ruby crowned kinglette

a new project

others have photography projects...

maria and stephanie at 3191

alicia and heather at noticing project

andrea at hula seventy

meg and shari at entre deux mers

and more, of course...

pretty much i have wanted my own for a year.  didn't know what it would be, or consist of, or who to participate with....

it showed itself, on 13 april, as plates & forks.  i see it as a solo endeavor. the idea is to photograph these plates and forks where i see them, when i see them, dirty or not, mine or someone else's....  it will also serve the purpose of getting me to take my {jim's?} camera with me, and pull out my canon and film every once in a while too. i plan for it to run a year, ending on this blog's {unofficial} birthday, 23 march 2009. 

the project will have it's own album, over there, to the right. i will post photos here every once in a while too, especially on days when i got nothing else... like today, for instance.

book club, mario and advil

last night i hosted book club…  i was going to serve popcorn and beer, and looking back it might have been a better idea, but i would have missed learning a few things, and i always like to learn new things. in fact, sometimes i like to learn things i already know.

or should know.

or thought i knew...

new thing:  if i have read a book in the last year, and it is slated to be read for book club? i have learned that i won't remember to read it again, but do anything else that might look interesting instead. in the end, when there isn't time, wish i had read it... that last little part? i did know that of myself.  i believe that is called regret - i am intimately familiar with regret.

ok, moving on.

learning again thing:  it is very important to read, with some attention being paid to, the entire recipe of an item i am making for the first time...  case in point? mario batali's eggplant caponata.  the picture above are the first several ingredients cooking away in olive oil.  a generous amount of olive oil which is why everything is so shiny and pretty.  so pretty in fact that i became a bit distracted.

i kept adding ingredients, and it was still looking so darned good.  then i added the last three... and although it still looked good, when i tasted it... well, all i could wonder was 'did he really mean to add 3/4 cup of balsamic?', 'maybe it will mellow when it cools', 'maybe it needs to cook off that vinegary taste', and then again, 'did he really mean to add 3/4 cup of balsamic???'.  well, no. actually.  he meant i should add 1/3 cup.  ummmm.  those little eggplant sponges were in no way going to give up all that vinegar. so, i made it again.  it was tasty and really worth making it the second time...

learning again thing:  it is smart for me to make some recipes at least once before serving it to guests.  i didn't have as much success, i didn't think, with the orange tart, capri style.  i had nearly two cups of the custard that didn't fit into the tart shell.  wow!  my eggs were big but not goose eggs for crying out loud.  the custard that did fit to the very tippy top smelled quite good while it burned on the oven floor after slopping over and inbetween the shell and the pan.... nice.

new thing:  seven advil will make me goofy.  four were not doing the trick, so i took three more.  i seem to have hurt my upper back when i hit some golf balls at the driving range about six weeks ago. i keep waiting for it to get better, it keeps staying really tight.  apparently cooking in the kitchen didn't help so it was bothering me last night.  seven advils and a glass of wine helped... my back, not so much my brain.

thing i already knew:  my book club is full of great, wonderful women.  it was nice to be goofy with them, and have them eat my food and expose myself to the idea that i might be a little bit sylvie and have them still like me anyhow....

new thing:  it seems the recipes from my new mario batali's molto italiano cookbook are available through the food network... i don't know if it is all of them, but i wonder if i would have bought the book knowing that they were there?  probably, i love cookbooks, and the photography is so freaking great it almost makes you think you've eaten the dishes before you have prepared them.

new thing & thing i already knew:  jen wondered if it was strange that she had a little crush on mario batali... i said no. because.... if i could have one on kevin james, she could have one on mario batali...

liberty, flat pigs and another in the series

bought some liberty fabric on ebay... with our crap exchange rate i am not sure it was any more frugal that going to liberty itself {well, except for all the other expenses} or even clicking to purl soho.  i don't care, touching these makes it all better. i do have plans for them, but not firm ones.  it involves garment sewing, and that makes me nervous - so they may be hoarded with the rest of my stash.

hidden in there are 7 pigs - heh heh.

and then this, today's contribution to the plate & fork extravaganza.  it held a soft boiled egg on toast before it hit the sink.  i am an egg lover, no doubt about that.

today, for breakfast...

this is what i made for breakfast today....

it is a swiss chard and cheddar omelet.  and it was tasty. the recipe is from epicurious and in turn from bon appetit - february 2001.  i am pretty sure i have the magazine in the basement but i came upon the recipe last summer when it was included in the newsletter from the csa pat and i had membership in.  i didn't try it right away.  i am lazy.  pat did though and then served it for dinner one night while i was over at her house.  i have been making it since. looks like i was kind of liberal with the cheese this morning....

