sweet and hot

The pepper onslaught is in full swing in the garden.  Overnight we went from pounds and pounds of tomatoes to a few dozen peppers each day.  And just like with the tomatoes, I've been really excited about canning and preserving anything we don't eat fresh.  It has most definitiely been a time of experimentation around here and we've had peppers in pretty much every dish, but I have to say that I'm loving the hunt for recipes to try as well as incorporating the offerings of the garden into our family classics.

As soon as we realized how large they would grow to be, we decided to roast our large, sweet peppers and preserve them in olive oil.  This was my first time canning with oil, and I'm happy to report that it is just as simple as canning with brine.

See those big (as my feet) red peppers?  Those are Giant Marconi.  This was our first season growing them and they turned out to be sweet and meaty and perfect for fire-roasting.

The Marconi and a handful of poblano chiles roasted right on the range top.  A cooling rack (we used the rack from inside a large roaster) is the perfect thing to hold the peppers over the flame until the skin is black and blistered.

Here's how they look after the black skin has been removed and peppers have been cut into ribbons and nestled into a jar with a clove of garlic and lots of good olive oil.  So far we've eaten these on sandwiches and they have become my favorite pizza topping with chevre and watercress.  Yum is an understatement.

I have pickled our super-spicy jalapeno and serrano peppers in a really simple brine (you can find the repice at Simply Scratch) many, many times before.  This time around I also made some jars of sweet peppers for the people don't love the hot stuff so much.

The jalapeno and serrano are really hot but still have tons of flavor.  The banana and Anaheim are mild and mellow and take really well to the brine.

The sweet peppers are great on sandwiches and pizza of course, but my favorite is diced up into potato hash.  We eat the hot peppers on tacos and all foods Mexican,  pizza (pepperoni and jalapeno is a classic at our house), and especially in scrambled eggs.  Drew dices them fine and puts them in coleslaw, too.

I was excited to give pepper jam another go this year.  I made two batches last year -- one that was pure pepper and one with tiny flecks of diced mango (inspired by the apple-mango pepper jelly from Bramble Basics).  This year I used the same ingredients, but pureed the mango instead of dicing it.  I love what the puree does to the texture of the jam.

Lavender and orange bells, sweet banana, Anaheim, golden cayenne, jalapeno and serrano peppers pre-pulverization.

Five ingredients:  the pepper mix, pectin, apple cider vinegar, sugar and pureed fresh mango.

The mango pepper jam, finished and ready to eat.  Drew eats this stuff on everything, from peanut butter sandwiches to fried chicken.  My fave way to eat it is on crostini or whole wheat crackers with goat cheese.  With cream cheese on saltines works (and is just as delicious) if you want to go white trash with it.

And there you have it.  My three favorite ways with garden peppers -- just in time for the second big harvest.  Hope it will be as sweet and hot as these last days of summer.

everything is illuminated

It is certainly the case in the dining room at the Hyde Park house.

Here's where we started:  builder's beige walls and a cheap, clunky (and SO bright -- we immediately installed a dimmer) chandelier.  The room isn't particularly large, but the gorgeous floors and the corner windows make up for that.

The first thing to do was paint, and I chose Benjamin Moore stonington gray for the walls.  The color was also used in the adjoining living room and hallway.

Pretty, right?  A little bit taupe and a little blue, too.

The furniture plan for this room was minimal, so I designed draperies to add interest and height to the space and soften the corner without taking up too much floor space.  I selected a really fancy silk in a modern, graphic botanical. 

The drapery silk has fantastic pattern and texture.  Great weight and a slight sheen, too.

A while back, I repaired and re finished six school chairs scored for $2.50 apiece at an LAUSD auction.  They are colorful and eclectic (as this room took shape, it became clear that eclectic would rule here) and absolutely the perfect size.  They also pair well with the super simple dining table planned for the room.

Dining chairs before shot.  Sturdy and comfy, but not looking so good.

