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We’ve never been huge fans of eating out on Valentine’s Day, it always seemed too frazzled and over-priced. We prefer a relaxed dinner at home that we can cook together with no worries about who is the designated driver. Neal is a huge fan of the French cooking phrase ‘mis en place’ which means having all your ingredients ready (washed, chopped, measured) and all the necessary tools and spices on hand. With all the ingredients and tools assembled, cooking is very relaxing.

Good kitchen tools make the job more fun and tactile – like a salt and pepper cellar you can dip into to pinch salt or sprinkle pepper or a nice cutting board or a soft dishtowel with a fun design. We also stock our kitchen with items from our guest artists. Two of our favorites: spice blends from Spicy Me Foods (Silver City, NM, @spicymefoods) and the perfect wood mis en place bowl from Albuquerque wood turner Courtney Gale (@oakenwell). I’m currently obsessed with the ‘Taco AF’ blend and putting it on EVERYTHING. You can find all of these items in our retail store.

I like ending a special meal with desert – the more chocolate the better. Chocolate lava cakes are a favorite because it’s easy to modify the recipe for 2. If you keep a little chocolate in your cupboard, you probably have everything you need to pull off this quick desert. If you are looking for a recipe, I’ve been obsessed with the blog ‘Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking’ (website: www.biggerbolderbaking.com). I like that she just gets right down to the business of baking, I don’t have to scroll through 47 pages of childhood reminiscing before I get to the recipe.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone, and bon apetite!

Furniture Joinery: Strength Meets Beauty

Joinery is what holds furniture together, allowing a collection of parts to become a cohesive and functional whole. When designing furniture, designing the joinery is an important piece of the overall design. In the best designs, joints are strong, flexible (wood expands and contracts with temperature and humidity) and also beautiful. While there is no shortage of affordable, strong fasteners and glues in our modern industrial age, some of the most beautiful and intricate joinery methods have been stood the test of time for hundreds of years and require high level of woodworking skill.  Let’s show you some examples:

Neal used angled miter joints to hold together the walls of his treasure boxes (top left).  Miters are also commonly used in picture frames but they are notoriously weak.  The darker splines, in three rows across the miter, add strength and beauty.

The shelves on the triangle end table (top middle) are joined to the legs using dadoes and half lap joints reinforced with screws for strength.  If you zoom in, you will see wood plugs on the legs that cover the screws and provide a decorative element.  The shelves on the kitchen shelf (top right) are also joined to the frame with dadoes and half laps reinforced with screws.  In addition, Neal uses a French cleat to mount the shelf which distributes the weight of the shelf for securing it to the wall.

Sometimes Neal likes to have a little fun with the joints.  The top of the hall table (bottom left) appears to float above the legs.  In fact, it is solidly joined to a cross member in the middle which is hidden from view.  The cathedral legs on the square end table are striking but also stablize the table legs and add strength to the design.

Chairs and beds suffer continuous forces from use and being moved around.  Neal used mortise and tenon joints are used throughout the frames of his conversation chair (bottom middle) and Craftsman bed frame (bottom right) for strength to resist these forces.  A mortise and tenon joint can also handle the expansion and contraction of the frame due to seasonal temperature or humidity changes – as does the tongue and groove joint used in the cabinet-like panels at the end of the bed.  Knowing where the wood will move and allowing for that is key.

Fine furniture is beautiful and joints often appear as decorative elements.  However, these furniture pieces are also meant to be heirlooms passed down through generations.  In that regard, the joinery is a critical design feature to ensure longterm durability.

