Tastes like more

In a good way

2011-05-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Photos from our weekend in Seattle. (Well, phone photos.) We drove up for the Timbers vs. Sounders MLS match, but made plenty of time for food excursions beforehand. Friday afternoon, we grabbed sandwiches at the small downtown salumeria/eatery, Salumi. They make their own salami and cheese. I had finocchiona and provolone on a ciabatta-type roll with a generous spread of olive oil. I keep thinking about it. I'll be back up there next weekend, so I might have to get some salami to bring home.

Because it was a mild spring day, Josh took me to the Space Needle for the view, then we wandered around the park and walked the labyrinth. That evening, we ate at Delancey in Ballard with some friends. It reminded me of Ken's Pizza in Portland, in a good way: tasty basic pizzas, greenly delicious salad/roasted veggies, solid seasonal desserts. I liked that the pizza crust was more chewy. And I always like a white pie. Ricotta should be on pizza more often.

Saturday morning we had brunch at the Volunteer Park Cafe. I had quiche with salad and a maple fig scone. That place is cute and buzzing with hip neighborhood activity. Josh and I sat at a big communal table and read an old Rolling Stone. I would probably be a regular if I lived nearby. And the park is right up the street, with lovely walkways, the Asian Art museum, and a conservatory. I saw some of the largest cacti I've ever seen. And orchids that looked like giant spiders.

We had a snack of Alaskan salmon mid-afternoon, courtesy of Josh's friends. Then we beefed up for the soccer match. I had a great burger at Brave Horse Tavern in Lake Union. The beer list was pretty good. But the coleslaw cabbage was so finely shredded, it was mushy. In fact, "shredded" is not the right term. "Ground" would be a better description. Ground cabbage. Another funny thing about the restaurant is it's manufactured sense of character. New windows made to look old, fake horseshoe decor, rustic chandeliers, etc. The neighborhood is being done up to look like Portland's Pearl District, with similar updated warehouse buildings and identical streetcars. Hopefully it will have the same successful renaissance - with a little more sincerity. At least the tavern burger is the real deal.

And then we stood in the rain for two hours, cheering on our team. My water-resistant jacket could not resist the downpour. Glad I had all that food to keep up my energy.

A heart makes love

2011-02-28T21:48:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day came and went, but not without some sappy recognition on my part. Josh planned some romantic pre- Valentine's activities, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Being a homemade, crafty type, on the day of, I taped red hearts all over his mirror, gave him a cheesy card I made about "spooning," along with a wooden spoon for cooking, and had him over for dinner to make heart pizzas. Before we all gag on the cheesy heart-shaped food idea, let me just tell you that those heart pizzas were delicious. I prepped a bunch of toppings, including fennel, sausage, onions, parsley, red sauce, and lots of cheese. And because they were small, it was necessary to consume many of them.

No special Valentine's dessert, in any shape. However, the following week, we made basic sugar cookies and I added garam masala for a little twist. Indian sugar cookies? Why not?

Toasted pasta

2011-01-31T22:11:00.000-08:00

Browsing through the cookbook section at Powell's, I flipped through a British cookbook compilation (maybe the Guardian's?). It was a quick browse, but I did glance a recipe entry from Ferran Adria: Toasted Spaghetti with Clams. It was one of the smallest entries in the book. Not only did his name catch my eye, but also the recipe title. Toasted = good. Spaghetti = good. Clams = good.
I didn't have clams. But I had olive oil, spaghetti noodles, parsley, and garlic. And I had a tin of sardines. Basically, the recipe calls for toasting the spaghetti noodles in a pan with olive oil. Break the noodles in half or thirds. Place in a heated pan with olive oil coating the bottom. Turn noodles with tongs while cooking. When lightly golden, add chopped parsley and garlic, maybe some chili flakes, and water/broth. Cook until pasta is al dente, adding water as needed. Then add clams - or in my case, sardines.

I have tried this three times. I have liked it each time. Once I only used dried herbs and it was lovely. Each time, I have had some overly toasted noodles. But I often had burnt toast as a kid, so it doesn't bother me much. The noodles have a toasted taste, as well as a toasty texture. Enjoy a twist on an old standby.

I've been remiss

2011-01-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season for forgetting everything but sweets and twinkling lights. I have been cooking very little the last few months. I've baked even less. But with the holidays in full swing, I consumed more than my fair share.

My friend Drew was recently in Paris. When he asked what I wanted from France, I said mustard and chocolate. And I happened to mention that if I was ever in Paris, I would want to visit Denise Acabo's chocolate shop, A l'Etoile d'Or. Drew brought me a wonderful, truly amazing dark and milk chocolate layered Jour et nuit Bernachon bar - only available at their shop in Lyon or from A l'Etoile d'Or in Paris. Exclusive. I have been savoring it, but definitely don't want it to go bad. My apartment is usually only 60°F, so it will last a while longer... My other early Christmas present was a lovely pot of dijon mustard. And I have put it to use. Mostly with carrots. I have sautéed carrots and added dijon - three times in the past few weeks. A little bit of lemon would be nice at the end. Maybe on the fourth time around.

I will share some holiday food photos, including my first attempt at making my aunt's almond roca recipe. The recipe was written on an old piece of paper, fading and spotted with oil, missing a few words here and there. Even without a candy thermometer, it worked out fine. Chopping the almonds was the hardest part. Sweets and twinkling lights. I find myself wishing I could have them all year long. But I do remember how silly Christmas lights look in August. And peppermint bark would seem out of place. But right now they are just right.

Good to go

2010-10-29T22:27:00.001-07:00

I shelled beans for the first time recently. I was at the farm stand, making my usual rounds, going through the French green beans before heading over to the beets, fennel, then the squash. Out of the corner of my eye, a woman walked in and headed over to a huge bin of shelling beans. She filled a bag, then another. Curious, I walked over to finger a pod. She asked, "Have you cooked with these?" I had not. She replied, "Oh, they're the best. They cook up real good and you can even freeze them and use them a year later." I certainly like the best.

When I looked these beans up online, I learned they are called "cranberry beans," due to the fuchsia shell. Inside, the beans look like speckled Easter eggs. And when they cook, the rosy spots evaporate and leave a cream-colored bean. They are tender, buttery and easy to work with. I put a twist on a traditional mirepoix by using fennel instead of celery. A little chicken stock and we were good to go. Fresh bean soup.

Comfort food season is here. Josh and I have been experimenting with our favorite standby dishes. In the last few weeks, we have turned out a decent pineapple fried rice, cheesy enchiladas, creamy polenta, and a sweet/spicy sausage pizza. What should we make next?

There you have it

2010-09-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone is talking about the end of summer, the beginning of fall. I'm not ready. I was so, so ready for summer - and then it came late. I want one of those autumns where it is 85 degrees in mid-October. Kind of like those surprise days in May, when it gets over 90. It just makes the easing in and out better. And most of all I need a little more heat because my tomatoes are just ripening. Finally.
Of course, I haven't been waiting around for my tomatoes. Anyone and everyone with fresh ripe tomatoes will get my attention in late summer. Someone brought in a bag of cherry tomatoes last week. I sat down next to it and made a significant dent in the supply. (Also note that another coworker brought in smoked salmon, so there was more of a reason to stake out territory.) And yesterday, I bought the reddest, juiciest cherry tomatoes to make this pasta goodness.* Why does chewy baked cheese taste so good with crunchy, garlicky bread crumbs?
*I intended to link you to the recipe, but I don't remember where I read it... Basically, it is a few cloves of chopped garlic, mixed with roughly equal amounts bread crumbs and shredded parmesan, and olive oil to combine. I used 3/4 cup each. Spread the mixture over halved cherry tomatoes in a baking dish and cook until the tomatoes are soft and sweet, the cheese is chewy, and the bread crumbs are crisp. I did 10-15 mins at 375.

At the same time this was being prepped, Josh and I put together this apple crisp. However, don't ask what kind of apples we used. His friends handed us a bag of smallish, crisp apples and we happily consumed them. We didn't have walnuts. And we didn't have lemon juice (white wine works just fine) or whipped cream to top. But it was just fine without. In fact, apple crisp for breakfast the next morning, with a little milk... Also just fine.

So maybe with the magic of apples, I will be ready for fall. And crunching leaves under foot. And squash and scarves. However, if those tomatoes ripen, I will be back outside for one last summer salad.

Perfect Pork Chop

2010-08-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

My birthday came around this month, and with it many memorable moments and plenty of delicious meals. Josh hosted a lovely lawn party with friends and family. I had intended to play bocce ball, but the heat led me to merely sit and drink cold beverages, eat summer potluck dishes, popsicles, sorbet...

On my birthday proper, I ate out all three meals. Bakery bar for breakfast - grilled seasonal vegetables on a biscuit and egg sandwich. Pok Pok for a light lunch - papaya salad, sticky rice, and Thai chicken wings. And Olympic Provisions for dinner - a charcuterie plate, romano beans with fresh ricotta and toasted almonds, heirloom tomato salad with olives and feta, and the most tender, juicy pork chop ever. For dessert, we had peach upside down cake.

Josh and I decided to try our hand at pan cooked pork chops. We wanted that crisp glazed exterior and tender interior. After a little research, we settled on the most basic, no fuss instructions. I bought two Iowa pork chops and we went to work. Mashed potatoes and corn rounded out an all-American meal. And brought continued birthday bliss.

tastebud adventure

2010-07-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

I am a strong believer in the birthday week. Or even month, if you are so lucky. That way, you don't have to stress about one big celebration. You can spread it out. Have the family birthday cake, the friend dinner, the work happy hour.

