Chronicle Books Blog

Tell us what you think in the comments below and you’ll be eligible to win one of the Carpe Diem journals we’ll reward to three lucky seizers of the day (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

Getting things done is so much easier when those things are well-designed. Enter letterer and illustrator Mary Kate McDevitt.

Mary Kate never ceases to amaze me. She makes original hand lettering look so darn easy! And now she’ll make all your messy ideas look pretty exceptional, too.

She illustrated a journal called Carpe Diem that will help you wrangle all your grand plans in one place—and in a place where they’ll look better than ever. It’s a sturdy hardcover journal printed with full-color interior pages (nice uncoated stock) with blingin’ gold foil (see Step No. 7—absolutely essential) on the cover and spine. So sharp!

I asked Mary Kate to send me some pics of how she’s been using Carpe Diem.

How to carpe diem:

Step 1. Start with a sketch.

Mary Kate McDevitt’s sketch for the cover of the Carpe Diem journal.

Step 2. Make lists of how to get from A to B. Try not to get distracted by all the X, Y, and Z you need to tackle in between.

Step 3. Treat yourself to ice cream. And/or beer.

Step 4. Give yourself a high-five. Distract your brain by writing a haiku.

Step 5. Okay, break’s over. Get down to business.

Step 6. Refine and perfect the sketch.

Step 7. Add foil.

Kate Woodrow
Editor

Photographs and illustrations by Mary Kate McDevitt.


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Last week, artist Jason Polan came to San Francisco from New York for the sixth issue of Pop-Up Magazine—the amazing magazine that features stories, documentary films, interviews, photography, facts, and radio LIVE ON STAGE. Back home, Jason keeps busy drawing every person in New York. While Jason was in town, he stopped outside our building to draw its portrait…

Christina Amini
Executive Editor, Art Publishing

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From personal experience, I know moms love getting cookbooks as gifts for Mother’s Day, so I couldn’t resist featuring The Sugar Cube: 50 Deliciously Twisted Treats from the Sweetest Little Food Cart on the Planet today. If you’ve been lucky enough to visit Kir Jensen’s cart in Portland, Oregon you know that her unique and creative takes on dessert classics are THE BOMB. Regardless of whether you’re a fan already, this acclaimed pastry and dessert creator has made her recipes available to the home cook – including Mom, in case you need a last-minute gift idea!

Sample the recipe below for her coconut panna cotta, one of the most beloved creations from the cart (Kir LOVES panna cotta – there are three featured in the book!).

Do you have a favorite dessert-themed food cart or truck in your ‘hood? Have you made panna cotta? Leave a comment and you’ll be eligible to win a copy of the book that will be rewarded to a randomly selected person (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

Now go make your mom a delectable panna cotta!

Toasted-Coconut Panna Cotta with Aunti Shirley’s Chocolate Sauce
Makes 8 servings

It’s not enough to just use coconut milk to make coconut panna cotta. I need the flavor to be deeper and fuller, so I steep the milk with toasted, sweetened, shredded coconut to make it truly coconutty. I prefer my panna cottas to be barely set, so they have a light, silky-smooth, melt-in-your mouth texture, like a good crème brûlee. This means that I use a lot less gelatin than most and that unmolding isn’t ideal. But I think panna cotta is much prettier served in a glass cup anyway. At the cart I serve them in little squat-bottomed mason jars, or you can dust off your grandma’s fancy vintage glassware and put it to good use.

1 1/4 cups sweetened, shredded coconut (preferably Angel Flake)
1/2 cup almonds
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (I use Chaokoh brand.)
1 cup heavy cream
Scant 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 vanilla bean (bean/seeds scraped)
3 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin
1/2 to 1 cup Aunti Shirley’s Chocolate Sauce (see below)
Fresh Whoop (see below)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until most of the shreds are dark golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Spread the almonds in an even layer on the baking sheet and toast until fragrant and beginning to color, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn off the heat. Place eight 4-ounce ramekins or small serving glasses in the fridge. (Chilling the cups helps the panna cotta set faster.)

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, cream, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of the toasted coconut (reserve the rest for garnish). Split the piece of vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds with the back of a knife directly into the pan. Add the pod and gently bring to a slight simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally (do not boil).

While the cream is heating, pour the cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let stand (don’t stir) until the gelatin has absorbed the water, at least 5 minutes.

When the cream has begun to simmer, remove it from the heat and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Use a spatula to gently press the coconut against the sieve to force out all the liquid. Discard the solids and vanilla bean pod (or rinse, dry, and save the pod for another use). Add the softened gelatin and whisk until incorporated. (You shouldn’t see any bits of solid gelatin.)

