Opening Day!

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(Kid Squirrely of the Boston Beaneaters, JangoArts on Etsy)

I love baseball. Some people count down to Christmas or their birthday, and I count the days until opening day. Baseball to me is as much about the sport as it is about the season. At the beginning of the season, it heralds the onset of spring. The middle of the season is all about pickup games of catch in the park and checking scores in bar windows as you're wandering the city. And by the time the world series rolls around, those final baseball games signal a drive for excellence and a return to seriousness from the carefree summer. So for those of you who feel the same way I do about baseball (Hi, Dad!), I wish you a sincere and heartfelt Happy Opening Day!

Kitchen Basics, Lesson 4, Standard Breading Procedure

photo by Barbara Bonisolli

Or, SBP as it's known to most cooks, is one of the fundamental lessons in the kitchen. As a young culinary student myself, I was shocked when so much classroom time was devoted to mastering the subject. Shouldn't it be common-sense? A little egg… a little crumb… some heat and voila, done!? Turns out, there's a little more to it than that.

There are three basic components in SBP. They are flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs - in that order.

First is the flour, which should always be all-purpose. Cooks will sometimes season this with salt, pepper or spices for extra flavor. That is optional.  

Next, are the eggs. Traditionally, this is a mixture of cream and eggs. Cream will make for a heavier crust. If you prefer not to use cream, you may substitute milk, or even water. The crust will be a little bit lighter as a result if you do. Whatever you decide, make sure to always beat the eggs until well-blended. 

Breadcrumbs are the last treatment. You may use store-bought, or make your own by grinding bread in a food processor. I like to use Panko, which is a flaky, Japanese breadcrumb.

Your station should like like this:

Notice how the raw ingredient is to the far left, followed by the flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, and finally the finished tray on the right. It is important to set this whole station up before you begin breading..

Organizing and arranging all of your ingredients before you begin cooking is known as mise en place. A french term which roughly translates to having "everything in place."

After you're all set up, you may begin to bread. Designate your right hand to be your "dry" hand, and your left hand to be your "wet" hand.

With your dry (right) hand, pick up your ingredient to be breaded and toss it around in the flour. Make sure it is entirely coated. Remove it from the flour and shake and pat it to remove any excess flour.

Drop it into the egg wash. Use your wet (left) hand to lift it out of the eggs and let the excess drain off. Then drop it into the breadcrumbs.

Using your dry (right) hand, pack on the breadcrumbs until they are evenly distributed. Then, lift the ingredient out and shake off any excess. 

Place the breaded item onto a prepared tray, and repeat this process until everything has been breaded.  


Feel free to experiment! Add buttermilk to the eggs for a tangy and moist breading. Or grind day-old brioche, sourdough, whole wheat, even pita bread for homemade breadcrumbs. The options are endless, and always delicious.


illustration patterns by sonia delaunay

A Toast to Old Fashioned

It’s time for full disclosure, Miya is my sister-in-law, so nepotism could very well have played a part in hooking Jackalope up with the You+Me* blogging gig. I tell you this, because this past weekend, my entire immediate family came down to Nashville to check out the progress on the brewery, so Miya and I got to hang out. One night I took Miya and my brother out on the town and brought them to a bar we have here called Patterson House. Patterson House is supposed to have a speak easy type vibe, they make amazing drinks. They also have an ice maker that apparently cost $25,000 and makes giant spherical ice cubes (and other cool ice makers too). It’s pretty cool. I got a Moscow Mule (the ice was one giant rectangular ice cube!) Jordan got some sort of whiskey mojito thing (a giant spherical ice cube!), Miya got some campari drink (another spherical cube! --- can you tell I’m mildly obsessed with the ice machine?) and Bailey got something with vodka and elderflower which sadly had regular shaped ice cubes. Very disappointing, but she didn't seem to mind. While we were all enjoying our drinks, Jordan mentioned that places like Patterson House made him wish he knew how to make some of the more classic cocktails, like an Old Fashioned.

This conversation popped right into my mind the second Miya sent me this week’s glassware assignment.

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They scream Mad Men to me and I love them. I want to wear a Joan Holloway dress, do my hair up all fancy and sip something classic out of these glasses. Like my brother, I had no idea what goes into an Old Fashioned, so I figured we Virballs can’t be the only ones lacking this knowledge and maybe I’d look it up and share it with you all.

You’re welcome.

Old Fashioned (from Esquire Magazine)

1 Sugar Cube

3 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

Club Soda

2 ounces of Rye Whiskey

Place the sugar cube in the glass, add the bitters and a splash of club soda. Muddle it all together. Swish the glass around so the sugar/bitters/club soda mixture coats the sides. Put in an ice cube and the whiskey and enjoy.

