FLASHBACK & FLASH FOWARD

Joseph Sterling's The Age of Adolescence was a documentation of the life and milieu of the American teenager in the late fifties and early sixties. This series of images explores the sometimes tentative, sometime explosive atmosphere that surrounded the rites of passage from childhood to adulthood during those years.

Juxtaposed with Sterling's photographs are 15 year-old Olivia Bee's teen diary-style photography. Capturing life raw as it unfolds in her own personal coming of age.

HIGH NOON SHOWDOWN

via death becomes her

"There was a blur, and then shootin'. I didn't see no draw."

PUCKER UP BABY

Since I'm feeling sour about celebrating yet another birthday I thought I'd whip up a classic lemon tart. When life serves you lemons, bake a tart!

Classic Lemon Tart

1 recipe for Sweet Rich Shortcrust Pastry (recipe below)

1 egg, beaten, to seal the dough

sour cream or creme fraiche, to serve (optional)

6 extra large eggs

2 1/3 cups sugar

finely grated zest and strained juice of 4 juicy unwaxed lemons

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted

a false-bottom fluted tart pan, 9 inches diameter

1. Bring the doug to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Roll out the dough thinly on a lightly floured work surface., and use to line the tart pan. Chill or freeze for 15 minutes, then bake blind (instructions below).
3. Turn the oven down to 300° F. To make the lemon filling, put the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice, and butter into a food processor and blend until smooth.
4. Set the baked pie curst on a baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour (it may need a little longer, depending on your oven), until just set. Remove from the oven and cool completely before serving.
5. Serve at room temperature, maybe with a spoonful of sour cream or creme fraiche, if using.

Note: You can also decorate the tart with candied shreds of lemon zest. Peel the zest only from 3 or 4 lemons, leaving behind any white pith. Cut the zest into very fine shreds with a very sharp knife. Make a sugar syrup by boiling 6 tablespoons of sugar with 2/3 cup water. Stir in the shreds and simmer for 10 minutes until tender and almost transparent. Carefully lift out the syrup, drain, and sprinkle around edges of tart while still warm, to form a ring. Cool before serving.

Sweet Rich Shortcrust Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp confectioners sugar

9 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled and diced

2 large egg yolks

2 tbsp ice water

1. Sift the flour, confectioners sugar, and the salt together in a bowl, then rub in the butter.
2. Mix the egg yolks with the 2 tbsp ice water. Add to the flour, mixing lightly with a knife. The dough must have some water in it or it will be too difficult to handle. If it is still too dry, add a little more water, sprinkling it over the flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Invert the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface.
4. Knead lightly with your hands until smooth.
5. For the dough into a ball.
6. Flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Rolling out, lining a tart pan, and baking blind

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out the dough as thinly as necessary, about 1/8 inch thick, to line the dish you are using.
2. To line the tart pan, roll the flour-dusted dough around the rolling pin to help you pick it up – this will avoid stretching the dough, which might shrink during cooking. Lower the dough over the pan and unroll to cover. Use a small piece of extra dough wrapped in plastic wrap to help to push the dough into the edges of the pan. Once this is done you can press the dough up the sides of the pan.
3. Use the rolling pin to roll over the top – it will cut off any excess dough very neatly (or cut off the overhang with a sharp knife.)
4. Prick the base all over with a fork, then chill or freeze for 15 minutes to set the dough.
5. Line with foil or parchment paper, then fill with baking beans. Set on a baking sheet and bake blind in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes.
6. Remove the foil or parchment paper and the baking beans, and return tart crust to oven for 5-7 minutes longer to dry out completely.
7. To prevent the crust from becoming soggy from liquid filling, brush the blind-baked crust with beaten egg – you can do this when it is hot or cold. Bake again for 5-10 minutes until set and shiny. This will also fill and seal any holes made when pricking before the blind baking.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

via bird flew

"All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways." - Yann Martel Life of Pi

GO PEAR-SHAPED

There's a Dutch idiom that goes like this, Hid zit met de gebakken peren, which literally translates to 'he sits with the baked pears', but is used to express being stuck with the negative consequences of something another caused. The idiom dates from a time when baked (or poached) pears were a special delicacy. If the guest didn't show up, the host who took the extra effort, cost, and preparation of the dish was 'stuck with the baked pears'. The English idiom 'go pear-shaped' means a plan went awry or failed. Baked or poached pears are in fact delicious. Poached pears in particular are one of the simplest desserts there are, and ones poached in wine absorb the deep essence of the wine and turn a rich jewel color. These tender and succulent pears can be paired with pastry cream, ice cream, or even blue cheese. A sprinkle of crushed praline and you have a classic dish that takes very little effort. I've decided to use them in a tart recipe. You can choose from a variety of pears but make sure they aren't fully ripened or they will fall apart while poaching. The trick is to leave the pear in the slowly simmering liquid for as long as possible. The longer it poaches the more the pear takes on the flavor and the color of your syrup.

