How to use this Page

"For anyone who loves pastry, Paris is the center of the universe. Not only can you find a pâtisserie or boulangerie on every street, but the odds are tremendously in your favor that you'll find a good, perhaps great, pastry or bread shop, and that it will turn up just when you most need a buttery croissant or a bittersweet chocolate cookie. Like sidewalk cafés, street-corner kiosks, and every famous monument from the Eiffel Tower to Sacré-Coeur, pâtisseries are part of what makes food lovers, bon vivants, and romantics cherish Paris." ~ Dorie Greenspan, Paris Sweets


     
      photo of Dorie at the ALA Convention, June 2010 (ALA photostream).

Mais, oui! Enchanting deliciousness around every corner.


Ladurée pastry by w_a_b.

Breathtakingly beautiful pastries, jewel-like in their precision and artistry, beckon from bakery shop windows. Each bite a little ecstasy, connecting you to the most magnificent baking tradition in the world. Sigh.

If you cannot go to Paris just now, let Paris come to you in Paris Sweets: Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops, by inimitable food writer, editor and cookbook author, Dorie Greenspan.

Even if you never make a single recipe, you will love the tidbits of culinary history, vignettes about the bakers and their shops, short takes on French baking ingredients (butter, salt, eggs, vanilla, crème fraîche), and the generous bounty of tasty anecdotes and asides. No, you do not have to be an avid baker or even a passionate Francophile to enjoy this book -- it's enough to be human, to love beauty, to be curious about food, to appreciate evocative writing that has the power to charm and transport the reader to a haven of sensory pleasure.


photo by Baykster.

Does mere mention of chocolate bread pudding, madeleines, cherry clafoutis, whipped cream-filled meringues, coffee éclairs, opera cake, and chocolate temptation make your heart beat faster? For Greenspan, it wasn't the Louvre, Left Bank, or Notre Dame that got her hooked on Paris back in the early 70's. It was a perfect strawberry tartlet. Two bites of the "absolutely pure flavor of butter," and baby-sized berries "heavily perfumed and so extraordinarily flavorful that they might have served as the model for the ideal strawberry," epitomized everything she loved most about French culture.

So she spent 30 years searching for the best pastries in Paris (can you think of a sweeter "job"?), and then she convinced seventeen chefs to share their recipes, which she adapted for American kitchens. By the time you finish reading her book, you'll long to visit Pierre Hermé, Ladurée, Boulangerie Poilâne, Stohrer, La Mais

                           
         Source: D. Sharon Pruitt, Pink Sherbet Photography

Some of you may have noticed I've been a bit obsessed with BLUE this week.

Maybe "obsessed" is too strong a word. Try, "enamoured." Yes, that's better. Though green has always been my favorite color, lately blue's been toying with my affections, surprising me with its uncanny guises (I think there's a picture book in there somewhere). "Call me by any one of my names," it teases, and I'll set you to poetic dreaming: cerulean, azure, cobalt, lapis. Aquamarine, baby, powder, indigo, denim, royal, robin's egg. Prussian, sapphire, midnight, electric, teal, sky, navy, steel, periwinkle.

If green is growth and renewal; red, power and passion; and yellow, sunny optimism -- then blue, besides being cool, musical, and melancholy, is deep as the sea, wide as the sky, truer than true. 

  
    photo by haraldna.

With food, blue is rare, exclusive, lending itself solely to a single berry. I find that a bit odd, since it colors many beautiful flowers and birds. But if there has to be only one blue food, then let it be perfect: small and round, delicious eaten raw or cooked, packed with health and nutritional benefits, and available year round. Let it be a fruit that evokes warm childhood memories and inspires exquisite poems like this one:


photo by tiny banquet committee.

BLUEBERRY
by Diane Lockward

Deep-blue hue of the body, silvery bloom
on its skin. Undersized runt of a fruit,
like something that failed to thrive, dented top
a fontanel. Lopsided globe. A temperate zone.
Tiny paradox, tart and sweet, homely
but elegant afloat in sugar and cream,
baked in a pie, a cobbler, a muffin.

The power of blue. Number one antioxidant fruit,
bantam-weight champ in the fight against
urinary tract infections, best supporting actor
in a fruit salad. No peeling, coring or cutting.
Lay them out on a counter, strands of blue pearls.
Pop one at a time, like M&M's, into your mouth.
Be a glutton and stuff in a handful, your tongue,
lips, chin dyed blue, as if feasting on indigo.
Fruit of the state of New Jersey.
Favorite fruit of my mother.

