Dinner with Downton Abbey

Published on April 18, 2016October 28, 2016 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

It’s not every day that a woman receives a castle for Christmas, but indeed that is just exactly what happened to Ms. Jeannie last December. That’s right dear readers, a castle! It might as well have been a box full of magic that’s how excited Ms. Jeannie was with her gift!

Gold, glittery and delicate, Ms. Jeannie hung her magical manor house on a nail above her kitchen doorframe, where it remains year–round as a symbol for whimsy, wonder and unexpected surprises. Passing underneath it every day, she is inspired by the stories it symbolizes and by the possibilities of passion. Without Julian Fellowes interest in history and his love of storytelling we would have never known Downton Abbey and in turn we would have never known this blog post.

This week Ms. Jeannie is featuring a twist on a recipe from the 2014 coffee table book, A Year In the Life of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes (Julian’s niece!). This is one of several Downton Abbey coffee table books that has been released throughout the series, but by far this is Ms. Jeannie’s favorite. It breaks down Season 5 specifically month by month as far as story lines and contains a lot of behind the scenes info on costumes, hair and makeup and cast/crew interviews. It also contains recipes of the types of fare that the Crawley family would have enjoyed with each passing season.

On page 132 in the middle of the month of May, you’ll find this elegant recipe…

tucked amidst the stories swirling around Rose’s coming out season. Her presentation at Court signifies her debutante status for the season, and the chapter is filled with the proper attire, mannerisms and preoccupations that such a lady would have experienced during this exciting time in the mid-1920’s. In all its behind-the-scenes glory, the chapter is also filled with the challenges the crew faced in filming the stand-in location for Buckingham Palace (which was actually Lancaster House in London) and the massive undertaking of outfitting and making up the large ensemble cast of extras at the debutante ball.

While the scenes in the book (and on film!) were quite elaborate for the month of May, the recipe was quite simple… Asparagus Tart. Ideal in the eating seasonably chart, asparagus is at its peek of flavor in late Spring and can be enjoyed in any dish ranging from breakfast to dinner. It is also party perfect because of its straight-lined style and a lovely way of being quite adaptable to artistic displays of culinary wonder.

There was only one slight problem with all this. After discovering the recipe, Ms. Jeannie had just returned from market with a basketful of two other shooting stars of the spring season – sweet onions and spinach and sadly, no asparagus. So she improvised, playing a little game of surprise with Mrs. Patmore. By switching out some ingredients for others but retaining the same tart crust and the same measurements of additional ingredients, Ms. Jeannie made a similar tart that would have served all party-goers just as well during the season. This is what she made…

Spinach, Sweet Onion & Camembert Tart

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

Salt and Pepper to taste

5 tablespoons butter

1/4^th cup ice water

A handful of fresh spinach

½ of a large sweet onion, very thinly sliced

4 eggs

1 1/4^th cups organic vanilla soy milk (or light cream if you prefer)

4 tablespoons of chopped Camembert cheese

One pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sift the flour in a mixing bowl with a large pinch of salt. Cut up the butter in small chunks and incorporate it into the flour until you get a crumb-like texture. Add the ice water and mix together with your hands until you can form a ball of dough.
Dust your workspace with flour and roll dough out in all directions so that it becomes large enough to fill an 8”inch tart pan. Place the dough in the pan, trim the extra edges with a knife and prick the dough all over with a fork. Insert baking beans into the tart shell and place in oven for 20 minutes. If you don’t have baking beans, which help weight down the dough and keep it from puffing up, you can place a pan on top of the dough – just make sure that the pan is oven friendly and fits the entire inside dimension of the tart.
While the crust is baking, rinse the spinach and thinly slice the onions (so thin that they are almost transparent!). Set both ingredients aside.
In a bowl beat together the eggs, milk and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Remove the tart crust from the oven. Remove the baking beans or the weighted pan and return the tart crust back to the oven for 5 more minutes.
Remove the tart crust from the oven and fill it with the egg mixture until it is about ¾ full. You might have extra egg left over. Evenly sprinkle the cheese in the egg mixture. Gently float the onions in a circular pattern on top of the eggs and cheese. Then add the spinach on top of the onions in the same circular fashion. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes checking often to make sure that the tart is not bubbling over or browning too quickly. Serve immediately right out of the oven!

Depending on the time of day that you enjoy this tart, additional accompaniments that would work great alongside it include: a mixed fruit/berry sampler or a vegetable salad, potato pancakes, buttered rolls with jam compote, a juice smoothie or sliced chicken for a more protein packed affair. Or just embrace your inner purist and serve it as is!

Just like the pretty presentation of Rose’s debut, this tart also makes perfectly wonderful party food for modern day May. Whether you are surprising Mom with brunch on Mother’s Day, hosting a bridal shower for your best friend or just getting together for an informal event, this recipe promises easy and effortless entertaining.

*If you’d like to make the asparagus version simply omit the spinach, onion and camembert and replace them with 8-10 stalks of asparagus, 4 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of fresh thyme.

Cheers and happy Downton daydreaming!

And as a final side note: new items were added to the shop last week all with an “F’ theme: french books, fire hoses and florals! Stop by for a peek!

