tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4052936634250612572024-03-12T20:47:04.956-07:00Cook Without a KitchenErica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-87718691765199373542013-11-12T18:14:00.002-08:002013-11-13T06:25:07.891-08:00Spice it Up<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has finally hit freezing in New York City and all I want to do is drink red wine, roast sweet squash and apples, saute bitter greens, down a good juicy steak, and daydream about the upcoming holidays. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the past week I've made cranberry sauce (that's practically a pie filling) by mixing about a cup and a half fresh Pine Barren cranberries, with a generous 1/4 cup of beet, apple, carrot, lemon and ginger juice (a <a href="http://blueprintjuice.com/">blueprint juice</a>), a heaping 1/2 cup of cane sugar and a dash each of cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've sauteed spicy mustard greens with lots of garlic, and roasted cubed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">kabocha</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> squash, purple Hawaiian sweet potatoes (who knew there was such a thing!), onion and apples for a knockout side dish. And most recently added a little nutmeg to my pancake batter, fried them up in a little coconut oil, and separately peeled and sliced up two sturdy baking apples, tossed them into my rice cooker with a couple tablespoons light brown sugar and some more coconut oil, cooked until soft and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">golden,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and piled them on top of nutmegy flapjacks for a breakfast that will get you through to dinner.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want spicy, winey, coziness.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And with all this blustery, eye watering weather I want to stay indoors wrapped in a wool blanket drinking hot cider, and in doing so I've been browsing some of my favorite blogs and websites looking for gift ideas and holiday cheer and just thought I'd share my favorites. A little gift guide, of mostly local, made in the US delights, if you will. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. For those who sew, knit and crochet like champs, or would like to learn how:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.purlsoho.com/purl">Purl Soho</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.purlbee.com/">The Purl Bee</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. For Wine and Spirits from the always helpful and knowledgeable:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://chambersstwines.com/">Chambers Street Wine</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. For something sweet, decadent and a little over the top:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/">Voges Chocolate</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Everything for the home you will never find at crate and barrel:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://merchant4.com/">Merchant 4</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://kaufmann-mercantile.com/">Kaufmann Mercantile</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brookfarmgeneralstore.com/">Brooklyn Farm General Store</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. For the cooks who can't get enough:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.whisknyc.com/">Whisk</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. For the coffee buzzed:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://northboundcoffee.com/">Northbound Coffee Roasters</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. For the special lady in your life:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://conroywilcox.com/">Conroy and Wilcox</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. For clothes, hats, scarves and everything else wearable, the New York standard:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.stevenalan.com/">Steven Alan</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. For those in need of healing hands:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Nails-</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://tenoverten.com/">Ten Over Ten</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Facial-</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sohosanctuary.com/">SoHo Sanctuary</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Massage-</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sohosanctuary.com/">Liz Hartshorn Massage</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-Hair-</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lisa at <a href="http://tommygunsny.com/">Tommy Guns Salon</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. For a beautiful, one-of-a-kind botanical illustration to hang on the wall:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.judynewhouse.com/botanicals/index.html">Judy Newhouse</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. For unisex soaps, candles, lotions and potions made in New York:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.malinandgoetz.com/">Malin and Goetz</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. And to spread much needed cheer to those near and far:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.heifer.org/">The Heifer Project</a></span></div>
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Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-51949097557027278842013-05-21T15:06:00.000-07:002013-05-21T15:15:36.110-07:00Sweden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5gpjt1YIFeUoePfkFRXSlHLCSrrjZaV8JMkvPu66ORvCgEMZ3XrAZ-KC6mFWYBKyiXPYzTxuyAz6JKFrs_S8IZ1BJx1Fp5TI2Ke-VoMuFQFkyO28QOqKNpKZhFKh7Q6I7IRlcIw7MJs/s1600/IMG_0171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5gpjt1YIFeUoePfkFRXSlHLCSrrjZaV8JMkvPu66ORvCgEMZ3XrAZ-KC6mFWYBKyiXPYzTxuyAz6JKFrs_S8IZ1BJx1Fp5TI2Ke-VoMuFQFkyO28QOqKNpKZhFKh7Q6I7IRlcIw7MJs/s640/IMG_0171.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some wives drag their husbands to romantic comedies or shopping malls. I drag mine to remote eateries down highways and industrial park roads, for miles, on chilly overcast days, in a foreign country, on an empty stomach, with the possibility that we will arrive past the two hour lunch operation window. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the possibility of travel, down the block or across the sea (I don't discriminate), I immediately start to plan where we will eat like a hound thrown a new scent. The glimmer in my eye at the prospect of a new epicurious adventure strikes fear into the heart of my beloved. I'm like a child constantly seeking out the nearest amusement park. For my partner this only foreshadows long lines, too much money spent on ethereal pleasures and questionable restroom facilities. But I live for it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must state for the record, it was Chris' idea to take the 30 minute train ride from Copenhagen to Malmo, Sweden early in our recent week long visit to Denmark, and that it was he who suggested going to <a href="http://www.saltimporten.com/">Saltimporten Canteen</a> after having read an article singing it's praises in my Bon Appetite magazine. And he will be the first to admit this. But be careful what bones you toss my way, I will bite.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is true however, that I knew, well in advance, that Saltimporten Canteen was located at the end of a long industrial pier with no direct access from the city center, and that according to Google maps it anticipated a 25 minute walk along highways and long, sidewalk-less roads. And they were right! And it is true that I chose not to share too much of this information with Chris. I figured that the pot of gold at the end of a long, rainy rainbow, would more than make up for the highly unpleasant trek to the restaurant.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About half way through, however, I began to wonder if I had made a terrible mistake. Every exasperated "are we there yet" from Chris turned from annoyance on my part, to inward panic. Walking a long deserted road, using only my phone to navigate us, I began to worry that not only were we going to arrive at the end of the pier to find that they had 1. sold out of all their food because of all the foodie, hipster attention they are basking in at present, 2. that the line would be around the block and more waiting would incur filled with sighs and glares or 3., worst of all, there would be no restaurant at all, and Chris and I would be in a self-inflicted Waiting for Godot foodie Hell, without even a turnip or carrot to chew on. In Sweden. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, lets just say we made it and might I suggest taking a taxi from the train station, as we discovered upon arrival that the restaurant takes credit cards and so the few Swedish Kroners we had just changed over from Danish Kroner, would not have been wasted on the door-to-door service. Live and learn. But on to the food.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saltimporten Canteen looks like this from outside:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And like this from the inside:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it works like this, the food is prepared by NOMA graduates in a different location in the morning, brought to the restaurant before opening, and then lunch is served from noon to 2pm. And that's it. There are two options, a meat option and a vegetarian option along with freshly baked bread you slice yourself, wine, beer and water, and coffee with milk and sugar for dessert.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At about 1:30 on a Monday the place was about half full with what seemed to be a nice, local crowd, chewing away, some quietly doing business while they ate. I chose the meat dish and Chris ordered the vegetarian. It was brought to our table (although I think that's just because we looked like harried foreigners close to fainting, most people just waited at the counter for their bowls) I sliced some bread, water was poured, Chris washed his hands and we dug in.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris had Cauliflower on a bed of grains and yogurt (?) with raw shaved cauliflower, a Swedish berry broth (tasting a bit like a kumquat) and sprinkled with leek ash.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bk4oWnZPVF5ilT5_5N9ZKRoxk-tInnWpwODSc1cFtLe4M5YbRajBY_mPOmtD4URLjQPAUJUWWIhzaY1ya49kEEJaRwqu4J-n79gwWj9rSnBlYJG9mec7b9mRCc1rw2qr4BUDxqPW0yc/s1600/IMG_0172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bk4oWnZPVF5ilT5_5N9ZKRoxk-tInnWpwODSc1cFtLe4M5YbRajBY_mPOmtD4URLjQPAUJUWWIhzaY1ya49kEEJaRwqu4J-n79gwWj9rSnBlYJG9mec7b9mRCc1rw2qr4BUDxqPW0yc/s640/IMG_0172.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had stewed lamb resting on braised rhubarb and yogurt with shaved cauliflower, lovage and chervil and a light sprinkle of sea salt. I was in heaven. The bread was awesome. Chris agreed his meal was delicious too, and the tension began to dissipate. A nice older couple drove up and sat just opposite us and in my foodie buzz I considered asking if we could bum a ride back to the city, but after food and hydration, we sucked it up and walked 25 minutes up a different but equally unpleasant route.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzjojZrRIAL3t18t0-dNaFunQ5bM2rwS73jv_CNEg2cwbb0t8wrdzfMYr7JyG_7s4iOXGjFUsL4vfZc8LizJRRTEcP90xLSAWtlYzES6DFg-pZJrSBCZXElIcqVy6yEZn8xvhlKgtNWc/s1600/IMG_0175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzjojZrRIAL3t18t0-dNaFunQ5bM2rwS73jv_CNEg2cwbb0t8wrdzfMYr7JyG_7s4iOXGjFUsL4vfZc8LizJRRTEcP90xLSAWtlYzES6DFg-pZJrSBCZXElIcqVy6yEZn8xvhlKgtNWc/s640/IMG_0175.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think we shall be returning to Malmo anytime soon. Perhaps ever again. But I am certainly glad we went. Speaking for myself, it was the best lunch I've ever had.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to make a Saltimporten lunch at home <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2013/01/malmo-sweden-saltimporten-canteen.html">Bon Appetite</a> has a lovely selection of recipes following an article on the restaurant, with no walking required.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Postscript</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(not for the faint of stomach)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Upon arriving back in Copenhagen at our hotel, Chris proceeded to get sick, very sick. Undoubtedly food poisoning. To the point that I considered calling a doctor or taking him to the hospital. It passed after 12 or so hours, but it was fierce and swift.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In recounting our story to friends later I cracked a joke, farm-to-table-toilet! But it wasn't funny while it was happening. Some days later a friend told me that 70+ people got severe food poisoning from NOMA, perhaps a risk in the whole foraging-farm-to-table trends. I hope those preparing food in this new and burgeoning cuisine can figure out how to keep their food as safe as it is delicious. I mean come on guys. I cook in my bathroom!</span>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-25913830497798035382012-09-05T17:21:00.000-07:002012-09-05T17:22:13.540-07:00Smoked Paprika Chickpeas and Garlic Dandelion Greens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmMdtbYKgktAa6LUjWMYyQ5p1PLiIAzEGQMp8XmkAiKAW52v_5pHxUeKTxwZIEYFgIh0HzHVsXmS8hyphenhyphengbJyAPA2IYhfIBXFgzEGXnCPO0lMeoqciDprLmyKr7m6xmj0Uvl2PGZ-0xeHM/s1600/IMG_1281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmMdtbYKgktAa6LUjWMYyQ5p1PLiIAzEGQMp8XmkAiKAW52v_5pHxUeKTxwZIEYFgIh0HzHVsXmS8hyphenhyphengbJyAPA2IYhfIBXFgzEGXnCPO0lMeoqciDprLmyKr7m6xmj0Uvl2PGZ-0xeHM/s640/IMG_1281.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made this last night. Made it again tonight. I had to post about it. It's soooo good. It's not Forks Over Knives, but I think I know how it could be. It's a combination of recipes from Heidi Swanson's cookbook <i>Super Natural Every Day, </i>that I tweaked and adapted<i>.</i> Happy end of summer, almost fall. Bitter greens, nutty red quinoa and smoky and spicy roasted chickpeas. And maybe a nip of bourbon later on. Mmmm.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Red Quinoa</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup red quinoa</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups cold water</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine ingredients in a rice cooker or stovetop pot, cover and let simmer about 20 minutes until cooked through and fluffy. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roasted Chickpeas</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 13.4 oz can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried on a paper towel</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbs olive oil or any neutral oil (I use grapeseed)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp smoked, spicy paprika (if you don't have these, cayenne and chipotle work well, but use less, a scant 1/2 tsp. and more sweet paprika)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat your oven to 425 (or in my case, toaster oven). Toss the ingredients together so all chickpeas are well coated. Then on a foil lined baking sheet, spread chickpeas in one layer and roast for ten minutes. If you want them tender, remove them now, if you prefer them a little more crispy you can roast them another 8 minutes. Then try not to eat them all before dinner is ready. Keep the oven on...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Garlic Dandelion Greens</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 bunch dandelion greens, washed, ends trimmed and then torn in half, roll up greens in one or two dish towels to dry</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5-6 cloves of garlic, minced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">zest of one lemon</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 scant tsp salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a glass baking dish, with the oven still on at 425, pour in about three generous tablespoons of olive oil or any neutral. Add the minced garlic and salt. Put uncovered into the oven until you begin to smell the garlic, careful not to let it burn. Give it a stir while it's sizzling and then add the dandelion greens. Still uncovered, return to the oven for about three minutes. Then toss greens around, covering them in the garlic oil so leaves begin to wilt. Return to the oven again for three minutes. Toss around some more, repeat one more time. Then add the lemon zest, toss greens and continue to roast a few more minutes until the leaves are wilted and the stems just tender.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a wide bowl, spoon the red quinoa into the bottom. Then sprinkle with half the chickpeas and top with the sizzling hot greens and garlic oil. You can give a little squeeze of lemon juice as a final touch.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves 2</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a Forks Over Knives version (no oil), substitute water for oil in the chickpea recipe, roast, watching carefully that the chickpeas don't burn. Then after they've come out of the oven, give them a squeeze of lemon and toss. And for the dandelion greens, add the garlic, salt and greens and three tablespoons water to a saute pan on medium heat, cover and steam till greens are tender, tossing from time to time, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the zest towards the end. Toss greens and serve.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-45447781688321625432012-09-01T15:14:00.000-07:002012-09-05T17:28:36.980-07:00Forks Over Knives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Sp_vRj1eWTBg_gk-TSUC2cO2qbFo0q1yzAstgoEw_q6QrzguFteEqhePt8Wx0trhgSTe5PQRuvky_BVYzU_gA-Wbkhm04mZvbMcP25LSKHPQNrLG7OTLJz8b9oFWYfD99XD7U1nnaBM/s1600/IMG_1276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Sp_vRj1eWTBg_gk-TSUC2cO2qbFo0q1yzAstgoEw_q6QrzguFteEqhePt8Wx0trhgSTe5PQRuvky_BVYzU_gA-Wbkhm04mZvbMcP25LSKHPQNrLG7OTLJz8b9oFWYfD99XD7U1nnaBM/s640/IMG_1276.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever I talk to my parents, a portion of the conversation always comes around to doctors visits. Which doctor did they see most recently, what test results just came in, when is the next minor or major surgery scheduled, which cap needs to be replaced by the dentist for the umpteenth time, when does physical therapy start, which medication needs to be adjusted, and on and on. And they're healthy, well informed, responsible people! I get text messages from my mother as she sits in waiting rooms, either waiting for my father to wake up or for a nurse to call her back to an examination room, bored and wanting to hear what's up in New York City. We laugh, another day, another doctor! It's not traumatic to go to the doctor, just time consuming, part-time job time consuming. At this point no one's health is great but it's all being managed by a series of specialists, and as long as my parents keep checking in, like getting the oil changed, cleaning out the air conditioner filters and paying the electricity bill, they can lead as happy, as rich and as long a life as they choose, obviously up to a point. My in-laws are in the same boat and around the same age as my parents, when you get into your sixties, seventies and eighties, all this is to be expected, and though Chris and I are still relatively young, I have begun to see that inevitable path before us. Which reminds me I need to make an appointment with my dermatologist for an annual check-up. Let's see what the sun did to me this year!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the thing, you can totally ignore your health and let it bite you in the ass, royally, or you can be proactive. Right? And we know that being proactive means eating well and getting exercise. Not having access to information or health care however, is a whole other story. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But being proactive, in a world of ask.com and webmd.com, and nightly news health updates, and pharmaceuticals vs. homeopathy, local vs. organic and high-fat vs. low-fat can be overwhelming to say the least. Never mind that most primary care physicians never actually study diet in the first place. Even Mark Bittman, the great Mark Bittman, who goes vegan for breakfast and lunch, except for the half-and-half in his coffee, then eats whatever he fancies for dinner, recently wrote an article in the <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/07/got-milk-you-dont-need-it/">New York Times</a> about how dairy is one of the worst things you can put in your body. The other day my husband showed me a photo of an egg with the title, "Eggs are worse for you than cigarettes".</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What?!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two years ago I read Jonathan Safran Foer's <i>Eating Animals</i> and started inhaling pasture raised beef and happy Berkshire pig bacon after nearly 15 years of not eating red meat. And after reading Nina Plank's <i>Real Food</i>, I was all about whole foods, full fat dairy, butter, brown eggs with rich sunset yolks, whole grains, bitter greens and happy, healthy meat. And I still am, sort of, but......</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite all my efforts to keep myself and my husband healthy, it still came back to bite us in the ass.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My forty year old husband's blood pressure would not go down. My husband who's grandfather had a heart-attack and died at 40. I thought we were being healthy, really healthy. I even had books with medical science to prove it. It's an American obsession, health. We know it all!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was not interested in changing my eating habits unless it was going to be delicious, because I thought my habits were already great. I can have my cake with the organic sugar and rich eggs, biodynamically raised cow's milk and spelt flour and eat it too! I thought we were eating better than most, I mean the cost alone should have cured something. But Chris' blood pressure, visit after visit, even with medications and increased doses and exercise would not come down. And it began to become clear that the blue cheese, chicken schmaltz and lamb chops weren't helping.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris' alternative doctor, for years (years!), kept trying to get him on a special diet that I resisted with my stack of books and whole foods receipts. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But eventually there was no other choice. Chris was going to have to give up all animal products, no eggs, no meat, no diary, and then scariest of all, no oil. No canola oil, no olive oil, no sesame oil, no coconut oil. Nothing. And me being the cook in the household, was going to have to learn to cook onions with water.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went <a href="http://www.forksoverknives.com/">Forks Over Knives</a>, and after one year, now our families are doing it too.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(to be continued....)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oil-Free Blue Potato Salad</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An assortment of farmers market greens, washed and torn</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Handful of cilantro, washed, leaves removed from stems</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Six or so small blue/red/yellow potatoes, boiled till tender, cooled and sliced in half</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two heirloom tomatoes of different colors, large dice</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flat beans or green beans steamed or boiled till just tender but still bright green, cooled, cut into thirds</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Half a red onion, small dice</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toasted slivered almonds</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yellow raisins</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arrange in your salad bowl then...