Maira Kalman once said, “There’s a good reason to love dogs more than people because they don’t talk.”
I wholly agree, and would even go so far as to say that if dogs were in charge, the world would be a lot more fun.
That seems to be Sara Pulver’s feeling too. In her colorful, offbeat paintings, animals and humans play a rollicking game of role reversal. Dogs and cats do very humanlike things with people as their pets.
Put on your bib, it’s pizza time!
Did you know there’s a brand new picture book celebrating our favorite cheesy, crusty, spicy, tomato-luscious food? Bet you’d love to wrap your lips around a warm, ooey gooey slice right this minute. 🙂
Elenia Beretta’s We Love Pizza: Everything you want to know about your number one food (Little Gestalten, 2021) opens with this savory poem:
THE WORLD'S FAVORITE FOOD The world is full of people, And people have to eat, And if they had to choose a dish, There’s one that’s hard to beat. You make it and you bake it, Or you buy it in a shop. It can be soft or crunchy, And have lots of things on top. It’s simple but delicious -- That’s how it’s earned its fame. Have you now guessed what it is? Yes, PIZZA is its name!
This delectable introduction to the dish for pizza lovers of all ages is packed with fascinating tidbits sure to surprise and delight.
Where did pizza originate and how did it come to America? What are the different sizes and shapes of pizza? What exactly is a pizzeria and who are some of the people associated with it? How do you make your own pizza, and best of all, what kinds of toppings do people all over the world prefer?
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1. Hello, November! Enjoying Katie Daisy’s art is the perfect way to celebrate this month of gratitude. As a longtime fan, I can’t get enough of her beautiful illustrations and hand lettering. Wildflowers, forest animals, sea creatures, celestial bodies, and inspirational quotes grace everything from greeting cards and prints to sweatshirts and mugs.
Her style is unmistakable; you might have seen her work without knowing her name. Uplifting, lovely, nature-rich, joyous, life-affirming, feminine, always a pleasure. It’s feel good stuff.
So, what’s new? She just published her latest book, How to Be a Moonflower: A Field Guide (Chronicle Books, 2021), in August.
I also like that she’s doing tea towels now (just ordered this one). 🙂
There’s never a shortage of wonderful prints — she always chooses the best quotes to illustrate.
Wild Beauty, her 2021-2022 17-month weekly planner, is gorgeous. It’s overflowing with her beautiful art, and contains pages for notes and gratitudes to keep you moving forward day to day. (It also includes the November quote by Lucy Maud Montgomery shown at the top of this post.)
For lots more, visit Katie’s Official Website and Etsy Shop, The Wheatfield. If you’re in holiday gift shopping mode, this is the place!
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“Fish ‘n’ chips!
Chips ‘n’ fish!
Such a crispy, tasty dish!”
It wasn’t until I moved to London in the late 70s that I tasted authentic fish ‘n’ chips for the first time.
Whether cod and chips from a neighborhood chippy, or a plate of divine lemon sole at Geale’s in Notting Hill, it was all so good. Nothing could compare to those golden brown fillets, fried up light and crispy in a beer batter, each crunchy bite yielding to tender, flaky fish inside. Is there any meal more quintessentially British?
Naturally, I assumed fish ‘n’ chips was invented by an Englishman. But after reading The Fabulous Tale of Fish & Chips by Helaine Becker and Omer Hoffmann (Green Bean Books, 2021), I surprisingly learned it was a Jewish immigrant named Joseph Malin who opened the very first fish ‘n’ chips shop in the UK. Established in 1860, Malin’s of Bow in London’s East End remained in operation for over a century. Now that’s a lot of fish and taters!
In her flavorful fishtory, Becker surmises how fish met chips to become “one of the greatest and most popular dishes of all time.”
Young Joseph Malin loves everything about fish — catching, selling, and especially, eating it. Though his entire family works from dawn to dusk in their fish shop, they struggle to make ends meet.
One day Joseph has a brilliant idea — what if they try to sell cooked instead of raw fish? After all, he loves his grandmother’s delicious fried fish — a special family recipe handed down through several generations. Her secret is coating the fish in flour, dipping it in beaten egg, then coating it with matzoh meal before frying it in hot oil.
Because of its crispy crust, the fried fish is just as tasty the next day when families like Joseph’s, who are forbidden to cook on the Sabbath, can eat it cold.
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1. October, October, how we love October! This week we’re basking in some of Loré Pemberton’s autumnal art.
We featured Loré on a Cool Things Roundup last year, but since we love her work so much, we couldn’t wait to share more. You may remember she’s based in Cold Hollow, Vermont, where she creates her warm and homey acrylic and gouache paintings in the northern woods.
I love the rich detail in her pieces and her earthy palette, just perfect for this time of year. Everything gold, brown, rustic and woodsy. Mr Cornelius would like to visit all the places and meet all the animals she features in her pictures.
For lots more, visit Loré’s Official Website and Etsy Shop.
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Jama's Alphabet Soup 