Chard and Cheddar Omelet

This southern-style omelet would go nicely with sautéed plum tomatoes and warm corn bread. Dessert can be butter pecan ice cream drizzled with bourbon.

Makes 2 servings; can be doubled.

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces red Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped (about 3 cups packed)
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

5 large eggs
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
   

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in 8-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic; sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir in chard, cover and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. Wipe skillet clean.

Whisk eggs, 1/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of egg mixture and cook until eggs are just set in center, tilting pan and lifting edge of omelet with spatula to let uncooked portion flow underneath, about 2 minutes. Scatter half of chard mixture over half of omelet. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over chard. Fold omelet over cheese; slide out onto plate. Repeat with remaining butter, egg mixture, chard and cheese.

i make it a bit differently though...  i usually just make a two egg omelet for me.  and don't really measure the chard or cheese, and use quite a bit less butter too {surprising, but true}.  i do use the sharp cheddar though, tillamook. always. i use olive oil to cook the chard and a clove of garlic, halved, left it in the pan to cook with the chard but discarding it once the chard is done.  {only a hint of garlic is necessary - for most things, most of the time. my friend the budding chef agrees.}

ok then... once the chard is done i remove it from the pan. i add a bit of the cheese and whip it into the eggs before pouring into the buttered pan. once it is about 2/3's done i top with the remaining cheese and chard and cover with my plate.  that way, it cooks through and i have a warm plate too...

enjoy!

oh, yes... it looks like a pattern is developing. look for more plates and forks this month, apparently it is plate and fork month on ruby-crowned kinglette....

                                                                                             

i would not, could not, ever be... a vegetarian

'cause i like meats too much.

lunch today was mighty nice.  in keeping with my promise to take advantage of the city in which i live, i drove downtown and picked up jen on the street corner and headed to pioneer square where we both had ourselves a nice meat sandwich from salumi.
jen had the lamb sandwich, i had the cotecchino and they were good, real real good.

before i picked up jen - from the street corner* - i stopped here and picked up some dessert.  i got a lemon cupcake and a red velvet cupcake. now, i have to say, and i know this is going to hurt some of you... but i don't think i am a big fan of the red velvet.  sure, it looks damn fine, which is why i got it, because i didn't think that the chocolate with vanilla frosting was going to 'look good'** in the box with the lemon one - but, now? i kinda wish i got the chocolate with vanilla frosting because it would have been buttercream frosting and buttercream frosting is just about the best frosting in the whole wide world - especially eaten from the end of your index finger, especially when it is piled high on the end of that index finger.  but they were not serving buttercream from the end of index fingers today so i went with the red velvet.

if i had more self control there would be a photo of the lemon cupcake too, but i don't so there isn't.... enough said.

and for some non-meaty news.... this was on my doorstep this morning.

and look what begins on page 86...

many thanks go to staci dumoski - she contacted me and then kept contacting me because i was incredibly tardy in getting any kind of article to her.  thank you staci, for your patience and making my blog and photos look so great.  it is a lovely honor to be in your magazine. and the best part is that they used my pig tower picture - i love that pig tower picture....

*jen does not actually work the streets of down town seattle, it is just fun to pretend.... well, fun for me anyhow.

