Last night I did The Favorite meal #3 with Lalena Dolby. She chose her favorite to be the artist and personality extraordinaire Florence Broadhurst. Florence was Australian by birth. In her early twenties, she was known as Miss Bobby Broadhurst, traveling from Asia to India to Western Europe. In 1926, she opened the Broadhurst Academy, a finishing school for girls in Shanghi. In 1933, she moved to London under the name Madame Pellier, a fashionista who opened a dress shop on the infamous New Bond Street. She had married London aristocracy, but by 1949 she was divorced, re-attached, had a child, and moved back to Australia under the guise as British aristocracy.
(Lalena found this dress for this meal, how perfect!)
In 1959, she opened her wallpaper company. It wasn’t until later in life (she was at this point in her early 60′s) that she went the path of design.” There is debate as to whether she actually drew any of the patterns herself, but clearly she had an eye for talented people—hired many, paid them very little, took full credit.” (Vanity Fair 04.2007) She was a shrewd business woman, however it was said that her factory was incredibly hip for it’s day. Artists, designers, and craftsmen working side by side, a radio always blaring, parties springing up intermittently in the evenings, and celebrities popping in to see the infamous warehouse space. She was a force, energetic and magnetic that despite her low wages and hard-nosed work ethic, people gravitated towards her because she exuded her energy all around and somehow made it fun. (I could go on and on about this woman, she was absolutely fascinating! You can find more articles on her here, here, and here if you’d like to read on. I know I did! She also has a book written on her, beautifully done, here. )
(wall texture detail)
(Horse Details)
Naturally, in order to truly evoke Florence at this meal, I had to recreate one of her beautiful patterns (and there are over 500 of them, it was amazing going through and just looking at many of them!). It dawned on me that I needed to recreate a pattern out of food, on a wall, big, bright, and beautiful, just like Miss Broadhurst (her hair was really that orange color for the last 25 years of her life). I decided on the horse pattern. Actually, I felt the horse pattern. It just stuck and when I came to the end of looking through and studying all her patterns, I puttered around with a few other ideas, but the horses were what called me. It’s that power, that force, and the way the horses morph into one another that resonated with me and I think, with Florence.
I also made quite an array of foods. Portland, it seems, is over run with one big cold. Everyone has one or is getting one! Lalena has been getting over one, so my inital idea of making amazing cocktails and smoking cigaretts (althgouh neither of us smoke, but the idea was funny and resonated somehow with Florence!) I decided to go a subtler and more nourishing route. So, I made Tom Yum lemongrass soup (to evoke all the asian inspired living and traveling Miss Broadhurst did, as well as help cure a cold) and Hot Toddy’s with thick slices of ginger, lemon, a heaping spoonful of local honey and a shot or two of St. Remy’s brandy in a slightly steeped Earl Grey tea. Then, for dessert I made Fairy Bread. Fairy Bread is an austrailian treat they serve to children on birthdays and special occasions. All it is is white bread, buttered, and sprinkles thrown on top. That’s it. I thought it was PERFECT for Florence. I could see her on the morning of her son’s birthday, forgetting it was his birthday, and whipping up a plate of this bread because it is so quick and easy. It’s also a really fake ‘food’.
(Hot Toddy)
(Tom Yum Lemongrass Soup)
(Fairy Bread)
While sipping our Hot Toddy’s and Lemongrass Soup, Lalena and I chatted about the whirwind life Florence had. And how her life did not end with her tragic murder in her wallpaper warehouse. In fact, her life has spurred on people to really embrace what they want from life and do it with passion. Her prints and patterns are being re-constructed and re-produced by a New Zeland designer and pattern company but also being used by fashion houses around the world. We both agreed that we were inspired by her ability to just do it, getting it done with absolute grace and style.
(Hot Toddy)
Tom Yum Soup (Goong, Talay, Pla-Meuk)
* 1/2 pound medium sized shrimp, peeled and de-veined
* 1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
* 4 cups water
* 2 stalks of lemon grass (~10″ long)
* 4-6 kaffir lime leaves
* 3 small red onions cut into quarters
* 1 medium to large tomato
* 4 small pieces galangal
* 18 straw mushrooms, whole
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
* 1 1/2 limes, squeezed
* 1 teaspoon of white sugar
* 2-8 red and/or green chili peppers
* 1 tablespoon tom yum soup paste
1. Cut the lemongrass stalks into 2″ pieces.
2. If you are using Tom Yum paste you can use 2 tablespoons instead of making your own stock with tshis step. It will cut down on time necessary… Stock: Add the shrimp heads and shells to water, then cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Soak heads and shells for 20 more minutes before removing from broth.