Josh's weekly "family dinner" turned into a dual birthday celebration a few days after his birthday proper. Josh and his friend Elise each got to choose a favorite entrée. Josh chose jambalaya, which was thick with shrimp, sausage, and chicken - and spicy, almost to the point of too spicy, but not quite. Kind of a daring tastebud adventure. Elise chose timpano (cheesy baked pasta with sausage). Paired with lots of seasonal salads and crisp, cool wine, we were full and happy. Even the hot weather and mosquitoes couldn't tame our jolly spirits.

After the large meal, we had two desserts. Sure, we were already full. But our friend Kira handled the desserts, and since she is a trained pastry chef, we found the room. Josh chose donuts, Elise chose a chocolate cake with an inner boiled frosting, chocolate frosting, and raspberry sauce. Now I can't wait till the next birthday.

Two birthdays, one cake

2010-07-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

Abbi's birthday was at the end of June, quickly followed by Josh's at the beginning of July. I love trying new cake recipes, but when it comes to birthday cake, I usually play it safe. If you like chocolate cake, you can bet that this is the cake I will make you. Maybe with a twist. I have made this chocolate cake with the original cream cheese frosting, with orange glaze, with dulce de leche... I pretty much have it memorized, but I like to pull out the faded and stained recipe card, in my high school handwriting, just to remember all the birthdays before.

Abbi wanted chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. This recipe is fast and cupcakes bake so quickly that I was out the door with baked cupcakes within an hour. I frosted them at the party just in time for the candle. I did a basic buttercream with a tablespoon of cream cheese added, and cocoa to taste.

Josh was out of town when I started planning his birthday. I baked the layers before I picked him up at the airport. I asked, "Do you want chocolate cake?" He said, "I want whatever you made."
I asked what kind of frosting and he chose raspberry - specifically the black raspberries at the store. Like all dark berries, the juice can stain anything, but it also makes a great food coloring. Reduced juice went into the buttercream, with a dash of chambord. The raspberry filling in the middle was sweet/tart and jam consistency. Vanilla ice cream helped balance the richness of the cake.

And Happy Birthday, blog. What a fun year of food!

Midwestern Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda

Mix dry ingredients together until well blended. Then add 1 cup buttermilk, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup hot strong coffee (decaf okay of course), 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir to mix completely. Pour into greased cake pan(s). With a large sheet pan, it will bake 30-35 minutes at 350. If using smaller pans, check sooner. You will smell the chocolate when it is getting close.

Hello, Haroseth

2010-06-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

I love it when you try something new and it feels as though you've known it all along. I had not ever tried haroseth, a traditional Passover dish. But it has a familiar taste to it. It is like remembering fig newtons and rugelach. A mix of dried fruit and toasted nuts, spices and a dash of wine, this sweet spread is served with matzoth at Passover. I decided to use the mixture as a tart filling.

Sweet dough is fun to make. It's a tactile experience from the start, from incorporating the butter and dry ingredients to the little tin foil pockets of beans you put into the shells while they bake. Sweet dough forgives all your stretching and maneuvering into the tins. It's flexible and easy-going. And the sweet buttery result is worth the mess in your kitchen.

For the dinner party, I made some savory dishes to partner with the tarts. A mixed vegetable salad with a Greek twist, Turkish lamb meatballs with accompanying roasted red pepper sauce, as well as hummus and flatbread. The lamb meatball recipe is from Bon Appétit, earlier this year. They were easy to make, but the fragrance lasted for days, even after tart baking. Not an unappealing smell, but still strong. (Open your windows and run a fan.) The roasted red pepper sauce recipe called for pomegranate molasses, which I did not have or try to locate. Instead, I used a bit of maple syrup and a dash of balsamic. I have no idea if this comes close to the intended flavor, but it worked for me.

oh, the possibilities

2010-06-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

The warm spinach salad from Breakside Brewery has had occupied my mind for days. They toss the spinach with chèvre, prosciutto, carmelized onions, wild mushrooms, and roasted garlic - with an olive oil/balsamic dressing. (These are a few of my favorite things...) I shared a few bites, but later realized I had eaten all the creamy chèvre bites before sharing. I guess we'll have to go back.

I half-created a similar salad tonight, but my garlic wasn't roasted in time and I didn't have the prosciutto or mushrooms. So, it was a different salad. But I did have pancetta, which was a suitable meat substitution and sparked my taste memory.

In the spirit of cured meat and cheese happily coexisting, and because I was obsessing about that salad at breakfast, I scrambled some eggs and added comté and salami. Oh, the possibilities.

Speaking of obsessing about food... Over the last couple months, I have tried again and again to eat at a food cart called Nuevo Mexico, but every time I get there, they are closed. Too late, too early, out of food. They leave notes stating the reason. I don't know if I should give up or try harder. I'm tempted to start leaving notes in response. "What does it take to get a sopapilla?"

Comfort me with waffles

2010-05-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

I don't relate to the Song of Solomon line, "Comfort me with apples." (and title of a Ruth Reichl book) Perhaps in the warm afternoons of September, I would feel comforted by an apple. But on a cold and rainy day, that apple would have to be baked and served with brown sugar and cream.

I am waiting for summer. Spring is carrying on with rain and chilled evenings. The farmers markets are in full force, but I am still feeling the need to bundle up and eat comfort food. I bought a beautiful artichoke and some lovely little brussel sprouts at the grocery. I roasted the brussel sprouts with eggplant and topped with basil and peanut sauce. (from Mai's in Newport, Oregon) Soon enough I'll be ready for crisp radishes and fresh green salads, but in the meantime...

Last week, my sister's boyfriend made a fantastic chili. He wowed us with stew a few months ago. This rendition had tender chunks of beef, kidney and black beans, multiple veggies, and a nicely spiced tomato base. He cooked it on low for 12 hours. He apologized for using canned beans. I have very few friends that know how (or bother) to soak and cook beans. Bravo.

When I studied in Austria, my host family bought milk directly from the dairy. We drove up to a dispenser, put in some coins, and out poured milk, straight into our canister. Josh lives two blocks from a dairy, but this is no rural operation. No cows in sight. Everything comes and goes in big trucks and tankers. You can't even buy a carton at the facility. However, at the grocery down the road, I bought some of their buttermilk and we made some dandy waffles, topped with glazed bananas and maple syrup.

Belgian Buttermilk Waffles with Glazed Bananas
Gourmet, June 2005

For waffles

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
2 large eggs
Vegetable oil for waffle iron

For topping

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 firm-ripe large bananas, cut diagonally into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 1/4 cups pure maple syrup

Make waffles:
Put oven rack in middle position and put a large metal cooling rack directly on it. Preheat oven to 250°F and preheat waffle iron.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, and eggs in another bowl, then whisk into flour mixture until just combined.

Brush hot waffle iron lightly with vegetable oil and pour a slightly rounded 1/2 cup of batter into each waffle mold (see cooks' note, below). Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer as cooked to rack in oven to keep warm, keeping waffles in 1 layer to stay crisp. Make more waffles in same manner.

Make topping:
While last batch is cooking, heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then add banana slices in 1 layer and cook until golden, about 1 minute per side. Remove from heat and add syrup to skillet.

Spoon bananas over waffles, then drizzle with warm syrup before serving.

cinco de mayo potluck #8

2010-05-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

My friend Drew and I have been having an annual cinco de mayo potluck for years. We embrace the holiday for the food and spirit of the celebration. And cinco de mayo is a good underdog story. Who doesn't like to toast to that? Sometimes there's a bit of competition to our potluck - a homemade salsa or beans cook off. This year, we had distinct dishes, sweet desserts, and plenty of Negro Modelo.

Homemade dulce de leche sauce. I felt giddy making this. It makes the whole apartment smell sweet. (Bon Appétit - January, 2003 recipe, available on epicurious)

Mexican Coleslaw with Black Beans. I made this to lighten up the buffet. Thinly sliced red cabbage, cilantro, black beans, and a spicy sour cream dressing (sour cream, hot sauce, cider vinegar, lime juice, salt).

Elizabeth's Posole: Mexican soup with tender pork and hominy.

Drew's famous beans. One year I accidentally turned up the wrong stove top dial and burned his beans. Accidental sabotage, mind you, but he lost the competition that year. I didn't interfere this time and they were just right.

Elizabeth goes all out with this bread pudding. When I woke up the next morning, I wished I could have some for breakfast.

Basic chocolate cake takes on a new meaning with dulce de leche.

Margarita and Tostada-themed cupcakes by Jade and Amy.

So sophisticated

2010-04-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

I love cheese. And I won't lie; I've had some pretty fancy cheese. But I also like regular, everyday cheese. One weekend last summer, a guy asked me out and for our first date, I got to choose the restaurant. Three hours before our date, he sent me an email telling me he couldn't come because he had looked up the restaurant's menu and determined that I was "too sophisticated" for him. Little did he know that I was looking forward to that restaurant's fried cheese curds. I ended up going alone the next night - because you shouldn't let a boy keep you from your food.

Here in Oregon, we have the standby Tillamook cheddar. Most groceries sell the regular brick of medium cheddar, the sharp, and sometimes the white cheddar. If you go to the factory, you will have the chance to taste - and buy - some flavored cheddars. Jalapeno cheddar, garlic and chili cheddar, and my new favorite, the sharp white and cracked black pepper cheddar. While they have dressed it up a bit, it is still the standby cheddar and goes great with regular food. Crackers, tacos, and chili all got a chance to be paired with the flavored cheddars. And last night, I mixed in some black pepper cheddar with my cornbread batter. Topped with chili, it becomes so sophisticated.

