…we’ll be right back! (Remember these TV spots during Saturday-morning cartoons?)

So, I’m going to be busy traveling for work over the next two weeks. I’ll be blogging intermittently and won’t be able to say hello as often in your neck of the world wide woods. I hope to be back soon, especially because I have great Christmas gift ideas to share.

In the meantime, I’m leaving you with a music video from my favorite 80’s cartoon. Until I’m able to blog in full swing again, as Jem says, “I’ve Got My Eye On You!” (Don’t be hatin’ on Jem’s pink ‘do now because I love it, haha!)

Stay curly, folks!

I’m jumping out of my skin and my curls are frizzing out! I have three great stories to share.

SPOONFLOWER NOW OPEN TO ALL

Spoonflower is a genius project: a website that allows you to upload fabric designs and have them printed for you. The site was beta-testing in May 2008, and would only print fabric by invitation. I signed up, wishing, hoping I’d get an invite. I thought it was too good to be true! I finally got an email that made me squeal, because it said this:

We are writing to thank you for signing up for the beta version of our site, but more importantly to thank you for your support and help as we have tried to turn a fabulous idea — affordable, on-demand fabric — into a real, functioning company. It’s not that we don’t still have a lot to learn (note that the site still says beta), but once you have over 10,000 people signed up as testers you may as well open it up to everyone.

My mind’s spinning. The possibilities! Girl With A Curl dishtowels, anyone?

JAY MCCARROLL DESIGNS FABRIC FOR FREESPIRIT

Project Runway Season One winner Jay McCarroll has cobbled two fabric collections together for FreeSpirit Fabric Designs. I’ve been kind of stalking Jay online because he was my favorite contestant from that season of the show, and partly because he and I share the same name! (I’m silly like that.) His two lines (Woodland Wonderland and Garden Friends) are whimsical and remind me of printed Japanese fabric.

Jay says:

My mother had a delicious hall closet stocked with remnants of fabrics and tins of buttons and bags of yarn. This was my favorite place in the house.

It would be mine, too!

SATC- IT AIN’T OVER

And to put the FAB in these Fabricated News tidbits, did you hear about the definite sequel to the Sex And The City movie? I admit that, even as a fan of the show, I have my doubts. Don’t get me wrong, I think I’d enjoy all the new fashion that’s bound to be in the movie but, story-wise, what more can they possibly write/tell? Maybe, then, I should just prepare (but not expect) to be pleasantly surprised?

And since I have quotes for the two previous stories, I’ll end this with of my favorite ones from Carrie Bradshaw (a curly girl herself!) :

Maybe the best any of us can do is not quit, play the hand we’ve been given, and accessorize the outfit we’ve got.

You have a fab day, folks.

How funny is this Martha Stewart blooper reel? She gets run down by a cow and accidentally says “hairy balls.” Hilarious!

And in case you haven’t caught on to it yet, there’s a new show on the Food Network that reeled me in with its first episode last Sunday. It’s the reality show The Chef Jeff Project, where a successful chef (Jeff Henderson) who used to be in jail takes six kids down on their luck and teaches them life skills by giving them a chance to shine in the kitchen. From the FN website:

Jeff Henderson grew up on the tough streets of South Central L.A. and San Diego. At 19 he was running a $35,000-a-week cocaine operation. At 24, Jeff was arrested and sent to prison, where he spent the next ten years. While incarcerated, Jeff discovered a passion for cooking and the drive to turn his life around. Jeff became Executive Chef at Café Bellagio in Las Vegas, wrote a bestselling book, and now he is focusing on giving back. In The Chef Jeff Project, he takes six at-risk young adults and commits to turning their lives around by putting them to work in his catering company, Posh Urban Cuisine. He arms them with the knowledge, the skills and, ultimately, the opportunity for a new life with a culinary career.