Sundays she scooped them into pancake batter,
poured circles onto the hot greased griddle, sizzled
them gold and blue, doused with maple syrup.

This is what I want to remember: my mother
and me, our quilted robes, hair in curlers,
that kitchen, that table,
plates stacked with pancakes, blueberries sparkling
like gemstones, blue stars in a gold sky,
the universe in reverse,
the two of us eating blueberry pancakes. 

So, did you watch Sir Paul receive the Gershwin Prize on PBS last night?

Len and I liked the program so much, we watched it twice in a row. When Paul was first introduced, I thought to myself that if I had been in the room, that close to him, I would have died, simply died right there on the spot.

It was great hearing other artists' interpretations of McCartney's songs. Though I enjoyed Emmylou Harris's version of "For No One," was transported to a place of peace and calm with Lang Lang's "Celebration" on the piano, and am now crushing bigtime on Dave Grohl, it was Corinne Bailey Rae's "Blackbird" that totally blew me away. OMG. Knowing the history behind the song, it being sung by an African American woman in President Obama's White House -- just wow. So pure, poignant, laden with decades of hurt and struggle. And Elvis Costello did a great job with "Penny Lane." Loved it.

In case you missed the broadcast, you will soon be able to view it in its entirety at the PBS website. Meanwhile, here's a fabulous interview with McCartney; it's about 30 minutes long, but well worth your time -- includes behind the scenes footage of him at the Library of Congress, and lots of discussion about his musical influences and creative process. ☺

A little hi-jinx, courtesy of the Blue Man Group. Love me some drainage pipes!



Your assignment for today, should you choose to accept it: Don your denim, play with your pipes. And stay cool.

"The world first opens up to children in the pages of great books, taking them in their imaginations to fascinating places near and far: a farmhouse on Prince Edward Island, a cave on the banks of the Mississippi River, a long-ago village in Holland, a convent school in Paris, a fancy hotel in New York City. "  ~ Storybook Travels by Bates and Latempa.

            
       teddy photo: inspired by . . .  


Since I grew up on a tiny island in the Pacific, the world of my childhood was indeed very small. Unlike our mainland cousins, we couldn't pile into the car and drive to another state come summer or Easter vacation.

The most exciting thing we did was drive around O'ahu, which, if including the obligatory lunch and snack stops, could be accomplished in about 2-3 hours. If one did this once or twice a year for 12+ consecutive years, you can easily see how soon it would lose its magic. 

Thank god for books, which introduced me to so many wondrous, faraway places. Whether they were fantastical, like Oz, Narnia, or a delicious chocolate factory, or real, like New York City, Paddington Station, or Paris, in my child's mind they were all make-believe.


Paddington Station, London (photo: dms246).

As an adult, wanting to finally see some of those "real" places is what prompted me to move to England -- home of Beatrix Potter, Lewis Carroll, A.A. Milne, Michael Bond, Charles Dickens, the Brontës, and P.L. Travers. Seems like I've been on a "storybook setting" journey ever since, always keen to check out not only where my favorite stories took place, but where their authors lived and worked.

Recently, I enjoyed doing some armchair traveling via Storybook Travels: From Eloise's New York to Harry Potter's London, Visits to 30 of the Best-Loved Landmarks in Children's Literature by Colleen Dunn Bates and Susan Latempa (Three Rivers Press, 2002). It was fun seeing how many of the locations I've already visited, and which ones I still hope to see.

So far, I've done these:


Alcotts' Orchard House, Concord, MA (photo: TalkingTree).

Hannibal, Missouri (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain)

London, England (A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond)

San Francisco, California (Child of the Owl by Laurence Yep)

New York, New York (Eloise by Kay Thompson)

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC (From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

London, Wind

"Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again." ~ L. Frank Baum

"Blue thou art, intensely blue; Flower, whence came thy dazzling hue?" ~ James Montgomery


"Country Blues" by Lisa Lorenz (available for purchase here).

Blue's the coolest color on a sizzling summer's day.

Let's sit back and chill while those blues drift this way . . .


photo by Woody the bear.

      
       Show me your blue books!


photo by David Jensen.


by pforbinesque.


from Shabby Chic's photostream.


photo by ms. lume.