**it is real important to look good where cupcakes are concerned...

and one more...

i am also thankful for flour, yeast, salt and water - and high oven temperatures and le cruset and a dremel...

enjoy your family
enjoy your friends
enjoy your food
enjoy your day.

happy thanksgiving.

canning sunshine

see? i have been doing something other than icing my feets.  i've been sharing a csa box from a local farm with a girlfriend and even halved it seems like it is too much, so we have been blanching and freezing and even canning some of the bounty. while in oregon in july i read this article in the oregonian that inspired me to start canning again and to get some of the other produce into the freezer.... amy wrote about it too, over here. i think if i ate more vegetables on a daily basis then i wouldn't have so much in the freezer, but it will be nice this fall and winter to have some things to go to for a reminder of the warmer days of summer.

this is the bounty so far... and it includes interlopers as well.  the golden beets were purchased separate from the csa produce because they were too pretty to pass up, and then the bread and butter pickles were bought too, because well, we had to in order to actually make bread and butter pickles. but, the beans and the red beets are from the box.  i am now crazy to can anything else that crosses my path.  i haven't done it in a long time and i don't know why, because i can not stop exclaiming how freaking beautiful this all is.  next will be some rhubarb chutney using some rhubarb that i froze in the spring. then... well, i don't know, but there will be something.

oh yes, and the crafting? i am actually looking into getting some done, if you can believe it! i pulled out some books for inspiration and received the fall issue of marie claire idees, always good for stirring the imagination.  thanks so much for sticking with me, visting and sending along comments too.  i will resume with my regular programming soon, very very soon.

i am now one of them

ok, i will admit that i was skeptical, really skeptical, when i heard about this no-knead bread.  i am pretty sure i was reading megan's thoughts on it over at not martha when i first read of the phenomenon.  this is what i thought...

self? isn't the best thing about making bread kneading it? how in the world can a bread be good if you don't knead it? it's too gimmicky, it won't be good, i will stick to what i know {it has been pointed out to me that i think i know everything, and not it a good way}.... 

i thought that for several months. then, within the same week {or it seemed like the same week}, both alex and amy posted about their experiences making it... then, this is what i thought.

self? well shoot, these are looking mighty good, maybe you should check into this and try it out. you, know, get off your ass and don't just dismiss this out of hand. don't only stick to what you know because how will you learn new things?...

i went to the new york times' site and read the initial article, and watched the accompanying video - which i found very helpful because it is always nice to see something being done.  then to chow.com to see what some of those {very opinionated} folks thought, and a few more places that i have now forgotten.

today {ok, yesterday} i finally got around to making it and took it out of the oven about half an hour ago.  it is simply beautiful and smells delightful - even chet thinks so as he was nosing around the table while i was taking pictures - that dog loves his bread.  i am going to a friend's home for dinner and will find if it tastes as scrumptious as it looks.

this is the link to the recipe itself.  i modified it to include 1 3/4 teaspoons of salt and used 1/3 teaspoon of active dry yeast rather than the 1/4 teaspoon of rapid rise {instant yeast} called for in the recipe; this based on one article i found. it took a while to begin to rise, a result of minimal yeast {which is a good thing} and my cool house {which is not so good, according to some}. the change in salt was due to reviews that said the original recipe needed it, and then some subsequent variations having too much; i ended deciding on somewhere in between. i also used all-purpose flour rather than bread flour because that is all i had.  generally i try not to modify recipes the first time out... sometimes it seems i can't help myself.

isn't she pretty?

the chickens underneath are on a dish towel my mom gave me for valentine's day, i haven't actually used it yet because it is too cute, i did wash it and then iron it though...

will be back with the results of the taste test.

later that night

ok, this was good. g. o. o. d. good. 

a couple of things. i baked in the covered pot for the 30 minutes per the recipe, then uncovered for an additional 23 minutes.  the recipe suggested between 15 and 30 minutes or until it was a dark golden brown.  i got a tiny bit nervous and decided to take it out at 23 minutes.  the bread was crusty and lovely inside, but still a bit soft and heavy, not that hollow empty sound you should have with a loaf of holey crusty bread, so i would go with the full 30 minutes uncovered next time - all things being equal.  i also dusted the towels it was risen on with flour only and would do this again in a heart beat.  i loved the deep toasty almost earthy taste of the flour on the crust, and i can not tell you how much i love the look of that cracked flour on the surface. we only ate half, and i left half of what remained with jim. i've read that it goes stale in a day so it won't be long before i learn if that is true.  i will be wrapping it in the chicken towel to preserve the crust so i shall see in the morning how it holds up. make it, it is worth it, and really quite easy.

