Flowery stuff

I have an idea for a project using these flower designs I made weeks ago. Maybe I'll get to it tomorrow; we'll see.

Shop update

Some more fabric book covers are now listed in the Etsy shop. And we've got my new Amusement Park fabric from Braemore just in, so you can expect some bags and buckets and things in new prints soon.

Quiz: Name that font

Here's a little typography quiz for you. You professional designers out there are going to pass with flying colors, guaranteed.

Projects for the weekend

Some DIY tutorials. Knock yourselves out!
Decoupaged chair from DIY Ideas (pictured left)
How to etch glass by Melissa Esplin (pictured right)
Pounded grass placemat at Martha Stewart
Matchbook announcements from Little Window Shoppe
Embellished clothespin magnets at Pin and Paper
Chunky book tutorial at Memory Makers
Fabric scrap baskets from The Sometimes Crafter

Mod Podged paper bowl

A little decoupaged bowl made out of songbook pages I found in the dumpster. Here's the how-to.

1. Get some paper (newspaper, scrap paper, packing paper, anything that's on the thinner side), Mod Podge or PVA glue, a bowl with a smooth bottom that will be your mold, and either plastic wrap or foil.

2. Wrap the outside of your bowl with the plastic wrap or foil. (Update: Having tried both now, foil is better.) Smooth it down as much as you can and fold the edges into the center of your bowl.

3. Rip up your paper into bits.

4. Flip your wrapped bowl upside down and set it on some sort stand, like a glass or jar. Coat both sides of each paper scrap with Mod Podge. (I dipped mine in the glue and used my fingers to smear it on.) Smooth each piece onto the outside of your bowl, overlapping the edges. (See here for pictures of the process on a similar project.) I kept adding paper until I had about 3 layers.

5. Wait for the bowl to dry. Mine took two or three days. Seriously. Wait until every last bit of glue showing through the plastic wrap dries clear.

6. Freak out a little bit, wondering if you'll be able to pull your original bowl out of the paper. Pull the bowl out of the paper. Breathe a sigh of relief. Remove the plastic wrap.

7. Use a sharp scissors to trim off the rough edges of the bowl.

8. Paint if desired. I was just going to do just the inside, but decided to keep going. (Note: painting your vessel white will make it look like a creepy mummified bowl, so be prepared to add some decoration. I used a DecoColor paint pen to draw on a design.

Please don't eat cereal out of your bowl and sue me when you get sick. It's not food safe! Use it for wrapped candy or keys or loose change.

Calliope fabric as tablecloth

A kind person emailed me a screenshot from Disney's Family Fun magazine so I could see this article in the May 2009 issue. A surprise! There's my fabric on the table, surrounded by crazy hats and cute girls. Who knew?

Hey You greeting card

Download a fun little printable card from the talented Larissa Holland. It comes in a standard version and a jazzed up model.

New in the shop

Reversible fabric book covers. Pair one with a good book for a unique Mother's Day gift, or keep nosy people from seeing what you're reading on the train.

Need photos!

Lovely readers, maybe you can help me with this. A publication has requested some quality, high res photos of my Amusement Park fabric collection made into stuff, particularly for the home. Chairs, curtains, pillows, bags. The magazine would credit the photographer. Since I don't really know where my fabric has gone out there in the world, it's hard to find pix. Has anyone seen (or taken) good shots? Thanks!

Everyone needs a lumberjack

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox arrived at my house via screenprint by The Little Friends of Printmaking. Aw, it reminds me of Minnesota, my home state. And it doesn't hurt that it's orange, too. Available here on Etsy.

Vintage trim gift tags

Apparently I'm on a sewing kick, so in keeping with the theme, check out these free printable gift tags from doe-c-doe. They're scanned packages of vintage trims with the labels altered in Photoshop. Something fun you can attach to gifts for your sewing friends.

Monday sewing

Yesterday I showed a friend the bag from the last post, and she said, "YOU made this? Are you feeling all right?" She's obviously aware that sewing makes me want to smash things. So get a load of this. I made another bag last night. Hell must be freezing over. This one is from the adorable, free Buttercup Bag pattern from Made By Rae, with Beads fabric. And I didn't even bleed on it like usual.

