Monday, December 31, 2007

Images of Yesterday's Dinner and Random NYE Memories






I sat down at this desk about half an hour ago with the idea of writing about New Year's Eves I could recall. NYE is one of those overhyped, underdelivering holidays. How many times have you had a truly remarkable one? Considering we all top out at fewer than 100, and probably missed most of the first ten, we should to try to make them more memorable, shouldn't we?

I vaguely remember staying up late to walk out on the tiny front porch in the thick fog in Modesto when I was between 10 and 15. I banged a pot with a wooden spoon and smiled when I heard someone down the street doing the same.

We've all watched Dick Clark (finally!) get older year after year until at last he's as old as he really is.

I remember a bleak one in high school when this sort of runt-of-the-litter cheerleader (whose name I have deleted since this post was first written) convinced me to go to a "real" party with her. I must have been 16 or 17. She tried really, really hard to be a cheerleader, but she just wasn't cut out for it. She was, let's say, a bit on the trashy side, and not in a good way. Desperation oozed from her pores. Her claims to fame were her "Bacon Frying in a Pan" imitation, during which she writhed on the floor, and "forgetting" to wear underwear to a game once. Or twice. Imagine Britney Spears without her looks. (I just tried googling her: she is either the receptionist for a very shady moving company, or a big Obama supporter. Whoops, no, she's not black.) She wasn't a bad person, just misguided. She was trying to find her tribe, just like the rest of us. But she asked me, and I wanted to feel grown up, so I agreed to go. I think she wanted to set me up with someone. Yikes.

The party was in a house on the wrong side of the freeway, out by the mall, where the streets have not-very-nice-neighborhood names, like Buell and Farkman and Loser Lane. Or something like that. It was shabby and the guests were smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. I recall muscle cars were parked on the grass out front, but that's probably being generous. They were probably crummier cars than that. Or up on blocks in the greasy driveway.

Soon after arriving, Roni disappeared into the back bedroom, where people were doing some substance I never could figure out. This was before "crack" was something people did, so I think they were doing "crank". I still don't know exactly what that is. (Hey, Mom and Dad, if you are reading this, yes, you let me go to a party where drugs were being used and no parents were present.) Ok, this is getting depressing. What happened was I sat around mostly by myself mostly being bored, waiting for midnight and drinking a very watery tasting beer, even by my standards at the time. The sound on the television was off, and the stereo was really loud, and as the ball dropped (WHY, by the way, can't we Left-Coasters have our own celebration? Isn't it a little lame to watch a TAPE of midnight in New York every year?) on the fuzzy screen, a red LED clock radio on top of the TV counted down the seconds. And then it was midnight, and it was over and I could go home. And that is the beginning of my general disappointment with the holiday.

Later, when I still lived at home, one of my very favorite NYEs was one I spent absolutely alone. I took a bath, gave my feet a good hot scrub in the sink, my face a masque, and my hair a hot oil treatment, drank some tea, and went to bed early. When I woke up, I felt great and I think I looked pretty fresh, too. I still remember that one.

Then there was the one I spent with my former swim team friends in San Francisco. That's another one that it's better my parents don't know about, because I spent some of it in a service elevator in the St. Francis hotel, wrapped up in a 12-ft mauve table skirt which was borrowed, along with some commemorative glassware, from a banquet room, some of it in the Oakland BART station (still with tableskirt-- I have a picture in my mind of it trailing behind me as I rode the escalator down) and a large part of it on the doormat outside my friends' dorm room in Hayward, as no one could hear me knocking on the door when I got back. That's pretty too, eh? The fun parts were fun: singing TV theme songs with a whole carload of drunken BART passengers, watching the streets fill with people when the clock struck midnight, kissing people. But a lot of it was not fun, and I'm glad I was young enough that it is now a very, very long time ago.

Midnight of the turn of the millennium was special. We spent it with our dear friends Tyla and Vincent, and their friends Jon and Drianne, before they all had kids, back at the cozy old Rose Lane house. Food is very important to me on momentous occasions, and Vincent did not disappoint. We had a nine-course dinner, if I recall correctly, complete with really fantastic wines, and a la French Laundry, wherein the courses are small and by the time you are done, you feel smiley and full and fine, but not like you're looking for the Alka Seltzer or surreptitiously unbuttoning your top button. It was really fantastic. I believe Tyla even made up little menus for the occasion.

Ok, it's time to go and have a little evening celebration with my husband. Tonight, we had a simple dinner of some homemade and very delicious beef stew (Mike made it) and brown bread with walnuts. We may watch a movie, or just listen to music, or I might take a hot shower, give myself a new coat of nail polish and read about Shakespeare. Somewhere along the line, we'll open up the bottle of rose champagne that I brought home, and toast each other. And we'll sleep really well. Tomorrow, we're going to drive out to the coast and then have dinner with friends again.

Happy New Year to you, my dear friends who read this. Whatever kind of year you've had, may you have more of the good and less of the bad, in the coming one.

Ur Bubbles, I Has Em

Funny Pictures
more funny pictures
(You're supposed to be able to read that this says "invisible champagne" by the way.)

Don't Know Why

I don't know why I find this video of elephants marching down New York's 34th street so moving, but I do. I've watched it 3 or 4 times now, and it still brings tears to my eyes. Can you imagine how magical it would be to see real live elephants marching down the street in the middle of the night, trunk to tail? In New York? (During this strange and sappy time of my life, when I love so many things, I really love elephants. Oh yeah, and those beautiful black horses toward the end with the arched necks. And monkeys. And cats. Fish, too. And Grandpas with toddlers. And all my little girlie friends.)

Apparently when the Ringling Brothers circus come to New York this summer, the closest the trains can get is Queens, so the elephants and the horses make the rest of the trip on foot, through the Manhattan tunnel and down 34th street. Here's another view, and another.

