In the Mind's Eye

I have a new camera (a Nikon D5100 that I bought from Willy at Bromfield Camera in Boston) and I remember now how much I love a “real camera,”  I know that the camera on my i phone takes good photos but most of them are the result of pure luck because I usually can’t really see what I’m seeing because it is too dark or too light. And I call them “photos,” not photographs.

On one of my first days out with my Nikon I wanted to shoot everything I saw. It was a foggy morning as my husband, Phillip, and I strolled Lighthouse Beach in Chatham, Massachusetts.  I loved the even light and couldn’t stop taking photographs of the seagulls, the waves, the sand or anything that moved. This photograph of Phillip and Jessie was the result of one of twenty others just like it. I couldn’t stop taking them.

One of my favorite moments was Yoga On The Beach, a morning ritual in Chatham. My daughter, Stacy, is the one in the back row center with a pink towel and navy jacket.

It was amazing to have a “real camera” again. I began to see things. I even saw the flipflops left in the sand by the people walking on the beach and doing sun salutations.

I’m sure I have walked past the flipflops hundreds of times on our walks on the beach but never really saw them.

Well, I said I was seeing everything!  I only took two if the shark sign, but when I got home later I saw that I had taken 326 photographs that first morning with my new Nikon.  I love it and now I’m inspired to write more blogs.

Simple is Sometimes Better

Radishes with Sal del Mar sea salt

I have been thinking for days about what to post for a 4th of July picnic recipe. I finally had an idea flash... a crudités...something I always love to serve with barbecue picnics of hot dogs, hamburgers and corn-on-the cob.

Radishes are my favorite crudités. They are best served ice-cold and on warm summer evenings (I sometimes serve them on ice).  I use a variety of radishes, if available, especially French breakfast and baby Easter Egg radishes.

The classic way to serve them is with soft unsalted butter and, of course, Sal del Mar gourmet sea salt. Eating them with butter and Sal del Mar is absolutely decadent. (Use the European style of unsalted butter).

Of course, half the dish for me is stylizing it. Clean and trim the radishes, leaving a few pretty leaves on top. Arrange on a plate with Sal del Mar. Serve the butter in a small dish or ramekins. Simple!

Memorial Day By The Sea

Our view of Memorial Day began with sails filling the blue sky and kayaks and paddle boards dotting the blue waters on the bay where we live. There is a sense of celebration of the beginning of summer.

Our menu for Memorial Day isn’t what I grew up having . . . . hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, potato salad, cole slaw, and corn on the cob.  We are having spicy shrimp with a smoked paprika mayonnaise and a watermelon salad.

WATERMELON SALAD

• Seedless Watermelon (we used watermelon with seed and took out most of the seeds) cut into large but bite-size pieces

• Feta cut into chunks

• Chopped Fresh Basil

• Balsamic Vinaigrette

Toss and serve as cold as you can get it.  Add a pinch or two of Sal del Mar, of course!

Buen Provecho

Our celebration of summer is only part of our day as we take time to remember how fortunate we are as Americans for the sacrifices of our brave countrymen that made our precious freedom possible.

Summer Setting

Perfect Summer Setting

I always think of Memorial Day as the beginning of lazy days of summer.

I know that there are still errands to be done, meals to cook and cleaning to do but...

it is also a time I give myself “permission” to do nothing.  

So I designed a “Summer Setting” and then had a photo shoot session with stylist Paula Hamilton (she is the artist too for Sal del Mar embroidered bag designs) and “my third daughter” and photographer, Amy Haskell.

This is where I can imagine reading... or napping... and, of course, with a margarita 

in a frosty glass rimmed with Sal de Margarita and a little snack.

New Sal de Margarita Bag

A Diane Keaton Discovery

I have long admired Diane Keaton, not just as an actress but as a designer. I have followed her in Architectural Digest where she has been featured many times. In fact, I have recently discovered that the set design of a new NBC comedy, The New Normal, was inspired by her Spanish Colonial-style house in Bel Aire.  I also read an article in the New York Times that she is designing tableware for Bed Bath and Beyond.

So, it is not surprising that with her impeccable taste the first word she said when she walked into Bon Boutique in Tucson was “Wow.” She liked what she saw so much that she wrote an article for Remodelista: Sourcebook for Considered Living.  (See her article: http://remodelista.com/posts/a-treasure-trove-in-tucson)

I discovered Bon Boutique many years ago when I was editor of Tucson Lifestyle Home and Garden magazine and feel the same way Diane Keaton does about the store and owners, Bonnie and Crystal.  They have hand-picked, wondrous items that you can’t find anywhere else.

I am very pleased to know that Sal del Mar is one of the items that Bon Boutique carries in their store and on-line, as well.

PS:  I like to imagine that Diane Keaton walked into Bon Boutique and said Wow!” when she saw Sal del Mar artistically displayed in one of Bon’s hand-crafted woven baskets.

