Intimate Art Chat, Handmade Jewelry, Spiritual Nutrition, & Cultural Observation
During the pandemic, I taught myself to make jewelry. Many of the designs are inspired by Caridad’s beautiful paintings. Here is a brief video that highlights some of the key steps in the process, such as pouring liquid silver and quenching the cast in cold water. Exciting work!
Here are some examples. Most items are gold, rhodium or ruthenium plated Sterling Silver items, but I have also made jewelry in 18K gold with real diamonds.
Please contact me with any selections or design wishes.
I have developed a technique that allows me to turn 2D photos into 3D embossed image. This allowed me to make bronze and silver mantle pieces that feature people (and dogs) that I love.
K. Barry Sharpless: My hero from grad school. I had the honor to work with him in the early 1990s, then again from 1997 to 2004. Barry received the 2001 Chemistry Nobel prize for asymmetric catalysis, and the 2022 Nobel prize for Click Chemistry. The latter is a technique that Sharpless invented and the three of us (Sharpless, M.G. Finn and Hartmuth C. Kolb) pioneered and further developed (in my case for molecular imaging), leading up to the 2001 publication, where we formally introduced this way for obtaining “Diverse Chemical Function from a Few Good Reactions” (by Hartmuth C. Kolb, M.G. Finn, K. Barry Sharpless, Angewandte Chemie, International Edition, 2001).
Emily Prince-Ralby: My amazing niece. I am so proud of her for becoming a medical doctor. The patients are lucky!
Leopold Kolb: Our wonderful, beloved rescue Chihuahua mix who died of old age in August 2022, after spending 12 years with us.
Frau Kolb’s Three Hummingbird Oil Painting in Bronze. This is one of my favorite paintings, so I wanted to have a mantel piece.
I have added a slew of new custom designs to the growing jewelry collection. There are science-inspired items, such as liposome and Nobel Prize-winning click chemistry pendants (K. Barry Sharpless 2022), as well as items related to my work as a neuroscientist. As of late, I have grown fond of electroforming, which allows me to make jewelry items with organic shapes. I am also a big fan of cabochons, especially the beautiful star sapphire and star ruby cabochons.
I just finished a 3.1 carat canary diamond engagement ring in 14K white gold. The band has 18 small 1.5 mm diamonds. A hand made labor of love – each diamond was set by hand under a microscope. $8,500.
Last year, I made a 2.1ct diamond ring in 18K gold for less than $3000 and a liposome earring in 14K with diamonds and emeralds for $1250. The stethoscope pendant and ring are made of Sterling Silver ($80 each).
Here are some examples. Most items are gold, rhodium or ruthenium plated Sterling Silver, but all items are also available in 14K or 18K Gold upon request. I will be happy to customize designs.
Please contact me with any selections or design wishes. The Silver-based items typically cost between $100-$200, depending on the materials and complexity.
Cari and I were married on August 24th, 2001. We would never have imagined that a bunch of cowardly thugs with sick brains would turn our world upside down less than 2 weeks after our honey moon.
Together with our friend – the late Franz Harland -, Cari and I documented the events of September 11 and its immediate aftermath in a short film. It was meant to be a time capsule for the emotions of the time immediately after the events. We used our own film footage, capturing observers shouting in anguish as the towers collapse, and radio announcers narrating the events in real time. The words “all airports across the country, every airport in the United States has been shut down” still ring in my ears, and the images of the tired eyes of first responders have burned themselves into my memory.
20 years later, this movie still elicits a strong emotional response in me, it transports me back to the moment I learned that a plane had crashed into the WTC, seeing the smoke over New York and experiencing the mourning.
I have never widely shared this video, and it seems appropriate to do so now on the 20th anniversary.
Cancer with Style. Caridad was able to live with breast cancer, which behaved like an aggressive “triple negative cancer”, for 8 good years. She accomplished this by “embracing life”, which, in her own words, meant “dancing with cancer, rather than fighting with it”. Right after her diagnosis in July 2009, I bought a full case of her favorite champagne, Veuve Clicquot, which didn’t last very long. This led to the motto:
“When we get bad news: we celebrate. When we get good news: we celebrate”, which is at the heart of Cancer with Style system.
Caridad wrote about cancer blessings (“23 cancer blessings“), which I summarize here for you. These are largely Caridad’s words, which I have edited and re-organized.
Best wishes,
Hartmuth Kolb
“Cancer Blessings? How dare Frau Kolb suggest that the cancer might mean an end to your precious life is a blessing? Well, Frau Kolb is an expert on getting a kick out of whatever life throws up in the way of enjoying life. I am NOT, however a doctor, what you read here is my personal proposal, an invitation, if you will, to join me in celebrating the good and bad news, as good and bad news will bloom in your life like flowers in the spring time.
Many will find themselves alone and without means to cope with the huge costs of cancer. They must now tap into a source, a reserve, of strength and clarity within themselves. That still point, deep within the garden of being, which holds keys to enjoying your life no matter what strikes you, allowing space for life to remain precious when you face life-threatening cancer treatment. In order to be effective the treatment is rough, it can kill you. So… you better get ready. This is a time to re-new your contract and decide IF living suits you well enough to cling to all lively, joyous, and creative pursuits. For those who have lost their path, or never had a clear route toward fulfillment, cancer maybe a chance to save their own lives by using the opportunity to connect with others and thereby forming a “Cancer Circle,” of which they are the center. It could be that this is the chance to meet new people with whom to relate, commune, and move forward.