I heard the story as one of the top stories of 2007 on NPR. During the report, you could hear the sounds of the crowd in the background, and there was a lot of happy, supportive shouting. One guy just kept yelling, "Elephants! Yeah! Elephants! Wooooooo!" The reporter asked the guy why he kept yelling, to which the guy responded something like, "It's ELEPHANTS! Ain't nobody don't like ELEPHANTS, sir."

*I guess they do this every year, and for whatever reason, PETA protests it. I respect the thought behind PETA, but I thought it was pretty lame of them to follow the parade along the sidewalk with signs and say things to people like, "Don't pretend you care about the animals, ma'am." and "Shame on you." As if thinking elephants are cool is something to be ashamed of. I guess they see this as a cruel and unnecessary publicity stunt, but it's a cheap stunt for them as well. Where are they when the everyday animals are truly abused. Where are they for the dogs and the cats and the laboratory rats? Not walking down 34th Street.

I bet the elephants actually like it. How many times do they get to go for a nice walk and check out the scenery? Next time I see a PETA member, they'd better be wearing hemp shoes, that's all I can say.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Christmas: So Much Dysfunction, So Little Time

Ahhh...the holidays. Gotta love 'em. At least they'll be over soon.

Take a break from whatever's making you want to crawl into a very large Christmas stocking-- or a very large martini-- and take a look at some photos I took yesterday afternoon. I do love California weather, though I miss the snow and smell of pines at Grandma and Grandpa's this time of year.






Sunday, December 23, 2007

A Holiday Classic

Don't forget to stop by Cavalcade of Bad Nativities this year for a stocking-full of blessed kitsch!

If you missed last year's entries, go here.

Now that there's almost no time left to shop, if you want to see Mark Morford's gift idea list and look for a little something for yourself, go here. By the way, Mark lost a little of his uber-hip cred recently when he waited in line at 6 am at a Best Buy to buy a Wii. Yes, it was ostensibly for his time-deprived, politically correct and media-innocent far-away sister, but those are just excuses.

Stocking Stuffers

This morning I made corn pancakes, Neuske's ham and eggs for breakfast. Accidentally used fine whole wheat flour. I subtracted about a teaspoon of sugar and added a few tablespoons of unbleached bread flour to adjust the thickness, and they turned out great. A very tasty breakfast.

Here are some cellphone photos of holiday sights, including a real Santa waving from inside of a lighted sleigh at the funeral home on Soscol. He stands out there in the cold most evenings, just waving and smiling.





Saturday, December 22, 2007

Christmas Reality

This is a perfect example of what life is like:

A perfect holiday dessert, executed with style, flair and kitschy perfection. (In three flavors, no less, AND beautifully photographed.) I love Tartelette and also Orangette, because these young, beautiful and enviably dainty patissières make it look easy. I imagine them flitting about their flour and glitter dusted world in flirty hostess aprons, fingertips trailing sparkling fairy dust.

In real-life, made by a regular person, this is what can happen. Poor, poor Alison! As you know if you've been reading this, I am familiar with sponge-cake failure. Along with sponge-cake failure comes the feeling that you're not quite the chef or baker you thought you were, and maybe not woman enough for the job. Martha Stewart would shun you. Especially heartbreaking during the holidays. It's hard to get back at the whisk after that. But the holidays are all about making it work. "Remember the time we spent all day and night baking that buche de noel and it fell apart, and we had to get up early and drive to a bakery and buy one and pull the decorations off in the car on the way to school, and re-frost it so it would look like we made it?" Like that. At least in my mind, that's how it would work. But we don't know what happened at the end of Ali's story. I liked the suggestion about piling up Ho-ho's and making them look like tiny yule logs, France be damned.

I have made one, in fact, at least two, of these dreaded buches de noel. My recipe, which was given to me by my English teacher (and the mother of a future Chief Justice) in the 8th grade, is much, much more low-tech. I think it includes instant pudding and possibly Cool-Whip. Of course, that doesn't help Alison, but I will locate it and post for you, and if I can find the picture of the one I made when I was 15 or 16, I will do that as well. For now, just send condolences to Alison at Cleaner Plate Club.

Something Beautiful

Did you ever play with marbles as a child? For a while, after jacks, these were all the rage at school, but (surprise) I never got into the game of marbles. It disturbed me that someone else could seize my precious beauties without warning, so after I lost my first marble (literally speaking), I stopped playing. No one takes your jacks if they win. I just loved learning the names of the different types, and holding each one up to the light. It is generally my policy to use only my own photos, and when I use someone else's, I include their name and a link to the source site. I don't know the photographer for this one, but it comes from Garnet Hill's online catalog, from which I recently purchased some lovely winter flannel sheets. I prefer the weight of the German flannels from The Company Store, but these are very nice. They also have lots of beautiful clothes (If anyone still wonders what I want for Christmas, wait until the bell-sleeve cashmere sweaters go back on sale. Or the cashmere scarves. Or the Born boots.)

I was just interrupted by YET ANOTHER telephone solicitor. Could someone please get the word out to these people that cold-calling people is NOT EFFECTIVE? This is the second time in as many weeks that the caller, when politely asked to remove us from their calling list, insisted on continuing their monologue. This one actually told me that I was "not listening" to her! How about I call you in the middle of the day, talk about what I want to talk about (which is something you don't want) and insist on finishing my conversation while you wait for me to finish? It is better for both of us if I cut this short and you remove me from your list so that you don't waste time calling here again.

Last week, angered by my co-worker's dismissal, a telephone solicitor actually called back, got me, and asked to talk to her supervisor! This was an independent person, calling us to sell us her services as a debt collector! At least we know she's persistent, even if she's not very polite. People have told me that they say, "wait just a minute" when this happens to them, then set the phone down and walk away. While that sounds very gratifying, as does telling them you'll put them on hold and then hanging up instead, I'm actually trying to be nice, and efficient, by asking to be removed from the calling list. I guess I have to learn a sweeter way of saying it that does the trick. Like what, though? I don't want to be an ass, I just want to make it stop.

