Lovely Laura's Fiftieth Birthday!

Hors D’Oeuvres 

Meyer Lemon-Smoked Bacon-Ricotta Tartlette

Potato Rounds with Dino Kale, Carmelized Onion, Apple and Thyme and Sausage

Ben's Pita Chips with Tzatziki, Tabouleh and Olive

Cheddar and Quince Membrillo on Crackers 

First Course

Persian Lamb Meatballs with Pistachio, Preserved Lemon, Tarragon, Mint, Parsley and Shallots

&

Asian Pear with Balsamic Vinegar, Pumpkin Seeds, Pomegranate and Arugula

Main Course

Braised Shortrib with Polenta and Brussel Leaves, Shallots and Parsley

Desserts

Chocolate Chili Torte with Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream

Honey Ricotta Cheese Cake

This is the menu from a lovely party I catered here in Washington. The meal was paired with fantastic Virginia wines from Democracy Vineyards.

Lunar Eclipse on the Full Moon Winter Solstice

Does this auspicious moon need to be accompanied by such heavy-handed music? I guess William Castleman says YES! I am in Washington, D.C., and did try to get a glimpse of it by setting the alarm for 3:15am. I woke up but was unwilling to go into the 20 degree darkness to see it. And alas, no window in the house afforded me the view! So I thank you William Castleman for your labors, music and all!

Los Angeles, we're really in a pickle!

Just wanted to let the locals know that pickles can be bought one jar at a time from the following stores:

Iko Iko in Echo Park

Ooga Booga in Chinatown 

or

Wombleton Records in Highland Park

From the ancestral Virginia home, 
from my family to yours, 
Happy Holidays, y'all!

To be a person

Nikki McClure by Dicky Dahl from PatCastaldo on Vimeo.

Nikki is an old friend from Olympia, Washington. She has a lovely integrated practice. Lately in LA, I spend more of my time "escaping" via the internet. What I really want, and why I do so many of the things that I do, is to feel a part of the earth and to cultivate a sense of time, to slow down and be a person.

Making Apple Butter with Heather Taylor

Oh how mother loves a bandana patterned mash up!

Heather stopped by for a home visit and an apple butter session! 

Read all about it right here!

Service-Works

Service-Works is a project by artist Josh Greene. He writes, "I am a 36 - year old artist and waiter. Service-Works is my own foundation that is designed to bridge the gap between my art career and my service industry career. Each month I dedicate one night’s worth of my tips to fund a project. For the past twelve years I have been doing art projects while making a living waiting tables. I currently work as a waiter in a fine-dining restaurant in San Francisco."


His website chronicles all seventeen of his foundational grants, which include the applicants original proposal, documentation of the project's completion as well as the circumstances of Greene's night of work. Artist Helena Keefe used her $256 to actualize her project where a Bush impersonator reads "the speech that shocked the world." A first grade class from Rooftop Elementary wrote fictional speeches that  turned "the aggressive posturing of an all-attack-all-the-time leader into a gentler, wiser soul determined to demonstrate the power of honesty and vulnerability." The results are hilarious!

Holiday Pickle Party! At Iko Iko, this Saturday!

Kristin and Shin are hosting me at Iko Iko this Saturday. She writes:

Keeping with our entertaining/celebration/decorate-your-space theme...

we have some edible gift options as well as the complementing accessories for it. 

If you're going to a dinner party or throwing one yourself, 

here are some easy and delicious solutions...

And you can taste them first.

Please join us for our

jarred tastes tasting

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2-5 pm

at

IKO IKO

1298 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026

JEN SMITH's holiday offerings:

pickled brussel sprouts, pumpkin, okra,cactus, curried cauliflower, dilly beans, bread 'n butter pickles & apple butter

+

some enticing homemade by MOM edibles:

wine jellies (chardonnay, chianti, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, sangiovese)
spicy jellies (red and green jalapeno)
fruit jelly (pomegranate)

Heather's Beautiful Birthday at the Smog Shoppe

It was lovely! Flowers by Holly Flora
and Apple Butter
(with Ginger-Cardamom-Rosewater)  by Full Moon Pickles!

