take a drink every time you see THÈ DRAM!*

THÈ DRAM! debuted at Unique earlier this month, with an encore at Ashley Wade's Holiday Salon!

o

THÈ DRAM! is now available at two amazing LA boutiques:  Visionary Boutique and Flock Shop!!!!!  w00t!

{Etsy updates coming soon}

love,

THÈ DRAM!

i have entered the warp zone*

I have been so consumed with preparing THE DRAM! for its UniqueLA debut [Dec. 5 & 6], that I have neglected the weblog -- this means no old sketchbook excerpts or bacon recipes for you.

While I'm busy behind the curtain, take a peep at my profile page on the Unique website, check out 826LA - an awesome nonprofit that will be receiving proceeds from the Unique admission fee - and enjoy the sneak preview below.

Devotion. .Precision!

o

Love,

The Dram!

more facial hair crafts*

I AM A BIZZY BEE preparing for Unique - THE DRAM!'s real-world debut (Pacific Northwest soft launch was this summer).  Halloween added a bit to the workload, including but not limited to handmade albino muttonchops (above) and covering my roommate in tattoos (below).  Green text for creepy Halloween effect.
 o

For Halloweens past, see Conky and Wierd Al.


Stay tuned for more drag arts, conventional arts, domestic triumphs and one spectacular fail!

Love, 

THE DRAM!
MUTTONCHOPS ARE THE NEW MUSTACHE 

garlic bulbils*

From the balcony.  I didn't know what the hey this was, so I consulted the Alluim Forum.  Also this.  You can expect more riveting coverage from my micro-farm in the future.

Love,
The Dram

lifestyle post: leftovers smackdown*

My favorite way to cook is WITHOUT A PLAN.  My skills are at their finest when there is a soupçon of several different ingredients hanging around.  Today's post will demonstrate for you my bacon-use skills.  Bacon is good for you.

oo


|  | || DELICIOUS BROCCOLI IMPROVISATION || |  |

1 strip of bacon, cut in half

some broccoli

leftover linguini

slivered almonds, toasted (optional)

1. fry up the bacon

2. while you're frying the bacon, chop some broccolah

3. remove the finished bacon from the pan; sear the broccoli in the remaining bacon fat - you want it to be bright green and a leeetle bit tender with a hint of charbroiled burnination.

4. once the bacon has cooled, chop it into little pieces.

5. turn the heat off, toss the pasta and the bacon with the broccoli, all in the pan with the hot delicious bacon oils.  throw into a bowl and add toasted slivered almonds if desired.

ooooooooooooooo

Do you find the use of bacon fat off-putting?! Well you are a sissy.  Are you eating Cheetos while you read this?  Maybe you are eating a delicious fast food hamburger.  Those things are way grosser than bacon fat.  (I love you, even when we are arguing.)

I originally wrote this recipe for my family's Foodie Intranet!

art corner: a history of my dark past*

An analog map project I began in 2007 to document the unusual circumstances of a part-time job.

a note on style and lost knowledge regained*

THE DRAM has returned after a brief production hiatus.  Our takeaway from this downtime is that muttonchops are the new mustache (for ladies), and also that you can make popcorn using only loose kernels, a microwave, and a paper lunch bag.  How did this fairly recent bit of domestic folklore escape us?  It is now the only reason I keep a microwave.  Thanks to Sarah of Oh Hai Vintage for helping me to realize my faux facial hair potential.   

Check back often for more magic tricks of civilization.

o
September is missing,
THE DRAM!
o
lo-res lady chops:

it is too hot to wear pants*

 I recently tackled vichyssoise for the first time.  This is a great [old-timey] summertime dish - a potato-leek soup that is served cold.*  My recipe is from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook [which I often read for leisure, along with The Joy of Cooking.  In my kitchen they are both indispensable].

*make it at night for chrissakes!  this dish requires a considerable amount of conventional heat application.  chill overnight and eat the following evening or later - vichyssoise gets tastier over time.  ;)

 

The entire meal became a cold things extravaganza with the addition of the following:

o 

apple parsley salad

salt & pepper cucumbers

blueberries

bolied [then chilled] corn on the cob

o 

The vichyssoise became a pretty improvisational project, as there were only two leeks at my local grocer.  To counter the leek deficiency I added some parsley root, celery root, carrot, endive, and spring onion.  Albeit this did throw off the root-vegetable-to-allium ratio considerably.  Although not a classic vichyssoise, it was delicious!  I topped it with plain yogurt seasoned with salt and pepper, and some snips of chive.

I solicited some dessert help from my friends: team ice-cream making!  Fill a small zip-top freezer bag with your ingredients, and a larger zippie-freezie with ice and rock salt.  Shake for five minutes!  You can find ice-cream-inna-bag recipes here and here and all over the dang web!

 

Each scoop was topped with a rustic peach rum sauce.  All's I did wuz  cook up a single peach [allowing the bottom to burn just a wee tad for a caramelized effect] and add a hit of rum.  Yum!

o 

Hence, dear reader, a perfectly cold dinner to end a sweltering summer day.  *All orchestrated with minimal pants.

o

Love, alien.

nerdly excitedness*

*and progressive language choices

Let us begin with squash blossoms.  Riveting dinner coverage to follow.

Welcome to THE DRAM!

Welcome to THE DRAM!