Divide the mixture equally among the chilled cups (do not cover with plastic wrap) and refrigerate until set, least 3 hours. (It should have the texture of a soft pudding.) Serve with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce, a dollop of whoop and a sprinkling of toasted, chopped almonds.

Tips
If you want to use sheet gelatin, use 3 1/2 sheets. Refer to the book for tips on working with sheet gelatin.
Ungarnished panna cottas will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Cover each with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

Aunti Shirley’s Chocolate Sauce
Makes about 1 cup

Aunti Shirley was a very close friend of my mom’s. I still remember her making me ice cream sundaes when I was a wee thing and topping them with her homemade chocolate sauce. I recently rediscovered just how wonderful it is. It has an intense, almost black hue, with a silky-smooth rather than gloppy texture. The chocolate flavor isn’t overpowering, so it goes with just about everything. I’ve combined Aunti Shirley’s tips with some of my own to make this very versatile topping. Try it on ice cream, of course, and use it to add welcome depth to root beer floats.

3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

In a small saucepan, combine the dark brown sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Stir in enough heavy cream, a little at a time, to make a paste, and then stir in the remainder. Add the corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, making sure to whisk continuously. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, whisking continuously, for another 3 to 4 minutes to help cook out the bitter flavor from the cocoa and thicken the sauce. The sauce will be very glossy and take on a very dark hue (almost black).

To test if the sauce is thick enough, place a small dab of sauce on a clean plate and let stand for 1 minute. If the sauce spreads, keep simmering. You should be able to tip the plate without spilling the sauce.

Once done, remove from heat and stir in the butter. Serve immediately over ice cream or let cool slightly before using. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To reheat: Microwave at 50 percent power for about 30 seconds, or warm in a saucepan on low heat.

Fresh Whoop
Makes about 2 cups

At the cart, just about everything gets a hit of Fresh Whoop (southern slang for “whipped cream”). I can’t help it. Everything tastes better with whipped cream. Besides, it’s what my mom always did. She was obsessed with the stuff and passed that trait right on to me. She never used the stuff in the canister or Cool Whip because they don’t count. Fresh whipped cream is just that–fresh cream whipped right on the spot. It tastes so much better than any of the commercial pretenders. Plus, it’s a blank canvas, so you can flavor it dozens of different ways. When I want to add depth, I use dark brown sugar instead of granulated. When I want to get boozy, I use spirits or liqueurs. You can also add a pinch or two of ground spices, or infuse the cream with herbs or whole spices: Heat the cream with them, allow to steep until it tastes they way you like it, then strain and chill before whipping.

1 cup cold heavy cream (preferably 40 percent fat)
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or seeds scraped from 1/4 to 1/2 vanilla bean

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until medium-soft peaks form. (Alternatively you can whip the cream with a handheld mixer or by hand with a whisk, though it’ll take a longer.) If you want the peaks softer, whip less. If you want them sturdier, whip longer, but don’t overwhip or the cream will curdle and eventually turn into butter!

Purchase: The Sugar Cube.

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Earlier this year, author and film director Donnie Eichar travelled to Russia to conduct interviews and complete an expedition to the site where a group of nine hikers perished in 1959 under mysterious circumstances. His documentary and nonfiction book, tentatively titled Dead Mountain, will be released next year. The book will be published by Chronicle Books.

It’s sometime after midnight, and I’m lying in the back of an old military cargo van on my way to the Northern Ural Mountains in Russia. My journey started over eighteen hours ago (by car, tram, and train) in Yekaterinburg, the fourth largest city in Russia. I’m on my way to base camp, a remote Mansi village named Ushma that lacks any running water or power. The complete darkness in the van and its bouncing and tilting along the decrepit road tempt my generally benign positional vertigo. I spend the next seven hours lying in the van trying to focus on the task ahead: to find the truth.

The beginning of my journey at the Yekaterinburg train station with my expedition team Vladimir Borzenkov (left) and Dmitriy Voroshchuk (right). This is the same station where the hikers began their 1959 expedition to the Northern Ural Mountains.