You could use this tasty cornbread recipe from Epicurious or you could just perk up your favorite box mix. I'm not here to judge. Same goes for the chili. It's easy to make from scratch, and I would recommend that if you have the time, but there are some fine tasting cans out there. This dinner is all about the cheese.

pure poison

2010-04-22T16:39:00.001-07:00

Drew's birthday was last weekend. Elizabeth made him a beautiful twelve layer Chocolate Cinnamon Torte. It reminded me of the frozen Viennetta cakes from my childhood, but tasted so much better. It is a unique combination of thin layers of cinnamon cake and light creaminess. We drank mimosas with strawberry purée and enjoyed the spring afternoon. My friend Erik remarked, "Drew and Elizabeth are the king and queen of afternoon parties." Cheers.

This wasn't the first time she's made this cake, so I asked Elizabeth to tell me the torte story. Here it is:

It kind of takes forever to make so you can see I have taken to making my self comfy in our little kitchen.

I first had it as a kid in Switzerland. My mom had this "Good Housekeeping" cookbook from the 50's and would let us pick whatever cake we wanted for our birthdays. The cookbook had a full page picture of it, it was probably the size of my head, and it seemed almost unreal. Leave it up to my brother to take my mom by her word and pick it for his birthday cake one year. I think I remember her cringing a little, but she did it and it was pretty mind blowing. My mom is a great baker and it seems to have become something of a family tradition.

12 layers of cinnamon crisps layered with cool unsweetened whipped cream, topped with dark chocolate curls and maraschino cherries and walnuts--I'm just sayin'... my brother calls it "pure poison."

Raise your glass, raise your spoon

2010-04-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

Easter dinner is a big deal with my family. Like Thanksgiving and Christmas, we have a traditional meal. I can easily rattle off the menu - and the order in which it appears on the buffet. Everyone contributes. The cardamom rolls make an appearance. There are potato casseroles. My uncle brings his special peanut carrot salad. My aunt makes deviled eggs. And we have ham, turkey, and all the fixings.

After the Easter egg hunt, we have pineapple lemon fluff. Oh-so-yellow and light, this dessert says Spring. My Grandma Jean used to make it, but now I have taken over the dessert duties. This Easter marked the fourth anniversary of her death. Raise your glass, raise your spoon in honor of delicious food, happy memories, and sweet grandmothers.

Pineapple Lemon Fluff

2 boxes lemon pudding (not instant)
1 can crushed pineapple, strained
1 pint whipping cream, whipped w/ 1-2 TB sugar

Cook pudding on stove top, per box directions, using 1 cup less water for two boxes. This will create a thicker pudding. (Reserve the egg whites.) Cool pudding. When cool, stir in strained pineapple. Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped egg whites into the cooled lemon pudding mix. Top with whipped cream.

Wish you were here

2010-03-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

Postcard #1: San Francisco

I visited my friend Tina over the weekend. She lives above a bakery and a chocolate shop. I used to live over a flower shop, which was pretty charming. But fresh scones and an endless supply of chocolate has me beat. What fun, what food... Wine tasting, dim sum, farmer's market samosas, a supper club, outstanding ceviche, all with a healthy dose of laughter. Here are some of my favorite food scenes.

Dim sum at Ton Kiang in Richmond. We had too many dishes to list. All wonderful. And we walked out without feeling stuffed. A dim sum miracle.

Leah's supper club, with goat cheese lollies, watercress broccoli soup, fennel and pistachio salad*, chicken pot pie on puff pastry, and chocolate dipped marshmallows with salted caramel.* We ended the night with sangria on the roof.

*not pictured

Lunch at la mar, featuring a cebiche (ceviche) tasting, causa nikei, and arroz norteño. Well prepared seafood and a delightful presentation. And I was with people who like to eat, which always makes a meal more fun.

When I got back, I was treated to a vacation-like day at home. Josh and I had amazing gnocchi at Il Piatto, then coffee and pastries the next morning at Crema, followed by a lazy walk in the park, sidewalk tacos at Por Qué No, a matinée, NY-style pizza w/ ricotta at Apizza Scholls, then topped off the night with a bacon chocolate bar from Tina. I am now a fan of the vacation segue day.

First, as directed

2010-03-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Once again, the crowd swayed me. I read the Smitten Kitten entry on this basic pasta sauce. Plum tomatoes, a halved onion, butter, and salt. That's it. Could a sauce that plain truly satisfy? Indeed, it could. Like S.K., I made the sauce twice in a week. First, as directed. Second, with a can of crushed tomatoes. Both were smooth and slightly sweet. I tossed Italian sausage meatballs with the pasta the second time around. Oh, comfort food, you treat me so well.

Our weather has been mild and intermittently sunny. The plants are coming forth with gusto. My tulips are up and my lavender columbine is about to flower. I picked some new thyme and decided to make use of this springtime wealth. Since good citrus is still available, I cut into a grapefruit and proceeded to happy hour.

Grapefruit Thyme Martini

Juice of half large grapefruit
One shot vodka
1/2 shot Aperol (or similar apertif/liqueur)
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (regular or lemon)
Ice

Put handful of ice cubes into a martini shaker. Put in the thyme sprigs and muddle by mashing them around in the ice. Pour in your liquids. Cover the shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass and imbibe.

Coming soon: Food postcards from Switzerland, Puerto Rico, and San Francisco!

Let the good times roll

2010-02-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

If you observe lent, you might be missing your favorite vice right now. I know people who have given up fast food, chocolate, or beer. And those who have added things - like regular exercise or more vegetables. One year, I gave up the snooze button for lent. Leading up to lent is the celebration of Mardi Gras. Lent is about self control and Mardi Gras is about indulgence. I love Mardi Gras. Twice I have visited New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Both years I thought I would get sick with all the fatty food and sweets, the consistent cocktails and lack of sleep. But I didn't. My body embraced the spirit and let me go without any healthy eating for an entire week.

A favorite NOLA treat is the muffuletta sandwich. We got a huge tray of these at a deli and snacked on them for days during Mardi Gras week. This sandwich is a meal. A soft Italian roll encases layered meats and cheeses, including salami and provolone. The key ingredient is the olive salad, spread onto the bread. Mixed chopped olives are marinated with celery, carrots, and cauliflower. I like to make a chopped muffuletta spread to eat with baguette.

Another Mardi Gras favorite is King Cake. King Cake is a ring of bread dough, similar to brioche, topped with icing and colored sugar - usually green, gold, and purple. Sometimes there is a filling, like sweetened cream cheese or pecan praline. Typically there is a hidden figurine, bean, or nut inside the cake. The person who gets the figurine is the host of the next Mardi Gras party.

I streamlined the muffuletta spread by using an olive tapenade. I also minimized the other ingredients by using only salami, celery, provolone and mozzarella. Some shredded carrot would fit in nicely. And if you have leftovers, mix with some cooked pasta for a unique pasta salad. As far as king cake goes, the flavor of Emeril Lagasse's recipe is nice. I omitted the citron. And I would also recommend that you closely watch the baking time. I baked it nearly 20 minutes, rather than the listed 30. At 20, it was slightly overdone. Do enjoy yourself, whether you indulge now or wait until next Mardi Gras!

Muffuletta Spread

1 10 oz. jar olive tapenade
1/2 cup chopped provolone
1/2 cup chopped mozzarella
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped salami
~ 2 tbs. olive oil to bind

Mix and serve with baguette or seeded Italian bread.

King Cake recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/king-cake-recipe/index.html

new to me

2010-02-07T14:09:00.000-08:00

I haven't been cooking much lately. And when I do, it's been pretty quick and run-of-the-mill stuff. This doesn't mean I've been going without. I've had some amazing meals the last month or so - cooked by other people.

My friend Kristina (from the Portland Poncho blog) cooked up some of her family recipes for our book club. Her menu featured a variety of mushrooms, some of which were new to me. Kristina told me that China is the biggest fungi producer and consumption market. After our meal, I realized I had been missing out. Enoki mushrooms. Delicious.

Kristina made Bell Peppers, stuffed with a seasoned fish and shrimp paste; the light and subtle Tofu and Mushrooms, with both enoki and king mushrooms and egg tofu; Snow Peapods and Black Fungi; and Almond Jello for dessert.

After the dinner, Kristina gave me her recipes. And I made a shopping list. And then I became intimidated. I want to put them to use... but I also don't want to ruin the image of this meal in my mind. So I will have to schedule a time when she can hold my hand through the delicate Tofu and Mushrooms. And in the meantime, I made raviolis, some with mushrooms.

Using square won ton wraps, I made two kinds of ravioli. One filled with a mashed pea/parmesan/garlic mix and the other filled with crimini mushroom/ground hazelnut/ricotta/garlic mix. I drizzled olive oil with basil over the pea ravioli and brown butter with grated parmesan over the mushroom ravioli. Easy and satisfying.

One way or another

2010-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

In his New Yorker article "What is the Recipe?," Adam Gopnik writes "The recipe book always contains two things: news of how something is made, and assurance that there's a way to make it, with the implicit belief that if I know how it is done I can show you how to do it. The premise of the recipe book is that these two things are naturally balanced; the secret of the recipe book is that they're not."

When I decided to make chilaquiles for supper club, it was because I wanted a starchy side dish. Something simple to go along with the host's chicken with chorizo. After reading the recipe from L.A.'s Original Farmers Market Cookbook on epicurious, I was inspired. But then I thought of Adam's words of truth. Reading a recipe is one thing. Following it is another. Was I really going to make fresh tomatillo salsa in January? Was I really going to buy tortillas, let them get a few days old, then fry them into tortilla chips? No. But that's no reason to go without chilaquiles.

