These are seriously some of the coolest posters I’ve seen in awhile. Both conceptually and visually brilliant, designer Allen Peters did an incredible job! They so perfectly capture the best part of country fairs: food on sticks, and preferably fried! I can only imagine the crowd these drew and the number of posters lost to “collectors”. I wish I could get a set of these for my kitchen, they’re just so darn clever!

I recently discovered Tartelette, a food and photo styling blog by Helen, and noticed that she used this plastic cutlery in several of her shots. Designed to look like classic flatware, these polycarbonate utensils would be perfect for outdoor dining or a casual party. Not only are they beautiful, they also happen to be re-useable and dishwasher safe. Immediately smitten, I was bent on locating their source. I found some at Amazon.com and just placed an order for my own set. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to get them!

Cutlery Image via Kate’s Paperie | Food Images via Tartlette

Ever since my experiment with felt I’ve been enamored with all you can do with it. How freakishly cute is this little sandwich by Myrtle & Eunice? I can’t really figure out what I’ll do with this once I make it, but that’s beside the point! I can imagine that this furry treat would bring a smile to my face every time I looked at it, and to me, that’s priceless. I’m heading to the fabric store shortly so I can whip up one of these swiss, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. Nom, nom, nom… See more pictures and get the complete felt sandwich recipe here.

Found via: WhipUp.

*Sad update to my Felt Rosette Pillow: Apparently a handmade, time consuming, 100% wool felt pillow is dog for chewtoy. See my precious little pups path of destruction here

Photo courtesy of Armstrong Studios

Salsa Shrimp

1 POUND FRESH OR FROZEN, THAWED SHRIMP (30-40 SHRIMP PER POUND)
1/2 CUP DARIGOLD BUTTER, MELTED
1 CUP FRESH SALSA
1/2 CUP CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO
2 TEASPOONS CHOPPED GARLIC
2 TABLESPOONS LEMON JUICE
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1/4 TEASPOON PEPPER
SLICED FRESH BAGUETTE BREAD (FOR DIPPING)

Shell and devein the shrimp if necessary; rinse and pat dry with paper towels and set aside. Place butter in ovenproof dish; stir in salsa, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and shrimp. Bake in 375°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove shrimp from baking dish with slotted spoon and arrange on a serving plate with baguette slices. Pour sauce from baking dish into serving bowl and serve alongside, Makes 15-20 appetizers.

Photo courtesy of Armstrong Studios

Rosemary Shortcake with Balsamic Strawberries & Honey Cream

Shortcake:

2-1/2 CUPS FLOUR
1/2 CUP SUGAR
2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
2 TEASPOONS BAKING SODA
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
6 TABLESPOONS DARIGOLD UNSALTED BUTTER, CHILLED, CUBED
1/4 CUP DARIGOLD SOUR CREAM
3/4 CUP DARIGOLD BUTTERMILK
2 TABLESPOONS FINELY CHOPPED FRESH ROSEMARY
DARIGOLD WHIPPING CREAM
CRYSTAL SUGAR

Balsamic Strawberries:

2 PINTS FRESH STRAWBERRIES, RINSED, STEMMED, HALVED
1/4 CUP AGED BALSAMIC VINEGAR
1/4 CUP SUGAR
1 TEASPOON GRATED LEMON PEEL

Honey Cream:

1-1/2 CUPS DARIGOLD SOUR CREAM
6 TABLESPOONS HONEY
1 TEASPOON LEMON JUICE

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt then pulse to combine. Add chilled butter and process just until combined. With motor running, add sour cream, buttermilk and rosemary, stopping just before the dough forms a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead, forming a smooth ball. Do not over-work. Roll the dough out to 3/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shape using a biscuit cutter or a knife. Arrange the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet; brush the tops with cream and sprinkle lightly  with crystal sugar. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes are golden and firm to the touch. Cool on a rack. Meanwhile, prepare Balsamic Strawberries: Toss berries with balsamic vinegar, sugar and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside. Prepare Honey Cream: Combine sour cream, honey and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside. When ready to serve, split each shortcake in half and warm slightly. Place the bottom half of shortcake on a dessert plate. Spoon about 1/4 cup of strawberries on the cake and top with 1-2 tablespoons of the Honey Cream. Top with the remaining half of the cake. Serve immediately. Makes 8-10 servings.

Thanks to Armstrong Studios for sharing these great pics! Yumm!

Last year I recieved the first volume of Fresh, a special publication by Darigold a locally owned and operated dairy co-op here in the Northwest. With its great recipies and beautiful photos it quickly became one of my favorite places for cooking ideas. So imagine my suprise when a couple of months ago I was at a shoot at Armstrong Studios here in Seattle and found out they shot all the photos for the magazine! I was telling them I was such a fan and they got me in touch with Darigold. Fresh volume one is out of print, lucky for us Darigold has gerously offered to give some of our lucky readers a free magazine! From holiday comfort food to summer snacks, this is a magazine that will last you all year long. See below for the deets.

Darigold is giving away the first issue of Fresh Magazine to 25 winners! In order to win, please answer the follwoing question by Friday, September 4th, 2009 in the comments section. * CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED*

What is your favorite dish to make that includes dairy in the recipe?

Be sure to include your first name and last initial. The winners will be announced Monday, September 7th, 2009. Good luck!

I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite recipes from the magazine tomorrow so be sure to check back!

Wouldn’t you know it, the day before I was planing on writing about Rebel Green the always wonderful Black Eiffel does an entire post! I’m still going to write about it because it’s just too good to pass up. With such great design and messaging there’s a lot to love! Here are a few of may favorites, I really love the illustration on their aesthetics and ethics page, and that produce bag is fantastic!

It’s not every day that I get to share some of my professional work so I’m really excited to show a project I recently finished! The design firm I work at, Hornall Anderson, was tasked with redesigning Lay’s Baked! line of snacks. It was a long and challenging process but I’m really proud of the result that the team and I created. My favorite is the Sour Cream & Onion, there is something about the green that works really well with all the elements.

Via Behance