Clockwise from top left: Vintage rubber lined fire hose fabric, 1960s French mystery novel, Le Juane Chien by Georges Simenon, Vintage fire hose coupling, Vintage 1970′ s French theater book, L’Avant-Grde Theatrale, Collection of six vintage fire hose couplings, Vintage Fire hose fabric, 1950s botanical Azalea flower bookplate, 1960’s French phrase book

A Book By Its Cover

Published on April 15, 2016April 15, 2016 by In The Vintage KitchenLeave a comment

It is not often that Ms. Jeannie will tell you to judge a book by its cover, but in the case of Destiny Bay, a vintage fiction novel recently listed in her shop, she wholeheartedly recommends it. In an on-going conversation about book collections and what fuels them, we’ve talked about book batches centered around a favorite author (F. Scott Fitzgerald!) or a common theme (Africa!). Today’s post is all about the first impressions that draw us in and keep us going – the face of the book. A book’s aesthetic is often one of the key motivations in amassing a collection. Some people collect books with eye-catching covers for their color arrangement…

or for their stunning graphic layout and design…

Book covers from the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's — Book covers from the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s

Collections can be built around books from a specific time period, like this antique collection…

This is an antique collection with gorgeous decorated book spines.

or for the artist behind the image like these contemporary book covers designed by Chip Kidd…

In the case of Destiny Bay, there are a lot of things going for it in the pretty presentation department. By far, it is one of the most attractive books that has ever come across Ms. Jeannie’s bookshelves.

From its whimsical illustration, complimentary color palette and stylish graphics this edition of Destiny Bay fires on all cylinders in the book cover department.

The story, originally published in 1925 by Irish American writer Donn Bryne, centers around the MacFarlane family of Ulster County, Ireland and combines romance, comedy and tragedy. The story is set against the sweeping Irish countryside with its beautiful topography, exiting horse race tracks, and idyllic country estates and features an eccentric cast of characters including blind Aunt Jenepher, gypsy Lady Clontarf, butler James Carabine and red-blooded Uncle Valentino to name a few. Combining the themes and characters of the book California artist Frank McIntosh (1901-1985) illustrated a cover that symbolizes the bright green landscape of Ireland and the colorful personalities of the family.

The stylized dust jacket via font and graphics are a nod towards art deco – the 1920’s style that was popular when the book first debuted. The colors are a compliment in opposites with bright spring greens and tangerine oranges each elegantly outlined in black ink. An overall dramatic and glamorous aesthetic that always seems to be in vogue no matter what the decade!

McIntosh built quite a career utilizing the sleek lines and sophisticated detailings that became so iconic of his work. He came of age in the 1920’s which no doubt left quite an impression on him and he carried that passion throughout his design career. Taking him from California all the way around the world to Paris and back again, he traveled in both commercial art circles and fine art circles. These are three of his beautiful covers for Asia Magazine…

We know from Destiny Bay, he was also a book designer and most of his work in the publishing world carried the same delicate disposition…

A robust career in advertising and freelance illustration left time to exhibit independently as well and kept his title of working artist relevant throughout most of the 20th century. Examples of his work in popular poster form are all so highly collectible now…

That makes Mr. Frank McIntosh a superstar in Ms. Jeannie’s world! His books look stunning on a shelf and his posters look equally amazing next to the shelf! So go ahead dear readers appreciate Destiny Bay for face value, and in doing so you’ll be pleased to discover that the story is equally beautiful as well! A gem of vintage book collecting all wrapped up in pretty package! Find the book here.

Open up more discussion on why you like to collect books by adding your thoughts in the comments section below!

Pinkie and Blue, The Two Thomas’ and The Couple That Never Was…

Published on April 7, 2016December 30, 2021 by In The Vintage Kitchen16 Comments

She stands poised and serene on the sea rocks underneath a blustery sky. He stands confident and bold, like a fashionable Fauntleroy against the backdrop of a golden grey garden. At first glance, they are similar in subject, stance and appearance. They are similar in color palette, context and composition, in attitude and affluence. But their sameness doesn’t stop there. Embedded beneath the patina of paint and brushstroke runs a strange series of coincidences and ironies that bind both painters and subjects together in an unusual web of wonder.

If you walk into just about any antique shop today, you’ll most undoubtedly see the 18th century images of Pinkie and The Blue Boy reproduced in an assortment of different ways. Most commonly they peek out from behind matching frames of varying ages and styles like this…

Two Large Framed Prints of Pinkie and The Blue Boy from Happy Go Vintage

but they also appear on a variety of creative endeavors from ceramic vases to needlepoint pillows from coffee mugs to calendars and most collectibles in-between.

From top left: 1. Blue Boy Plate 2. Handmade Blue Boy Doll 3. Pinkie and Blue Boy Paint By Numbers 4. Pinkie and Blue Playing Cards 5. Blue Boy Cabochons

As two of the art world’s most commonly printed masterpieces, they are almost always presented as a pair… a portrait of teenagers on the cusp of an adult world. A nod to young love, first love, new love and a symbol of tenderness, confidence, potential and optimism.

