find it

A friend of mine brought over a catalog from Brocade Home the other day and asked, no actually make that demanded, that I help her figure out where the plates in the background came from. I was a little stumped, they reminded me a bit of the ones from Working Class Studios, only each one looked unique. I was pretty sure I had seen them before, only I wasn't sure exactly where. So I told her to sit tight and that I would get back to her soon.

After a little bit of searching I discovered that these plates are Rehabilitated Dishware by Sarah Cihat. These plates, I actually remembered seeing in a bunch of magazines over the last few years, are all unique and are made from dishes bought at thrift stores. They are then reglazed and refired, resulting in a fun piece that is both spectacular to look at and a great use for old possible-landfill-fodder dishes. I totally love them, especially how they all look similar, and yet are very different. And I love how Brocade used them all lined up on the wall like that. There's more info on where to buy the dishware on Sarah Cihat's website and Clio has the 7" salad plates for $44.

Now that I've tracked down these dishes, do you have anything you need me to track down? Let me know and I'll do my best to find it for you!

Today my dear friend FabSugar brought over a sad empty packet of Papaya Seed Dressing Mix. Apparently both she and her mom picked up a few packets when they were in Hawaii this Thanksgiving and have just run out. She wanted to know if I could help her track it down and lucky for her (and the rest of you), I have!

The Papaya Seed Dressing Mix is available in a 2 oz. bag. To prepare, you just add the mix to white wine vinegar (Fab used champagne vinegar for a better kick!) and then dilute with water. According to FabSugar, this dressing is similar to a light vinaigrette, only with a subtle papaya flavor that is not too sweet - like many other fruit flavored dressings.

There was a tiny bit of mix left in the packet that FabSugar gave me, however it wasn't enough to make any dressing. The mix is white with black flecks and is a granular blend of salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, dehydrated papaya seeds, spices and a gum stabilizer. Out of curiosity I decided to taste it. It was salty, with a kick of sweet and you could definitely taste the garlic and onion powders. I think I may try to make my own flavoring mix someday, but until then we can always order Papaya Seed Dressing Mix for $2.50 a bag. It's also available in a low-calorie version: six 1.2 oz bags for $14.50.

Update: The link for the regular version of the Papaya Seed Dressing now says "Under Construction." Seems a bit weird... you can also buy it at the 2nd link, but you have to buy several bags.

How about you, do you have any weird food items that you need help finding? Drop me a line and I'll see what I can do!