Well, it’s July 1st (Canada Day to those of us so inclined), and that means another month has gone by. This June in London was one of the warmest on record, and I spent my time cooking, reading and scouting the best foodie-related design.
My focus at Kitchenist this month has been on fresh, local produce from the market. Feeling a touch nostalgic for last year’s summer holiday to Cinque Terre, I spent a lot of time indulging my love of Italian food. I re-created a recipe for Trenette al Pesto, made Stromboli, and even tackled my own Homemade Orecchiette.
The sweet treats I’ve been baking got a lot of attention, too. Most notably, my Ricotta Tart with Chocolate Crust, Homemade Oreos and Danish Pastries were all crowd-pleasers.
My design blog Kitchenisms grew by leaps and bounds in June. In terms of decor, I’ve been having a lot of fun scouting images of beautiful kitchens. I started a new Colour in the Kitchen series, covering green, purple, red and blue in the past month. Also featured were some great ideas on decorating with plates and giving your fridge a makeover.
Products haven’t gone ignored, either. I’ve rounded up my favourite finds from shops as varied as the V&A, Jme by Jamie Oliver, Garden Trading and RE. Not forgetting independent designers, I loved discovering the work of British designer Kathleen Hills.
Etsy and Flickr continue to be sources of information. From the former I’ve found some great eco products, as well as a newfound love of Milk Glass. From the latter, beautiful images of inspiration that have become series on things like Morning Light and Kitchen Sinks.
I managed three reviews over at Kitchlit in June. I’m beginning to think that aiming for more is too ambitious- I want to make sure I read and use the books thoroughly, after all!
I love the message behind Mark Bittman’s Food Matters, and encourage anyone remotely interested in planet-saving to read it. Having cooked many of the healthy recipes it contains, I can vouch for their deliciousness.
In terms of beautiful photographs and evocative writing, though, the prize of the month goes to Tessa Kiros’s Falling Cloudberries. I recommend this family history of food to anyone who enjoys a good armchair travel.
