Photo Saturday: Little Orphan Megan

HAPPY ALMOST HALLOWEEN! 
Before I was a radmegan, I was a weemegan dressed up as Little Orphan Annie. (Age six) 

Photo Saturday: Pink Ginger in the Fern Grotto

Taken last July, on our second day in the Hawaiian Islands. We were searching for a place to elope and had heard good things about the Fern Grotto in Waimea, Kauai. While we didn't end up choosing the Fern Grotto, we did see some incredible plants that inspired us and lead us to our eventual wedding destination. 

If I Only Had A Brain (Mold)

I bought a plastic brain-shaped mold at a grocery store in Solvang for $4.99. "What a tremendous deal," I stupidly thought. "There are SO MANY occasions in which I find myself thinking, "if only this food were brain-shaped."" Ok, I haven't uttered those exact words, but I did see the mold as a gateway to new crafts and possibilities. I have exactly no experience with Jell-O molds beyond eating up their contents at family picnics and holiday work parties. 

My first attempt at mastering the mold was doomed from the start. I found Oreo Cookies and Cream pudding at my local market and had visions of serving up gray matter for dessert. As my husband so eloquently put it, "Megan, pudding is pudding. Not Jell-O" Why I thought a Jell-O product would work in a mold, I guess I'll never know. But as many of you may have already realized, pudding, as my husband says, is in fact pudding. It never really hardens, or takes on the shape of anything. It is tasty, but also limp and sloppy, and stays that way in a mold. 

My next attempt at salvaging a Halloween dessert that would delight and horrify needed a hard shell to keep everything in place. While I don't detest white chocolate like some people I know (I'm looking at you Jessica), I'm not really crazy about it either. For the perfect bone-colored exterior to my bright red and gelatinous brainy middle, I knew white chocolate was my guy. I proceeded to melt and pour and set and mix and stir until I thought I had the perfect recipe for what I was going to call Red Brains and Skull. 

The only problem was that the white chocolate broke when I tried to un-mold it. It broke over and over and over again. The red Jell-O center trembled with fear, or simply because it was Jell-O, as I stormed around the kitchen, glaring at my pile of fail. 

Oddly, the Cherry Jell-O interior did hold it's shape during my little kitchen hissy-fit, and made me think that I could, and WOULD attempt molding deserts again. Perhaps there will be more non-stick spray or butter next time? Perhaps even Saran wrap? If any of you have had luck un-molding chocolate or even pudding(!!), please feel free to share your tips with me as I am obviously not going to be invited to bring my brainy dessert to any picnics or parties at this rate. 


Chalk this one up to a swing and a miss. Happy almost Halloween anyway!

Craft: Ghost Garland

Growing up, Halloween ALWAYS meant homemade. My mom would ask me and my little sister what we wanted to be, and then she would craft up costumes a thousand times better than anything we could have purchased. A few highlights from her costume reel included: my Crest toothpaste costume with the entire list of ingredients painted on my (t-shirt dress) tube and a topped with a lampshade cap. My sister was an adorable 1950's waitress with a messy tray of spilled milkshakes, beehive wig and cat-eye glasses. And then there was my sweet dad. Six feet tall and stuffed into a mermaid costume complete with a hand-sewn green sequence tale and purple sea stars strategically placed on his nude bodysuit. His long, bright red wig framed his mustache and broad shoulders, making the elementary school kids fall over giggling when he’d shuffle into class. My mom, wearing her hand-crafted witch costume, would be in the adjacent classroom laughing along with her kids as they craned their necks to get a peek at Mr. Andersen. 

When it came to trick-or-treating, there was an older woman in our neighborhood who lived next door to Mimi’s parents and she would give out the best goodies. You had to get to her house early if you were going to come home with a yarn-doll or hand-dipped caramel apple (the only edible item that didn’t fall under my mother’s heavy scrutiny). These magical treats didn’t last long, and when she ran out, the house was darkened and you had to wait another year.

I put up ghost garland yesterday. It was the quick handmade Halloween-fix our home sorely needed. I drew up a pattern, and cut out about 20 ghosts from an old T-shirt. I sewed the pieces together with the rough sides out, added a little stuffing, and embroidery thread eyes, and then ran fishing wire through their heads for a floating look.

This year, I look forward to seeing the trick-or-treaters in my new neighborhood. There will be candy to hand out (the packaged stuff, since I’m not the well-known old lady in my ‘hood), there will be more decorations, there won’t be a mermaid costume for my husband, but I hope to get him into the spirit with some fangs or a funny hat… I’m crafting up options today… and I hope to be watching the Twilight Zone marathon between doorbell rings. 

