beyond design

beyond design

| heather parlato


ok go film a time-lapsed video in echo park at the lake where i go running. it looks like the geese are big fans!

food

porcini tortelli
[image: lacucinaitalinanamagazine.com]
it’s porcini season, which means that in many farmer’s markets, your local mushroom supplier will have fresh porcini for sale if they’re selling within a day’s travel radius from where they’re picked. i’m going to try out this goat cheese, chard and porcini tortelli among other things [maybe a porcini & cheese pizza]. here are some more great recipes for fresh porcini from saveur.com:
porcini and barley soup
seared copper river salmon with fresh porcini mushrooms
straw and hay: porcini fettucini

ever wondered what to do with yucca flowers? emily ho collected some great recipes & suggestions for how to use this desert flower: seasonal spotlight: yucca flowers.

a conversation on lebanese iced tea led me to this list of rose water iced tea recipes from the big apple: lebanese iced tea.

on spring
[image: greenlagirl.com]
there’s a new organic eatery in LA state historic park that has contracted with the park to grow organic vegetables on park land. Many L.A. food spots now use local produce in their dishes, but On Spring’s the only one that’s specifically contracted with the state to make locavoring easy on a state park. Now, Angelenos can go for a stroll in the park — then enjoy fair trade, organic coffee, healthy soups, and fresh salads and sandwiches made with produce grown within a 200-mile radius. exciting!

diy projects

homemade chicken coops
[image: kathy lafleur]
i am fascinated with the growing popularity in keeping backyard urban chickens. until i have a yard, i can only enjoy cambria bold’s collection of homemade coops from afar: pimp my coop: cool cribs for this season’s “it” chickens. i’m loving the green roof on this one, pictured above.

use these tips to propagate plants you already grow or find in your travels, and add to your garden or trade with friends: simple tips: propagate plants for free vegetation.

between eating eggs and making homemade cat food, i have a lot of eggshells. thanks to abby stone for sharing these uses for egg shells, most of which i never would have thought up myself! 8 excellent uses for eggshells.

industrial architecture

flipper bridge

what do you do when you have to bridge 2 countries who drive on opposite sides of the road? the flipper bridge offers a safe exchange and a lovely bridge structure. thanks <a href="kottke for the article.

beyond design

| heather parlato

food

marinated goat cheese
[image: todd coleman]
something fun to add to your spring dishes or just have on toast as a snack is this olive oil marinated goat cheese from saveur. delish!

a different angle on food writing: an unemployed restaurant critic finds a different kind of culinary satisfaction, ed murietta writes about eating on food stamps.

if you’re a food activist and have enjoyed reading michael pollan over the years, here are his favorite picks on the subject: the food movement, rising.

gardening

growing quinoa in containers
[image: kathryn wright]
when i thought about growing quinoa last year, seeing that it grows to 5ft tall made me think i didn’t have room for it. while some plants don’t transfer to containers so well, i’m glad to read that it’s possible to grow 2ft quinoa in containers: unexpected container gardening: quinoa from re-nest.com

eco-friendliness

tote bag by lostbirdfound
[image: lostbirdfound.com]
it looks like california is close to putting a ban on plastic bags and virgin paper bags, which will be a fantastic change for the environment. it will also mean getting a lot more committed to your favorite reusable bags. this lovely pomegranate print tote is available from lostbirdfound.com.

beyond design

| heather parlato

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11986171&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

Running on Empty from Ross Ching on Vimeo.
it’s always cool to see shots of LA with no cars in them, and these are time-lapsed into video, by ross ching.

fun on the web

ball pool
[image: smashingmagazine.com]
bizarre web sites on which you can kill time with style from <a href="smashingmagazine.com is a wonderful archive of games, interactive animations and experiential sites where you can explore and have fun.

eco-friendliness

recycling bins
[photo: d’arcy norman]
if you’ve got some items that you think may be recyclable, but you’re not sure where to take them or how to do it, re-nest was nice enough to publish hard-to-recycle items and where to take them to help you figure it out!