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dressing</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Juice of one lemon</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Splash of champagne vinegar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two teaspoons of Dijon mustard</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One teaspoon of honey</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One teaspoon whole cumin seeds ground with a mortar and pestle or 1/2 tsp. ground cumin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinch of salt</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whisk together and pour over salad just before serving. Crack fresh pepper on top.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toast</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toast a couple slices of hearty whole grain bread, then rub each side with a raw garlic clove, and serve.</span>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-34290947161389300082012-07-18T12:34:00.000-07:002012-09-05T17:29:20.589-07:00Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trying to find solace in a city with 8 million people can be difficult. The other day I was walking through Times Square in 90+ degree heat and a slightly scruffy, shoeless young man was meditating in the middle of a throng of tourists. I thought to myself, "okey doke! " But I'm guessing he's a recent transplant, or more likely a passer-though, as opposed to the 70 year old upper-east-sider who wears hostility like a badge of honor and cuts in front of another 70 year old to get a slightly better seat on the crosstown bus after which the other 70 year old huffs and puffs and scowls and looks at you like, "can you believe this guy?". </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was once in a dance studio taking an Alexander Technique class and there was high decibel street work going on three floors below. One of the students just could not get over it. He suggested closing the windows despite the warm weather and went on about how hard it is to find peace and quiet in this city, most dance and yoga studios are so noisy and on and on and on. Our teacher, also a great friend, sent a nice clear stream of energy up her spine and responded, and I'm paraphrasing, " we have chosen to live in this city, the city is noisy and we have little control over it. Why not accept the noise, make peace with it, let it move through you and lets get back to work!" That shut him up and cut down on at least 20% of the noise problem.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About a month ago, Chris and I went for an invigorating evening run up the Hudson River. While traveling north, one gets a view of spectacular sunsets over New Jersey, and on the way back, the glittering lights of lower Manhattan. You get fresh salty gusts coming up the river from the ocean and sweat out the day's bullshit, pardon my French. It's free, it clears my head and I get to spend time with my husband. Once we reach a certain point in our run, we slow to a walk and continue at that pace all the way home. On this particular day, red faced and sweaty, we walked passed the new Sarahbeth's which has outdoor seating. An older gentleman was sitting alone having what appeared to be some sort of dessert and a glass of wine. Out of nowhere he yelled up to us, " Have you been walking or running?" "What?" Chris I think was in disbelief. "Have you been walking or running?" "Both!" Chris barked. By this point we had passed the man and I was still processing what had just happened. Without skipping a beat Chris, gazing back over his shoulder shot back, "Are you having dinner, or dessert?" "Both!" we heard echo down the street.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I find solace in the kitchen. And sitting down to a delicious meal afterward is just icing on the cake. However, when you're cooking in your bathroom things don't always go smoothly. Suddenly the damp bath mat is covered in a dusting of flour, hot oil splatters back at you while pinned against the window, smoke billows from the toaster oven, etc., etc. But despite all this, I go on. Make pizza from scratch in a cubby hole with a dinky toaster oven, sure! Why not! It certainly keeps me on my toes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like to make my dough from scratch but you can also buy it fresh from a local pizzeria or from a Whole Foods or grocery store.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/03/no-knead-pizza-dough">Jim Lahey's No-Need Pizza dough</a> rises for 18 hours overnight, then 2 more hours before baking and it is delicious! I halve the recipe and it turns out great and it's enough for two nights worth of dinners.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bon Appetit has some toppings suggestions but here is how I top our pizza:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">olive oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pomi crushed tomatoes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maldon sea salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">red pepper flakes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">shallots, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">leaks, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">garlic, thinly sliced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">nicoise olives, split </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fresh parsley, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">finely chopped </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once you have the dough worked into a pizza shape, place it on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Splash a little olive oil around the dough and rub it around, coating the surface evenly with your fingers. (Olive oil on the edges will make for a more crispy crust, while no olive oil makes for a more chewy crust.) Spoon pools of tomatoes around the pizza, like you're making an abstract painting, a little pool of olive here, a little splash of tomato there. Sprinkle a little salt and red pepper flakes around. Then scatter garlic followed by shallots, then leaks, mushrooms and olives. Bake according to Lahey's instructions (about 13-15 minutes in my toaster oven). Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley and you're done! Good with beer or a nice cold glass of white wine.</span><br />
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<br />Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-21561630174789800242012-06-20T14:08:00.002-07:002012-09-05T17:30:03.387-07:00Cambodian/Vietnamese/Thai Vermicelli Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I lived in Fort Greene, Brooklyn for five wonderful years. I scraped layers of newspaper and paint from underneath my kitchen sink, hung homemade curtains, watched a woman get mugged underneath my bedroom window, heard gun shots, cried with joy every year when the New York City Marathon went past my window, drank beers on the stoop with my future husband, made a tent in my living room with my roommate, and blissfully ate my way through the ever changing neighborhood with my student loan money at <a href="http://www.madibarestaurant.com/">Madiba</a>, <a href="http://www.icirestaurant.com/">Ici</a>, La Table, <a href="http://www.pequenarestaurant.com/">Pequena</a>, Rice, <a href="http://www.99cafelafayette.com/">Cafe Lafayette</a>, <a href="http://oleabrooklyn.com/">Olea</a>, <a href="http://thebrooklyncornerstone.com/">Cornerstone</a>, <a href="http://www.stonehomewinebar.com/">Stone Home Wine Bar</a>, <a href="http://cakemanraven.com/">Harlem Cake Man </a>and more.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some restaurants still thrive, others changed their names and some are gone forever. I must say, I still mourn the loss of Cambodia Cuisine. It was a large and very worn out restaurant a few steps north of BAM. The patio seating had a faded astro-turf-like carpet and I think the ceiling was hung with old dirty fabric or sagging ceiling panels. It was filthy inside and cheap but the food was bright, fresh and clean. I usually walked up to the window and ordered take-out from a sweaty, elderly man in a wife beater who oversaw sizzling woks and big pots of boiling water. I always ordered the same thing, vermicelli noodles with lemongrass chicken, crisp veggies, mint, peanuts and a sweet and sour sauce. The restaurant's service grew weirder and weirder and the food lost some of it's brightness as the years went by. But when it was good, it was the best.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I make a version of this salad with whatever I have around. It's sort of a Cambodian/Vietnamese/Thai mash up. It's easy to assemble, there's no cooking involved and it's the perfect crunchy salad for a hot summer day.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cambodian/Vietnamese/Thai Salad</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 package vermicelli rice noodles soaked in hot water according to the instructions on the package (I recently found a whole grain brand that is very good)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix together: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 parts vinegar (white vinegar or rice vinegar are best but I've used apple cider vinegar and it's not bad! Just avoid red wine or balsamic vinegar, that would be weird)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 part sugar (or honey or agave)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pinch of salt</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can heat the vinegar and sugar to help it dissolve. You should have somewhere between 1/4 cup and 1/2 a cup liquid depending on how many mouths you're feeding. Taste, it should be sweet and tangy, add more sugar if necessary. Then add sliced chili and salt. When the liquid has cooled a little add some or all of the following and let pickle while you get everything else ready. I often leave the cucumber out unless I don't have any carrots:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cucumber, sliced into matchsticks</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">carrots, sliced into matchsticks</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">red onion, thinly sliced</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a sliced thai chili (optional)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assemble all or some of the following on top of your cool vermicelli noodles:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lettuce leaves</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bean sprouts</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fresh mint</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fresh thai basil (optional)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chopped salted and roasted peanuts</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chicken ( look-up a recipe for lemongrass chicken, I usually make a vegetarian version, but I'm sure shredded rotisserie chicken would be just fine)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">red sweet pepper (not traditional but good)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remove your pickled vegetables from their liquid and reserve liquid. Arrange vegetable on top of noodles with the rest of your toppings. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add to Reserved Liquid:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Few dashes fish sauce until you get the taste you like (omit for vegans)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then serve the liquid in little bowls, one for each salad, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to pour as much or as little as you like over your salad.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Plop a nice big bottle of Sriracha on the table and mange. Cold beer is perfect with this meal.</span><br />
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<br />Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-91005590219178945942011-07-01T19:39:00.000-07:002011-07-02T11:12:55.428-07:00Quick Salt Pickles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnRGWzXxfnF033fukhHWu5SFsaBWwk3JgHZUtu6xuhM596Ttvg9bUbSiEG-VHz86Ugik1MlIiqQmBjnLF7ZIMsatLywr9cJVVoJpSpCgGO814YjtxbDMpVXrzjJ1ehTCbeuVQmYux54I/s1600/Pickles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnRGWzXxfnF033fukhHWu5SFsaBWwk3JgHZUtu6xuhM596Ttvg9bUbSiEG-VHz86Ugik1MlIiqQmBjnLF7ZIMsatLywr9cJVVoJpSpCgGO814YjtxbDMpVXrzjJ1ehTCbeuVQmYux54I/s640/Pickles.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am usually the one who is out at night. A play, a drink with a friend, a late night of work, or a weekend out of town, and when this happens, despite Chris' sweet calls wondering how soon I'll be home, I know that he secretly relishes the time alone. Our room becomes slightly less claustrophobic, he can spread out on the bed, leave dirty socks on the floor and watch whatever he wants on TV, without the nagging, tickling, squirming, dirty dish making wife around. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But tonight the roles have reversed. Chris is off with a friend at a baseball game and everyone is out of town for the July Fourth holiday. So I shut the windows, turned on the AC and hooked my laptop up to the TV.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You see, I recently discovered (like two days ago) that you can instantly watch Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on Netflix. Not an episode or two, not a bunch of clips, but 9 full seasons of badass, international, food-porn. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm staying in tonight. A poor man's (woman's) vacation.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My lack of desire to cook has not gone away so after a trip to the farmer's market, I decided to quick pickle some cucumbers and radishes and toss them into a salad of leftover odds and ends from the refrigerator.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About half way through an episode in India, I started to get a craving. At this point I'd already eaten a large salad with peaches, goat feta, pickles and red onion, with some good crusty slices of sourdough. But I thought to myself, "If I were in a restaurant, that would have just been the appetizer!" I learned this sort of gluttinous justification from my mother, "a cupcake is really like only one layer of a two-layer cake, so why not eat two!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I paused Anthony, put on a pair of pants and flip-flopped over to the Pakistani Tea House on Church Street. It's open all night and frequented by cabbies and hardcore locals who don't need white linen napkins at every meal. The food resembles what you might find in an Indian restaurant and it's fresh, it's cheap and really, really good. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got a little curry chicken, some saag and some lentils. Now I needed a beer to go with meal number two, so, warm paper bag in hand, I flip-flopped down to the neighborhood bodega, and picked up an additional box of cereal and carton of milk, to justify using my debit card for a bottle of beer. New York is great sometimes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When back at home, I gobbled down my take-out, as Tony gobbled down his. Discovered the food-porn episode, grabbed my beer, spread out on the bed and while admiring the sock-free floor, pondered which episode to watch next.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Chang's Quick Salt Pickles (Master Recipe) (makes about 2 cups)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 meaty Kirby cucumbers, cut into 1/8" thick disks</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 bunch radishes, well scrubbed and cut into wedges through the root end</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large or 3 small daikon radishes, peeled and cut into very, very thin slices</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbs. sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Combine the vegetable with the sugar and salt in a small mixing bowl and toss to coat with the sugar and salt. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Taste: If the pickles are too sweet or too salty, put them into a colander, rinse off the seasoning, and dry in a kitchen towel. Taste again and add more sugar or salt as needed. Serve after 5 to 10 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-66067828388700952622011-06-19T17:41:00.000-07:002011-06-19T17:41:44.379-07:00Green and Purple Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4gXOMlbKar90GLOMz4uIC_B3FkRpQTH_2k25r8BjEuMe6sb9IfVlVOJjVWSCCl_zimNJTIUfDOifNpwYrQj4SXTiaFCP0NspQAK6MrD2ZOhL740HXKcrVDjG9eOCfF7ONWEbC3qz7fI/s1600/IMG_0344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4gXOMlbKar90GLOMz4uIC_B3FkRpQTH_2k25r8BjEuMe6sb9IfVlVOJjVWSCCl_zimNJTIUfDOifNpwYrQj4SXTiaFCP0NspQAK6MrD2ZOhL740HXKcrVDjG9eOCfF7ONWEbC3qz7fI/s640/IMG_0344.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not felt like cooking lately.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Could you tell?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been busy. Started dancing again, working, reading, auditioning, running around the city. Warm weather has set in and I'm counting down the days to my summer vacation in August, and for some reason, spending an hour or more making an elaborate meal every night has not been appealing. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyone else feel that way? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am into assembling. For now.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Getting really good ingredients, that don't need much work, doing a little rinsing, a little chopping, perhaps some warming up in the toaster oven, and leaving it at that. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I love right now? Rotisserie chickens, sardines packed in olive oil, 9-minute boiled eggs, chopped greens and veggies of any kind, humus, olives, goat cheese feta, vinaigrette with shallots, French mustard, garlic, red wine vinegar and olive oil, good bread, fresh pasta and sauce, and Greek yogurt with organic fruit, or honey and walnuts.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any of the above with a crisp, dry glass of white wine, and I'm in heaven.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight I made a salad of bitter greens, the kind that puts hair on your chest, and wolfed it down with a good crusty sour dough, slathered in bright yellow pastured butter.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what I want. Greens, greens, greens. A slice of bread. A glass of wine.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's nice to be back. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I promise I will cook something again, eventually. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is pie season after all.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckbmhkVPpoL0skwlyMBe3hfQOoAgoU8IFbZHf8ds4Mamf8zQpJuOOBInNrB6EiR8CMsIapXD_6FXWQyNNhhTYh0Jvkuc4oAZrC-iQz3ZAMKmr2EM0G10FdRmXFT5_Qr0MHCNWyyBbseo/s1600/IMG_0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckbmhkVPpoL0skwlyMBe3hfQOoAgoU8IFbZHf8ds4Mamf8zQpJuOOBInNrB6EiR8CMsIapXD_6FXWQyNNhhTYh0Jvkuc4oAZrC-iQz3ZAMKmr2EM0G10FdRmXFT5_Qr0MHCNWyyBbseo/s640/IMG_0340.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green and Purple Salad for two</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 bunch of dandelion greens, washed well and chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 head of radicchio leaves, rinsed and chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced and chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 cup fennel tops, finely chopped (looks like dill)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 red onion, thinly sliced and chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup goat feta cheese, cubed into 1/2" pieces</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup good green olives</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">balsamic vinegar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">olive oil</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and pepper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">crusty loaf of sour dough bread + good salty butter</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toss together the dandelion greens and radicchio in your salad bowl, layer with fennel, onion, feta and olives and splash a little balsamic and olive oil on top. Give a nice grind of black pepper and pinch of flaky salt. That's it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This salad would also be great with frisee or escarole, and a little cucumber, some radishes and a couple sliced cherry tomatoes. And if you need something more substantial, cook up some bacon or boil an egg, and serve on top.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-69776249191835892412011-04-11T08:10:00.000-07:002011-04-12T12:39:28.034-07:00Kim Boyce's Focaccia and Easy Steamed Artichokes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LUZvCRz7BytQeHGlkwg7tJlcJn-jPy94VLJfbXuIBs10eBDB8pPRprKARfyo73YR3vSaHG3_i8RBSQxUSvZF-cvaTnx0gt1oTow8gyu687PYS_w3670tJP7qYbM2ojhtE-49dzOhwao/s1600/IMG_2489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_LUZvCRz7BytQeHGlkwg7tJlcJn-jPy94VLJfbXuIBs10eBDB8pPRprKARfyo73YR3vSaHG3_i8RBSQxUSvZF-cvaTnx0gt1oTow8gyu687PYS_w3670tJP7qYbM2ojhtE-49dzOhwao/s640/IMG_2489.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two weeks ago, as I entered the restroom at Movement Research for the first time, before settling onto a handmade cotton mat and letting all my bones and muscles drop into the creaky wooden floor for an hour and a half long Alexander Technique class, I saw a poster hanging on the wall that, as if by divine inspiration, had flown in through the cracked window and adhered itself to the opposing wall the moment I turned the knob.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The poster appeared to be a block print, black and red ink on a rectangle of pure white, with roughly four images printed at the bottom. First, a bowl of cherries with stems intact, second, a bowl of pits and stems, third, a bowl of pitted cherries ready for a pie, and above the bowls, a set of hands were engaged in de-stemming a single cherry. At the top of the poster was written: Process.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only was it a reminder to engage in the process of the class I was about to take, but it also rang out as a message for the year, a message for life. Take it one step at a time. Don't get ahead of yourself. Engage in the process of things, the result will follow. There is joy in work.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been wanting to bake bread in my toaster oven for over a year now and I keep chickening out at the last minute. I attempted a loaf several years ago in my Brooklyn apartment and it came out a heavy brick of whole wheat flour that dropped like a rock into the trash can, so I wasn't so sure baking bread without a kitchen would be any more successful.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Saturday afternoon, determined to get over my fear, I went to the market, bough a packet of yeast and some spelt flour, smoothed open Kim Boyce's cultish new cookbook, <i>Good to the Grain</i>, carefully read and re-read the recipe and got to work. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My first packet of yeast didn't bubble like it should so I started another bowl, with slightly warmer water and a fresh packet, and now able to compare two attempts, noticed a delicate bubbling on the surface of the second bowl indicating activity. Step one done. Then I added the dry ingredients and olive oil which came together almost effortlessly into a soft, scraggy ball and then kneaded it for ten divine minutes like the recipe says. Soft, yeasted dough, gently pressed under the palms is like taking a long, mind-clearing stroll by the beach. I'm not exaggerating. Nice and elastic, I nestled my dough into an oiled bowl, covered it with a clean dish cloth and two hours later discovered a plump, doubled mound ready for a punch and the next step. Cut into thirds, two of them reserved in the fridge for later, and pressed into a 9 inch, oiled cake pan, I gave it one more rise, then a glug of olive oil and into the oven. Twenty minutes later Chris and I sat down to a supper of steamed artichokes, garlicy greens, sardines in tomato sauce, calamata olives and hot, crusty focaccia.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did it. And so can you. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making focaccia from scratch may seem like too much work but one days work yields three days of bread. So, on night two I stretched my dough into a rectangle, topped it with sauce, chopped broccoli rabe, mushrooms, goat cheese and olives, and we had homemade pizza in under half an hour. I think I'll do the same tonight.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's all about the process.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zVGv6AQ0bsn6MJF_5tQtSrvuQcjLzur1dOQiQzAHUPFYJ9gnGEyRdYeM5V0g9pxbhuIHvcThbOCt9RCJ6DbWTxgeYqDAcpBK1j4L2LFK6uW70Tl20MGagOYpTl231XwTJcs5FzYYbuQ/s1600/dough.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6zVGv6AQ0bsn6MJF_5tQtSrvuQcjLzur1dOQiQzAHUPFYJ9gnGEyRdYeM5V0g9pxbhuIHvcThbOCt9RCJ6DbWTxgeYqDAcpBK1j4L2LFK6uW70Tl20MGagOYpTl231XwTJcs5FzYYbuQ/s640/dough.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kim Boyce's Focaccia from <i>Good to the Grain, 2010</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Olive oil for the bowl and pans</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 package active dry yeast</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pinch of sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11/2 cups spelt flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for kneading</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbs. kosher salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup plus 2 tbs. olive oil</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Herbs, spices or other toppings of choice</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Lightly rub a large bowl with olive oil. Add 1 1/4 cups warm water, the yeast and sugar to another large bowl. Stir, and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes, until it begins to bubble. (If it doesn't, it may be inactive; throw it out and start over with a new package).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add the flours, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Pour the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead together, adding 1/2 cup of flour to the dough as necessary to keep it from sticking. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it is supple and elastic.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCWlEGyTlPGFCU6zueUvub96j1S7H4MZA_tt3Lz__d_q1vYm_yxpcLBMET2dnOfrH96Zibu8-VtI7VkoAiekkZqGMd8ctrzP7LGFag8G9PQq0fDXHN5oH4d5-2lsg3Mll9jAdxdy-Yh0/s1600/rise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCWlEGyTlPGFCU6zueUvub96j1S7H4MZA_tt3Lz__d_q1vYm_yxpcLBMET2dnOfrH96Zibu8-VtI7VkoAiekkZqGMd8ctrzP7LGFag8G9PQq0fDXHN5oH4d5-2lsg3Mll9jAdxdy-Yh0/s640/rise.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. For the first rise, put the dough into the oiled bowl, turning it so that the top of the dough is coated with oil. Cover with a towel and leave for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. (A dough is proofed once it has fully risen. How can you tell if a dough is proofed? Gently push a floured finger into the dough. If it springs back the dough needs to proof longer. If a dimple remains, move on to the next step.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Generously oil a baking sheet or 3 9-inch round pans with olive oil. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. For the second rise, place the dough on the baking sheet or divide the dough into 3 pieces and put one piece in each of the oiled pans. Stretch the dough out with your hands so that it covers the surface of the baking sheet or pans, and dimple it with your fingers. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and leave to rise for 1 hour.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven (or put a single rack in the middle if you're using one baking sheet) and preheat to 400 degrees F.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgG07XHl13A1yApfsmJ5XNyNmMeZnQlbqmC4-fId6auCPIyPS4MnEdtNoSiCx4xQwVpPAm4FwodPMNK3qI6rc9uBWirm55K7idiAWfCdlXXNjLYyq06uqArOYXOu9M6umi7OKdlI_63c/s1600/pan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgG07XHl13A1yApfsmJ5XNyNmMeZnQlbqmC4-fId6auCPIyPS4MnEdtNoSiCx4xQwVpPAm4FwodPMNK3qI6rc9uBWirm55K7idiAWfCdlXXNjLYyq06uqArOYXOu9M6umi7OKdlI_63c/s640/pan.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. After the dough has completed it's second rise and has puffed up on the sheet or in the pans, top it with 1/4 cup of olive oil and sprinkle it with salt, herbs or spices, or the toppings of your choice.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Allow the bread to cool slightly in the pan before slicing and serving. Focaccia is best eaten the day it's made.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. If you wish to store the focaccia dough for future use, after the first rise is complete, wrap the dough tightly in plastic and and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Pull all or part of the dough out when you wish to use it; bring it to room temperature before shaping the dough and continuing with the recipe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngZsSwNqKfzda5-arwYUmXRFfZRLWSRAgt6tB4WeFC4a-dSXAJoU_u3ZkJz-22bMlvSfXuBPzXDC9hXvxIjmUGPB_6wBepCjilFYUAm-XAlYLqx9ZnWxNYVzzWa6QcFzDWmaGa8g5eNo/s1600/baked.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngZsSwNqKfzda5-arwYUmXRFfZRLWSRAgt6tB4WeFC4a-dSXAJoU_u3ZkJz-22bMlvSfXuBPzXDC9hXvxIjmUGPB_6wBepCjilFYUAm-XAlYLqx9ZnWxNYVzzWa6QcFzDWmaGa8g5eNo/s640/baked.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Easy Steamed Artichokes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut off the tops and stems of your artichokes (large). Fill a large pan with an inch of water and either rest your artichokes on a steamer basket or on their stems sliced in half lengthwise. Cover with a lid and steam for forty minutes. Melt some butter or just eat them plain. When you get to the heart, scrape off the fuzzy part, drown in butter and enjoy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-20333629543154012262011-04-07T12:21:00.000-07:002011-04-08T08:28:50.771-07:00Yogurt Parfaits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcU9U6UXlop9t5bS6myYEi6xfm_Qf4vtEkSL-VEGCjzPKMC9jXpTgXFEewCzCREmPg46DkQtCI70pBjn9Z33ofKrXKjQFw7tKZuXuIhZ2cRxMN2Zgg7dUeC7qgHdKyEMaNJ7DihmWqZTg/s1600/parfait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcU9U6UXlop9t5bS6myYEi6xfm_Qf4vtEkSL-VEGCjzPKMC9jXpTgXFEewCzCREmPg46DkQtCI70pBjn9Z33ofKrXKjQFw7tKZuXuIhZ2cRxMN2Zgg7dUeC7qgHdKyEMaNJ7DihmWqZTg/s640/parfait.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was little I wasn't allowed to have sugar. And so I obsessed about it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the first few years of my life, my mother made recordings of me talking at various ages, using her 1980's plastic tape recorder. Several of the tracks are of me telling stories about candy, a little lady in particular who, when she went out shopping, only bought candy and it was always red.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was my ultimate fantasy. A pantry full of cherry flavored suckers and candy bars. But at my house sweets were for ultra special occasions, like angel food cake for a birthday, and for several years I thought that rice cakes were indeed cake and that a sundae was plain yogurt layered with honey and wheat germ. A parfait my mother called it, served elegantly in a wine glass.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every now and then my father would slip me a candy bar followed by, "now don't tell your mother", but I always did. How could I hide my exuberance over such divine confections!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am still obsessed with sweets, so is my mother, but I have to say that yogurt parfaits are still among one of my favorite snacks. For breakfast, an afternoon snack or after dinner, rather than satisfy a gnarly sweet tooth, they divert it to something better.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sunday morning we had one cup of yogurt left, one banana, a couple tablespoons of shredded coconut at the bottom of the bag, some leftover canned apricots in the fridge and some toasted pecan bits left from the night before. Not very impressive on their own but gently layered in a glass and served with a cup of coffee and some popovers, which only require eggs, milk, flour and butter, we had a splendid Sunday brunch.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next time I'll even break out the wine glasses.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Elizabeth is blowing out her candles, but I'm sizing up my first slice.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-9175907788266321772011-04-03T19:10:00.000-07:002011-04-12T12:40:16.125-07:00Coffee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Qa0MBlhYD6MvMcWA3NAotc1BfXK3Gl-M2Vq4hOQC9msFKDYwSum4d-STVHLtIzPjy5yB2AenCv2px6uC57_rvqHNU3fRBZmVRlvDsW5ko6kr4OhmUlGbAsUYHYSpK3HtW_Seylk-nh0/s1600/coffee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Qa0MBlhYD6MvMcWA3NAotc1BfXK3Gl-M2Vq4hOQC9msFKDYwSum4d-STVHLtIzPjy5yB2AenCv2px6uC57_rvqHNU3fRBZmVRlvDsW5ko6kr4OhmUlGbAsUYHYSpK3HtW_Seylk-nh0/s640/coffee.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris, my wonderful husband, has a tendency to overdo things. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He once dumped a half a bottle of eucalyptus oil in his bath water producing a toxic cloud of eye watering, cough breeding eucalyptus fumes that filled our small room and gave him hours of tingly skin despite numerous showers. He applies giant mountains of pimple cream on his chin and forehead at bedtime which crack and fall off before the lights go out. He eats too fast at dinner a couple nights a week which predictably turns into a fit of rage inducing hiccups. And he once insisted I remove my red nail polish before going to a Yankees/Indians ALCS game after we'd already locked up and started towards the subway because the Indians have the color red in their logo. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I was aware of these tendencies from the start.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I first met Chris he was mostly subsisting on cans of Progresso soup, turkey sandwiches from the 24-hour bodega across the street, free beer and wine at art openings, cereal and coffee. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His coffee pot was a small, stained Mr. Coffee that had traveled with him through undergrad, into grad school and down to NYC. It was the saddest, dirtiest little coffee pot you have ever seen, and beside it always sat a stack of limp paper filters and a can of Chock Full O'Nuts surrounded by a light dusting of coffee grinds. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the first year we were dating, Chris was working part time out in Queens, giving him time to work on his art, so there were days when he just stayed home, writing, reading and sketching.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On one particular day I came to meet him for dinner in the early evening and when he answered the door, I was met with a sheepish look. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I'm a little jittery," he apologized. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh no, why?" I said, "are you okay?"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yeah, but I think I may have had too much coffee."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh, how many cups did you drink?"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Eight."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think Chris slept very well that night.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This happened more than once but over the years Chris has cut back. He now drinks mostly tea and I stick to my one cup in the morning. His Mr. Coffee didn't last very long either, I think Santa brought him a Cuisinart programable coffee maker that Christmas. But when I got rid of my Brooklyn apartment we decided a hot water boiler was more useful so I switched to a Chemex coffee carafe, which I now think makes the best coffee period. No wires, no settings or programs, no filters and pots and lids to wash or moldy hidden corners, just a clean hourglass shape with a paper filter to toss when you're done.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK92KFXoNAg6dCl5IxM4Vl1-ecmdU7F2riWe-7dIOJ7jcIGKD1usIcPFEy5AhyhPBgqBRXY8HIQ9kg6kDWjDjNYODSgAcqrrjRHsp1v69k5_64ZvvDLL1zKWwl6z5sx_VEfdes_HisMU/s1600/IMG_2441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEK92KFXoNAg6dCl5IxM4Vl1-ecmdU7F2riWe-7dIOJ7jcIGKD1usIcPFEy5AhyhPBgqBRXY8HIQ9kg6kDWjDjNYODSgAcqrrjRHsp1v69k5_64ZvvDLL1zKWwl6z5sx_VEfdes_HisMU/s640/IMG_2441.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About a month ago a high school friend of Chris', Keith Hamrick, sent us a variety box of his freshly roasted coffee. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He and his wife, started <a href="http://northboundcoffee.com/">Northbound Coffee Roasters</a> up in Northern California and now we're spoiled for life. Chock Full O'Nuts was the choice all through college, cheap and okay, but now that I have a little more money in my pocket, I've become a fan of Irving Farm, Stumptown and other New York roasters. But I have to say, Northbound is awesome. Chris and I discuss what cup we'll have in the morning like we're selecting a fine wine. The Kintamani from Bali and the Yirgacheffe are my favorites. Spoonbender is a delicious classic French Roast and the Shakiso and Sibereon Bourbon, light and complex, are perfect afternoon roasts. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDZqewpbIAgwbB6NaVcOJcRfU9uMXGPjZaK-ZeJYXTvxV29sqjCjvbtdi_rrOptotjWuaDsVn_5PvQ1S_mE2KRuNTJqXESW0pn3Wyr-eFFAJ3Vb-GSNnc4c-GLdzCvQ9ill1Tbnio2wQ/s1600/spoonbender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDZqewpbIAgwbB6NaVcOJcRfU9uMXGPjZaK-ZeJYXTvxV29sqjCjvbtdi_rrOptotjWuaDsVn_5PvQ1S_mE2KRuNTJqXESW0pn3Wyr-eFFAJ3Vb-GSNnc4c-GLdzCvQ9ill1Tbnio2wQ/s640/spoonbender.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must say though, for all of Chris' overdoing, I am equal parts klutz and this morning after a lovely breakfast of popovers, as I raised my mug of northbound coffee to my lips (it was room temperature by now), I let out a little cough and didn't spill but dumped coffee all over myself. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My pajama bottoms were soaked, coffee was dripping down my front and after the initial shock I scanned the floor and was relieved to discover I hadn't gotten any on the carpet.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"How did you do that?" Chris asked "You just threw coffee all over yourself."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I have no idea. No idea." I said laughing as I shuffled to the bathroom. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bent over the bathtub washing out my pajamas in a dish bin, Chris called from the other room, "How about another pot of coffee?"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q-ezk8R2ydLhK4KZ-J2PDHp_93mw0GbETyzRWw7eB-5jEOon2psSvVhKNv5Pl-IAHxDMkYmg4IDN5Etx5wVhFktUqREXwxWyIWbihSjZoITUJJoUZ0vuW_ZAEIUM0G_0LZK9xckIG-U/s1600/IMG_2448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4q-ezk8R2ydLhK4KZ-J2PDHp_93mw0GbETyzRWw7eB-5jEOon2psSvVhKNv5Pl-IAHxDMkYmg4IDN5Etx5wVhFktUqREXwxWyIWbihSjZoITUJJoUZ0vuW_ZAEIUM0G_0LZK9xckIG-U/s640/IMG_2448.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What Keith Sent us:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spoonbender</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Inspired by the powerful forces around</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the mountain that get us all bent, this </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">blend is roasted on the dark side to bring</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the fruit and earthiness of the cup to light. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A classic Northern California French roast.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Siberia Estate Bourbon, El Salvador</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Four Generations of the Silva Family have</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tended this farm since 1870. Bourbon refers</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to the cultivator, named for the Island of</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bourbon (now called Reunion) where it was</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">originally cultivated. Creamy nut tones with </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ripe orange underneath, and cinnamon </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">accent </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">highlight this light roast.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shakiso, Ethiopia</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A wet processed coffee that is grown in the </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guji district of South-Eastern Ethiopia. The</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cup has a clean and clear sweetness, like </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a light brown sugar taste with a mild citrus</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">accent.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Produced by the Oromia Coffee Farmers</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cooperative Union, the largest fair trade</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">coffee producer in Ethiopia. This washed </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">coffee is prized for its rich floral acidity and</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">deep chocolate undertones. Medium Roast.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kintamani, Bali</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This coffee is a unique one. Bright, wild fruits</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rule this cup. Berry-Like aromatics and flavor </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hit the senses like a fruit bomb. Earthy and </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy flavors create a backbeat of body. Take</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a chance on this one. You will be left wanting </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">more. Medium Dark Roast.</span></div></div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-45178003939954238152011-03-08T07:44:00.000-08:002011-03-09T07:00:48.765-08:00Mr. Bones BBQ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvKGVR8giPxa8UFyBvVCQ0bMg0d1CsElptBAzitSVMO7If4ZZ-WMbgwkX2rdGEOODoewJHW5kgDDFcrA8rCZgPchT3lnorRIXwTfgYucG9Vg7ombume7d4A2droJjC4imDPUIrayGmCo/s1600/IMG_2341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvKGVR8giPxa8UFyBvVCQ0bMg0d1CsElptBAzitSVMO7If4ZZ-WMbgwkX2rdGEOODoewJHW5kgDDFcrA8rCZgPchT3lnorRIXwTfgYucG9Vg7ombume7d4A2droJjC4imDPUIrayGmCo/s640/IMG_2341.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was BBQ chicken that finally did me in. In fact it was just the smell of BBQ chicken that got my mouth watering and an itch to roll my sleeves up.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was a child I ate meat. Chicken liver, fish, corned beef hash, pork chops, chicken skins, meatloaf. We ate lots of vegetables and fruit as well, but for a while there was a time when ordering the steak tips at Hoss' was my all-time favorite carnivorous indulgence. My mother, as I've written before, is a fantastic cook, but there is something about an all-you-can-eat buffet that trumps fish poached in parchment and a perfect roulade, especially when you're in elementary school. At Hoss' the waitress would take your order, steak tips and a baked potato, and then you were free to cruise the salad bar for garlic bread, chocolate pudding and mandarin oranges. With my plate of disparate treasures followed by a hot cast-iron skillet sizzling with bite size beef tips placed neatly in front of me, I was in heaven.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then 7th grade rolled around and I went from the public school system, to a private school across the street from a biodynamic dairy farm, where gardening is part of the curriculum and where, during the final hot weeks of June, if we played our cards right, and pleaded with enough faintness in our voices, we could run down to the creek for final period and jump in with our clothes on.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was vegetarian in a matter of weeks, and handing out home-made anti-vivisection leaflets with my vegan friend Dev in The Body Shop at the King of Prussia Mall. I got a pair of Doc Martins, ripped holes in my jeans and stopped brushing my hair, and from then on my mother made two meals at dinnertime.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But time passed and college came. A new set of friends with a new set of eating habits, and I started craving meat again. I think I'd been craving meat for a while, I'd been eating fish for over a year already, and then on a visit back home, perhaps it was summer vacation, I remember going with my parents to a church that was having a BBQ chicken dinner. I probably ate potato salad, carrot sticks and pie for dinner but that was the last time I turned down a drumstick. There is something absolutely irresistible about a local firehouse or church stoking up huge BBQ pits and serving plates of fall off the bone BBQ with homemade cole slaw, sweet corn on the cob and chewy white rolls. Years of careful questioning, "is there meat in that?" ended.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was converted. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I discovered that a love of BBQ was not just in my bones but my family's as well. My mother's cousin Charlotte has been running <a href="http://www.mrbonesbbq.com/">Mr. Bones BBQ</a> on Anna Maria Island in Florida since 1992. They are an award winning ribs joint with an international menu and friendly kitchy dining room, complete with a beer coffin where you can grab a cold one at your leisure. My kind of place. A couple weeks ago Charlotte sent up a box of Mr. Bones sauces and their rub, and I got out my electric skillet, heated up my toaster oven and tried them all. The Classic sauce is sweet, smoky and tangy (from the tamarind), the Hot BBQ Sauce is fiery without wiping you out, and the rub is a spicy salty mix that is great on meat but also good mixed with a little olive oil for bread dipping, and stir-fried with rice. It's easy to taste why they're award winning. If you're curious, call them up and they'll have Mr. Bones on your doorstep in a matter of days.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I was making BBQ chicken in my toaster oven on a cold, early March night, I wondered if perhaps my timing was off. It's not exactly the season for such things. But then I thought about my last post and the fact that a good handful of the restaurants people recommended as do-not-miss were BBQ joints here in New York. BBQ is actually season-less I've discovered. There is nothing about the sauce that has to do with what's available at the farmer's market, a good baked potato isn't hard to find year-round and as for vegetables, any will do, especially a nice crunchy cole slaw.