For me, Halloween marks the start of the handmade season. My head is swimming with recipes, crafts and gifts I look forward to trying out on friends and loved ones. Hooray for Halloween! On your marks, get set, CRAFT!

Cooking: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Thyme

I've been making a lot of sweets lately, and felt that I needed to post some green veg. 

This is one of my many go-to recipes from the free take-away catalog I picked up at William-Sonoma in 2004. I have made an entire Thanksgiving dinner, soup to nuts, from this 12-page treasure trove TWICE and let me tell you, my guests were thrilled. Of all the numerous cookbooks I own, I turn to this stapled and stained little pamphlet each November for my favorite pop-over, stuffing, potato, and brussels sprouts recipes... Today, I pass the sprouts on to you. Enjoy. 


Ingredients:
2 lb. brussels sprouts
5 oz. bacon, diced
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 tsp. finely chopped thyme
1 1/4 chicken or turkey stock
2 tbs. unsalted butter
3 tbs. olive oil
3 tsp. salt


Pull off any dry outer leaves from your brussels sprouts. Cut the sprouts into quarters, and set aside.


Heat a large saute pan and cook the bacon. Remove the bacon when crispy, and set aside. Drain the fat, and discard.


Return the pan to medium heat, add the shallots and thyme and cook until soft. Transfer the shallots into a bowl with the bacon. Pour 1/4 cup stock into the pan and using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bacon bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the stock over the bacon mixture.


Using a paper towel, wipe the pan down, and place over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the brussels sprouts and salt and stir to coat evenly.  Cook the sprouts 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup stock and continue stirring, until the brussels sprouts are soft (about 15 minutes.) Add the bacon, and the remaining stock, and heat throughout. Serve in a warmed bowl immediately. Serves 8-10

Candy is Dandy: Cooking Peanut Butter Cups

With Halloween rapidly approaching, candies and chocolates have infiltrated the entire supermarket. I can typically avoid their sultry stares by skipping the single candy-isle and defiantly turning my back to them at checkout. Lately though, they catch my eye near the produce, dairy and grain isles, give me flirty smiles, and whispering sweet nothings. I walk off in a huff, offended at their ubiquitous cat-calls, but hours later, I drift back to our stolen moments and subtle exchanges, and I find myself wanting candy more than I have all year. Cruel mistress.


I decided that I would not succumb to the pre-packaged stuff this year, and instead, make my own delectables from high quality ingredients with full control over the amounts and proportions, and embarked on homemade peanut butter cups. 

Ingredients:
1 16-oz jar Laura Scudder's Old Fashioned Peanut Butter, Smooth
1 2-lb bag high quality chocolate chips, milk or dark
1 1/2 cup powered sugar
2 TBSP butter, softened
Cooking Spray
Mini Cupcake Papers


Empty the peanut butter into a bowl and stir in the powdered sugar. Mix in the softened butter and set aside. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring with a spatula. The chocolate should be smooth and velvety. Arrange your cupcake papers onto a baking sheet and lightly mist with cooking spray. Spoon the melted chocolate into the cupcake papers, coating the bottoms and sides entirely. Set the extra chocolate aside. Once all cupcake papers are coated, place the tray in the refrigerator to cool for about five to ten minutes. Pipe or spoon the peanut butter mixture into the cooled chocolate cups, and then spoon the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter and place the tray back in the refrigerator for another 30-minutes to set completely. Serve and enjoy. 


Please note that these are ridiculously delicious. Make them when you know friends are coming for a visit, so that you can send them away with the people you love. Otherwise you may find yourself justifying peanut butter cups as a reasonable breakfast choice. This is the voice of experience speaking. :) Photos below.

The Farmers Market at the Grove

In 1934 it started with 18 farmers parking their trucks on an empty lot. Today the Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax in Los Angeles employs over 700 people and hosts more than 50 permanent vendors. 


Whether it's freshly butchered meats, organic juice blends, glossy donuts, or fragrant candles, there is such a variety of vendors that all of your shopping needs are sure to be met and exceeded. 


Gliding through through the isles, even the strongest resolve will be challenged by the various eateries. Nutella and banana plates are dolled out en masse at the popular crêperie The French Crepe Company, the flavorful taco plates from Loteria delight patrons with their unique combinations of authentic flavors, and the spicy plates of Cajun favorites perfume the air by the The Gumbo Pot.


I love walking through the various booths and shops and looking over the stacks of fresh fruits, jars of preserves, and trays of fresh baked buns. The mind wanders to future meals, crafts and family fun when I see the best of the best from each vendor. Here are a few gems that caught my eye on my last trip...