   

what does it say about me...

that my favorite dinner is a big, fat, cold, tasty gin and tonic?

well, i think it says that i am a damn fine connoisseur of dinners, that's what i think.

today, the high temperature was 81 degrees!!!! do you hear that, you people in maine? you people with 4 feet of new snow? ok, really, meg, that's for you.

so then. what is better than a very warm and wonderful spring day? well, it's a big, giant gin and tonic, that's what. my dinner plans nearly came to a screeching halt when my go-to lime was a bit shrunken and moldy, thankfully there was a back-up in the fridge.  i'm of the mind that tanqueray is the best gin for the drink of the gods.... i like that it is herby and not entirely smooth.  you can see in the picture above that i have used a previously gin filled bottle for my dish soap dispenser.  i kind of feel it is one of my best kitchen accessories.  another goodie is a painted pottery piece i brought back from florence - it looks like jay leno.  i will post about it some time with my other italian pottery - man, i gotta get back there and bring back more of that good stuff.

wouldn't this be a great world if i was this size and that glass was my swimming pool? oh yeah, that would be nice.

happy easter everyone; especially you fine folks toiling away in the distilleries of london.

 

snickerduddles?

this is not what i have come to believe snickerdoodles look like, or taste like, or should be like.  i am almost, one hundred percent, sure i followed the recipe, almost.  the dough seemed too wet, but one of my eggs was not large, but super duper large, although only one yolk, so i just rolled with it.  i probably shouldn't have because these cookies? these cookies are 1/16" thick thin...!

it reminds me of the time my youngest sister and her best friend were making cookies when they were about 9 or 10.  toll house chocolate chip, and while we were all home she demanded that we didn't help them.  when the first batch came out of the oven and it was one giant cookie in the shape of the cookie sheet - well, she was mad.  obviously she hadn't used enough flour and she was adamant that she had. had used EXACTLY the amount called for - two, quarter cups of flour.  when my mom told her no, they mean two and one quarter cups of flour she was really mad, because.... THAT ISN'T WHAT IT SAID!

i kind of feel the same today...

so onto the second batch...

i added another half cup of flour, and chilled the dough. the cookies hardly spread at all so they are better, but i don't think they taste right.  i am going to toss them because this is just silly, and i don't need them anyhow... i really was just looking for a way to kill time because i have work to do and didn't want to do it.  sound familiar?

this recipe came from, the previously considered really, really great, 'america's test kitchen' baking illustrated.... i bet i won't try this particular recipe again.

today, breakfast is the reward

i made two pots of soup and some bread yesterday... i should cook more often because it is so relaxing, for me.  i know some people don't feel that way, but to be in my kitchen, alone, making food, i just don't think about all the things i should be doing, or that i have let slip, or wished i didn't do.  i don't realize when i am in the throes of measuring and grabbing ingredients that i am not worried about life, it is when i am done that i am conscious i have had a reprieve.  i discovered this when i was in design school, when things would get tedious, or frustrating or just plain hard, i would push my chair back and go into the kitchen and make cookies.  the next day everyone in class would get them. at least then there were others to benefit from my distraction but it also meant that i didn't eat every cookie. that isn't exactly the case any longer; i mean, i still bake, but i also end up eating the results, all of the results.  that is why weight watchers and i are on a first name basis.... kinda.

so anyway... this is the bread i made.  i love making bread. love it.  the hands on, pushing back and pulling forward of the sticky dough, flouring just a bit every time it begins to get tacky, being careful not to add too much but always wondering...  this particular dough was so pretty even right out of the bowl. it was glorious by the time i was done; smooth, soft and squishy - in the way only bread dough can be.  makes me damn near tear up just thinking about it...

the recipe is from 'america's test kitchen's' baking illustrated. it has milk, sugar and eggs in the dough, so it is somewhat sweeter and richer than a plain white bread, but not too much.  and, there is not a lot of sugar-cinnamon in the swirl; although i love, love, love a sticky sweet cinnamon roll, this isn't like that and is quite perfect for this bread.

 

and yes, it was delicious too, is delicious - i haven't eaten it all..... yet.

fresh out of the oven

these little numbers are tasty.  they were on the cover of bon appetit last march and i made them then... they came out as pretty as the picture that first time, this time the dough was really really wet so i couldn't roll them out.  i added a bit more flour and then just dropped them onto the cookie sheet. worked like a charm.  i didn't have any chipotles so i left those out this time.  however, if you are in the same boat, add a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or so to the dry ingredients to give them a little kick. you can download the recipe from epicurious.com right here....  remember, mixing too much will be the certain death of a good biscuit.