Lazy Chilaquiles Verdes

2 jars Trader Joe's salsa verde (about 3 cups)
1 cup chicken broth
dash olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
salt to taste
20-30 tortilla chips
1/2+ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Diced white onion, cilantro, and sour cream to top. Queso fresco, si quieres.

Shred your cheese and prep the garnish items. Heat the salsa, chicken broth, and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the sauce begins to bubble, add the beaten eggs and stir to cook and incorporate. This will thicken your sauce a bit. Start adding tortilla chips and immerse in the sauce until you have layered to the surface of your sauce. The chips will soften. Sprinkle the cheese over the mixture, then spoon out onto plates. Top with garnish items, as preferred. 4 large servings or 8 side servings.

Since chilaquiles is traditionally a way to use up leftover salsa and tortillas the next morning, people will often add leftover meat as well. Chicken is a popular choice. As a side dish, I served it with roasted cauliflower.

Thanks for the piñata, B!

'Tis the season

2009-12-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas is my favorite time of year. And Christmas Eve is my favorite night of the season. I love all the parties leading up to it, but when I sit down in my Aunt's little living room, crowded together with all my relatives (around 40 of us this year), I hear the noisy conversation and I smell the special food, but I feel the spirit of the holiday. I feel peace.

Our Christmas Eve meal is Scandinavian, including Lefse and the marzipan tower cake, Kransekake. My Aunt Barbara prepares Lutefisk, even though few people actually eat it. My only opposition is that it tastes like nothing. In Norway, our relatives eat it with bacon gravy, garlic mashed peas, and lefse on the side. My aunt is vegetarian and gracious enough to allow seafood products at Christmas, but bacon isn't permitted. Thus, I am heavy with the butter, salt, and pepper when the lutefisk comes around.

I've been in a bit of a cookie coma. I hadn't participated in a cookie exchange before this year. I never understood the appeal. What does one person do with 5 dozen cookies? But this year, I did two. And thanks to my coworkers, friends, and family, the cookies were consumed. They were beautiful cookies. And now I have the recipes...

Wassail is a little easier for me to get through. My friend Laurie made this for her holiday party. The picture makes the apples look sinister, but there were no complaints by the wassailers. We actually went out into the icy streets, warm and ready to carol. Perhaps we were a bit too jolly. One man turned off his porch light when we came around. We sang for him anyway.

Wassail (from Epicurious)

10 small apples
10 teaspoons brown sugar
2 bottles dry sherry or dry Madeira
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cloves
3 allspice berries
1 inch stick cinnamon
2 cups superfine sugar
1/2 cup water
6 eggs, separated
1 cup brandy

Core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Place in a baking pan and cover the bottom with 1/8-inch of water.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until tender. Combine the sherry or Madeira, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat without letting the mixture come to a boil. Leave on very low heat. Beat the egg yolks until light and lemon-colored. Beat the whites until stiff and fold them into the yolks. Strain the wine mixture and add gradually to the eggs, stirring constantly. Add the brandy. Pour into a metal punch bowl, float the apples on top and serve in 8-ounce mugs.

Not for the faint of heart

2009-12-16T22:59:00.000-08:00

Or perhaps, not for the faint of palate. I love blue cheese and I have been known to put some Maytag Blue or creamy Fourme d’Ambert on just about anything. (Pasta, eggs, soup, vegetables, baguette, fruit, other cheese…) Last night I made pasta with sardines and olive oil, which tastes good with some grated Parmesan or Ricotta Salata. But I didn’t have those. I just had Maytag – or Jarlsberg. I went with the blue, even though it meant pairing a strong flavor with another strong flavor. But somehow it worked - though I’m partial.

I usually buy sardines canned in olive oil. They also come in tomato sauce. For those hesitant about sardine consumption, please remember they are not nearly as intensely flavored as their anchovy cousin. If you like canned tuna, you can handle sardines. Cook your preferred pasta, per directions. While pasta is draining, heat a few tablespoons olive oil over M - M/H heat. Scoop your deboned sardines into the pan – ~ ½ tin per person . Add the hot pasta and stir a few times. Remove from heat. Mix approximately ¼ tsp lemon zest into the pasta. You likely don’t need salt when using canned sardines and salty cheese, so salt and pepper with that in mind. Turn onto a plate. Top with grated or crumbled cheese. And greens, if you are feeling healthy. I used arugula, which is a bit zesty and tasted nice with the slight lemon flavor. Today, I used the second half of the sardine tin to make a “sardine melt,” using wheat bread and the Jarlsberg cheese. It tasted like a grown-up tuna melt, with the olive oily fish and rich nutty cheese.

Don't change the menu

2009-11-26T20:22:00.000-08:00

I heard from two different sources this week, "It doesn't matter what you make for Thanksgiving dinner, as long as it's the same menu." This is true with my family. We like things to be the same every year. We have the traditional turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and mashed potatoes, the standard green beans, sweet potato casserole, butter rolls, and pumpkin pie. Every year. We love it. And I've heard of other families holding steady with their favorite menus of ham and scalloped potatoes or enchiladas and Spanish rice. We like our traditions.

My Aunt Peggy makes the cardamom butter rolls for each holiday dinner. Last year, she went to her in law's Thanksgiving dinner and we were left without the rolls. I actually stopped in the buffet line and stared at the basket of store-bought rolls, confused. I looked at my cousin behind me with a look that asked, "What is this?" Something was missing. But this year, the homemade rolls were back in the lineup. And I proceeded smoothly through the buffet without pause. I felt very thankful.

Then and there

2009-11-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Drew calls crab "butter of the sea." We have stood at the sink, cracking the shell, prying apart the legs, and eating it right then and there. Last month, one of my neighborhood groceries kept updating their seafood sign with the estimated start date of crab season. And since the end of October, seafood stands and customers have been celebrating. For my sister's birthday, my family covered the table in paper and split three large crabs between us. A side salad, roasted squash, and some white wine completed the meal. It sounds like such a light meal, but after dipping the crab into melted butter, we soon felt like fat cats.

Another decadent seasonal favorite is the chanterelle mushroom. Chanterelles already have a nutty and buttery flavor. Sautéed in butter, they become very rich and tender. They taste delicious on crostini and make an easy topping for grilled meat.

Even though I'll be partaking in a large serving later this week at Thanksgiving, I was in the mood for mashed potatoes. I had a lot of sweet potatoes on hand, so I mixed roasted sweet potatoes and fingerling potatoes with sautéed yellow onions and garlic. Then I stirred in diced Marco Polo cheese, which is made in Seattle by Beecher's Cheese. Marco Polo has blended green and black peppercorns. It adds a great spice to the potatoes. (And would make a delicious grilled cheese sandwich!) The potatoes were a creamy and comforting side to the steak with chanterelles.

Rustic Mashed Potatoes

2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
1 cup chopped fingerling potatoes
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, diced
1/4 cup Marco Polo cheese, diced (or sub preferred cheese)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix potatoes and 3 tbsp olive oil in baking pan. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with foil and roast in oven for 20 mins or until tender.
In the meantime, sautée the onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and continue stirring until aromatic and lightly browned. Remove from heat and add to potatoes. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the potatoes. Stir in diced cheese and season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

The standard

2009-11-14T21:28:00.001-08:00

I just finished reading Nigel Slater's memoir, Toast. His stories, tied so closely to food, are vivid and relatable. Doesn't every child crave sweets? Did you ever dread what was in your school lunch? What does food mean to you? To me, food can be comfort and it can be basic fuel, but it is always important. Food is often the reason we gather together. It has few negative memories for me. (I generally get over the bad experiences; I have gotten food poisoning twice from a local restaurant, but I've gone back because the food is amazing.) Even my flopped recipes are repeated with good humor. The first pancake always burns...

Ever since I can remember, my family has made spaghetti with brown butter and mizithra. Mizithra is a salty semi-soft Greek sheep's cheese. It reminds me of ricotta salata - and both are delicious with pasta. This is your typical get-the-kids-to-eat meal. Butter, cheese, and pasta. This may have factored into my family's decision to start having periodic dinners at the Spaghetti Factory. If a relative comes to town and we all want to spend time together, we go and get a huge table for 20+, make a lot of noise, and eat a lot of pasta. At least half the table will order mizithra. However, it tastes so much better at home. You'll have to wait an hour to get a table at the restaurant, but your homemade spaghetti dinner will be done in ten minutes.

I made a foolish mistake when making the spaghetti. I turned on the wrong burner to boil my pasta water and instead burned the bottom of my favorite enamel saucepan, which happens to be the perfect brown butter pan. Sigh. You need a pan where you can see the bottom; a non-stick black saucepan will not work, but stainless steel or enamel pans perform well. I like to cut the butter up into pieces to even out the melting. Cook the butter on Medium to Medium/High. Stir the butter to avoid burning. When the butter turns a tan color, remove it from the heat. It will continue to cook - and continue browning. The butter should smell nutty. The French call brown butter "buerre noisette," or literally "hazelnut butter." Brown butter is great with pasta, but also wonderful as a sauce on chicken, fish, or vegetables - and a traditional addition to baked goods.

Seasons for comfort

2009-11-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, the trees were ablaze with color. My little balcony garden had cheerful company. Walking down the hall, the doorway looked full of bright leaves. My eyes would take a minute to adjust; it's as if those colors don't exist at any other time of year.

I recently made an acquaintance from South Africa. She is here in Oregon for a few weeks, wine tasting and visiting the sights. This week, she took a drive around the countryside and into the gorge. She had never seen trees with so many colors. Next week, she will experience her first American Thanksgiving. So far, she loves the fall season.