My husband, Dr. Hartmuth C. Kolb came up with the motto “when we get bad news: we celebrate/when we get good news: we celebrate”, which is at the heart of this Cancer with Style system.“
The original “Cancer Blessing,” was discovered by my talented medical oncologist, Dr. Lawrence Piro upon the discovery that my chemo-therapy treatment had to be interrupted to perform an open-heart-surgery… but that is another story.
I write with the intention of providing you with a chuckle or, at least, 23 good reasons to laugh in the face of death, a useful fresh perspectives, and empowerment in these times of turmoil.
Please take care and know that I am thinking of all the people out there; losing their hair, having breasts amputated, or otherwise facing profound changes; in order to continue to embrace the bliss of breathing.
Love,
Frau Kolb”
This list of 23 Cancer Blessings is based on my experience dancing with rather than fighting against cancer. Because of my BRCA2 mutation, there was little I could have done to avoid having cancer (cf., however, my Angelina Jolie article), yet there is much I’ve done to enjoy life while undergoing treatment. All in all, my life has expanded and become more fulfilling during my dancing time.
I’ve traveled more. I made time and space in my life for creativity in a way that keeps me connected and vital. Talkinggrid is one of the out comes of my stretching wingspan into areas that were my dream territories: publishing and professional writing, being every reading girl’s ultimate dream. I invite you to join me on this worthy voyage, the art of making peace with yourself and enjoying every second of your life as it is. Yes, you are going to get treatment. This advice is NOT about PRAYING CANCER AWAY
1.) Cancer means you must stop, take a deep breath and LOOK at yourself. This is the ultimate opportunity to take stock of your life. This is the part of the movie of YOU where you find out what really matters and who really cares. Do not be surprised if some of the people you thought would be present for you are not. Let them go. Be OPEN to the new LOVE that can and will support you.
2.) YOU have zero time to waste. You must focus your depleted energy wisely in order to make it from one day to the next. Cancer is a serious condition and minimizing it, is a strategy I employ. Yet, I’ve never backed down or stepped away from treatment. I’ve EMBRACED LIFE, thus finding strength that isn’t mine, borrowing it from my husband, my friends, and the world… remembering that my drama is but a drop in the galactic sea of mystery. Enjoying the ups and down, of the eternal “red-wine sea…”
3.) Address the issues: this is time to educate yourself, apply the SEVEN BOOK RULE, which is Frau Kolb’s favorite success tool: read seven books about your type of cancer. Why seven? Because then you will have an informed perspective and know what to ask your doctors. YOU better learn the basics of what others have endured or in order to find the treasure buried in the middle of this surreal landscape.
4.) Find an advocate who deeply cares about you when dealing with doctors, getting tests done and making decisions. Make sure you and your advocate take notes during your meetings with doctors, and be ready for them with lists of questions.
5.) Become very friendly with your doctors. Share the jokes you read, hear, and love with them and they will LOVE seeing YOU and YOU will get better care. Bring them a copy of a great book you just read. LOVE them and they will care about YOU, more. Moreover: being the favorite patient of a great doctor has many social benefits. Be super NICE to medical staff, after all, they have your life in their hands. Don’t forget your “please and thank you, for the bed pan,” Because if you are given treatment that is fair and kind you are blessed. Be grateful. Don’t forget that flirting with your medical staff is one healthy way of keeping everyone’s spirits UP!
6.) IF you did not put together the perfect care team for yourself, remember that as long as you live you can always make changes. Always. All you have to do is use your words, ask nice, play fair, and be sweet on change to get it.
7.) Don’t just cut the cancer out, radiate it, take the chemo: do what you must. Do it fast. Do not hesitate because everyday counts. Cancers are not full of pity. They will eat you! Embrace the rigors of radical treatment as long as you can and IF your condition is beyond bad… well take your meds, Champagne, and let Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker get the table ready for you when you hit the perpetual dinner party in the sky, do it with panache. Every time you make a decision that prolongs your life and helps you enjoy being here you are blessed. So enjoy making choices with your team of friends and family headed by an advocate, which ideally is someone educated and good at record keeping, someone BOLD and deeply INVESTED in your success.
8.) Soon, you will have access to heavy duty pain medications. Take it slow! Follow directions. But, we gotta be grateful that they exist. They work better than a mallet to knock you OUT for a restful night of much needed sleep. When it really hurts, thank goodness, for Vicodin! Do not abuse your medications. Yet, use them to help you leap across the parts too far from ease to be healthy. In other words, don’t suck up the pain, take a prescribed pill when you require it. If you live where it is legally available, Medical Marijuana works for nausea and other “chronic,” conditions. It may also help with mood swings and depression, just request the right strains. There are strains, “Indicas,” that put you right “heavy,” state for sleep and other strains, “Sativas,” that help stamina, creativity, and giggles. You no longer have to smoke, the aroma(s) offends, because they have a wide variety of edible: tea, honey, candies, bagel chips, and lemonades infused with THC and immune boosting CBD. Try it only if you feel comfortable with the idea. I LOVE it because it makes me feel like a naughty teen to take a bong hit in my boudoir. Anyway… you might find you like the staff at the dispensaries.