Saturday sewing

Eager to make something out of the new fabric, I tried out My Spare Time's free pleated purse pattern. I made the straps a little bit longer so I could wear a coat and still fit the bag over my shoulder. And since this is made of nice, sturdy canvas, I skipped putting in interfacing. This tutorial for inserting magnet snaps was helpful, too.

Yes, uh, "mistakes were made," so my seam ripper got a good workout. The moment it was finished I vowed I'd never sew another thing again, like I always do, but today I think it's cute and I've already forgotten the trauma. (Sounds like my mom friends describing labor. Ha.)

New fabric

I just got samples of my expanded Amusement Park fabric collection for Braemore. I love it! It's printed on 54" wide 100% cotton canvas in three colorways, with two reprinted designs and two new ones. All the prints are for sale at Fabric.com, and arriving at other home decor fabric retailers around the country (and internationally!) soon.

Calliope print

Beads print

Fireworks print

Stacks print

The Earth colorway is printed on unbleached duck so little cotton flecks show in the background. I don't think I've gotten that excited about beige ever before, but it looks so nice that suddenly I want to make 700 pillows for my living room. Along with a few other projects, so stay tuned.

Printable calling cards

Cameron Blazer of Cottage Industrialist has generously designed free, patterned "calling cards" you can customize and print. Add your contact information, keep some in your bag, and pull them out at the perfect moment. They're even designed to fit on Avery's standard perforated business card stock. Click here to get the PDF.

Easter projects you can make

Some last-minute crafts to whip up for Easter:
Baby bunnies pattern download from Larissa Holland's Etsy shop (above)
Origami bunnies from Canon
Easter clip art projects at Martha Stewart
Printable Easter card from Benign Objects
Rabbit embroidery pattern by Helen Dardick
Fabric eggs at Retro Mama
Printable Easter stickers and cards from Living Locurto

(Image from Larissa Holland)

Orange birthday yumminess

Thank you for all your warm birthday wishes last week! And to those who wondered if I'd be eating orange cake: YES. I stole this photo collage right off my friend Megan's blog so I could show you. Megan made graham cracker cookies with orange icing, Jamie made a chocolate orange marble cake, Michelle brought some amazing Ciao Bella blood orange sorbet, and Emery gave me the cutest orange card. I felt very celebrated by these dear friends. If you're interested in the recipes, clicking the names of the ladies will take you to their own posts with links. Thank you, everyone!

Broiled Unagi with a Twist - Nagoya's Hitsumabushi

Food Review: ATSUTA HOURAIKEN, HONTEN (Nagoya)
Address: Aichi-ken Nagoya-shi Atsuta-Ku Godo-cho 503
Hours: 11:30-14:00, 16:30-20:30 (Closed Mondays)
Website/Map: Official Website (some English pages)
Directions: Print out the map at the official website above ... this is one of the city's most famous restaurants, so most locals should be able to point you in the right direction once you get to the southern gate of the Atsuta Shrine. The closest subway is Tenma-Cho Station on the Meijo Line.


Being a huge fan of broiled Unagi, I decided a few years ago that someday ... I would travel to Japan on a pilgrimage to seek out the two main schools of Unagi-broiling.

No this isn't a joke. Eventually I did just that ... not in the form of one long pilgrimage, but on two separate trips to Tokyo and Osaka. It was 2005 when I visited the undisputed academy of Kanto-Ryu (Tokyo Style) school of Unagi-broiling, the 260-year-old restaurant Izuei Honten (full review here) in Ueno, Tokyo. Then in 2008 I visited the lesser-known but reputably one of the best Kansai-Ryu (Osaka Style) Unagi specialists in Osaka, at the unforgettable Kuromon Kawahiro (full review here). Needless to say these are memories that would last a lifetime for the epicurean in me.

Which school did I prefer? While I appreciated the softness and the alluring aroma of the Kanto-Ryu, I absolutely fell in love with the boldness of the Kansai-Ryu Unagi ... the thunderously crunchy skin, the rich oiliness of the flesh, and the full-bodied basting sauce! Now you may be asking, what does THAT has to do with this restaurant review in Nagoya?

