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Kitchen: Brief guide to salt fermented pickles

For the record, these are salt fermented though i did a couple with vinegar and sugar which are great too. the salt does some kind of magic anaerobic fermentation creating pro-biotic goodness. The taste is clean and simple with the veggie taste and texture intact.

Basically:

chop up whatever veggies i have (in this case, carrots and daikon and onion)

stuff in a sanitized (not really sterilized) jar (stashed in hot water for a while on stove and handled with tongs)

toss in a garlic/onion and a bay leaf (there’s an enzyme which helps the crispyness)

top off with brine (basically 2 Tbps of non-iodized salt to 1 litre/quart water)

fill to top and/or put a cabbage leaf or something on top to push the veggies below water line

stash em in dark place for a few weeks, months – will be fizzy when ya open up

after open, stash in fridge.

there’s all sorts of complications you can add to the process but i am a simple boy. have done a load of batches now and all turn out decent. mild, clean, crispy.

and yes, someone has already sent me the Portlandia “pickle that” clip. thanks.

Diary: sewing things for Ichiro + tie-dyes and pee-caps

Diary: Sewing Things for Ichiro / assortment – card, hat, bib, tie-dye and “pee cap”

{Catching up with…} Scant days before our adorable baby came into the world, my remarkable wife fired up her mom’s sewing machine and decided to start with making so many thing… Then we busied ourselves with a few photo collages combining these handmade items with custom tie-dye shirts received from brother/uncle Dan and card from Kim, Brad, Ben, April (among other delights to be documented later). 

Started with cloth diapers (not pictured) / easy right? So Then moved on to these incredibly handy “pee caps” (meaning little cloth “cones” to put over his willie when changing diapers…

– as it turns out, lil fellas in general often use the sweet freedom of a diaper change to let loose with their venting)…

Then made a completely cute soft cotton hat with “io” initials (which i want to make into a rubber stamp as well).

Then came bibs! oh the bibs! using Aloha print cloth i’ve had in my stash since 1996 or so, these hav a velcro tab for easy (and safe) on and off and style points to spare.

Continue reading Diary: sewing things for Ichiro + tie-dyes and pee-caps

Kitchen: Umeboshi update, part 3 (adding shiso and back into the crock)

Kitchen: Umeboshi update / adding shiso

[continuing from: Kitchen: Umeboshi Time with Crock & Rocks (+ pickles & jam)Kitchen: Umeboshi update (drying after salting, before salting again)]

Umeboshi (salted/pickled plums) update, part 3  After 5 days soaking in salt brine > then 5 more drying in outside nets > then back into the salt brine in the ceramic vessel, today added aka (red) shiso to the crock.

Kitchen: Umeboshi update / mixing shiso gently

Used a pre-prepared/packaged red shiso product rather than foraging (a few other things going on these days #Baby).  This plant adds a distinctive red color as well as texture. Mixed in gently as don’t want to damage the delicate plums.

Kitchen: Umeboshi update / wood and rocks on top…

Placed a piece of wood & two rocks on top of plums, tied on cloth, replaced ceramic lid, back into cupboard.  Evidence follows:

Kitchen: Umeboshi update / tie a cloth to the top…
Kitchen: Umeboshi update / crock lid back on…
Kitchen: Umeboshi update / into a cupboard and wait

Wait. Carry on. #pardonbrevity

Summary:

Memento: Expo 86 “Royal Invitation”

Mementos: Expo 86 Royal Invitation, cover

World Fair/Exposition 1986 (EXPO 86) was a huge deal in my sorta homecity of Vancouver. I’m no royalist/monarchist but do love paper ephemera and artifacts – as such, here is one such item: a program/invitation booklet of United Kingdom royal family inviting folks to the event in an act of unnecessary hubris and pomp, but whatever, its a slice of history. 

Mementos: Expo 86 Royal Invitation, blurb
Mementos: Expo 86 Royal Invitation, program
Mementos: Expo 86 Royal Invitation, participants and acknowledgements
Mementos: Expo 86 Royal Invitation, back cover

Artifacts (youngtime): Chief Scout’s Award – evidence / letters, photos, certificate – 1983

from left Dave Olson, various RCMP and Judge, Bob Olson front, Brad Coleman far right – receiving Chief Scout’s award, 1983

In Canadian Scouts, the highest accolade one can achieve is the Chief Scout’s Award. Requires a whole load of badges and tasks and whatnot – sorta like the US Eagle Scout i suppose.

Anyhow, as it goes, most Scouts earn this on their way out and onto Ventures (the next age bracket group) but diligent as i am, earned at a young age (was told youngest ever but no way to verify) and attended the ceremony (requiring special permission apparently) along with older brother Bob and pal Brad Coleman. 

What follows are artifacts and evidence from the event and award.