9.) This is your chance to cash in all favors and make all the outrageous requests you desire. Go for it! No one will fault you. Finally! Freedom to be a cancer DIVA is a blessing. Use this chance to say the important things to the important people. BE REAL. Stop being so nice IF it hurts you. BE GENEROUS with the praise and gratitude for every little courtesy or good vibe others will show you. Listen to each person that comes to you as though they were an angel delivering messages from god. LISTEN.
10.) FORGIVE! Forgive everybody for everything. Now is time to LOVE and feel one with every nurse, every waiter, every human that comes and that may care for you if you OPEN your heart to loving everybody. Yet, this doesn’t mean that you forget that some people are toxic. Let those people go and embrace the ones that love you NOW. Did you do something BAD, hurtful to someone, long ago… maybe? Write the victim of your misdeed, a letter, ASK for FORGIVENESS, mail it to yourself, and IF and only IF after reading it yourself and feeling it would make the person receiving it feel GOOD, then mail it to the injured party. Rest assured that accepting responsibility for the fact that we all hurt others, either on purpose or by “accident,” is a good thing for it allows us to shed the weight of unpaid energetic debts, of love and caring that was absent, when it is the mandate of life that we love, in order to be loved.
11.) When you have CANCER your time is officially YOURS! Now: you must focus and use your energy like a laser to create GOOD in your world. This is a time to pray, IF that works for YOU, to sing, to turn inward, and rejoice because YOU are ALIVE. Take time to watch leaves fall in slow motion from autumn trees or the snow melt and freeze. It is time for reading novels in bed, to go on Long sunset walks, and to spend more time with your friends, family and your pets.
12.) Have a daily belly laugh. Yes, this is time for comedy. This is time for laughing until others in the chemo-center give you funny looks. Make a practice of laughing. Call your funniest friends. Watch humorous movies.
13.) This is a time when tradition comes in handy. Tap into who you are and what your people do at times of crisis, then select what works, discard the fist fighting and drunken orgies, do adopt the customs of other cultures that might fit your mood and help you enjoy life more.
14.) The leaner, fitter, stronger you are the more likely to recover from your sometimes grueling cancer treatment and the long periods of testing/uncertainty. So, WALK! Better yet, RUN! EAT BETTER. More fresh—organic is best—Food! Cook more or rather invite friends over, they can help you cook/clean because now that you are the dancing with the cancer blessing you are now in the position to graciously accept help, love, and support. Self care is central to success in coping with any major crisis. This is really the time to pamper yourself. So… ramp-up your bath routine. Bath oils, salts, candles, lotions, scrub-brushes, and abrasive bathing gloves. None of it is “expensive,” really but when you really get going you can make a very nice day of being in the tub, especially as you undergo treatment.
15.) When your looks are gone, erased, you must learn to paint on a happy face or… be a blank slate. Pick. Do. Make-up is said to boast the immune system. Don’t neglect your basic hygiene. Taking time to brush your teeth and put on a pretty scarf or a big macho cow-boy hat which will make others laugh and question your identity… GOOD MOVE!
16.) Learn something totally unrelated to your new condition. Focus on learning Italian, for example. You always wanted to learn French. This is the moment to go to the public library and take out the Farsi tapes or the Swahili. What would you like to learn? Investing yourself in picking up NEW skills will give you strength to face this new reality.
17.) Plan a no-expense spared trip around the world for yourself. Of course, you won’t go. Yet, you will really think about the trip. How you would travel… Where you would visit… The schedules of luxury cruise ships are available on-line; image yourself in the Penthouse Suite, if this appeals to you. If not… are you backpacking in the Andes? Tell me, where will you go? Read guide books and learn about what to expect when you arrive. The trip should be long and lavish. This is so much more pleasant to focusing on the HORROR, the HORROR of treatment.
18.) Ever wanted to meet someone famous… well, if you are terminal… you might consider addressing a request to their press/public relations representatives and respectfully request a visit from… you are very likely to get what YOU want, now… Brad Pitt… David Bowie… or… Adele. Watch out! Because, you really have the power to pull powerful people IN by being beautiful despite the medical drama. Use it.
19.) Visit churches, landmarks, and museums. Enjoy the public spaces of your cities. The grand architecture or natural wonders of the world deserve your attention even if they are only around the corner. Shake it UP! You don’t have to be the version of yourself you have been thus far. Part of you will be forever changed by treatment and the new you is yours to chisel into the you, you are now. Allow the cancer to be a reason why you step into being your true self in public. It empowered Frau Kolb by forcing her to make time for creativity, art, and other sources of profound delight. Cancer can be a license to finally focus attention on loving yourself in order to make ease-rich (the opposite of dis-ease) choices.
