Author Archives: mourningdove

ESC #20: DessArt Day 2 (with linocuts!)

Credit to my friend Gina for the clever name for our casual art workshop-plus-dessert-bar series (it’s a series now because we’ve had 2! And there’s a third planned for August now on bookmaking…). Here were the recipes this time. They were all pretty good, but I think the favorites were the blackberry tart and theContinue reading “ESC #20: DessArt Day 2 (with linocuts!)”

Tisane of the Week: Rose Honeysuckle Mint (etc.)

I inherited a crazy yard—really a mini urban farm complete with livestock (the chickens were written into the counter-offer): there are six fruit trees (sadly down from 8), 7 raised beds in different levels of the yard, and untold numbers of flowering shrubs and annuals, not to mention patches of perennial herbs here and there.Continue reading “Tisane of the Week: Rose Honeysuckle Mint (etc.)”

Letter of Recommendation: FOOD⭐️STAR

Ever since we lost Japanese Style Originator from Netflix, I’ve been missing their deep-dive videos into traditional ways of making and doing things. Fortunately, I found FOOD⭐️STAR, which fills part of that gap for me. They’re particularly strong on artisan bakeries in Japan, both traditional and Western style ones, but they also feature wagashi (teaContinue reading “Letter of Recommendation: FOOD⭐️STAR”

ESC #19: Dessert Bar (and suminagashi)

My friend Nicole, an art professor, came up with the idea of doing a little home suminagashi (paper marbling with Japanese ink) workshop for some friends, and I thought it sounded like a great time to clear out some desserts from my Try file in Paprika; apparently, when I save recipes, about 2 out ofContinue reading “ESC #19: Dessert Bar (and suminagashi)”

I Have Notes…for “First Love (Hatsukoi)”

Jen reminded me about this one. We’re both big fans of Satoh Takeru of Rurouni Kenshin fame, so when “First Love” appeared on Netflix, I gave it a shot even though rom-coms are not generally my jam. I’m not sure I would even say that Satoh is a great actor. He’s good, but not great;Continue reading “I Have Notes…for “First Love (Hatsukoi)””

Cartoons for Grown-ups: My Happy Marriage and Delicious in Dungeon

I’m starting another series on the blog to log the anime I watch because I’ve watched and continue to watch a lot of it—ever since (a) I discovered Tranzor Z on TV in middle school and (b) Blockbuster opened in my neighborhood in 1988 and I could start renting VHS tapes of anime. I’ve alreadyContinue reading “Cartoons for Grown-ups: My Happy Marriage and Delicious in Dungeon”