Food, food culture, food as culture and the cultures that grow our food

DIY Mmmmuseum of
Oven Typologies

June 25, 2010

Doe-het-zelf Mmmmuseum van Oven Typologieën / DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies / URBANIAHOEVE / Debra Solomon, culiblog.org / DHZMOT June 2010
Our first tamped earth oven lacks some structural-integrity

Hey there lovers… of food-system infrastructure, this weekend (June 26 & 27) from 13.00h we will pilot the DIY-Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies (Dutch acronym is DHZMOT) at Art at the Pool during the Sloterplas Festival in Amsterdam. (Links are in Dutch, unfortch.)
Doe-het-zelf Mmmmuseum van Oven Typologieën / DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies / URBANIAHOEVE / Debra Solomon, culiblog.org / DHZMOT June 2010
Tamp 500 kilos of earth into oven mold

DHZMOT = Ovens, ovens, ovens, and more ovens…
Ovens made of tamped earth, underground ovens, solar ovens made from wasted umbrellas and/or pizza boxes. Ovens in and for the public space – you design ‘em, you build ‘em, we use em! The DHZMOT is an always in development, ever-growing collection of manuals and materials with which tweeners of all ages can make their very own. Simmered sous vide, blackened, smoked or molten, smack of lip and finger lick, attention absorbing, at the very least transforming, producing together a cuisine végètal in and on the ovens will afford the necessary trial by fire.

Doe-het-zelf Mmmmuseum van Oven Typologieën / DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies / URBANIAHOEVE / Debra Solomon, culiblog.org / DHZMOT June 2010
Do a little dance for good luck, spill some beer

The DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies is one of five projects in and around the outdoor swimming hole at the Sloterplas Festival event Art at the Pool. We are situated on an island accessible by a floating waterwalkway. Aside from meandering, lounging and soaking up rays, come and enjoy this opportunity to pilot the DHZMOT with us.

Doe-het-zelf Mmmmuseum van Oven Typologieën / DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies / URBANIAHOEVE / Debra Solomon, culiblog.org / DHZMOT June 2010
Release 500 kilos from the mold, piece o cake

The DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies is a project of URBANIAHOEVE, Social Design Lab for Urban Agriculture. Setting up this foundation and getting funding for the projects has occupied most of what used to be my time for blogging. (Which is why the foundation’s project’s are generously supported by Stichting DOEN, Fonds BKVB, Koers Nieuw West and Amsterdam Fonds voor de Kunst.)

URBANIAHOEVE is about developing new models for food-system infrastructure within the public space. We believe in setting up public access food infrastructure like open kitchens and outdoor oven installations that facilitate group cooking, group harvesting community jam sessions and the Int’l month of sauerkraut. THe DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies is a way of getting used to cooking ad hoc in the public space.

Doe-het-zelf Mmmmuseum van Oven Typologieën / DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies / URBANIAHOEVE / Debra Solomon, culiblog.org / DHZMOT June 2010
Dang! And we’d even kissed the earth!

DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies Island
Sloterparkbad
El Presidente Allendelaan 3
Amsterdam

Sat/Sun June 26 & 27, 2010
from 13h until you’re thoroughly fried

Saturday night special guests: Caspian Hat Dance will blow us away acoustically with original and traditional Romani music, Klezmer, misbehaved village wedding music, Southern Italian Pizzica, and pretty songs sung in Romani on Bolivian mountaintops. Your high heels will be of no use to you at all.

Doe-het-zelf Mmmmuseum van Oven Typologieën / DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies / URBANIAHOEVE / Debra Solomon, culiblog.org / DHZMOT June 2010
2nd attempt: Walk away in disgust…

Doe-het-zelf Mmmmuseum van Oven Typologieën / DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies / URBANIAHOEVE / Debra Solomon, culiblog.org / DHZMOT June 2010
The 3rd attempt at the tamped earth oven hasn’t yet been released from the mold. Come to the DIY Mmmmuseum of Oven Typologies this weekend and see what happened!!!

debra at 15:35 | Comments (0) | post to del.icio.us

Chametz shrine

March 29, 2010

chametz shrine, Debra Solomon, culiblog.org

Shrine of *Chametz in the foyer belies the seat-of-the-pants factor of Pesach-ultra-lite. This is me nullifying my chametz.

And here’s another question for tonight: What kind of gawd would ask us to throw out locally grown soft whole wheat flour from the ancient fields of Osdorp?

Chametz shrine, Debra Solomon, culiblog.org

Happy Passover, y’all.

debra at 19:18 | Comments (6) | post to del.icio.us

Late blooming

March 28, 2010

Seedling pots made with paper from junk mail, Debra Solomon, culiblog.org
Pots made with paper from junk mail.

Now that all the folks are gone I can start using my window sills again to get the kitchen garden started.

Seedling pots made with paper from junk mail, Debra Solomon, culiblog.org
Filled with potting compost and seeds.

That crazy climate delivered us a bitter and lengthy winter, such that seasonally, we’re 6 weeks behind schedule.

Seedling pots made with paper from junk mail, Debra Solomon, culiblog.org
Whatever sprouts out of these is going in the ground in May.

Seedling pots made with paper from junk mail, Debra Solomon, culiblog.org
Crammed into waterproof containers, recycled packaging of purchases past.

Pots made with paper from junk mail, Debra Solomon, culiblog.org
You can make these with a wooden thingie.

My experience is that it saves time to plant 1-3 seeds per pot (I put a few extra since a lot of my seeds are past their sell-by date or are self-harvested) and then when the seedlings are ready to transplant (w/3-5 real leaves), I carefully cut the paper pot, folding it open, and then transplant pot and all into the new space. This is easier than growing seedlings in one big container and fishing around with fingers and sticks traumatising the little buggers, exposing their infant roots to the air.

And I’ve been vindicated by this two-step windowsill method, since none of the seeds I put straight in the ground at the kitchen garden have yet to show their heads (radishes, spinach, rocket, chives).

debra at 17:49 | Comments (1) | post to del.icio.us

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