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here is a mid-winter BBQ dinner, and, if you want to fly South to Mr. Bones for a bone suckin' Spring Break, last time I checked (which was yesterday), flights are about a hundred and fifty bucks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank heaven for BBQ chicken.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4O7VxC5N1E_wOj7a60tiEsU7VmEfvEOGhJXC48rRVt1NVSYnMbQc0UU9qlqFNoTrU6yAc9RghJlEgR2aX6iJ8O-k_8-ouqHrHre5Gln_jAMZKh1U9c89z_tvdsv2k1fFa04YtJMTYti0/s1600/IMG_2329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4O7VxC5N1E_wOj7a60tiEsU7VmEfvEOGhJXC48rRVt1NVSYnMbQc0UU9qlqFNoTrU6yAc9RghJlEgR2aX6iJ8O-k_8-ouqHrHre5Gln_jAMZKh1U9c89z_tvdsv2k1fFa04YtJMTYti0/s320/IMG_2329.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_oKfjDUWeCUDyoOWGHf7vYq8nggd3ioyqVRthSJrz-F5R547CHcraU50z5woOhuxZ_NJK5n-19GcM9WXTxtGceLNwruL3VmJXogr2f184lIs4kI3pyUgQ-v8v9JHz2qIk9xtl27gRFc/s1600/IMG_2332.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_oKfjDUWeCUDyoOWGHf7vYq8nggd3ioyqVRthSJrz-F5R547CHcraU50z5woOhuxZ_NJK5n-19GcM9WXTxtGceLNwruL3VmJXogr2f184lIs4kI3pyUgQ-v8v9JHz2qIk9xtl27gRFc/s320/IMG_2332.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BBQ Chicken</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For BBQ without a BBQ I washed and patted dry four chicken thighs, covered them in sauce and put them uncovered in a glass casserole dish in my toaster oven at 350. I cooked them for about 50 minutes basting frequently and adding more sauce along the way. During the last 10 minutes I turned the oven up to 400 for a final sizzle of the skins. And that's it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Homemade Buttermilk Cole Slaw</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 cups shredded cabbage</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 grated carrot</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbs. chopped parsley</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbs. chopped tarragon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix everything together. If you have a mandolin (not the musical instrument, the slicer), that gives the cabbage a nice even shred, but you can also cut the cabbage head into quarters and then along one of the chopped sides, thinly slice the cabbage with a knife. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buttermilk Dressing</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup mayonnaise (not miracle whip), homemade if you're feeling fancy (I was not)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup buttermilk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tbs. apple cider vinegar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. granulated sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 minced garlic clove</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix everything together and pour over your slaw. Give a final mix and refrigerate while the chicken cooks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steamed green beans and some crusty French Bread or a baked potato round out the meal.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_698301088"></span><span id="goog_698301089"></span></div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-57603546981601875942011-02-28T08:26:00.000-08:002011-03-02T06:26:20.719-08:00New York: Eat & Stay and Momofuku Shortcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3qkz6jA5O_7kKtRntzFROHkISSCB8U7X6_8nI9HKxKK4mor-ByV9YVAeJ4GKLHk5AF1ryJOrvntdqYRkKw-dk-v53OmwNEskIHMA0YaKurgOj3yksP7uqXt5vd3ahdlmArE2sJh3yZI/s1600/IMG_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3qkz6jA5O_7kKtRntzFROHkISSCB8U7X6_8nI9HKxKK4mor-ByV9YVAeJ4GKLHk5AF1ryJOrvntdqYRkKw-dk-v53OmwNEskIHMA0YaKurgOj3yksP7uqXt5vd3ahdlmArE2sJh3yZI/s640/IMG_0240.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My dear friend Joanne has great ideas. Earlier this week some friends visiting from out of town asked Jo for eating and lodging recommendations in NYC, not too expensive, but not necessarily budget. So, being the great organizer that she is, she sent out an email to all her New York friends asking for a favorite affordable hotel and handful of restaurants we think should not be missed. She has generously allowed me to publish them here and in return, I've attached as many links as possible for easy browsing. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And on the cooking front, I never intended to post heavily on dessert, the heart of this blog is really dinner, however last night Chris and I went to our friends apartment in Greenpoint again and had a stellar, very classy, pot luck sort of meal. I was in charge of dessert so here is a sweet treat from the <a href="http://www.momofuku.com/">Momofuku</a> Cookbook. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And if you have any favorite places to eat and stay in New York, please leave a comment with link!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-----------------------------------</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We love going to <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/yakiniku-west-new-york">yakiniku</a> west in east village (not my hood) on<br />
Sundays and Wednesdays for discount kobe specials and Mondays for<br />
discount short ribs. It's Japanese-style Korean BBQ, meaning<br />
basically less sauce, more refined cuts of meat. On those nights,<br />
those dishes are half off, making for a pretty inexpensive night of<br />
gorging.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bonchon.com/">Bonchon</a> is amazing to try for Korean fried chicken - this is a new<br />
discovery of mine.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.tanoreen.com/">Tanoreen</a> down in Bay Ridge is great Lebanese food.<br />
<br />
Can't think of any places in Greenpoint that I'd be dying to<br />
recommend. Oh, but also, <a href="http://www.daisymaysbbq.com/">Daisy Mae's</a> on far west side, 50's, in<br />
Manhattan for really good ribs - recommend the Memphis dry rub.<br />
<br />
I could go on and on and on....<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<br />
In my neighborhood of Chinatown I recommend the following places to<br />
eat, which are safe, clean, delicious:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/new-chao-chow-restaurant-new-york">New Chao Chow</a> -- 111 Mott St - get the wide noodle soup w/ Chicken<br />
<a href="http://www.xianfoods.com/index.php">Xi'an Famous Noodles</a> -- 88 E Broadway - tiny tiny place - 3 seats, get<br />
the lamb noodles.<br />
<br />
Hotel - This place is clean and very inexpensive, like around<br />
$200/night, Its in Tribeca </span><a href="http://www.cosmohotel.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.cosmohotel.com/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<br />
Gotta say I'm partial to the <a href="http://www.cosmohotel.com/">Cosmopolitan Hotel</a> in Tribeca, it's<br />
clean, affordable and downtown. My family always stays here when they<br />
come to ny. As for restaurants, <a href="http://kg-ny.com/">Blau Gans</a> in Tribeca, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/ballatos-restaurant-inc-new-york">Emilio's Ballato</a><br />
on Houston, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/gahm-mi-oak-restaurant-new-york">Gahm Mi Oak</a> for bib bim bop in Korea Town and <a href="http://www.angelicakitchen.com/">Angelica Kitchen</a> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in the East Village. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/spain-restaurant-new-york">Spain</a> is a great, weird, old Spanish<br />
restaurant on 13th street where you get a free tapas with every drink<br />
you order at the bar. <a href="http://www.thecitybakery.com/">City Bakery</a> and <a href="http://www.grandaisybakery.com/">Grandaisy</a> Bakery (on Sullivan<br />
street) for sweets, bread and lunchy things.<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thejanenyc.com/">The Jane Hotel</a> is the hot spot these days, perfectly located on the<br />
WSH and very affordable ($70/night). It's got a kinda mariner theme<br />
but not in a cheesy pirate's way. I think each room looks like a<br />
cabin...<br />
<br />
What are the dates? If Andrew and I happen to be out of town, our<br />
apartment could be a possibility.<br />
<br />
For food- my favorites still are <a href="http://www.freemansrestaurant.com/">Freeman's Alley</a>, <a href="http://www.smithandmills.com/">Smith & Mills</a>,<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/38719/restaurant/Nolita/Rubys-New-York">Ruby's</a> for Australian burgers, <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/burger-joint-new-york">Park Meridian</a> burgers (there's a<br />
theme), <a href="http://www.esquinanyc.com/">La Esquina tacos</a>, <a href="http://peasantnyc.com/">Peasant </a>or <a href="http://www.bacaronyc.com/">Bacaro</a> for Italian.<br />
<br />
For fun- <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/119-bar-new-york-2">Bar 119</a> for dive bar dancing on Saturday nights.<br />
<br />
------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.westvillenyc.com/">Westville</a> on West 18th Street. Here is a B&B I have passed many times --</span><a href="http://www.innon23rd.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.innon23rd.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. <a href="http://www.venierospastry.com/">Veneiros</a>, 10th Street between 1st & 2nd Aves.;<br />
<a href="http://labergamotenyc.com/">Bergamote</a>, 9th Ave. & 20th Street.<br />
<br />
------------------------------------<br />
<br />
-(cheap!) <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/vanessas-dumpling-house-new-york">Vanessa's Dumplings</a> *for sure* on Eldridge between Broome and Grand.<br />
- (not as cheap) the Fried Chicken at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll<br />
Gardens (</span><a href="http://www.buttermilkchannelnyc.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.buttermilkchannelnyc.com/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)<br />
- (not so cheap) <a href="http://www.beautyandessex.com/">Beauty and Essex</a> on Essex between Rivington and Delance<br />
<br />
------------------------------------<br />
<br />
there is this amazin place to stay, it is a hostel sort of at this<br />
women's house. She devided her huge loft into sections and then also<br />
has tents in her backyard. My friend from Israel stayed there I will<br />
find out the name. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Erica here: I think this might be it: <a href="http://www.nylofthostel.com/">New York Loft Hostel</a><br />
<br />
-------------------------------------<br />
<br />
In Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens:<br />
<a href="http://www.frankspm.com/">Prime Meats</a> for dinner/drinks<br />
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-brooklyn-inn-brooklyn">Brooklyn Inn</a> for drinks (where my party was)<br />
<a href="http://www.fairwaymarket.com/restaurant.html">Fairway Steakhouse</a> (for cheap dinner prix fixe and cheap wine, or brunch)<br />
<br />
------------------------------------<br />
<br />
ok, a few suggestions:<br />
<br />
in korea town, there is a rooftop bar on top of a hotel (drawing a<br />
blank on name, will try and figure out). it's awesome and cheap. did<br />
you come there with me and bjorn after we went to new jersey that one<br />
time?? somewhere in the 30s, easy to find with a google search!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Erica here: I think this might be it: <a href="http://mebarnyc.com/">Me Bar</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php">the burger joint</a> is an amazing burger place in the meridian hotel on<br />
57th b/w 6th and 7th. it has the best burgers and is a VERY odd place,<br />
hidden by a thick red velour curtain and then there's a neon sign.<br />
have you been? very awesome.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.westvillenyc.com/">westville</a> is so yummy, as we all know.....<br />
<br />
oh man, brooklyn is a WHOLE other story!!<br />
<br />
Now on bberry. Hmm...cheap lodgings? That's tough. Though if they're<br />
looking for dirt cheap I know of a few hostels in bklyn and I think<br />
the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_515105126"></span>92nd street y<span id="goog_515105127"></span></a> has rooms or beds.....in terms of hotels, I know a<br />
couple places on upper west that run around 250/night which is super<br />
cheap for that neighborhood! There is a <a href="http://www.expressbrooklyn.com/">holiday inn</a> in the park slope<br />
area but its not super cheap or anything.<br />
<br />
There are so many places to recommend for eating in bklyn! Can you<br />
give me a sense of their style? Do they want total dive or something<br />
lovely or cozy or just delicious? What are they into?<br />
<br />
Am I taking this task seriously enough!!??<br />
<br />
----------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Hey darlin! The only b&b's I know of are in Brooklyn south slope area.<br />
I don't know the names of these places but I know they exist:) good<br />
luck!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Erica here: Here is one I found: <a href="http://southslopegreen.com/">South Slope Green B&B</a><br />
<br />
----------------------------------------<br />
<br />
small older guest house in west village_ <a href="http://www.abingdonguesthouse.com/">Abington Guest House.</a> Quiet<br />
- not trendy.<br />
<br />
beautiful, near Central Part on West Side - hotel but not cheap on<br />
upper west side: <a href="http://www.excelsiorhotelny.com/">Excelsior House</a> across from Museum of Natural<br />
History on 81st.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No leads on the B&B's, but as far as eats:<br />
<br />
-(cheap!) <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/vanessas-dumpling-house-new-york">Vanessa's Dumplings</a> *for sure* on Eldridge between Broome and Grand.<br />
- (not as cheap) the Fried Chicken at Buttermilk Channel in Carroll<br />
Gardens (</span><a href="http://www.buttermilkchannelnyc.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.buttermilkchannelnyc.com/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">)<br />
- (not so cheap) <a href="http://www.beautyandessex.com/">Beauty and Essex</a> on Essex between Rivington and Delancey<br />
<br />
-------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
-<a href="http://www.parkermeridien.com/eat4.php">Burger Joint</a> in the Lobby of the Parker Meridian on 57th<br />
<br />
-<a href="http://www.shunleewest.com/index2.htm">Shun Lee Cafe</a><br />
<br />
That's all for now.<br />
<br />
Cheers<br />
<br />
------------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
yo yo jo<br />
<br />
back at the beginning of law school, instead of doing my summer job, I<br />
used their computer to make this<br />
</span><a href="http://gotham.bnegross.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://gotham.bnegross.com/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
it's kind of broken (cuisine colors don't work), but the basic idea is<br />
there: just click different regions on the map to reveal restaurants<br />
placed by me and some of my colleagues at the US attorney's office.<br />
<br />
downside: some of those places have since closed (but not that many I<br />
don't think...maybe i should update it)<br />
<br />
-----------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
Love the idea - can I get a copy when it's over? My territories cover<br />
mostly Williamsburg and Soho/Nolita.<br />
<br />
HOTELS:<br />
West Village - <a href="http://www.thejanenyc.com/">The Jane Hotel</a> has these crazy, $70 /night (I believe)<br />
little bunks - CHEAP for NYC, and with <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-gitane-new-york">Cafe Gitane</a> just below it. I've<br />
had many meetings in the cafe.<br />
<br />
RESTAURANTS:<br />
<br />
Williamsburg - <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-commodore-brooklyn">The Commodore</a> has an incredible "Adult Cheese"<br />
sandwich, Garden Salad and Mild Chicken Sandwich. Atmosphere professes<br />
a kind of abandoned beach bar - but a great place to jump into and<br />
dine, along with -<br />
<br />
<a href="http://piesnthighs.com/"> Pies and Thighs</a> - the most incredible pulled pork sandwich and chicken<br />
biscuit this side of the Mason Dixon.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fattycue.com/"> Fatty Cue</a> in lower Williamsburg has the most amazing (and the only)<br />
"Polynesian street food" I've ever had.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/pates-et-traditions-brooklyn"> Pates et Traditions</a> has AMAZING crepes (esp. the savory ones) and has<br />
become a favorite brunch place of mine. Try the La Socca appitizer and<br />
the chicken curry crepe...hard to explain how good it all is.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/mothers-brooklyn-2"> Mother's Bar</a> - a pretty great/cheap hamburger that legitimately feels<br />
like your mother made it for you.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://grandmorelos.com/"> Grand Morelos</a> - the best cheap Mexican in NYC...maybe the only good<br />
cheap Mexican in NYC. Try the Tortas and Cemitas. Always ask for<br />
quacamole.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dinernyc.com/"> Diner</a> - Great bizarro gourmet brunch in antiquated diner car.<br />
<br />
COCKTAIL BAR:<a href="http://nymag.com/listings/bar/hotel-delmano/"> Hotel Delmano</a> - my favorite cocktail bar in Williamsburg.<br />
<br />
COFFEE SHOP: <a href="http://www.roeblingtearoom.com/">Roebling Tea Room</a> - the best couches in Williamsburg for meetings.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bushwick - <a href="http://ilpassatorebrooklyn.com/">Il Passitore</a> - is amazing and cheap Italian food.<br />
<br />
<br />
Manhattan - <a href="http://biancanyc.com/">Bianca</a> - really cheap Italian food. Try the chicken liver<br />
appetizer (seriously).<br />
<br />
<a href="http://viadellapacenyc.com/"> Via De La Paca</a> - slightly less cheap but still cheap Italian food. The<br />
bruschetta plates are great and the Mama Mundo platter amazes me.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.frankrestaurant.com/"> Frank</a> - is even less cheap, and has little legroom - but is divine.<br />
<br />
Ruby Rosa - has the best Vodka slice in Nolita...NOT Palmadoros.<br />
<br />
COFFEE SHOP: <a href="http://www.cecicelanyc.com/">Ceci Cela</a> - great little place with a hidden back-room<br />
worth discussing screenplays within.<br />
<br />
Gotta run, but hope that helps.<br />
<br />
```````````````````````````````````````````````````<br />
<br />
So I think they most affordable hotel in the city in the <a href="http://www.acehotel.com/newyork">Ace</a> when it<br />
comes to something hip and centrally located.<br />
In my hood there is a great tapas place that has the sickest happy<br />
hour around and really great beer. It's called <a href="http://www.sipbar.com/">Sip</a> on Amsterdam<br />
between 109 and 110.<br />
Two of my fave bars downtown are <a href="http://www.drinkgoodstuff.com/">DBA</a> which is great for Sunday<br />
afternoons and <a href="http://www.nomalice.com/">No Malice Palace</a> which is great late night bar that<br />
plays great hip hop and has couches.<br />
O and a good bar for tourists cause it's in the middle of soho (and a<br />
personal fav daytime drinking spot cause the rad people watching) is<br />
<a href="http://springlounge.ypguides.net/"> Spring Lounge</a> on Spring and Prince. I<br />
Fave affordable ish restaurant is <a href="http://www.westvillenyc.com/">Westville</a> in the west village.<br />
Fave mid range breakfast is <a href="http://www.littlegiantnyc.com/flash.html">Little Giant</a> in LES.<br />
Best bagels in my opinion are <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/absolute-bagels-new-york">Absolute Bagels</a> on Broadway between 107 and 108.<br />
Lastly, in my hood people MUST check out <a href="http://www.stjohndivine.org/">St. John the Divine</a>.<br />
<br />
---------------------------------------------------<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thejanenyc.com/"> The Jane Hotel</a> has rooms for 99$ a night. Little tiny rooms with<br />
shared bathrooms but they are cute.<br />
<br />
Also there is an apartment on like jane or 12th and 8th avenue has a<br />
great view of the city- its high up. it was about 250 a night i think?<br />
but has a kitchen and was really special. the email for the owner is :<br />
Clifford Hart <</span><a href="mailto:seehart@aol.com"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">seehart@aol.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">> My parents stayed there and LOVED IT<br />
<br />
also the b & b on 8th ave is really cute, next to bon bonniere-<br />
abingdon guest house: </span><a href="http://www.abingdonguesthouse.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.abingdonguesthouse.com/</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> my parents<br />
stayed there once and liked it<br />
<br />
there is also one across the street : <a href="http://www.incentravillage.com/">Incentra Village House</a><br />
32 8th Avenue, New York, NY (212) 206-0007<br />
<br />
looks good- haven't had anyone stay there.<br />
<br />
Bars- <a href="http://www.therustyknot.com/">the rusty knot</a> on the west side highway while its still light<br />
out- sunset (good view of the sunset from the bar plus small foods and<br />
great drink specials)<br />
<br />
Food-<br />
A slice of pizza at <a href="http://bleekerstreetpizza.net/">Bleecker Street Pizza</a> the "nona maria" is divine<br />
Noodles at the <a href="http://www.noodlebarnyc.com/">"noodle bar"</a> on carmine sitting at the counter<br />
breakfast at <a href="http://www.shopsins.com/">shopsins</a> in the essex market wed-sunday, they close by 2,<br />
cheap and good pasta at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/pepe-verde-new-york">pepe verde</a><br />
jamaican infuses small Japanese place <a href="http://www.akisushinyc.com/">"AKI"</a><br />
If they wander to williamsburg- <a href="http://www.fiveleavesny.com/">"5 leaves"</a> has great brunch and dinner<br />
<br />
all my suggestions are economical fun and delicious!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.esperantony.com/">Esperanto</a> </span><br />