3. Add stock, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chili padi, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste to a pot and bring to a boil. After boiling for 5 minutes, add tomato and onion. In 5 more minutes add shrimp and mushrooms. Cook another 10 minutes. For presentation you can garnish with coriander.
Hot Toddy
Sizeable piece of ginger, cut up into big chunks
1 lemon, sliced
1 heaping tablespoon honey
1-2 shots nice brandy
1 teabag (English Breakfast, Earl Gray)
Steep hot water, lemon, ginger, honey together for five minutes, add the shot(s) of brandy and serve.
Fairy Bread (google this, it is pretty interesting!)
Slices of white bread
Butter
Sprinkles
Butter the bread, sprinkle on the sprinkles, slice off the crusts, cut into triangles and serve.
I was invited to make a meal for a dinner where the conversation topic was going to be wearable computing devices, which happened last night. What is a wearable computing device? It is something that looks like a piece of jewelry or an accessory that is actually a cell phone, pager, heart monitor, etc… It was all about beautifying technology, which is something I am all for.
I decided to make the meal about the opposite of what technology can be associated as (cold, disassociated) and go for a really tactile and personal experience with the food. I made a variety of dishes based on what I had found at my local market the day before. This included a sweet potato curry; a couscous, cilantro, green onion and lemon salad; sauteed kale with garlic, tamari, and sesame seeds over brown rice; coconut rice; fried plantains; roasted peppers; a carrot-ginger dressing, a citrus vinaigrette, a yogurt-curry dressing; fresh bread; vanilla-ginger pears; and a chocolate cake. The point was to make dishes where all six tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent) would be present, bringing the tasting experience to a well rounded and full place. When all of our tastes are stimulated, we are more satisfied with what we eat. (One of the reasons Thai food is so good is they focus on bringing in many of the tastes into one dish). This is something that I think about when I am making a meal, even for myself. I then labeled all the tastes that were present in that particular dish with little flags, the dressings and vinaigrette’s there to help round out what was missing, completing the taste palate. Each person at the table could then discern the flavors for themselves, thinking about what they liked, didn’t like, or how to combine flavors they had not thought of. The food turned out great and the dinner was a hit. Here are the dressing recipes, all from the lovely Debora Madison!
Curry-Yogurt Dressing
This dressing would be good on a variety of dishes including simple vegetable sides roasted or curried, fish, beef, chicken, a cold mixed salad or a side of sauteed greens. It is an incredibly versitle dressing that will add a lovely kick to any meal!
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 whole allspice berry
1 1/2 cups low-fat plain yogurt
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ginger, onion, and garlic, and cook, stirring often until softened and beginning to turn translucent, about 9 minutes.
Meanwhile, process the cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, and allspice in a spice grinder until finely ground. Place in a food processor, and add onion mixture, turmeric, yogurt, salt, lemon juice, and sugar; process until smooth. Can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Citrus Vinegarett
This is great on any variety of green salad, but would also compliment many Asian dishes.
1/4 teaspoon finely grated grapefruit zest
1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice-wine vinegar (not seasoned)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together in a nonreactive medium bowl until combined. use immediately, or refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.
Carrot-Ginger Dressing
This is a really bright and fresh dressing. Good on any and all mixed green salads and raw or cooked (roasted, sauteed, steamed) veggies.
1/2 pound carrots, juiced (1/2 cup juice)
1/2 cup reduced fat silken tofu
2 ounces ginger, minced (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon tamari sauce
Puree all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Icing and White Chocolate Ganache center
Seriously, one of the best chocolate cake recipe’s I’ve found is right on the side of the Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa box, go figure!
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. 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.
