Resist

Why Did I Not Find This Before It Sold Out?

2009-11-04T01:30:01+00:00

Pizzagram: The Shirt

Nick Cernis

2009-10-29T16:33:17+00:00

Today I stumbled across two very cool sites by Nick Cernis. Nick’s blog has an icon for every entry. Digging the clean design. He also has a nifty iPhone application, loving the Twitter bird at the bottom. Will definitely be giving it a spin later.

Michael Bierut: 5 Secrets from 86 Notebooks

2009-10-26T23:36:53+00:00

The best part of this really is at the end: Love is the answer. He talks about how doing what you love with other people who love what they do will ensure happiness, and probably success too.

Alternate Occupations I Would Consider Should the Web Industry Tank

2009-10-14T01:00:45+00:00

Occult book editor Master of espionage Belligerent, temperamental chef One of those people that lives with wolves / tigers / alligators (insert large wild beast here) for purposes of *ahem* “science.” Whisky distiller

Cassoulet Recipe

2009-10-11T14:37:39+00:00

Since it’s fall I decided it was time to make a stick-to-your-ribs kind of dish. Cassoulet is a French cold weather favorite, and since I already had duck confit preserving in my fridge it seemed like a logical choice. Every cassoulet recipe I found was different in ingredients, proportion and cooking times, so I took inspiration from several and crossed my fingers. The recipes I based this off of include Michael Ruhlman’s and Anthony Bourdain’s cassoulet from No Reservations Cleveland, a Martha Stewart recipe that’s bizarrely edited, and therefore incomplete and lastly a Michael Lewis (Gourmet) recipe adapted from Julia Child’s recipe. While cassoulet sounds intimidating it’s a very basic country dish. Literally, this is just meat and beans in a pot people. I mention this because with any very simple food, quality ingredients are key. So get the best and freshest you can find with what you’re willing to spend. This is not a place to skimp. It’s also worth noting that there is a lot of flexibility in regards to the meat, if you Google around you’ll find people also use pork shoulder, lamb or duck breast instead of any of what’s listed below. The important thing is to make sure there’s still a fatty pork to flavor the beans and flavor the dish as it cooks. My recipe was designed for my 5qt dutch oven, if you have a larger roaster you could add a half pound of beans and another pound of a different meat. Because I used bacon and prosciutto I didn’t need to add any salt to the dish, but if you are using pork belly you will probably want a teaspoon to season the beans as they cook. I recommend making your own confit at least a week in advance (though you could do it two days before if pressed for time.) I use Michael Ruhlman’s confit recipe. Confit is actually very simple, it just requires you have some time on your hands. You’ll need to allow the confit to sit at room temperature for a few hours before making the cassoulet so the fat liquifies and you can get the legs out. If you are wondering where on earth to get pork belly or duck legs for confit, call around to some local butchers if you don’t have a good farmer’s market nearby. If the butcher’s don’t already have it they can likely get it for you in a few days. If you’re going that route you may want to inquire about getting some duck fat too to use for the confit instead of olive oil. (The duck fat will preserve better.) Ingredients 3-4 legs of duck confit 1lb garlic sausage (preferably a mild French sausage) 1lb pork belly (can substitute with uncured bacon or prosciutto) 1 ham hock 2lbs dry white beans such as navy or great northern, soaked overnight in cold water 1 large onion 5 cloves of garlic 2 carrots (peeled) 1 bay leaf A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley A few sprigs of fresh thyme A few stems of fresh rosemary 5 pieces of fresh white bread 4 tbsp of butter 1tsp pepper Butcher’s twine and rinsed cheesecloth Instructions Take cheesecloth, and create a bundle of 6 or 7 stems parsley, half the thyme and all of the garlic, rosemary and bay leaf. A few whole cloves could also be added. Tie bundle with butcher’s twine. In a large cast iron enameled pot cover beans, ham hock, carrots, onion and bundle created in previous step with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes or until beans are tender but not falling apart. When beans are finished, skim top of liquid then transfer to a large bowl, reserve cooking liquid in another. Discard garlic, onion, carrots, ham hock and herb bundle. Roast confit in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, then remove meat from bones and shred. See confit photo. In the enameled pot render the fat from 2-3 pieces of bacon. Remove bacon, brown sausages in bacon fat, but do not cook completely. Slice finished sausages into 1/4 rounds. Line the bottom of the pan with uncooked bacon, as if making a crust. Cover layer of bacon with layer of beans, then sausage, then another layer of beans, then duck confit, then final layer of beans, sprinkling thyme, chopped parsley and a pinch of pepper between each layer. Add cooking liquid from the beans until there is an inch or two covering the dish. If the cooking liquid is not enough just add cold water. Place assembled cassoulet in 350 degree oven for two hours. In a food processor add bread, remaining parsley and butter and combine to the consistency of a breadcrumb mixture. Cover top of cassoulet with breadcrumb mixture and cook for another hour at 425 degrees, until golden brown and bubbling. Let dish stand for 5-10 minutes to absord liquid. Cassoulet can be served on it’s own, or with a small salad and some crusty white french bread. An alternate serving suggestion is to roast a few cloves of garlic, rub them on slices of crusty bread, place bread in the bottom of a bowl and serve cassoulet over top. See the finished product on Flickr.