    
       Source: sunshinesyrie.

        
         Which book also appeared in the other stack?      

     
        photo by -ej!

      
         Source: www.NatBal.com

          
             photo by D. Sharon Pruitt, Pink Sherbet Photography.

"Touch blue, and your wish will come true." ~

photo: Sarah and Mike . . . probably.

Sometimes you're thirsty, but you're not quite sure for what.

That's where Poetry Friday comes in.  A good poem, the right poem, will quench your need for solace, inspiration, enlightenment, the irreverent, even the absurd. Why not get drunk on words?


photo by Mick Stephenson.

Surely there's nothing more evocative, soul-stirring or sensual than "the best words in the best order." Poets, the sommeliers of the literary world, might assess words as they do wine, according to the "five S's": see, swirl, sniff, sip, savor. Each word must carry more than its weight in shape, size and texture, connotation, sensory qualities, and personality/character. When read aloud, the word should roll off the tongue, feel good in the mouth, sing. A good poem has a pleasant "aftertaste," an emotional resonance for readers to savor again and again.

Fine words = fine wine → clarity, complexity, balance, distillation, expressiveness. I love a good extended metaphor. In Sarah Wardle's cleverly crafted poem, winepress meets printing press. Sip slowly --does this vintage make your taste buds tingle?

WORD TASTING
by Sarah Wardle

First agitate the word in your glass,
swilling it round anti-clockwise
to let the air into the language.

Tilt the glass against the tablecloth.
Notice the colour. Is this word golden
or brick-red? Does the nose remind you

of freshly-mown grass or tropical fruit?
Is the word smoky or woody on the palate?
Do the syllables have a long aftertaste?

Has the word been aged? Do you like it?
Now try this. It is a controversial word,
the oldest vintage known to man. The seeds

can be used to grow this word in Europe
or the New World. Each climate gives
the word a different flavour. It's versatile,

easily turned into language. Growers love it
across the financial spectrum. Many find
this word smooth and buttery, fruity and ripe.

They say it is an alpha word, their favourite.
Some drink it early and often, others will
store it in their cellars for drinking later.

Then again, still others find the word bitter
and acidic, screwing up their faces, saying
it reminds them of cat's pee on gooseberry bushes.

There's no accounting for taste. Make up
your own mind. What does it remind you of?
In the beginning the label said God.

~ from Poetry on a Plate: A Feast of Poems and Recipes (Salt Publishing, 2006).

<

from Chansons de France Pour Les Petits Français by M.B. de Monvel (1979), source: moonflygirl.


Bonjour, mes enfants!

Have you been good or bad this summer? Pretending to be good, but maybe a little naughty on the side?

C'est d'accord. You will probably like your punishment:

photo by roboppy.

Oui, a handful of la punitions, those famous butter cookies from the Poilâne Bakery in Paris! Pierre Poilâne's grandmother used to play a game with her grandchildren. She called them over to seemingly punish them, but offered a handful of these cookies instead. Today, if you visit any of the Poilâne bakeries, you will find a basket of free punitions by the register. Trés délicieux!

To go with your cookies today, how about a few picture books set in Paris? It's the best way to visit from the comfort of your window seat, hammock, or porch swing. There are funny animals, rollicking adventures, a few artistes, even some crêpes. If you've never been to Paris, you will experience the joie de vivre of this great city and see some of its most famous landmarks. And if you've already visited La Ville-Lumière ("The City of Light"), these stories will touch your heart and make you yearn to go back again.


Paris panorama by Benh Lieu Song (click to enlarge).

Today, we are all honorary Parisiens -- so let's put on our bérets and striped shirts. It's a lovely day on the Left Bank!

LA LA ROSE by Satomi Ichikawa (Philomel, 2004). Our first stop, Luxembourg Gardens. La La Rose the pink rabbit tells about the time she went there with her little girl, Clementine, and got lost. Things were fine at first. Clementine and her brother Pierre had a lot of fun at the playground and carousel. But when Grandma rushes them over to see the puppet show, La La Rose falls out of Clementine's backpack. Oh no! 

     

She has some rather unpleasant "adventures" as a result: tossed into a trash can, tumbling down stairs, thrown high into the air and dragged from the fountain by a dog. Will she ever be reunited with her beloved Clementine? With a simple narrative and dreamy watercolor spreads, Ichikawa captures the special bond between a child and her favorite stuffed animal, while giving us a peek at the beautiful gardens she clearly loves (layout of LG on the endpapers). 

