Due to our daily routine, we may not be able to dedicate ourselves to create “works of art.”

But while we #StayHome, we at MSA, found time to paint and craft. We can say that the awakening of this passion helps us to not only pass the time, but it also makes us feel much better.

In fact, painting and generally making any kind of art, promotes well-being at all ages and it is a relaxing activity. Psychology confirms the usefulness of making art to fight stress. When we focus on a manual activity the mind is relieved.

In particular, the activity of painting stimulates the areas of the brain that deal with emotions while considering the importance of vision and coordination of movements. So painting and crafting are not only relaxing, but it is a real gym for the brain!

Here are some examples of arts & crafts made from us at MSA while we #StayHome:

None of us expected a pandemic happening anytime soon. But it arrived and suddenly, we are forced to be at home. It is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing that the world as we know stops, and we actually have time to grow as people, to enjoy our hobbies and to master some skills that on the everyday routine get lost in the hustle.

Scrolling on social media I have seen a lot of communities gathering, communities that share similar interests, such as meditation, reading, working out. At MSA we decided to share with you, our community, a passion that works as a common denominator between us all (a part of architecture and design, of course!)

Here are some of the dishes we made along with couple of the recipes, if you feel like experimenting! Hope you all can enjoy 😊

INGREDIENTS:

Halibut
Mayonnaise
Unsalted butter
Breadcrumbs or panko breading

PROCESS:

First cut 3-4 fresh fish into 3x4 squares (4-6 ounces), salt fish & let sit for 5min
Lightly spread mayonnaise, thin coating on fish. This trick will help keep fish moist and give it a brown crispy look.
Spread breadcrumbs or panko breading on top of fish & add butter cubs 1/4x1/2 on top
Preheat oven 500
In Cast iron skillet turn on low heat, 2-3 min later increase heat to med/high. Pour ¼- ½ cup olive oil into skillet pan.
In a bowl, mix sauce - ½ to ¾ cup olive oil, ¼ teaspoon lime juice, 1 large lemon squeezed, dash of salt and pepper. Whisk together well.
Pour sauce in pan, place fish in pan, and cook 8-10 min with lid on to contain moisture and to cook the inside of the fish.
After 10 min on the stove top, take lid off & place cast iron pan on middle shelf in oven. Cook 5-10 min depending.

INGREDIENTS:

o Cake

Vegetable oil (for pan)
3 medium carrots, peeled
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup raw pistachios
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1¼ tsp kosher salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour

o Glaze and assembly

½ cup carrot juice
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp. kosher salt2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

PROCESS:

o Cake

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly coat bottom and sides of a 9"-diameter cake pan with oil. Line bottom of pan with a round of parchment paper and smooth
Grate carrots on the large holes of a box grater. Measure out 2½ cups
Set a fine-mesh sieve over a measuring glass and place next to stove. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium until foaming, about 2 minutes. Add pistachios and cook, stirring often, until butter browns and nuts smell toasty, about 5 minutes.
Pour mixture through prepared sieve, scraping in all of the browned bits; set nuts and butter aside.
Crack eggs into a large bowl; add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat 3 minutes. Decrease speed to medium-high and gradually stream in reserved brown butter; beat until combined.
Coarsely chop reserved pistachios.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in flour until almost completely combined, then add nuts and carrots and continue to fold until everything is incorporated. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth surface.
Bake cake until deeply browned and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan. Run a small offset spatula or butter knife around perimeter of cake to loosen. Place a plate upside down over cake and invert cake onto plate.
Remove parchment paper.

o Glaze and assembly

Place a small plate in the freezer.
Cook carrot juice, cream, granulated sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over high heat (do not stir) until thick like lava, 8–10 minutes. Mixture will initially bubble and foam vigorously and look like it’s going to boil over. Bubbling will subside and mixture will thicken. You want it to be thick enough to stick to the cake, but do not let it brown. Test glaze by putting a small dollop onto the cold plate: When you run your finger through the glaze, it should leave a defined trail.
Once the glaze is thick enough, remove pan from heat and stir in butter. Let cool until you can comfortably hold your finger in it (if it’s too hot, it will run right off the cake), about 15 minutes.
Stir glaze well and pour over center of cake, nudging to the edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick. Let glaze cool at least 10 minutes before slicing cake.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups crispy rice cereal (about half a 12-ounce box), such as Rice Krispies
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, plus more for sprinkling
One 10-ounce bag mini marshmallows

PROCESS

Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick spray.
Add the cereal to a large heatproof bowl and set aside.
Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, stir in the brown sugar, heavy whipping cream and corn syrup. Cook until thick and syrupy while stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Stir in the salt. Turn off the heat and stir in the marshmallows. Keep stirring until the marshmallows are smooth and melted.
Quickly pour the caramel marshmallow sauce over the cereal and stir all together. Pour into the prepared pan and press down with a piece of parchment paper sprayed with nonstick spray. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.
Cool completely, and then cut into squares.

Once again, MSA headed off to Chicago to the Merchandise Mart to see the latest in commercial design at NeoCon 2019.

Until next year!

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