The markets are full of local apples and pears. I went a little crazy at the beginning of harvest. I bought more pears than I could keep track of. I usually eat "an apple a day" and get through a bag pretty quickly. But with the pears, I kept finding a few pears here, a few pears there - in the fridge, on the counter, in the fruit bowl. I decided to make a pear tart. While I love a flaky butter tart crust, I wanted to use the rest of my Amaretti cookies. So, what resulted was a pear almond ricotta cheesecake with an Amaretti crust.

Pear Almond Ricotta Cheesecake

Crust: 2/3 cup ground Amaretti cookes, 1/3 cup ground blanched almonds, 4 tbsp melted butter

Filling: 2-3 pears, 3 eggs, 1/2 tsp almond extract, 1/2 tsp rose water, 1/4 cup ground blanched almonds, 1 brimming cup ricotta

Peel, core, and slice 2-3 pears. Heat four cups water, 1 cup sugar, and any preferred flavoring such as vanilla or cinnamon. Substitute honey for the sugar, if you prefer. Add the pear slices carefully and poach for ~15 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. If you want to reduce the liquid to make a syrup, feel free to continue heating the water and check back when it has reduced by half.

In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds, ground cookies, and melted butter. Press the crust into the bottom of a springform pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, then add other filling ingredients and mix together until combined. Pour over the crust into the springform pan over the pressed crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until the center moves only slightly when you move the pan.

This filling would work just as well in a tart crust.

*Thank you to Elizabeth Archers for the photo of my green Zebra tomatoes.

Following the leader

2009-11-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

If all my friends jumped off a bridge, I would take photos. I would stand at the railing and watch their fall, with fear and curiosity. I would gauge their arc, the fall time, and wait hopefully for them to reach the shore. Later, I would hand out towels and congratulate them in their exhilaration. If my friends jumped off a bridge, I would not follow.

If all my friends made granola… well, that’s a different story. I read Molly W’s post about Nigella Lawson’s granola recipe. I related. I silently congratulated her on finding her favorite recipe. But, I stuck with my granola routine. Then David Lebovitz wrote about Nigella’s granola. And I was torn. Do I follow the crowd? What does it hurt? It’s only a batch of granola. Everyone’s doing it.

For years, I have been using my old roommate’s granola recipe. She varies her ingredients, but always includes oats, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, coconut oil, and a little honey. The coconut oil makes it smell wonderful, adds this sweet, nutty, fatty flavor. And I follow this tradition, adding spices, nuts, maple syrup and honey at my whim. If you like granola and have never made it, I encourage you to try and recreate your favorite blend. And if you still like the store-bought better, stick with it. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

I did have fun trying Nigella’s recipe, but to be honest, I wasn’t wildly impressed by the end result. I wanted to be. It just didn’t taste that much better than any other granola. I like that she uses applesauce in her recipe. Puréed fruit is a clever way to incorporate the needed wet ingredients. I might have to branch out on the fruit though. Perhaps some apricot or pear would broaden the flavors. It is crunchy enough that you can let it sit in milk for a couple minutes, which does make it taste better. This recipe makes a good breakfast cereal, but the best? Decide for yourself.

On a side note: Just because Nigella’s granola didn’t change my life, does not mean she isn't delightfully inspired. I can’t wait to try her Doughnut French Toast.

Nigella's recipe: http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=216

The company we keep

2009-10-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

The first tearoom I worked in was owned by Mrs. Jones. I grew up going to her restaurant for birthday tea parties. (She would hover over the table, not to serve us, but to make sure the children didn’t break the china.) Despite the fact that there were actual British women working in the tearoom, Mrs. Jones took a liking to me. She would often invite me to have tea with her.
A sweet girl named Becca did the dishes and clean up. One day, Mrs. Jones told Becca to clean the prep kitchen floor by hand. And in the next moment, she gave me my task: “Anna, make us a pot of tea.” To this day, I can feel the awkwardness of that moment, remember the shock on Becca's face, the blush of embarrassment on mine.

Mrs. Jones had a designated table, in the back near the kitchen. From her post, she could see everyone come and go. It was also the only table where smoking was allowed. She would sit there, cigarette in one hand, cup of tea in the other, and instruct me on proper grammar, proper table manners, proper... (I came to realize that behind the accent and genteel façade, Mrs. Jones wasn't all that proper herself.) She was incredibly picky about her tea. Because of her, I learned how to listen for the kettle to boil. I learned how to prepare the tea cup and pour the tea. While I don’t sit down at a table with her anymore, I often think of her when I'm having tea. It is because of her and her strict grooming that I was sometimes mistaken as British when in England; when tea time came around, I knew exactly what to do.

Tea or coffee is a must with some baked goods. If you are unsure how to make a traditional cup of tea, here are some basic guidelines. You will need a tea cup/mug, tea pot, tea kettle, black tea*, milk, and sugar.

1. Put some hot water in your tea pot and set aside. Fittingly, this is called, "warming the pot."

2. Fill your tea kettle with fresh water. Put the kettle on to boil.

3. Pour the hot water out of your tea pot. Add tea to the pot. Usually a tea bag can make ~ 2 cups of tea. If using loose leaf tea, measure 1 teaspoon of tea per cup.

4. Listen to your kettle. You want to take it off the heat source as soon as it comes to a full boil.

5. Pour the boiled water into your tea pot. Let the tea brew for three minutes. (unless your tea blend specifies otherwise)

6. Pour a little milk in the bottom of your tea cup, then pour your brewed tea into the cup. (Use a strainer if using loose leaf tea.) Add sugar to taste. Enjoy.

To some, it is proper to pour the milk into the hot tea. However, it tastes better if you have the milk in the cup first. It's a chemistry thing.

*Some people prefer single origin tea, such as Assam or Ceylon. There are many blends that make a good cup of tea as well. English and Irish Breakfast are examples of popular blends.

Something you might want to eat with your tea... Apple hand pies. I made a cornmeal sweet crust and stuffed with simple cinnamon & sugar apple slices. They would be great for tea time, dessert, or breakfast.

Apple Hand Pies

Peel, core and slice two baking apples. Place slices in bowl and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to taste.

Crust:

1 3/4 c. flour

handful cornmeal

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c. cold butter, cubed

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Measure flour, cornmeal and salt into a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until broken up and shaggy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Knead slightly and roll balls (large golf ball size), then roll on a floured surface with a rolling pin until a thin disk. Place apple slices on one half and fold over to form a half-circle. Cinch edges with a fork. Repeat and place pies on a parchment lined baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 until lightly browned.

(The cornmeal adds a crunch, but if you want to forgo, add just a bit more flour. Or you could sub oats.)

Give and take

2009-10-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Have you ever come home to find a gift on your doorstep? These days, with the advent of gift cards and Amazon free shipping, gift giving is easier and less personal, usually involving a cardboard box and lots of plastic wrapping. How nice to open my door to baked goods last night. Something that a real person baked, something hand delivered. It may seem small, but my neighbor made my day with apple strudel. Happy Fall, indeed.

I had some enormous softball-sized peaches in my kitchen. Waiting, ripening, looking pretty. It’s the tail end of their season, but they do have the right color for fall. Over the weekend, it was time to put them to good use. I found inspiration from the Smitten Kitchen peach cupcake recipe. However, I decided to go the easy route. (I was out of cake flour.) A basic vanilla cake recipe, with chopped peaches, produces peach cake – or cupcakes. I used less sugar than normal and think you could go even lower if you have sweet peaches. You could also replace some of the vegetable oil with buttermilk or yogurt.

I brought the cupcakes to a party. It was your typical house party – chips, dip, beer in the fridge. However, it was in honor of a birthday and all birthdays deserve cake. I slid the cupcakes in next to the carrot/celery tray and prepared to mingle. Don’t let anyone tell you that food can’t make you friends. In fact, How to Win Friends and Influence People should be revised to include cupcake baking. I actually had a few people come up to me and ask, “Are you the girl that made the cupcakes?” There you have it. Whether you bring them to a party or leave them for your neighbors, be friendly with your cake baking. Share.

Cardamom Peach Cupcakes with Cardamom Buttercream Frosting

Cake mix, for 18 cupcakes:

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c. white sugar

1 c. vegetable oil - or sub buttermilk or yogurt

2 c. a-p flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large peaches/ approx. 2 cups chopped

Grease or butter muffin tins. Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined, then spoon into prepared muffin tins. Bake for ~20 minutes or until toothpick tests clean.

Cardamom Buttercream Frosting:

2 tbsp butter, softened

1/3 c. confectioners/powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 - 1/2 tsp cardamom

1 tbsp milk or cream

Stir together until creamy. I like just a little frosting, but you can multiply this recipe for full coverage frosting. Use less milk/cream for a thicker frosting.

My recipe for cheer

2009-10-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

At work, I meet people who are down on their luck – some who are unemployed and unsure of their future. Some are behind on bills, some homeless and without food. I advocate for them to get basic needs covered. These people become resourceful, adjust to living with less. They don’t have the luxuries many of us enjoy. They can’t go to happy hour with friends, bake whatever they feel like, get Thai take-out because they are too tired to make dinner. I know I am lucky. I have a job. I have a full pantry. I have a warm bed to sleep in.

