weekend links + kalimotxo

Last week was a little dizzying. Each day seemed to bring a new flood of news, some good and some terribly disappointing. This weekend, we’re dusting ourselves off a bit and heading to the pool. I am happy to report that a few hours at this place quickly resolve whatever stresses the work week brought with it.

As is often the case, my links are a bit heavy. So let’s begin with something lighter –– the kalimotxo. Our unofficial summer drink is a mix of cola and red wine; add ice and a slice of lemon or lime and you have a surprisingly complex and delicious sip. Seriously. You should try it. Find this and nine other creative ways to make cheap boxed wine awesome over on Cosmopolitan. (And for the critics out there, yes, I do understand the somewhat painful juxtaposition of recommending a cola cocktail and then preaching the gospel of sustainable agriculture and farm-to-table eating. For the record, we went with generic all-sugar cola, which is slightly better than the standard issue.)

Weekend links

1. You need to eat the perfect summer sandwich. (And the Duke’s is not optional.) This post, by the incredibly talented Fred and Elliot of F for Food so perfectly captures the overwhelming, yet delightful heat and humidity of the summer in Virginia and that first really perfect summer tomato. (And then, they had a baby! Another perfect summer creation, to be sure.)

2. “When we try to pick out anything by itself we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” — John Muir. Dan Barber on John Muir and the interconnected ecology of farm-to-table eating.

3. After 12 years, my dear friend Natalie’s amazing home goods store Golden Calf is closing at the end of the month. In a now familiar chain of NYC events, her landlord has decided to sell the land. If you are in the Williamsburg nabe, stop by and pick up something beautiful while you can.

4. Though I love the quality of Eden’s products, I’ll be taking my food dollars elsewhere.

5. PED is having a devastating effect of the pork industry. Yet another excellent reason to question the dominance of the factory farm system, though now the spread of PED is impacting pork farms at every level.

6. Did you see this video? It’s all about me and Brian and the things we love here in Charlottesville. There’s so much inspiration, real talk, and eye-candy over on South of Brooklyn.

And from us recently

1. Caprese everything (Required summer eating.)
2. Large-batch cocktails for summer parties
3. Tiny fruit desserts
4. Summer berry pudding
5. Ramen!
6. 10 easy ways to clean the kitchen naturally
7. Desserts in shot glasses