        

<

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." ~ Edgar Degas (July 19, 1834 - September 27, 1917).

      
         "L'Absinthe" (1876), oil on canvas, Musée D'Orsay, Paris.

Celebrate Degas's birthday with a sweet, and enjoy his paintings!

Ladurée pastry by mytripsandraces.



Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

Just a little reminder that "DC Cupcakes," the new six-part series about cupcake sisters Sophie and Katherine (Georgetown Cupcake), premieres tomorrow night, July 16th, at 10pm (EDT) on TLC!

Can't wait to find out what really goes on behind the scenes in this very successful business producing 5000+ cupcakes a day! Check out these whet-your-appetite videos:








And has anyone else been watching the Cupcake Wars on the Food Network? It airs Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. (EDT). I have a hard time believing that it's possible to bake 1000 cupcakes in two hours! Still, it's interesting seeing the different personalities of the bakers featured each week in the 3-round competition, and what wild and crazy flavors they will "invent" on the spot. Reality TV seems to get less "real" all the time. Just saying.

Have one of these to tide you over until tomorrow:


Georgetown Cupcakes by Food Librarian.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

Huong Viet received "Best Restaurant/Best Bargain Restaurant" Awards for the past five years from Washingtonian Magazine.

One of the greatest "perils" of reading and reviewing food-related books is hunger.  *pant, pant*

If the writing is tantalizing enough, this hunger surpasses mere curiosity and borders on obsession. After reading Noodle Pie, I had to had to had to try some Vietnamese food. And I couldn't wait until I found the right brand of fish sauce to make some of the recipes included in the book -- no, I had to try some right away, and wanted to sample Vietnamese cooking that was as authentic as could be found in the greater D.C. area.

               

Perhaps you're wondering how I could have reached my dotage respectable middle age without ever having ventured into at least one Vietnamese restaurant. My life has been happily blessed with Chinese, Korean, Thai, Japanese, and Indian food aplenty, but never Vietnamese. I suppose since I wasn't exposed to it growing up, it simply wasn't on my food radar.

Until I read Noodle Pie. All those descriptions of fresh veggies, sizzling woks, fried rice and noodles, minced fish, and the ubiquitous staple, pho, a beef noodle soup (!) which apparently originated in North Vietnam (the setting for the book), left me drooling and ravenous.


Eden Center shops.

A little research told me that Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia, was the place to go. This bustling enclave of restaurants, curio shops, bakeries, delis, and Asian grocery stores is also known as "Little Saigon." Since local reviewers favored Huong Viet Restaurant, we decided to go there first.

They currently have over 160 items on their menu, including several "interesting" items such as squid, frog legs, quail, abalone, jellyfish and organ meats. (I do NOT do organ meats.) We were told they excel at their fried noodle and rice dishes, rather than pho. Saw a lot of seafood, lemongrass, and a ton of soups. There were very few things I wouldn't try, i.e., pork blood soup, which somehow reminded me of blood sausage in the UK.

We decided on some pretty safe bets. Goi Cuon (Fresh Garden Rolls):

 Refreshing and delicious: liked the soy dipping sauce with peppers best.

Mi Xao Mem Thap Cam (Fried Beef, Shrimp, Chicken Lo Mein):

Savory, great blend of spices, renewed my appreciation for cilantro!

Tom Xao Rau Thap Cam (Shrimp Sauteed with Mixed Vegetables):

 Yum: giant mushrooms soaked with gravy!

And we loved everything! As a whole, Vietnamese cuisine

"Food seemed to trigger the strongest memories for his father. As he strolled around, his nose was constantly twitching in appreciation." ~ from Noodle Pie by Ruth Starke



In Noodle Pie, East meets West: Vietnamese pho and Aussie meat pie (photos by LiY!n and Filor).


Who could resist a book called Noodle Pie?

Certainly not me. I'm so glad that in January 2010, Kane Miller published an American edition of this funny, engaging, and yes, totally delicious middle grade novel by award-winning Australian author Ruth Starke.

       

It satisfied my cravings for a little armchair travel, colorful characters, a bounty of ethnic food and family togetherness. Moreover, it taught me a lot about Vietnamese culture as seen through the eyes of almost-twelve-year-old Andy Nguyen, who visits Hanoi with his father for the first time.