locks in a box: i’m sending my hair to clean up the gulf oil spill from greenlagirl.com. if you’re getting your hair cut sometime soon, maybe pass the info along to your hairdresser. i’m not sure how much hair can do considering the ever-expanding spill is not even contained, but they’re going to need all the help they can get, and if it comes from something we normally throw out, i’m all for it.

diy

another from re-nest i want to share is nontoxic diy cleaning solution for swiffer wetjets which is something i’ve wondered about for awhile. perhaps i could have tried harder to get the cap off the solution bottle, because i thought i’d break it, not realizing it was glued. i also don’t want to damage the internal parts, so it’s nice to hear from people who have done it with success.

design sponge’s biz ladies: budgeting and forecasting breaks down the steps in creating your business plan, finding out what you need to make & how, and creating a budget you can use to run your business, for those who might be dragging their feet on the more businessey aspects of running a business. good info!

food

stuffed zucchini
[photo: lacucinaitalianamagazine.com]
i just picked all the fava beans, and now zucchini season has started in my garden, which means keeping the zucchini production in balance by also eating the blossoms. i have always loved using edible flowers, especially ones that are perfumed versions of their vegetable offspring. there are many ways to do stuffed zucchini blossoms, it’s usually a matter of what you like in your ricotta cheese mix. i like this recipe because it’s fairly simple, seasonal and satisfying: zucchini blossoms with vegetables from lacucinaitalianamagazine.com.

beyond design

| heather parlato

food

orange ricotta breakfast dumplings
[photo: monika kotus]
what a concept—a light, sweet, floral kind of gnocchi for breakfast: orange ricotta breakfast dumplings from designsponge.com. these aren’t exactly on my diet, but i might have to make an exception, because they look amazing!

browned fennel
[photo: la cucina italiana]
if you’re looking for something seasonal, browned fennel is a tasty springtime dish. la cucina italiana shows you how to do it italian style: spicchi brasati al burro.

drinks

strawberry liquor infusion
this weekend i bought a flat of strawberries and made the strawberry liquor infusion i linked to previously. it will be interesting to see how it tastes when i strain it out tonight.

diy

foraging in los angeles
[photo: willy blackmore]
i have been foraging brazillian pink pepper on my morning walks, but i’m always looking for more edible plants i can pick and try out. <a href="LA weekly’s blog has this great list: top 10 ways to forage in LA for identifying and using some of the wild edibles you can find around town.

more on cleaning without chemicals, i’ve been using baking soda and vinegar for all kinds of things lately. if you need some suggestions on how to use baking soda, this list from re-nest is great: baking soda: is there anything it can’t do?

business

i have been liking this design sponge biz ladies feature, which has all kinds of advice for small business owners. this week they put out a great list of required reading for any small business owner: biz ladies top 10 biz books. i’ve read a good amount of seth godin, but it’s really great to have a new list of good biz reads!

say goodbye to the cash register from inc magazine takes a look at the new transaction apps available on mobile phones, making it possible for small businesses to eliminate some of the overhead charges on taking mobile credit card transactions.

some of the changes we got with the health care bill means a lot for businesses, according to cnn money it looks like we’ll be issuing 1099s for every transaction over $600 in a calendar year [as opposed to just contract labor]. read up on the new laws: health care law’s massive hidden tax change.

beyond design

| heather parlato

i’ll be honest, i got slim pickins for this week in non-design items. besides food, that is. today’s post will be short, savory & sweet.

food

orange-scented olive oil cake
[photo: faith durand]
i grew up in 2 different houses that each had orange trees, so i’ve always looked for new ways to use them. there are orange cakes of all kinds, but this one with olive oil appeals to my more savory senses these days: orange-scented olive oil cake from thekitchn.com [originally from saveur]. i imagine with a little tweaking, you could use this recipe as a base for a more herbed version with parmesan for a confusingly delightful tea cake.

