Welcome to another edition of a weekly roundup of things I’m thinking about, enjoying and doing around my house, in bright, sunny, quite-hot-right-now, city of Winnipeg.

Drawing how-to book advice

I recently finished Drawing Outdoors by Henry C. Pitz published in MCMLXV. (How fancy! A year in Roman numerals… I remember seeing this in movie credits, like a frustrating code. Apparently, this is intentional. It is “associated with prestige and enduring value”.)Whatever the publisher’s intention for putting 1965 into Roman numerals, I really like Pitz’s book. It ends with this section, titled “Benefitting from Discouragement”, with advice that sounds like it shouldn’t be limited to learning to draw:

All this is part of the artist’s life and although the core of his life is always the work at drawing board or easel, the peripheral activities support and feed his experience. Once committed to a serious program of picture-making, you need to work out certain strategies to sustain enthusiasm, to strengthen resolve, and to circumvent discouragement. Each artist is faced with the facts of his own temperament and must adjust his tactics accordingly.
A last suggestions may be helpful: discouragement is usually intermittent but inescapable. Discouragement loses some of its terror when you realize it is often an encouraging sign; it indicates dissatisfaction with and rebellion against your present level. It is a growing pain. It can be a message that you are beginning to reach out for something better. Discouragement can be an important interlude in your practice and growth. (P 141)

Enjoying

The Uppercase Magazine newsletter recently featured an artist whose craft is so unique, I spent some time just admiring her pieces… Her name is Susanna Bauer and she combines lace crochet and natural leaves. The intricacy and end product are stunning.
One link lead to another, and I ended up watching this documentary on the opening of the very first Disneyland in 1955. Workplace safety wasn’t in practice then, and I actually thought I might see a man get squashed by scraper. What is curiously heartwarming is seeing the variety in age of the male workers, the humour, and the artistry.
A recent episode titled “The Photograph” from the This is Love podcast made me tear up! A really beautiful story!
I really liked this wine label and wanted to save the illustration for using in collages. This tutorial on removing wine labels was a perfect how-to!
Finally… my starter is taking off! This stage took far longer to get to than the method I followed suggested. But that’s fine. I’m happy I didn’t give up! I followed Hailee Catalano’s method in her cookbook titled By Heart. This week, I’ll attempt a first loaf. Expectations for the success of this first loaf are reasonably low… But I’m interested in adding to my small bread-making experience and using natural leaven has felt like a good next step.

Cooking

I really like Ottolenghi’s “Beyond Potato Salad” (pictured here). It is mixed with greek yogurt and a bit of mayonnaise. It is topped with toasted cardamom seeds, sesame seeds and nigella seeds and a nice tarragon-and-pickle mixture. Unfortunately, no one else in my little family likes it as much as I do.

What we all like is Jane Rodmell’s version of Jambalaya from Best Summer Weekends. I think prep and cooking takes about two hours, especially if you take the time to brown ingredients as directed, and it yields a generous six portions.

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup smoked ham, diced
½ cup spicy smoked sausage, diced
2 cups boneless chicken breast, diced
2 large onions, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon filé (optional)
2 cups long-grain converted rice
1 cup tomatoes (fresh or canned, San Marzano), chopped
3 cups chicken stock
Heat oil in a large heavy pot, add ham and sausage, and brown lightly. Lift out and set aside.
Add chicken pieces and brown, then remove and set aside.
Add half the onions, celery, and pepper to the pot, cooking until soft and well browned. Toss in the rest of the vegetables and the garlic, and cook over moderate heat until softened.
Return meats to pot with all the seasonings and cook for 5 minutes. Add rice and stir for a few minutes, then add tomatoes and stock. Bring mixture to a boil, lower heat, cover pot, and leave to cook gently for 20-25 minutes more until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender yet still has texture. Toss gently, remove from heat, cover, and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Tips: It you want to prepare part of the jambalaya ahead, cook the meats and vegetables as described above and add the tomatoes and stock, but do not add the rice. Refrigerate or freeze. When you are ready to serve, bring the mixture to a boil, add rice, and cook for 20-25 minutes as described above.
Jambalaya often includes seafood, such as shrimp and/or fresh oysters; add them during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Add some hot sauce if you like things spicier.