This doesn't mean I never feel sorry for myself - or want something more. I have pictures inside my closet door of “things I want.” These are not the Sears catalogue cutouts of my childhood. There is picture of a welcoming kitchen with room for friends to gather. There is a picnic table outside under a tree, a happy couple in a canoe, a reading nook with bookshelves lining the walls, a lovely plant-filled sun porch, children running along a walkway in India. (This one does not necessarily represent the desire to have children, but the option of having happy children in my life. Or maybe a trip to India.) I don’t look at the pictures with the desperation I felt when eyeing the red bike in the Sears catalogue. They make me smile, like a sweet memory. I could almost say, "See you soon."

The last few days have been stressful. Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed or sad, I go to Powell's and buy books. Sometimes a nice long walk does the trick. Or a hot shower. Or chocolate. Sometimes I bake. This time, I bought some Amaretti cookies and a wedge of Spanish blue to cheer myself up. I spread the blue cheese on slices of baguette. I ate the cookies and drank wine. I made a feast of delicious vegetables, including a brussel sprout and crimini mushroom hash. I did feel better after that.

The first time I had brussel sprouts was at a beachfront BBQ in Alaska. The meat and fish were grilled to perfection, but the host boiled the brussel sprouts and served them unseasoned. I saw a little girl gag and throw the brussel sprout into the rocks. I felt like doing the same. Last year, I had brussel sprouts again, sautéed with garlic and served in a sherry cream sauce. A completely different story...

I decided to try to replicate the Amaretti cookies. I used an almond macaroon recipe and subbed a combination of ground almonds and ground apricot kernels. I failed to get the crunchy amaretto-ness. But the failed batch still tasted like delicious almond cookies. With pear gelato, even better. I will try again. Today, I am happy with what I have.

http://cookandeat.com/2006/06/06/pear-gelato-with-dark-chocolate-phyllo-cookie/

This is the pear gelato recipe I used. I would keep the lemon juice limited to 3 tablespoons, unless you want a tarter taste. And while the little chunks of pear are a tasty reminder of the flavor source, if you want a smoother texture, purée the pears before combining with the custard mixture.

Sharp and ready to cut

2009-10-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Celeriac is ugly. This root vegetable has a tough dirty exterior and a creamy white interior. Its mess of roots have been trimmed before it reaches the produce aisle, but there is still evidence of the reaching that once went on.

My first introduction to celeriac was in a soup. I was working in a British tearoom and the chef made a puréed root vegetable soup, which I thought was just carrot soup - by appearance. But it tasted more complex than plain carrot soup. When I learned that the slight celery flavor came from celeriac, I was determined to copy that recipe again and again. Today I was in the mood for a chunkier vegetable soup, so I puréed the cooked celeriac, but kept the carrots in chunks and added bite-size bits of cauliflower.

You will need a large sharp knife to cut your celeriac. I used my new America's Test Kitchen-endorsed Forschner Victorinox chef knife. I have a Wüsthof standby, but I couldn't resist trying the Victorinox after all the talk. And it's only $30. So far, I like how it handles. Perhaps I should have had it on hand a few months ago when a date offered to come over and cook me dinner. He was a trained chef and I anticipated a great meal. (He mentioned a few Thai specialties.) When he showed up, he was empty handed. I looked at him blankly, expecting him to pull produce from behind his back at any moment, maybe a jar of curry paste... After we went to the grocery store, I made cocktails and sat back to watch the chef in action. He proceeded to instruct as he cooked, condescending my knowledge of food preparation and criticizing my kitchen wares, including my knives. The meal wasn't memorable. (He made penne with red sauce.) And obviously the company was sub par. I have savored my kitchen ever since that night. My knives, my cutting board, my pots, pans, wooden spoons... They are good enough for me. You should know that I have dated two other chefs in my adulthood. Both of them always came prepared. And both of them cooked without offending their guests. Is that too much to ask?

Back to the soup. You will need both a chef's knife to chop and a paring knife peel the celeriac. (Unless you have a super sharp potato peeler.) I chopped it into 1/2" chunks, placed them in a saucepan and covered them with water, salted, brought to a boil, then simmered ~10 mins. While the celeriac was cooking, I chopped up a small yellow onion, a few carrots, and 1/2 a large cauliflower and sautéed them in olive oil at the bottom of a stock pot. When the onions were translucent, I added water to cover and boiled until the veggies were just barely soft. (Use broth/stock if you have it.) In batches, I puréed the celeriac and added it to the stock pot with the other vegetables. (If you don't have a food processor, use an electric mixer like you would to make mashed potatoes.) I added a couple cloves of crushed garlic and a bit of cumin for flavor and color. Then I grabbed a spoon to taste.

The good and the bad...

2009-10-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

The good news is that I had a lovely weekend in Victoria, BC. The bad news is that I returned to discover my beloved Gourmet is leaving me. And nearly a million other subscribers. Sigh. There is no comparison. Gourmet inspires us to cook better, travel better, dine better. For most of us, it is a standard held a bit too high. However, I will miss the way it makes me dream of white asparagus, quince jam, and expensive chocolate, of Parisian markets, rustic country kitchens, and perfect pies.

As a comfort, I will relish in my weekend memories. Long walks, tea times, amazing desserts, good beer, a delicious fireside dinner, beautiful views and lush gardens. I had a delightfully smooth goat cheese cheesecake with sour cherry compote at the Butchart Gardens Dining Room Restaurant.

Il Terrazzo is a hidden jewel, tucked into a side street in old town. Unfortunately, it is not much of a secret. The place was literally packed. My uncle got us the last available table. Small fireplaces along the walls and tabletop candles provide lighting and ambiance. We shared bruschetta, salads, pizza, wine, and laughter.

As part of a former Crown Colony, Victoria has a lingering British influence. I'm not the only Anglophile in my family; similar to other visits, we embraced Victoria for its tearooms and pubs.

I have some favorite activities when visiting Victoria, worth repeating. Stocking up on tea at Murchie's, walking through the Empress, lingering in the bookstores, watching for the Parliament lights to come on, and always a visit (or two) to the Dutch Bakery. This place is not as elegant as the Empress, but has tasty pastries and a sweet old-time diner in the back for a relaxed cup of coffee or sandwich.

A row of apple trees at Butchart Gardens. At the restaurant, they serve shortbread with flower petals. Perhaps they will put their fruit harvest to work?

Why bake one, when you can bake two?

2009-09-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

For my Mom’s birthday, I decided to make the Buttermilk Cake with Lemon-and-Thyme-Glazed Pear Compote from the September Bon Appétit issue. At first, the recipe seemed daunting with all those flavors in the title, the steeping, the simmering. I was going to withdraw and bake my standard chocolate, which does have buttermilk in it… But then I got some pears. And remembered I have thyme growing. And I suddenly decided to brave up and make a double recipe.

I love layer cakes, but didn’t know how well a compote would hold up the top layer. So, I opted for a sheet cake. Without any crème fraîche or sour cream on hand, I made a switch to Buttermilk Cake recipe #2, omitting the raspberries and sprinkled sugar. The pear compote took its sweet time reducing, but it was well worth it. The result was a fine fall birthday cake, but I think this would make an even better breakfast cake. Next time I might forgo the lemon and thyme and just add cinnamon or cardamom to the compote to accentuate the autumn fruit. And the nice thing is, I have leftover buttermilk, which will go right into a chocolate cake.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Buttermilk-Cake-with-Lemon-and-Thyme-Glazed-Pear-Compote-and-Greek-Yogurt-Ice-Cream-354933

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Raspberry-Buttermilk-Cake-353616

A bouquet of kale

2009-09-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Drew makes great pizza. A crispy thin crust, unique delicious toppings. Even Drew's plain cheese pizza is great. Last week, I made blackberry vodka cocktails and we caught up as he cooked.

Drew doesn't waste time making his own dough. Trader Joe's suffices. And I agree. He rolls it out nice and thin, then starts his magic. One of the pizzas he enjoys making - and we all enjoy eating - is a kale and egg pizza. Don't reserve this one for breakfast. Baked eggs on pizza is good. Topped with grated parmesan, even better.

Drew tosses the chopped kale in olive oil, salt and pepper. (He has put chopped garlic in the mix before, which is tasty too.) He spreads this over freshly made tomato sauce and bakes it for ~10 mins in a hot oven. The kale is cooked and slightly crisp on the edges. Drew cracks eggs over the pizza. Because it is hot, they start cooking immediately. He puts the pizza back in the oven for another five minutes. And voilà!

A bonus to the meal was Drew's lentil soup. He had never made lentil soup before. I love lentil soup. And this was amazing. I want him to make lentil soup every time now. Drew seasoned it with parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper. It was very peppery, very rich. It was the kind of meal where people actually say, "Mmmm." The evening was the perfect temp and we sat on the back patio, eating and moaning.

With this meal in mind, I was determined to make some lentil soup. Today, I was actually excited to go home because of lentils. And kale. Last weekend, I stopped by the farmers' market and got an enormous bouquet of kale. It was emerald and ruffly, tied up at the end. Beautiful. I got the lentils cooking with chicken broth, sautéed onions and carrots, a bit of crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and rosemary. While they were cooking, I cut the "spine" off the kale, then chopped it and threw it in a saucepan with olive oil and garlic. When the lentils were tender, I spooned them over the top. An egg would have been fitting as well.

Two by two

2009-09-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

At this time of year, local gardens are overflowing with fruit-laden tomato plants and sprawling zucchini . My coworkers have been bringing in their summer squash bounty. After a few weeks of harvest, it's hard to think beyond the usual zucchini bread or sautéed vegetables. Tonight I decided to make a slaw that can function as a salad or a pasta "toss." I also roasted zucchini with tomatoes, garlic, and onion - which can be tossed with pasta or made into a soup. It felt like practice for cooler nights around the corner.

