Kathy De Wit ~ El Debujo del Gato

Kathy De Wit is a wonderful artist that I found on THEY DRAW & COOK, a site where artists submit their recipe illustrations.  Not only was her recipe, Andean Rice with Drops of Gold, unusual but her beautiful illustration caught my eye immediately. It was of a young Andean woman with her baby on her back, both with long flowing braids and vibrant colors. A large wooden spoon adding the ingredients in to her big metal pot. To top it all off an excellent Inca wall with the recipe scrolled upon it. This drawing brought back wonderful memories of my visits to the Andes of Peru, I just had to find out more about this artist.

I clicked on her blog which was listed  below her artwork  and there I found out to my surprise that she wasn't Peruvian at all but was from Belgium. She had traveled to Peru where she had fallen in love with the Andes. Her cherished memories of her time there are an inspiration for many of her drawings. On her blog I saw a picture of the colorful recipe illustration made into a bookmark and searched high and low on her site to find out how to purchase one.

 
I did find a cotton shop where she sells pillows, napkins and aprons with her beautiful art work but no bookmark. So I decided to contact her through her blog. I'm happy to say not only was I able to order the delightful bookmark but also another  lovely drawing  of a dreaming woman with the Andes.  The package arrived so nicely decorated and wrapped I hated to open it but I was anxious to see my bookmark. It was more than I expected, it's large size, fine textured paper and elegant ribbon.

 

I had originally planned to use it in my The Art of Peruvian Cuisine recipe book (like Kathy uses pictured in her blog) but I could already imagine it getting dirty while I was cooking away and decided instead I would display it . Now I am a follower of Kathy's blog and looking forward to her opening a shop on Etsy very soon. I will keep you posted. To see Kathy's portfolio click HERE. To visit her blog click HERE

                                                                                                                                                             Gracias Kathy  ♥

Acai Chocolate Raspberry Earrings

Eco-friendly Acai earrings in a lush Chocolate and Raspberry color combination. For this earring design I used small acai seeds dyed a deep brown and paired them with larger seeds dyed a rich berry color. I then attached them with brown waxed cotton cord and sterling silver to hand formed small hoops and hand forged ear hooks. All metal is sterling silver that I obtain from a silver manufacturer that uses recycled materials.

I love the way this design turned out because it has both an ethnic and elegant feel. The fact that they are also eco-friendly just makes them that much more special. For more in formation about Acai seeds click HERE to read a previous post about why they are eco-friendly or click above on the Eco faqs tab. You can click on the pictures to see more info on this design or to purchase the Chocolate Raspberry earrings.

Peras al Vino Tinto ~ Pears in Red Wine

This delicious pear recipe comes from a wonderful Peruvian recipe site called Yanuq which in the language of Ancient Peru means the home and hearth. The website can be viewed in English and Spanish but not all recipes are available in English, like the one below, so today's recipe is for my bilingual readers. But do check out the site for a little history on Peruvian cuisine and the many great recipes that are available in English.

PERAS AL VINO TINTO

Ingredientes :

8 peras  (no muy  blandas) ¾ de taza de azúcar 1 taza de agua 2 ramas de canela ½ taza de vino tinto

Preparación:

Pelar las peras y dejarles el tallo en la parte superior. Colocar las peras peladas en una vasija con agua con limón para evitar que se oxiden. En una olla llevar a hervir el agua con el azúcar y la canela. Reducir el fuego, colocar las peras y cocinarlas a fuego lento en el almíbar hasta que se ablanden, aproximadamente 40 minutos. Verter el vino sobre las peras 5 minutos antes de que estén cocidas y mantenerlas en el fuego alrededor de 5 minutos más. Retirar las peras y la canela con una espumadera y colocarlas en una fuente con el borde ligeramente alto.Seguir hirviendo el almíbar hasta que espese y rociarlo sobre las peras. Servir.