Ok, back to what I was saying, I have always loved the cover photos on the Garnet Hill catalogues. I wish I could find out who the photographers are. And I was going to talk about marbles and jacks more, but my nostalgic mood is blown. Maybe another time.

Here, I googled some tips for you:
How to get rid of telemarketers 1, and 2.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Calling All Batter Blasters


I saw this product a few times in Sunshine Market and walked right by. Then I read the label, saw that it was organic, and thought, a) it's not that hard to make pancakes from scratch anyway and b) but this might be fun if you wanted to make a lot of pancakes. Since it would take Mike and I about ten years to eat as many pancakes as this can says it makes, I bought two cans for my friends with kids ranging in age from 6 to 1, on the condition that they chime in and tell me how the trial went. So here's the chance. Chime on in. I heard from Maggie that Molly LOVED them, but Mommy thought they were too sweet. Tyla, aka Mommy, promises to try them in the waffle iron as well. Convenient? Fun? Tasty? Acceptably nutritious for breakfast? Other comments?

Note to Self


Yesterday I picked my friend Maggie up from school at noon and she came over to make ornaments with me. We had a little lunch first. Maggie LOVES salad and LOVES mushrooms, she told me. We had a great time. We put googly eyes, glitter glue and sequins on our reindeer, Christmas trees and snowman.

We took the dog for a little walk while the glue was setting. Then we read three books: Skippyjon Jones Goes to the Doghouse, I Like Bugs, and Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon. Maggie had a snack of brown bread and jam (the remnants of which you can see in the picture above), then grabbed her blanky and started to look seriously nappish. And then it was time to go home. A fine time was had by all. Toward the end, I think Maggie was being a serious trouper, because I heard from her mom that she didn't feel well the rest of the day. I think she started feeling icky about halfway through and was just too excited to want to say anything.

Below are some photos of our ornaments. Sorry some are a little blurry. I think the glitter confuses the camera.








This morning, when I checked the ornaments that I made after she left, I noticed that some of the decorations had separated themselves from the ornaments, and I realized too late that glitter glue is not the best adhesive for tinfoil. As each line or dot dries, it just pops right off. I am going to try to pin some of the pieces down with Elmer's, but I'm not sure that will work either. I sent an urgent message to Maggie's mother this morning to be on the lookout for possible materials failure. If it happens, I'll get some adhesive dots or jewels (which was what the instructions recommended in the first place) and we'll have an activity for another afternoon.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

It's Not About the Stuff

In the past, I've used collages for my personal Christmas cards. These are made 100% old school, cutting bits and pieces out of magazines and pasting them together with glue or tape on a piece of art paper.

The full-sized collages, which have been as big as 18" x 24", and have included pieces of dollar bills and actual debt-busting, cut-up credit cards, were then scanned, very minimally re-touched in photoshop and laser-printed on cardstock. In honor of the season, here is a holiday collage retrospective. (Click on any image to see the full-sized version.)

It's Not About the Stuff
magazine collage
each print hand-decorated with gold and silver glitter-glue



Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
magazine collage
fork portion made entirely from one black and white magazine photo page



Peace
moon collage made from circular objects from the Sunday newspaper
(the letter "O", a shrimp platter, etc.)
overlaid with crinkled onion skin tracing paper



Joy Is Not in Things, It Is in Us
magazine clippings, credit cards, dollar bills, glitter



Happy Birthday
magazine collage, tape



Biological Clock
magazine collage, tape

(This post is duplicated on my other blog RESOURCE DESIGN. )

Friday, December 14, 2007

'Tis the Season

Read this piece by Heather Armstrong. If you are someone, or you know someone, who is feeling down and keeping it a secret because you are afraid of what someone else will think, don't be afraid. Pick up a phone and begin to find help.

I know what it feels like to contemplate whether the world would be better off without me, and I never imagined then that it would all change and I would have this much fun and love and laughter down the road.

During the holidays, it's too easy to create artificial standards for ourselves about how things should be, and how we should be, and those "shoulds" can seem like impossible walls to climb. No matter where you are today, no matter how bad you feel, you can begin to change things.
It's going to be ok.

The Week in Pictures





Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Scraps

You can see Oprah's favorite things here.

You can see a gray kitty wearing a pink wig here.

You can see badly dressed celebrities here.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things


Recently, as you may know, Oprah gave away her "Favorite Things" on television. The show, (which I watched because I was running on the treadmill at the gym, mind you, not because I would ever turn on the television before 5 pm at home) was as filled with screaming, crying and excess as the Saturday Night Live parody of it. I do like Oprah, in spite of all that. And I like some of her things, too. (Forget Obama-- Oprah for president.)

Then yesterday, I was reading Family Fun magazine at the orthodontist's office. In addition to all sorts of ideas for cute crafts, there were some touching columns about different things people have done to help make the holidays meaningful as well as plentiful. One that struck me as really beautiful was a story about a couple who had very little the first year they were married, so instead of over-extending their shoestring budget and buying each other new things, they wrapped things for themselves that they already had.

Now I know at first this sounds incredibly sad, which was my first thought. But what they did on Christmas morning was sit under the twinkling tree and reflect on how thankful they were for the gift of each other, and the things that meant a lot to them, like the first present or card he ever gave her, or a little token that reminded them of something special or something important in their lives.

The family still carries on the tradition. Each year, among the new gifts are a few meaningful things, such as a cherished toy that has been in storage, a guitar with a broken string that has been repaired, or a special blankie with a new name tag sewn in. Thinking about these old gifts again puts them in a thankful state of mind, which is often hard to achieve this time of year. It reminds them of the things that are truly special to them and to their family members, and to cherish those things and those people. One year, one of the parents had their two kids hide in big wrapped boxes as the other one came home.