Zucchini Slaw

1 cup grated zucchini

1 tb olive oil

1/8 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1/2 clove garlic, crushed

salt to taste

If you are tossing the slaw with pasta, I recommend grating a little parmesan on top. Cracked pepper would also taste nice. Warm or cold, this is a great - and fast - meal. I like zucchini, so I ate this entire serving, but it could be split. Make this within a half hour before eating. Otherwise, it will get a bit soggy.

To roast zucchini and tomatoes, chop zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, and an onion. Douse with olive oil and toss. Salt, pepper, then spread onto a baking sheet. For a quick roast, put in a 375°F oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how soft you prefer the zucchini. The tomatoes will be very soft, almost sauce-like. Toss with pasta or start a soup. I used a few cups broth, a can of navy beans, and the roasted vegetables. I seasoned the soup with cumin and fresh parsley. Welcome, Autumn. Next comes the pumpkin patch, walks through crunching leaves, casseroles and spiced wine.

Birthday Letters

2009-09-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went on a family camping trip to celebrate my sister's birthday. I was on breakfast duty. I made some quick scones, bought a bunch of fruit and yogurt, and packed blueberries and chocolate chips for pancakes. Then I decided to make something special - birthday special. I made Dutch Letters, in the shape of "L" for Lisa.

Since it was my first time making them (and because I was in a hurry), I used store-bought pastry dough. After defrosting the pastry dough, I cut it into ~4 x 6" sections. Remembering the flavor of Dutch Letter almond filling from my Iowa trip, I made a filling. I spread the filling down the middle of the pastry sections and rolled them into a tube, pressing the edge with a bit of water to seal. Then, I folded the tubes into L-shapes. While baking, some of these shapes morphed and a few of the letters ended up looking like sausage rolls. But they certainly tasted like Dutch Letters. Delicious.

Dutch Letters

Make your own pastry dough or buy a high quality store-bought brand (made with butter). Roll it out into sections wide enough to roll with a filling and long enough to form your letter of choice. The rolled pastry should be slightly larger than finger width.

Filling:

1 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp almond extract

See above for instructions on spreading the filling. I used ground whole almonds, but you can grind blanched almonds if you don't like the almond skins.

Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400°F. Check after 15 minutes. The pastries should be lightly browned. Enjoy for breakfast, tea, dessert...

Sweet family

2009-08-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

Every Christmas Eve – and most special events in our family – we have Krumkake, a Norwegian cookie, served on the dessert buffet. Krumkake translates to “crumble cake.” Krumkake is made with a whipped batter, flavored with butter and cardamom. The cookies are cooked on a specially made iron and rolled over a wooden mold to set (traditionally a broom handle). Similar to waffles, they have an imprinted design, but the krumkake iron has a very shallow indented floral design. Store-bought waffle cones don’t compare. Krumkake is very delicate, thus the crumb reference in the name. Our family serves them plain, though many people carefully fill them with whipped cream and fruit or chocolate.

I had the honor of making them with my Aunt Barbara recently, our family’s Christmas Eve host and the most common krumkake baker. She was making krumkake for my cousin’s bridal shower. The night before the shower, we burned our fingers to great results. This reminded me of the ladies in a San Francisco Chinatown fortune cookie factory. The cookies came down the line and they quickly folded them while hot. One lady smiled and handed me a cookie, still too hot to eat. That was the beginning of my affinity for fortunes.

It turns out that Norwegian baking is featured in the Iowa State Fair 4-H tent. They had a number of Kransekake cakes, which are addictive towers of chewy almond cake. The rings are baked in special molds, then assembled after cooling. White frosting is used to add decoration, sometimes candied fruit or small Norwegian flags. Kransekake cake is the traditional wedding cake in Norway, but can be served at a graduation, birthday, or holiday. Our family serves this cake at Christmas, as well as at weddings. Should you be inclined to try Norwegian sweets, I recommend these two baked goods. The iron for the cookies and the molds for the cake tower are sometimes hard to come by, but you can make the cake by rolling out rings by hand. In this manner, the tower cake can also be made in its dismantled form – in single serving sized rings.

Almond Tower Cake - Kransekake

1 lb ground almonds

1 lb confectioners' sugar

3 egg whites

I adjusted this recipe for greater ease. Trader Joe's sells ground almonds in 1 lb bags, ready to go. If you have a food processor, pulse the ground almonds with the confectioners' sugar. If you don't have a food processor, sift the ground almonds and confectioners' sugar together into a bowl. Add the slightly beaten egg whites in two parts and mix well. If the mixture is too moist, add a little flour. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes.

Without using Kransekake rings, take the dough and roll it out into thin strips, then attach the ends to form a ring. I like to make mine uniform 2 - 2 1/2" in diameter and serve like cookies. Place rings on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 300°F. Check after 20 minutes to see if they are finished. The rings should be very lightly browned.

If you are using Kransekake rings, grease them well with unsalted butter or vegetable oil. Roll out dough into thin strips and press into rings. Follow the same baking instructions above. When nearly cool, carefully remove the rings from the pans.

Standard icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 egg white, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice

Stir egg white and vinegar into confectioners' sugar until a thick paste. Using a tube cake decorator (or a plastic bag with a tip cut off), decorate the rings with a zigzag pattern.

A home away from home

2009-08-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

I just got back from visiting relatives in Iowa. I like how everything slows down when I'm there, that I can wander through my family's history, walk down the streets where my Dad grew up, eat the food he ate, hear the crickets, see the fields far into the horizon.

My first night's dinner was a hard act to follow. My Aunt made a pork roast, cheesy potato casserole, and sweet corn. I had arrived.

The days that followed included ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, cakes, steak with Iowa's own Maytag blue cheese, Dutch letter pastries... I figure I ate more ice cream in the last week than I have had in six months combined. It was delicious.

At the state fair, we tried a Hot Beef Sundae. I was dubious, but it turned out to be perfect comfort food. Mashed potatoes topped with a shredded beef gravy, cheese, and a cherry tomato on top.

A butter cow sculpture:

My aunt and I made a pasta salad for my cousin Sara's dinner party. She left us specific instructions to follow. We did our best.

My birthday cake: "Pea Pickin' Cake" with mandarin oranges in the butter/yellow cake and crushed pineapple in the frosting.

A lovely luncheon dessert with raspberry sorbet layered over a creamy cheesecake ice cream. A sweet end to a special visit.

The last pickle

2009-08-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

I made too many pickles last year, had to start pushing them on people this spring. (That was a good survey of palate. Some were thrilled, others shunned the acidic treat.) I decided to exercise restraint this year. I pickled a modest amount of beans, beets/carrots, dill pickles, and one jar of fennel. I finished, put them away, felt satisfied.

Then I tried pickled watermelon at a restaurant. Slightly sweet. Slightly tart. Was that cinnamon? I wanted more. When discussing melon pickling with my friend Drew, he suggested I try pickling Crenshaw melon. And so I did.

At the market, there was a lovely selection. Never having tasted it myself, I asked one of the employees if it tasted like honeydew. He replied, “It tastes like cantaloupe, but better.” At checkout, the clerk said, “Crenshaws are my favorite.” So much support for one melon.

Indeed it is tasty fruit. An almost vanilla aftertaste. After cutting out and eating the orange fruit, I sliced the paler part of the melon, near the rind, to make pickles. With a sweetened vinegar mix, I added a bit of cinnamon stick, a few cloves, and a couple peppercorns. I can’t promise I won’t be tempted to pickle the next ravely reviewed fruit or vegetable, but I am hoping this will be the last this summer. Especially since I am out of vinegar.

A case for the frozen dinner

2009-08-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

Say it with me now: "Lazy dinner." I am not a big fan of frozen dinners, but I am fond of frozen tamales. Steaming them is so effortless after a long day. Having never made them by hand, this seemed the only at-home option for a tamale dinner.

Last weekend, in my summer heat-induced daze, I decided to make tamales for lunch. As a first timer, I did a bit of research. To my dismay, every website had a different recipe. Some were for a freezer-full of tamales, some for a dozen. Some listed steam time as short as 15 minutes, some as long as two hours. How to choose...

I finally came across a recipe that said it plain and clear:

Soak the corn husks in warm water for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in room temp water).

Start with your Masa flour (an enriched corn flour). For every 2 cups masa, add your preferred spices, 1/2 cup fat (i.e. lard, shortening, or oil), 1/2 tsp salt, and enough broth to reach your desired consistency. (I used around 1 1/2 cups chicken broth.) From what I read, this means the dough is spreadable - like peanut butter. Typically the spices included are chili, cumin, sometimes garlic powder or paprika. This initial batch was enough for me to make 8 tamales.

I was getting very hungry.

I did a vegetarian filling, mostly because it was too time consuming and hot to roast chicken/pork/beef. I used cheddar and sautéed onions, garlic, and peppers (green bell and jalapeno).

Spread the masa dough thinly over 2/3 of the husk, leaving a few inches at the narrow end. Put a couple tablespoons of your filling/s in the middle of the masa dough. Roll the filled husk so your masa forms a sealed tube with the remaining husk overlapping. Fold the narrow end up to seal the bottom. Repeat until you have used all your masa and fillings. With the folded end down, place the tamales in a steamer and steam until they separate from the husk when peeled back. For me, this was 20 minutes.

At this point, my kitchen was getting warm. The fans were blowing. I ate quickly. The tamales turned out well, though they needed a bit more broth and a milder cheese. I will try again, on a cooler day. I will roast a chicken the night before and use the reserved broth. I will set aside more time. And if I don't feel like it, that's okay. The frozen ones taste almost as good.

a small, good thing

2009-07-31T21:21:00.000-07:00

That is the title of a Ramon Carver story. In it, a baker offers hot rolls to a couple whose son has died. He says, "Eating is a small, good thing in a time like this."

