January 25, 2012

January 23, 2012

Many Thanks

Very grateful for the link love over on Logcabineer -- one of my favorite blogs around these parts and a man whose life I envy greatly.

January 22, 2012

Cabin Porn

No no it's not crossdressing lumberjacks or Alaskan ladies clad only in mukluks. It's actually a ridiculously comprehensive collection of some of the coolest cabins I have ever seen in one place. Also, a day-killer. Definitely save for a weekend. Cabin Porn via Wend Magazine







January 21, 2012

Ridge: The Best Camp Cooking Blog You've Never Heard Of

Usually when I think of Japan and the outdoor/woodsy realm I tend to think too much of this type of bullshit:


But in reality, Japan has an amazing outdoor tradition and Japanese climbers have put up some pretty outrageous alpine ascents around the world.  They also make some of the sweetest outdoor gear via brands like Snow Peak and Evernew (who, by the way, make the BEST titanium pots money can buy). Taking full advantage of this is Yusuke Kurosawa, who throws together what look to be masterpiece-level camp meals (rum french toast!) and it looks like he gets out there, way out there, on the regular. While I can't read Japanese, his blog speaks for itself through amazing photos and definitely features some Japan-only camp cooking goodies that I wish I could track down over here. 





Definitely seems like the kind of dude I'd want to run into out there. 






January 10, 2012

Dead-easy Weeknight Dinner + Cast-Iron Love

If you don't own a cast-iron pan, you're missing out. Sure they're heavy, sure they're a pain to keep (not) clean, but they are, hands-down the best tool to buy if you are one of those people who has trouble getting meat right. Here's a really, really simple recipe for weeknight chicken breast that takes maybe fifteen minutes to prepare. Here goes:

1. Turn broiler on high, put rack on highest rung
2. Slice an onion
3. Turn the stove on medium high, place a spoonful of vegetable oil in the (preferably cast-iron) pan
4. Wait until the oil shimmers a bit
5. Drop in the onions, brown them for maybe three minutes
6. Add a bit of water, as much as you can carry in your hand from the sink x3
7. Wait until the water evaporates almost entirely
8. Push the onions to one side
9. Put the chicken breast in the clearing (you should salt+pepper+herbes de provence liberally prior to this)
10. Put whole thing in the broiler for 10 minutes if it's a thick breast, maybe 7 minutes if its not.

Then, this happens:




If you're feeling manly, eat out of the pan and you've only dirtied one dish. If you use a plate, two. 

Very literally no clean-up. Total time, 15 minutes. Takes less time than an oven pizza. 


January 8, 2012

New Scandinavian Cooking/"Gravtrout"

I'm not entirely sure what old Scandinavian cooking was like, but I've really enjoyed this show. As cooking shows go, it's got all the necessary bona fides but the host, Andreas Viestad manages to cook some really epic stuff in epic locations. Sadly, most of it isn't available online, so I guess you'll just have to watch some public television -- It's on most PBS channels nightly. Here's a few screenshots from the episode on gravtrout and here's the link to the episode guide. Check it out.



January 6, 2012

Activist Eyewear x Alfred Julius Ripstop Bowtie and Pocket Square

In what could only be described as the perfect sort of thing for this blog/me, I really want and will probably get one or two of these excellent ripstop nylon bowties and pocket squares that are a limited edition collab between Activist Eyewear and Alfred Julius. Come on! Ripstop bowtie! How good would this look with a OCBD and some hiking boots?




January 5, 2012

Shit I can't afford

Ties and ashtray from Hermès .



January 2, 2012

Head to Toe: Midwinter for Ladies

Here's my first attempt at a head to toe for the ladies. I had originally started this blog with a female companion, hence the title, but now that it's just me I figure it's time to throw one out there for the ladies. I know this one's a little lumberjacky, but I've really been digging the stuff on Tomboy Style so here's a shot. It's not especially economical, but it's for ladies and they have to spend a bit more to look good, don't they?