Mr. Marcel Gourmet Market, 

Stall #150 (323) 935-9451 www.mrmarcel.com

Farm Fresh Produce

Stall #816 
(323) 931-3773

The Village (Moishe’s Restaurant)

Stall #334 
(323) 936-9340

Puritan Poultry

Stall #226 
(323) 938-0312

Mr. Marcel Gourmet Market 

Stall #150 (323) 935-9451
 www.mrmarcel.com

The Farmers Market is an awesome stop for both the tourist and local to meet up over a pile of bananas, but get there early before the parking lot fills up with celeb-seeking shoppers at the adjacent Grove shopping mall. 


Market Hours

Monday - Friday: 9 am to 9 pm 


Saturday: 9 am to 8 pm 


Sunday: 10 am - 7 pm

Photo Saturday: Three at Sea

Yesterday I was at a burial at sea for my third lost relative this summer. The sky was gray. The water was calm. We were together as a family.


Goodbye cousin. Goodbye auntie. Goodbye dearest uncle. I love you so.

Cooking: Meringues

Why hello Thursday, I didn't see you there! I've been up to my eyeballs in a web project that, once finished will be hugely satisfying, but is currently a hideous, snaggletoothed monster I want to club to death. Most projects worth their salt tend to be the kind you have to really sweat over. Throw your back into it! Use a little elbow grease! Mush, MUSH!  

The recipe below is no such task, and for that, I am thankful. With meringues, the outcome far outweighs the effort. I made a batch of these set-and-forget style meringue cookies this weekend, and they were so divine, so quick to prepare, and dare I say so healthy, (It's JUST egg white- practically an omelet!) that my fella and I shamelessly devoured about two dozen in two days.  Really though, break it down, its only six meringues per person, per day. EGG WHITES!!! It's like eating a cloud. How many calories are in a cloud? I think I've made my point.

I made three flavors of meringue: chocolate chip, toasted macadamia nut, and pulverized candy cane. All three were incredibly delicious, and I would encourage you to try additional add-ins. 

The recipe:

6 egg whites

pinch salt

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I'd use small chips, or chop up the regular ones)

1 cup toasted, and chopped macadamia nuts 

1/2 cup candy cane shavings 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

2. Place nuts in a dry pan over high heat and roast evenly for about a minute, stirring constantly. Then chop in food processor and set aside. Pulverize about five mini candy canes, or one and a half regular sized canes in food processor, and set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer, or electric hand-held, beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Fold in the vanilla. In three separate bowls, carefully divide the mixture and fold the chocolate chips into one, macadamia nuts in another, and in the third bowl add the pulverized candy cane. Spoon, or pipe onto the prepared cookie sheets.

4.Place the cookies into the preheated oven, shut the door and turn off the oven immediately. Let cookies sit in the turned off oven for 5 to 6 hours.

I had read that on rainy and damp days, meringues may have trouble drying completely, and this seemed to be the case with mine. After three hours they still felt very sticky, so with the meringues still in the oven, I set it to 200 F, let it reach temperature, and then shut it off again, leaving the meringues alone for another several hours. When we tried them, they were heavenly! An easy-to-make, light and airy treat. A perfectly satisfying sweet, without a lot of weight. A lot of WAIT, but not weight.  Hope you enjoy. We sure did.

Stiff Peaks

Stiff Peaks, originally uploaded by radmegan.

Coming tomorrow... the tale of perfect meringues, and the couple who devoured them.

Eating Out: Akasha in Culver City

One of my all time favorite comfort foods is macaroni and cheese. In fact, Food Network Magazine editors recently embarked on a cross-country food exploration to find out the most popular comfort foods in America, and it was no surprise to me that mac & cheese made the top ten.


This noodle/dairy duo can range from the traffic-cone orange stuff in a box, to grandma's simple stove-top version made with extra love and heavy cream, to of course the complex gastropub concoctions with their sparing portions and hefty price tags.

Enter Akasha Restaurant, at 9543 Culver Blvd in Culver City. Located on a block that houses Ford's Filling Station, Ugo, and just up the street, K-zo Sushi, Akasha holds its own in a neighborhood of fine dining. 


The dining room is airy, yet somehow intimate. Everything served is organic, hand-made, farm-fresh and sustainable. Even the building materials and take-out containers are green. This new American eatery could easily appear to be more bark than bite to the average passerby, but any press this place has gotten, is well deserved coverage of mouth-watering morsels and a fun atmosphere. 


On a recent visit with a couple of friends, we ordered several small dishes to share. Everything we ate was cooked to sheer perfection. From the gooey cheese and crispy potato flat bread pizzas, to the seared scallops with corn and bacon, the masala and nectarine chicken... each bite was trip to foreign lands complete with spices and textures that left our table silent except for the ooohs, ahhhhs, and mmmmmms, we all sighed with pleasure. 