It does. Because our trip to Central Japan allowed us to pay homage to a third major school of Unagi-broiling -- the distinctive Chubu-Ryu (Central Style) developed around Nagoya. How does this third school compare to the Tokyo and Osaka Styles? Here's my own little explanation:



Simply speaking, Tokyoites slice open the Unagi at the back, while Osakans gut the fish at the belly. Tokyo Style involves steaming the fillet between sessions of slow broiling, while Osaka Style just broils the fish for a longer time. And the Central Style? Situated halfway between the cultural dominant Tokyo and Osaka, Unagi chefs around Nagoya are said to have blended Tokyo's back-splitting with Osaka's approach of slow-broiling into a style of their own ... or supposedly so. But to most Japanese food lovers, putting Unagi and Nagoya in one sentence would always equate to one famous dish -- the Hitsumabushi.



The term "Hitsumabushi" is a registered trademark of Atsuta Houraiken, one of Nagoya's older and most celebrated restaurants. Perched in the shadow of the grandeur of Atsuta Jingu (often regarded as one of Japan's Top Three Shrines ... depending on who you talk to), Houraiken is said to have prospered for over 100 years in a symbiotic relationship with the shrine. For religious pilgrims, the anticipation of mouth-watering Unagi makes for a delicious distraction to the mundane shrine visit. And for the gourmands, there's no better place to work off the cholesterol after lunch than a leisurely stroll in the vast shrine grounds.

At the time of this visit, Houraiken operated three full-service restaurants, two situated within a couple blocks to the south of the shrine. Despite arriving at 11:00 for an early lunch on a Sunday, we found ourselves waiting behind 50 locals at the newer branch just adjacent to the shrine grounds. No worries we thought, as we walked over to the original branch on the other side of the road, hopeful of a shorter wait. We ended up behind about 70 people in the queue ...



Welcome to the culinary institution of Atsuta Houraiken, established in the 6th Year of Emperor Meiji, or Year 1873 in the Western world. Complementing its reputation as the city's premier Unagiya, the restaurant complex contained quite an impressive labyrinth of banquet halls and smaller rooms, and we were promptly seated within 20 minutes despite the lineup. Compared to the Unagiyas we've visited in Tokyo or Osaka, the clientelle here seemed to be much younger and more casual, perhaps as a result of its inclination to attract the tourist crowd. It would take another 30 minutes before the familar smell of freshly broiled Unagi arrived at our low table, enough time for us to read up on the restaurant's guide on "HOW TO EAT HITSUMABUSHI."

What's so special about Hitsumabushi that necessitated an etiquette guide for first-timers like myself? I've seen Tokyoites eating their Unadon unceremoniously, and Osakans digging into their Mamushi with even more gusto. But at Nagoya, the Hitsumabushi is meant to be consumed in at least three servings ... or four servings as suggested by the restaurant. Here's how it went down for me ...



Serving #1. Divide the ohitsu (wooden container) full of Unagi and rice into four quadrants. Transfer one portion into a rice bowl, then eat it straight just like any regular Unadon. This serving is supposed to present the broiled Unagi in its original form, allowing the palate to discern its true taste before the adding of condiments in the latter stages.

To my palate, the flesh of this Unagi was quite fatty, juicy and without any hint of the "muddy taste". The skin was soft and moist, perhaps as a result of its placement on top of the steaming hot rice, which is more reminiscent of the Tokyo Style. But on the other hand the glaze on top was very strong, thick and flavorous, all characteristics of the Osaka Style.

And lastly, flipping over the Unagi fillet revealed that the fish was gutted at the belly side, a la Osaka Style. So you can say that this was quite the middle ground between the two main influences, with a Nagoya-specific variation that, in order to be easily mixed into the rice with the condiments later, the fillet was sliced into narrow strips.



Serving #2. Transfer a second portion into the rice bowl. Add Wasabi, roasted Nori and green onions, then mix the condiments well into the Unagi and rice. Now things are beginning to get interesting ...