20.) In other words, make the cancer work for you. Yes, there are resources assigned and available to people undergoing cancer treatment. Just telling someone, that you have cancer, can make them cut you some slack. This is not a card I advise using frequently but when you must, whip it out with flourish and revel in the fact that there are many CANCER BENEFITS for you to enjoy.
21.) If you believe in heaven: make a list of all the people you look forward to feasting with in the afterlife. In heaven, I’m convinced that, you can have dinner with Augustus, the ancient Roman Emperor, Ben Franklin, and Anna Nicole Smith, all together, at their prime, forever available, because in heaven YOU can be two places at once, I’m certain of it… IF you like! If you don’t believe, well make a list of who you would like to see if heaven were real and you will tickle (I swear) your grandmother’s spirit when you list her. Go for it and feel the good vibes of every human you list, no matter how “long-gone,” kissing you and loving you no matter how vicious the pain or ugly the bruising… you have the long line of human fortitude to tap into. Revel in the fact that you come from tough people and that tough people bite the dust, too.
22.) Give some money, a dollar or two counts, to cancer research. Hardworking scientists give up their youths, studying, and learning so that they can create effective cancer medications for us. Don’t believe that cancer medications are anything less than miracles and every time you drink a pill down, bless the water.
23.) Threshold states are FUN! What could be more exciting than being near death? You don’t know when its coming but rest assured it will. If you can learn to enjoy this state you might just live forever. Hah!
In the face of death, Caridad Kolb wrote these final words of wisdom to her beloved children to guide them through their teenage years. She wrote these guidelines, knowing that she wouldn’t be there for them in person, only in spirit. These are words that teach Love, Kindness, Dignity and Respect.
Best wishes,
Hartmuth Kolb
Caridad B. Kolb: “Dear Luke, Annabella, and most of all my beloved Papi,
Here are my More Than Ten Commandments to YOU:
Love is GOD/Goddess/Goodness. Love is what you owe yourself. Love is living your life with dignity. Love your father, brother, sister, and mother. Love is forever. Love NEVER dies. Love is caring. Love is kindness. Love is action. Love is forgiveness. Love is NOT FORGETTING. Love is never a theory. Love is a gentle touch and focused listening. Love is learning to be a better person, everyday. Love is feeling gratitude for life and respect for the living.
Reading, thinking, kindness, and courtesy are life skills. Together, these four habits will give anyone a better life. Any problem in life can be dealt with by staying calm and reading, always apply the Seven Book Rule. Read every day. Study best in the morning and read before bed. Discuss books. Become friends ONLY with other avid reader/thinkers because only smart people will be able to be good—loyal— friends to you when you need them. True friendship requires thought. Thoughtful people have learned how to control themselves and think out many potential solutions to whatever problems they face. Notice how people behave and remember that who-ever you spend lots of time with you will become more like them. So… BE SELECTIVE!
Exercise, as in physical activity, must be integrated into daily routines. Walk to work/school (always paying attention where you are going, always notice who follows you, avoid being kidnapped). Walk the dog after a healthy dinner (organic meat and veggies). Ride your bikes, often. Play sports. Skiing. Sailing. Basketball could be a good ticket for Annabella. Baseball might be just the right sport for, Luke. Soccer is good for both. Music instruction helps brain development and relaxation. Classics, mythology, and theology are good supplemental interests. Cooking, knitting, dance, sewing, piano and painting classes upon classes for both kids… LANGUAGE ARTS: communication, the more languages you speak fluently, and politely, the BETTER!
Sex is serious. Save it for the people YOU really LOVE and TRUST. YOU will not be ready for SEX until your body is fully developed and you are able to take care of yourself, incase a baby is made… then IF you decide have a child, you can count on us to help you with whatever choice YOU make. Daddy and Mommy are always around to help. Share your body, your kisses and hugs, only with people that are clean, careful, and promise to share themselves only with you. Be careful because, unless you are ready to have a BABY you should not do what it take to make babies, which is having sex.
BE AWARE that some people will be willing to steal your heart or your things, to trick you, to hurt you for money or for FUN (Evil people actually enjoy hurting others. Your pain is their pleasure). YOU can avoid getting hurt by paying attention and being aware that when some people get close to you it is not with good intentions. So always watch, listen, and learn and change your plans in response to new information. IF a person is mean to you once, be aware that they are very likely to make a habit of it, and become meaner. EVERYTHING GETS EASIER with practice and the more you practice anything the better you will become at it. Thus… GET AWAY from mean people as soon as you realize they are not caring. Be aware that others may be jealous that you know how to behave and take care of yourself/possessions and mostly they don’t. Remember, most people’s parents do not invest the time/energy/love we have focused on YOU.
You must protect yourself. Learn to say, “No Thank YOU!” To anyone that wants/tries to give you trouble or trick you into trying risky behaviors or doing damage to your body, for example, you will meet people that will offer you smoke, pills, powders, injections, and even candies that are designed to make you feel FUNNY. They will claim that these substances will make you feel good. BE AWARE that anyone selling or giving you drugs is a BAD PERSON, trying to trick you, use you, hurt you, and make you a slave.