 

CORNMEAL BISCUITS WITH CHEDDAR AND CHIPOTLE

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup (packed) chopped green onions

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated yellow extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1 large egg
3/4 cup (about) buttermilk
1 tablespoon finely minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo*

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon whipping cream (for glaze)

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and sauté 2 minutes to soften slightly. Remove from heat.

Blend flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in processor. Add 1/2 cup chilled butter; cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese; cut in using on/off turns. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Whisk 1 egg in glass measuring cup. Add enough buttermilk to egg to measure 1 cup; stir in green-onion mixture and chipotles. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Pour buttermilk mixture into well; mix just until evenly moistened.

Turn dough out onto generously floured surface. Knead gently just until dough holds together, about 10 turns. Pat out on generously floured surface to 3/4-inch-thick round. Using 3-inch round cutter, cut out biscuits. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps; pat out to 3/4-inch thickness and cut out additional biscuits. Brush biscuits with egg glaze.

Bake biscuits until golden, tester inserted into center comes out clean, and biscuits feel firm, about 18 minutes. Cool on rack 5 minutes. Serve warm.

*Available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and Latin markets.

Makes about 10
Bon Appétit
March 2006
Kristine Kidd
 

oh yeah, drawing class tonight.  we are instructed to bring a daffodil (or several).  and, today i made a tote bag for my drawing pads... it's official now, i am an artist.....

oh funny, funny girl.

 

there is a tea party in equador today

and i am planning on arriving as the first cup is poured.

risa is hosting a tea party, everyone is bringing something and it promises to be very well attended.

 

tea is wonderful at any time of the day and it is especially nice when there is a light layer of snow, the sky is wide and the air is chilly.  i try not to have too many treats with my tea because i usually drink at least three pots a day.  if i had a nice selection of tea sandwiches with one pot, some savory biscuits with another and some cookies with the third i would be in even bigger pants than i am now. but today?  today is special.

egg salad tea sandwiches

2 hard boiled eggs - sliced in an egg slicer in two different directions
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard - make it maille - originale if you can
a pinch of kosher salt
2 or 3 grinds of fresh black pepper
3 dashes of sweet paprika

bread - milton's multi-grain if you can

place all these ingredients in a bowl, and mix lightly until everything comes together and the egg yolks begin to break apart.  spread on lightly toasted multi-grained bread that has been cut into pleasing shapes with a biscuit cutter (on fancy days, on other days don't bother with that step). top with sprigs of fresh watercress, a tarragon leaf, some nice parsley, a dash of paprika, or, if you can, black caviar (this step is also for fancy days, other days i usually just top with another piece of lightly toasted bread).

a behind the scenes preparation post will follow tomorrow, because.... it should.

aunt myrl's ribbon cookies

these are not my aunt myrl's cookies, they are mary and allison's aunt myrl's cookies...  i love it that i too had an aunt myrl. i would like to think that if my aunt myrl knew of the existence of these cookies she would have made them and called them her own.   in 40 years when i am making these - and i will be making these in 40 years - i will be thanking all the aunt myrls in the world. you will too. i promise.

Ribbon Cookies 
from Myrl Thomas, Grandma Reak’s sister
Yields about 6 dozen cookies

Cream together:
2     cups unsalted butter
2     cups white sugar

Add and mix well:
2     large eggs
1     teaspoon vanilla

Add and mix well:
4     cups all-purpose flour
2     baking powder
1     teaspoon salt

Divide dough into thirds and add, one to a layer:
1    cup dried cherries, rum-soaked and coarsely chopped
2    ounces good quality bitter-sweet chocolate, melted, with 1 cup nuts, chopped
3    tablespoon poppy seeds

Chill dough.  Roll or pat each chilled layer flat on waxed paper.  Line bottom and sides of 8x8 or 9x9 pan with waxed paper and stack layers in pan, removing waxed paper from each layer and pressing layers firmly together.  Chill again thoroughly.