What a wonderful clash of flavors this turned out to be, with the intense Wasabi and raw green onions adding a whole new layer of flavors on top of the heavily glazed Unagi. Now I understood why the basting sauce had to be so thick and savory, as anything weaker would have been easily overpowered when combined with the Wasabi and green onions. A mouthful of Unagi, then a mouthful of rice, all brought together by a seemingly unorthodox mixture of bold and complex tastes -- this was by far my favorite serving of all.



Serving #3. Transfer a third portion to the rice bowl. Add the Wasabi / seaweed / green onion mixture as before. Only this time top it off by pouring a Dashi-broth on top of the rice.

Now this is going off on an entirely different tangent -- what started as an Unadon, which turned into a uniquely flavored Unadon, finally turned into an Ochazuke. I could only make an educated guess, but this was probably meant to cleanse the oily palate (not to mention the digestive tracts) after the previous servings. The broth was definitely a fish-based Dashi, and it was likely the best Ochazuke I've ever had. However I found the step-down from Serving #2 to be a little too abrupt, but perhaps that's just me.



Serving #4. This was where each client gets to revisit his or her favorite serving out of the three. My wife, the Unagi purist, chose option #1, whereas I elected to have my favorite serving with all the fixings as per #2. With an Unagi this good, you can't really lose with any of the three choices.



Now the final verdict -- so how does the 135-year-old Atsuta Houraiken's Unagi compare to ... say the 260-year-old Ueno Izuei of Tokyo?

Apples and oranges really. Tokyo Style is more about softness and subtlety, and the delicate tinge of smokiness coming through that delicateness. Nagoya Style appears much closer to Osaka Style according to my tastebuds, and the boldness of the taste is accentuated dramatically by the unique addition of condiments. Just like Osaka Style, I would classify Nagoya Style as more of a man's Unagi, as opposed to the more feminine Tokyo Style.

But at the end, Atsuta Houraiken still can't match my favorite Unagiya, the unheralded Kuromon Kawahiro of Osaka, in terms of taste. Houraiken's Serving #2 came close in terms of the complexity of flavors, but without the incredible crispiness, juiciness and thickness of the fillet. And I admit nothing beats watching a masterchef single-handedly crafting the most incredible broiled Unagi in front of my eyes from start to finish, but that's too tall an order for a century-old corporation.

Bill for Two Persons

Hitsumabushi x 2	5460 yen
TOTAL	5460 yen (CAD$55)

EPILOGUE


We did follow the footsteps of the local gourmands and visited the Atsuta Jingu. It is after all one of the most famous shrines in Japan, and the safe-keeper of one of the Three Imperial Regalia said to have been bequeathed to the ancient Japanese royalty by the Gods ... or by a more advanced civilization ... depending on which professor you ask. If you're already wondering ... No, the legendary Grass Cutting Sword (Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi) is never displayed for public viewing, but that's no reason to skip this serene oasis in the middle of Nagoya's urban sprawl. Besides, did you know that Unagi is, gram-by-gram, one of the highest in cholesterol among all foods? There IS some collective wisdom in taking a stroll to the big shrine.



Perhaps that's why I ended up buying a traditional Kyusu for making green tea that afternoon ... subconsciously I just knew it was going to take weeks for me to work off that extra cholesterol. But that's okay. That's worth it. If you ask me now what my favorite memory of Nagoya is, I'll tell you in two words -- Atsuta Houraiken.

Broiled Unagi with a Twist - Nagoya's Hitsumabushi

Food Review: ATSUTA HOURAIKEN, HONTEN (Nagoya)
Address: Aichi-ken Nagoya-shi Atsuta-Ku Godo-cho 503
Hours: 11:30-14:00, 16:30-20:30 (Closed Mondays)
Website/Map: Official Website (some English pages)
Directions: Print out the map at the official website above ... this is one of the city's most famous restaurants, so most locals should be able to point you in the right direction once you get to the southern gate of the Atsuta Shrine. The closest subway is Tenma-Cho Station on the Meijo Line.


Being a huge fan of broiled Unagi, I decided a few years ago that someday ... I would travel to Japan on a pilgrimage to seek out the two main schools of Unagi-broiling.