Addiction is one of the worst forms of slavery. Some of the worst poisonous street drugs will make you crave/want to have more and more of them, while making YOU feel sick, when you don’t have money to pay for them. (Some people end up committing crimes to get money for drugs.) This can happen to anyone that uses drugs or alcohol with urgency. Observe people and DON’T FALL INTO this common trap. Be careful with what you put in your body and do NOT accept people into your life that use addictive substances, drugs, or exhibit “risky behaviors.” There are many people that are addicted to gambling, overeating, and other “thrill,” experiences. Notice people’s habits, hobbies, preferences, and statements. Listen to them. Do not become friends with people that are sneaky. Be aware of what others eat, do, say. Stay away from people that seem focused more on FUN than on doing their daily work. There is no shortcut to learning in life. YOU must work everyday to become a good grown-up like Mommy and Papi.
You must decide who is a worthy acquaintance and who you are better off avoiding. YOU must pay attention, in order to avoid, inviting drug addicts and/or other types of criminals into your world. They are dangerous and unreliable people. They fell for the lie(s) of other tricky people and now they want to lure you into their world of evil. Yet, by paying attention you can distinguish good from bad people and create lasting relationships with worthy, well raised, people that have self respect and self control like YOU!
Tattoos are a BAD IDEA. The people that get them have a harder time getting and keeping good jobs. Don’t do this stupid thing to your beautiful skin. Take care of yourself, your hair, hands, eyes, BODY. Your body belongs to you and NO ONE has the right to touch you. YOUR Mother and FATHER will always LOVE you and protect you. WE care. We are strong. If anything happens to one of us, THANK GOD and GOODNESS you will always have our LOVE, which we have already given you. Fortunately, we have been able to spend more time together than most parents will EVER spend with their children, already. Remember to thank god that you have had, already, so much LOVE. Thank god for your LIFE everyday and everyday become a better person.
Self respect and Self control are the most important traits. You cannot control others. YOU must, therefore, control yourself to stay calm and alert, always learning, thinking, and avoiding problems.
Observe others. Pay attention. Learn names. Look at people’s faces when they speak to you. Answer questions with full sentences. Listen to people, think about what you will say BEFORE speaking. PLAN your LIFE.
Protect yourself and be aware that most people are NOT taught to think, read, or eat properly LIKE YOU. Keep your observations of other’s short comings to yourself but always improve your behavior. NOTICE what works: when you behave yourself people will like you, you will have friends, FUN, and a good life. IF you cannot listen you can and will get in HOT WATER. So… make good choices. BE SMART. Stay close to each other, make time to listen and learn from each other, stick together.
Reading List:
“The Elements of Style,” by Strunk and White
“How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Dale Carnegie
“The Rules,”
“RED FLAGS,”
“How Children Succeed,”
“Teach your Child to think,”
“A Short Guide to Writing About ART.”
Books on personality, people watching, bird watching, gardening, art history, dogs, human nature, anthropology, meditation, cults, brainwashing, predators, criminology, self-defense, and nature…. Are important. Develop your mind, body, and know that you will be prized for your knowledge and remembered by your loved ones.
Yours truly,
Caridad B. Kolb”
Cari has always wanted me to write on her beloved Talkinggrid. She wanted me to talk about my recipes, my holograms and adventures in building computers.
Today, I will begin this adventure by sharing with you a recipe for German sourdough wheat rye bread that I have perfected over the past year. I make this bread every single weekend, because I have hungry customers (my kids) at home. Many people think of German bread as being very dense and heavy on rye. This is not the kind of bread that I am talking about. The recipe below will give you an “artisan bread” that is quite soft and flavorful. When you read the description, you may think that this is quite a lot of work. Once you get into the routine, however, it isn’t bad and the reward is a nice loaf of freshly baked bread.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.
Best wishes,
Hartmuth Kolb
First, the sourdough starter…:
This is sourdough bread, so you will need to have a starter. Some people create this from scratch using “wild” yeast from the air. Being a chemist, I like to have a little more control of that process. I tried several commercially available starters and the Breadtopia sourdough starter gave me just wonderful results. You can buy it on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C0E5VG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It comes as a patch of living sourdough that you will need to dilute and restore to full potency. This process is quite simple and consists basically of adding water/flour (40:60) every 12 hours. By doing so, you will eventually end up with 2 cups of fully functional sourdough sponge, which you will use as your stock for the recipe below. The sourdough can be kept in the refrigerator for 1 week without feeding, so don’t worry, you don’t have to feed it every single day, like you would have to do, if you kept it at room temperature.
Next, you will “expand” your sourdough stock to make fresh sourdough sponge for your bread:
Take the sourdough stock out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature (1-2 hours). Stir it carefully to turn it into a homogeneous mixture.
Take 1 cup of the well-stirred sourdough culture and pour it into a separate container. You now have 1 cup remaining stock and 1 cup in the new container, which will be used for your bread. In a separate measuring cup, make 2 cups of a homogenous, i.e. well stirred, mixture of water and flour (40 : 60). Add 1 cup of this mixture to the remaining sourdough stock to bring it back up to 2 cups, and the other cup to the second container. So, now you have 2 cups of sourdough sponge each in the original container (to keep for future use) and in the new container (for your bread).