But you can’t always judge a painting by its presentation. Pinkie and The Blue Boy as a couple are the result of time-worn perception and assumption. Painted by two different artists in two different decades, Pinkie and Blue were never meant to be together.

It wasn’t until the 1920s, roughly 150 years after they were painted, that this romantic perception took hold thanks to American railroad tycoon and enthusiastic art collecto,r Henry Edwards Huntington. Purchased in England during the American heyday of British portraiture, Huntington brought these two paintings across the ocean to California where he placed them in his library opposite one another.

The general public was then invited to come and take a look. From that moment forward Pinkie and The Blue Boy became associated as a couple forever linked by free association.

But oddly enough had Pinkie and Blue met in real-life and lived during the same time frame, they most likely could have been an actual real couple. They had so many similarities in common that relating to each other would have been as breezy as their painted backgrounds.

The linking of back stories between not only Pinkie and Blue, but also their painters and their collector is equally strong. Here are five people entwined in a strange sort of web that is made of parallels in all directions.

Let’s look at the links….

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PINKIE & BLUE: Personal Lives

Painted somewhere around 1770, by famed British artist Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788), The Blue Boy, is thought to be the commissioned portrait of Jonathan Buttall, who came from a wealthy English iron-trading family.

At the time the portrait was completed, Jonathan was about 18 years old. His father had died two years earlier leaving Jonathan to run the retail iron business and attend to the massive fortune it procured.

Pinkie, the nickname of Sarah Goodin Barrett Moulton, sat for her portrait with equally esteemed English artist Thomas Lawrence in 1794. At the time of the painting she was eleven years old, and also without a father, who had abandoned her family several years earlier.

Like Jonathan, Sarah also came from wealthy stock. The Moultons made their fortune in the lucrative business of exporting rum and sugar from Jamaica. At the time of this portrait, Pinkie was two years into a stay in England – a dramatic move made for educational purposes that took her far away from her home country of Jamaica. Just like Jonathan adjusting to a new business environment, Pinkie was adjusting to a new living environment. They were both wealthy, young, fatherless and undergoing challenging transitions.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN JONATHAN & THOMAS LAWRENCE: Debt

Although affable and kind-hearted, Jonathan did not turn out to have quite the same knack for financial business savvy that his father possessed. After two decades Jonathan was so loaded down in debt he was forced to file bankruptcy and auction off his belongings including his own portrait.

Thomas Lawrence (the painter of Pinkie) was one of the most popular portrait artists of his day and a favorite of the royal courts. He worked constantly and consistently, but to the puzzlement of those around him, was always in debt. Throughout his career he continually relied on financial support from benefactors and loans from his friends and left little fortune when he died.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN JONATHAN AND THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH: Music

Gainsborough, at the time that he was commissioned to paint The Blue Boy, was looking to break into the theatrical art set of creative London. He appreciated the city’s cultured manner, their love of music and drama and their acceptance of artistic endeavors. But in order to fall in seamlessly with this crowd, he felt he had to step up his game as far as skill-level and painting technique. So he studied the style that he most admired, Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck…

Anthony Van Dyck’s portrait of Charles I of England, painted in in 1635.

Through Gainsborough’s own evolution of painting style that was directly influenced by the work of Van Dyck, you can see what an impression the one artist had on the other…

Gainsborough's evolution of style: (left to right) Before studying Van Dyck, sketching like Van Dyck, Painting like van Dyck — Gainsborough’s evolution of style: (left to right) Before studying Van Dyck, Sketching like Van Dyck, Painting like Van Dyck

When Gainsborough met and became friends with the Buttall family he took a particular interest in young Jonathan who enjoyed a similar love of music. Gainsborough introduced his refined painting style (modeled after Van Dyck’s work) in his portrait of Jonathan, which became one of England’s most treasured paintings and Gainsborough’s most notable work. Gainsborough treasured his friendship with Jonathan for the rest of his life.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH & THOMAS LAWRENCE: The Royal Academy of Arts

Aside from the obvious facts that they were both portrait artists, both named Thomas, and both incredibly talented, the two Thomas’ were also big-time supporters of their trade. Separated by a generation in age, Thomas Gainsborough, the elder of the two, was a founding member in The Royal Academy of Arts which opened in London in 1768 as an exhibition venue and an educational support center for artists. Thomas Lawrence became its 4th president in 1820. While it is known that Lawrence was an admirer of Gainsborough’s work, it is uncertain if the two ever met.

royal-academy-of-arts-burlington-house-courtyard-view-towards-entrance-arch — The Royal Academy of Arts in London. Photo by Davis Landscape Architecture.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PINKIE AND THOMAS LAWRENCE: Early Death

Tragically, Pinkie never made it to adulthood. She died a year after her portrait was painted possibly from complications of an upper respiratory infection. Her painter, Thomas Lawrence also died unexpectedly from a heart attack at the age of 60.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM ALL: Love

In all its varied forms, from the passions of collecting, to the comfort of friendship, to the dedication of career, and to the lofty assumptions of amorous awakenings, Pinkie and The Blue Boy connected not only these five people but also millions of people around the world with one word: love.