roasted fruit
[photo: lacucinaitalianamagazine.com]
another thing i like doing is roasting and grilling fruit for a mix of sweet and salty flavors. when i came across this recipe i wanted to share it, since all the fruit pictured seem to be in season: <a href="frutta arrosto from <a href="la cucina italiana magazine. being an italian magazine, they suggest using grappa, but i find white wine works really well too.

more for moms

celebrating mom
[photo: rockscissorpaper.com]
while there are all kinds of suggestions online for how to ply your moms with brunch and mimosas and spring bouquets, there are also these cute crafty ideas you can do too: celebrating mom from rockscissorpaper.com. i love me some mom-mosas as much as the next gal, but if you remember how much your mom loved putting every single craft project you ever did up on the fridge, you might consider picking up the scissors and craft paper again. unless your mom has voiced her objections, i’m sure she’d love a mom banner. if i made this for my mom, she’d totally hang it in her office, right over all her cat photos.

home remedies

soap nuts
[photo: lisa brewster]
i’ve been trying out various biodegradable laundry soaps recently and have been curious about soap nuts, but didn’t know much about them. this article from re-nest.com has given me a little extra encouragement on trying them out: soap nuts: a green laundry detergent alternative.

beyond design

| heather parlato


i always loved the book report assignments that called for a building a diorama. this little apple store diorama is super cute, i like looking at all the cutouts this person did to make it. and HEY what’s he trying to say about apple loyalists driving mini coopers? [guilty!] thanks gregory han & unplggd.com for the link.

food

strawberries with zabaione and bresaola with cucumber, from cucina italiana
[photos: lacucinaitalianamagazine.com]
one of my favorite cooking magazines, la cucina italiana has some great stories of italian food and recipes for all occasions. i tend to stick with desserts that are a bit tart and/or low in sugar, and this strawberries with zabaione sounds like a nice mix of fresh fruit, rich zabaione and a touch of balsamic vinegar. while i was digging around on their site, i saw this arrangement of bresaola and cucumber salad with a bit of pecorino and almonds. i love simple italian antipasti like this, a few ingredients to bring out the natural flavors of the food.

the mother’s day food articles have started up. if you’re the type to treat mom to breakfast in bed, epicurious.com has a rundown of mother’s day breakfasts in bed that even kids can make. you hear that dad & teenagers still living at home? momma loves you, and she’s hungry!

more on sustainable seafood, greenlagirl.com reports on greenpeace’s supermarket scorecard so you can support the store that gets high grades in sustainable seafood practices.

wine

dessert wines
[photo: wine producers]
i was recently in central valley wine country with some friends and we got to talking about how we’ve come to appreciate dessert wine, now that we know how to pick out what we like. and how timely, thekitchn.com has a great list of suggestions here: dessert wines for dessert week.

i like to make extracts, infusions and liqueurs at home, but i tend to avoid those with too much added sugar. this recipe for strawberry liqueur caught my eye because it uses only the natural sugar of the strawberries to sweeten it. strawberries are in season now, so if you are like me and probably can’t eat a whole flat in a week’s time, try out this preservation technique.

eco-awareness

reused boxes
[image: gregory han]
if you find yourself moving and still need more than your usual sources can supply, check out re-nest.com‘s suggestion to buy reused cardboard boxes from usedcardboardboxes.com.

another great re-nest.com find: the dba 98% biodegradable pen!

beyond design

| heather parlato

neighborhood

a friend and fellow designer recently mentioned that her landlord was turning their front yard into a CSA farm, and that they’d be growing produce for sale right at home. when i inquired how they were going to go about it, she pointed me to LA farm hands where interested parties can sign up to buy fresh CSA produce from local LA growers. fantastic!

thanks to eric garcetti’s help, the food & flowers freedom act is set to become law according to laist.com. this is a revision to an outdated law that disallowed selling homegrown fruit and flowers. garcetti claimed to have grown 80% of his own produce last year–i can add that to the list of reasons why i love that he is LA city council president. well, that AND my facebook friend. ha.