Here’s Chef Jeff

And his crew:

Brett, Adam, Maria

Kathy, Alonzo, Shante

My favorite character so far is Kathy, who used to be a drug addict and had no clue what to make as a signature dish, which was Chef Jeff’s first task for the team. She ended up preparing a fresh salad with some greens and fruit, along with the surprising inclusion of fresh cherries (simplicity on a plate can be a refreshing change in these overseasoned times). Plus, I like how Chef Jeff is hardcore and tough-talking but like a big old softie at the same time. I can’t wait for the next episode! (The show airs at 10 pm PST on Sundays.)

Any excuse to cook is good for me, even if it’s for my own birthday. Especially because it was for a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl, one of my favoritest places in Los Angeles. I’ve caught beautiful Easter sunrise services there, several Sound Of Music Sing-Alongs (yes, seriously) and an unforgettable performance by Dave Matthews Band a couple of years back, when LeRoi Moore still around. So, when I caught wind earlier this year that John Williams and the LA Philharmonic would be playing at the Bowl the weekend following my birthday, I decided that it would be a perfect way to celebrate another year in my life. I had already been to three other performances of his in years past, but still, I couldn’t wait to go this year. (Spoken like a true Star Wars fangirl!)

Going to the Bowl is always an exercise in decision-making: What should we bring to eat? A valid question with a million answers! Tradition calls for a packed dinner with beverages (they even allow wine) and an early arrival, so you have time to find your seats and settle in to eat and enjoy people-watching while the summer sun’s still out. We usually buy food from some place like Whole Foods or the Bowl’s own restaurant. But this year, I wanted to cook.

I took me weeks to decide what to make. This was serious business! It was the first time I’d be responsible for the whole Bowl-eating experience, and it was for my birthday. I was nervous, but finally came up with the idea of making restaurant favorites, done Girl With A Curl-style.

The final verdict? Homemade Mac N’ Cheese, Chicken Nuggets and Steamed Vegetables. Dessert was actually store-bought! Those pink Hello Kitty packs are Choco Pies from a Japanese market. I love them. I decided to throw in some Dove dark chocolates, Baci and Perugina candy from Rome and milk candy, also from the Japanese market (if anyone from LA is reading this, the Japanese market is Nijiya on Sawtelle.)

The Mac N’ Cheese was fun to make, because I knew it would be portable and un-messy and would fit right into my whole packable, picnic-able dinner plans. I could tell you that I used low-fat sour cream and fat-free cheddar cheese, but my cooking is something I don’t lie about. And it was my birthday, so I decided to live a little.

The Chicken Nuggets were interesting because they’re actually baked, not fried. I’ve found that the best tools for a task like this are two sets of chopsticks, one for dipping in your wet ingredients, another for dredging in dry. You dip pieces of chicken breast into melted butter (I know! But it was ever so little, and really, you can also use yogurt, buttermilk or plain old milk!)…

Dredge them in the mixture of breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and spices (Italian seasoning, fresh thyme, salt and pepper)…

Lay them carefully on a rack that’s been sprayed with cooking spray and placed over a cookie sheet…

Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, and under the broiler for another five. These were perfect with the cheesy pasta and the steamed-crisp veggies. These Rubbermaid Take-Alongs with dividers that I packed them in were picnic-perfect (more so because I got them at 50% off!). This way, each person had a portion of the main dishes. (Veggies went into a Ziploc bag, for easy passing-around.)

I have to admit, though, my favorite part of the meal was stuff I didn’t make, these ice-cold Orange Cream Gourmet Sodas. (Parang Mirinda na hindi!)

Drinks went into an insulated carrier, and the foodstuff snuggled with cutlery and paper napkins into my FEED bag*.

The evening’s performance was awesome , with John Williams conducting the Olympic theme while huge screens showed scenes from the games. The Bowl was decked out in colored swaths of light, as we were taken from Indiana Jones to Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, to a special highlight that included scenes from (sigh) Singin’ In The Rain. (Gene Kelly, I heart you.)