Art is wonderful in uniting individuals, spawning ideas, energizing imaginations and recording place and time. Antique paintings like Pinkie and The Blue Boy serve not only as intimate proof of two young lives lived centuries ago, but they also serve as a playground for creative thought, intuitive whimsy and a universal need to understand and draw connections. And even though their association is not entirely based in accuracy, the fact that they were blended together in the 1920s and remain blended together today is a wonderful example of our human race’s need to connect and associate.

Sometimes making up a story is more unifying than defining an actual reality. That’s the beauty of art. That’s the beauty of Pinkie and the Blue Boy.

Interested in learning about more vintage art? Check out these two art history books here.

The New “Old”…

Published on April 1, 2016April 3, 2016 by In The Vintage KitchenLeave a comment

Ms. Jeannie is hard at work on a new art related blog post that will be coming out shortly. In the meantime, she wanted to share the new batch of old items that have just arrived in her shop. In this mix you’ll find:

The fun thing about this mix is that they are all hand-touched. From the choice of colors on the magnificent horse head bust to the choice of beads in the gracefully delicate sweater, each piece has been crafted with an artist’s eye and close attention has been paid to detail.

They also make for unique decorating and festive conversations! The decanter set is ready for a little outdoor entertaining, the antique basket is ready for a little garden gathering and nothing says rest and relaxation like a pot of tea and a good book. A new season is here and new stories are now unfolding!

If you like being kept abreast of new shop items in this fashion, please let Ms. Jeannie know in the comments section. Some new changes are coming to the blog over the next month and Ms. Jeannie wants to be sure to include all your favorite topics.

Cheers to a wonderful weekend ahead and Happy April!

60 Pieces of Curiosity: Vintage Scraps of Paper Found in Old Books

Published on March 25, 2016March 26, 2016 by In The Vintage Kitchen4 Comments

As a vintage bookseller, Ms. Jeannie often comes into contact with various bits and pieces of paper tucked inside old books. Sometimes they are just blank scraps acting as an impromptu bookmark or place holder and other times they are incredible finds worthy of their own story like the White House letter Ms. Jeannie found tucked away in a vintage art book last year.

Today’s picture post is all about the pieces of paper ephemera that Ms. Jeannie has found in vintage books over the past few years. Each tells their own story about past readers, past events and past importance. They range from the commonplace (names, numbers and business cards) to the intimate (photographs, holiday cards, a letter to family that mentions Hitler and the war in Europe); from the topical (advertisements, recipes, lists) to the nostalgic (a letter detailing what to pack for camp) and from the unusual (a receipt from a cat breeder) to the campy (travel postcards). All these pieces of paper came from books published before 1970 but they cover a wide time span of the last century. The oldest is a scrap of paper dating to the late 1800’s and the most current is a handwritten recipe from 1980. Because they offer glimpses into past lives, Ms. Jeannie has blocked out any personal info that might still be traceable today so you’ll notice a few have some blocked out parts, but other than that they are unaltered. Let’s look..

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Photographs are especially interesting. Was this woman below someone’s sweetheart? A sister, a friend, a reminder not to be forgotten?

In the swoop of a cursive letter or the fold of an envelope or the mark of a typewriter key each piece denotes a moment in someone’s life that ties us to humanity. From the 1950’s photographer who was late on his bills to the woman “enduring life as it comes” to the first time camper getting ready to spend a summer week away, these moments of tangible history are compelling in a timeless way. Just like vintage books! Endlessly fascinating, a book is not only a story between two boards but also a holder of life between two worlds.

This is just Part One of the paper collection. Look for Part Two coming soon later this season…

until then… happy reading!

Brush Up on Your Brogue: 1895 Style!

Published on March 17, 2016 by In The Vintage KitchenLeave a comment

Happy happy St. Patrick’s Day dear readers! In celebration of the holiday Ms. Jeannie is highlighting the biggest deal of the day in publishing back in 1895. The book is Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush by Scottish author Ian Maclaren.

This book is a beauty in the presentation department with decorated board covers in deep green and pale olive accentuated with gold embossed lettering and a four leaf clover design…

An immediate international sensation Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush sold over 700,000 copies upon release and set Maclaren on the literary road to becoming the most prominent Scottish writer of his generation.

The pen name of John Watson, Maclaren, in addition to being a writer, was also a student of religion. The Bonnie Brier, his first book tells the stories of a cast of colorful characters from rural Scotland using their true dialect which makes it fun to read aloud. The settings and characters were inspired by Maclaren’s own experiences as a traveling minister in and around Perthshire, Scotland, which is still wonderfully pastoral today…

perthshire — Perthshire, Scotland. Photo courtesy of the Perthshire Visitor Center.