The star of the evening for all of us, was the macaroni and cheese. Ordered as an afterthought, a throw-away, simply filler for the menfolk, we were so wrong to give this dish such little respect by ordering it with waning enthusiasm. 


Gruyere and Cheddar cheese are married in a skillet of perfectly cooked noodles baked with breadcrumbs and chives. It's creamy. It's light. It's tangy and sweet at the same time. It's the power-burst of flavor from the gastropubs of Chicago and New York, yet feels like Grandma's place without the smoke alarm screaming in the background. All three of us clattered out spoons noisily to in the skillet as we battled for the last bite. 


I'm not kidding, everything I've eaten here is so yummy (I'm salivating as I type this) but if you need a little something extra; had a hard day, lost your dog, or just came off some lame L.A. fast you need the mac and cheese from Akasha. And call me before you go. I’ll meet you there. 


Open Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm
For reservations: (310) 845-1700

Caught in a Web

Hi friends,

Just checking in to say there will be no craft/food/garden post today.

I'm up to my eyeballs in a radmegan.com redesign so take a good look now. It won't be an orange-soaked freak-show for much longer!

See ya tomorrow!

xoxo

Radmegan!

Photo Saturday: Geothermal Colors of Wai-O-Tapu

 
Smack in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand, is the sulfury city of Rotorua, and just a klick south of that, is Wai-O-Tapu, a Geothermal Park like you have never seen. Bubbling cauldrons of grey mud belch and pop noisily next to serenely still ponds in a rainbow colors. Of all the places I have traveled, I've never seen a more magical place, and I expect more Photo Saturdays will highlight this hidden treasure. Stay tuned for more!

Frayed Knot: The Angler's Loop

It's the end of the weeklong lesson in knots! It started as a doodler's homage to Columbus and his journey across the big bad ocean, and ended with five knots we can all actually use. I look forward applying my new knot knowledge in everyday conversation. "Pass the pretzels? You know Maude, the pretzel shape is the basic foundation for a couple of my favorite knots; the Angler's Loop, and The Handcuff Knot."


Today's knot from the Ashley Book of Knots, happens to be the Angler's Loop. Commonly used by sailors and fisherman, this knot is the best single loop knot for thin lines such as twine and fishing line. 


Thanks for indulging my illustrative diversion this week. We'll now return you to your regularly scheduled programming on the radmegan blog... up next week? More crafts, cooking, gardening and travel. 


“By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.”
Christopher Columbus

Frayed Knot: The Horrible Knot

Today my illustrated interpretation from the Ashley Book of Knots is of the Horrible knot. It consists of three Reef knots, and was apparently a common range knot used by cowboys and prospectors. The knot is indeed horrible, as the combination of overs and unders will have you seeing double. But once tightened, the two main loops are secure enough to keep a horse still, while allowing enough play to be comfortable. Or at least, my plastic zebra didn't seem to mind.  


"Life is a yo-yo, and mankind ties knots in the string.
"
Anonymous

Frayed Knot: The Cook's Knot (For Spitting and Trussing)

The Cook's Knot, or Ring Hitch, is used in conjunction with several skewers to secure an animal over a spit when roasting. This knot, from the Ashley Book of Knots, uses the same basic principle as the Strap Hitch and Bale Sling Hitch and is one of the easiest hitches to loosen. 


"A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied."
Henri Frederic Amiel

Frayed Knot: The Bookbinder

Today's Occupational Knot from the Ashley Book of Knots, is the Bookbinder. One upon a time, when hand-written papyrus pages were the height of sophistication, the Bookbinder knot was used to sew leaves of a book in place.


"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."
Franklin D. Roosevelt 

I'm A Frayed Knot: A Weeklong Columbus Day Lesson in String

This week, in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. To commemorate the sheer act of sailing from Spain to the Caribbean America, I'd like to talk about knots. I'd bet that most people know how to make a square knot, a slipknot, and maybe a double knot, but beyond that, I'd guess that our collective knot-knowledge would have left us looking foolish and forlorn on the docks back in Spain. Sailors used dozens of knots on a daily basis. In fact, there are many present-day professions that regularly require a specific knot-knowhow. 

Maybe ten years ago, and on a whim, I purchased the Ashley Book of Knots, which boasts, "Every practical knot- what it looks like, who uses it, where it comes from, and how to tie it." This book is fantastic. The kind of weighty tome you keep on the shelf and pull down to flip through when you are feeling under the weather.  