And yes, of course, the evening ended with an encore that included the Star Wars theme. And, like every year, the ampitheatre lit up with light sabers as the theme played. There were so many of them, and I tried to take pictures, but was way too excited to take any good ones. Geek much? (I LOVED IT!)

Perfect. Evening.

*The FEED bag, a World Food Programme project, is available in two sizes, a smaller one (above) at Whole Foods and a larger one from Amazon. The cost of your purchase of the smaller bag equals 100 meals for hungry children in Rwanda who don’t have access to nutritious food. The larger one equals meals for a full school year for one child. I have both and use them for everything, from plane trips to picnics!

I have plenty of “those dresses”—gowns, outfits and ensembles that all make my breath catch in my throat—filed away in my mind. More than mere frocks, they’re works of art, and all make me wish I were a seamstress.  After seeing a “That Dress” dress, I sometimes go home and have imaginary conversations with my sewing machine: “Hey old pal, old chum, do you think maybe we can try, you and I, to sew something more than circle skirts and aprons?” (Heehee. Fact is, I can’t even sew a decent zipper!)

I’ve already written a post on That Dress in Atonement, and now adding a new one to the list. This one’s the white number that Julia Flyte (played by Hayley Atwell) sashays in at her coming-out party in Brideshead Revisited, which I saw last Saturday.

Look at all this detail—the chiffon creation has hand-beaded swallows on the bodice! Are you drooling? Because I did. I was trying not to squeal out loud in the theater. (Pics from movie’s official site here.)

Julia Flyte’s character hails from a world of sprawling homes, summers in Italy and aristocratic sensibilities, so it’s no surprise that she has gorgeous outfits like these.

It doesn’t hurt the movie that I already have a fondness for vintage wardrobe. The costume designer is Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, who is a genius in my book.

Brideshead is based on the novel by Evelyn Waugh (who I found out is actually a man—Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh!) I was reeling when I came out from the movie, much for the movie itself as for the beautiful sets, scenery and costumes. Go see it! If the chance to explore a study in human behavior in 1920’s England doesn’t convince you to, be shallow like me and go for the pretty dresses and for scenes of the breathtaking Brideshead estate. And oh yes, for Matthew Goode. I loved him in Chasing Liberty. (No snickers! He’s really cute!)

Official website, with even more juicy tidbits on the props and wardrobe, HERE.

Hello cooks, craftsters, eaters and friends!

I’ll be taking a blogging break for about three weeks or so. I know, that’s a long time! But there’s A LOT of batter in my mixing bowl, so to speak, so just let me get through the next weeks, and I’ll be back in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

In the meantime, I leave you with pictures of birthday cakes I’ve made pre-GWAC (Girl With A Curl). Back then, I kept thinking I needed a place to share these. I now have this blog, and you! Hope these have you (virtually) happily munching away ‘till my next post.

Here we go!

Simeen’s Starburst Cake (Pound Cake With Pink Fondant)

The Story: My friend Simeen is a Starburst candy addict. A peculiar habit of hers is picking out all the pink ones and keeping those for herself; she shares the rest! I thought it would be great to surprise her with big pink cake that looked like an actual pink-wrapped Starburst. This was my first (and so far only) time with fondant. (YES, the fondant was pre-made. Teehee.)

Jen’s Piggy Cake (Traditional White Birthday Cake With Buttercream)

The Story: Jen loves pigs. She is known to harbor a preponderance of porcine bric-a-brac in her apartment. She has a pig wallet. A pig apron.  A pig small vacuum cleaner, even. So fine, she can have a cake shaped like a pig on her birthday, too! This was a basic round cake (Magnolia Bakery’s recipe) and two cupcakes for the ears and nose (ears were two halves of a cupcake). I used different candy to finish off the piggy face. Oink, oink!

