gone fishin'

Daily market fish special...

15 pound line-caught striped bass...

...you should've seen the one that got away!

hot dog, i love this shirt!

Happiness is a sunny yellow tee...especially if it's done up in stylin' ketchup and mustard writing!

I found this perfect-for-me shirt (I never met a hot dog that I didn't like...) on one of my fave sites, threadless. I'm a big fan of the works from there because the tees, and now posters/prints, are all designed, submitted and voted on for printing by the users themselves. It's awesome to see some real rough n' ready, naively sweet offerings presented next to more polished, often playful works by established artists/illustrators/graphic designers. Love it!



This beauty is designed by Alex Trochut, a freelance graphic designer from Barcelona. And I have to say, I don't know if he meant for this design to be so very tongue-in-cheek, so I'll have to take a second out and tell you just why it rocks so much. (Because I like to overthink things sometimes. And I like food. And overthinking things about food...)



So here's the thing; the funny words (lorem ipsum delor sit amet...for all you latin majors) being spelled out by the squeezie bottles is part of a standard "dummy" text used by designers when presenting layouts, so that viewer, instead of being distracted by recognizable words, can concentrate on the overall visual flow and design of the work.

And for the food lover in me and you, this inside graphic nod totally translates into our funny world of playing with our food. Consider the Condiment, as is were. With ketchup and mustard being the total #1 and #2 on the essential list, it's great to think about just why they work. The mark of great condiments? They complement and enhance the main work, without drawing any excess attention to themselves.

A bit of a stretch? Maybe. All I know is that I'm totally craving a hot dog now...

happy days #1

A few shots from a lovely weekend spent with lovely friends...

Ahhh, cottage.

Waking up early in a different room, crisper and colder than in the city...



Sometimes a change of scenery is all you need. The view from our guest bedroom.



Our handsome companion, Ben. (I think he smells toast scraps!)



Spying on the birds as they have their breakfast; taking a walk down the path...



I love the red Muskoka chairs!



Fishing lures fascinate me. Think the fish can tell?



mmm...shiny.



I can still feel the breeze...


My perfect afternoon.



To be followed by the greatest Scrabble spot, ever!



Bubbles and board games, a match made in heaven.



Best scrabble food word of the evening, by M: confit!



M's amazing mom made a blueberry pie for dessert. Totally delicious.



A perfect way to end the day. Thanks so much for having us!
(Can we do this again next weekend?)

peas please!

Just a quickie about a craving I had today.

Bacon and peas...yes please!

consider the tomato

Nothing says the feel-good days of summer are here quite like finding juicy heirloom tomatoes at the market. Of course, we do see them year round, perfectly pert c-cup specimens, gassed and flown in firm from greenhouses across the country, but as the boys like to say with a squeeze and a wink, there's nothing like the real thing, baby. (Ah, cooks; gentlemen and scholars, pirates and dirtbags, all rolled into one!)

So as I admire the bevy of uniquely shaped beauties before me, I count myself very fortunate as I consider the lovely goodness that is the tomato.

Isn't there something just so fascinating about these offbeat beauties? Just like the Sofia Coppolas or Sarah Jessica Parkers of the salad world...

Not that you'd need one, what with the simple tasty ease and beauty of the tomato, but here's an idea/very loose recipe of sorts to make the easiest little salad...

simple tomato and ricotta salad

1-2 of the most beautiful, ripe heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes you can find (at room temperature!)
a few good pinches crunchy sea salt, such as Maldon
coarsely cracked black pepper
2-3 large spoonfuls of fresh ricotta
good quality extra virgin olive oil

Slice your lovely tomatoes and arrange on your plate or shallow bowl of choice. Season very lightly with sea salt and pepper.

Drop light spoonfuls of the milky white ricotta over your juicy tomato slices. Finish with another light sprinkle of sea salt and a turn of pepper. Follow with a few glass-green glugs of olive oil. Serves a peckish pair, or one greedy tomato lover.

I could honestly eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it's so satisfying...enjoy!