After three years of extensive research, I’m here to retrace the fateful footsteps of nine Russian hikers (mostly students) who died over a half century ago on an expedition to Otorten Mountain. On February 1, 1959, the hikers encountered challenging weather en route and set up camp on the slope of Holatchahl Mountain. After two weeks without word from the group, authorities dispatched a search and rescue team, and opened an official criminal case to look into their disappearance. The team discovered the hikers’ tent, torn from the inside, but with the hikers belongings otherwise untouched. The hikers were found dead nearly a mile away from camp, partially clothed, and without shoes in sub-zero temperatures. The forensic studies showed the cause of death was violent—two victims had fractured skulls, two more had broken ribs and one was missing her tongue—but the bodies otherwise showed no signs of struggle. According to analysis four of the victims’ clothing were measured emitting higher than normal levels of radiation. The lack of eyewitnesses and inadequate investigation has led to much false speculation over the years, and until now, more than half a century later, the deaths of the hikers has defied any clear-cut explanation.

As we finally arrive at the Mansi village, a threatening snowstorm looms in the distance. Within my small group there is a discussion that my expedition to the Holatchahl Mountain where the hikers died might not take place. I only have a two-day window to complete the expedition, and I stress to my translator that we must make it to the mountaintop. I have only this opportunity to see the site that claimed nine lives. Ultimately, I became the first American to reach the Holatchahl Mountaintop in the winter. There is nothing at the top of Holatchal Mountain other than few small worn pine trees (over a hundred years old) that stand no taller than two feet tall due to the harsh conditions.

Vladimir Borzenkov and me in search of the Dyatlov tent site on Holatchahl Mountain where the hikers perished. It was very difficult to walk in these conditions.

During the trip I also uncovered a treasure trove of previously unreleased data, case files, thousands of photos—including those taken by the hikers—and the hikers’ journals. I logged many hours of interviews with friends and families of the deceased hikers as well as the key people involved in the case.

Most intriguing were my days spent with Yuri Yudin, the only member of the hiking group to survive (he had cut the trip short due to a lifelong ailment). Amazingly, he had never been extensively interviewed, and I felt honored to have his exclusive firsthand account of his friends’ lives and the tragic incident that unfolded.

Yuri Yudin and me. Through Yuri’s great insight I was able to piece together many previously unknown facts about the hikers’ final expedition.

The hikers grew up in a time of great social change in the post-war Soviet Union known as the “Khrushchev Thaw,” and loved poetry, music, literature, songwriting, adventure, and exploration. As students of radio engineering, they were obsessed with communication, and documented many of their discussions on love and life in their journals.

Igor Dyatlov, the leader of the hiking group, who was passionate about the arts, invention, hiking, and exploration.

With this book, in collaboration with my coauthor JC Gabel, I hope to bring to light the vital lives of these individuals, as well as answer questions surrounding the mystery of what happened to them that fateful night on the mountain.

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One of the best parts of my job is collaborating with talented photographers. I recently worked with San Francisco-based photographer Alex Farnum on a book called So Pretty! Crochet. Here’s a peek at the process, and of course the so pretty results.

We wanted the photos to look almost like fashion photography since the crochet pieces were gorgeous and unlike any in craft books I’d seen. I knew Alex only as a food photographer—he shot our beautiful cookbook Chicken and Egg. Luckily I stumbled upon his fashion photography in 7×7 magazine and realized it was just what I was looking for. He hired two models and rented out a house in San Francisco for the two-day shoot, and his team turned out some amazing photos. Now that the book is out, I touched base with Alex about his perspective on the process.

Q: When we first started talking about the photography, you suggested framing it as a narrative about two roommates. What made you want to take a story approach?

A: It’s a craft book, so obviously you want to show the projects front and center, but just photographing the projects with no context felt uninspired. It seemed more interesting to tell the story of these two young, fashionable roommates… who just happened to have amazing crochet projects in all the rooms of their apartment. It gave the photos a point of view and gave the models something to do beyond being props for displaying the projects.

Q: Many people inquired about the clothes the models wore (so much so that we had to ask stylist Jasmine Hamed for a list of her sources!). How did you work with Jasmine to get the right looks?

A: Great question and this is why I love working with Jasmine. She has an amazing eye (and impeccable style). I simply explained the story—two cute 20-somethings living in a city—and she ran with it.

Q: I can’t end without asking about the props. I was floored when I got to the set and saw prop stylist Christine Wolheim’s enormous stash of one-of-a-kind treasures. What was your collaboration with Christine like on this shoot?

A: Again, another amazing person and collaborator. When I gave the brief to Christine, she simply said, “I am going to empty my house—that should suffice for the project.” And she really did! Chachkies galore. Christine too has an amazing eye for detail and this project was one of many that we have worked on together.

Enjoy the eye candy!

Allison Weiner
Designer

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