Chocolate Ganache Icing
1 bag (12 oz) of Giradeli semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Simmer the heavy whipping cream in a pan, until steam is rising off the surface of the cream. Add the chocolate chips, turn the heat to low and stir/whisk until the chocolate is melted. Transfer to a bowl to let cool completely, stirring every once in a while with a fork or wisk.
White Chocolate Ganache Filling
3 cubes white chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
(follow instructions for chocolate ganache, see above)
Cheers!
Friday I had the amazing opportunity to make dinner for 30 with Agathe Snow and her sister Anne Apparu. They have been doing food events for the past several years under the name Chop Shop Delancey in Manhattan.
(Agathe (left) and Anne)
The dinner was based on the concepts of Yin and Yang. Yin foods are darker and cooler in color and temperature. They are the greens, blues, purples, and whites including cabbage, bok choy, white eggs, and popcorn. The Yin attributes are: expansion, upward and outward, vertical, darker, night, more mental, feminine, vegetal, winter, colder, lighter, wetter, Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, and moon.
(yin foods)Yang foods are brigher and warmer such as sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, and apples. Yang attributes are: contraction, downward and inward, horizontal, lighter, day, more physical, masculine, summer, hotter, rougher, heavier, drier yellow, orange, red, and sun.
(yang foods)After going to a local produce market here in Portland, The Cherry Sprout, and gathering the an array of fresh foods, we separated the foods according to color. We then looked at the different piles and made up recipes by thinking of the combinations of flavors and textures, keeping the yin foods together and the yang foods together.
(Your Face Never Lies, the yin and yang of facial structure and how diet corresponds)
The guests were divided according to their facial structure as being more yin or yang and sat on corresponding sides of the table. There were placemats with our faces on them to mark our seats with the attributes that make each of us more yin or more yang. The Yin side of the table was set with only yin foods, bok choy and peanut sauce salad, sauteed greens in garlic, caramel popcorn, beer, purple potato salad, and kombucha. Since yin is darker, they had no candles or extra lighting and their plates were darker/cooler in color. They also were served ice in their glasses.
The Yang side of the table had a cajun pumpkin mash, stuffed delicata with apples, garlic, and the stalk of chard, lamb stew, polenta and corn, sweet potato fritters, wine, and hibiscus tea. There were candles as yang is bright and warm and the dishes were brighter/warmer in color. These foods were also all cooked, where the yin foods were mainly raw.
It was so much fun to collaborate with these amazing women, invent recipes, and rely on nothing but our senses for this cooking experience!
The book and print edition, titled Recommendations: Winter, is finally complete! Here is the blurb about the print series:
Imagination can make any situation better.
This is the theme behind the fifteen prints recently made by the artist collective Creative Force for Efficiency and Morale based in Portland, OR. In a limited, hand silk-screened edition, Recommendations: Winter takes the viewer through the average day in one person’s life, highlighting resourceful habits and creative gestures that help maintain morale and keep the fun in otherwise mundane tasks. Recommendations: Winter embraces frugality as a way of life and pays homage to the power of imagination to transform everyday experience.
The new Etsy shop, called Plain Made Design, is open and ready for business. There, you will find all fourteen hand-made silkscreen prints for sale.
Below are images of Recommendations: Winter‘s printed edition and recipes. Cheers!
LEFT OVER BROWN RICE CEREAL
1/2 – 1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 – 1/2 cup milk, soy milk, or almond milk
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of cloves, nutmeg, and/or cardamom
1. Place the cooked brown rice in a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl.
2. Stir in milk, honey, and spices and heat until the milk and rice take on a creamy consistency, stirring frequently.
3. Sprinkle some of your favorite granola on top and serve.
You can use these next two recipes to “stack” your oven (as the book says!) to conserve time and energy!
PERFECT BREAD LOAVES
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
4-5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, beaten & mixed with a tablespoon of cold water
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl dissolve yeast in a 1/2 cup warm water. Stir with a fork. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Mix the dough until it is sticky enough to knead. On a lightly floured surface, knead for 6-10 minutes; the dough should be sticky and smooth. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about one hour.
3. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 pieces. Roll each into a ball and shape into a baguette. Transfer the loaves to a lightly greased baking sheet or use a baking stone, let rise until nearly doubled.