greenlagirl.com offers this list of neighborhood tidbits: eric garcetti has a new iphone app “garcetti 311” to help clean up the city, and may is bike every saturday month!

diy projects


[image: bestgreenhometips.com]
winter detox: 12 easy diy air fresheners. as the weather warms up, sometimes i find i’ve had the windows closed and the heat on long enough that my house needs a breath of fresh air. these are some great ideas on how to add natural scents to your home, from ohdeeoh.com.

food & drinks


[photo: brian leatart]
i decided to try out some yams this week from one of my farmer’s market vendors, and since citrus rinds are one of my favorite seasoning agents, i think this recipe is how i’ll prepare them: roasted yams with citrus and coriander butter from epicurious.com

jose & joel’s mexican sangria looks like a classy cocktail version of my usual slice-and-throw sangria system. thanks, designsponge.com!

beyond design

| heather parlato


everyone has played one of these games, and seeing them in live action is totally hilarious! from mfeedia.com

diy projects


[photo: thehipsterhome.com]
the craft zine blog posted a how-to on these little mini terrariums in upcycled lightbulbs and jars. what a great use of cute containers!


[photo: designspongeonline.com]
sewing 101: how to make a shower curtain from designspongeonline.com. i think this project is a really cool way to make a washable, colorful shower curtain from fabric you really like.

food


[image: kana76]
try this: sweet and smoky broiled grapefruit from thekitchn.com. i love grapefruits and i think this sounds delicious. maybe a good way to prep fruit for savory sauces as well. great idea!

sharing a great standby recipe that i love from epicurious.com, these szechuan sesame noodles are spicy, nutty and tangy. i’ve been making them for years with buckwheat soba noodles.

drinks


[photo: rockscissorpaper.com]
pour mom a drink from rockscissorpaper.com is an interesting sounding cocktail recipe using elderflower liquor. i love the flower garnish, perhaps my mom will have hers with nasturtiums.

in honor of tax day, this cocktail for tax night: the tax night relief is a fun idea, from thekitchn.com.

it’s helpful to become familiar with wine lingo by heather stober fleming for southcoasttoday.com is a good reference for defining all the common terms in wine tasting and character. always good to refresh your knowledge, which helps you pick out more nuance next time you taste.

music

my sister has been nominated for singer of the year by the jazz journalists association! additionally, my client gerald clayton has been nominated for up & coming artist of the year. very exciting, and they’re in excellent company. can’t wait to find out how they place on june 14!

beyond design

| heather parlato

technology


[photo: gregory han]
this weekend was off the charts with tweets and posts about everyone trying out their new ipads. i don’t have one and i’m probably not getting one anytime soon, but i thought i’d shout out to my friends gregory han and emily ho over at apartmenttherapy.com who “>reviewed the epicurious app for the ipad for thekitchn.com and it sounds like a winner! i also use my laptop in the kitchen and i love the epicurious site, so i’m glad they’re adapting to new technology.

for my music clients, i thought i’d point to this quick review of forscore for the ipad on unpluggd.com

food


[photo: lisa hubbard]
with spring foods coming into season, i’ve been trying some different cauliflower recipes out. one on the list to try this week are these cauliflower steaks with cauliflower puree, which are a whole new way to prepare cauliflower, for me anyway. i think this cross-section cut is gorgeous!

wine


[image: epicurious.com]
while browsing the wine articles at epicurious.com i found this cute profile of top 5 critter wines, meaning that they all have animals featured on the label. a funny idea on first look, but this is a fun look at 5 affordable table wines that all have pretty nice labels too [the little penguin is my favorite] along with suggested food pairings for each. i love a one-stop resource like this, especially when trying new wine is involved!

if you’re not into making cork boards or trivets or stamps or birdhouses with your old wine corks, whole foods is now recycling wine corks. for those of you who want to recycle, collect them & drop them off!

books

i thought i’d add this in, since so many of us have thought about work in various ways from different perspectives, here’s dan pink’s 6 favorite books about work. i have to admit, he had me at studs terkel, i can’t wait to read that one!