I've tried making my own brines (which gives the turkey a weird vinegary twang), rubbing the bird down in mayonnaise to "seal in moisture" (who taught me this travesty)—Each year, I've gotten really creative (reckless?) with the process. But this year, instead of trying to fight our 19 pound bird (which we named Barb), I got creative where it counts: with the flavors and the process, which requires attention and hella patience. And what I delivered, was an excellent turkey that my massive family actually ate and enjoyed!
Read MoreAs a child I was captivated by the post office. Of all my favorite collections, and believe me, I had a collection for everything, my stamp book was one of my favorites. Even now I save curious little scraps of paper as mementos and inspiration for new projects.
The experience of sending and receiving something is unmatched: the love you extend while preparing it, the anticipation of giving, and the sweet payoff of the receiver’s reaction. WOVEN was a project that became most important to me once I understood how important it was to others, so when the demand called for a print sale, I wanted to make sure each purchaser's delivered experience was unforgettable.
Read MoreThe truth is: 30 unfolds just as each age before it: with length and experience for context, and without proper care, can present itself and fade as fast as the novelty of a New Year’s resolution. Your 30 will only be magical if you’ve set yourself up to receive the grace you believe it will bring. And this is what I'll talk about on my birthday.
The magic of any change lies in the time spent preparing for it, and if you’re prepared, if you’re working tirelessly within every evolution of yourself, you never resent a birthday or change. You'll face it boldly and welcome openly.
Read MoreFrom cow tongue to grilled cactus, Eufemia (eh-oo-fem-ee-uh), or Fema, as we call her, has practiced Oaxacan culinary alchemy alongside my family for around 12 years. Perhaps alchemy is an exaggeration, but to go from traditional, Southern, not always farm fresh and often over-preserved ingredients, to seeing raw cabbage sliced up as a side to a nice brothy soup, is a quite the difference.
Read MoreI call my dinner parties The Friendsgiving. They don’t know this yet, but it’s a way to thank my friends for just being them; to place them in the same room with folks they’ve never met and cross-pollenate greatness with even more greatness. Literally giving friends to one another.
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