Tuesday, May 19, 2009

What I did at work last week

This, right here, people, is one of the reasons why I do what I do. Last week, I learned how to make Indian slapjacks on an open hearth at Strawbery Banke! I took some photos, so you can follow along at home.

Here we have the mixin's: equal parts wheat flour and corn meal (where the "Indian" in the title comes from, as that was the 18th century nickname for corn meal), two eggs, a cup & a half of milk, and a pinch or so of salt. We also have my Dunkin' Donuts coffee, poured into that brown ceramic mug to look more "period."
The mixin's, all mixed up. The consistency is something like pancake batter.

First slapjack on the "spider," a frying pan with legs so you can place burning coals underneath it. Actually, I think this is the third or fourth slapjack - the first one didn't look nearly this good!

And the finished product. These slapjacks were a bit bigger than the normal size, but on the whole, I was pretty happy with my first hearth cooking experiment! Stay tuned for more. :)

Friday, May 8, 2009

Break Out the Bubbly . . .

I'm celebrating my successful thesis defense. :)

This afternoon, I presented my thesis project to a committee of professors and museum professionals. I, and it, passed muster and I'm now officially a master!

The project is an online exhibit at the USS Constitution Museum, showcasing the letterbook of Rhode Island sailor Pardon Mawney Whipple, who served on Constitution from 1813-1815. There are a few changes I need to make before the exhibit officially launches, but I will be sure to post the link once it does.

In the meantime, if you live in New England, two of my dear friends recently opened brick-and-mortar exhibits. One is at the Tufts University Art Gallery, called "
An Artist's Sense of Place: The Watercolors of Gertrude Beals Bourne (1868-1962)." It runs from May 7-August 2, 2009.

The other exhibit is at Rye Historical Society, called "Rye on the Rocks: Stories from 400 Years on the Land
."The opening reception is May 22nd and the exhibit has no set closing date. Both exhibits are free to the public (though the Tufts gallery does ask for a suggested donation of $3). Be sure to check them both out!