There, now don’t we all feel a little bit smarter and a little bit cooler?

(source)

Randal Phenning

via

From his Goodbye Darkness series. Pretty, right? 

How to: Spoonflower!

What is Spoonflower, you ask? Well friends, Spoonflower happens to be one of the coolest websites out there. It allows anyone (yes, even you) to create original fabrics without having to leave the comfort of your computer chair. Seriously, check out how easy it is:

Start off making a simple design. Remember, this will be going into repeat - so don't make something overly complicated. In this example, I chose to make a basic triangle. I used Photoshop, but there are plenty of other options if you don't have such a program. I recommend downloading one of these for free: GetPaint, or Gimp. You can also design your own motif by hand, and scan it.

Once you have your design ready, upload it into Spoonflower. Within seconds it   will be put into a basic repeat:

          

Easy breezy. Now you can play around with all the repeat options they have to offer. This is my pattern using a mirror repeat:

Totally awesome, and so simple! Once you've decided on a favorite, decide how much yardage you'll need, and what fabric you prefer it be printed on. Then, head on over to the checkout. In just a few days, you'll be delivered your very own textile design. Hooray!


**Take a tip from the Pro's: Before requesting a bunch of yardage, make sure to order a test swatch, or fat quarter first. You'll want to make sure everything looks perfect before making the big investment.

**While you're at it, check out these cool sites that offer custom designs as well!
Fabric on Demand
Karma Kraft
Pixeladies   

Queenie Cooks: Watermelon, Cucumber and Pepper Salad

Hello, my lovelies! Since last we spoke, I've been gallivanting here and there around balmy Austin, Texas. I headed down for South by Southwest and made the most of all the music, food and, well, food the city has to offer. Toward the end of my good times binge, my friend (and hostess) Louisa and I spent a day sitting by her beautiful pool. It was 85 and sunny, and we decided a salad would be just the thing for lunch.

Louisa knows well my proclivity for all things cucumber and had purchased three gorgeous ones ahead of my visit. She'd also picked up a perfectly ripe honeydew melon, thinking it'd be just the thing to combine with the cucumber in Deborah Madison's cucumber and melon salad. By the time we got around to actually making it, though, we were practically out of limes, a key ingredient, and there wasn't a scallion to be found in the house - another important element.

While Louisa worked diligently on copy edits for her latest novel, I got to work in the kitchen. I chopped and seeded and peeled and arranged, substituting champagne vinegar for lime juice and spiking the dressing with a bit of zest. In went chives in lieu of scallions, along with a shower of mint (a faithful element at last).

All in all, I think our version is more suited to my tastes. I tend to like a hit of citrus here, a pinch of it there; the lime level in this adaptation is much more me than the original. Come summertime, this would be absolutely incredible with some fresh local watermelon, or even a thin-skinned tiger melon. Yes, indeedy.

Cucumber and Melon Salad
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone by Deborah Madison

2 cucumbers, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
1/2 honeydew melon, cut into 3/4-inch chunks and chilled
2 tbs. mint, finely chopped
2 tbs. chives, finely chopped
Zest and juice of one lime
3 tbs. champagne vinegar
1/4 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups arugula

Slice the cucumber halves crosswise on the bias into 3/4-inch wide slices. Toss with the honeydew, mint and chives in a small bowl. Set aside.

Mix together the lime juice and zest, vinegar and oil. Add a healthy pinch of salt and whisk to combine into a dressing.

Divide the arugula in half and pile each half onto one plate. Top with the cucumber mixture, then spoon the dressing over the top. Finish with lots of ground pepper and some more salt. Serve immediately.

Serves two.

Make Your Bed!

Okay, so we said it was going to be good, and this is what we've been working on:
The lovely ladies of Rue got in touch a while back and asked us to style their exclusive peek at the new Kate Spade bedding line, and then topped it off with asking us to make a stop motion video with Trent Bailey Photography (and you know we can never say no to working with Trent!). You'll have to go take a look at our spreads in Rue, which comes out today, but here's our video, because you know we hate to keep you waiting...

Make Your Bed for Rue from You + ME* & Trent Bailey Photo on Vimeo.
Isn't it the funnest? Did you catch little Claire and Emi and Dex and Tahoe in there?
We worked with some amaaazing folks on this one--special thanks to:
Makeup: Jerry Johnson for Laura Mercier
Hair: Fetch Beauty
Collage art in kids' room: John Murphy
Headbands: Preston & Olivia
Props: Find Home Furnishings & West Elm
 

Day of Silence

Words seem meaningless in the wake of the unfathomable devastation in Japan.  As we struggle to articulate the heartbreak we're experiencing, we want to join Utterly Engaged and Ever Ours in taking a day of silence to honor those who lost their lives, send strength and love to those who are struggling to make their way through this disaster, and consider ways we can support those who are providing critical services there.  Consequently, we will not be posting tomorrow, Friday, March 18.