Invert pan to unmold dough.  Use a sharp knife to cut dough into 2-in. strips, then, slice strips crosswise into thin (1/4-in.) cookies.  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Allison’s notes:
The original recipe called for candied cherries, but the rum-soaked dried cherries are much better.  Soak the cherries for several hours.

Use a high-quality baking chocolate, like Scharffenberger.

Cookies spread about 30% as they bake, so leave room on the cookie sheet.

Walnuts, pecans, or hazel nuts are all equally good.

Recipe is easily doubled, but a double batch is hard to mix and divide.  Use a 9 x 13 pan if doubled.

a couple of things i should note about the way i do it... i don't much like scharffenberger chocolate (too bitter) so i use callebaut.  i use pecans because i just think they taste better in a cookie, and i pack all of the dough into a 6x6 pan. it is almost too small but i like that it has straight sides so i use it.  it makes thicker layers that way, and, all other things being equal, it means i end up with about 4 dozen* cookies rather than 6 dozen.

also, i learned that it is important to add the flour, baking powder and salt.  i forgot to do that in the batch i made last weekend.  how i remembered before i cooked them i will never know... but, should you do that too, you can incorporate it into the dough even after you have added the fancy stuff.  but, i don't recommend doing it that way.

enjoy! i am sure you will!!!

*maybe three and a half dozen today... i put one sheet back in for a few more seconds. then promptly forgot. they are too brown to be pretty and probably too brown to be good... arrrrgh.   well, they are not all that bad so i will freeze them to chop up later and sprinkle on vanilla ice cream.

pie anyone?

it isn't bright or sunny outside, and it's bit chilly and breezy too.

a perfect day for apple pie.

this might be the most beautiful apple pie i have ever made, and i am certain the crust is better than the last pie i made.  for one; i didn't overwork the dough. for two; the amount of butter in this crust recipe might be twice what i have ever used before - and i am not complaining either...  in my estimation you can never have enough toilet paper or butter. ever.

i am going to dinner at friends tonight and am bringing dessert.  i will have one piece and leave the rest there so i won't screw up my diet... entirely.  this particular pie i made has a cup of fresh cranberries in it too. that was not my idea, but theirs, and it sounded good and festive. i found this recipe in america's test kitchen's 'baking illustrated'.   i have yet to run across a recipe i've not liked in that book or their 'the new best recipe'...

mav at port2port is beginning to post her favorite recipes for the holiday season, and i like that idea so i think i will join her in the effort.   this is kind of my first submission (the next ones will be tried and true, and include actual recipes...)  stay tuned for the results of the taste test... i mean, it looks like it will be damn fine, but we shall see.

the results are in.... a resounding success!! this is a pie to make and eat. yummm me.

a peek inside

this morning, i was reading wendy's blog - the wendy house - and she had a picture of her fridge... i kept thinking i wonder what mine looks like? well, at the end of her post she tagged me to show 'what mine looks like'!!!  so here it is.  i went shopping yesterday, tried to buy the fruits vegetables and fish that are now more a part of my life than they have been in the recent past... {weight watchers is working}.  so it is crammed right now.  to be fair {to me, because i was surprised it looked so full!!} the fridge is 27" wide so it can fit in the little hidey hole that was available to me...

this always is full, and with things that are seldomly used.  hmmm.

these still need to find a spot.  the brussels sprouts will end up in the fridge a bit later once i cut them from the stalk... i love brussels sprouts, i am one in a million on that count, i do understand that...

there, for the world to see.  between the refrigerator and the inside of my mind you get a peek at every time i post it think you might know as much about me as i know myself..... my apologies.

i am being drawn toward the dark side

the trouble with my habit of intractability is that i am forever retracting my intractable positions. 

to wit*:  three riedel whiskey glasses and the silver spoon cookbook from value village. 

the glasses were $.49 each, the book was $3.49. on saturday evening while having dinner with my sister and a friend - dinner my sister made from a silver spoon recipe - i decided finally to get the book at costco the next time i was there.... i thought $21 was a good price - i like $3.49 even better.  i was not prepared to take the chance it would still be there in two weeks for the half price sale. 