Dining chair frames, mid-refurb.  I chose to use a traditional dining room color in a new way.  The wooden seats and backs got a lovely sand and refinish, too.  And we scraped off dozens of pieces of chewing gum!

Sometimes a dining room is all about the chandelier, so it took a bit of time figuring out with what sort of fixture was right here.  Something grand and traditional was considered -- after all,  there is crown molding and silk drapery in this space.  Any number of my modernism faves (like this Nelson Saucer pendant lamp) could have worked, too.  In the end, I settled on the simplest option I could find-- the Finley pendant lamp from Crate & Barrel.  It was the element necessary to get this room just right.

Here's the dining room today:  velvety wall color, dining table that comfortably seats six, refurbed school chairs, luxe draperies, perfect lighting, bold artwork.  So happy and comfortable.

The fab finish on the dining room table (from Urban Home) and Dahlias from the garden.

An heirloom bar cabinet is tucked between windows.  A trio of paintings of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz from Tomata DuPlenty's "Tomata Loves Lucy" series hang above.  The pair of vases are from West Elm.

Alright.  I think its time to bring on the dinner guests.

what a difference a month makes

I am my own client these days.

I should mention that Drew and I have been on the hunt for a larger house since July, so much of my focus in the second half of 2012 was finding it.  Like every other buyer, I had my list of the things, necessary and desirable, to make the house work for our lives. 

Well.  Let's just say that I was completely unprepared for how overwhelming and stressful the hunt and the process of buying would be.  

The market here in Los Angeles is absurdly competitive.  Low inventory plus our modest (at least, for L.A.) budget equals a LOT of hustle.  Liza, our  rock star agent, got us in to see houses in many, many neighborhoods the very moment they went on the market.  If we liked a place, she'd often already be writing the offer before we were out the door.

 In total, we toured about 50 homes, made offers on 5 of them.  We were outbid by buyers with cash a few times and we turned down a couple of accepted offers when the places (and the sellers) didn't seem right.  In the end we got our little piece of Los Angeles, and to say that we are lucky is an understatement. 

This is what I see as I come down the hill on La Brea Ave.  Its a whole new view of Los Angeles after a decade at the beach.

We moved in on December 30, 2012 and hit the ground running.  I’ve been working on the layout, the furniture, draperies, and organization since the moment we got our keys, and what a difference a month or so of actually living here makes.  Not only have I been doing my best to make the new stuff work with what we brought from our last house, I've been figuring out this house's quirks, meeting the neighbors and figuring out my new 'hood.  I’m starting to dig in and work out the design for each space inside (We need paint and wallpaper and flooring and tile and SO much more) as well as the back and front gardens (can't wait to get the tomatoes into the ground).  This house has lots of what feels like luxuries to a city dweller used to living in small spaces (like a big backyard and a guest room for all of the out of towners we’ll have visiting).  Both Drew's and my parents have visited from afar and we've hosted two big gatherings for visiting family in this very first month.  Now that I know we can throw a good party here it feels like home. 

I'm loving the open concept and the corner windows in the dining room.

Bay windows in the guest room look out
 at the big tree.

Guest room drapery fabric.

This is the "before" photo, taken the day we got our keys.  Whether the giant rubber tree stays or goes is a matter of great debate right now.

One of of our main search criteria was a space for my studio, and I'm in totally in love with my new spot.  The new MMD HQ is bright and open with a view of the palm trees and bamboo in the backyard.  Its been energizing to start the year doing for myself what I do for clients. 

My desk is still messy, but now with a much better view.

The banana table finds a home in the studio.

The great wall of graphic art has begun.

So.  Now I'm home and I've got a place to do my work.  I am ridiculously excited to get down to it, and watch this place transform in the year to come.

Something else I should mention is the design shop I've been curating on Project Decor.  If you're even a little interested in home design, join the party and you'll have access to great stuff chosen by designers like me.  You can check out my store here: Melissa Mascara's Design Shop


Happy, lucky 2013.