As Ms. Jeannie mentioned in her previous post, over the next several months she’ll be discussing book collections and how and why they are formed. This book in particular is a part of Ms. Jeannie’s character-ridden collection because it contains loose pages, lots of pencil markings and frayed edging. Ms. Jeannie loves these books most of all because of their appearance. Like the antique leather bound law books she she sold out of in her shop, this book contains so much personality in its shabby demeanor.

maclaren5

The pencil and pen marks are a real source of wonder. Who made them? When, why and how long ago? How many people over the course of the last one hundred years have read this book, flipped through it’s pages, touched its cover? Has it traveled by satchel, by boat, by carriage? Was it carried in-hand via motor car, trolley, subway or bicycle? Has it seen the inside of a dozen bookshops, or one public library or lived on bookshelves in countless private homes? Just what exactly could this story behind the story be? Its a definite source of endless day dreaming?!

A popular pastime on St. Patrick’s Day is reciting limericks at the pub. But this year Ms. Jeannie challenges you to reading a page in authentic Scottish brogue, Maclaren style, as pints travel ’round the table tonight.

He may not be there in person to witness your brogue-ish attempts, but Maclaren will definietly be there in spirit as you lift your glass and toast to Scotch-Irish heritage! Cheers to a merry night dear readers direct from the Bonnie Brier Bush.

Reading Seasonably: 15 Vintage Books That Begin in Spring

Published on March 15, 2016March 15, 2016 by In The Vintage Kitchen3 Comments

Happy Spring dear readers! It seems only fitting that the season so well-known for new beginnings and fresh starts would spill over into the world of books as well. In Spring, the words “chapter one” are both literal and figurative. Ms. Jeannie thought it would be fun to look at the variety of one season as it traveled through a century of books and affected a century’s worth of readers. Words are blooming on the vintage bookshelf! Let’s take in the view…

Tender is the Night - F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1939 — #1. Tender Is the Night – F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1939

We Were There with Lewis and Clark - James Munves, 1959 — #2. We Were There with Lewis and Clark – James Munves, 1959

The Confidence-Man - Herman Melville, 1857 — #3. The Confidence-Man – Herman Melville, 1857

American Captan - Edson Marshall , 1954 — #4. American Captan – Edson Marshall , 1954

The Royal Road to Romance - Richard Halliburton, 1925 — #5. The Royal Road to Romance – Richard Halliburton, 1925

On Golden Pond - Ernest Thompson , 1979 — #6. On Golden Pond – Ernest Thompson , 1979

The Diary of Anais Nin: Volume Four 1944-1947 - Anais Nin , 1971 — #7. The Diary of Anais Nin: Volume Four 1944-1947 – Anais Nin , 1971

The Seven Caves - Carleton S. Coon, 1957 — #8. The Seven Caves – Carleton S. Coon, 1957

Land of Sky-Blue Waters - August Derleth, 1955 — #9. Land of Sky-Blue Waters – August Derleth, 1955

Letters of a Woman Homesteader - Elinore Pruitt Stewart, 1914 — #10. Letters of a Woman Homesteader – Elinore Pruitt Stewart, 1914

The Friendly Road - David Grayson, 1913 — #11. The Friendly Road – David Grayson, 1913

Theophilus North - Thornton Wilder, 1973 — #12. Theophilus North – Thornton Wilder, 1973

The Shoulders of Atlas - Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, 1908 — #13. The Shoulders of Atlas – Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, 1908

I'd Rather Be Flying - Frank Kingston Smith , 1962 — #14. I’d Rather Be Flying – Frank Kingston Smith , 1962

The Roosevelt Myth - John T. Flynn, 1948 — #15. The Roosevelt Myth – John T. Flynn, 1948

That’s 122 years of Spring in one blog post! In keeping with tradition, this is the first post in a series about book collections that centers around a common theme. Lots of people collect books for lots of different reasons which makes for a big variety of interesting bookshelves. Ms. Jeannie collects books on travel writing, Africa and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Mr. Jeannie collects books on inventors, big ideas and Frank Lloyd Wright. Some people collect books by color or by cover, by title or by theme, by genre or design. Bookshelves are extensions of ourselves and how we choose to see the world. What kinds of books do you collect? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

*** To celebrate the new season, Ms. Jeannie is having a book sale! Take 15% off your next book purchase thru March 20th using coupon code SPRINGBLOG15 upon checkout. Book #3, #5, #12 and #13 are available in Ms. Jeannie’s shop along with a bevy of others here. ***

Happy collecting!

Save the Monarch: Plant a Milkweed!

Published on March 11, 2016March 10, 2016 by In The Vintage Kitchen4 Comments

Last year Ms. Jeannie traveled approximately 13,000 miles via car over the course of 52 weeks. Last year the North American monarch butterfly traveled 3,000 miles via wing over the course of nine weeks. Ms. Jeannie mainly drove around her neighborhood and her city with a few side trips around the state. Butterfly flew halfway across the North American continent, traveling through at least six United States, one Canadian province, and half of Mexico.

On average last year Ms. Jeannie traveled about 39 miles a day via car. On average last year, Butterfly traveled 47 miles per day via wing on her two and half month road trip. Ms. Jeannie’s car runs on gasoline which brought her to the fill-up station about 120 times over the course of the year. Butterfly runs on nectar which brought her to the fill-up station about eight times during the course of her journey.