Check out Sal del Mar on Bon Boutique's website.

One of My Favorite Things

Probably one of my favorite jobs that I do for Sal del Mar is coming up with design ideas.  My brain never seems to stop thinking of different bags designs, different marketing ideas and different Sal del Mar products. But the best part is to see my ideas taking on “a life.”  My friend Paula Hamilton, is responsible for putting “the life” into my design ideas as seen in these Sal del Mar plates that she hand-painted. (They are fired and are dishwasher proof).

Paula arrives tomorrow in Alamos, where I am presently living, to work on many new ideas to present to you. Look for new postings to come on our blog and our Facebook page.

Paula Hamilton can be contacted through www.saldelmar.com and I will post her website as soon as it’s available.

Paula Hamilton Plates

The Hunt

The hunt is on. It is the peak season for tomatoes and I'm off to every farmers market searching up and down the stalls laden with the last of summer's bounty. Yes there are beautiful eggplant, beets, squash, arugula and green beans... but my eyes are only on the tomatoes.

I spot my favorite heirlooms and rush over to fill my bag with their vibrant red, yellow and even green succulent varieties. I buy three in one stall and five in another unable to resist leaving any behind.  My bag is so heavy that I'm almost dragging it.

I could go on till more bags are filled but stop myself with the realization that I have enough for a family of twelve and "it's just the two of us " to cook for the next week.

At home unpacking my treasures, I can't believe that I ever worried that I might have too many.

There are tomato pies to be made; caprese salads; bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches; tomato; squash; basil pastas; and gazpacho soup.

It will be time for another hunt soon.

This is the recipe I tried first. It is from "Food to Live By" by Myra Goodman. It is easy and features the garden fresh taste of the Farmer's Market tomatoes:

SPAGHETTI WITH FRESH TOMATOES, ZUCCHINI, AND BASIL

Serves 8 as a first course or 4 as a main course

2 medium-size ripe tomatoes (about 2 cups cut into 1/2 inch dice) or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon truffle oil, or l additional tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Pinch of dried red pepper flakes Sal del Mar 1 pound dried spaghetti (I used linguini) 2 medium-size zucchini (about 8 ounces) cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups) l large clove garlic, minced Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the truffle oil, basil, parsley, and pepper flakes in a medium-size bowl and stir to combine. Season with Sal del Mar to taste. Let the tomato mixture sit a room temperature until the flavor develops.  About 1 hour.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water (of course, with Sal del Mar) to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions.

3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a medium size skillet over medium low heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the zucchini with black pepper to taste.

4. Drain the spaghetti into a colander and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the tomato and zucchini mixtures to the spaghetti and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding more Sal del Mar and/or pepper, if needed. Serve the spaghetti warm or at room temperature.

Buen Provecho!

!VIVA RICK BAYLESS (he recommends sal del mar)!

I have at least four Rick Bayless cookbooks. He is masterful at translating traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. As you may know I live in Mexico but I never get Mexican food here better than when I make a dish from one of his cookbooks. Imagine my thrill when I received word that Chef Bayless is recommending Sal del Mar to all his followers on OpenSky.

In celebration of “the thrill,” we are going to make his recipe for Avocado-Dressed Shrimp a la Mexicana for dinner tonight.  Here’s his recipe… perfect for a hot summer evening.

Fiesta at Rick's Cookbook Cover

Avocado-Dressed Shrimp á la Mexicana Camarones a la Mexicana con Aguacate, Makes about 3 cups

This version of Camarones a la Mexicana con Aguacate uses sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh.  You'll find the original recipe in the Fiesta at Rick's cookbook.  The oil packed sun-dried tomatoes won't work well in this recipe.  Look for the recipe ready version which is usually sold in the produce section of select grocery stores.  They come in a re-sealable package.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz. medium cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 medium white onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, rinsed under cold running water and drained

• 1/4 cup finely chopped recipe ready sundried tomatoes + extra for garnish

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice

• Hot green chiles to taste -- usually 3 serranos  or 1-2 jalapenos, stemmed and roughly chopped

• 1 medium, ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin

• 1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro, thick bottom stems cut off + extra for garnish

• Sal del Mar to taste

• Mini baked tostadas (we like the Sanissimo brand)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, onion, and 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes. Measure the lime juice into a food processor or blender. Cover and turn on.  Drop the chiles and when chopped, turn off and scoop in the avocado and cilantro. Process until smooth. Thin to a "creamy dressing" consistency with water, usually 2-3 tablespoons. Taste and season with Sal del Mar, usually about 1 teaspoon.  You should have about 1 1/2 cups. Mix the dressing into the shrimp mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the shrimp and refrigerate.  When you're ready to serve, scoop onto the mini tostadas and decorate with cilantro and diced sundried tomatoes.

Buen provecho!