Cover both containers to avoid contamination and evaporation and leave them at room temperature over night.
Next morning, stir both mixtures. You will need to feed your stock (but not the sponge that you will be using for your bread) before returning it back to the refrigerator for the week. To do this, you take out 1 cup, which you discard. Then you add 1 cup of water / flour (40:60) mixture to the remaining 1 cup and stir carefully (now you have 2 cups again). Put on the lid and put the container into the refrigerator for the week.
The 2 cups of well stirred sourdough sponge that’s left will be used for bread making “as is”, see next paragraph.
Now we will make the dough:
In a mixing bowl add the following ingredients:
Salt: 2 flat teaspoons (Don’t add more than that, because it retards the yeast)
Ginger: 1 pinch
Citric acid: 1 pinch (both ginger and citric acid activate the yeast)
Sugar: 2 flat tablespoons
Dry yeast: 3/4th flat teaspoon (this is optional, but it makes the bread a bit more fluffy)
Lecithin powder: 1 flat teaspoon
Water: 1 cup (~80F warm)
Stir this until the mixture is homogenous, cover the bowl with a towel and let it stand at room temperature for 15-30 minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
Then add the following ingredients:
Oil: 2 tablespoons (I usually use sunflower, grape seed or walnut oil).
Bread flour: 3 cups (I usually use King Arthur’s organic bread flour)
Rye flour: 1 cup
Wheat germ: 2 tablespoons (this is optional, but adds to the taste)
Flax seed flour: 2 tablespoons (again optional, but this definitely adds to the taste).
Sourdough sponge: The entire 2 cups.
Stir everything in a dough mixer for 15 minutes. You will notice that the dough is still quite liquid. While mixing, add 1 more cup of bread flour spoon by spoon until you get a nice dough that doesn’t stick too much.
Folding the dough and rising:
The dough does tend to stick a bit, so I recommend that you spray a little bit of oil on the surface that you will be using for the dough folding. You will also want to spray your hands with oil. Then, put the dough on the oily surface, pull out one corner and fold it back to the center. Do this in clockwise fashion, i.e. next pull out another corner at the “1 o’clock position” and fold it back to the center, then at the “2 o’clock position” and so forth.
Once this is done, turn it over and place it in a thinly oiled container for rising. This container should be able to accommodate more than 2x the volume of the dough. You will notice that this folding technique creates a dough bun that has a very smooth surface. Spray a thin layer of oil on the dough surface and loosely cover the container with cling wrap to prevent it from drying. Then let it rise for about 3-4 hours in a warm place until the dough has doubled its volume. The exact rising time depends on the activity of your yeast/sourdough. Be careful that the dough doesn’t “jump” out of the container. This has happened to me on several occasions…
Toward the end of the rise, prepare your 10 inch round Banneton Proofing Basket. Cover it with cheese cloth (or the provided liner), and add a good layer of bread flour. Here is a link for the proofing basket that I use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GEL00K8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Fold the dough again in clockwise fashion, as described above, and added it to the floured proofing basket. Spray a thin layer of oil on the dough surface and cover the basket loosely with the cling wrap and put the whole basket into a clean plastic bag to prevent it from drying.
Let the dough rise a bit more at room temperature (~1 hour) and then put it into the refrigerator over night. This dough can be kept in the fridge for at least 2 days, so if you want to have fresh bread in the middle of the week, just keep it in the fridge until you are ready for baking.
Finally, we will bake the bread:
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and remove it from the plastic bag. Let it warm up for about 1 hour.
While waiting for the dough to warm up, preheat the oven to 330F. I have a pizza stone in the oven, which makes for a nice crust on the bottom. In addition, add a pan with water in the oven in order to generate steam.
When you are ready to bake (the oven is hot, the dough is no longer cold, the water in the oven is generating steam), remove the cling wrap from the dough and quickly turn over the proofing basket onto a baking paper sheet or, better, a Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat. Remove the proofing basket and the cheese cloth gently, so as not to break the dough’s skin. Here is a link to the silicone mat that I use:
Use a sharp knife to carve a cross into the surface and immediately place the dough into the pre-heated oven. Close the oven door and immediately set the heat to 390F. Bake for 20 minutes, which causes the dough to rise and form the beginnings of a nice crust. After 20 minutes, open the oven door, cover the loaf with aluminum foil (to prevent the crust from getting too dark), close the oven door and set the heat to 340F. Bake for another 32 minutes.
Voila, you are done. You now have a beautiful German sourdough rye bread. Enjoy!
In my next installments, I will describe recipes for pizza, pretzels, and sourdough French bread. Stay tuned!
Frau Kolb started drafting her New Year Resolutions in January. Sadly, she was not able to complete her message to you. I am posting it here, to provide you with a final bit of her writing. Hartmuth Kolb
A message from Frau Kolb:
“I am convinced that a new year is ripe with opportunities for changing one’s tune.
We picked up a number of less-than-healthy habits in 2016. Scary, how we slip into pitfalls, slouch into the darkness, and crawl toward the ugly in ourselves. We get so busy pointing fingers and blaming others we forget
2016 gets a bad wrap because we contaminated it with condemnation. We were so self-righteous and certain. We were relentlessly smug. We became obsessed with evil and thus fanned it, whipping up a storm of attention for those that feast on the focus of others. They drain your energy from all that really matters. Captivating you with spectacle and seducing all with inflammatory words…..”
