food

beyond design

| heather parlato


words by everynone

speaking of words, if you’re really tired of hearing buzzwords or jargon of the day that are making your day suck, you can now unsuck them at muledesign’s unsuckit.com

food

i can’t tell if it’s the grilling aspect, or the hot weather going with spicy food thing, but these 2 from saveur caught my eye: grilled thai chicken with lemongrass and coconut milk and tandoori salmon.

on the sweeter side of things, i didn’t know either of these desserts were possible, but they’ve both got me curious, and i have both of the main ingredients in the house… rose geranium ice cream with pistachios, from thekitchn.com and sweet lemon and black oliver wafers, from seriouseats.com. yes, you read that right, a cookies with oil-cured olives in them.

drinks

my friend emily does it again with some delicious twists on iced tea: beyond mint & lemon: 5 ways to punch up iced tea, from thekitchn.com.

read up on the health benefits of tea & coffee: reduce risk of heart disease with tea & coffee by wellness writer, alisa bonsignore, one of a great collection on health & fitness at her blog whatwouldbettydo.com.

housewares

soft map quilt
[image: re-nest.com]
i don’t write about housewares much, but this quilt compelled me to. if i had a million extra hours in my own life, i think few things would make me more happy than creating a quilt of los angeles, but since that’s likely not going to happen, go appreciate haptic labs for doing what they do: softmap quilts from haptic labs, from re-nest.com.

los angeles

it’s the very LA reading list for august 2010 from los angeles magazine: the reading list: LA authors. LA topics. august ’10 books.

remember those devastating fires we had last year in angeles crest forest? you know how there’s that fantastic place, treepeople, that helps spread trees of all kinds all over los angeles? you know imogen heap? she’s donating the proceeds from a specially-created song to fund replanting of the national forest to the north, and i think it’s really cool: donate $1 to treepeople for a unique improv track from imogen heap, from greenlagirl.com.

the grind

i liked this piece by penelope trunk on how she’s pushed through difficult situations by continuing to write and put herself out into the world: when you’re feeling lost, don’t hide.

beyond design

| heather parlato

technology

tv on the ipad
[image: fastcodesign.com]
there was a time when we thought set-top boxes the likes of tivo would be integrating information with programming. it seems, though, that people got happy enough with dvrs just recording things that this never really happened, but it’s interesting to see how things are taking shape with the ipad: how ipad could transform the tv watching experience, from fastcodesign.com

food

gelato
[image: flickr member avlxyz]
if you’re looking for some summer funtimes, i have a couple seasonal eats and cool treats to share, first of which are tips on making gelato: best homemade gelato: 3 tips from mario batali, from the kitchn.com. if you’re looking for spicy twists on fruit pops, how about tamarind chile flavor: tamarind chile ice pops, from saveur [this is more sugar than i usually ever put in a recipe, but i’m posting it anyway]. if you’re into canning and preserving, it’s time to put up your tomatoes: preserved tomatoes with basil, from lacucinaitalianamagazine.com.

we have super-local honey in silver lake: the feral bees of silver lake is not a band, from the la times tells the story of a bee-keeping couple who adopted local bees and gave them a home.

cows eat grass
[image: utne reader]
on the “about food” side of things, controversy brews when you talk about a bovine grass diet in corn country: cows eat grass and other inflammatory statements, from utne reader.

another from utne, michael pollan contributes to their feature, food fight, where he continues his dialog about food systems in america.

diy

i once had to deal with a wasp infiltration [they hadn’t infested yet, but they were working on it], and wish i’d known of this simple do-it-yourself contraption: how to make a homemade bee trap, from re-nest.com.

neighborhood

i really enjoyed anne taylor fleming’s piece foot soldier, for los angeles magazine, dealing with the changes of aging relatives and the therapy of walking.

beyond design

| heather parlato


kitties! & puppies! eating melon fruit pops!

los angeles

looking for a good beach day or 5 before the summer is over? let los angeles magazine help you, they love that stuff: a day at the beach.

another feature i hadn’t noticed before, los angeles magazine has a monthly run-down on area-specific reading. i’m a sucker for books about my city, this is definitely something to consult when i need my LA fix: LA reading list: LA authors. LA topics. august ’10 list

food

roasted red pepper gazpacho
[image: luna cafe]
as someone who loves both roasted peppers and gazpacho, i wanted to share this recipe from cafe luna roasted red pepper gazpacho linked from saveur. check the links in the article, she describes some other pretty outstanding gazpacho ideas!

i’ve seen eggplants popping up here & there at the farmer’s market, which means we’re ready for fantastic eggplant recipes. caponata with capers, from la cucina italiana sounds amazing!