(As obvious) this is a letter from Governor General who is apparently the Chief Scout of Canada) acknowledging earning of eponymous Chief Scout’s Award.

Continue reading Artifacts (youngtime): Chief Scout’s Award – evidence / letters, photos, certificate – 1983

Artifacts (youngtime): Drawings of pigs and farms (and a buffalo), ca 197x

Drawing: Pig head, David Olson, Age 7, Surrey, BC
Drawing: Pig head, David Olson, Age 7, Surrey, BC

Fascinated by pigs of all kinds from a young age, i made scrapbook, drawing, plans for ownership, and learned the names and habits of everykind of swine from peccaries, to warthogs, to javelina. My sports-teams are always named after pigs (street hockey and fantasy sports to be more accurate) and i invented characters including “Super Pig” with appropriate uniform. I also raised a family of guinea pigs (until devoured by a ruthless opossum). Evidence of these other projects are scattered elsewhere, whereas in this post, i share various sketches of pigs, farms and a buffalo – made when 7 years old.

Drawing: Pig head 2, David Olson, undated (likely 1977)
Drawing: Pig head 2, David Olson, undated (likely 1977)

Continue reading Artifacts (youngtime): Drawings of pigs and farms (and a buffalo), ca 197x

Folio: Pigs Around the World / illustrated book, ca. 1979

Folio: Pigs Around the World / illustrated book, cover

“Pigs Around World” with illustrations of yup, Pigs, in various traditional/stereotypical guises of various countries –including indigenous & colonial representatives for some locales. Circa 1978.

Folio: Pigs Around the World / illustrated book, Table of Contents
Folio: Pigs Around the World / illustrated book, Switzerland (yodelling)
Folio: Pigs Around the World / illustrated book, USA First Nations

Continue reading Folio: Pigs Around the World / illustrated book, ca. 1979

Diary: Stroll to Grandpa Ichiro’s ohaka juuust before…

Ryoko gives Grandpa Ichiro’s grave a clean with a wooden ladle

{Catching up with…} evidence of a stroll on June 21st as we were waiting for baby Ichiro to make his appearance (he was “due” on the 18th but whatever) so, as we often have done during the pregnancy – and related timing of erstwhile pandemic – we took a stroll up to grandpa Ichiro’s grave here in Tsuchida neighbourhood in Okayama, Japan.

Lighting some incense at Grandpa Ichiro’s grave

While there, we give it a clean, fresh out the flowers, light some incense and have a conversation with him. In this case, mention if the baby was coming and if he has any pull in the situation, to keep an eye on us.

Thanking about grandpa dying at 49 and waiting here for so long
Ryoko has some words and thoughts for the Grandpa (who she never met)
2 days later, his namesake grandson was born and 10 days later, his widow Tomiko passed away (45 days from then, her ashes will be added to the ohaka)

Turns out, the walk was fortuitous as our wonderful baby came along healthy and happy on the 23rd and share his name with his grandpa (same pronunciation but different kanji characters – more on this another time). 

Probably our last snaphot as a family of just 2

Note: baby Ichiro was born 2 days later and Grandpa Ichiro’s widow Tomiko passed away on July 1st and after 45 days will join him in the ohaka. 

Memo: post updated July 17th from events on June 21st and back-dated.

See also:

Exhibit: Michal Korman, paintings and global gathering

{In what seems like an entirely different lifetime}, in early March we went to the seaside village of Setouchi for an exhibit of paintings by wonderful youthful artist, Michal Korman – originally from Slovakia and mostly based in Paris but he’s wandering soul – going places to draw inspiration from “set piece” scenes created in a charming bright and evocative style. 

Note: The exhibit was organized by the effervescent Yoshida Yoshioka-san, A wonderful calligraphy artist with unique style who you may have met previously in this archive. (Also worth noting she shares a  kanji character for her name with my dear Ryoko but of course and obviously, a different pronunciation – Japanese is like that.)

Anyhow, I quickly realized Michal was a kindred spirit and we enjoyed barrages of convos and sips of tea in between him being whisked away to greet more and more people and i managed a bit of translation for him and his LOVELY MOTHER who brought back flashbacks of my dear late Mom supporting my endeavours. 

Dude speaks half a dozen languages, has travelled here in there and has an interest, again obviously, in culture, scenes and emotions. 

His art is crafted diligently, deliberately and carefully and thoughtfully (contrasting in this respect to my own technique of wild brushstrokes and barely tamed chaos) mixing techniques including pointillism (in a way) like Georges Seurat with scenes that somehow seem Renoir-ish and daring fauvist contrast of Matisse and controlled unmudded/mixed colour suggesting modern pop artists like Haring or ole Andy. 

Anyhow, I noticed this painting of a Kyoto garden with a bridge and well,… I felt strongly that this painting should remain in Japan as it instantly evoked feelings of van Gogh’s remixes of Hiroshige plus Hokusai prints we’d seen at his museum a while back. 