<span class="pp-headline-item pp-headline-address" dir="ltr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">145 Avenue C, New York, NY 10009</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="pp-headline-item pp-headline-phone"><span class="telephone" dir="ltr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(212) 505-6559 </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">‎ </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a cool whiskey bar next door called <a href="http://www.louis649.com/live/">Louis'</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.chezoskar.com/">Chez Oskar </a>in Fort Greene is nice</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">211 Dekalb Avenue, New York -(718) 852-6250</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite dive bar in all New York, maybe ever, it's really, really divey, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is <a href="http://nancywhiskeypub.com/">Nancy's Whiskey Pub</a> in Tribeca </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Lispenard St New York, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10013 - (212) 226-9943</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.oibozu.com/">Bozu</a>- Williamsburg BEST Sushi tell them they have to order the sushi Bombs.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Korea for Korean BBQ or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/yakiniku-west-new-york">Yaki NIku West </a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">which is on 9 between 2 and 3 for Korean BBQ. It's a cute place.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.brooklynbowl.com/">Brooklyn Bowl</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, If there is a good show, the line up is on their website. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-QpF3MPeWfOZIoaiGqjPVmTSXa88wRLg2j-FofL52ni3-UC_nj2_u8rSW8QGU8Gdyhki2Jd8kxtdyCnpHDhy4_iSAG2jWCDJ5oXg-gxXNgJ9IkJTg9CCyosN95jehJBnCJOoUN3JZyM/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-QpF3MPeWfOZIoaiGqjPVmTSXa88wRLg2j-FofL52ni3-UC_nj2_u8rSW8QGU8Gdyhki2Jd8kxtdyCnpHDhy4_iSAG2jWCDJ5oXg-gxXNgJ9IkJTg9CCyosN95jehJBnCJOoUN3JZyM/s640/IMG_0239.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">momofuku shortcakes</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large egg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 1/2 cup heavy cream</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup packed light brown sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon kosher salt (I only used two teaspoons and it was very salty)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 tablespoons (one stick) butter, cut into pieces, chilled</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 1/2 cup confectioners sugar</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Crack the egg into a small graduated measuring cup and whisk it to thoroughly mix the white and yolk. Decant or spoon off half of it )you can discard this part of the egg or use it for another use). Add enough cream to the egg in the measuring cup to make 1/2 cup. Stir briefly, then put the mixture in the refrigerator to chill.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with the paddle attachment and stir them together. Add the butter and shortening and turn the mixer on to it's lowest setting. Mix the fat in until the batter is gravelly, with pea-sized lumps everywhere, which shouldn't take much more than 4 minutes. (I don't have a stand mixer so I combine the ingredients with my hands as I would a pie crust, breaking the butter into the flour mixture.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Once you've got the sandy, lumpy, dryish, short batter together, grab the cream mixture from the refrigerator and stream it into the batter, stirring it in with the machine still on its lowest speed. Do this for as short a time as humanly possible, just until the liquid is barely absorbed; do not overmix. Let the dough rest in the mixer bowl 10 minutes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Scoop the batter into little balls, using about 2 tablespoons for each (you can assist their shaping lightly with your hands) and line them up on a baking sheet. You should have 8 balls (I got 14 using two heaping tablespoons for each). Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and as long as overnight.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment or silpats.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Pour confectioners sugar into a wide shallow bowl. Roll each of the shortcakes through the the sugar to coat very lightly, tap off the excess. and place the dusted cakes on prepared baking sheets, with enough room between them to allow them to double their footprint while baking.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes (mine needed 15-20). The cakes will spread and then rise-the baking powder in it will give them the final poofy kick and the confectioners sugar on the outside should crackle when they're ready. Overbaked is preferable to underbaked with these cakes. If their centers fall after you pull them from the oven, bake them for another 60-90 seconds. Transfer to a wrack and let cool.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Serve with either rhubarb or strawberries (I used both) and a generous dollop of whipped cream.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">momofuku poached rhubarb</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 pounds peeled rhubarb (I think you could even use 3 pounds with the same amount of liquid) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (4 cups)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 750 ml bottle of elderflower syrup, 3 cups (I used one cup as the syrup is expensive and more lychee juice)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the juice strained from 2 or 3 cans of lychees (save the lychees for another use or just eat them)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups sugar (don't cut down on this)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Heat the oven to 225 degrees (I turned it up to 250)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Combine the rhubarb, elderflower syrup, lychee juice and sugar in a medium oven-safe saucepan and cover with a lid. Poach the rhubarb in the over for 35 minutes until tender.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Remove the pan from the oven and let the rhubarb cool almost to room temperature with the lid on.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Remove the rhubarb from the poaching syrup with a slotted spoon and serve at once (figure about 1/2 cup per serving, and make sure to use some of the poaching syrup as part of the dish--drizzle it over the shortcakes and rhubarb), or store the rhubarb in the syrup in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgdmzHcxCcCbkh8lMl2-EY7VIl_ldGTAJw45FtsckcxCyLcdkKtlYG6pr_nFgNEj3WEQ46K_7HUnJzPJeSnZSUAXydoWF12IvpF1ULblgxnCJOu6rxP5iCYlbD-gPPYhd_gu7umSe918/s1600/IMG_0227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgdmzHcxCcCbkh8lMl2-EY7VIl_ldGTAJw45FtsckcxCyLcdkKtlYG6pr_nFgNEj3WEQ46K_7HUnJzPJeSnZSUAXydoWF12IvpF1ULblgxnCJOu6rxP5iCYlbD-gPPYhd_gu7umSe918/s640/IMG_0227.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">macerated strawberries</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups strawberries, preferably a naturally sweet and not-too-big variety like Tri-Star, hulled</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup sugar</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One to two hours before you serve them them, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar; the sugar will draw out the juices from the strawberries. Serve cold or at room temperature allotting about 1/2 cup per serving . Use the macerating liquid as part of the dish--pour it over the shortcakes and strawberries.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">whipped cream</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups heavy cream</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup sour cream</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup confectioners sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pinch of kosher salt</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine the heavy cream, sour cream, confectioners sugar and salt in a large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer or by hand until medium peaks form. The whipped cream can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to a few hours. Rewhisk before serving.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmSoIrjrNnTYXlYW1dpZfTGdTNXaWkRCyAt_a0oAUf0ciwszDNL7hJgORPDAiTl6uCI4HOJZ2c1PK5U2itz27Nhyphenhyphen5oRzGAmL6Y-63OzgomveStM_F6Yq50v3yjAa_00uwAM5aKsvjgfI/s1600/IMG_0244.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmSoIrjrNnTYXlYW1dpZfTGdTNXaWkRCyAt_a0oAUf0ciwszDNL7hJgORPDAiTl6uCI4HOJZ2c1PK5U2itz27Nhyphenhyphen5oRzGAmL6Y-63OzgomveStM_F6Yq50v3yjAa_00uwAM5aKsvjgfI/s1600/IMG_0244.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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</span>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-15133244702493440822011-02-07T19:26:00.000-08:002011-02-07T19:27:24.722-08:00And the Winner is..........<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sharon!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you to everyone who posted such wonderful recipes and stories, I can't wait to try them all. I hope that everyone has a sweet Valentine's Day filled with chocolate, white chocolate (Anna, I'm also a fan) and all the lemon bars you desire.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ps</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sharon, will you email me your address to cookwithoutakitchen@gmail.com and I'll send you something sweet!</span><br />
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</span>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-21848925680818882802011-01-31T07:53:00.000-08:002011-01-31T08:08:57.747-08:00Valentine Giveaway and Chocolate Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJCnuh3CfvZfd-7_j00ny1gk5CGx8AmjBrjSjpo1lBabJ-Bf2vkfTflyjcWx51hCiTUBXGIP6CoI5b6ktwPNGficByR9E9PMuaQIeFnqvJW_MJqpo0YSwaEq5suVVALBYXqmk4QhPJPw/s1600/IMG_2265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJCnuh3CfvZfd-7_j00ny1gk5CGx8AmjBrjSjpo1lBabJ-Bf2vkfTflyjcWx51hCiTUBXGIP6CoI5b6ktwPNGficByR9E9PMuaQIeFnqvJW_MJqpo0YSwaEq5suVVALBYXqmk4QhPJPw/s640/IMG_2265.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several years ago, some friends from Philadelphia were visiting NY with their daughter and I babysat for an afternoon. Scouring the paper for something Sarah and I could do I stumbled upon New York City's annual Chocolate Convention. Sarah let me know that she was allergic to chocolate and then without skipping a beat sighed, "I wish it was a vanilla convention". Me too. We would have been dressed and out the door faster than you can say Madagascar.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I'm not allergic to chocolate, it's not my preference. Show me a brownie and a lemon bar, and the lemon bar is mine.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But this month, as is every February, the food magazines are filled with chocolate; molten chocolate cake, fudgey brownies, chocolate ice cream, spicy hot chocolate, chocolate body paint and of course, heart shaped boxes filled with pretty little chocolates. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I'm jumping on the bandwagon. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris has, at times, accused me of having 'fancy' taste in food. But really, he's just as bad as I am. Living in New York and knowing where to get good food is like knowing all the players on your favorite football team. And even though I could name several bakeries with great chocolate cake, and most likely find recipes for them, I have to say my all time favorite chocolate dessert, and the one my mother always made, is the chocolate cake recipe on the back of the <a href="http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/184/HERSHEY'S%20%22PERFECTLY%20CHOCOLATE%22%20Chocolate%20Cake.aspx">Hershey's Cocoa box</a>. It is perfect and definitely not fancy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I have a little Valentine giveaway for you. If you leave a comment, perhaps with your favorite chocolate recipe or story, I'll put your name in a hat and on February 7th Chris will draw a winner. Whoever is picked will receive the lovely little basket from the Chelsea Market shown above, filled with three different heart shaped cookie cutters and close to a half pound each of Valhrona milk and dark chocolate bars, just in time for Valentines Day. I'll contact you for shipping details, mailing addresses in the US and Canada only please.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It makes sense to eat chocolate in February if you think about it. For one thing not much fruit is in season, and more importantly, in dealing with the winter blues, couldn't we all use a little chocolate buzz?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP6b6cesf4f61REgWKqJQOkBv6T9MWDwxf9HXn11cftjpcolPrLFdYiFDBCFexdReZIEZr87uk6V-iaZhGWr3So92mQVIdNsKxAN3ZramHmX8d6R56yrbVqD8qiInqruB94K4qF8jPKE/s1600/IMG_2273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP6b6cesf4f61REgWKqJQOkBv6T9MWDwxf9HXn11cftjpcolPrLFdYiFDBCFexdReZIEZr87uk6V-iaZhGWr3So92mQVIdNsKxAN3ZramHmX8d6R56yrbVqD8qiInqruB94K4qF8jPKE/s640/IMG_2273.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hershey's Chocolate Cake, halved (for the full two layers, click on the Hershey's cocoa link above)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup + 1/4 cup + 2 tbs. all-purpose flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup + 2 tbs. cocoa powder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. baking powder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. baking soda</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 egg</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup milk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup vegetable oil</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. vanilla extract</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup boiling water</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour on 9" round baking pan. I like to cut out a piece of wax paper to fit in the bottom of the pan for easy removal.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (or by hand). Stir in boiling water (batter will be very thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool Completely. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*note</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">some people complained their cakes dripped over their cake pans in the oven. If you're worried about this, invest in some high sided cake pans sold in professional baking shops or from Williams Sonoma.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTk3JRkKfAPR3Jzy0JKDdvmlyWNBZ8mBjTrhjUaCLh7xcK1o14svZESIRBLXomc1SKzXxWGOd_t_YX3A7OIGltu1AI_3rUh3G_m702NYwz-bbWG0dGDOBEhc05inFT4sSxnOi7v7R49k/s1600/IMG_2275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihTk3JRkKfAPR3Jzy0JKDdvmlyWNBZ8mBjTrhjUaCLh7xcK1o14svZESIRBLXomc1SKzXxWGOd_t_YX3A7OIGltu1AI_3rUh3G_m702NYwz-bbWG0dGDOBEhc05inFT4sSxnOi7v7R49k/s640/IMG_2275.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting (halved)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 stick butter or margarine</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups powdered sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/6 cup (2 tbs.+ 2 tsp.) milk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. vanilla extract</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating ti spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 1 cup frosting.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*note</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sift the cocoa and powdered sugar into the bowl to avoid lumps like mine.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or if you want something special and low-fat.......</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maida Heatter's Fluffy White Icing (for two layers)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 egg whites</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup plus 1 tbs. cold water</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. cream of tartar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 tsp. salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix everything except the vanilla in the top of a large double boiler; it must have at least 8-10 cup capacity. Place over hot water on moderate heat. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed for 5 minutes until mixture stands in peaks when beaters are withdrawn. Immediately, in order to stop the cooking, transfer mixture to large bowl of electric mixer. Add vanilla. Beat at high speed until mixture is smooth and stiff. Use immediately.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hd7yjKBxuamfRnGsBWgjFVEjOdTbYGqt3_mYLAZg9c2oWHlnjquOjwzsNW1q2IvXnyGHD_GvCoPsTQCNiEU1L71RnAONqZwABeIpnHH1VXsmKGovU1kOzS3YZ5jIGpEYLIOlFrXINHE/s1600/basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8hd7yjKBxuamfRnGsBWgjFVEjOdTbYGqt3_mYLAZg9c2oWHlnjquOjwzsNW1q2IvXnyGHD_GvCoPsTQCNiEU1L71RnAONqZwABeIpnHH1VXsmKGovU1kOzS3YZ5jIGpEYLIOlFrXINHE/s640/basket.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-48546845143500301752011-01-28T08:45:00.000-08:002011-01-28T08:52:50.742-08:00Lemon Meringue Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6n3MN4ao-mgVhe9lguAuWYXebAKMUByH03SbavhoLuXvvBlZSWxuJYkEeQ2k_vTZ6EdVel4uXSy6_n-grZPNLB5pbETeX3T4MFFYriHUVBcfEwJsIFwOYBbopo48jW8u7wWqyHESjww/s1600/done.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6n3MN4ao-mgVhe9lguAuWYXebAKMUByH03SbavhoLuXvvBlZSWxuJYkEeQ2k_vTZ6EdVel4uXSy6_n-grZPNLB5pbETeX3T4MFFYriHUVBcfEwJsIFwOYBbopo48jW8u7wWqyHESjww/s640/done.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The G train.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Familiar with it?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If not, let me make a comparison. Imagine where you live and then think about a road which is always under construction, a road that floods after only a few drops of rain, a road that is always bumper to bumper, narrow, potholed, a road with frequent accidents and fallen trees, a road you avoid at all costs, unless it is the last possible option. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the G train.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The G train is like the forgotten second cousin to the New York subway system running only between Brooklyn and Queens, never gracing the depths of the Manhattan grid. And because it goes through some nice and some not so nice areas of the outer boroughs, the city could really care less about whether it runs or not. Think of it as a little gift if you get to work on time, not a promise, and the fare hike, a kind donation.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week Chris and I were invited to a dinner party at the home of two very dear friends who happen to live off the G train. They were making boeuf a la bourguignon and I offered to make a lemon meringue pie. Now it is also possible to get to their house by taxi or the L (if you walk a little further), but it was a bitter cold night and we felt like saving a few dollars so we took the A train from lower Manhattan into Brooklyn and transfered to the G. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A piece of foil whipped off my pie as the A train approached but other than that, we were off to a good start. After transferring to the G, we were having a lovely time, smiling, laughing. It was Friday night with a wonderful meal ahead of us. Then the train began to climb and all of a sudden we were outside. Red Hook. Wrong way. S*%t. Greenpoint, where we were headed was in the opposite direction, almost on the opposite end of the line. I won't get into the details of why it is easy to go the wrong direction on the G train when you haven't been on it in a while, it just is. The other unfortunate thing was that we were now stuck at a stop which is outdoors and as we exited the train a blast of frigid air body slammed us and then, as if in slow motion, we gazed at the opposite tracks, and saw a G train rumble by.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We waited for the next train for a very long time, twenty minutes? twenty five? I did all kinds of dances, the foot stomp, the shimmy and the bounce all while holding an increasingly heavy lemon meringue pie in an aluminum turkey roaster. Two F trains rolled by without stopping. When the G finally approached and inched to a stop so slow I swear a turtle laughed, we hopped onto the train. It stayed in the station with the doors wide open for a good ten minutes. We were going to be late. Very late.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point in the story it might be good to get up and stretch your legs, use the bathroom or get a cup of tea. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQ3yBS3uge6w9voYi3vZ0eSFt4J9OqPiP4X-nDHFGIcM5Amihoatu8j7rzS0C0ADw3vy6SpKawZEx-wzQiQtOvdianpCpCw3vZyNGEBoaB5GpeIheZpx47zWlWPn-66bwvT6eeTMm7ug/s1600/crumbs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyQ3yBS3uge6w9voYi3vZ0eSFt4J9OqPiP4X-nDHFGIcM5Amihoatu8j7rzS0C0ADw3vy6SpKawZEx-wzQiQtOvdianpCpCw3vZyNGEBoaB5GpeIheZpx47zWlWPn-66bwvT6eeTMm7ug/s640/crumbs.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still sitting on the G train, with the doors wide open, the clock ticking, and freezing air twirling around the subway poles, lets just say the mood shifted. Chris and I were now muttering to ourselves continuously, incanting the many atrocities we wished upon on the MTA, and I even watched the train operator get off the train and start running around on the tracks. Then suddenly the doors slid shut and we began to move. About ten feet. And then stop. Again. For five minutes. I could see Chris' blood pressure rising. Announcements informed us that the train was having signal problems and could we please be patient. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the fun really started. As we inched and stopped for the next twenty minutes two teenage girls sitting adjacent to us, dressed up in scribbled on sneakers, striped tights with denim shorts, mismatched colorful socks, heavy eyeliner and pigtails tied with multi-colored plastic bobbles proceeded to shout in thick Long Island accents how they were going to bug out if they got to the club late and had to pay a $20 cover instead of the $10 cover for showing up before nine. They made a very loud phone call trying to get someone to pick them up even though they had no idea where they were. And then they listed every drug they had ever used excluding crack because one of the girls fathers had OD'ed on it. After about fifteen minutes when it seemed we might be spending the night on the train, one of the girls threatened to down the Klonopin she had stuffed in her bra because she was in fact really starting to bug out. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And by this point Chris and I were in the middle of our own little argument as to whether we should ride out the train from hell all the way to Greenpoint or get off at the next stop in Carroll Gardens and get in a cab. For about 5 minutes I was in the cab camp and Chris was either going to just go home, explode into a million pieces or stay on the train and arrive at our friends' house in time for breakfast.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally making it to the next stop, the doors flew open and on an impulse Chris and I ran out of the train bolting for the exit. Climbing the steps to the street, carrying my now nicely chilled pie, I prayed to God there would be a taxi. Then I was in the street, my arm shooting skyward and a cab pulled up. We leapt inside, gave our directions and collapsed into the warm, incensy back seat. We were now almost an hour late for dinner. We did breathing exercises most of the ride.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we arrived at our friends house, it was cozy, relaxed and smelling divine. Dinner wasn't even ready yet. I was handed a chilled martini with chopped mint leaves and rose water. A gorgeous plate of cheese and crackers was laid out, candles were lit and a very good point was made, you're not divorced!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Traumatized, perhaps, divorced no. The rest of the evening was splendid. We had a salad with blood oranges, beets, walnuts and shaved goat cheese, a sublime boeuf a la bourguignon with potatoes and chives (with seconds) and red wine followed by lemon meringue pie and tea. Just as we were about to leave the phone rang. One of the other guests who had had to leave right after pie had been waiting on the G train platform for thirty minutes when finally an announcement was made that the G train would be shut down for the night. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris and I bundled up and hailed a taxi home.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnXJdg_h4VOrK7l3Dt-tP8ad5VWEbgcs2tkgWhJhMRnXTD4S0EdwvoKjcS-aeM_LWMdvegYNcMZUG7jTI8b0DhGbn9n_N1UzKajoUuJAhqwZjOI1NuA86fxywV_joiNSwpvDNW0i51XA/s1600/crust.