*i think i am spelling that correctly, and using the term correctly.  to be honest i am not at all sure.    oh, to be smarter than i am....

i am quite easily influenced

i read alicia's post this morning. she showed her cup of coffee and it looked so good to me.  so i made some.

i don't drink coffee more than a couple times a year.  it love the way it smells,and tastes - if you make it the 'italian way', with lots of sugar and cream.  at least that seems like the italian way to me.  when mom and i were there many years ago, every morning she would get her espresso, add about 16 spoons of sugar and then some cream.  it was like coffee flavored caramel.  it is very good that way! i gave up coffee about 15 years ago, i decided i didn't really need the caffeine, i drink green tea, ALL THE TIME, but for some reason, that is different...  mostly, drinking coffee now just makes my eye lids sweat.

this is a cream storm.  that is what i call it when you pour your cream into the coffee and the swirls and movements it makes before stirring it in.  it is easier to see in a glass mug.  i LOVE that part of drinking coffee. 

these are a few of the heirloom tomatoes i got at the grocery yesterday - and some little cucumbers and some patty pan squash too but i don't think you can see them.... my first criteria for the tomatoes was how pretty the coloration was, then if they were ripe, or not too ripe.  there was a yellow one in there too, sooooo sweet.  the one on the right here?  i love so much the color swirls in the bottom.  i made some tabbouleh with some of the tomatoes, and then i will make greek salad, and also have some caprese insalta because i got some basil and mozzarella too!  got enough basil to make some pesto and have handy too...  people might just start thinking i eat properly... will post about oreo's and wine for dinner some other time...

birdman and the pie

a quick update on the birdman and his helmet and goggles.  have still to work out how the goggles will attach to the helmet, certainly the pins sticking through his ears is not the most elegant of solutions.  i left enough ease in the hat to accommodate hair, but i don't know what type yet....

also, made a blueberry pie this weekend.  i don't think you can tell by looking, but this is - hands down - the worst crust i have ever made.  i think it was due to the heat, it made me forget everything i know about making crust.  most important?  don't work it more than absolutely necessary - i am pretty sure i worked it within an inch of it's life... oh well, the filling was spectacular.

freshy's blueberry pie
a pillsbury bakeoff winner, ca. 1961

1 9-inch pie shell - use your own best recipe, DON'T OVERWORK IT!!!
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
3 cups fresh blueberries, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

bake pie shell at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. cool.

combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. blend in water and 1 cup blueberries. bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, until very thick. stir in butter and lemon juice. cool.

fold in 2 cups blueberries. cool 1 hour in refrigerator.

beat whipping cream until thick. add confectioners' sugar and vanilla.

spread half of whipped cream over bottom of pie shell. top with blueberry filling. chill about 2 hours. garnish with remaining whipped cream. refrigerate.

i always make a bit more whipped cream so i am not skimping at the end to cover the pie.  i make more pie crust too, so i can be sure i have enough to get a good edge, then there is extra to bake with butter and cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top.  i am pretty sure that in my life i have burned 50% of those little extras.  they are referred to as 'sargent shrivers' in my family.  a friend once told us there were actually called 'general grants' - i have no idea why.  one thanksgiving while making pumpkin pie we were getting ready to burn some of these extras and kept trying to remember what they were called, the only name we could think of was sargent shriver.  that is how those little family oddities come to be.

orzo salad 101

several years ago i was wondering what to make and saw sitting on the counter a papaya and an avocado.  i had a great orzo pilaf recipe that i wanted to make too, but it seemed like it needed less scallion and more oomph... thus, the orzo salad was born.

today is my friend jim's 50th birthday party - his actual birthday is tomorrow - every year he throws himself a big shindig.  and every year i make the orzo salad.  he likes it a whole lot, and so does most everyone else - my mother excepted.... 

it is especially good with grilled fish or chicken, and really just plain pretty as well.  the red onion provides a nice crunch against the chewiness of the pasta, the sweet papaya and the rich avocado.  really, i think i deserve an award for this one....today it was the little that wouldn't fit into the bowl....yummm.

orzo salad - stephanie style

bring a large pot (4 qts) of equal parts chicken stock and water to a rolling boil, add about a tablespoon of kosher salt - my test is that the water should taste like the ocean.  the pasta needs the salt to taste good.  if you are vegetarian, use a vegetable stock.  you can use water only, but the flavor contributed by the stock is a good thing to have.