4. Brush the loaves with the egg water mixture. Score the loaves diagonally across the top with a sharp knife.
5. Pour 2 cups of hot water into a pan and place in the preheated oven next to the baguettes to provide moisture. Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes, and them lower the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 5-10 minutes more, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before slicing.
WARM UP THE WINTER STEW
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon canned chipotle peppers
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 15 oz. can butter or black beans
Tortillas
Plain yogurt or sour cream
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 in cubes. Stem and seed the peppers and cut into 1 in pieces. Peel the onion and cut it stem end to root and end into thin wedges. In a bowl, toss the vegetables wit the garlic, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to roast for another 10 to 15 minutes,. until the sweet potatoes are tender but not mushy.
3. While the vegetables roast, puree the tomatoes, chipotles, and cilantro in a blender until smooth. Set aside. When the vegetables are tender, put them into a 2 to 3 quart baking dish, stir in the tomato-cilantro sauce and the beans, and return to the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
4. A few minutes before taking the dish out (3-5 minutes), place the tortillas in the oven to warm. Serve the stew in bowls topped with yogurt or sour cream and the warm tortillas on the side.
1) Identify a landscape near you that you think should be “edible-ized”. Chances are that you won’t have to look far. Start with your own yard, neighborhood, or child’s schoolyard. Then, why not ask your elected officials at the state and local level to lead by example. The Governors of Maine, North Carolina and New York are already eating from gardens planted at their official residences.
2) Sign the “White House Food Garden Petition” which they will deliver to President-elect Obama along with a diverse collection of heirloom seed packets.
3) Contact President-elect Obama’s transition office directly here. Tell him you’d like him to replant an organic garden on the White House lawn. There’s an opportunity to attach a photo to your request. You can grab one here.
4) Join this campaign and website. Use their site to share your stories of edible landscapes you’re creating, planning, or already eating.
5) Join their Facebook Cause
V is for Victory in our choices, methods and empowerment through food!
Yesterday was a great making day. Hand made cards, Swedish braided bread (Zopf or Challa), and a fantastic sweet potato curry were all part of the day’s activities!
I found this recipe for Swedish Braided Bread or Zopf on one of my favorite blogs, Once Upon a Cakestand. The author of the blog, Myriam, is a cookbook author who lives in Zurich and she always has amazing recipes to share. (I’ve converted her measurments in parenthesis 
.
RECIPE
500g zopf/challa flour – or just plain white flour (about 4 1/2 cups)
20g fresh yeast (1 packet of yeast)
2,5 dl milk (a little more than a cup of milk)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
80g soft butter, cut in cubes (about 6 tablespoons)
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out
1 egg yolk & a tiny pinch of sugar for glaze
mix the flour with salt and sugar and put in the bowl of your stand mixer with the dough hook attached. add the butter cubes. now mix the milk with egg, fresh yeast and the vanillaseeds and add to the dry ingredients. start mixing on low speed, then increase and mix for about 10 minutes until you end up with a nice and smooth ball of dough. remove dough hook, form dough into a ball and let rest in a bowl – covered with plastic wrap for about an hour (or until the dough has doubled in size).
then cut dough in half and twiddle into about 60cm long and even rolls. lay the 2 ropes of dough over each other – so that they form a cross. start braiding, then pinch the ends together tightly and tuck them under. plache on sheet lined with parchment paper. let rest for 20-30 minutes.
heat oven to 220c° (425° farenheight) . mix the egg yolk with a tiny pinch of sugar and glaze the bread. bake challah/zopf in the middle of the oven (for 15-20 minutes) until golden brown on the outside and sounds hollow when you knock on the bottom of the challa.
let cool on a wire rack, then serve with raspberry or strawberry jam or loads of runny honey.
PS: if you have any leftovers – toasted slices of this challah/zopf make a wonderful base for a clubsandwich!!
The sweet potato curry is inspired from my dear friend Ms. Manty-Miller of Pleasant Eats. It is a quick, fresh, and wholly fulfilling winter stew to be had.
SWEET POTATO CURRY
1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 bunch of kale, spinach, or chard
1 yellow onion, sliced
2-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
2 cups brown rice
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon curry
pinch of cayenne
pinch of ginger
salt and pepper to taste
(I encourage flavor testing as you add spices, these spice measurements are for a pretty mild curry, so don’t be afraid to get a bit adventurous with them! Maybe you like a little more cumin than curry, or vice versa, give it a try!