 

We carry a few guest artists in our retail store that help us tell the story of handmade.  We have curated a group of folks who create high quality products and are dedicated to their craft.  Let us introduce you, any of these makers would love to help you with your holiday gift needs:

 Maranatha Soaps, Albuquerque, NM

I love decorating my bathroom with some wonderful smelling handmade soaps.  Albuquerque soap maker Lyn Bachicha creates the perfect line of soaps for our shop with their amazing scents and luscious colors.  Her Hawaiian heritage and strong spirituality influence her product development.  We carry an assortment of soaps and body scrubs as well as brightly scented room sprays and lip balms.   Personally, I’m a huge fan of the scrubs – not only for their color and scent but their creamy yet scrubby texture. They perfect antidote for desert skin.  If you want to learn more about Lyn and explore more of her soap line, visit her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/maranathasoap/

Karen Dorweiller, Ceramic Artist, Rio Rancho, NM

I met ceramic artist Karen Dorweiller at a local artisan market and immediately recognized a fellow animal lover.  We carry an assortment of her ring dishes and animal figurines in the shop.  Texture and whimsical, expressive animals are strong themes in our shop and I love how Karen’s work expresses those themes in ceramics rather than textiles.  To learn more about Karen’s work, including insight into her studio process as well as seeing a full range of products in her online store, please visit her website: songandbranch.com.

Dan Feibig, Potter, Corrales, NM

Master potter Dan Feibig is inspired by Asian, Native American and Greek pottery but has worked for over 25 years to develop his own style.  Dan’s years of experience affords him some control over the finished product.  However, he also revels in the element of surprise that the wood firing brings to the process, reflecting the forces of nature.  I love the heft of his pottery – and the earthy texture.   Dan doesn’t have an online store but you can DM him through his instagram account: @dan.feibig.  

Mary Gonzales, Ceramic Artist, Albuquerque, NM

Ceramic artist Mary Alice Gonzales is a master of the glaze.  Her mugs, bowls and vases ooze with color inside and out – with one color dripping into the next.  Mary adds texture to her work by exploring both the magic of nature and the fantastical with leaf-based dishes and mugs, leather-look steins and her signature ‘dragon scale’ details.   Mary has items for sale on https://maryalicegonzales.square.site.   

 

 

 

Heidi’s Raspberry Farm, Small Batch Jam, Corrales, NM

Heidi’s Raspberry Farm got its start in my home town of Corrales, NM and has now expanded to an industrial kitchen in Albuquerque.   This small batch jam is bursting with flavor.  The Raspberry Red Chile is one of my favorites and goes particularly well with peanut butter.  Learn more about Heidi’s operation and purchase directly from her at heidisraspberryfarm.com.  

 

Oakenwell, Wood Turned Bowls and Vases, Albuquerque, NM

Courtney Gale purchased a lathe at the beginning of 2020.  Little did she know that, thanks to New Mexico Covid-19 shutdowns,  she would end up with plenty of time to explore her new hobby.  Not only does she create lovely wood bowls and dry vases, she can often describe the provenance of the wood she uses.   You can learn more about Courtney and purchase directly from her at www.oakenwell.com.   

 

 

 

 

 

New Mexico Metal Art, Recycled Metal, Albuquerque, NM

The Perez family creates vibrant and whimsical metal sculptures with recycled and repurposed materials.  Also, they are just super nice people – sharing laughs and sliced watermelon with other vendors during summer craft markets.  Our patio hosts a flock of their metal chickens and we love to gift brown-thumbed friends and family with their bright metal flowers.  You can explore their work and purchase from the family directly at nmmetalart.square.site.

 

 

Julie Kennelly, Artist, Albuquerque, NM

Artist Julie Kennelly is inspired by the gated gardens and adobe architecture of New Mexico.  Her vibrant pallet knife paintings play to my favorite themes of color and texture.  Julie can also be commissioned for pet portraits.  You learn more about Julie and her art on her website:  juliekennelly.com.  

Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union.  – Frank Lloyd Wright

Design Considerations

by Neal Wenderlich

Early in my woodworking days, I was attracted to the design of American Arts and Crafts style furniture: large sturdy tables, chairs that balanced wood details with upholstery.  I started reading books about the movement and learned to embrace the idea of heirloom furniture that is as durable and useful as it is beautiful.