Ms. Jeannie’s car is an incredible piece of machinery able to get her from here to there on a whim’s notice. But Ms. Jeannie’s car is nothing compared to the flying machine that encapsulates the strength and stamina of a migrating monarch. Butterfly’s migration is one of nature’s most epic adventures, which is why you’ll find a photo of her pinned to Ms. Jeannie’s true adventurers board on Pinterest. That’s the place where all of history’s great travelers and outside-of-the-box thinkers congregate and where Ms. Jeannie heads when she needs a little inspiration.

A partal list of true adventurers. Clockwise from top left: Photographer Imogen Cunningham, Elizabeth Taylor, Monarch Butterfly, Explorer Tom Crean, Aviator Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Explorer Jacques Cousteau. To visit Ms. Jeannie's board and see all the adventurers click the photo. — A partial list of true adventurers… clockwise from top left: photographer Imogen Cunningham, actress Elizabeth Taylor, epic traveler Monarch Butterfly, explorer Tom Crean, aviator Anne Morrow Lindbergh and explorer Jacques Cousteau. To visit Ms. Jeannie’s board and see all the adventurers click the photo.

Along with all icons who undertake brave and unbelievable feats there is almost always a strong support system behind them. Julia Child had her husband Paul, Jacques Cousteau had a research foundation, Anne Frank had her diary. And so it goes with butterflies. Monarch has the milkweed.

Vintage 1953 botanical print of the showy milkweed painted by Mary Vaux Walcott. — This vintage 1953 botanical print of the showy milkweed painted by Mary Vaux Walcott is availiable in Ms. Jeannie’s shop.

Bright, beautiful and stately in size (up to 6 feet tall!), the milkweed plant is where Butterfly takes refuge. It’s the one place that not only offers a safe and idyllic spot to lay her eggs but it also offers the only source of nourishment to her babies in the form of a food when the wee ones are in the larval stage.

It’s the fill-up station for the winged world delicates! There used to be billions of monarch butterflies floating around our skies, but now there are only millions. Their significant decline in numbers is due in part to the disappearance of the milkweed plant. Commercial farming and urbanization has cleared the earth in important areas along the migratory trail of the butterflies and the resting spots where they congregate making it increasingly more difficult for monarch butterflies to reach maturity.

Not having enough milkweed plants to butterflies is like not having enough gas stations for cars. Each needs the other and each won’t operate without the help of the other. So this is where you come in… as a cheerleader, support staffer, tribe member and all around champion of the mighty monarch you can make an immediate difference in the life of a winged wonder by planting milkweed seeds in your garden or your balcony flower pots or by scattering seeds in grass lots around your neighborhood. It doesn’t matter if you live in California, or New York, Arizona or Maine all milkweed plantings in all states help one cause. You’ll be sustaining the lives of migrating butterflies as well as assisting other pollinators that bring so much benefit to so many other creatures both in and out of the garden.

There’s also an added bonus to being helpful. Milkweed flowers are beautiful! Available in a range of colors from red orange to pink to pale peach they are named after the milk colored latex coursing through their stems (a defense mechanism), which makes them unattractive to chewing worms.

Vintage Wildflower Guide published in 1948 by Edgar T. Wherry. Read more about this book here. — There was lots of interesting milkweed information in this vintage wildflower guide published in 1948 by Edgar T. Wherry. Read more about this book here.

Much prettier than any gas station or rest stop area for cars, these fill-up stations for butterflies have been around since the 17th century and contain over 140 different varieties. As a family they are known as Asclepias with a petal layout complexity most closely associated to that of orchids. As one of nature’s most intricate flowers they are made up of a collection of petals on a spray of delicate stems that eventually meet in one main stalk – sort of like the flower head of Queen Anne’s Lace or a loose version of the flowering garlic bulb. Leaves also range in color depending on the variety from silver green to dark emerald.

When the milkweed goes to seed it forms a pod of white silky hairlike plumes that launch on a breezy day, spreading seed around the neighborhood like pin-sized snowdrops. Imagine a whole gigantic field blowing in the wind at once – it would a veritable summer storm of beauty!

Easy to grow and care for, you can find seeds for under $2.00 a pack at Botanical Interests (Ms. Jeannie’s favorite seed company) or at your local garden center. March – May are perfect times to plant Milkweed in time for fall harvest and fall migration.

If you are a travel lover like Ms. Jeannie, you’ll appreciate the need to help our fellow flying friends get to where they need to go. Road trippers need to look out for one another on the highways of life, so Ms. Jeannie hopes that you will join her this summer in the great garden challenge – Milkweed for the Monarchs! Throughout the spring and summer she’ll be keeping you updated on her butterfly garden’s progress. It would be incredible if you did too:)

To see just how exciting it is to help and host butterflies, visit Ms. Jeannie’s 2013 archives when the season of the swallowtails unfolded week by week right here on the blog.

Happy helping dear readers!

*All butterfly photos courtesy of pinterest.

Tahiti Bound: An Exotic Adventure in the Vintage Kitchen!