Today, I have illustrated a knot within the Occupational Knot chapter. The Handcuff Knot is one of several knots listed under the occupation of Burglar. I hope you will try it out (the knot, not burglary.) Happy Columbus Day. 

To quote Life of Pi by Yann Martel, "With a knife, I cut four segments. I tightly lashed the four oars where they met. Ah, to have had a practical education in knots!"

Photo Saturday: Star Witness - A Hoya in Bloom

Photo Saturday: A Self Portrait in Copper

Sunset is a magical hour for photography. The light is warm with reds and oranges. When I was living on the beach in Ventura and home for such optimal lighting I took this self-portrait. I was sick with worry over someone close to me, so while I waited for the phone-call that would make everything better, I painted up my entire face with eye-shadow and got out my camera. The tear-streaking is close to the actual color of the eye shadow. The rest was painted on purple and turned copper in the light. 

Eating Out: SusieCakes Cupcakes

Yesterday was my first visit to SusieCakes Cupcakes.  Everything about this small bakery is inviting. Outside a heart-dotted logo welcomes visitors like a neon hug from grandma. Inside a rainbow row of jellybean jars draws your eye to a glass case of uniformly frosted cupcakes, fresh-baked cookies and glossy single-serving cheesecakes. The room is bright, the staff is friendly, and the sweetly scented air is either hand-whipped buttercream, or your favorite childhood memories of frosting birthday cakes with mom.  My companions for this visit were veteran SusieCake customers and ordered up their favorite flavors with confidence and vigor. I stared at a chorus line of confetti-topped temptation with pained concentration and eventually ended up leaving with four cupcakes (lemon, coconut, peanut butter and mint), and a Whoopie pie. I was a Whoopie pie virgin and we weren't even out the door before I was tearing off bites for the three curious mouths I came with. Imagine if you will, the softest, spongiest, warm-from-the-oven chocolate cookie. Now imagine two and slather them generously with buttercream. Buttery like Babs buttah-creaaaaam. When my eight-year old niece took a bite, her eyes rolled up into her head and a gentle sigh passed through her lips. Out of the mouth of babes...  
In addition to their incredible cupcakes (after sampling the four we brought home, my husband and I agreed that we would order each flavor again, but that the Whoopie pie and mint cupcake deserved an honorable mention for their excessive yumminess), SusieCakes also does wedding cakes, birthday cakes, pies, bars, mini cupcakes and cookies. They use recycled paper products, make everything from scratch, and give back to the community with annual donations. With four locations around Los Angeles and two in the Bay area, SusieCakes is a small, but accessible bakery worth a visit. See ya soon SusieCakes!

Craft: Swedish Sushi Pillow

I'm a bit of a craft-supply hoarder. What crafter isn't? And now that Ikea is carrying Marimekko-esq fabric at Ikea prices, I picked up a few bolts of various prints on my last visit and tucked them away in my fabric drawer (hoard hoard). On a recent trip to the Fabric District, I showed immense restraint by only making one (sushi-printed!) purchase. With my Ikea Vitaminer Rand, and my Robert Kaufman Co. Chopsticks Please I was ready to craft up a "Swedish Fish" pillow for a sushi-loving family in need of some extra comfort. 

I'm not great at sewing. Specifically, I hate ironing and lack the basic patience to complete projects that take more than a week, but pillows are fast and cute, and therefore a sewing project I accept with gusto. 

For this particular pillow, I used some piping for a little extra detail, and added a button accent on the front and back. 

I mailed it off yesterday and hope it brings a little cheer to a friend's dad who could use some. Thinking of you guys!

Cooking: Baked Apples

It's getting dark much earlier, and cool enough in the evenings to warrant a sweater and socks. Consequently, I find myself hovering around the oven far more than say, last weekend.  


One of my favorite fall treats is baked apples. They perfume the house as they bake, and taste exactly like the best part of an apple pie (maybe I've just never had a crust I really liked?) There are many ways to bake an apple, but here's how I made mine. 


Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Ingredients:
4 Apples (I used Pink Ladies, my fave!)
1/2 c. cinnamon/sugar 
1 tbsp. cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp. butter
Aluminum foil 


Tear off four squares of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around each apple.  Core apples and place each in the center of the foil squares. Score the skin of the apples. Place one cinnamon stick inside each apple, and fill with the core with the cloves and cinnamon/sugar mixture. Rub part of the 1/2 tbsp butter on the apple skins, and place the rest of the butter inside the apple core. Fold and twist the foil so that each apple is covered, but not sealed shut. Place the foil-wrapped apples in a baking dish to catch any extra drips. Bake for 25 minutes or until apples feel soft when squeezed with tongs. 

Serve warm and Enjoy!