The Arts and Crafts movement started in Britain in the late 1800’s by those who had grown weary of the ornate Victorian styles and also the lesser quality of items produced in factories.  The founders of the British movement celebrated traditional craftsmanship and eschewed any factory parts to the point that furnishings became inaccessible to the average person due to labor costs.  The American Arts and Crafts movement sought to improve the idea by balancing some small scale manufacturing with traditional craftsmanship to build and furnish homes for the average American.  People were encouraged to live in harmony with nature and to furnish their homes with fewer high-quality items.  Form and function was their goal – meaning items should be beautiful as well a functional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The idea of thoughtful design in every day items has stuck with me through the years and is a strong influence on my furniture design.  When I begin a project, I first consider how the item will be used.  I list design constraints such as ergonomics (e.g. table height, seat depth, arm rest height), the space allocated for the finished item, and how easy it will be to move or transport.  I also consider how use will stress the wood joinery to decide where the design must be reinforced for durability.  Once the function criteria have been identified, I start sketching to address form.  Sometimes the design is influenced by a client who has a particular style objective.  If it’s up to me, I tend towards clean lines, tapered legs and contrasting wood tones to emphasize design details.

Do you have a furniture project in mind?  Please email me to discuss your needs: neal@collectedhands.com.

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Wood Cutting Board Safety and Care

… and a peek at how we make them.

It’s chile roasting season in New Mexico which means amazing smells are coming from every grocery store parking lot. The fire roasted peppers are dumped in a garbage bag that we take home to peel and chop. It seems like a good time to talk about cutting boards.

Safety

For many years, conventional wisdom was that plastic cutting boards were safer than wood. It turns out, this FDA guidance was not actually researched until food safety expert Dean Cliver, of UC-Davis, tackled the issue in the mid-80’s. Professor Cliver found out that wood cutting boards actually have significant advantages over plastic:

• While unmarred plastic is considered easier to clean, plastic is a soft substance and will accumulate many tiny cuts with use. These tiny channels not only harbor bacteria but are extremely difficult to clean. The right woods (hardwoods such as maple and cherry) are more resistant to these micro-cuts.
• Unless properly cleaned, bacteria will persist on plastic surfaces for some time. However, bacteria on wood boards can often be absorbed away from the surface by the capillaries of the wood. Once pulled down, the bacteria is not likely to return to the surface but is held below the surface until the board dries and the bacteria die.

Care of Wood Cutting Boards

Wooden cutting boards and utensils must be kept clean but are generally not dishwasher safe. They should get a good scrub (on both sides) after each use with warm, soapy water. Do not submerge or soak the boards in water – with too much moisture the board could swell and warp. Stand the board in an upright position to allow it to air dry on all sides. Another common cleaning technique is to rub the board with a lemon, cut in half and sprinkled with course salt. The salt acts as a mild abrasive and the lemon’s acid works as a disinfectant. This treatment should be followed by a quick wash with warm, soapy water.

Collected Hands cutting boards are finished with a mixture of food grade mineral oil and beeswax to protect the wood. Similar commercial finishes, such as Howard Butcher Block and Cutting Board Oil, can be re-applied once a month or so to maintain the finish. In time all cutting boards (wood or plastic) will show signs of wear. Wood cutting boards can be restored to their former glory with a little elbow grease and sand-paper to remove the marks. Please contact us if you would like details on the process.

Handmade for your Kitchen

Collected Hands cutting boards start with beautiful woods: domestic maple, cherry and walnut, sometimes accented with ethically sourced exotics such as padauk or African mahogany. The “random pattern” cutting board is one of our most popular products and is available in various sizes. We also make more regular patterns such as the two-toned checkerboard. Please contact us if you would like to discuss a custom size or pattern.

Neal’s cutting boards can be found in our Albuquerque brick and mortar stores or in our online store.

References:

A copy of Dean Cliver’s article (with full references) can be found on https://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infcuttingboard.html

Fast Facts About Cutting Boards and Food Safety in Your Kitchen, Matt Shipman, news.ncsu.edu

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