A couple of things I thought of that are small but special to me:

Every time I see the giraffe's face (picture up top), I smile. It's not really a gift. The keychain was loaned to me with a house key on it. Last summer (seems like forever ago) my mother was in the hospital for almost a month in total, for a quadruple bypass. It wasn't until months later, when I knew my mom was safe and sound again, that I realized how stressful that time was, and how scared I was. My friends Ann and Enza let me stay at their house while I was helping out and visiting her at the hospital, giving me a vital oasis of calm and quiet to retreat to each night. Now they've moved, and I still have the keychain. And I'm still thankful for them and their generosity and support.

Speaking of keychains, I am never without the small black Swiss-Army knife keychain that my mother gave me years and years ago. I still have the tweezers, but the toothpick is long gone. (Who would use that in their teeth anyway? Gross.) It's totally worn and smooth, and the logo is completely gone. I use the screwdriver, the knife, the scissors and the nail file all the time. It's like a tiny emergency tool kit for just about anything. I feel capable when I have my little knife. Sort of like Mike feels when he has his Leatherman tool, I suppose, just on a smaller scale.

I have to take a break now, but as I go about my day and my week, I'm going to keep my eyes and my heart open to the good things in my life. I kinda feel like making some cookies, too. Maybe I'm getting a little Christmas spirit after all.

Lacking in Detail

I like how on the Butter Cookies recipe below, I didn't list oven temperature, cooking time, or just about any other detail. I think because the 3 x 5 card I copied from Ginny Dadasovich's cookbook twenty years ago doesn't have any detail on those particular cookies, most likely because I was copying down a bunch of recipes at once that all had the same basic mixing and cooking instructions. Or I was just being cocky and thought I'd remember the right ones. But that recipe is funny: Just make the damn cookies. You know what a cookie is, right? Just mash it all together and oh, turn on the oven or something and take them out before they burn.
Nice.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Whew!

(I finally discovered the source of the problem and replaced the old header. Of course now I want to change it again because I've been looking at it for so long.)

In other news, I got a speeding ticket today, but the officer was VERY nice (and handsome, too, if I may say so) and gave me a ticket that was on the generous side for the speed I was going. I am never angry or upset when I get a ticket, which doesn't happen very often. The officer was doing what he gets paid to do, and I totally deserved to get a ticket, because I was speeding. I didn't even notice the highway patrol car until it was right behind me. (By the way, he clocked me on the radar as we were going in opposite directions, in case you thought that wasn't possible.)

With any luck, my last ticket is far enough in the past that I can do traffic school online. (Traffic School to Go is pretty silly, but I found that it reinforces important safety points that I still reference, such as safe following distances at different speeds, and other rules of the road, besides speeding, obviously. And I can complete it online and not have to go anywhere.) The fine still hurts, especially during the holidays, but we can manage.

In addition, the other night we went out to dinner, and when we came out, there was a parking ticket on our car. We were parked next to a construction zone, so the red paint on the curb had been worn off or covered with dust and was impossible to see at night. The hydrant it marked was silver and behind silver chain link within the construction site. When we turned the ticket over, the officer had written: "You are parked in a red zone. Please be careful in the future when parking." No ticket, no fine. So I consider myself very lucky in the traffic ticket karma area this month. I promise to be extra careful in return for this niceness.

Which reminds me of my "escort" theory: when you're driving too fast, in a hurry to get somewhere, you know how there's always someone, some person wearing a hat (my grandpa says to watch out for people in hats- notoriously bad drivers) in a big boat of a car, or someone with stickers all over the back of their mini-van, who is going exactly or just under the speed limit, and blocking whichever lane you are in? That is your escort.

Instead of thinking of that person as the total pain in the ass that is in your way, think of them as sort of a volunteer guardian angel who has appeared to keep you safe. Sometimes shortly after this happens to me, I'll still be fuming that I can't get where I'm going faster, and then I'll see the police car that was waiting by the side of the road to give me a ticket, who now can't because I'm well under the speed limit. Then I remember about my escort, and I smile and calm down and think, yep, there's one ticket I won't get, or an accident I won't be part of. It's more important to get where you're going safely than it is to get there quickly. Be kind to your escorts if you are out there holiday shopping today.

As I write this, I think of Jen and Randy, Nate and Katie, out there in the Islands, and that Jamaican rum commercial where all the guys are talking about "road rage" when the town's only bus is stopped in front of a bicycle. Count "no holiday shopping traffic" among your blessings. Although "no holiday shopping available" might be the flip side of that. Got eggs yet?

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Technical Difficulties

Ok, email is back on track. I am proud to say I found the problem and fixed it. I am, however, temporarily stuck with this header image and have no way to get rid of it... maybe there's a way to edit the source code, but that seems a little scary. If I thought I was going to get stuck with this one indefinitely, I might have made it less silly.

In other realms, I dragged my sorry, just-got-over-a-cold self to the gym yesterday and today, and I am feeling better about things in general. Yesterday, I ran/walked 4 miles and today I swam 3,000 yards. I feel like a noodle, in a good way. I've been pretty steady about the gym for the last 6 months, thus the -12 lbs, but I'm feeling myself start to get bored with the routine that's been working so far. I'm ready for something else. Horseback riding maybe. I have always wanted to take lessons, and there's a place not far from my house... does that really count as working out? I don't know. I need something to breathe some fire into my routine.

Blah, blah, blah. A friend is down from Seattle, and we are waiting to drive to meet her at Filippi's Pizza Grotto. I'm waiting for pictures to load to a calendar I'm making for Christmas over at Lulu. So I'm sitting here passing the time. Just ordered some Danskos from Scrubsrack, because my old ones are just about dead. I wish Danskos could be re-heeled. Maybe this time I'll take them to the shoe repair guy (Tip Top on 2nd in Napa is great) and see if he can put a heel on them before I wear them. I doubt it, because they are plastic. These would be perfect shoes if they weren't plastic, and if they were held together by something other than staples.