Published on February 25, 2016October 5, 2022 by In The Vintage KitchenLeave a comment

This week in the Vintage Kitchen we are going on an exotic adventure to the beautiful beachy, balmy enclave of Papeete on the French Polynesian island of Tahiti. The weather in Ms. Jeannie’s world recently has been crazy. She’s seen it all – frost, snow, heat, humidity, rain, strong winds, fog, sleet, hail, and tornado warnings all just within the past 14 days. And while the air and temperatures of the past few weeks have been very unsettled, Ms. Jeannie is excited because all of this wacky end-of-winter weather means that sunny Spring will be here very very soon!

While she waits for Mother Nature to get her schedule sorted out, Ms. Jeannie has been daydreaming of tropical island breezes thanks to the help of Mr. Victor Bergeron and his 1968 Pacific Island Cookbook.

If you are unfamiliar with Victor’s full name, you might know him by his more casual moniker, Trader Vic, the king of 20th-century hospitality. A worldwide traveler and an enigmatic restaurateur Victor founded the world’s first highly successful string of polynesian-themed restaurants.

Victor Bergeron (1903-1984) the founder of Trader Vic’s restaurant chain.

First opened in the 1950s in California, the still growing Trader Vic’s restaurant brand was a re-invention of Bergeron’s first attempt in the food industry with his humble lodge-style eatery and bar called Hinky Dink’s which he opened in 1934.

Victor smiles for a photoshoot in a 1951 issue of Holiday magazine. — Victor smiles for a photo shoot in a 1951 issue of Holiday magazine.

Learning the ropes in the food industry taught him a lot those first twenty years, so by the time Trader Vic’s (the restaurant) launched, Victor was a skilled businessman with a big flair for entertaining and fine-tuned instincts as to what people wanted in a dining experience. As a lover of Cantonese-style cooking, Bergeron married exceptional storytelling, authentic exotic antique decorations, and traditional South Seas recipes with a festive dining atmosphere to create a unique brand of restaurant chemistry that appealed to the adventure seeker and jet-setter of mid-century America. It was the rise of all things terrifically tiki.

Victor’s travel experiences are all colorfully detailed in his cookbook making it a sort of fun travel journal and kitchen cooking primer in one. And then there are the drinks! In addition to cooking, Victor was also a mixologist creating a slew of enticing cocktails, like the first Mai Tai, which launched a wave of tropical drink requests for bartenders from then on out. Escapism never tasted so sweet!

Which gets us back to Ms. Jeannie’s island getaway in the kitchen this February day. With 30-degree temperatures chilling the air outside, Ms. Jeannie cracked open coconuts, peeled ginger, poured a rum cocktail, and got down to cooking all the while pretending she was beach-side in Papeete where the view looks like this…

tahiti3 — Vintage Tahitian postcard of Papeete.

Cheers to Victor! It’s Pota on the menu tonight served alongside steamed rice and chicken sauced with coconut ginger.

Pota

4 tablespoons diced salt pork

1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken

5 cups coarsely chopped Bok Choy

4 tablespoons chopped green onions (scallions)

1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt & Pepper to taste

Juice of 1/2 lemon

4 tablespoons coconut milk

2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Saute salt pork until brown in large skillet. Add chicken, chard and green onion.
Stir in chicken stock, seasonings and lemon juice. Simmer until chard is tender.
Add coconut milk, bring to a boil but just barely. Thicken with cornstarch, stirring constantly, adding just enough to thicken the mixture.
Serve immediately or keep warm over low heat until chicken and rice are ready.

Chicken with Ginger

1 whole chicken, 5 lbs

1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 piece fresh ginger root (about the length of your thumb finger), grated

1/4 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut chicken in pieces. Do not remove the skin.
Place chicken, flour and salt and paper in a paper bag and shake until all chicken pieces are well-coated.
Heat the oil in a large pan on the stovetop and then saute the chicken, turning only once, until thoroughly cooked on each side (internal temperature should be 180).
Remove chicken from heat and place in oven-proof dish.
In a separate bowl mix together coconut milk and ginger. Pour over chicken and place dish in the oven for 5 minutes until the coconut sauce melts.

Serve alongside Pota and steamed rice and a fun fruity cocktail! Perhaps a homemade Mai Tai or two in Victor’s honor. He’d be as pleased as (rum) punch!

A Tahitian Dinner: Pote and Chicken with GInger — A Tahitian Dinner: Pote and Chicken with Ginger

This is a surefire recipe to chase away those end-of-winter blues. Satisfying for the spirit and for the belly! Find more Trader Vic recipes here. And more tropical cookbooks here. Manuia!

20 Vintage Books That Became Contemporary Movies

Published on February 17, 2016 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

Boring. Irrelevant. Out of touch. Those are three of the most common misconceptions Ms. Jeannie encounters when discussing vintage books. How could something written 50, 100 or even 200 years ago still be compelling in today’s modern world? Thanks to the lovely marriage between film and books Ms. Jeannie is going to show you how with these 20 examples of old books that made fabulous modern films. Movie trailers are linked to each picture, so click on any and all to get a feel for story lines. Chances are if you like the movie (or in this case, the trailer) than you’ll love the book even more!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was a short story written by James Thurber in 1942 in this collection of his work. The movie starring Ben Stiller was released in 2013. — The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was a short story written by James Thurber in 1942 and published in a collection of his short works, My World and Welcome To It that same year. The movie, starring Ben Stiller was released in 2013.

