For My Teenage Readers

Here is something to keep you busy if you have failed to purchase advance tickets to tonight's opening of New Moon in East Hampton, or you can't go until Sunday because you are performing in Pierson High School's excellent production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (tonight and tomorrow at 7pm). This downloadable cross-stitch pattern of Robert Pattinson's face comes courtesy of The Guardian, via my friend in London who pointed me to that excellent newspaper's endlessly amusing life and style blogs. Supplies for this project are available at the Variety Store (45 Main Street, 725-9706).

IGA Item of the Week

I am guessing that I haven't heard from many of you regarding my offer to share my sourdough starter, teeming with wild yeast native to our village, because you all know that sourdough improves with age and attentive feeding, and you've been waiting until it is at its peak of flavor and strength before you stop by to get some. Well, that time is here. Yesterday I made this semolina, golden raisin, and fennel bread (similar to the famous fennel-and-raisin bread baked at Amy's in the city and available sometimes at Citarella in Bridgehampton). The sourdough worked like a charm, giving my bread a great lift, open artisan crumb, and burnished crust just like Amy's bread. To celebrate, I walked over the the IGA and bought 1/4-pound of luxurious Prosciutto di Parma, which they stock, incredibly, right next to the Boar's Head ham. I asked the deli man to slice it not too thick but not too thin (I'm sure he never gets tired of hearing that request!) and then I draped slices over my bread, to serve along with some tomato soup I made in the afternoon.

Please Indulge a Mother's Pride

My 10-year-old, inspired as much by a book she checked out of the Sag Harbor Elementary School Library and Aisle 1 of the Sag Harbor Variety Store as she was by our trip to London, created this model of the London Eye from styrofoam, a paper towel roll, and some Dixie Cups. Tomorrow she shares it with her class.

Planning a Project Once I'm Done Baking Bread

I saw these pretty nautical-looking cotton rope necklaces online and am hoping to make some of my own--once I finish what I'm working on. I've already bought the rope at Emporium Hardware (72 Main Street, 725-0103). But I might have to go to the Sag Harbor Ships Store (53 Bay Street, 725-2458) for help with those end knots.

UPDATE: Oh, no! It looks like these Michelle Lane necklaces are sold out. I guess we really are going to have to figure out how to make them ourselves!

Jell-O Surprise

It was the Dutch Masters treatment of a troll doll that caught my eye as I looked into the window of the Grenning Gallery (17 Washington Street, 725-8479) today on my way to the IGA, but it was artist Anthony Ackrill's brooding Jell-O still life, reminiscent of Rembrandt's apples, that captivated me once I stepped inside. What an unsettling and honest depiction of this strange but colorful food!

IGA Item of the Week

This week's item, anchovy paste, sits on one of the least appealing shelves at the IGA, tucked between Armour potted meat and Underwood deviled ham. But before you hurry by, averting your eyes, pick up a tube of Amore anchovy paste to keep in your refrigerator. Use it to make Caesar salad dressing, compound butter for grilled fish or meat, or blanched vegetables, and as the secret ingredient in a pasta sauce with canned tomatoes, capers, and olives.

Mozzarella and Anchovy Panini
Makes 2 sandwiches

You can also make the sandwiches in a skillet--just melt the butter instead of brushing it over the sandwiches, place them in the pan, and place another heavy pot on top of them. Cook, turning once, until they're golden on both sides. You could let these cool for 5 minutes, cut them into 1-inch pieces, and serve them as appetizers with any seafood friendly white wine, like the Sauvignon Blanc from Jamesport Vineyards or Matebella Vinyard's Matebella Famiglia White.

1 small garlic clove
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
Two 6-inch lengths baguette, sliced in half
3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tablepoon finely chopped piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat your panini press. Rub the cut side of each piece of bread with the garlic clove and then spread some anchovy paste on each side. Arrange the mozzarella on the bottom halves of the baguette pieces, and scatter the peppers over the mozzarella. Top with the remaining baguette slices. Brush the outsides of each sandwich with some melted butter (this is a little messy, but really adds something so don't skip!) and grill until golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

Another Way to Waste Time in Sag Harbor

As the deadline for my bread book approaches, I am taking coffee break procrastination to a new level, walking to Java Nation for whole Espresso beans, grinding them at home (my kitchen smells so good!), and then making cappuccinos for everyone. Do you like my coffee stencil? I am planning on using it on top of my next loaf of Sag Harbor Sourdough Bread...