DELICIOUS PREMISE

Andy is excited about his first plane ride, passport, and the chance to meet his dad's side of the family. Growing up, he heard stories about how his father fled the country after the fall of Saigon and settled in Australia. It is a poignant visit for his dad, who's anxious to be reunited with his family, but he's beholden to them and painfully aware of their high expectations. 

Understandably, Andy arrives with his own prejudices about his preconceived heritage. He's initially critical of his pushy, impatient, somewhat greedy relatives, shocked by their poverty and unsanitary living conditions, and disappointed that the family restaurant he had heard so much about is actually nothing more than a small, shabby storefront with folding tables and plastic kiddie stools. 


Street café, Hanoi (photo by yayoita).

His father's strange behavior only adds to Andy's confusion and disillusionment. Tuoc Nguyen is a "Viet Kieu," someone born in Vietnam who now lives overseas, and he's playing the part to the hilt. Though he struggles to make ends meet as a gardener back in Adelaide, in Hanoi he pretends to be wealthy and successful, bearing gifts for everyone, throwing money around like it grows on trees.

It's interesting to see how Andy deals with his culture shock, how he interacts with each of his relatives, how finally learning what they've been through changes his perceptions and deepens his understanding of who he really is. In the course of the story, the many questions that arise in Andy's mind keep the reader intrigued about the characters' secrets and motivations. Why is Auntie Mo so mean? Why does his cousin Indy feel entitled to Andy's belongings? Why does his cousin Minh skip scho

Tanita Davis's recent visit inspired me to seek out more vegan recipes, so I asked Jules of 7-Imp and my half-sister, Sylvia, for suggestions. Jules shared a couscous recipe which I'm going to try very soon, and Sylvia pointed me to Mario Batali's Penne Puttanesca, a meat-free pasta dish that she's prepared many times for her vegan friends.

Penne Puttanesca has many things going for it -- it's easy, it's a great way to use up surplus zucchini, and its flavors and textures are varied and satisfying. With a fresh green salad and crispy baguette, it's the perfect light meal for lazy summer days. I imagine if the tomatoes and basil also came from your own garden, it would be even more delizioso! Add olives, capers, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and your taste buds will thank you many times over. Enjoy!



PASTA PUTTANESCA
(adapted from Mario's Food Network recipe, serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound young zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick, into 1/2 moons
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced paper thin
• 12 large leaves basil, torn in 1/2
• 1 pound can tomatoes, roughly chopped, retaining seeds and liquid
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons salt packed giant capers, rinsed of salt and drained
• 1/4 cup tiny black olives
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt
• 1 pound dried penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 7/9/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  poetry friday, taylor mali, summer soup 2010, Add a tag

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 7/8/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  summer soup 2010, food art, stephanie kilgast, Add a tag

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 7/6/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  tanita s. davis, summer soup 2010, Add a tag

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 7/1/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  book reviews, grace lin, soup of the day, summer soup 2010, Add a tag

 photo credit: Alexandre Ferron.

Polka dot polka dot. Hip hip hooray!!

Guess who's got a brand new book officially out today?

Two clues: 

1. She's one of my all-time favorite children's author/illustrators.
2. She likes to bake cupcakes.

Yes, Newbery Honor winner Grace Lin has done it again! Her new early reader, Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! (Little, Brown, 2010), packs a double wallop because it's all about twins. If it's possible to love a book twice as much as I should, I'm guilty times two. 

         

How could I possibly resist these adorable imps? Everyone tells Ling and Ting they are exactly the same, but in six interconnected vignettes, they show us just how different they are -- in personality and abilities.

In the first story, the girls get a haircut. Ling sits still and gets a nice clip, but Ting's a bit of a wriggle worm, sneezing when hair falls on her nose. "Oh no!" She ends up sporting a cutting edge (giggle) set of bangs for the rest of the book. An ingenious way to set the stage, making us want to read more of their amusing antics. 

Now, as much as I love Ling's magic card trick and Ting's trip to the library, I must point out that there are two whole stories about
food -- one, preparing it, the second, eating it. And what did they eat? DUMPLINGS!



*kill me, kill me now, i'm so happy*

How cute are these two in their chef hats, rolling out dough, mixing the filling, and shaping the dumplings into half moons -- nice and smooth for Ling's, fat and lumpy for Ting's (aptly named dump-Tings). Each story is simply told and contains just the right measure of fun, verve, and believability.

         

The final story, "Mixed Up," features the girls in their red polka dot dresses, picnicking with chocolate cupcakes! *swoon* They're reading Grace Lin books, natch, and Ting makes up a funny story using (and cleverly mixing) elements from the previous five
stories -- the perfect way to stir up a warm serving of friendship and togetherness. 

           
               Grace says this book inspired her dotted dresses!

Easy readers are notoriously difficult to write, and with Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!, Grace has proved her mettle yet again. She's one of those rare authors who can successfully write across genres -- picture books, chapter books, novels, and now, early readers. The everyday scenarios will engage and amuse the targeted ag

Add a Comment

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 6/29/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  summer soup 2010, Add a tag

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 6/28/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  katherine paterson, summer soup 2010, Add a tag

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

45. le petit déjeuner bizarre

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 6/24/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  emilie simon, summer soup 2010, Add a tag

         
            photo: carroll.mary.

Bon Matin!

For breakfast today: a cup of tea, a croissant, and a music video to open your eyes.

In my current pursuit of all things French, I came across musician and composer, Émilie Simon. Are you familiar with her work?

         

"Désert" was featured on her self-titled debut album (2003), which received the Victoire de la Musique (French Grammy) for Best Electronic Pop Album.

Originally from Montpellier, France, she's conservatory trained in ancient music, and has made her mark both as an electronic pop musician and mainstream soundtrack composer ("March of the Penguins," French version).

The "Désert" video is haunting, strange, a fascinating example of art rock and visual poetry. Some find her soft, babyish voice remniscent of early Kate Bush and Claudine Longet. She must have a thing for plants; her third album, Végétal (2006) includes not only lyrics about vegetation, but actual sounds of plants.

Why am I intrigued? I've dreamed about plants growing out of my arms (have you?). The really disturbing thing is that none of these plants were edible. ☺



So, what did you think?

*English translation of "Désert" lyrics:

Where is the sea
I don't know why I was just looking for the sea
But the only thing I found was a desert
A desert around me

What can I see
You close my eyes when I just need to go and see
If you want me to be blind I will stay here
With this desert around me

The world I can see
Is a nowhere land
Without you I'm a nowhere girl
In the desert
In the desert
With you

Where is the sea
I don't why I was just looking for the sea
But the only thing I found was a desert
A desert around me

Where is the sea
I am alone
I am dreaming of the sea
That you are not here next to me

The world I can see
Is a nowhere land
Without you I'm a nowhere girl
In the desert
In the desert
With you

I've just finished my croissant. Now, I'm craving some green soup with flowers:

photo: JBluBird.

♥ Check out Émilie Simon's official website (cool design).

♥ Her YouTube channel features her recent work (she now lives in New York and is releasing CDs in the U.S.)

Au Revoir! Has anyone seen my watering can?

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

46. a prisoner of cakelove, or, i force myself to eat more cupcakes just for you

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 6/16/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  cupcakes and bake shop treats, summer soup 2010, Add a tag

CakeLove storefront at Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA.

After meeting the man, it was time to meet his cakes.



THE SEDUCTION

They called to me, those sassy-sweet sugar sirens, from a little corner of Fair Oaks Mall, located just a few minutes from home. The newest location is a small storefront, but equally as dangerous as any of the CakeLove walk-in bakeries farther away.

Let's say you're at the Mall, happy with your own cute self, dutifully minding your own business, when you happen to stroll by this innocent-looking display case. 

You try to avert your eyes, but pretty little chocolate-dipped strawberries, good-sized eclairs, brownies and cookies, and some decidedly intriguing cupcakes, obviously pleased with themselves, beckon in voices alluring and hypnotic.





"Why, hello," says Lime on the Coconut. "Raspberry Buttercream and I were just wondering if you'd like to join us." 

"Ch-ch-chocolate chip," chants somebody from the bottom row.

"Brown Velvet is your destiny," croons someone else. And then, a seductive whisper from Bedroll (walnut cake, cream cheese icing) -- "Take me home."

Yes, it was like an invisible someone had one of those long poles with the hook on the end and just grabbed me from the middle of the aisle and pulled me right to that CakeLove counter. It was futile to resist, and why would I even try? I was doing serious cuppie research on your behalf. *sacrificial sigh*

After having bebopped around town and tasting quite a few cupcakes in the last several months, I wondered what everyone else wonders: what makes CakeLove cupcakes different from other cupcakes? Luckily, Mr. Brown answered this question at his booksigning.



"The Buttercream." True, there are buttercreams and there are buttercreams. "We use Italian Meringue Buttercream," he said. Egg whites are whipped up to stiff peaks, and then hot sugar syrup is slowly poured in the mix, after which the butter is added one tablespoon at a time. He favors IMB because of its excellent taste profile and versatility, ease of flavoring, and because it handles well when decorating. 

Okey dokey.



THE HOOK-UPS

The cupcakes ($3.25 each) are average size, frostings are spread on rather than piped, giving them an unpretentious, homemade appearance. A definite plus: none of the frostings were overly sweet.

These beauties followed me home:

Lime on the Coconut (vanilla cake, vanilla buttercream, shredded coconut and lime zest):

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

47. lovin' on mr. brown (who's got a lovely daughter)

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 6/15/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  cupcakes and bake shop treats, summer soup 2010, Add a tag

"Direct yourself to greatness. Answer your calls. Answer to yourself." ~ Warren Brown, founder and owner of CakeLove




Far be it from me to seek out certain cupcakes just because the baker happens to be extremely dishy  fair of face. *cough*

I'm all about serious research, focus, eyes on the product, heart in the food. Remember Bakeshop owner Justin Stegall? I only found out how cute he was after the fact (and six divine cupcakes). While I love researching the backstories of all these bakers, in the end, it's supposed to be about the cupcakes. Right?

Maybe.

   

I didn't know anything about CakeLove's Warren Brown before embarking on these Cupcake Capers back in March. I had not seen him on Food Network's Sugar Rush (2005-2007), nor did I know about his popular cookbook, CakeLove (2008). I actually learned about Mr. Brown because of the recent Washingtonian Cupcake Cup (Georgetown Cupcake took top honors yet again).

It turns out our Mr. Brown has quite a fascinating story. A graduate of Brown University (history major) and George Washington University, where he earned his law degree and Master's in Public Health, he gave up law in 2000 to pursue his true passion -- baking! He opened a little bakery on U Street downtown, and now, eight years later, he's built a mini bakery empire with seven locations in the D.C. area and Baltimore. Quite an accomplishment for this self-taught baker-turned-inspirational-entrepreneur, who had the foresight, smarts, and guts to capitalize on our boundless love for all things cake, as well as the reverence, nostalgia, giddiness, and fantasy that goes with it.


Cornelius loves the cut-out of the U.S. map on the front cover.

When I heard Warren was doing a booksigning for his second book, United Cakes of America (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2010) at Barnes & Noble a few days ago, I zipped right on over. Had to see him. Had to tap into his magic. Lots of other people fantasize about opening a bakery. How and why did he succeed on such a grand scale?



In short -- charm, charisma, genius business sense, natural leadership skills, genuine love for and dedication to the art and science of baking, acute understanding of what people want and need, expansive thinking, solid work ethic, herculean stores of energy, a killer smile, and those dang cute dreadlocks. This guy has got the chops and is tuned in big time.

He's also the thinnest baker I've ever seen. And tall. And yes, ladies, he is very easy on the eyes. Is there anything sexier than a man in the kitchen? Especially one who advocates baking from scratch, and taking you

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

48. saturday sushi

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 6/12/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  sushi, summer soup 2010, food art, Add a tag

               

Okay, how cute is this? A sushi costume for your dog!

You don't have a dog? What about some sushi slippers for yourself?

These are available for purchase on Etsy.

or a little munchkin?


You have your choice of toppings, and if you like, a different one for each foot.

Of course, nothing better to top off a sushi-inspired outfit than a cucumber salad bib. Just wish they made one in my size ☺!


If you like sculpture, check out these Paramodel trucks created by Japanese artists. They combine toys with plastic food models (like the ones found in Japanese restaurant windows). These come with signed certificates of authenticity.




No surprise, now I'm hungry. What's your favorite sushi?

photo: apc33.

Enjoy your Saturday!


Bunny Sushi by barron.


♥ Thanks to Bridget at BB-Blog for the sushi links! 

