friday

 

happy friday! i hate to keep bringing up the weather, but i can't resist sharing this bit of news: it's going to be warm (like, high sixties to mid-seventies) and sunny this weekend. i'm looking forward to spring produce (green garlic!) at the farmers market and soaking up some much-needed vitamin d.

i'm over at food52 today, with 9 links to help you celebrate the end of march

my eyes + edge post this week: amelia grand opening

recent photos

1. so much yellow
2. margherita pizza with arugula (and pino noir rose!) at ken's artisan
3. she found the one sun patch in the apartment
4. more signs of spring
5. stained glass
6. rifle paper cards
7. practicing my calligraphy strokes
8. pink trees!
9. grapefruit mimosa at tasty n sons
10. penny and drew, being adorable

straddling the seasons: baked pasta

though it's technically spring, march in portland is still pretty schizophrenic. random hail storms and frigid nights are not uncommon this time of year—hence, my non-stop cravings for baked pasta. baked pastas can be inherently heavy, so to offset that and pay homage to the new season, i doctored mine up with fennel and artichokes.

baked pasta with fennel and artichokes

8 oz. pasta (elbows or shells are best here)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 bulb of fennel, sliced very thin (stalks removed, fronds reserved)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, packed in water
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella and cheddar both work)

cook pasta until al dente and set aside. in a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. once heated, add diced onion and sliced fennel and cook for about five to ten minutes, or until slightly browned. next, add garlic, salt and crushed red pepper. cook for another two minutes or so, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. add spinach and cook just until it begins to wilt. next, pour in can of crushed tomatoes and simmer the sauce for about ten minutes.

meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees f. drain, rinse and chop the artichoke hearts and add them to the sauce once it finishes simmering. add pasta to sauce, turn heat down to low and stir to combine everything. pour pasta and sauce into a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese and the reserved fennel fronds. bake dish for about ten minutes, then turn oven to the broil setting and broil for about three minutes (or until the cheese is bubbling and browned).

friday

 

happy friday! plans for this weekend: check a new restaurant off my bucket list (deciding between bollywood theater and ox), start the calligraphy class i just enrolled in, get outside (yay, spring!) and see this documentary.

i'm over at food52 today, with 9 links to help you embrace your inner wino (a topic near and dear to my heart!)

my eyes + edge posts from this week:
animal traffic and pino portland collaboration / celebration
eve in eden grand opening party

frank ocean for band of outsiders

i always look forward to the band of outsiders campaigns (the michelle williams one was my favorite). frank ocean is the celebrity of choice for their latest, and i'd say it's a match made in heaven.

all photos via band of outsiders

pop of yellow

these are birthday flowers from my coworker. i never (ever) keep fresh flowers in the apartment because i'm one of those people who lets my cat dictate my life completely, and most plants are poisonous to our little feline friends. but such a thoughtful gift prompted me to let go a bit, so i snipped the ends, put them in water and set them atop our highest shelf (which happens to be in the kitchen, so it gets pretty decent light).

the bright pop of yellow, especially with our green wall as a backdrop, brings such joy into the space that i think i'll keep up with a weekly bouquet of something colorful and beautiful. as long as penny doesn't figure out how to get up there, that is.

carrot soup with crispy chickpeas

if you told me two years ago that there would come a day when i'd not only make, but like, carrot soup, i would have laughed at you. i used to despise carrots (and broccoli, bell peppers and a whole slew of other vegetables), but going vegetarian forced me to expand my pallet, and for that, i'm forever grateful. now i can't get enough—the more veggies, the better.

i omitted the tahini drizzle in this soup (couldn't stomach the nine-dollar price tag for tahini at the store), but compensated with roasted sesame seeds on top. if you do have tahini on hand, i'd highly recommend using it. i felt the sweetness from the carrots did need something creamy to balance it out a bit. next time!

carrot soup with crispy chickpeas adapted from smitten kitchen

2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
pinch red pepper flakes
4 cups vegetable broth

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

fresh lemon juice
toasted sesame seeds
cilantro

preheat your oven to 425 degreesf. heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. add in carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, coriander, curry, salt and red pepper flakes and saute for about 15 minutes. after the mixture has started to brown, pour in vegetable broth, cover pot with lid and simmer for about 30 minutes (stirring occasionally). 