If you haven't already, please consider donating.  You can visit For Japan With Love to provide emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies to families affected by the disaster via a contribution to Shelterbox.  In light of Jack's very recent birth, the plight of children in Japan has been weighing especially heavily on my mind.  I'm thankful for the work of UNICEF, whose efforts are focused on supporting and protecting children who are particularly vulnerable in an emergency. 

Our hearts are with everyone in Japan.

Kitchen Basics, No. 3: Washing and Storing Spring Produce

Ernst Benary - Album Benary

Can you believe it? I'm almost too superstitious to say it, but I will. Spring has sprung in New York. At least that's what I assume (err…hope) all those mid-afternoon rainstorms are about. Right?

Just thinking about all the warm, sunny and light-filled days that lie ahead gets me so giddy. I can't help but be uber-excited... and hungry. It's safe to say that spring delivers my favorite foods.  Asparagus? Strawberries? Yes, Please!

As the days draw close, it's seems appropriate to share with you some tips and techniques on handling these precious ingredients with the care and tenderness they deserve. Spring is a time of renewal, and after a harsh, long, and cold winter; we could all use a little freshness in our lives. 

This season we can look forward to the seemingly infinite assortment of delicious leafy greens available. Spinach, arugula, watercress, mustard, baby lettuce, chard... yum!

The best process to clean greens is to remove them from their stalk first. Then, fill up a sink or large bowl with cold water.  Place the greens into the water, and let them soak for 5-10 minutes. Periodically swish them around to dislodge any dirt or sand that may be stuck. After the time has elapsed, drain the water, and check the bottom of  the sink (or bowl) for leftover residue. If there happens to be a lot, it's smart to repeat the process one more time. Plan on using up all your leaves immediately - if you do not - wrap the remainder in damp paper towels and keep them in your vegetable crisper drawer until ready to use.

To naturally satisfy your sweet tooth, look out for strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Since berries are super sensitive, it's best to wash them only when ready to use. To do so, place them in a colander or strainer and rinse them gently with cold water. Then, lightly lay them on doubled up paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Store pre-rinsed berries in the refrigerator and away from humidity to keep fresh. If you're like me, you shouldn't have any trouble eating them all up in one fell swoop.   

Spring brings us roots and tubers too - new potatoes, carrots, celeriac, and turnips are just a few. These vegetables should be scrubbed individually under cold water with a hard-bristled brush. Do so even if you plan on peeling off the skins. Potatoes and celeriac should be stored in a cool, dark place (away from onions - as they emit gases that can spoil each other). Carrots and turnips are to be removed from their greens, and kept in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator. 

Photo by Bobbi Lin

* For those of you who prefer to clean with something stronger, I would suggest using a 1 to 3 mixture of white wine vinegar to water, rather than the commercially-made vegetable sprays.  

* Certified organic produce need to be washed too! Oh, and same goes with those bagged salads that claim to have been "triple-washed." Yep, sorry, there's no getting around this one! Once you take your first delicious bite, you'll forget all about it. 

Just a Little Breather

Jack at his first (but probably not his last) photo shoot yesterday

Hello, friends! At 4:27 AM last Wednesday, I gave birth to a handsome little devil named Jack Thurston Fraser.  Once he decided he was ready to make his entrance, he tried to race into the world as quickly as possible, making his birth a pretty wild event.  I'll skip to the happy ending/beginning when he arrived safe and sound, I was healthy and elated, and we went home to a nest full of loving family (how lucky am I that my sister and mom are here to share this experience with us?). 

Miya and I are so truly lucky to be working on such fantastic projects right now, but that combined with my new arrival means we're just a little swamped.  After gazing at Jack, breastfeeding him every couple hours, and helping Claire get to know her baby brother, there are only so many available hours during the day.  Then there's poor Miya who is working extra hard to pick up some of my slack.  I hope you'll understand if our posting is a little spotty for the next few weeks while we get in a new routine.   

Thank goodness we also have Meg to keep you well fed (did you see last Thursday's recipe for homemade gremolata bread crumbs?), the Jackalope girls to fulfill any cocktail needs you might have (like Bloody Marys), and Mary Ellen to share both kitchen basics (homemade ricotta anyone?) and design inspiration.

What may be lacking in quantity of posts will be completely overshadowed by the quality of what will be coming your way over the next few weeks.  In addition to our phenomenal contributors, there are so many projects we've been dying to share with you! 

I hope you all get the chance to cuddle up with your family and/or pets tonight--that's what I'll be doing.