Memory is a funny thing. Why do our childhood memories remain with us so clearly? Why is that one can be at a complete loss in remembering the particulars of a recent event but some innocuous sighting can send one’s mind whirling back decades to a long ago world?
I happened to catch a glimpse of a little girl wearing a red hair ribbon on the street the other day and in an instant, I was transported to my childhood home. So vivid was my memory, I could hear hairbrush bristles slipping through my hair and could feel the tightness on my scalp as the elastic band snapped into place around my ponytail. I could sense my mother standing behind me, her perfume mingling with her morning cup of coffee as she tied up my hair. I could see my blue and green book bag hanging on a hook by the front door, waiting to be snatched and dragged up the school bus steps. This entire scene in all its clarity played itself out in mere seconds. In the time it took for me to walk past that little girl with a red ribbon tied around her ponytail, I had relived that long ago morning with such clarity, it was as if it had happened minutes ago. But because memory is such a funny thing, it faded away just as quickly as it had arrived.
I’m normally not a huge fan of tomatoes but when summer rolls around and the heirlooms hit the farmer’s market, I go gaga bananas for them! It could be that I’m more taken by their dazzling colors and shapes than anything else but regardless of the reason, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate them into our summer alfresco meals.
This tomato tart is a favorite at our house. I got the recipe ages ago from a Williams-Sonoma catalog and I would love to share it with you.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
10 Tbs. (1 ¼ sticks) chilled unsalted butter, diced
2 Tbs. ice water
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 plum (or 3-4 heirloom) tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeded
8 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
½ cup slivered fresh basil leaves
Using an electric mixer with a flat beater, mix flour and ½ tsp. salt on low speed, 15 sec. Add butter; mix to form pea-sized crumbs, 30-40 sec. Add water 1 Tbs. at a time; mix just until dough comes together. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Shape into a 5” disk. Wrap tightly; refrigerate at least 1 hr. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to fit a 9” round tart pan. Press dough into pan, trim to ½” around rim and fold in overhang. Press to make sides thicker than bottom; refrigerate 10 min. In a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, warm 1/3 cup oil. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant, 1 min. Add salt, pepper and tomatoes, sliced side down until golden, 4-5 min. Brush pastry with 1 Tbs. oil; top with cheese, basil and tomatoes. Drizzle with pan juices; season with salt and pepper. Bake until crust is golden, about 1 hr. Serves 4.
It has been such a lovely summer. We’ve had so many different types of birds choose our garden in which to build their nests this year. The last baby finch in the nest on our patio tested his wings and flew over our heads just last week while Larry and I were having breakfast. I always feel a little sad once all the babies are gone. I miss their insistent chirps for food and watching the conscientious parents flitter back and forth during feeding time.
I wanted to commemorate the last of the finches somehow and remembered that Larry had given me an abandoned nest he found last spring while pruning our camellia trees. It didn’t take long for me to find it in the infamous art closet. So here I present my photographic love letter to all of the sweet birds who found our little garden to be the perfect place to start their families.
I inherited my love of seashells from my father. When I was a little girl, he would sit me down and carefully present the latest acquisition from his collection to me like it was a precious jewel. He taught me that each tiny shell contained a wondrous world of pattern and color. Hearing the Latin phylum names roll easily off his tongue was utterly spellbinding. He was so vivid and artful in his description of the undersea world.
Even though he has been collecting seashells for the better part of 30 years and has amassed a world-class collection, he still can’t resist the lure of a great shell shop. Which brings me to one of my happiest of Happy Places – The Shell Shop, in Morro Bay.
Every time my father visits me in California, we make a pilgrimage to this pantheon of marine mollusks. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for the big colorful shells displayed in the open bins in the middle of the shop but my father will hone in on the rare and sublime, tucked away on a top shelf, behind glass.
Just like when I was little, he’ll hold out his hand and sitting there will be a perfect murex with the most marvelous coloring. He’ll take such joy in pointing out what makes it special and I take such joy knowing that because of him my eyes have been opened to the wonders of the natural world.
www.theshellshop.net
590 Embarcadero
Morro Bay, CA 93442
805-772-8014
Hours vary. Call the shop for details.
We have had a photographic gift registry in place in our studio for over a decade and over the years we have been asked many times about various etiquette issues pertaining to the registry. I thought it might be helpful to do a post about this subject. I did a little research online and would like to share what I found on Giftypedia.
The old saying, “you can’t please everyone,” fits the scenario of gift registry etiquette. If you are still wavering on whether or not to use a gift registry, below are some hints to help you stay within the guidelines of gift registry etiquette and avoid becoming the offending party:
~ Limit yourself to two stores when registering so your guests won’t have to go store to store when deciding on a gift. Consider an online registry where gifts from different stores can be shown on one registry and purchased online for your giver’s shopping convenience.
~ Don’t register at stores that do not sell products that relate to your occasion. A bridal registry should be limited to stores that sell household items, whereas a birthday registry can include any store that reflects the person’s interests.
~ Don’t register for everything you may possibly ever want – stick to the basics that make sense for the present.
~ Keep in mind that the registry is a list of suggestions. Don’t expect your guests to use the registry, as some may prefer to give something that they think you will like.
~ Don’t include gift registry information in your invitation. Even though gifts may be expected, including them in your invitation appears demanding.
~ If you are already established and creating a wedding registry, avoid registering for overly extravagant items because you already have the basics.
~ If choosing a gift from a gift registry, consider adding a little something extra to go along with the gift that reflects your relationship to the recipient.
Deciding whether or not to use a gift registry may depend on the situation. For a close friend, you may opt for a more personal gift, whereas for an acquaintance, a gift registry may be a godsend. Remember, no one is required to use a gift registry or even give a gift for that matter. If you are one who takes pride in finding the perfect gift, a gift registry can be used for ideas and inspiration without having to purchase from the list. And, if you have an idea for a gift that you think the recipient would truly love, go for it! Never feel obligated to purchase from a registry – it has been created for your convenience if you desire to use it.
If you would like to register with us for your next big event click on the link below.
www.isabellawrence.com/gift.html
To find out more about Giftypedia…
www.giftypedia.com
WPGA announced the winners of The Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers and I’m so pleased to have two of my tintypes win an Honorable Mention and one qualify as a Finalist.
Awarded images were juried by photographers: Mary Ellen Mark, Vanessa Winship and Kim Weston; Magnum Photos’ members Alessandra Sanguinetti and Olivia Arthur; Zoom’s Editor in Chief Rosanna Checchi, and the Curator of the San Diego Museum of Photography Carol McCusker.
There were over 4,000 images submitted from photographers representing 45 countries. The overall winners will be featured in ZOOM Magazine. All awardees, including finalists will be published in the Book “The Julia Cameron Award 2010”.
Be sure to visit the WPGA website to read more about this award and to drool and/or be inspired by all of the incredible imagery.
www.thegalaawards.net/announcements/the-julia-margaret-cameron-awardees
