Food

Being part of a large family, cooking and food were center stage. My mother, Beula, was in the kitchen most of the time, preparing one meal or another for all of us. Even as a small child, I would help make my father's, Eathel, lunch, try my hand at lasagna and make her version of almond toffee for the holidays. I would mix up her favorite cookie dough so she could bake it, later. This was a running bargain between the two of us.

On rainy days, I was allowed to rummage around the spice drawer and create wild concoctions, pouring over the worn copy of "The Joy of Cooking" to find the most exotic recipe. This would usually be something that contained organ meats and would make me laugh until my sides hurt. Who had ever heard of "sweetbreads"? I loved to watch Julia Child in "The French Chef" after school and still enjoy the "chicken" episode to this day. She was a true inspiration to me. I felt like I could make anything, by watching her and my mother.

As an adult, my food experiences revolved around entertaining friends and making sure that everyone had enough to eat. Little by little, I developed a palate and style that would be based in using local ingredients and building a meal using what was in my cupboard. I love making something out of, seemingly, nothing.

While catering with Ronda Newitt Larson, I began working at the Crow Timber Frame Barn since 2001, I have honed my skills involved with every part of the process. Taking the same improvisational aspects of my quilt making to food preparation allows me to experiment with ingredients and techniques that I might not have planned. My inspiration involves building the meal around a basic structure, then, pulling local ingredients into the equation. The results are very satisfying and delicious. Family recipes play a role and bring me back home.

Dinner in the field

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

5:00 PM: Appetizers
6:00 PM: Dinner

Swan's Trail Farms
("The Farm")
7301 Rivershore Rd.
Snohomish, WA

Crow Timber Frame Barn - Art Rereats

Week 1 | September 27-October 1, 2010

• Nancy Crow | The Best of Strip-Piecing I & II [beginning to intermediate]
• Carol Soderlund | True Colors: Developing a Personal Palette [beginning to advanced]

Week 2 | October 4-8, 2010

• Nancy Crow | Strip-Piecing & Restructuring [beginning to intermediate] New class!
• Carol Soderlund | Layers Upon Layers [advanced beginner to advanced] New class!

Week 3 | October 11-15, 2010

• Nancy Crow | Master Composition (2-week workshop) [advanced/post graduate]
• Jan Myers-Newbury | Shibori I [beginning to advanced]

Week 4 | October 18-22, 2010

• Nancy Crow | Master Composition (2-week workshop) [advanced/post graduate]
• an Myers-Newbury | Shibori II [Previously studied with Jan - please view class description information]