No this isn't a joke. Eventually I did just that ... not in the form of one long pilgrimage, but on two separate trips to Tokyo and Osaka. It was 2005 when I visited the undisputed academy of Kanto-Ryu (Tokyo Style) school of Unagi-broiling, the 260-year-old restaurant Izuei Honten (full review here) in Ueno, Tokyo. Then in 2008 I visited the lesser-known but reputably one of the best Kansai-Ryu (Osaka Style) Unagi specialists in Osaka, at the unforgettable Kuromon Kawahiro (full review here). Needless to say these are memories that would last a lifetime for the epicurean in me.

Which school did I prefer? While I appreciated the softness and the alluring aroma of the Kanto-Ryu, I absolutely fell in love with the boldness of the Kansai-Ryu Unagi ... the thunderously crunchy skin, the rich oiliness of the flesh, and the full-bodied basting sauce! Now you may be asking, what does THAT has to do with this restaurant review in Nagoya?

It does. Because our trip to Central Japan allowed us to pay homage to a third major school of Unagi-broiling -- the distinctive Chubu-Ryu (Central Style) developed around Nagoya. How does this third school compare to the Tokyo and Osaka Styles? Here's my own little explanation:



Simply speaking, Tokyoites slice open the Unagi at the back, while Osakans gut the fish at the belly. Tokyo Style involves steaming the fillet between sessions of slow broiling, while Osaka Style just broils the fish for a longer time. And the Central Style? Situated halfway between the cultural dominant Tokyo and Osaka, Unagi chefs around Nagoya are said to have blended Tokyo's back-splitting with Osaka's approach of slow-broiling into a style of their own ... or supposedly so. But to most Japanese food lovers, putting Unagi and Nagoya in one sentence would always equate to one famous dish -- the Hitsumabushi.



The term "Hitsumabushi" is a registered trademark of Atsuta Houraiken, one of Nagoya's older and most celebrated restaurants. Perched in the shadow of the grandeur of Atsuta Jingu (often regarded as one of Japan's Top Three Shrines ... depending on who you talk to), Houraiken is said to have prospered for over 100 years in a symbiotic relationship with the shrine. For religious pilgrims, the anticipation of mouth-watering Unagi makes for a delicious distraction to the mundane shrine visit. And for the gourmands, there's no better place to work off the cholesterol after lunch than a leisurely stroll in the vast shrine grounds.

At the time of this visit, Houraiken operated three full-service restaurants, two situated within a couple blocks to the south of the shrine. Despite arriving at 11:00 for an early lunch on a Sunday, we found ourselves waiting behind 50 locals at the newer branch just adjacent to the shrine grounds. No worries we thought, as we walked over to the original branch on the other side of the road, hopeful of a shorter wait. We ended up behind about 70 people in the queue ...



Welcome to the culinary institution of Atsuta Houraiken, established in the 6th Year of Emperor Meiji, or Year 1873 in the Western world. Complementing its reputation as the city's premier Unagiya, the restaurant complex contained quite an impressive labyrinth of banquet halls and smaller rooms, and we were promptly seated within 20 minutes despite the lineup. Compared to the Unagiyas we've visited in Tokyo or Osaka, the clientelle here seemed to be much younger and more casual, perhaps as a result of its inclination to attract the tourist crowd. It would take another 30 minutes before the familar smell of freshly broiled Unagi arrived at our low table, enough time for us to read up on the restaurant's guide on "HOW TO EAT HITSUMABUSHI."

What's so special about Hitsumabushi that necessitated an etiquette guide for first-timers like myself? I've seen Tokyoites eating their Unadon unceremoniously, and Osakans digging into their Mamushi with even more gusto. But at Nagoya, the Hitsumabushi is meant to be consumed in at least three servings ... or four servings as suggested by the restaurant. Here's how it went down for me ...



Serving #1. Divide the ohitsu (wooden container) full of Unagi and rice into four quadrants. Transfer one portion into a rice bowl, then eat it straight just like any regular Unadon. This serving is supposed to present the broiled Unagi in its original form, allowing the palate to discern its true taste before the adding of condiments in the latter stages.