Drunken Pear Tart

1 recipe for Pâte Brisée

8 large under-ripe pears

1/2 vanilla bean split and scraped (throw the whole bean in the pot to release all the seeds)

1 star anise

6 whole peppercorns

4 whole cloves

1/3 cup sugar

2 3/4 cups full-bodied red wine

slivered pistachios or almonds, for sprinkling

crème fraiche or whipped cream, for serving

a cast iron skillet, 11 inches diameter

1. Bring Pâte Brisée to room temperature before rolling out.
2. Peel the pears, halve lengthwise, and carefully scoop out the core with a teaspoon or a melon baller. Arrange them around the base of the skillet in concentric circles, wide ends outwards and the points facing into the center. Any pears remaining should be cut up and used to fill any gaps.
3. Add all the spices over the top and sprinkle with the sugar. Carefully pour the red wine, then bring to a boil. Lower the stove to medium low heat. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour or until tender. A fork should slide easily into the flesh, but it should not be mushy, like canned pears.
4. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Uncover the pan and hold the plate or pan lid over the pears to hold them back while you pour off the juices into a saucepan. Boil the juices hard until well reduced and syrupy, then sprinkle them back over the pears.
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the pan. Lift the dough over the pears and tuck the edges of the dough down into the a pan. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until the curst is crisp and golden.
6. As soon as it is ready, invert the tart onto a plate or it will stick - the fruit will be very hot, so be careful you don't burn your fingers. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with the pistachios or almonds and a good dollop of crème fraiche or whipped cream.

WATCH ME

via flickr

As a kid whenever I said, "I can't", as kids often do because I was tired, grumpy, or scared my father would always respond, "how do you know if don't even try". Back then that sort of logic only reinforced my belief that adults just didn't get what it was like to be a kid. If was easy for them because as grownups they could do whatever they wanted. Little did I know. The fact is the older we get, and the more responsibilities we take on, the less we can do whatever we want. So take it while you can.

I'm in awe of youth today. They're so creative and talented, with so many bright, cool ideas. They're no longer simply kids or teenagers, but artists, inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists. They're not afraid to embrace life, tackle it if they have to in order to get the most from it. They haven't learned to be tired and jaded, with too much cynicism for their own good. Neither have they lost their optimism, or their ambitions. They pursue life with almost reckless abandon, with a determination that exceeds their age or experience. That's what I love most about young people, that innate confidence that doesn't allow them to question if they'll succeed. Failure just isn't an option. Even as another birthday comes barreling at me, I'm comforted in knowing that as long as I haven't lost my hunger and continue to gnaw at the marrow of life, then age is just a number. And in my heart, I'll always be at the peak of my life. Watch me.

A BITE OUT OF LIFE

There are several variations on Yum Yum Pie, most of which call for cream cheese, instant pudding, and Cool Whip. The idea is to create layers of deliciousness. You can substitute Cool Whip for the real thing but I like to make my own whipped cream.

Yum Yum Pie

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 stick butter, softened (room temp)

1 cup of nuts

8-oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 package (3.5-oz) chocolate instant pudding

1 package (3.5-oz) vanilla instant pudding

milk

1. Lightly grease an 9-inch deep pie pan. Combine flour, butter, and nuts. Press firmly into pie pan. Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Mix cream cheese and sugar thoroughly. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over cooled crust to make first layer.
3. For second layer: mix pudding mixes and the amount of milk called for on package directions to make pie filling. Pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until cool.
4. Before serving, top with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and nuts.

IMPOSSIBLE ACTIONS

"Never confuse movement for action." - ernest hemingway

inhabited canvases

inside me

helena almeida

CHERRY BOMB

Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart, The Runaways

Yesterday I saw the film, The Runaways, a music-fueled coming of age biopic of the groundbreaking, all girl 1970's rock band The Runaways. The movie chronicles the years from 1975 to 1977, beginning with band's formation, their meteoric rise to fame under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley, and ending with lead singer Cherie Currie's eventual crash and burn, and her exit from the band.