A message from Hartmuth Kolb:
Frau Kolb: February 25th, 1973 – March 29th, 2017. Mother, wife, artist. She embraced life longer than anyone could have imagined.
In loving memory of Caridad Kolb, née Branagan, my beloved wife and my best friend. She was a devoted mother. Her way of being, touched people’s hearts and she made connections and friends wherever she went. She exuded sincere warmth towards people. The world is less bright without the sunshine in her heart. Certainly for our young children and me.
Cari left us far to soon at the young age of 44. Knowing that she wouldn’t be with us for long, she spent all her energy to teach our children (now 10 and 13) about life, to fill our house with art, and to create a diverse library of interesting books. She also provided me with all the love that I could ever have asked for. She always had my back, no matter what, and I will miss her dearly.
A Columbia University graduate, she was a consummate artist. Her paintings are a wonderful legacy and they provide us with a constant reminder of her creative spirit. I loved her way of writing, which is actually what attracted me to her, even before we met 18 short years ago. Samples can be found on her web site at www.talkinggrid.com
Caridad never considered her interaction with cancer as a “battle” or a “fight”. Her approach was to “embrace life” and to celebrate it. I found this to be a very positive way of dealing with this illness, which propelled us forward. There are no regrets.
Please sign in to her guest book for her memorial service, and write a few lines at http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dignitymemorial/guestbook.aspx?n=caridad-kolb&pid=184782158
We spent most of Christmas Day 2016 taking in famous big waves, known as The Pipeline, on the Northshore of Hawaii. We are recovering from the shock of what seemed like The End of Me. My illness was no mere cold or common headache. The late-stage cancer that I had out danced, out laughed, and out treated (with top technology) while not skipping a beat caught up with us. Our family and friends (thank goodness) rallied around us.
Last year, at this time I was in a hospital bed unable rise, walk, and mumbling absurdities. We were facing the abyss. Yet, I was unready to leave. “I don’t want to die,” I growled decimated in the sticky hospital bed. Scrappy, I clung to life even though my body was no longer hospitable to my soul. At one point, I was chasing what would-have-been my last breath, and without competent nurse intervention it would have been my premature end. The doctors had asked my loving husband to, “Bring the kids in to say goodbye.”
He refused. Instead he stood up to the medical establishment, with my Oncologist’s backing, and demanded they keep treating me. I am very fortunate in that my choice of husband has never disappointed. Seventeen years of happy marriage behind us, I keep learning what it means to be loved. Now, I know what it means to be loved beyond youth, past good looks, and to the brink of the grave.
In January 2016, almost a year ago today, I was released from the hospital. They let me go home with the tacit understanding I’d die there, soon after. My husband, had other plans. Almost immediately, he carted (wheelchair required) half-dead but happy me to a Mexican restaurant so I could pretend to drink and eat. Most importantly so I could see people and be among the living.
Flash forward to yesterday, Christmas Day, 25th of December 2016: we celebrated the day by watching professional surfers on the beach in Northshore, Oahu, brave the colossal waves. This is the famous, Pipeline, of waves which every surfer dreams to conquer. Yet, no amateur would dare go out there. It is too dangerous! These waves were deemed, “Unsurfable!” by Hawaii Authorities up until the 1950’s, according to Joe Kaiser, a future film star, who has surfed Oahu’s waves since early youth.
Joe Kaiser generously gave me the history of Surf Culture, in a nutshell, as we watched professionals do the impossible. Joseph Kasnetzkov, who I call “Joe Kaiser,” for the majestic color of his gorgeous ocean blue eyes, and whose local friends and fellow surfers call, “Joey,” because they have known him since he was too little to be Joseph. As it rings out on the beach, the diminutive form of Joseph, “Joey,” is steeped with affection and trust.
“Not too long, ago…” Kaiser smiles, “Surfing was associated with the idea of beach bums.” The general public had an image of surfers as drug users who loafed and lazed, catching waves and allowing their lives to revolve around the ocean’s whims. “That changed.” He continues, “Surf master Kelly Slater elevated the image of surfers by becoming a model of spiritual development. He does not party. He meditates. He surfs.” Besides, Kaiser goes on, “He dated Pam Anderson,” when he was twenty.
Here is an excellent short video, by Hartmuth C. Kolb, of an elegant professional surfer managing a Pipeline way with finesse:
The prizes for winners soared. Surfing, a Hawaiian innovation, became a truly an international sport, attracting competitors from around the world. Brazil (Gabriel Mendina), France (Jérémy Florès) , and South Africa (Jordy Smith) have all produced world champions. The sport enjoys growing sponsorship and popularity as Red Bull, Billabong, and Quicksilver are among the many leading youth brands that support the sport. Glamorous locations, the allure of doing what others dream of doing, the glory of sports mastery, with all the bedroom doors athletic achievement opens, are all enticements to youth, calling them like sirens out at sea. Many leave the shelter of traditional education and, “go the home school,” route to chase the dream of surf glory.