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnXJdg_h4VOrK7l3Dt-tP8ad5VWEbgcs2tkgWhJhMRnXTD4S0EdwvoKjcS-aeM_LWMdvegYNcMZUG7jTI8b0DhGbn9n_N1UzKajoUuJAhqwZjOI1NuA86fxywV_joiNSwpvDNW0i51XA/s640/crust.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lemon Meringue Pie</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 9" Pie 8" Pie</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix in 1 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 c.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sauce} 5 1/3 tbs. cornstarch 4 tbs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pan</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir in 1 1/2 c. hot water 1 1/8 c.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">grad. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cook mixture over moderate heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Beat the hot mixture into:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 3 large egg yolks 2 yolks</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then beat the egg mixture into hot mixture in the saucepan. Boil 1 minute longer, stirring until smooth.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blend in:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 3 tbs. butter 2 1/4 tbs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 4 tbs. lemon juice 3 tbs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 1 1/2 tbs. grated lemon rind 1 tbs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour into a baked pie shell. Cover with Meringue:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 egg whites</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. cream of tartar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 tbs. sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beat meringue ingredients together until peaks form. Smooth meringue on top of the lemon filling pressing it into the crust a little to seal the edges, otherwise your meringue will pull away from the edges and shrink while it bakes and you'll have a floating island.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake until delicate brown 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve cool.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkJ3YugYllKzC655HymkG1B8e68batjrozNS9NtJMik3sJIl35JSEWOtsGkXphlqLS_UMuhJIQpoxYLqJth-Zd5T5FoEDzC24t4J6juQOJtB0gmRVwX8yqa1c_qldDGbSQDUx2wgqJYE/s1600/beans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqkJ3YugYllKzC655HymkG1B8e68batjrozNS9NtJMik3sJIl35JSEWOtsGkXphlqLS_UMuhJIQpoxYLqJth-Zd5T5FoEDzC24t4J6juQOJtB0gmRVwX8yqa1c_qldDGbSQDUx2wgqJYE/s640/beans.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did not think baking a lemon meringue pie in a toaster oven was possible but I've proven myself wrong.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WlktVEYYm-5_VZae7Hrz_HxZxFx3J0ojBv7kfF-EiehD1QhpwRtB7RgSPB6lr5ld1MGXz93sH_brCczWeHQBvk4pz2XQgB8fF4WdCfDTVzg2MNsoQIonh5tqV1CB2IEO_Zci1IpeEFU/s1600/zest.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WlktVEYYm-5_VZae7Hrz_HxZxFx3J0ojBv7kfF-EiehD1QhpwRtB7RgSPB6lr5ld1MGXz93sH_brCczWeHQBvk4pz2XQgB8fF4WdCfDTVzg2MNsoQIonh5tqV1CB2IEO_Zci1IpeEFU/s640/zest.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crust </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 tbs. non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 tbs. sweet butter</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups all purpose flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2-3 tbs. ice water</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Measure out the flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in the butter and shortening with knives, the back of a fork or a pastry blender (or mix in a food processor) until small crumbs for. Then stir in the ice water to bind. If it's dry add one more tbs. water. You should then wrap the dough in wax paper and refrigerate for an hour but I usually skip this step and just roll out my crust. Lay in a pie plate, trim and crimp the edges. Cut out a circle of parchment paper or foil, lay on top of the crust and cover with beans or pie weights. bake crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment or foil and beans, pierce the bottom of the crust with a fork several times and bake another 10-15 minutes. Remove and let cool.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFd23dFNsh-Ij4o6VdXiF_8TB-Rwtopse-gkXXndKFrj35Fn8L3biAiy9dAauWjL-NX1K-BrhmxGGHvNNSK2O0g1MYQc5ri0APt4XBFSa4Ug88JLkrAGkiVoDMek2WQiSFxH_n21iFgg/s1600/filling.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFd23dFNsh-Ij4o6VdXiF_8TB-Rwtopse-gkXXndKFrj35Fn8L3biAiy9dAauWjL-NX1K-BrhmxGGHvNNSK2O0g1MYQc5ri0APt4XBFSa4Ug88JLkrAGkiVoDMek2WQiSFxH_n21iFgg/s640/filling.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*note</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the woman at the checkout counter asked me what I was making when she saw all my eggs, butter and lemons. "Oh, a lemon meringue pie! That's hard to make isn't it?" she said. "No, I said, it's not too hard." Then when I got home I thought, she's right. It's not a hard pie but it's not a beginner pie. But it can be easy when you do one thing at a time. First make your crust. Get it baked and let it cool. Then get all your ingredients ready. Grate the lemon rind then juice them. Cut up your butter into small 1 tbs. size pieces and separate your eggs. Make the filling, then pour it into your cooled pie shell. Finally make the meringue and pop it in the oven. Take your time with it. Make sure the lemon filling is nice and thick. Seal the edges of your meringue. And keep and eye on the final baking so the meringue doesn't burn. Lemon meringue pie is not expensive to make and once you get the hang of it, pretty easy. Best of all it's perfect on it's own needing no whipped cream or ice cream. Great for a dinner party.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwNrT_pHa8EUQSw_vwXdw-z-mEX6WwzUJYO-rPAzbB-yqEeQaMGO5lnzcczQgNf5CReE9OqZBOcQkN0vgX8lyW1TZXajKv82YXvj9A44v13LYhvPQmh55z5v-7W72MBqXSSe9Zul9eJo/s1600/meringue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwNrT_pHa8EUQSw_vwXdw-z-mEX6WwzUJYO-rPAzbB-yqEeQaMGO5lnzcczQgNf5CReE9OqZBOcQkN0vgX8lyW1TZXajKv82YXvj9A44v13LYhvPQmh55z5v-7W72MBqXSSe9Zul9eJo/s640/meringue.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9NIEUzju03pMO9KFs1AY_D_Mikqgm3GdMNgCzWcjfFbYTCj1XiyOibSA-51yXVXy78cEOf6vt3obATlDkh_k8UclbjSOjoEGuukOpOF4u85b9-G573_qL3BnsKXsIYBRWSBWhZvUOUk/s1600/IMG_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9NIEUzju03pMO9KFs1AY_D_Mikqgm3GdMNgCzWcjfFbYTCj1XiyOibSA-51yXVXy78cEOf6vt3obATlDkh_k8UclbjSOjoEGuukOpOF4u85b9-G573_qL3BnsKXsIYBRWSBWhZvUOUk/s640/IMG_0036.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waiting in the cold for the G train.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-78012757802051016272011-01-23T18:30:00.000-08:002011-01-24T06:18:07.285-08:00Chiles and Pork Tenderloin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsZZyf4dXNjAa380V-Q6sM9fEkhdTg5Ebt6RHgIBbgwRPC_5n8UjeILRH_x9e0_FllTRR1F8em46Y9Hf6LehIwCE5glhlBN8CxsEFDiaS6I4cUzvKoXkWGeZP6RWtAjhfGuPuLG2s5XM/s1600/peppers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsZZyf4dXNjAa380V-Q6sM9fEkhdTg5Ebt6RHgIBbgwRPC_5n8UjeILRH_x9e0_FllTRR1F8em46Y9Hf6LehIwCE5glhlBN8CxsEFDiaS6I4cUzvKoXkWGeZP6RWtAjhfGuPuLG2s5XM/s640/peppers.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I might be the only person who read Jonathan Safran Foer's <i>Eating Animals</i> and <i>increased</i> my meat consumption. Yes, the book is gruesome and gory, I was vegetarian for almost ten years because of animal cruelty, but it also highlights the many ways in which farmers are raising happy, healthy animals on small, bucolic farms. For some reason the thought of eating a happy animal makes me happy, whereas eating sad animals makes me feel guilty and regretful. I'd rather stick with tofu.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't often attempt pork. My reintroduction to it was over the summer in the form of leaf lard, rather than jumping into the lake, I thought I'd stick my toe in first. I'd pass by the <a href="http://flyingpigsfarm.com/">Flying Pigs Farm</a> stand at the Union Square farmers market (they have pictures of the most gleefully happy hogs on their website, who could resist!) eyeing their offerings, bacon, tenderloin, shoulder, pork belly and leaf lard, I'd swerve close enough to peruse the table, then pass by. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But with summer comes pie and it wasn't long before I was cutting soft white tablespoons of lard into flour and salt. I could feel the happiness of the flying pigs as I crimped my crusts. Like a gateway drug, then came bacon, a failed attempt at pork chops, and the good fortune of eating a few tenderloins at dinner parties. I wanted more.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, while flipping through my cookbooks, I came across another David Tanis recipe that sounded perfect for a cold, Sunday evening with a football game on. It was for pork shoulder baked in a spicy sauce of chilies and garlic accompanied by hominy and fresh citrus and vegetables to cool your tongue. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew I couldn't fit a pork shoulder in my toaster oven but after eating a few tenderloins I thought it might make a nice substitution. I also couldn't find dried Mexican Chiles and replaced them with chipotle chiles, which were HOT! The bathroom became a spicy sauna for nearly six hours. My eyes burned, I developed a persistent cough, and I made the mistake of removing the chile seeds with my bare hands. Even after many laps in the pool I couldn't cool my burning fingers. My advice, protect your hands, dish gloves, ziplock bags, anything non-porous.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Still interested?</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sauce for this pork is intense but so delicious. The hominy turned out eh, and the vegetables and citrus were gorgeous with the meat. I would say it's worth the effort.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And when you're at the meat counter, when the butcher asks, "What'll it be?" You're response will be, "One happy pig please!"</span><br />
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</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenmqsKhudmDg_OvUFmHoMtOHjYJuwy1zOdOgYgjSJ7qkgBw1ArGtFCxs6g_DksN0XnG6kmaU8ykWjn3u93oL8CRisV0UlqzM-pjWu3TsckSX2HoF2YYYcTA494Sg5NDNzw9aalfN8DIQ/s1600/sauce.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenmqsKhudmDg_OvUFmHoMtOHjYJuwy1zOdOgYgjSJ7qkgBw1ArGtFCxs6g_DksN0XnG6kmaU8ykWjn3u93oL8CRisV0UlqzM-pjWu3TsckSX2HoF2YYYcTA494Sg5NDNzw9aalfN8DIQ/s640/sauce.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Tanis' Slow Cooked Carne Adovada from <i>Heart of the Artichoke</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 ounces dried New Mexico red chiles (I used chipotle)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbs. lard or vegetable oil</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large onion, finely diced</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and pepper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 bay leaf</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 lbs. boneless pork shoulder, left whole or cut into large chunks (or I used one good sized tenderloin 2 would work as well)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rinse and dry the chiles, then toast them in a dry cast-iron pan (I toasted them in my toaster oven) over medium heat until the puff up a bit and become fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut the chiles lengthwise in half and remove the stems and seeds.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put the chiles in a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Let the chiles cool in the liquid. Puree the chiles with a cup of their cooking liquid in a blender until smooth (I used my immersion blender).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat the lard or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes. No color, no browning. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin and bay leaf, then add the chile puree and a little salt and simmer for another 5 minutes. Cool the mixture. (You can do this well ahead if you wish)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the pork in a low roasting pan or a heavy bottomed ovenproof pot and season generously with salt and pepper. Pour the chile sauce over the pork and mix well to coat. Cover tightly with a lid or foil.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake the pork for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (45-50 minutes for a tenderloin), until the meat is quite tender and falling apart. (This dish can be made a day or many hours ahead and reheated.)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My hominy didn't turn out very well so if you have a recipe of your own, go for it and serve the pork on top. If you want an alternative, peeled and boiled potatoes would also be delicious.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Platter of Jicama, Avocado, Radishes and Oranges</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 small jicama, peeled and thinly sliced</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 avocados, peeled and pitted</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large bunch of radishes, trimmed</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 navel oranges, sliced into thick rounds</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 small cucumbers, peeled and quartered lengthwise</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a few mexican or key limes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good-quality red chile powder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arrange all the fruits and vegetables beautifully on a huge platter (or on a banana leaf if you happen to have one handy), and surround with halved limes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a small serving bowl, mix equal parts salt and chile powder. Or do this to taste-you can make the mix saltier or spicier. Dip a lime half in the chile mix, rub on the spices, and squeeze the lime juice over the fruit and vegetables.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*note</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the pork was so spicy I omitted the chile and salt mix. And the lime is also good squeezed over your pork.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0Ccnz72N7E9occxmyQRL4qpQz3PiSmFssyn6avImhR3Dq79PHPZ-Ku7-RW65aZLgivLh8uU4zX33p9JeUkfShNjdb6g-6vwc9TVDunYmpfoaDFMJhZSeMYhq3AXdn9h3acgwApgo8P8/s1600/IMG_2166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0Ccnz72N7E9occxmyQRL4qpQz3PiSmFssyn6avImhR3Dq79PHPZ-Ku7-RW65aZLgivLh8uU4zX33p9JeUkfShNjdb6g-6vwc9TVDunYmpfoaDFMJhZSeMYhq3AXdn9h3acgwApgo8P8/s320/IMG_2166.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-848036169433968122011-01-13T09:59:00.000-08:002011-01-16T12:39:16.140-08:00Ambrosia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvqkwTOuVEtWd4u4zu5gVYSd7VRFYAOZALpGUhun0lBXW5P4R2X5kyrVLcHQ-GZSgsvu484QQLee0uTmjk_tczxE07hRtRSk1UD0kJesoUNDhIpMyKYKM97xPWhNuuL8UKq4QmFw6Jew/s1600/IMG_2077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvqkwTOuVEtWd4u4zu5gVYSd7VRFYAOZALpGUhun0lBXW5P4R2X5kyrVLcHQ-GZSgsvu484QQLee0uTmjk_tczxE07hRtRSk1UD0kJesoUNDhIpMyKYKM97xPWhNuuL8UKq4QmFw6Jew/s640/IMG_2077.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm alive! I'm alive!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My goodness. I thought I'd have at least banged out a handful of posts by now. But with all the eating during the holidays, and then watching show after show of people eating (what seemed like mostly massive amounts of meat and grease) on TV, I got a little numb to it all. And then upon returning to the city, my computer made several trips to the Apple store and is now basically brand new inside, but left me internet-less for over a week. The horror.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All this to say, I'm back, full steam ahead.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So last night Chris and I watched Obama's eulogy/sermon/inspirational speech and it was so nice to hear him speak when he wasn't on the defense. I found it quite moving. And it seemed to tie in with a post I've been writing in my head for weeks now. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple months ago a friend of mine packed her bags for another country to get out of the city for six months, shake things up, stir the pot, keep pursuing her dreams. Before she left New York, she made up a list of things she'd never done but had always wanted to, and went around town crossing things off. I was delighted to join her for the New York City Burlesque Festival, my first time too, which was a raucous good time filled with lots of sequins, buxom busts and be-donk-a-donk rear-ends shaking at speeds that could power Brooklyn. (Did I mention this before?)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not like my friend is never coming back to New York. I'm sure there will be plenty more opportunities to see girls twirling their pasties, but why wait? At least I think that was her thinking. You only live once right?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then the holidays came upon us and with age, gift giving seems to have lost it's luster. I know what's under the tree for the most part. And that's fine. In fact that's great! Because who needs more stuff? Especially stuff you don't need.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want experiences. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obama spoke a lot about the little girl who was killed over the weekend and encouraged the nation to look at the world through a child's eyes in pursuit of a more perfect union. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be adventurous, be kind, work towards the common good. Sparkle.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year was rough, my grandmother passed away, a mentor of mine died of pancreatic cancer and lots of doors seemed to be closing in my life and in the lives of those around me. So many good, bright people struggling.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, when my mother came for a visit just before the holidays we decided our gift to each other would be to experience as much of the city as we could. Maybe banish some of the hardships of the year in pursuit of time spent together, doing the things we love. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went to the circus and laughed at clowns, we pampered ourselves a little, we slurped down gorgeous, briny oysters and martinis (which could have been a little splashier) at The John Dory Oyster Bar, we ate plates of bright, delicately plated vegetables at Le Verdure in Eataly. We sampled salty sea urchin and squid tentacles at Hasaki in the East Village. Ate what I think are the best cupcakes in New York from Dean and Deluca, devils food with chocolate peanut-butter-frosting dusted in gold, classic red velvet and a delicate, citrusy, creamsicle garnished with orange zest. And finally, on a cold, unusually busy Wednesday night we squeezed our way to the back bar of Hung Ry to eat big brothy bowls of hand pulled organic noodles with tender duck, and the best fried calamari served with a rich, earthy pumpkin seed and chili pesto.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With each adventure and flavor, the struggles of the past year softened and we could for the first time in ages really catch up. Mother and daughter. And maybe even sparkle a little by the end. Food is healing in so many ways. A gift for which I am very thankful.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a recipe from David Tanis' <i>A Platter of Figs</i>. It's a classic, old fashioned Ambrosia. A little zinger for the new year.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May you all sparkle.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURBFpYRv00QEPUiBFsUVeozF7BNmt1QjypEdCDDW-7qZYFYToXNOc3mFvGkZUzF8gSU4zGlMF_oSpUOgmKVQ_IkAHZZuJD7Y5sAb86yQ4luA-MvE0EeNVwI8YEeihbJQl-D-99FF8bJ4/s1600/IMG_2097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURBFpYRv00QEPUiBFsUVeozF7BNmt1QjypEdCDDW-7qZYFYToXNOc3mFvGkZUzF8gSU4zGlMF_oSpUOgmKVQ_IkAHZZuJD7Y5sAb86yQ4luA-MvE0EeNVwI8YEeihbJQl-D-99FF8bJ4/s640/IMG_2097.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ambrosia</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 pink grapefruits</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 navel oranges</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 blood oranges</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">one 6-ounce can of crushed pineapple or one cup fresh</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 cumquats</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sugar if necessary</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup organic coconut flakes (sweetened or not)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With a sharp serrated knife, cut off the top and bottom of the grapefruits, navel oranges, and blood oranges, then peel, making sure to remove the white pith. Working over a bowl, section the grapefruits into wedges, cutting between the membranes. Before discarding the grapefruit carcasses, squeeze them over the wedges-they will yield a cup or two of juice. Slice the navel oranges and blood oranges crosswise into 1/4 inch disks and add them to the bowl. I add the crushed pineapple mostly for nostalgia's sake. If you wish, use chunks of sweet fresh pineapple.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slice the kumquats into the thinnest possible rounds, then mix them with the other citrus, to avoid breaking the fruit. Taste the juice, adding sugar only if it seems too tart. Transfer the compote to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for up to several hours.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just before serving, sprinkle the coconut over. Sweetened flaked coconut is traditional, but it's nice to use unsweetened too.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*note</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I took this recipe and did my own thing with it, throwing in some tangerines, left the pineapple and cumquats out because I forgot them, used shredded coconut. And I think it would be good with a splash of Champagne right before serving. Whatever combination you choose, it's delicious and refreshing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDMtfEfZXZOLkT76l1LCQ4z6ExReel_oP0pxDusWSA-K1e-Bv1HuY03alIWWBcTPU7fHxpfsv9fPN1lyEcQwxNwlrnfUbEgDIz-9i3k-o2rezaQMcc3WSz2zjLtt0N_X1oRnAAJeW3vE/s1600/IMG_2082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYDMtfEfZXZOLkT76l1LCQ4z6ExReel_oP0pxDusWSA-K1e-Bv1HuY03alIWWBcTPU7fHxpfsv9fPN1lyEcQwxNwlrnfUbEgDIz-9i3k-o2rezaQMcc3WSz2zjLtt0N_X1oRnAAJeW3vE/s640/IMG_2082.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-86361714225062367432010-12-09T11:36:00.000-08:002010-12-09T11:38:48.412-08:00Deborah Madison's Lentil Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1yHxWMbiZ0UFr64pQar0PHRkKuArJ20GT1MA0uWXAkdEpKRJEIdgVUr2yTBUfJv_eI2qkvNtuxqMisva5zY1fRMufRSvMLEw5dHZzcGez-exNdekySDTgrS6OncOfTIhdK4fKACJY-Y/s1600/IMG_1782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1yHxWMbiZ0UFr64pQar0PHRkKuArJ20GT1MA0uWXAkdEpKRJEIdgVUr2yTBUfJv_eI2qkvNtuxqMisva5zY1fRMufRSvMLEw5dHZzcGez-exNdekySDTgrS6OncOfTIhdK4fKACJY-Y/s640/IMG_1782.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is getting serious.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our bathroom has smelled like a hot Italian sausage for almost a week now. And I am guessing I'm alone in this problem.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several days ago, I didn't feel much like cooking so I got a bunch of broccoli rabe, some dried pasta, a jar of Rao's marinara sauce (the best jarred pasta sauce ever), and one hot chicken Italian sausage. I boiled water in my rice cooker for the pasta, and set up the electric skillet by the bathroom sink. While the rigatoni plumped in salted water, I cooked the sausage in the skillet and then steamed the greens in their juices. It was a lovely, easy, spicy meal.