The Runaways - Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Jackie Fox, Sandy West, Joan Jett

The original band was formed in 1975 by drummer Sandy West and rhythm guitarist Joan Jett who on separate occasions introduced themselves to producer Kim Fowley about starting an all-girl band. Fowley gave Jett's phone number to West, and helped them to fill out their band with bassist Micki Steel. The band started as a trio playing party and club circuit around Los Angeles. The following year they added lead guitarist Lita Ford and lead singer Cherie Currie to the lineup. Bassist Steele left the band, and her spot was filled with first Peggy Foster, then Anne Boleyn, and finally Jackie Fox. The Runaways were signed with Mercury Records in 1976 and their debut album, The Runaways, was released shortly after. The band toured and played numerous sold out shows. After their second album, Queen of Noise was released in 1977 the band began a world tour. The Runaways arrived in Japan for a string of sold out shows, but bassist Jackie Fox left the group and was eventually replaced with Vicki Blue. After Currie left the band Jett took over lead vocals full time. In 1978, over disagreements about money and management, the band parted ways with Kim Fowley. Bassist Vicki Blue left the group and was replaced by Laurie McAllister, but The Runaways played their last concert on New Year's Eve in 1978 and broke up in April 1979.

A BITE OF THE CHERRY

The Runaways had a hit single called Cherry Bomb, a song that Jett and Fowley penned on the spot at Cherie Currie's audition when she arrived with a song they didn't know. In tribute of the song I've included a Cherry Pie recipe. Who doesn't love cherry pie? It's also one of the easiest fruit pies to make. Fresh tart cherries are best but in a pinch (or out of season) one 16-oz can equals about 2 cups of tart cherries, or 3 cups of frozen cherries equals a fresh pound.

Tart Cherry Pie

1 recipe for 9-inch double crust pie pastry

5 cups whole tart cherries or dark sweet cherries (2 lbs)

1 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch or quick-cooking tapioca

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp water

1 tsp fresh lemon juice (if using sour cherries) or 3 tbsp lemon juice (if using dark sweet cherries)

1/4 tsp almond extract

2 tbsp butter (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tbsp milk

1. Make the dough; divide in half and form each half into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425° F.
3. Remove 1 dough disc from fridge. Butter or spray pie pan. On a well-floured surface or between two sheets of plastic, roll out first dough disc to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch deep pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2-inch. Place in fridge.
4. Pit all the cherries and place them in a medium bowl. Sprinkle sugar and cornstarch over the cherries and then pour the water and lemon juice on top. Add almond extract. Gently mix until no trace of sugar or cornstarch remains. Leave for 15 minutes and then drain the cherries of most of the liquid.
5. Roll out second dough disc on well-floured surface or between two sheets of plastic to a 12-inch round. Using a pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch wide strips from dough round. More detailed instructions on lattice top pie crust can be found at simplyrecipes.
6. Transfer filling to dough-lined pie dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter.
7. Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strips overhang to 1/2-inch. Fold bottom crust up over ends of strips and crimp edges to seal. Brush lattice crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle lattice with remaining 1 tbsp sugar.
8. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet (to catch juices) and bake 15 minutes.
9. Reduce oven temperature to 375° F. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and crust in golden brown, cover edges with foil collar if browning too quickly, about 1 hour longer.
10. Transfer to rack and cool completely. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

A GREAT ADVENTURE VOYAGE

After nearly 4 years of development The Plastiki - a sustainable, Web-interfaced vessel made of recycled plastic bottles and reusable plastics finally set sail yesterday from San Francisco for the start of its big adventure across the South Pacific, a journey that will last a 100 days and cross 10, 500 miles.

The crew of six led by David De Rothschild will journey from San Francisco to Hawaii, Midway Island, Bikini Atoll, Vanuatu and, finally, Sydney, Australia. The destinations for the craft's great voyage were selected to highlight a variety of environmental threats, including overfishing and climate change. The key portion of The Plastiki's route will be its voyage to a region of floating plastic trash and debris known as the Eastern Garbage Patch. This patch is estimated to be twice the size of Texas. De Rothschild and his team will collect water samples to study and, using a satellite phone to post photos and video clips on the website of Adventure Ecology, and environmental organization that he founded. His goal is to call attention to the perils of ocean polluting and to suggest a solution: waste as a resource. Inspired, in part, by Thor Heyerdahl's Pacific crossing, in 1947, on a raft call the Kon-Tiki, de Rothschild dubbed the project Plastiki.

documentary credit: tyler manson