The other night, Mike and I were watching a lame movie called Sweet Land. (What is an Independent Spirit Award? This movie won one.) There was one actor in it who was familiar, but everyone else was b-list. The lead actress was pretty and did a decent job. The whole plot was loosely strung together, and the premise-- that a post World War I mail-order bride who was supposed to be Norwegian showed up German-- was sort of lacking in oomph. And though the bride and groom-to-be both spoke Norwegian, they chose to communicate in English, a language neither spoke very well. But the DUMBEST thing about this fairly lame movie was the costuming. One of the farmers was wearing a new, unweathered, clean Carhart jacket with a logo throughout the movie. In two scenes, there were close-ups of the woman's foot, and she was wearing modern, plastic-heeled, staples-in-the-side Danskos. I was stretching my suspension of disbelief, trying to imagine that they really had Danskos like that in the midwest in the 1920s, but I couldn't make it work. How could they spend so much money and be so careful with everything else and then just go, "Oh, these shoes will do, no one will notice."?

The only thing dumber than that that I've seen in a movie was the time a boom mike AND the tennis shoe of the guy wearing it came down into the frame of the living room in Desert Bloom. It's a decent movie, if I recall correctly, John Voigt and awards in abundance, but it's worth renting just for the tennis shoe. It was so obvious I wouldn't have been surprised if one of the characters had said, "Mommy, why doesn't our living room have a ceiling, and why is that man sitting on the top of the wall with a microphone?"

Hey, guess what, it's time to go.

More Cookie Ideas

Why am I posting so many cookie recipes? This time of year, my thoughts turn straight to sweets. I think it's keeping me from actually baking them and worse, eating them. I have lost somewhere between 10 and 12 lbs, and I'm determined to hold the line through the holidays. As soon as I finish this post, I'm off to the gym.

These recipes were from Ginny Dadasovich. Ginny was the mother of a high school boyfriend of mine. She's the one I remember who cried at AT&T commercials and sad moments in sit-coms. She had a big, wide smile and a great laugh. She and her husband were great parents, kind, funny and thoughtful when it came to raising their kids. Every night after dinner, they'd take a walk together, and sort out their thoughts about any issues with the boys, so that they could present a unified front. Robbie, her son, died in a car accident a year after we broke up. Ginny made cookies at Christmas, and I copied her recipes onto 3 x 5 cards in blue ball-point pen over twenty years ago. I still have the cards.

Petticoat Tails
A simple butter cookie that is great for making up in advance. Roll in nuts, crushed peppermint candies, grated orange or lemon rind, flavoring accordingly. Or use food coloring to make two different colors and roll them together. Store cookie rolls in freezer wrapped in parchment and plastic, and cut and bake anytime.

Ingredients
1 c soft butter
1 c sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla (or other flavoring of your choice)
2 1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt

Method
Cream butter, mix in all dry.
Gather dough into a ball, place on plastic wrap.
Roll dough into a long log, about 2" thick.
Form into rounded roll or press sides square for square cookies.
If you've made two colors, cut in fourths and swap alternate corners for a checkerboard effect.
Unroll plastic wrap, sprinkle with desired coating, and press roll into coating.
Re-roll in plastic or paper and seal in plastic bag in freezer if making ahead.
Chill for 30 min to 1 hour, slice into 1/2 slices.
Bake 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Butter Cookies
1 c butter, softened
2 c flour
1/2 sugar
1 c chopped nuts

Cream yer butter and sugar, mix in flour and nuts. Chill, roll, cut, or roll into little balls. Dust with powdered sugar when they come out of the oven.

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients
1/3 c shortening
1 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c dark molasses
2/3 c cold water
6 c flour
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ginger, cloves, cinnamon

Method
All I wrote was: Chill, roll, cut, so you're on your own.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

The directions I wrote down also say:
Add one more cup of flour if making gingerbread boys. Use raisins for eyes. I do not know why boys require more flour. Maybe it makes them more sturdy.

Damn Easy Coconut Cookies and Cookies Dammit

Here are two cookie recipes, one that's new to me but sounds easy and tasty, and one that's a tried and true favorite.
Coconut Cookies
(from chef Marcus Samuelsson, via Yahoo)
Makes about 2 and 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add shredded coconut, mixing well with a rubber spatula.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed, just to blend. Beat in sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in coconut until thoroughly mixed.
4. Drop rounded teaspoons of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, until the tips of the cookies are pale gold. Slide the parchment papers, with the cookies on them, onto wire cooling racks and let the cookies cool completely.

Cookies Dammit- Peanut Butter Cookies

My favorite peanut butter cookie recipe ever, which was given to me by a pastry chef about 15 years ago. This makes a huge batch (not to mention using a whole pound of butter) so cut in half as necessary, unless you are making some to give for Christmas.

Ingredients
Full recipe
1 lb butter
2 C brown sugar
2 C sugar
4 eggs
4 1/2 C peanut butter
2 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
2 tsp vanilla
4 C cake flour, sifted before measuring (yeah, right)

Half recipe
1/2 lb butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 C peanut butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 C cake flour, sifted before measuring (yeah, right)

Method
Cream butter
Add sugars gradually
Beat in eggs one at a time
Add vanilla
Beat in peanut butter, use extra if your pb is chunky
Mix all dry ingredients together
Mix dry into wet

Using two spoons, drop by rough spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Use a long-tined fork dipped in sugar to mark traditionally, or shove a dark chocolate chunk into the middle of the flattened ball.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

Spicy Gingerbread Thins

Spicy Gingerbread Thins
from Gourmet via Epicurious

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee at room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh gingerroot
Parchment paper for lining baking sheets

Method
Into a bowl sift together flour, pepper, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. In a small bowl stir together molasses and coffee. In a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed beat together butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. With mixer at low speed beat in gingerroot. Beat in flour mixture alternately with molasses mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide dough into thirds. Form each third into a ball and flatten to form disks. Chill disks, wrapped separately in plastic wrap, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Break off egg-size pieces from 1 disk (keep remaining 2 disks chilled) and with heel of hand smear each piece once in a forward motion. Gather pieces together and give dough a few smears to bring together. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 disks.

