Friday, May 25, 2012

Glaze bug

Last firing of this month went all right. I am all set for the Kenan Center.

I got a bit of glaze bug recently.  I am trying to get the no craze celadon. Celadon glaze is traditionally preferred to have the crazing, but I want to try one without.   So far, all crazed.  Steven Hill's celadon recipe found in the web turned out really nice celadon green, but crazed nicely.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Finally

I got every piece fired in reduction, with help of no winds. Hopefully I can repeat again. Here are new pieces from Sunday's firing.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

3 done, 2 to go.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Less than three weeks to the fist show of 2012. I have done three glaze firing last three weeks, and two to go.  I always wonder I made enough pots at this time of year.  No way I can make every possible item made.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In between the glaze firings, there are bisque firings.  Ya, the studio is dry and hot all the time.  At least I am having the good results.  Exhausted.  Two to go.

 

 

Friday, May 4, 2012

Zaru Soba



 

 

 

 

 

 

Zaru soba (buckwheat noodle) has been my favorite food since I was little. I was not fun of eating up until the first year of my corporate world. I remember my parents were so disappointed whenever we went to the restaurant, I ordered the plain zaru soba. That all I could eat outside the home. It is not child food, more like older people's food. I just did not like the food grown-up. All changed when I started eating the dinner with clients almost every night, sushi, eels, tempura. I was a market researcher, and arranged lots of the focus groups and monitoring tests, almost every night. I was forced to eat new foods with other people, and all of sudden I developed the taste.  I cook almost every night because I still do not like easting, so I prefer eating something good.

Zaru soba is made of buckwheat, and eats cold. You dips a half of the noodle into the dipping sauce, and swallow it with noise. Swallowing probably was the key why I liked it.  Not eating like food. Sauce is made of dashi (bonito), sake, sugar and soy sauce. You add condiments, dried seaweed, wasabi, sliced scallions, grated daikon (white radish), or yamaimo. Better version comes with shrimp tempra.