Put the water on to boil the brown rice.
In a microwaveable bowl, add peeled and chopped sweet potatoes with an inch or two of water at the bottom. Microwave until softer but not mushy.
In another pan, heat the oil and add the garlic and onions, cook for about 5 minutes. Add the drained garbanzo beans, the whole can of tomatoes plus juice, and spices, simmer for a few minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and water they were microwaved in. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped kale, chard, or spinach to the pan and cover for two minutes just to let it wither a bit. Stir and serve immediately over the cooked brown rice. Enjoy!
These cards were made from proofs of pages from the book I am working on. It is the first sneak peak!
The Uprooted event has come and gone, it happened so fast I am in a minor state of disbelief! Never the less, it was wonderful. There were friends from all walks of my life, old and new, totaling about 30 people. It was great to see people who would not normally be together in one room have lively conversations and really enjoy themselves. I also gave all the guests a gift at the end of the night. The guests all submitted a recipe to me before the event. I took these recipes and made a small recipe box with the Taste Matters logo on top. Upon opening the box, the recipes were in a neat little stack, waiting to be flipped through. However, there was a fake bottom in the box in which underneath was a suprise package of snickerdoodle cookies with a story about the significance of these cookies to me. On the backs of all the recipes, I letterpressed Uprooted and the date. I will post all the recipes from my guests soon, they are not to be missed!
My photographer for the event, Meghan Holmes, was amazing. She took close to 800 photos, all of which I have been sorting through all day today…
And Team TM was fantastic and I could never have done this without them! Thank you Gwenan, Thom, Meghan and Leela!
Reflections of the event are still simmering, but give it a few days and the words will start flowing. The recipes from the dinner were centered around root vegetables. I started with knowing what I wanted to cook with (pumpkin, greens, root vegetables…) and then went through some of my favorite cookbooks and found what I needed. Here is what was made:
Orecchiette with Pumpkin, Pecans, and Shallot Sage Brown Butter
5-6 oz orecchiette pasta
7 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
3 cups cubed, cooked pumpkin
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans (toast at 350 F, 6-10 mins)
freshly grated parmesan
Cook pasta in lots of boiling water until tender. Meanwhile, heat butter over medium flame in large skillet. Add shallots, garlic, and sage; cook until butter just begins to brown. Reduce heat to low and stir in pumpkin. Serve immediately with freshly ground parmesan. Makes 4-6 servings.
Cranberry Relish with Grapefruit and Mint (bon appetit 2008)
2 large pink grapefruits
1 cup sugar
2.5 cups cranberries (about 20 ounces)
5 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (pink-yellow outer layer only) from 1 grapefruit in strips. Cut peel into 2-inch-long, 1/8-inch-wide strips (about 1/2 cup). Squeeze 1 cup juice from grapefruits. Stir 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add grapefruit peel; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until peel is soft, about 15 minutes. Add 1 cup grapefruit juice and cranberries; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Stir in mint. Cover; chill until cold. Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Black Eye Peas with Swiss Chard, Kale and Green Beans
3 cups black-eyed peas
butter or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoons thyme
2 bay leaves
2 large bunches of swiss chard, kale, or spinach
1-2 cups fresh green beans
salt and pepper
Put peas on to cook in water. Heat a little oil in a skillet. Add onions and garlic; sauté with thyme and bay leaves until tender. After cooking peas ½ hour, add the onion mixture and chopped greens. Cook ½ hour longer. Remove bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 6-8 servings.
Cornbread Dressing with Roasted Fall Vegetables (bon appetit 2008)
1 10-ounce bag pearl onions
3 cups 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices peeled carrots (about 1.5 pound)
3 cups 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices peeled parsnips (about 3/4 pound)
3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled rutabagas (about 3/4 pound)
1, 1/3 cups olive oil, divided
1 pound crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved
7 large garlic cloves, peeled
2.5 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
6-7 cups 1/2-inch cubes Cornbread for Dressing
3-4 large eggs, beaten to blend
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Cook onions in small saucepan of boiling water 2 minutes; drain. Cool slightly; trim and peel. Place onions, carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 1/3 cup oil over and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Place mushrooms and garlic on another rimmed baking sheet; drizzle with remaining 1/3 cup oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast root vegetables until tender and brown around edges, stirring every 15 minutes, about 1 hour. Roast mushrooms and garlic until tender, stirring once, about 30 minutes. Place root vegetables and mushrooms in large bowl. Place garlic in small bowl; mash with fork until pureed. Add pureed garlic, thyme, rosemary, and sage to vegetables; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Vegetable mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool vegetables, cover, and chill. Bring mixture to room temperature before continuing.