On a lightly floured work surface roll out one third of dough into a 22- by 8-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick), making sure dough is not sticking to surface (use a pastry scraper to lift dough; sprinkle surface with additional flour if sticking). With a 2-inch gingerbread man cutter or 3 1/2-inch candy cane cutter cut out shapes, transferring with a spatula to baking sheets and arranging about 1/2 inch apart.

Bake cookies in batches in lower third of oven 6 to 8 minutes, or until crisp (do not let cookies get too dark). With spatula transfer cookies to racks to cool. Make more cookies with scraps and remaining two thirds of dough in same manner. Cookies keep, in airtight containers at room temperature, 1 week.

I made these last winter, and they were delicious and very gingery-hot. An adult cookie. I cut them into stars and dusted with powdered sugar. This recipe says it makes ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY cookies, so cut it in half if necessary. Tip for peeling ginger: use a small spoon to scrape the peel, rather than a knife or a vegetable peeler. Much easier. I grated mine with a microplane.

Coconut Cake


Here are two recipes for Coconut Cake, the de rigeur birthday and holiday cake (unless you are Emilio, in which case I have provided a chocolate cake recipe as well).
Double-Coconut Cake from Cooking Light

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (plus one tablespoon for dusting cake pans)
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/3 c butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 14 oz can light coconut milk
1 tblsp vanilla

Fluffy coconut frosting (see below)
2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut, divided in half for middle and top of cake

Method
Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

Combine 2 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (for about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap the pans once on countertop to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.


Fluffy Coconut Frosting

Ingredients
4
large egg whites (I recommend using powdered egg whites)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract

Method
Place egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. (I have to start with a whisk in my mixer bowl, as my Kitchen Aid doesn't reach to the bottom with this little liquid.) Combine sugar and water in a saucepan (I use one or two tablespoons of water); bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 238°. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high speed. Stir in extracts.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1 cup Fluffy Coconut Frosting. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup coconut. Top with remaining cake layer; spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle 1/3 cup coconut over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.


Coconut Cake II
"Jamie's Coconut Cake" from Paula Deen
(According to Food Network, she'll be making this cake on television this Friday- check your listings.)

Ingredients
2(!) sticks butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut

7-Minute Frosting:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 to 3 cups coconut, flaked and sweetened

Cake Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and coconut milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks.

Filling:
Stir together sugar, sour cream, milk, and coconut in a bowl until well blended. Add first cake layer onto pedestal. Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1-inch apart until entire cake has been poked. Spread a third of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again.

Cook's Note: As each layer is stacked, stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting.

Frosting:
Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle top and sides of cake with coconut.


Velvet Chocolate Cake
From Scharffenberger Chocolate

Ingredients
8 oz Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup strong coffee, kept warm but not hot
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar

Method
(Double this recipe for a 9 inch pan or larger. This makes a relatively flat flourless cake.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter or spray an 8-inch round pan (not spring-form) with vegetable oil spray. Line bottom with a parchment circle. Have a larger pan ready to serve as a water bath.
Melt the chocolate gently over hot water. Keep warm.
Whip the cream with 1 tbs of sugar until the mixture forms soft peaks. Set aside.
Whip eggs on high speed in a stand mixer until double in volume. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar to the eggs, 1 tbs at a time. Continue whipping until the eggs have fully tripled in volume and are light and fluffy. They should have some body.
Pour the coffee into the chocolate and stir until combined. Fold the eggs into the chocolate in three additions, working quickly to incorporate each addition. Fold in cream.

Pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan. Place it in the larger pan. Fill the outer pan with hot water so that it reaches halfway up the side of the cake pan.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the cake still jiggles in the center when gently shaken. Cool completely on a rack. To unmold, slide small knife or spatula around the edges of the cake to loosen from pan. Cover the top of the pan with a sheet of waxed paper. Place a plate upside-down over the paper and invert pan and plate together. Remove cake pan and parchment liner. Place a serving platter on the bottom of the cake and turn right-side up.

Slice and serve with creme anglaise or whipped cream.

Makes 7-8 servings. Keeps up to four days at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

About Leap!

I've been reading Leap! for the last week or so. I find the author sort of whiny and directionless, perhaps because the book is one long whiny search for direction. She is in her 50s, and has found herself no longer as much in demand as a television writer and journalist. She wants to find a purpose for her waning years, so she sets off in search of one, interviewing celebrity friends, visiting ashrams, taking workshops and volunteering for charity missions.

I have a tendency to internalize books and movies, so much so that I once saw Brother from Another Planet very late at night and forgot that I could actually talk. Ok, maybe I was just tired. Maybe that's how I ended up watching that movie in the first place. I still remember how much I cried after I read The Yearling.

If I read a book that is sad, I'm sad. If I read a book that is triumphant, I am temporarily transformed. Which is why I loved Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. Yes, I know, she was on Oprah yesterday, and women in the audience were gushing over the book, saying it had changed their lives. Today, Ms. Gilbert's site is coming up with error messages, probably due to the deluge of hits from gushers and wanna-be gushers. Usually I run the other way from Oprah recommendations, but I read this book first.

