CHICKPEA SEWING STUDIO

Me & Him

Sometimes (rarely), we take a bad picture that can be salvaged into a great one.
It's like getting something for free!
I just can't stop smiling now...

It's a wrap!

Thanks to all 36 members of the Food Group for joining me this June. I had a great time spying in your kitchens!

I have an idea for a simple swap that I will share with you as soon as I can manufacture a button...mysterious woman.

Deceptive Photography

Yesterday I took a bite at RAW photography. As far as I was concerned Raw is great because you don't have to make great decisions before you shoot in terms of camera setting which gives lots of time to relax and play peekaboo with the baby on the grass. I realized quickly that I must go easy on the trigger because the SD card gets clogged VERY quickly in that mode.
The Nikon ships  with a simple Raw Converter, that matches well with my non-existent skills and on the screen the pictures look pretty, warm and bright. Well not so once printed, they turned out horrible ( yellow jaundice skin) and expensive because I went with 8x10. Any similar issues and fixes?

Day 8: Lime rice

My observations so far, after a week of edible pics:

1. We eat A LOT of tofu at this house.
2. I am not ready to face/quit my potato chips habit quite yet.
3. If I want to loose more baby weight I will have to either cut back on 2, or :
4. I need to exercise more than my spoon holding arm.

Day 6: Fried

I actually took this photograph last Sunday. So pardon me and think of it as left-overs!
Those are Calamari rings. I like them battered much better than breaded but I can't seem to find any in the US. My dad makes them for me when I visit him and it's just the two of us. There is a strong sentimental attachment here.
 When I think of my mom in connection to food the first thing that comes to mind is dehydrated tofu! She made me eat it for years ( or so I remember ). Recently she told me that she hates it too... It quite unfair to think of her that way, as she also bakes clafoutis and is capable of making dust edible when the fridge and pantries are completely devoid of food.
As I breastfeed Finn everyday, and even more so in the beginning during the very painful phase, I pause to appreciate my mom and the milk she shared with me.
Good times!

Day 5: a bowl of weeds

 

Did you know you can eat young dandelions? You hear me, the weeds that colonize your lawn. If you're (un-)fortunate enough to have a good supply growing in your backyard, you can control weeds and gather lunch at the same time. It takes a while though to get a sufficient harvest to feed a family of four, but for a date you should have some time left to sauté the scallops perched on top.
Only the tiny young leaves are edible ( chickens will eat any parts). They have a slightly bitter taste which makes them a good choice to mix with other greens too. I think they come from the same plant family as chicory.
After harvesting, the leaves need to be washed very thoroughly as they have a tendency to hide little grains of dirt everywhere.
The dressing recipe is about 1Tbsp of Dijon mustard, 2Tbps of Balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and pepper. As you add the ingredients in this order, mix them well together.
Enjoy!

Disclaimer: In case you are still wondering if I went odd during the night I would just like to add that this is considered a delicacy in France.

Day 4: peaches and cream

Peach

Cream

Day 3: Carbs

My special fennel pasta pseudo-recipe:

Cook your bow ties 'like the box says"
Chops the fennel very finely. If it's very fine you don't have to cook it, but if your pieces are kind of chunky then soften them up in a bit of water on the stove top.
Mix the pasta with the fennel some olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts. Add a generous amount of cracked pepper corn and some salt. At the very end press a lemon on top. Before serving you can add some Parmegiano Reggiano ( I am sure this is NOT how it's spelled).

Finn feels differently about his carbs. He favors wood products instead.

Day 2: crunchy sewing

Day 2: Crunchy corn

I think typepad ate my blog post today, maybe they like corn. So I have to type it all over again. I not so sure about their 'improvements' either...struggles with pictures.

I went all the way to the store where I teach with the baby in tow only to find out that my client was not coming, after waiting/wasting one hour. Great!
But I have the feeling that the day is about to get better. Two girlfriends are coming for a sewing date this afternoon, if we make anything through the chatter I'll report at once.

taking pictures

I can't get bored looking at his round face. Love trickles down the yellow blooms, he opens up his nostrils to take it all in.

and for Day 1 of our little food group, I am having croissants: