Le Tarte Tatin

Mmm....  I think this is more of a fall dish, but someone i know is dying to make the perfect one, and on the implication that his recette is  a bit salle, here goes:

Pastry: 

In a bowl:

-1 cup of flour

-1/3 cup of chilled, chopped, unsalted butter.

Rub together with your fingers until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs..

 (think: 'tuppin's tuppin's' , i like to sing that song while i do it which i think helps)

Now add:

-1 1/2 Tbsp of Sugar

Mix

Using a round blade cut the mixture while adding in:

-2 Lg. Egg Yolks (or one whole egg if you just don't give a yolk)

When the ingredients come together into a ball, knead on a floured surface until its all well blended. 

Then wrap it up in some plastic  and put it in the frigo to chill for a half hour while you chop apples.

Filling: 

-5 reasonable apples 

Core, peel and quarter the apples. (or sixth them, i like sixthing)

(these will bake down quite a bit so if it looks like too much for your skillet, don't fret.)

Make the glaze:

Use a skillet you can bake in (i like cast iron) but enamel works too, or at worst do this in a frying pan and transfer it to a pie pan after...

-3 TBSP of unsalted butter

-1/2 cup of sugar 

Mingle over medium heat until it gets to be syrup-ish, just swish it, no stirring. and if it starts to smoke remove from the heat and start again.

Combine:

Arrange the apples in the skillet and turn off the burner. 

Fire up the oven to 400 degrees (farenheit) 

When the dough is g'done chilling, roll it out a bit bigger than the pan/skillet you're baking in and lay the dough over the apples tucking in the edges gingerly.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, 

Reudce heat  to 250 degrees 

Bake some more for another 20 minutes.

Removed when slightly browned

Turn out of skillet on to heat resistant plate and cool before eating.

After removing it from the oven, loosen the pastry from the edges of the pan by skimming arround it with a tool of your choice, then overturn the tarte onto a heat resistant plate  and remove the skillet.

Voila!

I like to add ginger to this, because i like to add ginger to most things... but secret surprise option, try adding in finely chopped candied ginger pieces to the tarte crust... its unexpected and cuts down the sting of the ginger. 

I'll have to make an other one soon so i can post up a pikture!

 

Lappi-slug!!!!

YAY!

I'm loving my new home-made laptop tote/sleeve.  

I used some iron-on vinyl to protect the wicked vintage fabric from the elements.

I lined it with hi-dense foam shipping leaves punked from work.

Its got a pocket on the side that holds either my notebook or the power block. 

Next, i'm gonna make the 'KIRSI CASE'

The ultimate multifunctional briefcase/purse/fold-over shoulderbag.... now, WHAT COLOUR SHOULD A BAG THAT DOES EVERYTHING BE????

Mmmm.... LUNCH!

My Soup Library

03/14/2008

There is nothing like a freezer stocked full of frozen soup ready to defrost en-route to lunch. :)

some of the soups pictured:

Smokey Split Pea

Beet Torrent

Leek+Potato=Love

Carrot-ginger stew

Coconut Chili

Squash that Apple

Garlic/Ginger/Feel better soba

My log has something to say to you....

It says.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRSI!!!! YOU'RE 25!!!

(now don't screw it up!)

"Footed Pot" ....my ass!

ART/CRAFT

THE subject of contention for a bunch of my friends who are craft.. lovers and makers.

Last week i found a book called: 'Crafts Canada The useful arts' (1974).

Its full of local hero's like Lois Betbridge-Etherington (silversmithing queen) and even Andrew goss (i love his NEW work in concrete).

Using a few of the most interesting pictures from my find,  i intend to demonstrate how I see as the phases in what many view as contradictory terms and why i feel like they are all components of a healthy career as a 'craftsperson'. To me classification is made easy if you view it all from the p.o.v. of "intention".

Footed pot  by Bailey Leslie, Toronto. (NICE well made bong... no?)

A. Craft to me is about the end user. Craft is something that is made to be functional by a skilled craftsperson who has thoroughly considered all aspects of the design before beginning work.  To me this could include industrially produced objects where the designer really cared about the object, its use, storage, durability, aesthetics, and life span.  Something that is well crafted is essentially a pleasure to use. 

Tie-Dye, Eric Nyros. I love this work, i've never seen tie-dye executed like this, its beautiful no?!  Reminds me of being in the back country, if you look closely its all tree's and marshlands!

B. Art is about the concept or impulse of an artist. Art is the implementation of an artists skills in successfully conveying their personal vision. 

'Fibre Sculpture' by Hilde Shreier, Ottawa. This is interesting because it attempts to re-interpret textile techniques into a new form, but who wants that in thier house, really? I sometimes wish we could just write off craft from the seventies as what it was, experimental.

C. Production is anything else, continuing work in a series after the inspiration fades, making things because you know they sell, experimenting with new techniques unsuccessfully etc. This is essential to a makers process too, because well... sometimes its good to make some cash doing what you love, and sometimes you just need to burn out before you can start again, all the while improving on skills.

To me all of these elements are viable and important aspects of the career of a craftsperson.  I consider myself an artist and a maker and i'm getting better at moving through the phases of this cycle without questioning my own motives and goals all the time.

If you can find answers to the 'why' of material arts, it is easy to characterize where it sits on the horizon of the 'Art vs. Craft' debate.

Booyah.

HOODWINK

Hoodwink is a new hat i JUST finished but have been thinking about for a while.  Its sort of a maiden hat, but reminds me of Finnish Christmas elves.  It has earflaps to keep lobes warm and an elastic back strap so that you can wear it with your hair tied back. I am really excited about finally making this pattern and putting it together as it is something i've been thinking about for a while... a little nervous about the reception it will get the next few days though... maybe its over the top 'pointy'.  

This hat kind of has a story too... i designed it because i cut a fringe of bangs in front which was supposed to help me stop tying my hair back all the time but i still do... I like the fringe and i think i look cute and chipmunky with it... but when i wear a regular toque i look like a roadkill chipmunk.

So yeah, when I become a style icon in the future (accidentally of course, who.. moi??)

this may be one of the objects that led to my greatness... all credit due to vanity!

Look for it on the Oscar's red carpet this weekend... 

Hope everyone likes it as much as i do.  

If you want to protect it, WRAP IT UP!!!

That was my grade eight teacher's favourite saying... i wonder how she really meant it back then, but nevertheless it bears relevance!

I love these Furoshiki wraps.... the traditional japanese way to carry parcels... usually in a square of cotton/silk.  YEAH!   i wish i could get my groceries wrapped up like this, but alas...  i'll just have to save these instructions (from the japanese ministry of the environment) for wrapping presents.  

One more way to get rid of left over fabrics!

So for a while now i've been wanting to make something for myself...  and i NEEDED an apron, so i got on a kick last night.

This one is for the kitchen!

Its modeled on the apron i scrounged from my grandmothers house, an apron my mom thinks she made back in finland in the early sixties for a school project!

This one is for Metalwork and other messy non-food things..

Its got a big pocket on the front, its flowery and sort of country which is a nice contrast to using hardcore rotary tools.... its also got a square neck sort of a fifties touch.  I love this one, and i love that i can now get to some of my grinding projects and stay crud-free!

Oh, and i put grommets in the bottom corners to allow me to hook it onto cup hooks under my table and catch all the metalbits for recasting. 

BIG SMILE!