I wasn’t packing a big wad of cash, and the amount wasn’t readily available from a machine or by bank transfer so, with a calligraphy pen and the wrapper from a bar of fancy chocolate, I wrote up a contract – which was duly duly witnessed by another exceptionally interesting community ringleader at the gig (i know his name as well… really… ummm).  I duly made a down payment on site by PayPal (which required him setting up/resurrect in his account) and we had a deal. Hooray!

So we picked up “Warm Autumn night in Kyoto” from his hotel a couple days later as he rushed to the train station > airport amongst an avalanche of fond goodbyes from his well-wishers.

While this painting seemed absolutely and immediately perfect, there were several others – really all of them – which were very tempting. Certainly any wise collector will be eager to get their hands on one of his masterful, nuanced and whimsical originals.

This fine gentleman ^ (umm i know his name…) saying a song and so then Ryoko did one as well – she selected a Chinese song with references back to a plant which appears in one of the paintings. Yep, she’s clever like that.

As is our custom, Ryoko and I gifted Michal with some various postcard treats of original art that we had brought along. He was very gracious about our offerings.

Michal himself shared tender sentiments from the event: 

One month ago the ” Inner Garden” Show held in Setouchi City Museum of Art! I’m still so moved by memory of this wonderful event, new friendships with all the marvellous supporters and helpers, all this thanks to amazing artist Yoshiko Yoshida and the great members of the friendship committee from Okayama-shi and beyond! Thank you dear friends for offering me and my mother such a wonderful time in your company, thanks for the hard work.

Worth nothing that Michal headed to Osaka after this event for another exhibit (minus the painting now hanging in our genkon) then to Sri Lanka for a commission, and then had a perilous journey bumping full-on into the pandemic/ quarantine situation when arriving in Europe which involved in walking across borders and being sequestered in strange places with no art supplies and the like.

Ryoko and 2 watercolours by MIchal Korman

Regardless, with his cheery disposition position and intrepid spirit, he organized a little Instagram contest (spoiler: i won!) to score his watercolours. 

The paintings safely arrived (despite various postal restrictions) and will soon hang (once safely framed) in Ryoko’s “Kimone” office where she does her work for arborist/garden design business.

Find Michal at Michal-Korman.com and follow his work via Instagram, Facebook, Twitter – by doing so, you’ll see that he seems to be settled back into to “work mode”. Nice to see ya pal!

Diary: Kura studio hangout with records, cds, pins, plaques, flags and whatnot

fiddling with the typewriter (needs some work) with smoking jacket (of course) and pipe (posing)

Do you know how when a project gets underway and it’s all exciting and then it just kind of becomes “usual”? Well this was not like this, each day is still tremendously exciting but it *is* sort of a routine meaning: …every couple of days I go into the kura (grain barn) studio for a little work session which includes opening up some boxes and sorting out a few things and a bit of hanging. 

Noting: I do have to limit my time as to not get “sensory overloaded” as dealing with a lot of nostalgia/memories, plus just the desire to savour the process is “work” and wipes me out.

Anyhow, in brief, I go out, do the complicated unlock process, plug in the power, turn on some lights, fire up the stereo, drop needle on some lovely slab and then work on a task whether it be sorting out a few collections, stacking up some books, climbing up a ladder to organize suitcases… and then take some time to just sit in the chair, flip through a book or a magazine, look through some pictures, or sit down with the typewriter (granted it needs a little bit of work).

not in the Kura studio but rather showing off a shirt i got from Cmdr Bob before he split to Diego Garcia (custom made in Thailand but doesn’t fit him, so score for me)

I have a few coat rack set up for handy smoking jacket, top hat and beaded necklaces, also there are some slippers so i can change like some sort of psychedelic Mr. Rogers.

A couple hours in there flashesback a lifetime of goodness and well, I have a whole lifetime of goodness more to go as a barely cracked into doing “anything” with the stuff, just kind of getting some air onto it for now.

With all this in mind, a few bits of evidence follow to support the above, minimal annotations as most are self-explanatory, ya know… stick and some pins on displays, stack some books, hang some pictures, pull out some records. (despite some duplicates from previous communiqués perhaps…)

The Clash’s London Calling “exhibit” and other goodness in situ
a barrage of empty suitcases on the upper shelf, well some are storing collections of things for the time being… yes 3 same-sized green travel bags – all from different sources – interesting…
a bottom shelf of poetry notebooks, middle with pig banks, clocks (for decor) and a top shelf with Miss Stevenson (my Mom) desk sign and Robert L Stevenson (my Grandpa) United Airliness 100,000 mile club plaque and a load of cigar boxes awaiting items, and a Penguin Jack Kerouac “On the Road” bottle Continue reading Diary: Kura studio hangout with records, cds, pins, plaques, flags and whatnot