A little research into the sport leads us to discover a surging sea of women surfers, champions among them. In Iran, recently, women have taken to the surf with all its political and social implications of freedom, this is a daring act. They wear fully covering clothing but they are athletes, none-the-less. On can only admire these strong women.
The world has fewer professional female surf champions. Names of beauties on boards pop-up, but the one that touches my heart is Lisa Anderson. She is an inspiration on a surfboard. She fought her way from being a Florida runaway to an international champion wining titles and fame, surfing through pregnancies, competing with men. Her story shakes you of notions that surfing is a privileged sport and points to the possibility of surfing as a life saving endeavor. However, the prizes for women tend to be smaller than those awarded to men and sponsorship more difficult to come by.
The current world champion, Hawaiian, John John Florence is a pleasure to behold; taught by his mother to surf before he could stand. His physical beauty, Adonis curls and cherubic features, make him an adornment on the waves. In Northshore, a rural community, on the country side of Oahu, with a heavy stream of international tourists descending upon it, large hand written signs celebrating the local hero abound.
The world of surfing gives us much to contemplate in terms of human achievement and potential. Technological advances and daring innovators lead the way world to bigger and bigger wave surfing, one is inspired to think that every up and down in life is there for us to learn how to face life’s oscillations with a spirit of adventure. In Hawaii, close to nature, untouched mountains and inviting warm seas spirituality takes on a new meaning, with new shimmering depths. Yet, the potential dangers of surfing: broken necks and slashed limbs, shark attacks and other hazards not publicized are part of every serious surf aficionado’s concerns.
Here in Oahu, one feels inspired by the sport and the beauty. Thus, compelled to think about the perpetual, the enduring, issues that define life. We mediate on what makes living a delight. Artists paint seascapes and mountain portraits, attempting to capture the spirit of Aloha. Musicians compose music to honor the Hawaiian spirit.
How do we integrate all that thoughtful and healing creativity into our day-to-day lives? What better question for our family to dive deep into the depths of contemplation on a Christmas/High Holiday day?
Best wishes to everyone!
(Thank you for reading Talkinggrid.com all the stories here, at this time, are written by artist, Frau Kolb from New York, a long term Southern California resident. If you like this article, this ad-free web-site; note that comments, donations, and shares are encouraged. )
Peace!
Hello and thank you, old friend for coming and visiting
Frau Kolb and The Talkinggrid, again. We return to each other, like lovers seeking stray kisses across a mountainous duvet.
“Darling!” I squeal. Arms link. Hugs melt away tension, raise spirits. We hug.
“Most sincere and honored being!!! How delighted I am to see you!!!”
Take my hand, let us sit, eat. Feast! Drink and be open with me, unlock the doors of your soul. I am waiting, receptive yet patient and full of an uncanny ease that comes from persevering, past exception and desire, leaving Death waiting and returning to the world of dish washing and stir climbing. Home life is central now.
We haven’t spoken in months! Where does the time go? “I went to to the bank where The River Styx flows. I was on the ferry amid the putrid stench of rotten expectation and desire. Where were you?”
My mirror image, you might say:
I’ve returned. I am here to entertain you, to remind you to laugh at my mistakes if your own are not juicy enough. I am here to nurse you, feed you off the teat of my intellect, regardless if you judge my skills to be fine or not. I am your friend. I host you and care about your children even if you haven’t had any yet. I care.
I am moved by your eloquence.
We haven’t gotten cosy, talked about the intimate details of our lives, investigated the lineage that defines us as parallel figures in history, in ages. We haven’t deconstructed how magical it is that our orbits ever touched and that we both know the magical feeling of touching each other’s souls. We haven’t undressed and danced in the moonlight of the Jersey shore, but there is always the possibility.
We have met, many so many times that you think you know me. I hate to inform you that that is an illusion. You know the me that has floated up on the internet for you to see and dissect, at will. I invite you to take apart an image, this season. Shred one of your hard won traditions, a sacred “cow,” try to buy nothing… give it all… love like love is on the brink of extinction and you and only you can save it. Mirror me, if you please, become the person you dreamed you might be.
I said my goodbyes and then was granted a coda which will extend into the ether, diminishing only when the applause die down. The applause haven’t begun, yet I expect they will start soon, thereby allowing me to enjoy another year, or two, or ten, twenty works—sort of—but I’m just getting started. I am open to hanging out at art gallery openings in forty or fifty years when I am beyond the silver citizen stage and have become pure social gold, a butterfly made of metal. I intend to be the old lady with a gaggle of admiring suitors and invitations to spare. You know her, right?
Mirror each other’s most gracious gestures. Learn to imitate the ones we admire and let leaders be representative of our best traits. Don’t be afraid to be shallow, as long as you present a polished surface onto which others can project super human qualities. Let’s look to each other for inspiration. Be better. Be healthy. Smile. Eat more veggies. Improve yourself the way you polish the specks on the surface of your super smart phone. Shine!
Sincerely,
Frau Kolb and The Talkinggrid
PS: To my friends in Berlin. I love you. Christmas markets are sacred. I’m sending love from Southern California.
