1. Loving the bright and colorful screen printed greeting cards and paper goods by The Seapink, a NewYork-based design studio owned by Boyoun Kim and Sue Jean Ko. These talented gals originally met several years ago in printmaking class at the School of Visual Arts and bonded over their mutual love for silkscreen printing. Their cards and prints exude a cheerful childlike innocence and are just the thing to brighten up any occasion.

 

 

 

Of course I especially love their food and tea time designs, but their animals and flowers are equally happy-making. Check out their website and Etsy Shop for more. 🙂

 

 

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2. Tolkien fans will enjoy this scenic tour of Hobbiton recently featured at Literary Vittles. You probably know the Lord of the Rings films were shot in New Zealand. Thanks to blogger Alina and photographer Greg, we can all enjoy a peek of The Shire movie set with notable quotes from the books! What a gorgeous, magical place — you kind of expect Bilbo Baggins, Mr. Frodo or Sam to pop out at any moment. Best thing about hobbits? Hairy feet and big appetites. 🙂

 

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3. From Epicurious, “57 Things You Can Do to Be a Better Cook Right Now.” Lots of great tips here and it was fun to see which things on the list I’m already doing. The suggestions range from the very simple “Buy a new kitchen sponge,” to the interesting “Buy your avocados at a Mexican grocery store,” to the sensible “Bake your pies in glass pans,” to the slightly eyebrow-raising “Get your knives professionally sharpened.” Cause there’s always room for improvement, right?

 

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4. New book alert! It’s no secret I like to drink tea, but I’ve never tried cooking with it. Anneliesz Zijderveld, who blogs at the food poet, recently published Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2015). 

 

Romance your oat porridge with rooibos, jazz up your brussel sprouts with jasmine, charge your horchata with masala chai! Annelies Zijderveld’s deliciously inventive tea-steeped recipes include:

• Matcha Chia Pudding Parfaits
• Earl Grey Soba Noodle Salad
• Green Tea Coconut Rice
• Chamomile Buttermilk Pudding with Caramelized Banana
• Earl Grey Poached Pears with Masala Chai Caramel Sauce

This beautiful book will inspire you to pull out your favorite teas, fire up the stove, and get steeping!

 

 

I’ve enjoyed Anneliesz’s blog for several years and now she’s got me curious about the various ways different teas can be used to flavor both sweet and savory recipes. The photographs look gorgeous too — click here for more.

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5. Just in case you’re shopping for a new iPhone case, check out the cool styles available via Redbubble — foodie themes, natch!

 

 

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6. What to do if you’ve moved to a new city and want to make friends? Australian Phil Ferguson decided to crochet food-themed headgear. Which of “Chili Philly’s” creations captures your fancy?

 

 

 

Personally I vote for the ketchup and mustard, though they’re all uniquely delicious. Check out more of Phil’s culinary crochet here and in this BBC video:

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7. Thirsty? Here’s “Pick Your Poison: What 10 Famous Authors Liked to Drink.” Sip a Mojito with Hemingway, a Screwdriver with Capote, or a Whiskey Sour with Dorothy Parker. If you’re still standing, top it off with a bit of Poe’s Eggnog. 🙂

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8. Did you know we’re all big vats of soup? In his excellent blog post “SOUP,” author/artist/educator/illustrated journal guru Danny Gregory riffs on the source of his creativity — all the influences, experiences, bits and bobs of his life that have been simmering for decades in his personal cauldron.

This cauldron of soup is the source of all I create. If I write a story, make a drawing, come up with an idea, it’s all because of this big bubbling vat of experiences and influences. If I neglect the soup, forget to add new spices, fail to stir it up and fill some new bowls, let the pilot light go out and the temperature cool, the soup becomes anemic and tasteless, a bland consommé that’s forgettable and without value. But if I work the soup, it fills me up.

Read his inspiring post, subscribe to his blog, and check out his latest book, Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative No Matter How Busy You Are (Chronicle Books, 2015). 

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9. Recently when I featured Claudine Pépin’s Kids Cook French (Quarry Books, 2015), many of you were delighted to learn that her famous chef dad Jacques was also a talented artist. By popular request, Jacques is now selling Limited Edition, Signed, Giclée Fine Art Prints of his acrylic paintings. Each of the first four prints now being offered are limited to 150 pieces each, and retail for $175 (unframed). Wouldn’t you love to have a little bit of Jacques Pépin gracing a wall in your home? Visit The Artistry of Jacques Pépin for more information.

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10. Are you familiar with HelloDenizen’s Tiny Hamster videos? These viral gems have gotten over 16 million views thus far. Nothing more fun and fascinating than watching a cute animal eat small food. 🙂 Well, now there’s a new book — Tiny Hamster is a Giant Monster (Simon & Schuster, 2015) — just released earlier this month:

 

When Tiny Hamster accidentally eats some mad scientist goo, he turns into a giant, Godzilla-like hamster, stomping through the city and eating everything in sight! 

 

 

 

Oh, the horror! Pick up a copy of this photographic picture book to quell your tiny hamster hunger pangs. Meanwhile, here’s an encore performance of “Tiny Hamster Eats Tiny Burritos”:

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Actually, my favorite HelloDenizen video is “Tiny Birthday for a Tiny Hedgehog.” Wonder if the hedgehog will get his own book?

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Alrighty. Have a tippy top Tuesday!

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Copyright © 2015 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.