while the soup is simmering, mix chickpeas with olive oil and salt and lay them out evenly on a baking sheet in your preheated oven. bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they're browned and crispy.

once the carrots are soft, puree soup with an immersion blender and ladle into bowls. top with crispy chickpeas, a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

friday

 

happy friday! i had a slow, slightly painful start this morning (nothing a little egg and cheese can't fix). my birthday was the perfect balance of low-key and fun—yoga, sushi and drinks with friends.

i'm over at food52 today, with 9 links that will bring you the luck of the irish.

march

hello, spring flowers! around this time every year (my birthday's tomorrow), i become highly introspective. i assess my status—in terms of happiness, health and goals—and often feel i'm coming up short somewhere; that i could do a little bit more, or approach things a little bit differently. but, all this new life popping up around me serves as a reminder that my future is full of promise. there will be disappointments and uncertainties, but if i handle them with grace, i'll (hopefully) learn a few things about myself—things i can apply to the fresh opportunities that await me in my twenty-fifth year.

blood orange mimosas with rosemary and mint simple syrup

 

if you're looking for a refreshing drink to toast spring with, this is it! you can prep the ingredients beforehand, then put the mimosas together when you need them (which is what i did on friday for our eyes + edge gathering).

blood orange mimosas with rosemary mint simple syrup

6 blood oranges
1 bottle of champagne, chilled

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
a small handful of fresh mint leaves

squeeze the juice out of the blood oranges and set aside. in a small saucepan, bring the water, sugar, rosemary and mint up to a boil. boil for one minute, then remove from heat and let the mixture sit for thirty minutes. after thirty minutes, strain mixture with a mesh strainer. combine fresh blood orange juice and herb simple syrup in a pitcher or large jar and place in the refrigerator to chill. when ready to serve, pour champagne and blood orange mixture into champagne flutes. (i used a ratio of 2/3 champagne to 1/3 juice mixture.) garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary or mint, if you're feeling fancy.

friday

happy friday! it feels like spring over here in portland. inspired by all the sunshine, i bought a bunch of blood oranges and a bottle of champage to make mimosas at today's eyes + edge team "meeting". (we're baking french macarons.)

i'm also over at food52 today, sharing 7 links to prepare you for a food apocalypse.

my eyes + edge posts from this week:

little things

association dinner series at union/pine

khambatta dance co

moosewood

this past weekend, i came across an original (and cheap!) copy of moosewood cookbook by mollie katzen. i'd been meaning to add it to my collection for quite some time, as it's essentially the vegetarian bible, so i grabbed it.

the recipes (hand-lettered and illustrated by mollie herself) are straightforward, simple and timeless—all things i appreciate and strive for in my own kitchen. the book is in pretty rough shape (it was published in 1977), but the various stains on the worn pages just signal that it's been well-loved over the years by messy, hands-on cooks.

 

for my first (of many) recipes made from moosewood cookbook, i kept things easy with standard guacamole. normally, i throw some avocados in a bowl with fresh lime and salt and call it guacamole, but the addition of garlic and lemon in this recipe really made all the difference. i'll never go back to my lazy girl's version again!

scenes from snoqualmie

i'm back from my washington weekend getaway, feeling completely restored. my aunt merryl is one of my favorite people ever, but with her living in florida and me in portland, we don't get to see each other as often as i'd like. this weekend with her was the perfect way to catch up and relax. as an early celebration for my birthday, she booked us two nights at the salish lodge and spa, which sits atop the snoqualmie river and snoqualmie falls. it was so gorgeous and serene—absolute heaven!

friday

 

happy friday! i'm up in the seattle area, staying in a cozy lodge with my aunt (who's here on business from florida). aside from some hiking, getting a massage and (attempting) to ski, my only plan is to curl up by the fire with wine and a stack of books.

ps—in other exciting life news, i've started an internship of sorts with one of my favorite sites, food52. i'll be sharing some weekly food-related links from around the web. here's my first post!

my eyes + edge posts from this week:
♡ aurora mills architectural salvage