To my palate, the flesh of this Unagi was quite fatty, juicy and without any hint of the "muddy taste". The skin was soft and moist, perhaps as a result of its placement on top of the steaming hot rice, which is more reminiscent of the Tokyo Style. But on the other hand the glaze on top was very strong, thick and flavorous, all characteristics of the Osaka Style.

And lastly, flipping over the Unagi fillet revealed that the fish was gutted at the belly side, a la Osaka Style. So you can say that this was quite the middle ground between the two main influences, with a Nagoya-specific variation that, in order to be easily mixed into the rice with the condiments later, the fillet was sliced into narrow strips.



Serving #2. Transfer a second portion into the rice bowl. Add Wasabi, roasted Nori and green onions, then mix the condiments well into the Unagi and rice. Now things are beginning to get interesting ...

What a wonderful clash of flavors this turned out to be, with the intense Wasabi and raw green onions adding a whole new layer of flavors on top of the heavily glazed Unagi. Now I understood why the basting sauce had to be so thick and savory, as anything weaker would have been easily overpowered when combined with the Wasabi and green onions. A mouthful of Unagi, then a mouthful of rice, all brought together by a seemingly unorthodox mixture of bold and complex tastes -- this was by far my favorite serving of all.



Serving #3. Transfer a third portion to the rice bowl. Add the Wasabi / seaweed / green onion mixture as before. Only this time top it off by pouring a Dashi-broth on top of the rice.

Now this is going off on an entirely different tangent -- what started as an Unadon, which turned into a uniquely flavored Unadon, finally turned into an Ochazuke. I could only make an educated guess, but this was probably meant to cleanse the oily palate (not to mention the digestive tracts) after the previous servings. The broth was definitely a fish-based Dashi, and it was likely the best Ochazuke I've ever had. However I found the step-down from Serving #2 to be a little too abrupt, but perhaps that's just me.



Serving #4. This was where each client gets to revisit his or her favorite serving out of the three. My wife, the Unagi purist, chose option #1, whereas I elected to have my favorite serving with all the fixings as per #2. With an Unagi this good, you can't really lose with any of the three choices.



Now the final verdict -- so how does the 135-year-old Atsuta Houraiken's Unagi compare to ... say the 260-year-old Ueno Izuei of Tokyo?

Apples and oranges really. Tokyo Style is more about softness and subtlety, and the delicate tinge of smokiness coming through that delicateness. Nagoya Style appears much closer to Osaka Style according to my tastebuds, and the boldness of the taste is accentuated dramatically by the unique addition of condiments. Just like Osaka Style, I would classify Nagoya Style as more of a man's Unagi, as opposed to the more feminine Tokyo Style.

But at the end, Atsuta Houraiken still can't match my favorite Unagiya, the unheralded Kuromon Kawahiro of Osaka, in terms of taste. Houraiken's Serving #2 came close in terms of the complexity of flavors, but without the incredible crispiness, juiciness and thickness of the fillet. And I admit nothing beats watching a masterchef single-handedly crafting the most incredible broiled Unagi in front of my eyes from start to finish, but that's too tall an order for a century-old corporation.

Bill for Two Persons

Hitsumabushi x 2	5460 yen
TOTAL	5460 yen (CAD$55)

EPILOGUE


We did follow the footsteps of the local gourmands and visited the Atsuta Jingu. It is after all one of the most famous shrines in Japan, and the safe-keeper of one of the Three Imperial Regalia said to have been bequeathed to the ancient Japanese royalty by the Gods ... or by a more advanced civilization ... depending on which professor you ask. If you're already wondering ... No, the legendary Grass Cutting Sword (Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi) is never displayed for public viewing, but that's no reason to skip this serene oasis in the middle of Nagoya's urban sprawl. Besides, did you know that Unagi is, gram-by-gram, one of the highest in cholesterol among all foods? There IS some collective wisdom in taking a stroll to the big shrine.



Perhaps that's why I ended up buying a traditional Kyusu for making green tea that afternoon ... subconsciously I just knew it was going to take weeks for me to work off that extra cholesterol. But that's okay. That's worth it. If you ask me now what my favorite memory of Nagoya is, I'll tell you in two words -- Atsuta Houraiken.