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I almost straightened out this image in my photo editor, but decided against it at the last minute. I like the way that the barn straightens itself out horizontally with the movement of the frame, and how the barn is relatively well articulated against the shuddering house on the left and the cylindrical mass of greenery streaming downward to the right. The sky is still and there's something beautifully peaceful about this moment, contrary to all the movement you can see.
Speaking of burning skies, here's a scene we caught on our way out of Connecticut on Sunday. I couldn't believe the underbellies of those clouds! The whole five minutes this light lasted were magical - and I got some great shots of corn fields and farm land whizzing by under this clotted orange drapery! Lots of people like to knock Connecticut, but here's proof that this state is about more than toilet humor. Yeah, that's for you, J.
Don't worry - the hazy street scene is just an effect - and not my blurred vision driving home after a few glasses of wine! Nevertheless, probably a good thing I wasn't the one driving. We went out for a celebratory meal to a fantastic restaurant in the South End that I can't say enough good things about. Particularly since it's one of those places with the fancy names that you worry will ooze pretentiousness from the moment you enter. We hit the tail end of restaurant week at Icarus, where they paired each course with a "half" glass of wine - not half (or half bad) by my judgment - and got the proportions just right. Unfortunately, I was not quite willing enough to embarrass Jason fully by snapping a shot of the meal itself, flash and all - but I did drive him crazy taking long exposure shots all the way home. You can just make out the CITGO sign in its blurry glory off in the distance.
If I remember right, Icarus was the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology who crafted wings made of wax and feathers and burned up or came crashing down after flying too close to the sun. If the restaurant Icarus is shooting for godliness, I'll wager its wings are made of tougher stuff than wax.
We're starting to get those late-summer rains, and although it's still too hot to breathe some nights, I can feel the end of the New England summer paradise closing in. Who knows - this may be my last flower shot of the summer before the foliage - flowers do look pretty in the rain.
I'm showing off a new recipe tonight, straight from Munich, but also a beautiful ceramic bowl, straight from Bar Harbor, Maine. A pair of these bowls was a gift from my parents who must be getting a sense of how much I adore my pottery mugs and dishes. The recipe my brother brought home from his bachelor pad in Germany - a very simple dish where you cook leaves of fennel in hot oil with salt until tender. The secret is to cover the bottom of the pan with oil so that they all get a good coating. Then, at the very end, add chopped garlic to the mix. They are surprisingly rich tasting for a vegetable, and they also have a hint of anise flavoring (like mild licorice). I hear they complement a lot of strong flavors, and I fully intend to add them to my soup stockpile in the fall...
One of my favorite parts of the summer is when you actually get to enjoy being lazy. Saturday nights spent staying up late with friends after a long day of doing nothing at the beach. And board games. The more weird hand gestures and absurd word combinations the better. I think I get this from my mother, who can sit puzzling at computers and buried in crossword encyclopedias for hours. I can't say I apply nearly as much brain power though... after all, it's Saturday.
There's something seriously disturbing about low tide... can't put my finger on it. However, my friend put her foot in it when she decided to go kayaking at low-tide the other day. You never know, though... mud-caked booties could be the next big thing. Every time I see an Ugg, I am reassured of that possibility.
Well, someone had to do it. Motivated by a good friend of mine who adores these things, I purchased a couple of fancy Red Sox koozies for my personal collection. I did a little research and learned that these can also be called "stubby holders" or "cozies." These ones only work with bottles, but they're hilarious both dressing the bottles and hanging out on the shelf! This shot reminds me of summertime and root beer. 'Cuz that's what that is, you know.
Okay, granted this dog is pretty cute, but it is so entertaining to me what people do to dogs. We saw this one at a barbecue earlier this summer, but I'm only just archiving these pictures and found this blogworthy! I've forgotten her name at this point, but she (let's call her "Bonanza") followed me out to the car when I went out hunting for band-aids, but upon finding nothing edible at the scene, left me abruptly.
We took a walk along a bridge in Gloucester, at a junction where seaweed grows rampant and fish are easily lured as they get pushed down the river, but not so easily reeled in! I liked the contrast of colors and textures in this shot - the rusty rail against the mossy green shoreline and turbulent blue water below. This place is idyllic. It was my most relaxing weekend away of the summer!
And to close the circle of our Gloucester weekend of fish, my dad's signature salmon in a cast iron frying pan dish. Based on overfishing and various forms of pollution, my dad thinks fresh, ocean-caught fish will be a vague memory for us fifty years from now. Man, I hope not.
For my part, I tackled my own red monster - this bubbling skillet of Italian prune plums. Having read the recipe for an Italian Plum Torte in my favorite magazine, The Week, I thought I might be able to handle this summer evening treat. With the help from my friends Joy and Abby, it came to be, although I think the plums I used, while the right variety, were much larger than they should have been, and dominated the cake a bit. Originally, it was a recipe from Cooks Illustrated, another worthy resource. Just about everything I make from their recipes is at least tasty, if not exactly visually perfect!
My uncle Steve tackled this lobster (one of the first cooked by my family here on the premises). I learned today that you can tell that a lobster is cooked when it turns red. Due to my lack of experience eating or cooking these critters, I had no idea this was the case. It's amazing how colors are such an integral part of cooking and establishing the readiness of food.
And now for the food... Seafood was the order of the day, and this Halibut was one of the best whitefish steaks I've ever tasted. I think fish tastes best with just the bare minimum of added ingredients, and this one was pan seared, baked, and garnished with fresh parsley. Lovely! Still hungover from our breakfast gluttony, we just stole a taste from this exotic lunch my parents had prepared.
One of the favored local hangouts in Gloucester is a used record store called Mystery Train. There's also a pretty scant used bookstore upstairs, where you can find old volumes, if you're willing to rifle, but the real treasure is the store's collection of CDs and old records. There's even a $1.99 section at the entrance, where you can sometimes find a bargain on something you want. For graphic designers, they also sell scraps of old advertisements and retro postcards that are great for getting new ideas or doing collage.
To begin our morning in Gloucester (with friends from out of town), we hit the popular breakfast spot, The Two Sisters cafe in the town's center. This eatery features a host of homemade bread options including this Patriot Bread, made with blueberries and cranberries in honor of the New England Patriots. We also got some great tips on things to do in Gloucester, including a street bazaar just a block away from the restaurant and a recap of the late-june Greasy Pole event, where local heros hurl themselves across a greased, horizonal telephone pole, trying to capture a flag at its end. Few succeed, but they certainly go out in style (or pain). Look up "Greasy Pole 2007" on YouTube for footage of some of the classic tumbles.
Driving in Gloucester, MA is at your own risk! And risky it is, partly due to some of the erratic driving behaviors that you see, particularly around the town's main rotary and in the parking lot of the local Shaw's market! But this wonky One Way sign isn't helping much, making it difficult to distinguish which way is the one way.