it never occurred to me to throw tomato leaves into my tomato dishes for more intense flavor, but the kitchn links to some articles that say the chemical in the leaves enhance the tomato flavor, and they’re safe to eat: fresh tip: use tomato leaves to boost flavor.

i liked to a great recipe for fennel liqueur awhile back, and i’ve been seeing the blooming flowers all over LA lately. here’s some more encouragement from the kitchn to go out and harvest some of your own: summer foraging: fennel pollen.

michelle obama is still working hard to get her child nutrition bill past, i’m glad she’s been relentless about this! & thanks to serious eats for the link: michelle obama urges congress to pass child nutrition bill.

drinks

herbal sun teas
[image: design sponge]
this is such an awesome idea from design sponge: small measures with ashley: herbal sun teas & simple syrups! if you’re growing herbs outside or pick them up periodically for cooking, consider making some of these unique teas.

beyond design

| heather parlato

neighborhood

4th street bike plan
[image: greenlagirl.com]
if you’ve ever taken 4th street as a cross-town alternative to busier streets, you know it’s a great thoroughfare for traveling east to west by bike. there’s been an ongoing campaign to convert it to more of a bikeway, and greenlagirl has an update on the progress: turn 4th street into a bicycle boulevard: moving beyond sharrows.

food

zucchini season keeps going strong, here’s a great idea i’ve never tried before: sicilian sun-dried zucchini! salt it, season it and dry or roast it. what a fantastic snack!

melons of all kinds are everywhere right now too, and the idea of sweet and tangy makes me want to try this one: perfect picnic recipes: watermelon & feta salad.

if you’re starting to get an abundance of tomatoes and can’t get to all of them in time, whip up & chill some of them in this delicious gazpacho: chilled gazpacho andaluz.

while it’s not as hot as usual here in LA this summer, you can still get your ice cream on, now in some really unique flavors: carrot orange ice cream with caramelized ginger and maple syrup [links to a pdf at the bottom of the article]? or maybe avocado & jackfruit ice cream? or hey, how about this twist: roasted lemon sorbet!

diy projects

homemade toothpaste
[image: instructables.com]
once you’re done with all that ice cream, you might want some options for tooth brushing. i’ve been curious about this and it turns out it’s pretty easy to make. check out homemade toothpaste, from instructables.com for a basic recipe and flavoring ideas.

beyond design

| heather parlato

los angeles

proposed LA civic park
[image: fastcodesign.com]
as a native of a city notoriously greenspace-poor, the idea of a large civic park in downtown LA is really exciting. exclusive first look at LA’s civic park: will it create a center for the city? from fastcodesign.com shows you some of the models and plans.

if you’re pressed for LA visitor’s ideas of the green variety, being visited by greenie friends, or just want to show some love for your city, my friend emily just published a green city guide to los angeles, for re-nest.com.

food

citrus cured salmon
[image: mattikaarts.com]
i pretty much fell out of my chair when i saw this recipe for citrus-cured copper river salmon, and reading about it confirmed that my instinct reaction was appropriate. my mission is to find the cut of salmon that can live up to this amazing preparation, today!

it’s zucchini season, and thekitchn.com is ready with this curious-sounding baked treat: zucchini and olive breakfast cake, french-style. french or not, i have the zucchini and my interest is piqued by this flavor combination.

it’s also a great time of year for a healthy chicken and pepper salad. roast chicken and yellow pepper salad, from lacucinaitalanamagazine.com is simple and delicious!

finally, if you’re looking for something zinger-fresh for your summer dishes, try lemon and olive oil sauce (Ladolemono), from saveur.com. yes, this is one of those times to whip it.

drinks

coffee splash
[image: lifehacker.com]
For all of its wild popularity, caffeine is one seriously misunderstood substance. It’s not a simple upper, and it works differently on different people with different tolerances—even in different menstrual cycles. But you can make it work better for you. what caffeine actually does to your brain, from lifehacker.com [thanks to @josh_ross for the link!]

report from the garden

| heather parlato

giant zucchini, july 2010

compliment the size of this zucchini if you must, but it’s not necessary, as it’s already quite secure with itself. this is what happens when you forget to check behind that one big leaf in your zucchini garden. the ahi cuts of this specimen will be cut in rounds for marinade and broiling, while the tenderloin will be chopped for curry. oh—if all my zucchini could feed us for 2 days!

beyond design

| heather parlato

pure awesome

operation nice: nice notes
[image: operationnice.com]
so there’s this really nice girl, melissa, and she’s celebrating the 2-year anniversary of her blog operation nice by encouraging people to be super nice by writing these nice notes to leave for friends, co-workers, family, strangers—anyone really, so long as you write something nice on them! you download the pdf, print it, write your nice note & leave it for someone to find. to top it off, if you do it today, july 15, and send in a photo, she’ll donate $3 per note to the hunger project. that’s nice!