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next morning as I made coffee, I noticed that in addition to the familiar smell of nutty, bitter coffee grinds giving off steam in my Chemex coffee pot, that there was also the very strong smell of pork casing, garlic and oil. Yuk.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I flung open the window, despite this weeks freezing temperatures, and aimed to air the smell out. Well, that did not work and I was left with a freezing cold pot of coffee and a runny nose.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have tried scented candles, eucalyptus oil, scrubbing down all surfaces, hot showers to steam it out, the window is permanently agape and several batches of chocolate chip cookies baked in the toaster oven. It lingers on.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am at the end of my rope. As of now, there is an indefinite ban on any sausages or stinky foods, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and in order to combat the cold air constantly circulating in the bathroom, a pot of lentil soup was called for. Rich, spicy and warming, never smelly.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This afternoon, if you're wondering what I might be up to? I'll be furiously scrubbing the walls and tiles wearing a pair of hot pink latex gloves. Because you can hide, but you can't run. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll get you yet.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizr79mZcVoymSZxb6pPQHnfVKnDT7x_O2-JWythMaTJr4T7r4WZI4jpPAcft3hNnzF8QV2nLNgkNrjYz4c6ODnM2Om9bI-Vs4eub8zGRzWTE3aIHygGO2Wei1yqk-fq0GulegHL79TyvU/s1600/IMG_1772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizr79mZcVoymSZxb6pPQHnfVKnDT7x_O2-JWythMaTJr4T7r4WZI4jpPAcft3hNnzF8QV2nLNgkNrjYz4c6ODnM2Om9bI-Vs4eub8zGRzWTE3aIHygGO2Wei1yqk-fq0GulegHL79TyvU/s640/IMG_1772.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_484603317">Deborah Madison's Hearty Lentil Soup from </a><i><a href="http://www.deborahmadison.com/">Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone</a></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbs. olive oil</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups finely diced onion</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 large garlic cloves</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and freshly milled pepper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 tbs. tomato paste</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> 1/3 cup finely diced celery</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup finely diced carrot</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 bay leaves</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup chopped parsley</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups French green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbs. Dijon mustard</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tbs. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chopped celery leaves and parsley</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat the oil in a soup pot over high heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to color around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile mince or pound the garlic in a mortar with 1 tsp. salt. Work the tomato paste into the onion, then add garlic, celery, carrot, bay leaves, and parsley and cook for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, 2 quarts water, and 1/2 tsp. salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir in the mustard and vinegar. Taste and add more of either as needed. Check the salt, season with plenty of pepper, remove the bay leaves and serve, garnished with the celery leaves and parsley. The longer the soup sits before serving the better it will taste.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluH3hCBI8RTSnAxOG24C25Btm4VUmllwMR0g-EANSfBY2Dzl5pu_yESA9SOgYKK7R5KJgEBdmq4e9JNgXEYonhGY7VuhrkuxY91rzv09z-ouJUqtmJ8Vsw2bytXQAmFr1_TAp_8c9YlU/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgluH3hCBI8RTSnAxOG24C25Btm4VUmllwMR0g-EANSfBY2Dzl5pu_yESA9SOgYKK7R5KJgEBdmq4e9JNgXEYonhGY7VuhrkuxY91rzv09z-ouJUqtmJ8Vsw2bytXQAmFr1_TAp_8c9YlU/s640/IMG_1777.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbLofy99SgEOFKZuO2laNRrtet88PUgAl7JtTuLbgpIHLuEe1agfYFtjAFnibB8dVGiIJomD44_g2uWRFk-Sqj9nfjl_XiCBJBfn3xEsoCoAZZ7uTiPFQdM6LPVjgzLNJ0ufd4O5dgCk/s1600/soup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbLofy99SgEOFKZuO2laNRrtet88PUgAl7JtTuLbgpIHLuEe1agfYFtjAFnibB8dVGiIJomD44_g2uWRFk-Sqj9nfjl_XiCBJBfn3xEsoCoAZZ7uTiPFQdM6LPVjgzLNJ0ufd4O5dgCk/s640/soup.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-41501817382467431532010-12-04T09:50:00.000-08:002010-12-04T09:57:28.632-08:00Molly Wizenberg's Buckwheat Pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWvahredGRc0nJEkEyqh-inCuCeD-_OirlQwwucBzoDLkTPGU_yGK8J8my-yM4NtFBYDPndOvLSTxVBYjSYrGknDHk1jn2_G1SdJI7ZGps4zz_Z5x_Vl9jJU3x6SFZOhysVpRK0VwsVY/s1600/topping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTWvahredGRc0nJEkEyqh-inCuCeD-_OirlQwwucBzoDLkTPGU_yGK8J8my-yM4NtFBYDPndOvLSTxVBYjSYrGknDHk1jn2_G1SdJI7ZGps4zz_Z5x_Vl9jJU3x6SFZOhysVpRK0VwsVY/s640/topping.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes when embarking upon a recipe I have more than one goal in mind. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning my objective was to both, make <a href="http://orangette.blogspot.com/">Molly' Wizenberg's</a> superbly delicious buckwheat pancakes, <i>and,</i> avoid going out in the cold by using up what seems to be a hundred, nearly empty jars and boxes of food that keep falling off shelves and out of the refrigerator. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example. Earlier this week, I opened the fridge and a can of ginger ale fell painfully on my foot. Then five minutes later Chris opened the fridge and that same can fell on his foot. Also painfully. So today instead of buying buttermilk and milk, and using very small amounts of both, and then shoving the cartons in an already crowded mini-fridge, I used the remains of some powdered buttermilk and the last of the Greek yogurt. And instead of buying a new bag of all-purpose flour, I used cake flour instead.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am going to post Molly's original recipe, which is the lightest and most-moist-buckwheat-pancake-recipe I have come across, and then my "leftovers" version of her recipe, which by accident became a low-fat version of the former.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My thought for today is this. Before you brush your teeth and put on cold jeans, a scarf, jacket, mittens and a hat, and count your change, and make a grocery list, and head out into the cold while someone else is still cozy in bed, look a little harder at what you've already got.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It may be just as good.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfYdpjeq135e53j9If0t3nqkBmJqSW_3HQ5JNQRsTIFkjsFeqoEe0GNn3W2_tmCKqXyoPYt9eTVjfdIQIe1jibfJZRTjv9EBTHwSLYFVPEj_QrBFtP9OSSXfEbqCeG2sarskbqlHfmvo/s1600/batter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfYdpjeq135e53j9If0t3nqkBmJqSW_3HQ5JNQRsTIFkjsFeqoEe0GNn3W2_tmCKqXyoPYt9eTVjfdIQIe1jibfJZRTjv9EBTHwSLYFVPEj_QrBFtP9OSSXfEbqCeG2sarskbqlHfmvo/s640/batter.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Molly Wizenberg's Buckwheat Pancakes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup buckwheat flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp. sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. baking powder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. baking soda</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup buttermilk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup plus 2 tbs. milk (preferably not low-fat or non-fat)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large egg, separated</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbs. (1 oz.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">vegetable oil, for brushing griddle</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pure maple syrup, for serving</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour the buttermilk and milk into a medium bowl. (A 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup also works well; you can measure right into it.) Whisk the egg white into the the milk mixture. In a small bowl, use a fork to beat the yolk with the melted butter. Whisk the yolk mixture into the milk mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once, and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be somewhat thick.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush the skillet with oil. To make sure it's hot enough, wet your fingers and sprinkle a few droplets of water onto the pan. If they sizzle it's ready to go.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ladle the batter in scant 1/4 cupfuls into the skillet, taking care not to crowd them. When the underside of the pancakes is nicely browned and the the top starts to bubble and look set around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes, flip them. Cook until the second side has browned, 1 to 2 minutes more.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Re-oil the skillet and repeat with more batter. If you find that the pancakes are browning too quickly in subsequent batches, dial the heat back to medium.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serve warm with maple syrup.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yields: 8 to 10 pancakes</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyibZPG0tcdW5pOtJ-EqBF9vO8BaknR5qiIeWdMdmlFEPV9qQjd0I4GmGTp1YOAXVknGIX_hsa6eoVWHOVVjLPq4zmzhJrn38J5nLpgZb_1ysBlQjeMp4SpVUN8BisaGky9Odhw0QbKyg/s1600/pan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyibZPG0tcdW5pOtJ-EqBF9vO8BaknR5qiIeWdMdmlFEPV9qQjd0I4GmGTp1YOAXVknGIX_hsa6eoVWHOVVjLPq4zmzhJrn38J5nLpgZb_1ysBlQjeMp4SpVUN8BisaGky9Odhw0QbKyg/s640/pan.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX18gkgrlzcJZR23xfx0oXM3XYB4YE1Q2IX_NTyK4PUOPpjgRIPelB8eYWe0F6yNgPFjccCRv5h-w6NGhylj0l6wTul8WD1gHnaJoAblaymabM4ZMO0kix2HDrWZfa72AGJL57tA_1tDk/s1600/pancakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX18gkgrlzcJZR23xfx0oXM3XYB4YE1Q2IX_NTyK4PUOPpjgRIPelB8eYWe0F6yNgPFjccCRv5h-w6NGhylj0l6wTul8WD1gHnaJoAblaymabM4ZMO0kix2HDrWZfa72AGJL57tA_1tDk/s640/pancakes.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Erica's "leftover" low-fat version</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 cup unbleached cake or all-purpose flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup buckwheat flour</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp. sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. kosher salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. baking powder</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. baking soda</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup water plus 3/4 cup dried buttermilk (3/4 milk would be a fine substitute if you don't have powdered buttermilk)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup plus 2 tbs. 0% fat Fage yogurt </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large egg</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbs. grapeseed oil (or neutral oil like canola or vegetable)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coconut oil, for brushing on the griddle </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jam and yogurt, for serving</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whisk together all the dry ingredients including the powdered buttermilk, if you have it. Then measure the water (or milk) into a Pyrex measuring cup, add the egg and grapeseed oil, whisk together and slowly mix into the dry ingredients. Then fold in the yogurt until fully incorporated. Get a skillet hot and use about 1 tbs. coconut oil per batch. Cook the pancakes per Molly's instructions above. Serve hot with whatever you've got left in the fridge. Jam and yogurt or maple syrup is good. Or if you have some apples, peel, core and slice them, throw them in a pot with a little cinnamon and a couple tbs. water. Cover and cook until soft. Spoon hot over pancakes.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrOGrJVhGW437xDES-q0wyggkxsFG56ScuzgIGmGdZc-8g1G2oJ5RAC4-Z77pqTjxU83gebuudsMePmc-y8P3vnpReBauZLC-ergUTHirZ2RrxZlv1sxB-ufj5todxHOpzXO_xYrVgXU/s1600/jam.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrOGrJVhGW437xDES-q0wyggkxsFG56ScuzgIGmGdZc-8g1G2oJ5RAC4-Z77pqTjxU83gebuudsMePmc-y8P3vnpReBauZLC-ergUTHirZ2RrxZlv1sxB-ufj5todxHOpzXO_xYrVgXU/s640/jam.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-81658177541095559652010-11-30T06:58:00.000-08:002010-11-30T10:13:20.137-08:00Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjra_oEym0l8JlV9_mZZ3VKC6I2Sj0WiCbyl66e_4rx3KWOdA2WyvH05BvGN7taBLVdz-EDvZYgSNKEbyNP3hIHmZUVpecDjIkDT7vBMYL2d8JZir5OqnUA59yZSroZMrN5C6fILZ5LHU/s1600/front+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjra_oEym0l8JlV9_mZZ3VKC6I2Sj0WiCbyl66e_4rx3KWOdA2WyvH05BvGN7taBLVdz-EDvZYgSNKEbyNP3hIHmZUVpecDjIkDT7vBMYL2d8JZir5OqnUA59yZSroZMrN5C6fILZ5LHU/s640/front+door.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My pants are tight. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My pants are already tight, as most are these days, 98% cotton and 2% spandex, denim masquerading as leggings. But this is different. And I'm not referring to the tightness of freshly washed jeans either.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year, the seat on my favorite pair of black pants split. Not from Thanksgiving stuffing but rather years and years of sitting and standing, sitting and standing, day in, day out. So, after months of slumming it in the bottom of my drawer, narrowly escaping the thrift store, into my suitcase they went for a little trip to my mother's sewing machine. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the days leading up to Thanksgiving my pants hung out upstairs over a chair back so as not to be forgotten. If they only knew what was going on downstairs.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When my friend Allison saw my mother's to-do list hanging over the calendar in the kitchen, beginning with 'Monday', she said a chill ran through her. In fact, my mother began preparing for Thanksgiving long before Monday. Over the summer she cuts sweet corn off the cob and freezes it for the corn pudding, and this year she decided to bake her own bread for the stuffing, she may have ground some of the grain herself too. I'm not kidding. But this is all done with joy, and everyone who comes to dinner brings many gifts as well, sweet potatoes, braised cabbage, wild rice pilaf, pickled watermelon rind, champagne, cheese, etc. It's only in the last half hour or so that there's a mad dash to get the salads plated, corn pudding and stuffing in the oven and turkey carved.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the while my pants hung around upstairs, bored? Lonely? Or perhaps on edge? Maybe they could smell the metal and plastic sewing machine shrouded in a floral cover only several feet away. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They should have run.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the last day of our visit, when most of the leftovers had been eaten. My mother and I ascended the stairs to the sewing table and got to work. It was a quick procedure, find the black thread, load the bobbin, set the stitch, smooth the fabric. It was done in a flash and a half. And suddenly there they were again, good as new. My mother left and I slipped them on. Or rather, tugged them on. They used to be a little loose as I recall. They now groaned and stretched, hugging my hips with a fierce determination. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since returning to the city, Chris and I have been on a strict diet of greens and lentils with a little chicken thrown in, and I immediately pulled out my mother's old, wood handled jump rope. If I stand in our tiny room on an angle, I can just make a full rotation.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lets just hope I don't one day lasso the flat screen and have some explaining to do.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa_Vxiuiy80cSY9-TZ3d75OzzLfvqeidAyVfXsyml8I8p8eNaNMfJ_KxuUInJ3CeTyK5IG3pnIs4doLBFreXP38ZNTJhnnRcx86qnGMOeapbaWwcO90AMwhW1BkWr3V48Nw9MjYVjyPU/s1600/onions+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUa_Vxiuiy80cSY9-TZ3d75OzzLfvqeidAyVfXsyml8I8p8eNaNMfJ_KxuUInJ3CeTyK5IG3pnIs4doLBFreXP38ZNTJhnnRcx86qnGMOeapbaWwcO90AMwhW1BkWr3V48Nw9MjYVjyPU/s640/onions+.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thomas Keller's Pearl Onions</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w6YRSvKcts-106dZIJR_H-bEW0bJZfBvjdQonf4Qu2Ismp59HXO41F6qhyp9au43VFSrfs-MIsJBLIkbqyVqWsQLYBYOY1bs0zAc0_JJBqq18pnLjwXwQSc_-CTg7mp5SsyKnCHi1Go/s1600/beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w6YRSvKcts-106dZIJR_H-bEW0bJZfBvjdQonf4Qu2Ismp59HXO41F6qhyp9au43VFSrfs-MIsJBLIkbqyVqWsQLYBYOY1bs0zAc0_JJBqq18pnLjwXwQSc_-CTg7mp5SsyKnCHi1Go/s640/beans.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green Beans with Smoked Paprika and Almonds</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJGq-LfFpln0BdajmmZRDXZ_9vi3L5DtI3vCw_cvMmzhQmlw-z0ejl-IaCltMHN2pM5U2oqTMQxVHbYWGZ0oEmYSA16kH6iAuJbmHZ21MU_mxz689j5bJTDTwfYf4eItE4xC2x0F7GDw/s1600/almonds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJGq-LfFpln0BdajmmZRDXZ_9vi3L5DtI3vCw_cvMmzhQmlw-z0ejl-IaCltMHN2pM5U2oqTMQxVHbYWGZ0oEmYSA16kH6iAuJbmHZ21MU_mxz689j5bJTDTwfYf4eItE4xC2x0F7GDw/s640/almonds.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almond Slivers</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8y1uQxNSYcnegLYQabdY3E3O6OOhJIQVwSwp3IynkeiI1BaXc5qAf7qO2RW-XLUt39TLKveeNrZ4udw23Fe9MwG7pPmF0s4Kgm0MdUF1gPuSMHNlBUYsiEI5onwSKb9u8OzHgucRkSOo/s1600/IMG_1695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8y1uQxNSYcnegLYQabdY3E3O6OOhJIQVwSwp3IynkeiI1BaXc5qAf7qO2RW-XLUt39TLKveeNrZ4udw23Fe9MwG7pPmF0s4Kgm0MdUF1gPuSMHNlBUYsiEI5onwSKb9u8OzHgucRkSOo/s640/IMG_1695.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turkey</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8Od9zSSa2CL6llN5PmTJMXnGxiq1Zec3r6eHFowrSF69i6uURV2iJqWZIUkM5WzCt2-4dUP5KBRvOxOfIqdpKutmskb0yq-0EIHEPj2L-wvXdacxi9sMRTI8pjsmA2dUTJsudBVwlg0/s1600/IMG_1706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM8Od9zSSa2CL6llN5PmTJMXnGxiq1Zec3r6eHFowrSF69i6uURV2iJqWZIUkM5WzCt2-4dUP5KBRvOxOfIqdpKutmskb0yq-0EIHEPj2L-wvXdacxi9sMRTI8pjsmA2dUTJsudBVwlg0/s640/IMG_1706.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Table</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspiYlGhqOpX0UKK_19kkFIwaj9VIOXZM1WFVD5mnYHyr5OzJyR0tRDne9wdX3Mgz3HAzTiWzJ2snG9COzu5Ki453jCcPgSFdEUT8sOm_U44FHp-Snp-A9ZkGseTGpShTEZtmSb9IKUAU/s1600/IMG_1700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspiYlGhqOpX0UKK_19kkFIwaj9VIOXZM1WFVD5mnYHyr5OzJyR0tRDne9wdX3Mgz3HAzTiWzJ2snG9COzu5Ki453jCcPgSFdEUT8sOm_U44FHp-Snp-A9ZkGseTGpShTEZtmSb9IKUAU/s640/IMG_1700.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Grandmother's Classroom Bell</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-17712625181268810972010-11-22T07:37:00.000-08:002010-11-22T07:39:58.887-08:00Applesauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4gsOtlj68yjfRj_EFLZ0yk2mP2yE4lstcrIVqyMFmURyyrswMW-eeMEoT3zFoE1IQsGYkdkt5t8wbYXCdplCbx_rDS9dQRkokXkXQSd799mjN9wlWIw-lk3HdyddjAX_mEpnrkdNlL0/s1600/IMG_1664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4gsOtlj68yjfRj_EFLZ0yk2mP2yE4lstcrIVqyMFmURyyrswMW-eeMEoT3zFoE1IQsGYkdkt5t8wbYXCdplCbx_rDS9dQRkokXkXQSd799mjN9wlWIw-lk3HdyddjAX_mEpnrkdNlL0/s640/IMG_1664.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dog days of summer being long gone, I now turn on my toaster oven and electric skillet with reckless abandon. An open window whisks steam out into the cold night air, my hair no longer goes curly every time I cook, and at eight or nine at night whipping up some banana bread or applesauce seems like a natural way to end the day. I welcome the warmth.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Growing up in a log house only amplified the glory of fall and on chilly nights, there was nothing better than popping open a jar of my mom's homemade applesauce and getting to work with nutmeg and a grater. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it comes to store bought applesauce vs. homemade there is no comparison. One tastes like mealy, sugar-water and the other a rich sweet-tart snack. Applesauce is the easiest thing to make, it will impress your friends and is the perfect way to use up apples that have lost their crunch. I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it's best still warm, straight out of the pot.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCSaf65_dXZpEzru55sU1_uF2uejA3jxorn53S3itWdrwd5LTnILx4LSsmDAj9ZiSzha9rXvSJBj299j13_4T_cGDfKvH7Wl7hqTdaK2-bMvydGf3HPyGvNJVRU5tOa_jxYoJZwduIYQ/s1600/IMG_1660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCSaf65_dXZpEzru55sU1_uF2uejA3jxorn53S3itWdrwd5LTnILx4LSsmDAj9ZiSzha9rXvSJBj299j13_4T_cGDfKvH7Wl7hqTdaK2-bMvydGf3HPyGvNJVRU5tOa_jxYoJZwduIYQ/s640/IMG_1660.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Applesauce</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7 or 8 apples (smokehouse, winesap, macintosh or any good baking apple)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 to 1/2 cup of water</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a colander, strainer or food mill</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quarter and core the apples discarding all seeds but leaving the skins on (they add color and flavor). Put them in a pot (I used my rice cooker on the slow cook setting) add the water, cover and gently cook over a medium-low flame for anywhere between half an hour and an hour until the apples cook down and the skins begin to melt. Stir every now and then, you don't want the apples to burn. I like my applesauce a little thick so towards the end of your cooking time, uncover the pot to let some of the water cook out. Then, rest a colander or strainer or food mill over a large bowl and pour in the cooked apples. With the back of a ladle or a wooden spoon, begin to stir and push the apples through until only the skins are left. And now you have applesauce! It's delicious warm with a little grated nutmeg on top.</span><br />