♥ Click here to go to the Sushi Booties Shop. They also have fortune cookie slippers!

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

49. friday feast: a taste of the bittersweet

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top | Next

By: Jama Rattigan, on 6/11/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  poetry friday, summer soup 2010, robert seatter, Add a tag

      
        photo by Romaine3.

Ah, lemon curd! Summer in a jar!

Would you like yours on a scone or a piece of warm toast, between the layers of a cake, or baked in a tart? I love this perfect blend of the tangy and the sweet -- for me, it's quintessentially England.

          

Recently I purchased Poetry on a Plate -- a truly delectable smorgasbord of poems and recipes compiled by the Poetry Society of England. It's similar to The Poet's Cookbook (which features poems and recipes with an Italian theme), but Poetry on a Plate also includes musings from chefs and food writers. It's the best of both worlds -- poets talk about food, chefs talk about poetry. 

I especially love this lemon curd poem -- a little French flavor mixed with the English, and like Susan Rich's,  "A Poem for Will, Baking," it shows how people turn to cooking or baking as comfort, solace, and meditation. I love the interweaving of recipe process with travel itinerary, the palpable sadness. With each step the narrator completes, the person leaving is farther away. Is this a permanent leaving, or will she make a sweet return? Lemon Curd, after all, is a drama that could go either way. In any case, he has made something to fill the void, at least for now.

MAKING LEMON CURD
by Robert Seatter

I am making lemon curd
while you are travelling back to France.
(One o'clock you take the bus.)

An insanely domestic thing to be doing
in the middle of this black hole of loss;
but the precise imperatives
of the Sainsbury's Cookbook of Afternoon Teas
are a sort of comfort.
(Two o'clock you check in at Heathrow.)

Four brown eggs and four yellow lemons,
half a bag of caster sugar and half a pound of butter:
all you need for the perfect lemon curd.
(Three o'clock you fly to Lyon.)

Mix the sugar with the lemons,
and beat with patience for ten minutes or more
till you get a sticky paste that remains on the back
of a wooden spoon.
(Six o'clock your time you land, then
take a train to Montpellier.)

Then beat more patience,
without letting the water boil
else it mars the smoothness of the curd.
Allow to cool and then place in the fridge.
(Ten o'clock you sleep alone in crisp white sheets,
in a foreign room, your mind still travelling.)

And I have a perfect lemon curd,
stoppered in a jar, labelled and dated
with the date that you left.

~ from Poetry on a Plate: A Feast of Poems and Recipes, 2nd Edition (Salt Publishing 2006).


Arc de Triomphe, Montpellier, France (photo by Peter Curbishley).

Also very cool is that I alwa

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

50. happy birthday, donald!

Add/View Comments | Previous | Top |

By: Jama Rattigan, on 6/9/2010
Blog: jama rattigan's alphabet soup (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  donald duck cartoon, summer soup 2010, Add a tag

     
    Source: Kathleen Linke.

"Hiya, Toots!"

Donald Fauntleroy Duck is 76 years old today! On June 9, 1934, Donald made his first on-screen appearance in the Silly Symphonies cartoon, "The Wise Little Hen." He was a little leaner, with smaller feet, and didn't yet have the explosive temper for which he is known today. I hadn't seen "The Wise Little Hen" until last week and I love it! Could have something to do with the little white booties/shoes on the little chicks' feet, or the table scene near the end when they're sitting down to eat cornbread, corn muffins, corn pone, etc. Yum! Check it out:





photo by musicpb.

In August of the same year, Donald first appeared with Mickey Mouse in the famous cartoon, "Orphan's Benefit." That's when his hot-headed personality was developed, and he did his famous recitation of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Clarence "Ducky" Nash was the voice of Donald for 50 years, until succeeded by Disney artist Tony Anselmo.

"Oh, yeah?"



Donald's first print appearance was in the Mickey Mouse Annual 3 (1932). He was quite a different character from the Donald who made his comic strip debut, an adaptation of "The Wise Little Hen" in 1934.

"Nothing to it!"



Everybody, sing "Happy Birthday" to Donald today, and take a cookie before you go.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!"

Just one.

"Aw, phooey!"


 photo by Bit-O-Me.

Copyright © 2010 Jama Rattigan of jama rattigan's alphabet soup. All rights reserved.

Add a Comment

More from this Blog | Email This | Add a Tag

View Next 1 Posts