Place cornbread cubes on large rimmed baking sheet. Let bread cubes stand at room temperature to dry slightly, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch oval baking dish. Add cornbread cubes to vegetables; toss to distribute evenly. Add eggs; toss to coat. Drizzle with melted butter; toss to coat. Add broth and stir to combine (mixture will be very moist). Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
Bake dressing uncovered until lightly browned and crisp around edges, about 45 minutes.
Persimmon Pudding (Alice Waters, Chez Panisse)
About 1 1/2 pounds Hachiya Persimmons
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
whipped cream or creme fraiche for serving
Preheat oven to 325 F. Butter an 8-9 inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and then butter the parchment. Slit the skin of the persimmons and scrape the flesh into a food processor, discarding any seeds. Puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl, add the sugar, eggs, milk, cream, and honey, and stir until smooth.
In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The mixture will be thin at first, but set it aside and allow it to thicken for about 20 mins. Then add the melted butter and stir well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the pudding until it is set when pressed gently with a fingertip and the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.
Remove the pan sides and slice the pudding onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. The top will be a glossy brown and needs no more embellishment than a little whipped cream or creme fraiche.
Simple French Bread
2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon yeast
2 teaspoons salt
4-5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
In a small cup or bowl, combine 1/2 cup (from the total 2 cups) warm water and 1 teaspoon yeast. Whisk it a little with a fork and let stand for about ten minutes or until the yeast turns foamy. In a big bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Add the yeast and remaining 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir. Kneed the dough for about 6-8 minutes until it is has a firm feel, like a smooth baby’s bottom. Let rise until double, about 1 hour. Divide dough into four pieces and shape into mini baguettes. Place on a pan or bread stone and let rise again until double, about 1/2 hour. Score the tops. In a small cup or bowl add an egg and a few teaspoons of cold water. Whisk with a fork and using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the loaves with the mixture. Bake for 20 mintutes at 450, turn down the temperature to 400 and bake for 5-10 minutes more, until tops are brown. Place a small dish with about 2 cups water in the oven with the bread to keep it moist while baking.
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
Dutch Apple Pie
This is an authentic recipe that would make any of the bakeries in Amsterdam jealous. You can find the original (still in metrics) at Once Upon a Tart, a blog by a Swedish woman who might love baking as much as me.
3 cups flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs3-4 tablespoons ice water
pinch of salt
-For the Filling
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
cinnamon
rind of a lemon
Mix butter, flour, sugar and 1 1/2 eggs to a firm dough. Leave to rest in the fridge 30 min. In the mean time, peel the apples, cut into chunks and mix them with the rest of the ingredients for the filling.
Roll out the dough, grease a high walled tin (10 inch/25 cm diameter) and cover it with the dough, cut off the overhanging bits and re-roll to use them later for the decoration on top. Fill the pastry with the apple mix, Add the lattice work (optional) and coat this with the leftover egg. Bake at 355°F for 60-70 min. Leave to cool slightly and serve with whipped cream.
Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard
Recipe adopted from the Moosewood restaurant
1 1/4 cup lentils
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups rinsed, drained, and chopped fresh swiss chard (mustard greens or spinach)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can coconut milk
Rinse the lentils and drain. In a soup pot, bring 5 cups of water, the lentils, and salt to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, about 30 minutes.
While the lentils cook, warm the oil in a saucepan on medium heat, add the black mustard seeds and cover until they pop. Stir in the fennel, red pepper flakes, ginger, and garlic and cook for a minute stirring constantly. Add the greens and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are just wilted. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer for a minute. Remove from the heat.
When the lentils are soft, stir in the greens and coconut milk mixture and add salt to taste.