What was different about these two books was the tone, the character of the narration. Both women found themselves at a crossroads, searching for meaning and purpose. (I just realized this seems to be a theme in my recent reading...) Elizabeth Gilbert goes on a mission to see what it is about three different cultures that makes them so good at what they are good at. Her story is fun to read, a story told by a good friend over drinks in a cozy lodge, a friend you love so much and who has been through so much that you can allow her the pleasures you jealously want for yourself. I think Sarah Davidson went about it the wrong way, looking for a living, or looking for an end result. She hops from place to place, person to person, never sinking in or opening herself up to what the culture has to offer. She seems to be looking for a "thing" instead of looking for something in herself, and she seems dissatisfied and critical at every step of the way. On a volunteer stint in India, other volunteers tag her as "needy" and "critical". I don't want to hang out with her either.

I'll finish the book, but so far it's been difficult to pull any lessons out of it, because the visits with neat people are so brief and the writing style is so sparse.

If anyone has a suggestion for a non self-help, fiction book, I'd love it. I'm getting tired from so much purposeful reading. I always say that what I want is a story about someone like me, with a happy ending. But someone not like me works, too.

Rainy Tuesday


Well, it has finally, finally rained. Right now it's after noon, but the sky is gray enough that we need the lights on. I made chicken noodle soup for dinner later, and we had tuna melts for lunch. We need some fresh-baked bread, but I'm not sure I feel like making it.

I don't like to admit this, because I have delusions of being bulletproof when it comes to health, but I have caught a cold. Thus the soup. Itchy, scratchy eyes and nose and one day's worth of sore throat. With a bit of antihistamine, I'm good to go for the day, then I take a cold medicine at night. I'm chanting silently to myself that I WILL get through this in three days and feel fine as I usually do.

Other than that, my only frustration is that something has gone afoul between my computer and blogspot's layout pop-up menus. I suspect it is the fact that I am still stubbornly running 10.3.9 and can't upgrade to the most current version of Firefox until I get Leopard. I can't change any of my links, or my header image at the moment. I can load regular images, though, for some reason. Bear with me though, all will be fine, soon. But for now, you'll have to click here to see this cute site, The Daily Coyote, because I can't add it to my Fabulous section, and I can't remove the things I have there now. Annoying.

Email has been quiet, too. Possibly for the same general operating system reason. Or maybe it's because I've loaded up my formerly light-speed computer with thousands (and I do mean thousands) of fairly useless photos that now need to be archived.

This was the view out my front door last week when the sun was still shining:

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Coupla Notes

Some more information about the links in this week's "Fabulous" section:

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, the comic strip most likely to be cut out and posted on an office cubicle near you, has found himself in the unfortunate position of being the owner of a restaurant. He has no restaurant experience outside of bussing tables as a boy. I found this out in a recent New York Times article. The restaurant is in Dublin, CA. I would love it if he started channeling his new experiences into some restaurant characters in the strip. We'll see. I think this blog will be a fun one to check in with.

Family Fun is a monthly magazine put out by (ugh) Disney. I read it at the orthodontist's, and I've found so many fun and imaginative ideas for things to do with kids that I'm finally going to break down and subscribe. I just went to their site, which is the other link at right, and there is a neat search feature for finding crafts and activities. You can search by age group, type of activity, as well as subject matter, such as princesses, animals, cars and trucks. Like epicurious for kid-related activities, it can help you find a "recipe" or just remind you about something you already know how to make or do but have forgotten. I just popped on there for a minute and found six ideas for fun things to do.

One of my all-time favorite birthday party ideas was the Obstacle Course party. This is great for parents who are in the one-upmanship party trap because it's inexpensive but imaginative and fun. You need a big driveway or safe school playground or parking lot. Set up an obstacle course using just about anything. The age of the kids determines the size and difficulty of the course. Each kid brings his or her vehicle of choice, be it car, truck or Big Wheel. Each kid gets a number pinned on his shirt and rides the course for "time". You can make up awards (certificates or prizes or homemade trophies) for just about anything you like so that everyone gets a prize. Or just hand out cupcakes at the finish line.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Spam Comments

A couple of posts down from here, there is a comment from someone I don't know. Do not click on the link. I've received a comment like this before, which usually goes like this:

LOL, or Your site is great, or I like your blog.
Now go click on my irrelevant junk link here.

Like that. Ignore it. Don't give it any traffic from this site. I'll see if I can figure out how to delete it.

Thanks.

Double Your Giving Money

Environmental Working Group- the environmental advocate and watchdog that helped us add our names to the 30,000 gathered to support the Farm Bill, and operates Skin Deep, the consumer cosmetics safety reference site, is doubling any donation through December 15. They are also giving out a nifty reusable shopping bag full of cool green-friendly stuff with a $135 donation, which will become $270 with the program.

The Heifer Foundation - if you are thinking about giving to the Heifer Foundation this Christmas (A flock of ducks is still twenty bucks!) Fosters Wine Estates Americas, the company that Mike works for, is matching all employee donations, with no upper limit. Maybe your company does, too. Be sure to check it out. If you know an employee of any one of the many Fosters wineries, ask them about it. I would also be happy to collect any donations from anyone who does not know a Fosters employee, and have Mike donate them via the program. Maybe we can get all the way to an ark. That's two of everything, benefitting countless families all over the world, including the U.S.. Your gift could go twice as far.

Don't forget about Six Degrees. This site, started by, Kevin Bacon, is a hub for charity donations of all types. If you are so inclined, you can start your own "badge" and your friends, family, or anyone, can use it to donate to the charity of your choice. Or you can just donate to the charity of your choice on the site. I never played that strange trivia game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" but apparently after K.B. got over the embarrassment of being sort of a has-been 80s star with a drinking game named after him, he decided to play on the notoriety to benefit worthy causes. And then his career reignited and he made some movies and now everything is ok again. See what positivity and good deeds can do for you?

Last but not least, don't forget to make donations to your local food bank, Red Cross, children's charity and/or Planned Parenthood. If you know any Republicans, be sure to donate to PP and NARAL in their name for a little extra holiday thrill. These are the services working day to day to make life better for people who need them, during fair weather as well as fires and floods.

