clay + canoe + cook(sort of, but not really): kurinuki vase x 2 + percentage paddling (all out the first 4 strokes) + italian subs

On Monday, I wedged a rectangular slab to carve into a vase. On Wednesday, I hollowed it out with rolling pin and loop tool and carved out a foot and loosely covered it with plastic.  On Friday it was still too wet, and so I refined the interior and covered it with plastic. By Monday, I'm hoping it will be leather hard enough to carve a kurinuki vase. Why yes I'm obsessed with this traditional Japanese technique of carving away from a single block of clay. And so I'm constantly wedging clay to make kurinuki vessels.    

I haven’t been cooking because I recently subscribed to a meal service from Factor. I loved this vegetarian green curry of sweet potato, garbanzo beans, and green beans and brown rice. And I'm loving my new Heath vase. The mud color showcases the colors of blooms so brilliantly.        

 

My Saturday was jam packed. First my mile swim, then brunch, then outrigger canoe paddling practice during intermittent rain. Luckily practice ended just before a heavy downpour.

 

At the community clay studio, of course, I wedged a block of reclaimed clay to carve in two weeks. And then I started painting underglaze on my candleholder. OMG, I said to my claymates, these are too many flowers, and I'm seeing the need for a few more flowers on that bottom ring. Luckily it's greenware, and so there's time.

I needed to fuel up my car, and so I stopped at the Grocery Outlet and saw these bags of masa. Score! though I only bought one, and shoot, why didn't I buy that box of panko too?

I am, however, trying not to over buy. I bought a bag of jalapenos and what was I thinking? I do have boursin, and so maybe I'll stuff them and sprinkle with white cheddar and bacon. And then freeze them. I was telling my friend Zan that I’d been wanting to go to this restaurant called Palm City Wines for one of their sandwiches, specifically a sub of porchetta and broccoli rabe. And coincidentally after me telling Zan, her friend brought her to what she called "her place"—the same restaurant I mentioned. Zan actually ordered the Italian, pictured below while her friend got the one I'd been wanting to try. Zan loved that her sammie was loaded with arugula and commented that the porchetta was too meaty and not balanced enough, like it needed some acid. A squeeze of lemon I asked? Yeah she said, that would've cut the richness.                  

What Zan actually liked even more was the smoked trout and olives.

Okay then! Some weekend, I'll make it over to the Outer Sunset, maybe after a stop at a museum. In the meantime, I too wanted an Italian loaded with arugula. My Friday night dinner.

My Saturday brunch after swimming and before canoeing

The common denominator to these meals were the mortadella, calabrese salami, provolone, and of course, arugula. Below I've enough left for a 4th sandwich for dinner this week.

And here's my Sunday brunchwich.

I loved its ratio of peppery greens to crunchy onion, tart banana peppers and dill pickle and sweet tomato and Duke's mayo.