Inspired

One of the photographs in my "Sindy and Cindy" series, which use my childhood Sindy dolls to recreate Cindy Sherman photographs, was selected to be part of the show "Inspired by..." at Women Made Gallery in Chicago.  The show runs until September 27th. Check out the online gallery here.

Feet to the ground, heart to the sky

There has been too much to do this summer. And it's almost over. I can't seem to find the proper balance between work and play, so I made this mix in an effort to balance myself out. So far it's not working, but I've been enjoying it anyway.

Help I'm Alive :: Metric

Wildcat :: Ratatat

Norina :: Hotel Lights

It's Real :: Real Estate

Sleepyhead :: Passion Pit

Who :: David Byrne & St. Vincent

Your Woman :: White Town

Heaven :: The Walkmen

Kill for Love :: Chromatics

Slow Emergency :: Gold Motel

Let the Fight Do the Fighting :: Nada Surf

King and Lionheart :: Of Monsters and Men

Myth :: Beach House

Pretend You Love me :: Sonny & The Sunsets

Jeanne-Marie in Gay Paris

A recent thrifting find. I can't get enough of the illustrations. An inscription inside reads: "Happy birthday and much LOVE to our precious four year old. Mov Mov and Gabu. Sept. 29 1962."

Mutant Punk and Bulgarian Soup

During our summer trip to Door County, Wisconsin I found myself walking into a soup bar on a very hot day.  The place, Czarnuska Soup Bar, pulled me in with its kitchy Polish tchotchkes and hand-painted spoons. The proprietor directed us to the Bulgarian cold cucumber soup and after one bite I was obsessed; this was the yummiest summer soup I'd ever had.  I soon found out that the owner used to be a member of Boris the Sprinkler, an oddball punk band from the 90s that combined the costumed madness of Gwar with the New Wave polish of Devo.  If that's possible.  Since I've been home I've worked on replicating the soup by cobbling together the best parts of recipes I've found.  I've also been trolling Boris the Sprinkler tunes on youtube, including the above gem.  You'll find my recipe below; apparently Tarator is a favorite Bulgarian first course, served instead of a salad. It's like eating tzatziki by itself, only better. It goes great with some kitchy pop punk.


Tarator - Bulgarian Cold Cucumber Soup

1 large seedless cucumber
17.6 oz (500g) container of Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
2-3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 bunch of fresh dill, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup ice cold water

Dice the cucumber and place in a colander. Season lightly with salt and let drain for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, place the yogurt in a large bowl. Mix in the oil, crushed garlic, dill, and walnuts. Whisk in the lemon juice and water to thin the mixture. Add the cucumber.  Put into the refrigerator to cool, or add an ice cube to each bowl to serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.