The next time you go grocery shopping, buy two of every canned good you buy and put half in the food drive barrel on the way out. When you go Christmas shopping, if you see a tree hung with requests from needy children, grab one. Just one. You don't have to be a hero. One little thing, that you can spare, can make a big difference.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Pie Makin' Photos






Sorry for not posting these with the pie post. I had dough on my mousefinger.

Six Things That Will Make You Smarter

These brain exercises. Also, remembering smells and reading upside-down.

This website.

Learning to play one of these.

This pill.

These foods.

Or maybe these.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Pie Crust, Crabcakes, and Other Odds and Ends

The Very Best Pie Crust Recipe
(Courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Landre)

Ingredients
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 c Spectrum shortening
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 to 1 cup ice water

Tools
Food processor or pastry blender
Rolling pin

Method
Place flour, salt, sugar in a food processor, spin to combine. Distribute fats on top of flour, close processor, and pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
Sprinkle about 1/4 c of the water on top of mixture. Pulse a few times to mix evenly, sprinkle a little more water, pulse again. What you are looking for is a mixture that will just hold together when squeezed. You don't need any more water than that.
Scoop out into a bowl or a floured work surface and press together into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk, roll out.
I always roll and shape my crust, then chill it in the refrigerator while I'm making the filling. Easier to work with that way.

I find this easiest in a food processor, but it can also be done with a fork or pastry blender (that weird D-shaped thing in the back of your kitchen drawer with wires or blades and a handle).

I used this recipe for my second pumpkin pie on Sunday, and it was just perfect. Flaky, not tough, the right amount of brown.

Mike made the salmon version of the cakes below for lunch today, which we had with an iceberg wedge salad. A very nice lunch. When I see canned salmon in the pantry, all I can think of is an unsatisfactory sandwich experience. (I love tuna, but for various and sundry reasons, I don't buy it anymore.) So these delicious salmon cakes were a nice surprise. Crab season has been postponed in small pockets of the San Francisco Bay due to the oil spill, but the local supermarkets and fish markets have still had plenty. A couple of dollars a pound more expensive, as it is coming from Washington and the outer regions of the Bay, but it's there if you want it.
Crab cakes
(Courtesy of Susan Ridley)

Combine:
1 egg
2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
2 Tblsp mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp melted butter (olive oil works fine)
1 tsp parsley flakes (totally optional)
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 c bread crumbs (scant)

Allow bread crumbs to soak up the liquids.

Gently fold in 1 lb crab meat
(canned salmon tastes pretty good too)

Make into 6 patties
Pan fry approx 6 minutes each side on medium heat, or until brown and crisp.

Due to the dry weather, we have had an extended fall here in the Napa Valley. I can't even describe to you how beautiful it has been. This week it is just starting to get nice and crisp outside, but the vineyards are still in full golden color. They are so gold, and so orange, and so numerous that there have been days that I felt overwhelmed by all of the warm colors. Enough already! Can I just have a little bit of something else!? Then we had a sprinkle of rain, and we got a dash of bright green. Many of the fields are being plowed, so that adds a nice dollop of chocolate dirt brown, too. Ahhh. The guys are out doing "pre-prune" this week, so by the end of the week, all that pretty color will be on the ground.

Here is a nice fall soup recipe that I found on chowhound.com. We had this for lunch or dinner one of the days this week, and I had it again for lunch yesterday. The flavor really improved after a day or so. I added an extra sprinkle of salt to mine when I served it, as I found the parsnips to be a little sweet. Great flavor.

Parsnip and Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed, and thinly sliced
1 cup peeled, coarsely chopped parsnips (about 2 medium Parsnip:parsnips)
2 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower florets (about 1/2 of a small head)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 3/4 cups water (I used homemade chicken stock)

Method
  1. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add leek and season well with salt and ground white pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leek is softened but not completely cooked, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add parsnips and stir to coat in oil. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until parsnips are softened but not completely tender. (Do not let the vegetables color.)
  3. Add cauliflower, stir, and cook for about 1 minute. Add salt and water. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low, and cook until vegetables are completely tender, about 8 to 9 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and allow soup to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Process soup in a blender until completely smooth. Return soup to the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
The soup as made on chowhound (a great recipe resource, by the way) was served with fried beet chips, but I think it would be terrific with homemade bacon crisps on top. We had it with some warm, buttered, savory pumpkin bread. It needed the salt from the butter, but there was plenty of flavor besides that in the soup, which tastes creamy and hearty without cream. It was a nice break from all of the heavy eating. This recipe could serve as a master recipe for any pureed vegetable soup, from broccoli to pumpkin to butternut squash, cauliflower, potato, beet, you name it.

Speaking of pureed soups, I mentioned my stick blender. As I also mentioned, the whole messy idea of pouring hot soup into a blender and then back into a pot is just silly to me. Not to mention potentially dangerous. I have had a hand blender since the mid-1980s, when I actually used to demonstrate Braun products in department stores. They are also called immersion blenders, because when you are making soup, you can stick the blender right into it and puree to your desired thickness without moving the soup. Makes great smoothies for one, and cleans up with a quick rinse in the sink. As I mentioned, I've used mine for 20 years (yikes, I think that makes me really old). It does not, however, crush ice very well, so unless you already have a crushed ice dispenser to break down the chunks, I wouldn't recommend using it for margaritas.

This week, when I made the soup, I barely had time to finish cooking it before we had to go somewhere, so I threw the whole pot in the refrigerator on a hotpad and pureed it in the food processor the next day cold. If you are going to do that, I recommend spooning the vegetables in first, getting them good and pureed, then adding the liquid slowly. This would probably also work well when blending the hot soup with a blender.

Note: By the way, Robert Redford was right about the dishwashing detergent. It really is working well, with no residue. It's even getting chicken stock grease off the reusable plastic containers, which is pretty impressive.

That's it for now. More soon.