weekly scenes

What is life? Life is moving from one meal to another. Picking up a fresh artisan loaf on your way home. A fresh-brewed espresso. The thoughtful gentle taste of fresh herbs. It's about the delicacies that make the hardships a little bit easier. Sharing moments with friends and letting time stand still. Because food has a way of lighting life up and making it great.

eggs three ways: a tutorial in egg-cookery

Note: This post was previously published here as a part of my freelance work, and was written by my darling boyfriend, Adam. 

There is no other ingredient as versatile, ubiquitous and universally-loved as the humble chicken egg.  Japanese, Moroccan, Italian—name a cuisine and there’s undoubtedly an egg at the center of it. 

Above all no culinary culture is more egg-centric than French.  A French chef’s tall pleated hat (picture Chef Boyardee’s headgear) traditionally has 100 folds in it, each one representing a way to cook an egg.  It’s also said the great classical French chefs held eggs in such high regard that they evaluated a prospective new hire based on his or her ability to cook a simple omelette.

Indeed, egg-cookery is deceptively nuanced, requiring precision and finesse to do well.  And with the incredible eggs from Sandy Ridge Farms available in our CSA’s, there’s always opportunity to practice. Below are some tips to help elevate your egg game.

Perfectly Poached Eggs

1. Fill a 4-quart pot nearly full with cold water and bring to a gentle simmer.  Sprinkle in some salt and stir in about 1/4 cup of distilled vinegar.

2. Stir the water vigorously in a circular motion to create a vortex. Crack the eggs (no more than two or three at a time to avoid crowding) into the center of the vortex.  The centrifugal force—coupled with the slight acidity from the vinegar—will prohibit the eggs whites from dissipating, keeping the eggs, well…egg-shaped.

3. Allow the eggs to cook in the simmering water for two to three minutes.  Gently spoon them out with a slotted spoon and check to ensure the whites are set.  You can also carefully prod the yokes with your finger to feel how cooked they are.  If you’re like us, and like your yokes runny, you’ll want your poached eggs to give only the slightest resistance.  For a harder cooked egg, poach until the yokes feel springy or firm.

4. Carefully spoon the eggs onto some paper towels to sop up any excess water and serve immediately.

The Perfect Sunny-Side Fried Egg

1. Place a non-stick sauté pan on low heat and give it a few minutes to get hot.  Drop a tablespoon of butter into the pan.  If you’re at the proper temperature, the butter should froth and foam almost instantly.  If it doesn’t, increase the heat slightly.  This foaming action of the butter is your cue that the pan is at the ideal temperature to fry the perfect egg.

2. Crack an egg carefully into the pan.  The whites should be able to spread out a little before they set.

3. Turn the heat down as low as your stove will go, and let the whites cook slowly from the bottom up, until they are fully set. Pay particular attention to the denser portion of white (called the internal albumen) surrounding the yolk, this will be the last part of the white to cook. Be patient, this will take about five minutes.

4. After the internal albumen is set, carefully transfer the egg from the pan using a spatula.  Inspect the bottom of the egg. Is it perfectly white, with no browning whatsoever?  If so, congratulations; you cooked the perfect sunny-side up egg, which is no easy feat.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 medium onion

2 large portabella caps

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup cold water

1/2 all purpose flour

1/2 unsalted butter, cold

Directions:

For the crust:

1. Dissolve the salt into the water and place in the freezer to chill.

2. Cube butter into 1” pieces and scatter on top of the flour in a large mixing bowl.  Using a pastry blender, break up the butter until it creates pea-sized pieces.

3. Remove water from freezer and incorporate it into the dough, using a fork to work it around.  Add the water incrementally until the dough appears shaggy and not fully mixed. The biggest mistake you can make with pie crust is adding too much water to hold it together. This will detract from the crust’s flaky texture. 

4. Lay out a 2’ piece of plastic wrap.  Form the dough into a ball, smushing it together with your hands, and transfer it from the bowl to the plastic wrap.

5. Fold the sides of the plastic wrap tightly around the dough ball and wrap it up like a burrito to help bind the dough. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

6. Roll the dough 1/8” thick on a floured surface.  You should be able to see little pockets of butter in the crust.

7. Press the dough into a 12” pie dish. Fold the extra trimmings around the edges and pinch closed.Pre-bake for 25 minutes at 375 F.

