I am smitten...

for these darn cute cards from Rifle Paper Company. I stumbled across this company while flipping through a copy of BizBash at work. They have an ispiring collection of cards that I would love to buy a whole wack of. I am quite taken by the style and sesibility of the illustrations. Take a look!

Modern Girl and Betty Lou

My weekend pick me up...a pair of pretty dead stock powder puffs in the original packaging no less, Made of Marvel Velour, a Softer Velour for Delicate Skin. I will certainly make use of these. Gloria at the Painted Table has a box full. Come to think of it I might grab some more for gifts.

Hey, hey good cookin!

In the dog days of summer this is one of my favourite things to eat. A crowd pleaser, delicious and pretty darn nutritious. Best of all this does not require turning a stove on! Whoa...too hot for me!

Vietnamese Style Salad Rolls:

 Ingredients

• 2 carrots, peeled and julienned
• 2/3 of a cucumber, julienned
• mung bean sprouts in equal volume to carrots
• 2 flavoured tofu patties, I used La Soyarie brand but really any type you like is fine, julienned
• 1 Package of Rice paper wrappers, I use Rose brand as they seem to be a thicker quality 
• 1/2 a bunch of cilantro, washed and stems removed
• 1/2 head of lettuce, julienned
• 1 handful of mint leaves, julienned
• Water

Setup

• 2 tea towels
• 1 pie plate or appropriately shaped vessel for submerging rice paper in

Essential tool

•  mandolin slicer

The only way to slice up the cucumber, carrots and tofu nice and fine is with one of these babies, which you can pick up in China town or a kitchen supply store. 

1. Prepare all of your ingredients.  

2. Lay out your ingredients assembly line style, efficiency makes a difference here.

3. Submerge your first sheet of rice paper in water for about 45 seconds or until it's softened

4. Remove rice paper from water and place on tea towel to absorb water then blot water from surface using second towel.

 5. Place a small portion of each remaining ingredient horizontally in the centre of the softened rice paper. 

TIP: Make sure this is done fairly neatly or you'll have bits poking through the paper. And don't overtuff or you'll have a hard time wraslting this thing shut.

TIP: Place another sheet of rice paper into the water just before you begin to fold up your salad roll, this way you will be ready to start your next roll once your first one is finished.

6. Fold the sides in toward the centre then fold the botton towards the top. Just like a burrito!

7. Roll away from you to close up the roll. Repeat this process until you've used up the filling.

TIP: It may take a few tries before you get the feel for handling rice paper if you haven't yet mastered it. It is delicate when dry but once it is moist it becomes quite manageable so don't be shy it won't rip that easily.

8. Serve with peanut sauce or sauce of your choice. I use a Presidents Choice product.

9. Enjoy.

Midnight in Paris...

I recently went to see  Woody Allen's new film, Midnight in Paris, which I would highly recommend. The protagonist is afflicted with “golden age thinking,” the unshakeable sensation that life would have been more satisfying if only he had lived in some ideal, bygone era. In this case Paris in the 1920s. I suppose I, and several other people I know, might be guilty of this affliction.

Lucky fella though. He manages to hop a ride at midnight every night into another decade and meets a plethora of historical figures including artists, authors and patrons. We can conclude though that this is not just a condition of our generation but existed through the ages. Yet, it is hard for us to imagine a future where anyone would idealize or long to live in this age.

So here I am, a golden age thinker,  wishing that I could have witnessed the advent of Dior's New Look, Lindy Hopped at the Savoy, and watched  Annie Oakley exhibit her sharp shooting skills. Paris in the 1920s as portrayed by Woody Allen is also quite appealing.