Last week, I found out that the creamy cheddar potatoes we have at Easter are sometimes called "Funeral Potatoes." Somehow that doesn't make me like them any less. I always welcome comfort food.

I have been to my fair share of funerals. I am intrigued by what is served at the reception. Sometimes it's catered, most often a potluck of dishes. I like the casseroles, the broccoli salads, the desserts with marshmallow. Usually those grieving hardly touch the food, won't remember what exactly was served. But they will remember the gesture.

My friends and I went to an out-of-town funeral last weekend. On our drive there, we stopped a small-town diner, where the regulars each have their own mug. We drank marginal (weak) coffee. I think it would have tasted better in a personalized mug.

I decided to bring something nontraditional to the reception, as far as funeral food goes. Tucked in the buffet, just past the ham, baked beans, and brownies, was my contribution of Hazelnut Shortbread.

I used an old Gourmet recipe for hazelnut cookies and changed a few things. These aren't as buttery as traditional shortbread, but you won't miss it with the hazelnut and orange flavors. And please don't hold off on baking them. You deserve a small, good thing every day.

Hazelnut Shortbread

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup hazelnuts, slightly roasted and cooled, ground

Preheat oven to 325°F. and grease 1 large or 2 small baking sheets.
With an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and zest.
Into another bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking powder, beat into butter mixture until just combined. Stir in ground nuts.
Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls and put 2-inches apart on baking sheets. Press lightly with a flat object (i.e. bottom of a glass) until you have a 1/2" disk. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, about 18 minutes depending on your oven. Cool cookies on baking sheets 2 minutes and carefully transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Store in a sealed container and eat within a few days. Or freeze some for a rainy day.

Fennel Salad, two ways

2009-07-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

There is a stand at the farmers' market with these enormous bulbs of fennel. It is almost impossible to fit two in a produce bag. I smile with pride at the checkout, even though anyone else could be going home with the same prize.

If fennel is new to you, let me make an introduction. Fennel has the texture and crunch of celery, with a slight licorice smell and flavor. It is the white bulb that we cook with. (The green stalks are more fibrous and rough.) Some people like cooking with dried fennel seeds as well.

For a Memorial Day barbecue, I made a shaved fennel and orange salad, with little luscious chunks of avocado. I don't have a photo, so even though it was quite refreshing, we will move on to salads I can show you.

The first let's call "Kitchen Sink" Fennel Salad. It was a warm weekend afternoon, with a fridge full of produce, far too much for one person. In response, I made an unusual potato/fennel salad. Fingerling potatoes, fennel, radishes, and avocado. I was about to make a buttermilk dressing, when I remembered I had some crème fraîche. With a splash of rice vinegar and S&P, it was the perfect fix.

Homemade Crème Fraîche

1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Combine cream and buttermilk in a clean glass jar and seal. Set on a counter for 8-24 hours at room temperature, until thick. Refrigerate and use up to 10 days.

(Crème fraîche is a richer, sweeter, somewhat nuttier version of sour cream.)

Round two: Copying the deli salad. I got a great fennel salad with salami at the deli. It had shaved fennel, salami, shredded parmesan, olive oil, and cracked pepper. At home, I did not have any parmesan on hand. So, I used some comtè, which is a semi-hard cheese. And I added some chopped parsley. Toss and enjoy...

some for now, some for later

2009-07-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

At the farmers market, I bought two kinds of cherries and two kinds of green beans. I preserved cherries, one jar of Rainier’s with Rosé, one of Bings with bourbon. (We shall see…) I didn’t have any fresh dill on hand, but was eager to pickle some of the green beans, so I made due with coriander, mustard seed, and chili. I’ll do a dill version and compare. For dinner, I blanched, then sautéed the Romano green beans, adding a little salt and lemon zest at the end.

When my cousins and I eat at Navarre (http://navarreportland.blogspot.com/index.html), we usually order bread, olive oil, cheese, and some veggie dish or salad. And wine. (Whoever arrives first gets the order started.) Most people at Navarre order a wide range of dinner dishes, including the wonderful buffalo flank steak, bright beets with lentils, radishes, green garlic, or their fantastic mushrooms. In comparison, our table looks drab. Nevertheless, we do love it. As you can tell, I often copy this at home. Now I just need to learn how to copy their chocolate mousse.

A Day Away

2009-07-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Last week, someone asked me when I last went on a trip by myself. No friends, family. Just me. I spend time alone at home or running errands, but it did make me think... The last trip alone was ten years ago. So, for a practice trip, I decided to start local. I went to Seattle for the day. Starting at Bakery Bar, I got coffee and a scone (fig, rosemary, and goat cheese). And hit the road.

Once in Seattle, I went to the library, which I had walked by, but never toured. It is a large building, with so much visual stimulation. However, as it should be, the hundreds of people there were quiet, quiet. Reading and enjoying the space individually. Together.

I always stop by the Pike market, to see the flowers, produce, donut stand and fish market. I didn't feel up to the crowds, so I stepped into the side alley. And found entertainment.

A sunny meal with a view. The heirloom tomatoes were very juicy. It made me think hopeful thoughts for my little garden.

I wandered around Ballard. Had a fantastic French coconut macaroon with salted caramel filling. I went to the locks and watched the boats, went to the beach and read. I walked through shops. Bought some vintage tea spoons. When I was eating dinner outside later, the shop owner walked by and waved. I felt like part of the neighborhood. (That meal was more expensive, but disappointed. The prawns were supposed to be rubbed with fennel, but showed up with olive tapenade. However, the manhattan was delicious - with bing cherries. I should've taken a picture of that.)

I got what I wanted out of the day trip though. A step outside of my normal Saturday. Familiar, with a twist.

Green walnuts, warm brown cloves

2009-07-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, my Grandpa taught me how to make Blackberry Bounce, a strong and sweet blackberry liqueur. I was impressed at how easy it is to make an alcoholic infusion. The hardest part was picking the berries! We started a tradition of late August berry picking and infusing. I have fallen out of practice in recent years, but with my renewed love of bottling, preserving, pickling and such, I think I will be pushing my way through his blackberry bushes again this year.

Mix, a Portland food/beverage magazine, had a story this summer about Nocino (or Nocello), the Italian walnut liqueur. (http://www.oregonlive.com/mix/index.ssf/2009/05/nocino_liqueur_makes_a_perfect_summertime_backyard_party.html#article-top) The article described this happy group of friends who gather every summer for an outdoor meal and Nocino-making party. The hosts seemed so gracious and fun - and I immediately wished I could be on their invitation list – or at least knew someone with a walnut tree.

A month or so later, my friend Ben had a dinner. He is a skilled distiller, brewer, and vintner. (And he makes a mean pesto.) We sampled some of his homemade beverages, including Nocino/Nocello with dessert. I remarked on my desire to make it myself. Not only did Ben supply me with a bottle of Rosé he thought would work well in the mix, but he also led me outside to the big walnut tree in his yard. I now have a friend with a walnut tree - and I now have a jar of walnut liqueur infusing in my dining room.

Nocino/Nocello/Italian Walnut Liqueur

30 green walnuts, quartered
1 liter grain alcohol
1 liter white or Rosé wine
2 lb. Sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
30 cloves
Peel from one lemon

Combine in gallon jar. Shake regularly for 60 days. It does not need to be someplace cool; in fact, some people put it on their back porch in direct sunlight. Let sit and enjoy in approximately 18 months (i.e. next Christmas). I'm wondering if I can cheat on this time commitment... Strain and bottle.

Note: The walnuts will temporarily stain your fingers. Wear gloves if you are concerned about this side effect. They also stained by cutting board, but I'm going to chalk it up to battle scars.

Number One

2009-07-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

“Tastes like more.” My Dad used to say that after his first bite of something tasty. He loved apple pie, so it was often his compliment to pie or another baked good. Whenever my Grandma made him sugar cookies, he would hoard them and cherish each one for their simple comfort. But it's hard to stop at just one.

When you taste something delicious, don’t you want more?

My Grandma’s cookie recipe is a secret. She usually brings them to social gatherings and likes that they are one-of-a-kind. As I live in Oregon and she lives in Iowa, it is unlikely we would bring them to the same event. I promised her I would never make them when she is around; I like it when she bakes them. She was not swayed. I still wanted the cookies, so I tried a few recipes and this one is the closest to Gram’s. (Please don't tell her.)

Like Grandma’s: Soft Sugar Cookies from About.com

Ingredients:
3 ¼ c. a-p flour, sift before measuring
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ c. butter, at room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp. vanilla (or sub ground nutmeg)
½ c. sour cream

(I think my Grandma uses Crisco instead of butter, for a lighter texture. This is not confirmed.)

Preparation:
In a bowl, sift together the sifted flour, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Beat for two minutes. Add sour cream and half of the dry ingredients. Beat one minute. Stir in remaining dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Divide dough in half and roll out each portion on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thick. Cut with floured cookie cutter. Place on greased cookie sheets and bake at 400˚ for 8-10 minutes. (They should still be pale on top, but lightly browned on the bottom. I would take them out at 7 minutes, unless you are using parchment paper or something fancy.) When cool, store in an airtight container.

My Grandma dusts them with sugar before baking. I have added lemon zest or ground cardamom before and like the results. My family prefers them plain vanilla, accompanied by milk or coffee. Sometimes my Grandma calls them “cake cookies.” They make excellent strawberry shortcake cakes.