Leaving the Garage: October 2009 Mix

2009-10-05T00:58:15+00:00

It’s only been October a few days but it seems like each one is colder and rainier. Listen to this on a long Friday drive home from work, or when getting ready for a night out. My favorite track on this mix might be The Detroit Cobras. Fall seems like the most appropriate time for old fashioned rock and roll. I wanted to include The Tough & Lovely on this mix, but unfortunately lost those tracks when my iPod was stolen out of my car a few weeks ago. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Love Burns The Kills - Cat Claw Mr. Airplane Man - Make You Mine Turpentine Brothers - Wastin’ Time Black Lips - Starting Over Jeremy Jay - No Action 13th Floor Elevators - You’re Gonna Miss Me Mary Weiss with the Reigning Sound - You’re Never Gonna See Me Cry The Willowz - Making Certain The Detroit Cobras - Laughing at You Wanda Jackson - Hard Headed Woman Thee Headcoatees - Have Love, Will Travel The Paris Sisters - You The Ronettes - Be My Baby The Chiffons - One Fine Day Miss Derringer - Black Tears Heartless Bastards - Hold Your Head High Download October 2009 Mix (69.6mb)

This is Where We Are: September 2009 Mix

2009-09-27T19:55:49+00:00

Listen to this mix while enjoying the weather before everything turns cold and grey. Go for a walk by the water, all the bugs are gone. Oktoberfest marzen and pumpkin cookies make a good accompaniment. Or listen while on a drive to or from the country. The Lightning Dust track is my favorite, from an album which may be my favorite this year. If you’re looking for musical gold, see Black Mountain and all related side projects, you will thank me later. Akron / Family - The Alps & Their Orange Evergreen Lightning Dust - Antionia Jane The Curious Mystery - Black Sand Great Lake Swimmers - Pulling on a Line Calla - Customized Elvis Costello - No Action Cass McCombs - Subtraction Fruit Bats - Primitive Man God Help The Girl - God Help The GIrl Lacrosse - I See a Brightness Slow Club - Giving Up On Love Pavement - Spit on a Stranger Drug Rug - Never Tell Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - Trouble Sea Wolf - Wicked Blood Ravens & Chimes - This is Where We Are Download September 2009 Mix (92mb)

Barbara Kruger on Context

2009-09-04T17:42:55+00:00

I believe that who we are, and consequently the work that we make, whether we’re visual artists or writers or journalists or filmmakers, is a projection of where we were born, what’s been withheld or lavished upon us, our color, our sex, our class. And everything we do in life to some degree is a reflection of that context. Barbara Kruger

Your Card Has Expired: Ten Mistakes to Avoid When Designing an ePayment System

2009-09-04T00:28:52+00:00

Payment and billing design is it’s own animal on the web. How do you maintain a good customer relationship while gracefully taking your users’ hard-earned cash? So much is at stake in a poor payment experience. I got together with two talented designers who grapple with the same obstacles, on sites dealing in billions of dollars annually, and we sat down and discussed our experiences. If you design payments online today is your last day to vote for my SXSW panel!

The Last Lemonade of Summer: August 2009 Mix

2009-08-31T00:57:04+00:00

Yesterday it was Summer and when I woke up today it was Fall. Summer slipped through my fingers. This is the time of year where it hits me I’m 3/4 of the way in and didn’t do everything I wanted. Listen to this mix at dusk, drink in hand, on a Sunday night before you have to go back to work the next morning. Also appropriate when driving back from a farm in the middle of the country, with a bag full of fresh corn and some apple cider. Also, it’s nearly impossible to make a country laden mix that isn’t incredibly depressing, listen at your own risk. The Lemonheads - The Outdoor Type Gram Parsons - I Just Can’t Take it Anymore Ryan Adams - This is it The Sadies - Why Be So Curious Band of Annuals - Ain’t Lookin’ Back Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter - Oh, My Girl Cowboy Junkies - To Love is to Bury Trailer Bride - Hope is a Thing With Feathers Murder By Death - The Devil in Mexico Lucinda Williams - Everything Has Changed Nina Nastasia - Been So Long Laura Cantrell - What You Said Jolie Holland - Ghost Waltz Gillian Welch - Only One and Only Eleni Mandell - I’ve Got a Tender Heart Neko Case & Her Boyfriends - Lonely Old Lies Loretta Lynn - The Darkest Day Johnny Cash - We’ll Meet Again Download August 2008 Mix (79.4mb)