walks on the beach. Cheese burgers, cold beer and lemonade. Arts and Crafts festivals, flower festivals, boat festivals and farmers markets.

Summer is a grand celebration and we’re all invited!

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