sustainable solutions

goats clearing angel's flight, downtown los angeles
[image: greenlagirl.com]
i never get tired of hearing about these goats helping clear hillsides in downtown los angeles. greenlagirl.com has this story and a few more good bits on LA here: checklist: new green sights in los angeles.

publications

slake
[image: slakemedia.org]
we have a new quarterly literary arts publication in echo park with a southern california focus: slake. their site has a list of resellers if you’re curious to pick up a copy.

food

chicken skewers
[image: lacucinaitalianamagazine.com]
it’s grilling season, so if you eat chicken, grab some arugula & cucumber from your local farmers market and enjoy the outdoors: chicken skewers with chopped cucumber, arugula and olives.

cucumber noodles
[image: romulo yanes / gourmet]
i’ve tried the zucchini noodles both cooked and raw, but i have to admit, i wrote off cucumber for the same use, figuring it couldn’t stand up to a thin slice. however, thanks to faith durand at thekitchn.com for cucumber noodles, it looks like they do fine after a julienne cut and a quick blanching. sounds like they’d be great hot or cold! another fun thing to try this summer!

wine

i haven’t put anything up on wine in awhile, but i just came across this great list of 90 point wines for under $15. go to town! her list starts at 85 points, but it’s a great collection of wine ratings, especially if you’re tasting something new.

diy

so, i tried this once before and somehow gave up after awhile, but i decided to give it a try again: the no shampoo alternative, wherein you wash your hair with baking soda, and rinse with a mix of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. i think i’ve found the balance my hair likes after about a week [i tend to need more baking soda, less vinegar]. i’m really happy with the results too, my hair stays cleaner longer, and holds a curl without any product as well. there are so many benefits to doing this, but i can’t decide which one i like best among what i’m eliminating: chemicals from my skin, pollutants from the water supply, packaging from the recycling system & financial dependence on a convenience product i can make myself. i forgot my camera today, but i’ll post some pics soon.

beyond design

| heather parlato

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13085676&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

BIG BANG BIG BOOM – the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo. thanks to my friend colin for the link!

food

clams with fennel and tomatoes
[image: lacucinaitalianamagazine.com]
something fresh for the season, a simple italian preparation of clams with fennel & tomato, complete with crusty bread for enjoying every last bit of the sauce.

now that tomatoes are coming into season, try out these baked stuffed tomatoes with other fresh seasonal items from the garden!

diy projects

homemade sunscreen
[image: instructables]
it’s the time of year for sunscreen every day, and with all the news about toxins in commercial sunscreen, why not try your hand at making your own? how to make natural sunscreen from re-nest.com gives a simple recipe you can make with zinc oxide or titanium oxide. curious!

natural aromatherapy
[photo: flickr member miamism]
if you react positively to your favorite fragrances, why not let them grow around you all the time? another great article from re-nest.com favorite fragrant plants lists out many florals and herbals whose fragrances can have a positive effect on your senses.

summer travel

thinking of a different kind of vacation this year? how about this: agritourism: vacation on a working farm or vineyard. if you’re looking to connect to an area or lifestyle, it sounds like a great alternative to a retreat.

beyond design

| heather parlato

in the fervor of upgrading your iphones, take a minute to recognize that the phones, cameras & computers that have become ubiquitous in american culture follow a trail of tears on the way to market. i wasn’t aware of this supply chain, but now that my friend colleen wainwright shared it with me, i feel compelled to share it with you. from the huffington post, hello, i’m a mac, and i’m a pc—here’s how i help fuel the world’s most deadliest conflict. if it is possible to demand we do better, i say we do it today!

diy container gardening

upcycled planter round-up
[image: rachel wray / re-nest.com]
if you have some great containers, boxes, crates or cans, it’s a great time to get some potting soil and plant some collections together or propagate from cuttings. this round up from re-nest.com is a fantastic snapshot of how you can pair cool containers with plants: upcycled succulent planter inspiration.

cycling in los angeles

proposed route for cicLAvia 2010
[image: ciclavia.wordpress.com]
exciting news for the changing landscape of cycling awareness in los angeles. cicLAvia is planning a route of cordoned streets to be used solely for cycling on september 12, 2010. for more information & to see the route up close, read planned ciclavia route for september 12, 2010.

food

insalata di fagiolini
[image: lacucinaitalianamagazine.com]
green & wax beans abound at farmer’s markets around los angeles, and tomatoes have just started to appear in my garden. it’s the perfect time to make this delicious insalata di fagionlini with entirely fresh, seasonal ingredients. i made a variation this week [i didn’t have carrots, but i thin-sliced orange bell peppers instead] and it’s delicious!

celebrating the national holiday this weekend & need some food ideas? take a look at epicurious.com’s independence day recipe collection: 4th of july recipes, menus & drinks.