once the water is boiling, add 3 cups of orzo and stir frequently so it won't stick together, or to the bottom of the pot.  i always use a pot that is too small and fight this every time - i find that for this, an metal whisk is good to keep things in order.

once the pasta is cooked, about 7 minutes, drain and put into a large mixing bowl. 

add about 2 - 3 tablespoons of good olive oil and a half cube of butter (4 tablespoons), at least - i know, but it tastes really good - DO IT.  let cool, but occasionally come back to stir so it won't stick together.

once the pasta is cooled add 2 papaya, cut into small chunks, 2 large avocados, cut into small chunks and one large sweet red onion, chopped  - also into small pieces.  also add salt and pepper to taste.  i like a lot of fresh ground pepper, and i would imagine a least 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt.  i like the kosher salt the best because it is a lighter less harsh salt and just plain is better for cooking - i stick to finer grained sea salt for baking.... the best way to peel the avocados is to cut them in half length wise, whack a knife into the pit and twist to remove.  then, cut each half again lengthwise.  now you can peel the skin away and if you have a nice ripe fruit you will end up with the most beautiful avocado quarters.  if it isn't so pretty, it doesn't matter - they get cut up anyhow....

toss together and taste to make sure you have enough seasoning.  eat the same day, within a couple of hours or the avocado starts to turn.  if you have to refrigerate it for a while, bring it to room temperature before serving. 

stephanie appleseed

i have learned that if i want to have apples on my apple tree i have to take a walk around the neighborhood and pick blossoms from apple trees whose branches hang into the alley. i learned that particular lesson the hard way. one year i had what seemed like a million blooms on my small tree but later in the season... not one apple, NOT A SINGLE ONE. so every spring i make my rounds and collect blossoms with fat yellow stamens loaded with pollen and bring them back to my yard and carefully dust my few blossoms with my stolen booty.

a little history about the tree. it was a gift from a former 'friend'. he brought a tree home to espalier against the porch. i was hoping a nice heirloom variety, something special and interesting, maybe an apple that used to be a popular tree here in the northwest but that slowly grew out of favor, or even better, my favorite - the fuji.... instead, it is a red delicious.

ok, as it turns out, i have become quite fond of the thing. it has stayed small - with pruning - and the few apples i have managed to grow are pretty tasty. well, the ones that i have eaten have tasted great. chet seems to like them a whole lot, and so do the rats that run rampant through the city, and also through my yard.

i counted this morning - there is the possibility of 13 apples this year. of course, i will keep you posted on the progress of these 13, and on my farming endeavors. although, i might have already told of my farming endeavors - in their entirety, above... i am always quite excited during spring, when things are new, bright green and full of possibility. summer though, brings a bit of boredom with my plants - so here is hoping that my promise to document the apple crop will inspire me to water the tree as well.

ritual

mav at port2port has been considering habits and ritual this week. i don't think of myself as having many particular habits or rituals - but tea, tea is both for me. green tea especially. lightly steeped. this morning... jasmine pearl.

the tower of power

amy, at angry chicken, posted about cookbooks, it seems to have everyone thinking about what their favorites are, inspiring some to post about it as well...

here are mine.... and i am certain there are a few more rolling around the house, having not been put back where they belong. as to a favorite, i don't really have one... i like the 'the joy of cooking' quite a bit and have a dog eared paperback with the glued binding beginning to fail. i am in search of a hard bound copy but am specifically looking for the 1964 edition and it turns out, that isn't as easy to come by as one might think. i found one once.... it didn't smell right.

i am currently favoring sally schneider's 'a new way to cook', not only because the cover is so pretty, but the recipes are good too, and despite all evidence to the contrary, i like that she focuses on low fat, healthier eating. it is wonderful to read and she uses ingredients that get a lot of flavor bang for the buck.

like others, i have to include rosso and lukin's 'the new basic's cookbook', i like everything i have made, especially mary emmerling's chicken barbecue - page 462 - and berta's carrot cake - page 679.

and cook's illustrated magazine, as well as their cookbooks, america's test kitchen's 'the new best recipe' and 'baking illustrated' always produce great results.

i used to cook more than i do now - eyeballing that tower of books and knowing how many great possibilities they contain has me thinking i should find some interesting things to make for dinner and get cracking...i don't know if that is going to be better, necessarily, than the usual wine and crackers - but it will be different.