 The Menu,

a Perfect & Cozy

Wintery Meal:

Special Birthday Aperitif with Carob, Vanilla and Pink Peppercorn

 *

Butternut Squash and Sage Soup

 *

Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

Brussel Sprout and Parsley Leaves in Black Truffle Oil

Mint-Pistachio-Meyer Lemon Gremolata

 *

Arugula Salad

 with Asian Pears and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 

in Balsamic Vinaigrette

 *

Chocolate Chili Torte

 with Hachiya Persimmon and Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream

Eden and Marty pretending they are shorter than me!

A magical birthday spirit! Vodka infused with vanilla,
carob from Holly's farm in Ojai and pink pepper corns
from the giving trees of Griffith Park.

A torte de force!
Chocolate Chili Torte, served with Hachiya Persimmon
and Bourbon Maple Whipped Cream

My mentor-captain,
Felix Barron,
told me they filmed an episode of Top Chef here.

It was a dark and stormy night...
with occasional drips of rain through
the tin roof!
Smog Shoppe's kitchen is outdoors!
I like how my eyes look like the
candle flame here.
SPOOKY!

PICKLE OF THE MONTH CLUB!!!

HOLIDAY SALE! Please be sure to order by Monday, December 20th for shipping outside of Los Angeles!

How does it work?

For $40 a month, you get FIVE jars of magic!

After an initial joining fee of $15 which goes to the cost of jars

(that in the tradition of home canning, will hopefully get cycled back to me or reused),

you get five jars of the seasons best!

Pickles, preserves, and whatever else that might age well in a jar!

What are examples of past offerings?

from October:

Pickled Pumpkin! 

Pickled Asparagus!

Pears in Vanilla and Pepper Syrup!

Peach Jam!

&

A Wild Card: Pickled Young Almonds!

from June:

Strawberry Jam! 

Ginger Peach Jam! 

Lavender Plum Jam!

Spicy Okra Pickle!

Experimental Pickle: Gingery Watermelon!

from February:

Pickled Brussel Sprouts! 

Pickled Onions and Fennel in a Citrus Brine!

Bread and Butter Pickles!

Young Radish Kim Chi!

And oh joy, Meyer Lemon (LADY) Marmalade!

Can I sign up for just one month?

YES! Try it to see if you like it!

Can I pace a subscription over the course of several months?

Of course. You can skip a month and get another set of five the following month.

How do I order?

You can order via PayPal on the side bar to the top right of the screen, under the label 

"Pickle of the Month Club."

If you have other questions not answered here, please email me directly at 

fullmoonpickles@gmail.com

Eating Our Words at Taylor De Cordoba

Monday, I am giving a pickling demo and selling whatever remains in the larder at EATING OUR WORDS, a literary-artisinal food mash up! 


Here's the promotional blurb:


For our upcoming event on Monday December 6 at 7:30PM, the New York-based writer Elisa Albert will read from her critically acclaimed anthology, Freud's Blind Spot: 23 Original Essays on Cherished, Estranged, Lost, Hurtful, Hopeful, Complicated Siblings. This newly published work was recently featured in the New York Times “Lives” column and Elle magazine. Hailed as the next Philip Roth and compared by The New Yorker to the great Lorrie Moore, Elisa Albert established herself as a major new voice in American literature with the publication of her critically acclaimed 2008 novel, The Book of Dahlia. Unsparing,hilarious and compassionate all at once, Albert makes a place for all of us at the table. Books will also be available for purchase courtesy of the Traveler's Bookcase. 

Along with the reading, canning expert Jen Smith of Full Moon Pickles and Preserves will be doing a canning demo and selling her "jars of magic." On the menu - sweet pickled pumpkin, pickled
brussels sprouts, curried cauliflower, apple butter, smoky brined cucumbers and more.

Space is limited

RSVP to rsvp@taylordecordoba.com


Perhaps see you there?