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</span>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-91998715964434876482010-11-07T10:10:00.000-08:002010-11-07T12:09:42.812-08:00Fresh Pasta from The Splendid Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt9zeH-gjuyv6dZw85iRkky4gO4VtB_6M5fApEdZpUg5kCKUFmEAD7tMjlkEhA0gkye3rpa2w8V4s0lID7EwkdUcSms_uBnsslCNNp1dwAD_a0lmtQ5XyNrmh_J7xu9aAppxoNBJI7K8/s1600/pasta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyt9zeH-gjuyv6dZw85iRkky4gO4VtB_6M5fApEdZpUg5kCKUFmEAD7tMjlkEhA0gkye3rpa2w8V4s0lID7EwkdUcSms_uBnsslCNNp1dwAD_a0lmtQ5XyNrmh_J7xu9aAppxoNBJI7K8/s640/pasta.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, perhaps you watched it, Stephen Colbert did a pithy piece on <a href="http://www.foodinsurance.com/">Food Insurance</a>. The Company's idea is this, if you find yourself to have survived the apocalypse, or some man-made or natural disaster, in which all sources of food and most of humanity <i>and</i> the animal kingdom are wiped out, you could have enough freeze dried food (depending on how wealthy you are) neatly packed into an emergency rucksack to last you and your family three weeks or up to a year! And after this freeze dried period is up, I guess the apocalypse will be over and nature reborn, so congratulations, you can resume your life as normal! Or you will just starve a long slow death wondering why you weren't just wiped out with everyone else. Anyone seen or read The Road?</span><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And just in case you have any doubts, Glenn Beck endorsed it!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forgive me for sounding morose but I think this is hilarious. After watching the segment in which Colbert quoted the Food Insurance website as saying, "While your neighbors are starving, you'll be dining on boef a la borgoignon," Chris and I were left reeling, and wondering what we might do in such a situation.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's clear that Food Insurance is all about capitalism and nothing about survival. What if your rucksack of food blows up in this apocalyptic disaster but you don't? Can you get insurance on your food insurance? Will there be a claims center open during the apocalypse? Shouldn't we be more concerned with clean drinking water anyway? And if your freeze dried food survives, won't the rest of your food? Looking at my shelves, I think Chris and I have enough to keep us alive for three weeks.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a shocking but somewhat true claim on the Food Insurance website which states "Also, some people believe that storing buckets of wheat and beans makes them prepared to live through an emergency. However, most people today don't know how to grind wheat let alone do anything with raw flour. Food insurance comes ready to eat. All you have to do is add water."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In some ways this is true. There are food banks that won't accept bags of flour because they claim noone knows what to do with it, and I think something must be done about that. We have fire and flood Insurance, car insurance and health insurance because it would be unreasonable to expect people to be able to perform the services provided by these companies, themselves. I'm sure there are very few people who can perform surgery on themselves, rebuild a water damaged house or repair a totaled car. But I don't think it's unreasonable to learn how to boil some beans or bake a loaf of bread.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is exactly what I'll be doing if a cataclysmic event strikes. If you are truly worried about how you will eat during such an event, educate yourself. You can check books out of the library on how to cook just about everything, and wilderness survival books that can teach what and what not to eat in nature. Lets give more jobs to librarians and less to CEO's. And if you've got some rice or a few carrots, come on over and we'll have a pot-luck. Just leave the freeze dried food at home. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because during the apocalypse, I'll be eating pasta till the eggs run out.</span><br />
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</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxpVVdskL6Ay2CozrRbS6gHysz9Z_AhgZ71wXXWGGEkOEO9SXSaEu4fuAPSWtSd_5CX-E50NKBw0z6UF4bOcf0n9pwmMB-1QYEunGmGId6F4m67vIK3kLCiumstQQIWxTmGPPE_6c4e4/s1600/egg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxpVVdskL6Ay2CozrRbS6gHysz9Z_AhgZ71wXXWGGEkOEO9SXSaEu4fuAPSWtSd_5CX-E50NKBw0z6UF4bOcf0n9pwmMB-1QYEunGmGId6F4m67vIK3kLCiumstQQIWxTmGPPE_6c4e4/s640/egg.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Egg Pasta from <i>The Splendid Table</i> by Lynne Rossetto Kasper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 jumbo eggs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 1/2 cups (14 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour (organic stone-ground preferred)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directions adapted from <i>The Splendid Table</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Making pasta is quite easy but if you're really interested in making it, I suggest picking up a good Italian cookbook and reading up on it. For now, I'll give some abbreviated directions below.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I don't have a lot of room, I halved the recipe and I mixed my eggs and flour with my fingers, in a bowl rather than on a large flat surface. To get started, pour your flour into a bowl or onto a clean countertop, make a well in the middle and crack your eggs into it. slowly start to mix the eggs with two fingers, gradually incorporating the rest of the flour until you have a mass of shaggy dough. Begin to form the dough into a cohesive ball and knead for 3 minutes. If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour. Then continue to knead for another 10 minutes until the dough becomes elastic and satiny smooth as Lynne describes. Then let the dough relax for 30 minutes to 3 hours wrapped in plastic wrap or, I just covered it with a bowl. You can skip this step if you're in a hurry. Then quarter the dough with a knife, keep three quarters covered and begin to roll out one quarter at a time.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have a pasta machine, follow the instructions on the machine for rolling it out and cutting it. If you don't, you can use a rolling pin to slowly roll and stretch out your dough and then cut it by hand. This is where an expert comes in, and any books by Lynne Rossetto Kasper or Marcela Hazan are great.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When your pasta is cut and shaped you can dry it out and it will last up to a week or you can toss it into boiling water while it's still fresh and in a few minutes you'll have delicious pasta. To prevent the pasta from sticking together after you've cut it, you can drape it over a chair back that's been covered with a clean dish cloth or lay it flat on a dish cloth.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHLXe3odOmJHXVBXeD5QIQ8w90kJPtLz9571QKDWTmypaHQJ0K4mbcqi4zMhFKy5SJvJbYykxX5mbsMwSiI0YLbjSvxJRYLTc6SklwStSlnxlu5OUevk8hkXL5ioZ2izxNUYdxGco8UI/s1600/dough.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWHLXe3odOmJHXVBXeD5QIQ8w90kJPtLz9571QKDWTmypaHQJ0K4mbcqi4zMhFKy5SJvJbYykxX5mbsMwSiI0YLbjSvxJRYLTc6SklwStSlnxlu5OUevk8hkXL5ioZ2izxNUYdxGco8UI/s640/dough.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupea-6f9B2QwuHWHgzgf-AdvJ4vs5dAz8kuounZQJPxK2dTHn0Ynk221B90Koma9_IvpOLwQLJrVSxCc7aKV-2613clsZO0SlMB007iJ8PeEY-LyFyU1zfwmFsEoJqyXMmJFUgdTPZTw/s1600/machine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupea-6f9B2QwuHWHgzgf-AdvJ4vs5dAz8kuounZQJPxK2dTHn0Ynk221B90Koma9_IvpOLwQLJrVSxCc7aKV-2613clsZO0SlMB007iJ8PeEY-LyFyU1zfwmFsEoJqyXMmJFUgdTPZTw/s640/machine.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-58758941000718551032010-11-01T19:24:00.000-07:002010-11-01T19:50:19.715-07:00Maida Heatter's Buttermilk Spice Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66XXjMIqjr0UD8VBzw0p4u9gBQePh_XsNRLBG54xB1NOOOtifPO9ns_AeBays_t1qc1919y8TuZXW_Ikm90ZnbCwoi3GcHQnSkPU2c1IW07ZNTX85CHHQUjEpHsm37rbUZnh7dueMulA/s1600/IMG_1628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66XXjMIqjr0UD8VBzw0p4u9gBQePh_XsNRLBG54xB1NOOOtifPO9ns_AeBays_t1qc1919y8TuZXW_Ikm90ZnbCwoi3GcHQnSkPU2c1IW07ZNTX85CHHQUjEpHsm37rbUZnh7dueMulA/s640/IMG_1628.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maida Heatter didn't get her <i>Book of Great Desserts</i> inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame for nothing. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While there is a time and a place for pulling recipes from the internet, when I'm looking for traditional recipes, I turn to the books. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maida Heatter reminds me of my grandmother and her desserts do too. Her cookbook is filled with classic recipes for devil's food cake, linzer torte, cream puffs, tea cakes, gingerbread and creme brulee as well as recipes that are very much of her generation like Irish coffee jelly, pineapple custard pudding, cream cheese and yoghurt pie, peace and plenty, caraway seed cake and Palm Beach Chocolate Tube Cake. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why don't we have desserts like these anymore?!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I got her cookbook, I've been dying to make her buttermilk spice cake. So, over the weekend I got all the ingredients together, halved the recipe and when I removed it from my toaster oven realized I had forgotten to halve the butter. Ooops. Let's just say it was very buttery.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, still having some buttermilk, I decided to make it again this afternoon. I cut down on the sugar a little, correctly measured the butter and then forgot the lemon zest. Ai yai yai. So instead, I stirred it into the cream cheese frosting and I think I like it even better.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Chris took a bite this evening he said it tasted just like fall. Yes it does.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go out and vote tomorrow and then have a piece of cake!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVVChnZQrYRMoRcHU9Tkgjb_YYH8caCFTcFYM3DJMO9XuWVxV664C2M5wp3bo77lGVL-RMWJCnH0USv57g1KQ5UJTRQ0s7sqoGWj6o5yEtgO0CeGtVLNpjam9g7Jvv6oEg_bvSNDbgtw/s1600/IMG_1617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVVChnZQrYRMoRcHU9Tkgjb_YYH8caCFTcFYM3DJMO9XuWVxV664C2M5wp3bo77lGVL-RMWJCnH0USv57g1KQ5UJTRQ0s7sqoGWj6o5yEtgO0CeGtVLNpjam9g7Jvv6oEg_bvSNDbgtw/s640/IMG_1617.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maida Heatter's Buttermilk Spice Cake (<i>Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts</i>, 1965)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make your own buttermilk, warm 1 1/2 cups of regular (sweet) milk over low heat to room temperature (about 70 degrees). Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Then fill it to the 1 1/2 cup line with the room temperature milk, stir, and let stand 10 minutes. Now you have 1 1/2 cups buttermilk.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 cups sifted cake flour (I use King Arthur cake flour)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon salt</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 teaspoon nutmeg</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon powdered cloves</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 ounces butter</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup granulated sugar</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 eggs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups buttermilk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">finely grated rind of 1 lemon</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vitik-OW5N2-C66e08UBrGyW6ivCE0NU0GN-OB6AcG88Yj89XCtu3RHrPbDwGhgaTqyvoJdF7eHoEcLagTLrQ9gEUFRvyQirJ49SJDn1x-tKSBUKQDi6B708g7bOUGeX6BF4QQPhzXo/s1600/IMG_1623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vitik-OW5N2-C66e08UBrGyW6ivCE0NU0GN-OB6AcG88Yj89XCtu3RHrPbDwGhgaTqyvoJdF7eHoEcLagTLrQ9gEUFRvyQirJ49SJDn1x-tKSBUKQDi6B708g7bOUGeX6BF4QQPhzXo/s640/IMG_1623.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adjust rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 X 9X 2-inch pan and dust it all lightly with fine, dry bread crumbs (I just used flour).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside. In a large bowl of electric mixer beat the butter to soften it a bit. Add the vanilla and then, gradually, both sugars and beat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs individually, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula and beating well after each. On lowest speed alternately add sifted dry ingredients in three additions and buttermilk in two additions, scraping the bowl with the spatula and beating only until smooth after each addition. Remove from mixer and stir in lemon rind.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turn into pan and spread top level.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched and cake begins to come away from the sides of the pan.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let cake cook in the pan on a rack for about 15 minutes. Cut around sides to release. Cover with a rack or a cookie sheet and invert. Remove pan. Cover with a rack and invert again to finish cooling.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*notes</span></div><div style="font-family: Times; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I halved this recipe to make one, 9 inch round cake and it turned out great (I'm guessing you could make the full recipe and divide the batter into two 9 inch round pans for a layer cake). It baked about 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. I didn't have a mixer so I beat everything by hand and I made up a cream cheese frosting instead of the Brown Sugar icing recommended. And of course, I baked it in my toaster oven. I just kept an eye on it and after about 25 minutes of baking put a layer of foil on top to prevent burning. Also, I like to cut out a round of waxed paper to fit in the bottom of my cake pans after buttering and flouring.</span></div></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3C1O4gAGqL8P81UK25L6XfylPUjc_QIEwPXNQdgUY4TomObbNS5_37rE1QBxAGxqo8aStGM0KbFWbMkMKzDlKQrrmh6pSNaCU3d9saclph297x7zgNFdt_1RSMat_DlHFT897mtPpWE/s1600/IMG_1625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3C1O4gAGqL8P81UK25L6XfylPUjc_QIEwPXNQdgUY4TomObbNS5_37rE1QBxAGxqo8aStGM0KbFWbMkMKzDlKQrrmh6pSNaCU3d9saclph297x7zgNFdt_1RSMat_DlHFT897mtPpWE/s640/IMG_1625.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brown Sugar Icing</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup firmly packed brown sugar</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup heavy cream</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tbs. butter</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinch salt</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. vanilla extract</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a medium size saucepan, over moderately low heat, stir the sugar and cream to slowly dissolve the sugar, brushing down the sides occasionally with a wet brush to remove any sugar granules. Stirring constantly, slowly bring the syrup to a boil and let it boil for exactly one minute. Transfer to a small bowl of electric mixer. Add butter and stir to melt. Add salt and vanilla and beat until creamy and slightly thickened. It will still be warm. Immediately pour over the cake and, with a long, narrow metal spatula, spread to cover.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: Do not freeze this cake after it has been iced-the icing will become wet when thawed.</span></div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-405293663425061257.post-38689295008492154662010-10-29T08:13:00.000-07:002010-10-29T08:47:22.208-07:00Blue Hill at Stone Barns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNpbjh73irXCL4Z0NEaRuG6w1RigGhDaPZ9AKt4GKgPWvd5qJEutLyzC5lmRr49Ra0meBHcbMdMzB92X9Ge7mdP_Y2YVuLYXAn-v2LFp-B9NyBfRvDPhgQexdqlTlsg92CfXtvzZgTto/s1600/IMG_1544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNpbjh73irXCL4Z0NEaRuG6w1RigGhDaPZ9AKt4GKgPWvd5qJEutLyzC5lmRr49Ra0meBHcbMdMzB92X9Ge7mdP_Y2YVuLYXAn-v2LFp-B9NyBfRvDPhgQexdqlTlsg92CfXtvzZgTto/s640/IMG_1544.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I turned thirty. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have always looked forward to getting older but there was something about this particular birthday that depressed me. Not the number, I love that I'm through with my twenties. The problem was, I couldn't throw a party. Two is a party in the room Chris and I live in so there was no way I could spend a few days cooking wonderful little dishes and invite people over for food and a good time unless we did it in shifts, and that's no fun. And every restaurant or bar I thought of had so many restrictions, weird owners or expensive drinks, I couldn't be bothered. So over the course of the week I celebrated here and there with family and friends, was thoroughly spoiled with kitchen related items, and that was that.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, Chris being the wonderful husband that he is, had picked up on a little hint I'd dropped a few months earlier, that wouldn't it be nice to have a meal at <a href="http://www.bluehillfarm.com/food/blue-hill-stone-barns">Blue Hill at Stone Barns</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Holy Shit.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have never been, you should go, and if you've been, how long did you wait before you went again?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blue Hill at Stone Barns is Dan Barber's restaurant located right on the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/">Stone Barns</a> farm, a sprawling 80 acre farm 25 miles north of Manhattan. The farm provides educational outreach and a farmers market to the public, and the restaurant sources all of it's ingredients from Stone Barns farm, Blue Hill farm (Dan Barber's farm up in Massachusetts) and other local, Hudson Valley farms. This place is a locavore's dream.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't take pictures of the food because I find that to be a little like texting while driving. This is the kind of meal you save up for and only have every few years, if that, so I snapped as many pictures as I could right before the first amuse bouche arrived and then let myself be whisked away into a food wonderland.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will try to describe the whole meal we had. But it's almost impossible. So I'll breeze through in hopes of whetting your appetite because if you like food, and I'm guessing you do, you just have to go experience the restaurant for yourself. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think my thirties are off to a good start.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl67f9_CSvRmKrNWrvfhOuzgP4IGxAUj6RjK3O4dQ64Kjd84t9I8OErGK9h5y7w4wFc_zNWx7GhfhsVSYFkCP4n5hmY0sCqt3m07zcwhTfZIlq5P9Bhu6ecHuw3mIQ650vLHNreaRP_14/s1600/SHEEP.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl67f9_CSvRmKrNWrvfhOuzgP4IGxAUj6RjK3O4dQ64Kjd84t9I8OErGK9h5y7w4wFc_zNWx7GhfhsVSYFkCP4n5hmY0sCqt3m07zcwhTfZIlq5P9Bhu6ecHuw3mIQ650vLHNreaRP_14/s640/SHEEP.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no menu at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, instead you get to choose between a six course or an eight course Farmer's Feast of local and seasonal ingredients. Chris and I chose the eight course meal and told our waiter we had no restrictions, meaning we would eat whatever they put in front of us.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-vWX3D4hWVreI0B3quELNnpNhDSu664oBH2iwfMb3slcYBxNsCX-umi9MrkmE8ivWU9Ec0anINwI0cF9oG2GkEQnttN-WNISp4QQKDdnz5hAyh2GUoJjrwBX2m4m9I13kR-ZgiRPrpw/s1600/Turkeys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-vWX3D4hWVreI0B3quELNnpNhDSu664oBH2iwfMb3slcYBxNsCX-umi9MrkmE8ivWU9Ec0anINwI0cF9oG2GkEQnttN-WNISp4QQKDdnz5hAyh2GUoJjrwBX2m4m9I13kR-ZgiRPrpw/s640/Turkeys.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were very hungry when we were seated at 5pm and I'm not sure if the wait staff picked up on that but we were presented, one by one, with seven or eight different amuses bouches; fennel soup, vegetables on a fence, salsify with panchetta, pork terrine with chocolate, thinly sliced cured pork with parmesan crisps, grilled snow peas, kale chips, veal bone marrow with bread crumbs and I know I'm forgetting a few more. Halfway through, Chris wondered if we were already on the fourth or fifth course and would we still be hungry after the meal? I gently pointed out that they had not even begun the courses. This was just the seduction. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDceFTNNxJ7Hh26ntIk_hJ3kipSgo_bDQbmScN2qjqcVAyQ3mMdLxB8-6r8JNxXnJ4u8WJj2OpC2p5vzheLiH3bjSbcl2ZzLkiiJffvW12FogT17yGAbGpHUoIayLQA6Cj3Q5euVxmeAg/s1600/BHSB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDceFTNNxJ7Hh26ntIk_hJ3kipSgo_bDQbmScN2qjqcVAyQ3mMdLxB8-6r8JNxXnJ4u8WJj2OpC2p5vzheLiH3bjSbcl2ZzLkiiJffvW12FogT17yGAbGpHUoIayLQA6Cj3Q5euVxmeAg/s640/BHSB.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because Stone Barns is foremost about education, the staff at Blue Hill at Stone Barns incorporates that into the meal. So in between courses someone would arrive with a basket of eggs and talk about the chickens, or a platter of charcoal made from pork and veal bones, corn cobs and wood from felled trees, and describe how their flavors had infused the soup we just ate. There was never a dull moment and I mean that in the best possible way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxecETSVz9nw3icIKePb_yg01zjIY4X-Us7-kimImr4-BnDYYkNXwJTALUc7rCuVXc5-CcFSqu35K5jxOCcClKgtKb5ZERH3Rclb_kyYIjg_d_k6vjANXNr30beogA1mm23xeilK1TCA/s1600/dining+room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRxecETSVz9nw3icIKePb_yg01zjIY4X-Us7-kimImr4-BnDYYkNXwJTALUc7rCuVXc5-CcFSqu35K5jxOCcClKgtKb5ZERH3Rclb_kyYIjg_d_k6vjANXNr30beogA1mm23xeilK1TCA/s640/dining+room.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our first course was a plate of thinly sliced beets, briefly pickled in herb infused vinegars, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and grated with egg yolks that had been cured with salt and sugar. The second course was a smoked tomato soup that was poured over a bowl, cradling small spoonfuls of caviar, wild mushrooms, plums, a parmesan crisp and something else. By this point I gave up trying to remember everything. The soup was heaven. The third course was the most flavorful piece of wild sea bass I've ever had, nestled in a bowl of pea shoot puree. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone gets an egg at BHSB and the fourth course was a slow poached egg, rolled in bread crumbs and lightly deep fried, resting pastorally on a bed of slivered beans with a smear of sweet potato puree on the side of the bowl with a finely sliced chicken heart on top. Before the next course arrived we were presented with a basket of piping hot potato and onion bread, perhaps some of the best bread I've ever had in my life, with a small stick of fresh butter and two flavored salts, one shitake and one tomato to accompany it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fifth course was a butternut squash pasta with a smear of balsamic reduction. We were getting quite full. And the sixth course, which just about killed both of us, was a piece of fatty lamb's neck on a bed of vegetables. Dan Barber wrote a wonderful article about cleaning your plate, which I had done with every course up until now. I wanted to eat that lamb's neck like nobody's business but my body was saying, no more! And so I left half on my plate. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then came dessert.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RB_1_cBxz0i-FE4615eBKV1BohBgytf96tF6VXSmdHXkS1dhzHn7AyLj0h5esSnC59Wd7Tq9RnvKmP20gUMlgp6-E2-QbBqTP1dK8qMycAPLkGEY5TKiiLmGGmdN_CBZswLadLgl1Ss/s1600/IMG_1560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RB_1_cBxz0i-FE4615eBKV1BohBgytf96tF6VXSmdHXkS1dhzHn7AyLj0h5esSnC59Wd7Tq9RnvKmP20gUMlgp6-E2-QbBqTP1dK8qMycAPLkGEY5TKiiLmGGmdN_CBZswLadLgl1Ss/s640/IMG_1560.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The seventh course, which was quite refreshing, was a trio of small glass cups. One cup had a spoon of greek yogurt sitting on blueberry compote, sprinkled with granola. The center cup was utterly divine, a pear sorbet with a honey and eucalyptus granita on top, and the third was a barely sweet concord grape jelly with a spoon of fromage blanc ice cream. Finally, the eighth and last course was an apple cake with a soft meringue on top for each of us <i>and</i> a slice of dark bitter chocolate cake with a spoon of apricot sorbet to share. We could only taste the final course we were so full. And then they brought a plate of maple fudge and dark chocolate, and after that a plate of concord grapes, honeycomb and more fudge and dark chocolate. Throughout the meal we had wine and some coffee to finish.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chris and I were giddy the whole time, I felt utterly spoiled and now I'm dreaming of what spring must taste like on the farm. Thanks hon, I'll have to take you next time.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Erica Newhouse-Kasperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06553450155046334875noreply@blogger.com3