For the quiche:

1. Dice the onion and sauté in olive oil over medium heat.  As the onions begin to brown, add sliced portabella caps and cook until nicely browned.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer into precooked pie crust.

3. Whisk together eggs and milk and pour over mushroom and onion filling into the pie crust.

4. Bake at 375 F for 35 to 45 minutes or until the eggs are set in the center.

le marche st. george

You've probably seen one or more of these photos scattered throughout my work in the last few months, but today I'm compelled to publish them all in one place. Together they show the collective magic that is Le Marche St. George, a cafe and small market located in Vancouver, Canada. It's the kind of place we all romanticize about owning one day. A cafe where the guests come for the people just as much as they do the coffee. A place where the owners travel and hand-select luxury goods to sell in small quantities. Where the texture on the walls authentically screams of weathered age, and where the marble top tables transport you to 1920's Paris. The ceiling-to-floor shelves stocked with local staples -- coffee, jam, pickles, and crackers.

I sat here for hours my first time in Vancouver. I sipped on a cappuccino. I split my flaky croissant piece by piece to nibble on its airy richness. Beside me sat a foursome of middle-aged women. They talked about using their bikes to get around and someone they knew who developed diabetes. Mothers with strollers made their way up to the door. I watched it all through speckled light cast through the trees. Little shadows danced on their children's faces as they waited patiently in their strollers. The table in front of me was a beautiful still life all its own. 

This experience welcomed me to Vancouver. It gave me pause -- moments to gather my thoughts, realize where I was, and get ready for something new. Who I was, there at that cafe, preparing for it all, is not who I turned into after the experience. That trip, those adventures, the way they changed me was like being branded on the brain with a scolding hot iron. My eyes will never see the same. Everything holds a different hue than ever before. I hold that moment at Le Marche St. George in my heart as a glimpse of who I was, a person on the brink of something new.

finger lakes escape

All my photos are my babies. I love them dearly, and when it comes to putting together a concise article or post, I tend to get emotional over cutting ones out. I want to include them all! But unfortunately, it's not really best practice. It ends up looking like someone who can't edit their work - which to a certain extent, I am guilty of! It can just be hard for me to pick one shot over another.

So today, I'm sharing a few shots from our recent trip to the Finger Lakes that did not make it into my travel guide over at Free People. Even if they weren't right for the post, I had to give them a home some where. So here they are.

Go read about our full Finger Lakes adventure at blog.FreePeople.com today!

rocket cat cafe

Nestled in the heart of Fishtown, on Frankford Avenue, lives Rocket Cat Cafe. It's become a recent favorite for it's bare decor, quirky clientele, and dark house brew. It's a small hub of locals, where people come to be alone, but never really are. Together, everyone sips and writes and thinks and stares out the window. Everyone brings a story with them, and they whirl through my brain as I sit quietly observing.

weekly scenes

I've had a lot of quiet moments around the house lately. My new kitchen is one of my favorite places to be. Its neutral colors illuminated by the natural light refresh and engergize. I work away there on projects for the garden and cooking up experiments. My two companions, Marley & Dot, like to watch along as I do. 

I've made it out at times to enjoy little guilty pleasures with friends and lovers as well. It's always important that I do. I can get caught up in the calmness of independence, but laughing and discussing with others are two of the most healthy things. Sometimes I forget that my soul needs them; however, as soon as I find myself drained and emotional it quickly comes back to me.

The answer is in learning to balance. I'm learning more and more that it's not a passive thing. Finding balance is an active venture. It takes attention, understanding, and ability to act.

in this instant

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experiments in black & white

Some experiments after watching this Adorama tutorial on converting color photos to black and white. So, so, so fun! 

weekly scenes

It's funny how calm these photos seem when the past week has felt like no such thing. I guess they are there to remind me that there were some still moments amongst the chaos. But of course that healthy mix is what I thrive on. Can't wait to see what crazy, life living fun comes next. Until then:

1, 2, & 7. Whitewashed walls and rustic decor at the studio/home of Tara Chumpelik

3. Early Sunday morning trips up to NYC warrant a good coffee

4 & 5. Beautiful scenes at work & fun new washes

6. A sleepy morning with homemade omelettes and lots of nuzzling

7. Fashion's Night Out prep :)