There Will Be Blood was based on the book, Oil by Upton Sinclair which was published in 1927. The Academy Award-winning movie, starring Daniel Day Lewis was released in 2007. — There Will Be Blood was based on the book, Oil by Upton Sinclair which was published in 1927. The Academy Award-winning movie, starring Daniel Day-Lewis was released in 2007.

The Nutcracker ballet was based on a novella written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816. The movie version of the ballet starring Macaulay Culkin was released in 1993.

Miss Julie was a play written by Swedish author August Strindberg in 1888. It was made into a beautifully filmed movie starring Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell in 2014.

The Last of the Mohicans was a book written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. Daniel Day Lewis starred in the film version in 1992. — The Last of the Mohicans was a book written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. Daniel Day-Lewis starred in the film version in 1992.

Jerzy Kosinski published Being There in 1971. Peter Sellers starred in the film adaptation in 1979.

In 1782 French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos wrote Les Liaisons Danger. Just under 200 years later, the movie Dangerous Liasiasons premiered starring Glenn Close — In 1782 French author Pierre Choderlos de Laclos wrote Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Two hundred years later, in 1988, Glenn, John and Michelle starred in the film version.

Truman Capote created flawed heroine Holly Golightly in 1958. Audrey Hepburn made her iconic in the film adaptation in 1961. — Truman Capote created flawed heroine Holly Golightly in 1958. Audrey Hepburn made her famous in the film adaptation in 1961.

In 1899, Joseph Conrad wrote the book Heart of Darkness which became the inspiration for the 1979 Francis Ford Coppola film Apocalypse Now. — Joseph Conrad wrote the book Heart of Darkness which was first serialized in Blackwood’s Magazine in 1899. The story became the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s legendary film Apocalypse Now in 1979.

Karen Blixen published her memoirs of life on an African coffee plantation under the name Isak Dinensen in 1937. Meryl Streep brought her to life on the big screen in 1985. — Karen Blixen published her memoirs, Out of Africa, about life on an African coffee plantation under the name Isak Dinesen in 1937. Meryl Streep brought her to life on the big screen in 1985.

The king of science fiction writing, Philip K. Dick wrote the magically titled novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in 1968. The story was adapted for film in 1982 titled Blade Runner. — The king of science fiction writing, Philip K. Dick wrote the magically titled novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? in 1968. The story was adapted for film in 1982 and re-titled Blade Runner.

Vanity Fair was written in 1848 by William Makepeace Thackeray. Mira Nair adapted it beautifully to film in 2004 starring Reese Witherspoon.

in the late 1940's Thor Hyerdahl defied logic by following the path of KonTiki across the ocean on a primative sailing vessal. He published his account of the experience in 1953. In 2012 a group of Scandinavian filmmakers brought the nail-biting, edge of your seat experience and infectious spirit of adventure to the big screen. — In the late 1940’s Thor Heyerdahl defied all logic by following the path of KonTiki across the ocean on a primitive sailing vessel. He published his account of the experience in 1953. In 2012 a group of Scandinavian filmmakers brought the nail-biting, edge of your seat adventure to the big screen.

Dashiell Hammett wrote The Maltese Falcon in 1930. It became a popular film-noir in 1941 thanks to Humphrey Bogart.

Before Gene Wilder (1971) and Johnny Depp (2005) entertained us as Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, author Roald Dahl created a candy-coated world for kids in his 1964 confectionary.

Evelyn Waugh wowed the world with his literary wonder Brideshead Revisited in 1945. In 2008 Matthew Goode turned out a handsome performance in the beautifully captured film adaptation.

Doctor Zhivago swept the histrical romance world thanks to writer Boris Pasternak in 1958. Seven years later it became a Hollywood giant starring Omar Sherif and Julie Christie.

In 1969, English author John Fowles published The French Lieutenant's Woman. Twelve years later, in 1981 Meryl Streep portrayed her on film. — In 1969, English author John Fowles published The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Twelve years later, in 1981 Meryl Streep portrayed her on film.

Henry Fielding created the adventures of Tom Jones in 1749, two centuries later Albert Finney charmed the world with his charismatic portrayal of the title character when the film premiered in 1963.

Before My Fair Lady was the darling of stag and screen it was a play called Pygmalion written by George Bernard Shaw in 1913. — Before My Fair Lady was the darling of stage and screen it was a play called Pygmalion written by George Bernard Shaw in 1913.

These are of course just a few examples of the themes timeless books lend to our lives. More examples will come in a future blog post, but for now Ms. Jeannie will leave you in the good hands of these good characters. Go right ahead and fall in love with Tom Jones, even though he’s 200 years old. Feel the confident energy of Thor Heyerdahl even though his adventure occurred six decades ago. Relate to Holly’s vulnerability and Karen’s isolation. Get revved up by Chance’s take-life-as-it-comes attitude and Walter’s grab-life-by-the-horns manifesto. Fun things never age and fun books are no exception!

Need help finding a good book? Ms. Jeannie’s your gal. Post a message in the comments section and she’ll be in touch!