Connie’s Birthday Cake (Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting)

The Story: This was one of the trickiest cakes I’ve had to make, because Connie’s birthday is at the height of summer, and cream cheese frosting melts easily. I remember having to stick this in the fridge a couple of times before it set properly, all the time cursing the heat in the apartment. The baby carrots were made from store-bought (at least I admit it!) marzipan that I tinted orange and shaped by hand. The green “leaves” were from snipped parsley stalks!

Sara’s Birthday Cake (German Chocolate Cake)

The Story: Sometimes, I use covert tactics to find out what my friends’ favorite types of cakes are. I ask them casually months before, and file the answer away so I can surprise them with it on their birthday. I sometimes think they know that I’ll ask, and they pretend to not know why when I do, haha! But for her birthday, my friend Sara came right up to me and said, “Look, let’s not beat around the bush. I would love a German Chocolate Cake on my birthday.” And a German Chocolate Cake, art-directed by my brother and executed by me, was exactly what she got.

Jaxon’s 1st Birthday Cake (Yellow Cake With Buttercream)

The Story: Jaxon is my godchild. I love him. That’s the story! (Waves were made with buttercream through a star tip, figures were from a baking supply store, and sand was crushed Nilla wafers.)

Whew!

The cakes you see above were all first-time attempts, inspired by ideas on the net, from my cookbooks, and the spirit of the people I made them for. (I’ve never been to culinary school, save for a very basic Wilton cake-decorating class.) I hope you enjoyed taking virtual bites of these, and that they inspire your attempts as well.

See you in three weeks, all. Stay curly!

I had to laugh when I read about the movie Namets! (which means “Yum!” in Ilonggo, a Filipino dialect), soon to be debuted at Cinemalaya 2008. The chuckles are because I just wrote a post on a feast in the making for an upcoming all-American holiday. Just as I pictured how my Peach Pie’s crust is going to turn out, the trailer below fed my hungry (and homesick) eyes with images of native pastries lovingly done by hand in Negros, where I grew up. How truly strange and wonderful to be a baker from both worlds.:)

Carla Gomez of the Visayan Daily Star says this of the movie. (Here’s the full article.)

“It’s the most Negrense film that I have ever known.”

That is how Negrense director Jay Abello yesterday described the movie, “Namets!,” that he is currently filming in Negros Occidental.

The main character of the film is the food of Negros Occidental, it is filmed entirely in the province, more than 70 percent of its cast and crew are Negrenses, and the dialog is in Ilonggo, Abello said.

“Namets! is a colorful celebration of food as well as love, and the love of food above all, which is central to being Negrosanon, and being Filipino,” Palanca Award winner Vicente Groyon, who wrote the script, said.

“Every region in the Philippines has a cuisine unique to it, and the island of Negros is no exception. Forget your diet if you’re planning to visit – from piaya to chicken inasal to guapple pie to kinilaw, Negrosanon food is irresistible,” Groyon said.

If any of you catch this, let me know if it’s worth seeing.

Argh. What I wouldn’t give for chicken inasal right about now!

Neither crafty nor cook-y, but definitely all sorts of curly. I just had to post.

I almost died laughing. This made me remember the crazies at the ad agency I used to work for in Manila. Instead of singing, “We just wanna, we just wannaaa…” from Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, they’d belt out “Medyas ni Juana, medyas ni Juanaaaa…”:)

Vi, maybe we should do this. Partners tayo, we can do a tango. Tee hee.

Even though my favorite chef Dale fell by the wayside in the race to become Top Chef, I couldn’t be happier for Stephanie.

I was giggling during last night’s finale because she kept saying, “ My pound cake’s crap,” over and over again, and she had this agitated/frustrated/silently panicked look on her face, one that I recognize because I’ve been in that state myself during baking! I thought to myself: “Oh, that’s not a very attractive expression to wear around the kitchen!” Haha.

Stephanie Izard is the first female Top Chef. The curls did it, I tell you. Curls=kitchen powah.

Congratulations to Stephanie, who I some day hope to meet. Along with Dale, please. Teehee.

I actually liked the bird in her hair.