clay: autobiographical bottle + an assignment

Week 2 after spring break had me of course back in the ceramic studios. After disappointment with my candelabra, I undertook the making of a clay bottle. We had a mini heatwave, and I had a heck of a time with cracking of clay that dried beyond leather. I had formed the smooth red bottle last week and painted white slip over the cracks this past Tuesday.                        

My bottle will probably crack further after its bisque firing, and that's okay. I know I can do it again better. Zan’s thesis for her master’s in art education was also on display in her classroom.  

I predictably tried to build an anatomical heart. Yes, I'm once again heart-obsessed, but wow was that Coleman porcelain hard to form. 

How charming is this flower inside a heart?

And of course, students expressed the sweetest sentiments.

Feeling accomplished I rewarded myself with a couple pastries.      

Almond Danish and blood orange mochi donut from Paris Baguette. I liked them both. Not overly sweet, and the donut was very tart and citrusy. I also finally decanted the rest of Patrick’s Maldon salt into a crock.                           

I really want to make a bunch more of these.

Last night, I finally cooked an Irish stew with the chuck beef I bought a few weeks ago. I threw the cubes of beef into a hot stockpot and chopped a yellow onion and minced a few cloves of garlic.           

 

While the meat was browning (I really need a Dutch oven for more bottom surface area to prevent steaming or should have browned the beef in batches), I prepped the turnips and radish and pulled the carrots from the vegetable bin.

I removed the meat and let the onions sauté in its drippings. Once the onions were translucent, I added the beer to deglaze the pan.

And then added beef broth and some beef base and water to stew for an hour. For the last 15 to 20 minutes of stewing, I added the root vegetables. 

I also peeled a potato and sliced leeks, green cabbage, and scallions in order to make a Colcannon. But nope, I got lazy and cooked mashed potatoes and sautéed cabbage instead.

And our Irish meal was delicious. Patrick ate the food cooked by his ancestors, and I was happy to have honored them in a supper